Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
A
seismic shift in the defense industry Gone are the days of
“no-questions-asked funding requests.” Pentagon must now make do with less.
(Washington Post) [ I think there are many who’ll say they’ll believe it when
they really see it; and, beyond the off-budget-item chicanery. I’m certainly
one, and so is Davis: Davis
‘This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply
happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global
GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of
unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is
to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn
worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to
spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year).
There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the
people all of the time. THIS
HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘
Senate
Dems find themselves in a tough spot (WP) [ Tough spot? Like Iraq and a
hard place called Afghanistan; indeed they are. [Pakistani
troops, NATO helicopters engage in firefight 6th
soldier charged in plot to kill Afghan civilians (Washington Post) [ Gen. Hamid Gul: U.S. Generals Provoking War with Pakistan
Jones |
U.S. intelligence is that bin Laden needs dialysis
every 3 days/ http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/osama_dead.php 5-1-11, JUST
MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED OSAMA BIN
LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF
SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN ACTUALLY DIED
IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T WANT AVAILABLE
WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT IS POSSIBLE
THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A "REVENGE" ATTACK
FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR
ON THE MIDDLE EAST… FLASHBACK: Editorial: US in
quagmire War
in Afghanistan and Iraq costs America $1trillion Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
]
Israeli
central banker to bid for IMF? (Washington Post) [ Dumb as they are by most
measures of same including the IMF’s mission and purpose, I doubt even they’d
be that self-destructively dumb in light of their destructive,
nation-bankrupting follies / adventurism in the Mideast for which they’re
already suspect in terms of foolishly, self-defeatingly pro-israeli
policy. Krauthammer:
What Obama did to Israel (Washington Post) [ The fundamental problem with
Mr. Krauthammer’s non-sequitor illogic is the manner in which war crimes nation
israel came by those land (war) and the numerous violations of u.n. resolutions
(ie., 242, 338, etc., and oslo accords, etc.), international, war crimes
(flotilla raid, etc.) since then. He thus becomes the journalistic equivalent
of what Pat Buchanan refers to as the ‘israeli amen corner’ in congress. If
only one could realistically ignore the detriment the world and america have
suffered as a direct consequence of this foreign policy bent … Top
Democrats criticize Obama’s Israel policy
(WP) [ What policy … to him, just words … more b***s*** . I’ve thus far
refrained from commenting on what I’ve anticipated to be ‘just more of the
same’; empty rhetoric. Pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america makes the
wrong choice at every turn, ensuring in every way, decline and fall;
self-destructive, self-defeating. Make no mistake, and let me reiterate, that
substantially underrated President General Eisenhower would have put American
interests first and the current debacle would never have occurred in the first
instance … see, ie., http://albertpeia.com
, historical documentation, from website: http://www.ameu.org
‘Lest We Forget The Israeli lobby in
Washington has successfully influenced the U.S. Congress to give billions of
non-repayable dollars each year to Israel on the premise that Israel's loyalty
and strategic importance to the United States make it an ally worthy of such
unprecedented consideration. Is it ? In his Farewell Address, George Washington
warned Americans to avoid a passionate attachment to any one nation because it
promotes "the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no
real common interest exists." In 1948, U.S. Secretary of Defense James
Forrestal, an opponent of the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, warned
that, even though failure to go along with the Zionists might cost President
Truman the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and California, it was about time
that somebody should pay some consideration to whether we might not lose the
United States. Israeli actions over the past 53 years involving U.S. interests
in the Middle East seriously challenge the "strategic asset" premise
of the Israeli lobby. Some of these actions are compiled in the list that
follows: ’ ] Netanyahu
lays out vision for Mideast peace (WP) [ Vision? Don’t make
me laugh! The guy’s blind; and a ward and provocateur at america’s substantial
cost and detriment. ]
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
7
Market Hazard Signs Traders Have Been Ignoringat Minyanville / Erik Swarts May
27, 2011 ‘…
1. I have repeatedly heard and read to the same effect, "the market is
hanging in there, considering...(x y z)." While that is certainly the case
broadly speaking, the market has a way of distracting your attention from where
it should be focused most. .. however, the market's technical structure
typically trumps sentiment (unless it is at a statistical extreme such as in
March 2009) over time. If anything, the fact that the market is "hanging
in there" on a relative basis could actually portend a more serious
underlying condition indicative of distribution. Distribution by institutional
participants can create broadening top formations in the indices and erratic
sentiment surveys by the swinging price action.
2. A major momentum darling has crashed and burned with silver. Silver's
historic decline, coupled with a very shallow bounce, is bearish toward risk
returning to the same degree of indiscrimination it represented before it broke
down. You could even speculate that the tepid action in stocks
like Apple (AAPL)
over the past six months was a precursor to the diminishing influence on the
risk/momentum continuum.
3. The indices all broke their respective 50-day moving averages this week. ..
4. Ignoring the symmetry and historical context in the two charts below would
be Pollyannish at best, irresponsible to risk at worst. Furthermore, knowing
what we now know about the developments in Europe and the risks they have going
forward -- specifically over the next few weeks in Spain and Greece -- their
respective influences to the commodity and equity
markets could be strongly reinforcing…
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition1.jpg
5. The government bond market continues to confuse even the King's wishes. The chart below shows the relative
disconnect ..should not be ignored or passed off as insignificant. ..
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition2.jpg
6. Weekly economic data surveys have taken a turn negative. ..
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition3.jpg
7. The market has respected my monthly meridian chart to the tick. If May
continues to follow course away from the meridian at 1363, the summer months
could see an acceleration
to the downside.
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition4.jpg
Overall, I'm skeptical to hanging onto long positions for anything more than a
bounce here and feel more comfortable on the short side of the market…’
7
Market Hazard Signs Traders Have Been Ignoringat Minyanville / Erik Swarts May
27, 2011 ‘It's been said that the
market is hanging in there, but the market has a way of distracting your
attention from where it should be focused most. As a trader who
relies on the qualitative art form that is appraising market psychology, I have
been collecting some interesting anecdotes and observations from the field.
Specifically, traders seem to be ignoring some of the more readily apparent
hazard signals the market has been throwing off in the past month.
1. I have repeatedly heard and read to the same effect, "the market is
hanging in there, considering...(x y z)." While that is certainly the case
broadly speaking, the market has a way of distracting your attention from where
it should be focused most. The rampant attention and bipolar swings in investor
sentiment surveys appear to be the illusion of choice in declaring the waters
safe for the return of risk.
I believe there is some utility in knowing where the sentiment vane is pointing
over the very short term, however, the market's technical structure typically
trumps sentiment (unless it is at a statistical extreme such as in March 2009)
over time. If anything, the fact that the market is "hanging in
there" on a relative basis could actually portend a more serious
underlying condition indicative of distribution. Distribution by institutional
participants can create broadening top formations in the indices and erratic
sentiment surveys by the swinging price action.
2. A major momentum darling has crashed and burned with silver. Silver's
historic decline, coupled with a very shallow bounce, is bearish toward risk
returning to the same degree of indiscrimination it represented before it broke
down. You could even speculate that the tepid action in stocks
like Apple (AAPL)
over the past six months was a precursor to the diminishing influence on the
risk/momentum continuum.
3. The indices all broke their respective 50-day moving averages this week.
Today's action should be interesting, considering they are all siting directly
beneath them after retracing the break.
4. Ignoring the symmetry and historical context in the two charts below would
be Pollyannish at best, irresponsible to risk at worst. Furthermore, knowing
what we now know about the developments in Europe and the risks they have going
forward -- specifically over the next few weeks in Spain and Greece -- their
respective influences to the commodity and equity
markets could be strongly reinforcing.
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition1.jpg
5. The government bond market continues to confuse even the King's wishes. The chart below shows the relative
disconnect over the past year. This chart should be qualified, in that yields
have been in a downtrend relative to the SPX for almost three decades. With
that said, the degree of yield erosion relative to the SPX over the past two
months should not be ignored or passed off as insignificant.
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition2.jpg
6. Weekly economic data surveys have taken a turn negative. Whether revealed in
the most recent weekly unemployment trends or decelerating GDP,
the market is facing an ever more hostile headline risk environment. I
typically shy away from incorporating economic data surveys into my short-term
calculus because their correlations are erratic at best. But considering the
backdrop, it can pay off with timing. Next week will provide the important ISM
manufacturing index. Below is a chart of the Empire, Philly & Richmond
surveys overlaid on the ISM survey. As the correlations have shown, the already
received EPR surveys indicate the ISM will likely be quite weak. The degree of
which could be a catalyst (both positive or negative) in the market.
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition3.jpg
7. The market has respected my monthly meridian chart to the tick. If May
continues to follow course away from the meridian at 1363, the summer months
could see an acceleration
to the downside.
http://image.minyanville.com/assets/FCK_Jan2011/Image/LisaCatchMAY2011/ignition4.jpg
Overall, I'm skeptical to hanging onto long positions for anything more than a
bounce here and feel more comfortable on the short side of the market. That
could all change in an instant, and I try to never limit myself from trading
the flip side as revealed by my agnostic trading approach.
Remember, these are just my notes -- I trade what I see in the tape.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on Market Anthropology.’
Global
Stock Seasonality: Tout Le Monde Vendez en Mai Forbes / Sy Harding ‘When investors think of the stock market’s
annual seasonality, as expressed by the adage ‘Sell in May and Go Away,’ they
usually relate it to the U.S. market.In fact, the historical pattern of
stock markets making most of their gains in the winter months, and experiencing
most of their bear market declines and corrections in the unfavorable summer
months, is also common in global markets.Since investors have become much more
comfortable with investing in global markets in recent years, in fact have
poured money into emerging markets at a record pace, recognition that the
seasonal pattern is global is potentially of considerable importance,
especially this year.A 27-page academic study conducted at the Rotterdam School
of Management in the Netherlands and published in the American
Economic Review in 2002,
concluded, “Surprisingly we found this inherited wisdom of Sell in May
to be true in 36 of 37 developed and emerging markets. Evidence shows that in
the United Kingdom the seasonal effect has been noticeable since 1694. . . . A
trading strategy based on this anomaly would be highly profitable in many
countries. The average annual risk-adjusted outperformance ranges between 1.5%
and 8.9%, depending on the country being considered. The effect is robust over
time, economically significant, unlikely to be caused by data-mining, and not
related to taking excess risk.”Stock markets outside of the U.S. seem to be significantly in the lead
on the downside in this unfavorable season. For instance, the S&P 500 is
only 2% below its recent top on April 29, the last trading day of April
(potentially in keeping with the ‘Sell in May and Go Away’ rule to sell on May
1).However, in the rest of the world quite serious stock market corrections are
underway. The important markets of China (the world’s 2nd largest
economy), Japan (the world’s 3rd largest economy), Hong Kong, India,
Brazil, and Russia are already down an average of 12% from their recent peaks,
and have broken down through key support levels, including their long-term
200-day moving averages. Other important markets, including Mexico, Canada,
Britain, France, and South Korea have already broken down through key
intermediate-term support levels, including their 20-week moving averages.That
global markets are so far ahead of the U.S. market on the downside leads me to
believe they will become oversold first and perhaps be the first to bottom and
turn back up when the time to buy arrives again.Meanwhile, the studies of
seasonality point out that a seasonal investor outperforms the market over the
long-term (occasional years when it does not work notwithstanding), while being
at risk in the market only six months each year, and moving to cash for the
other six months.They do not take into consideration the additional gains the
seasonal investor can make in the unfavorable season in areas other than
cash.To name a few; bonds, gold, and currencies often move independent of the
direction of the stock market, and can rally when the stock market is in a
decline. And all are easy enough for investors to take advantage of via mutual
funds, and even more efficiently via ETFs (exchange-traded-funds).If seasonal
investors are fluent in market analysis, particularly technical analysis, which
can help define when an unfavorable season will not just be a ‘dead zone’ but
will probably see a substantial correction, significant gains can be made from
the downside even faster than from the previous rally period. That’s because
when the market goes down it tends to go down much faster than it went up, often
losing a year of previous gains in a matter of a few months.And holdings are
available to harness the power of such market declines, including ‘inverse’
mutual funds and ‘inverse’ ETFs, which are designed to move opposite to a
particular market or market sector.In my opinion then, the U.S. market has some
catching up to do on the downside, while selected global markets, considerably
ahead of the U.S. market on the downside, are liable to bottom first and
provide the earliest buying opportunities.In the interest of full disclosure, I
and my subscribers have some recent new positions in a bond ETF, a currency
ETF, and selected inverse ETFs against the U.S. market.’
End-of-Month
Window Dressing: Dave's Daily at TheStreet.com ‘The U of
Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index was cherry-picked by bulls as the indicator
upon which to rally stocks Friday. But, frankly is it really a valid measure of
current consumer attitudes? I don't think so given it's weighted heavily by
stock prices and curiously by gasoline prices. With the latter, a one week ten
cent drop in prices hardly makes a trend. Some had the nerve to say consumers
were now getting accustomed to higher gas prices. How about you? Consumer Metrics Institute's
opinion and conclusion is as follows:
http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/daves/052711/image002.jpg
"The
levitation effect provided by the Federal fiscal stimulus packages will begin
to wilt soon, as will Mr. Bernanke's monetary magic when QE-2 lapses in June.
At some point in time the GDP will revert to tracking the 70% of the economy
provided by consumer spending. When that happens, the glaring gap in the above
graph will close, and most likely with the upper line converging towards the
lower, rather than the other way around. We have said before that our consumers
seem to know that the headline recovery in the S&P 500 has not yet been
fully shared with the them, their neighbors or their local merchants. Until
unemployment materially decreases and the residential housing market returns to
at least pre-2005 levels of activity, the "Great Recession" isn't
over, despite what the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) would have
us believe." Other data this week was just awful. And, Pending Home Sales
on Friday dropped by 11% which was much worse than expected. If higher stock
prices buoy consumer sentiment, what about poor housing data? The disconnect is
extraordinary. Most major equity index related ETF were able to claw out of
most negative readings to close the week either unchanged or plus/minus a small
amount. Most of this was accomplished on very weak volume but with a heavy
assist of QE2 ($30 billion over the last 5-7 trading days). This is
the magic dust for bulls. The tape's action is reality but the action behind
the curtain is hollow and comprised of free money from on high. Nevertheless,
most indexes may close the month down with only one day left to trade. Our
DeMark monthly sequential 9 counts may have already made their impact as QE2
has another month to run and will compete with it …’
S&P Stuck in a Rut - Why and Where Will it Break? , On Thursday May 26, 2011 ‘This entire week
the S&P has been stuck in a rut. Aside from a few brief spikes outside its
trading range, the S&P has been sluggish and moved with the velocity of
molasses.
The
Memorial Day Lull
Part of the
reason is the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Trading before the Memorial Day
weekend tends to be lackluster and uninspired, but come Tuesday (markets are
closed on Monday) volatility (Chicago Options: ^VIX) is likely to increase.The
holiday weekend is just part of the story though. There are other compelling
reasons why trade is so frustratingly sluggish.
Compelling
Reason to be Dull
The ETF Profit
Strategy Newsletter's technical forecast for the week ahead stated that: 'The
initial downside from the May 2 high may not be finished yet, but it appears to
be limited. If the lower trend line at 1,325 is broken, we are looking for
lower prices but are mindful that various support levels should keep downside action
contained.'The S&P dropped below the 9-month trend line support first thing
Monday morning, but didn't really go anywhere thereafter. Such a trend line
breach is usually significant, but it wasn't, at least not thus far.The chart
below shows why downside momentum didn't increase. The ETF Profit Strategy
Newsletter pointed out this month's and week's pivot support (s1 to be precise)
at 1,319 and 1,317. As you can see, the S&P has stuck to s1 like gum to
shoe.What are pivots, you may ask? Pivot points are determined as the average
of the previous sessions trading range combined with the closing price. The
numbers for support and resistance that are calculated indicate the potential
ranges for the next time frame based on the past weight of the market's strength
or weakness.Pivots are fractal and can be calculated for various time frames. I
usually pay attention to weekly and monthly pivots.
http://www.etfguide.com//contributor/UserFiles/8/Image/article%20new%205%2026%2011.gif
The blue lines
in the chart illustrate the 20 and 50-hour simple moving averages (SMAs). Since
Wednesday, the S&P has been sandwiched between the two. As you can see,
there is plenty of technical reason for the current trading range.
Where
Will it Break?
Every trading
range ends eventually. Often such range bound churning and indecision precedes
significant moves and serves as a springboard. There is certainly a distinct
seasonal post-Memorial Day bias that supports this notion.Once this trading
range is broken, the focus moves on to the next support or resistance. Next
resistance to the up side is 1,325, a Fibonacci projection level. Look at the
chart and you will see how attempts to move beyond 1,325 were thwarted on
Wednesday and earlier today. A break above 1,325 would open the door to higher
prices.Fibonacci levels are powerful trading tools and should not be dismissed.
One important Fibonacci level the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter isolated as
target and resistance in April was 1,369.The importance of this level was
confirmed on May 1, when the newsletter recommended shorting the S&P
against 1,369. The S&P topped the very next day at 1,370 and declined as
much as 50 points thereafter.The ETF Profit
Strategy Newsletter provides the most important short and long-term
support/resistance levels and seasonal tendencies every Sunday and Wednesday,
along with directional advice and the corresponding trading strategies.ETFs
that track the S&P 500 include: S&P 500 SPDR (NYSEArca: SPY - News), iShares S&P 500 (NYSEArca: IVV - News), Vanguard S&P 500 (NYSEArca: VOO - News).Value and Growth S&P ETFs include:
iShares S&P 500 Value (NYSEArca: IVE - News), iShares S&P 500 Growth (NYSEArca: IVW - News), Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF (NYSEArca:
VOOV - News), Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF
(NYSEArca: VOOG - News).Leveraged S&P ETFs include: Ultrashort
S&P ProShares (NYSEArca: SDS - News), Ultra ProShares (NYSEArca: SSO - News), UltraPro S&P ProShares (NYSEArca: UPRO - News), UltraPro Short S&P ProShares
(NYSEArca: SPXU - News).’
The Week Ahead: Can Stocks Climb the Wall of Worry? Forbes / Tom
Aspray ‘Last week’s financial headlines may have caused many stock investors to
run for the exits, as there was very little to make one think that stocks could
move higher. Here is a sampling:
Despite the concerns over debt contagion, a double
dip in the economy, and slower growth in China, the US stock market was
surprisingly strong. The early-morning declines on Wednesday and Thursday were
met with good demand.
Therefore, even though the major averages made new
correction lows, the market had plenty of reasons to drop more sharply. For
most of the week, Tuesday’s headline from the Financial Times, “Investors
swept up in wave of bearishness,” said it all.
So even though the stock market was not as strong as
I had forecast last week, I am sure most were surprised that it closed higher.
Sentiment measures continue to get more negative, with only 25% bullish in a
recent AAII survey. This is the lowest reading since last summer.
Last week’s pending home sales dropped 11%—but new
home sales were stronger than expected, giving some home builders a boost. On
Tuesday, we get more housing data, as the S&P Case-Shiller price index will
be released along with consumer-confidence numbers.
Of course, this is another jobs week, with a
preliminary reading Wednesday from the ADP Employment Report, followed by
jobless claims Thursday and the monthly employment report on Friday. Also out
Wednesday is the ISM Manufacturing Index, with the ISM Non-Manufacturing
following on Friday.
As the headlines show, there are still plenty of
problems facing the Eurozone, and the Strauss-Kahn scandal has not helped—the
BRIC countries, among others, are not in favor of a new IMF head from the
Eurozone. Also, as my colleague Jim Jubak suggests, “Another
Quick Fix For Greece” is likely.
Euro investors have also been moving away from risk,
as the yields on German debt have dropped 3%, matching similar yield declines
in both the UK and the US. Nevertheless, the DJ STOXX Europe 600 was able to
close the week well above the lows, as it tested strong support in the 272 to
274 area early in the week.
Commodity prices have bounced nicely from the
mid-month lows, and the strength in copper may be a sign that the economy is
really stronger than most expect. Crude oil has bounced from the recent lows,
but is now hitting first strong resistance. Technically, this rally looks as
though it will be followed by a further decline.
Page 2 of 3)
WHAT TO
WATCH
As I noted in more detail before Friday’s opening, the technical and sentiment
picture for the stock market had improved. The positive action Friday supports
this view, even though the major averages closed below their best levels.
http://graphics.moneyshow.com/investing/Guru/Gurus052711_1_med.gif
Click to Enlarge
S&P
500
The Spyder Trust (SPY) tested its downtrend (line a) on Friday, and still has
strong resistance at $135.36. A daily close above this level should confirm
that the correction is over. A test of the May 2 highs at $137.18, if not a
move to the $138.50 area, is still a distinct possibility.
The low for SPY at $131.38 is now the critical level,
with the daily uptrend (line c) now at $130.50. If this level is violated, the
April lows are at $129.51 (line b).
The S&P 500 A/D line has turned up, and is very
close to breaking its downtrend. It did make new highs in May, and is still
well above long term support (line d).
Dow
Industrials
The Diamonds Trust (DIA) also appears to have completed a short-term bottom,
but is slightly lagging the SPY. DIA has just filled the gap from last Monday’s
opening. There is still a strong band of resistance in the $126.50 to $127.50
area.
The support level to watch now for DIA is $122.80,
while the April low and major support follows at $120.65.
Dow
Transportations
The Dow Transportation Index held above the prior week’s low at 5,311, and did
close last week higher.
A close above 5,500 is needed to complete the
correction and signal a rally to new highs in the 5,650 to 5,700 area.
If one of the other major averages is able to exceed
the May highs, and the Transports fail to make a new high, it would be a
warning sign.
Nasdaq-100
I have been looking for the PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQ) to lead the market on the next rally, but it has
continued to lag. It will now take a much stronger rally for QQQ to take over
leadership.
The first hurdle is the resistance in the $58.50 area
with major at $59.34 area.
The down gap last Monday violated the support in the
$57 area as QQQ hit a low of $56.47 which weakened the short term outlook.
There is now important support below $56.
Russell
2000
The iShares Russell 2000 Trust (IWM) has concerned me for several months, and last week it
dropped below the April lows. This is a further sign of weakness, and as I
noted several weeks ago the A/D line on the Russell 2000 failed to make a new
high with prices in April.
The rebound in IWM is likely to fail in the $85 to
$85.50 area, even if the SPY makes new highs. Therefore, the current rally
should be used as an opportunity to move out of both small and mid-cap stocks.
Once below the recent lows at $80.76, the next major
support is in the $77.50 to $78 area.
Here’s
Why Pending Home Sales Plummeted in April Wall St. Cheat Sheet May 27, 2011 ‘According to the National Association of Realtors , The Pending Home Sales
Index (PHSI) , a forward-looking indicator, dropped 11.6 percent to 81.9 in
April, down from 92.6 in March. The number is down 26.5 percent from a peak
111.5 in April 2010 when buyers were rushing to meet the deadline for the home
buyer tax credit.This data reflects contracts, but not closings, which usually
don’t occur until a month or two after contracts are signed.The news hasn’t
done much for real estate stocks (NYSE:IYR), down 0.06% today, but might be responsible for
the 0.86% hike in home builders stocks (NYSE:XHB).While the PHSI in the Northeast actually rose
1.7% to 64.5 in April, it is still 33.4% below its figure for this time last
year. PHSI in the Midwest is down 10.4% to 74.1, down 30.2% from April 2010.
Pending home sales in the South dropped the most at a decline of 17.2% in
April, 27% below a year ago. Still, the PHSI for the South is 91.3,
significantly higher than that of other regions. In the West the index declined
8.9% to 89.1 and is 16.9% below April 2010 figures…’
Investing
in Precious Metals: Is Gold Worth Dying For? Wall St. Cheat Sheet May 27, 2011 ‘Thursday,
gold (NYSE:GLD) and silver (NYSE:SLV) took a breather as the Dow (NYSE:DIA) and S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY) closed slightly higher. The markets seem
somewhat confused as the Greek debt crisis lingers on. In times of
uncertainty, investors often turn to gold as a place of refuge. However,
just how expensive is it to really obtain gold? Some gold miners (GLDX)
may find out the hard way.The medical condition known as silicosis could be a
potential problem for some gold miners. Silicosis is the scarring of the
lungs caused by extended exposure to the dust found in South African mines.
These mines are now run by companies such as Harmony Gold Mining (NYSE:HMY), Gold Fields Ltd. (NYSE:GFI), and AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (NYSE:AU). These miners are now facing coming
lawsuits. HMY fell the hardest on the day, closing 3.57% lower.While the
total number of claims and size of judgements are nearly impossible to estimate
at this time, RBC Capital Markets claims the liability of mining companies
could reach as high as $100 billion. RBC reached this estimate by
assuming there are 300k claimants, each suing for at least 2 million rand.
The Constitutional Court said workers who qualified for state benefits
for occupational related disease, could also receive additional compensation
from their former mining employers.Gold Fields Ltd (NYSE:GFI) CEO Nicholas Holland said, “It’s
speculative at this stage to assume that there’s going to be a huge number of
suits or whether in fact those suits will even be successful.” Another
miner, Anglo American , is already involved in a silicosis suit that dates back
to 2004, and involves 18 miners (4 of the 18 have already died). The mines
today employ about 160k people, according to the Chamber of Mines.Investors
willing to overlook the lawsuits may want to consider the following ETFs and
stocks: iShares Silver Trust (NYSE:SLV), PowerShares DB Silver Fund (NYSE:DBS), ProShares Ultra Silver (NYSE:AGQ), First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE:AG), SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:GLD), Market Vectors Etf Trust (NYSE:GDX), or Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX).Investors who are bearish in precious metals, or
simply looking for a hedge, may find the following stocks, ETFs, and ETNs
interesting: ProShares UltraShort Silver (NYSE:ZSL), PowerShares DB Gold Short ETN (NYSE:DGZ), or PowerShares DB Gold Double Short ETN (NYSE:DZZ).For more analysis and guidance in the white hot
precious metals sector, consider
a free 14-day trial to our acclaimed Gold & Silver Investment Newsletter.’
Entitlements:
4 Things You Must Know Now – with Gerri Willis Wall St. Cheat
Sheet May 27, 2011 ‘Entitlements have
become a big issue now that the
US has a major debt problem and a record number of boomers are expected to
retire in the coming years. I caught up with Fox Business anchor Gerri Willis
to get a Cheat Sheet for the hot button entitlement issue:
Damien
Hoffman: Gerri, what are entitlements?
Gerri Willis:
Simply put, entitlements are government payouts. Normally we think of Social
Security, Medicare and Medicaid when we say entitlement. Most Americans feel that
getting benefits from these programs is a right because they’ve paid into them.
Corporate America is on the federal dole, too, at times, most recently when
banks (NYSE:XLF) and auto companies such as General Motors (NYSE:GM) were bailed out during the financial crisis.
Currently,
Congress is debating how to fix the overspending in Social Security, Medicare
and Medicaid. The problem with these programs is that they’ve morphed from
temporary or short-term safety nets into permanent floors that people rely on.
As a result, the costs of these programs is swamping the
federal budget.
Damien: How
much are we spending on entitlements?
Gerri:
Entitlement spending is the vast majority of our federal
budget and growing every year. This year alone spending on Social Security,
Medicare and Medicaid will account for 57 percent of all federal outlays, and
the spending level is 5.4 percent higher than last year.
Damien: Can we
continue to support those three programs at this level?
Social
Security, Medicare and Medicaid are in big trouble. Social Security will run
out of money in 2036; Medicare in 2024. Already both programs are running a
deficit right now. Social Security has a deficit of $46 billion and Medicare
has $80 billion in red ink.
Damien: Gerri,
in your opinion, what do you think future legislation dealing with this issue
will look like?
Gerri: I
believe we’re going to have to wait awhile for reform. Congress has always been
wary of the third rail of politics and with elections approaching in 2012, they
are wary of tackling anything as controversial as entitlement reform right now.
However, there does seem to be some consensus building for change. Many folks
seem to agree that the age that Social Security recipients receive benefits
should be moved higher, others say that Medicare shouldn’t be available to the
very wealthy or that their benefits should be scaled back in some way. Even
implementing both of those ideas won’t fix the problems we are facing; however,
a more dramatic change is needed to avoid pushing our country into a more
desperate financial crisis.
FOX Business Network wraps up “Entitlement Nation: Makers
vs. Takers” on Friday, May 27th, 2010.
Don’t Miss: CHART
OF THE DAY: Watch the US Debt Set a 60 Year Record. ‘
EVERYTHING
RISES AND THE DIP IS BEING BOUGHT: Here's What You Need To Know Business
Insider May
27, 2011 ‘The week has clearly ended on a positive note, although we've
now seen four straight weeks of declines.
But first, the
scoreboard:
Dow: +37.20
NASDAQ: +5.26
S&P 500: +5.26
And now, the
top stories:
Global
Economic Rebound Weakens on Quake, Oil Price, European Debt Crisis Bloomberg
| World economy has entered a softer patch with the incoming growth data mostly
disappointing.
Marc Faber: Prepare
for Another War Jonathan Chen | From 2002-2008, Greenspan
and Bernanke have created massive bubbles.
20
Questions To Ask Anyone Foolish Enough To Believe The Economic Crisis Is Over
The Economic Collapse | We are still in the middle of a
full-blown economic crisis and things are about to get even worse.
Competing
plans on job growth Obama and Congressional Republicans hope to cut the
cost of doing business for U.S. firms.
White
House wants to simplify rules (Washington Post) [ Plans? Is that it? Costs?
For the foreseeable future that counts, the logical conclusion will invariably
be, based on costs and prior misguided decisions (you still remember Perot),
ship them overseas, outsource, outsource, outsource … even Apple does that in a
big way while still getting premium prices (as if made is usa). No … you can’t
unring the bell on their ill-fated, but collectively culpable missteps. But,
this plan of theirs, my recollection is that’s what they’ve been purportedly
doing for the last several election cycles spanning well over a decade. Oh,
riiiiight! It’s that time of the season again … election time. Despite the
rhetoric and spin, the scenario remains dismal … the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm Jobless
Claims Rise 10,000 First
Quarter GDP Stalls Nothing
New In GDP Update, U.S. Grew At 1.8% In Q1
[ Economic data bad and worse than expected … stocks rally on the worse
than expected news 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP)
Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at the end
of fiscal 2009 Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (WP) Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. … an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog/ Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued …only
time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows This
is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can
since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May and go away! ‘ … Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘…1) The 5-year high in the level of insider corporate stock sales
is telling. At 565 sells for every 1 buy,
it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be selling some of
their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is pre-planned. But
that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily high, one might
even say off-the-chart. ]
Rep.
Ron Paul takes second in New Hampshire CNN poll The State Column
| Ron Paul is performing well in the latest CNN poll of potential Republican
primary voters.
Utah
To Follow Texas Lead In TSA Grope-down Revolt Steve Watson
| Utah looks likely to be the next state to follow the example set by Texas in
attempting to make TSA grope downs a felony.
Global
Economic Rebound Weakens on Quake, Oil Price, European Debt Crisis Bloomberg
| World economy has entered a softer patch with the incoming growth data mostly
disappointing.
Marc Faber:
Prepare for Another War Jonathan Chen | From 2002-2008,
Greenspan and Bernanke have created massive bubbles.
20
Questions To Ask Anyone Foolish Enough To Believe The Economic Crisis Is Over The
Economic CollapseMay 26, 2011 | We are still in the middle
of a full-blown economic crisis and things are about to get even worse.
If you listen
to Ben Bernanke, Barack Obama and the mainstream media long enough, and if you
didn’t know any better, you might be tempted to think that the economic crisis
is long gone and that we are in the midst of a burgeoning economic
recovery. Unfortunately, the truth is that the economic crisis is far
from over. In 2010, more homes were repossessed than ever before, more
Americans were on food stamps than ever before and a smaller percentage of
American men had jobs than ever before. The reality is that the United
States is an economic basket case and all of these natural disasters certainly
are not helping things. The Federal Reserve has been printing gigantic
piles of money and the U.S. government has been borrowing and spending cash at
a dizzying pace in an all-out effort to stabilize things. They have
succeeded for the moment, but our long-term economic problems are worse then
ever. We are still in the middle of a full-blown economic crisis and
things are about to get even worse.
If you know
someone that is foolish enough to believe that the economic crisis is over and
that our economic problems are behind us, just ask that person the following
questions….
#1 During the 23 months of the “Obama recovery”, an
average of about 23,000
jobs a month have been created. It takes somewhere in the
neighborhood of 150,000 jobs a month just to keep up with population
growth. So shouldn’t we hold off a bit before we declare the economic
crisis to be over?
#2 During the “recession”, somewhere between 6.3
million and 7.5 million jobs were lost. During the “Obama recovery”,
approximately 535,000 jobs have been added. When will the rest of the
jobs finally come back?
#3 Of the 535,000 jobs that have been created during
the “Obama recovery”, only
about 35,000 of them are permanent full-time jobs. Today, “low income jobs”
account for 41 percent of all jobs in the United
States. If our economy is recovering, then why can’t it produce large numbers
of good jobs that will enable people to provide for their families?
#4 Agricultural commodities have been absolutely
soaring this decade. The combined price of cotton, wheat, gasoline and
hogs is
now more than 3 times higher than it was back in 2002. So how in the
world can the Federal Reserve claim that inflation has been at minimal levels
all this time?
#5 Back in 2008, banks had a total of 27 billion
dollars in excess reserves at the Fed. Today, banks have a total of
approximately 1.5 trillion dollars in excess reserves at the Fed. So what
is going to happen when all of this money eventually hits the economy?….
#6 If the U.S. economy is recovering, then why are
shipments by U.S. factories still substantially
below 2008 levels?
#7 Why are imports of goods from overseas growing much
more rapidly than shipments of goods from U.S. factories?
#8 According to Zillow, the average price of a home in
the U.S. is about 8 percent lower than it was a year ago and that it continues
to fall about 1 percent a month. During the first quarter of 2011, home values
declined at the fastest rate since
late 2008. So can we really talk about a “recovery” when the real
estate crisis continues to get worse?
#9 According to a shocking new survey, 54
percent of Americans believe that a housing recovery is “unlikely” until at
least 2014. So how is the housing industry supposed to improve if so many
people are convinced that it will not?
#10 The latest GDP numbers out of Japan are a complete
and total disaster. During the first quarter GDP declined by
a stunning 3.7 percent. Of course I have been saying for months that the
Japanese economy is collapsing, but most mainstream economists were absolutely
stunned by the latest figures. So will the rest of the world be able to
avoid slipping into a recession as well?
#11
Next week, Republicans in the House of Representatives are going to allow a
vote on raising the debt ceiling. Everyone knows that this is an
opportunity for Republican lawmakers to “look tough” to their constituents (the
vast majority of which do not want the debt ceiling raised). Everyone
also knows that eventually the Republicans are almost certainly going to cave
on the debt ceiling after minimal concessions by the Democrats. The truth
is that neither “establishment Republicans” nor “establishment Democrats” are
actually serious about significantly cutting government debt. So why do
we need all of this political theater?
#12
Why are so many of our once great manufacturing cities being transformed into hellholes? In the city of Detroit
today, there are over 33,000 abandoned houses, 70 schools are being permanently
closed down, the mayor wants to bulldoze one-fourth of the city and you can
literally buy a house for one dollar in the worst areas.
#13
According to one new survey, about
half of all Baby Boomers fear that when they retire they are going to end
up living in poverty. So who is going to take care of them all when the
money runs out?
#14
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of about 5 million
Americans were being hired every single month during 2006. Today, an
average of
about 3.5 million Americans are being hired every single month. So
why are our politicians talking about “economic recovery” instead of “the
collapse of the economy” when hiring remains about 50 percent below normal?
#15
Since August, 2
million more Americans have left the labor force. But the entire
period from August to today was supposed to have been a time of economic growth
and recovery. So why are so many Americans giving up on looking for a
job?
#16
According to Gallup, 41 percent
of Americans believed that the economy was “getting better” at this time last
year. Today, that number is at just 27 percent. Are Americans losing faith in the U.S. economy?
#17
According to the U.S. Census, the number of children living in poverty has gone
up by about 2 million in just the
past 2 years, and one out of every
four American children is currently on food stamps. During this same
time period, Barack Obama and Ben Bernanke have told us over and over that the
U.S. economy has been getting better. So what is the truth?
#18
America has become absolutely addicted to government money. 59 percent of all Americans now receive
money from the federal government in one form or another. U.S. households are
now receiving more income from the U.S. government than
they are paying to the government in taxes. Americans hate having their
taxes raised and they hate having their government benefits cut. So is
there any hope that this will ever be turned around before disaster strikes?
#19
The combined debt of the major GSEs (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae)
has increased from 3.2 trillion in 2008 to 6.4 trillion in 2011. How in the
world is the U.S. government going to be able to afford to guarantee all of
that debt on top of everything else?
#20
If the U.S. national debt (more than 14 trillion dollars) was reduced to a
stack of 5 dollar bills, it
would reach three quarters of the way to the moon. The U.S.
government borrows about 168 million dollars every single hour. If Bill
Gates gave every penny of his fortune to the U.S. government, it would only
cover the U.S. budget deficit for 15 days. So how in the world can our
politicians tell us that everything is going to be okay?
CIA
team to scrub bin Laden compound
EXCLUSIVE | Pakistan has agreed to let a forensics team in to use
sophisticated equipment to look for clues related to al-Qaeda in walls or
underground, a sign of cooperation between the two spy services. (Washington
Post) [ ‘To look for clues?’ Don’t make me laugh! How ‘bout to ‘plant clues’
consistent with their alternate ‘reality’(catapulting the propaganda, again and
now again, and really soaking the story) ; which of course is propagandized
fiction: | U.S. intelligence is that bin
Laden needs dialysis every 3 days / http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/osama_dead.php 5-1-11, JUST
MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED OSAMA BIN
LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF
SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN ACTUALLY DIED
IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T WANT AVAILABLE
WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT IS POSSIBLE
THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A "REVENGE" ATTACK
FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR
ON THE MIDDLE EAST… Davis ‘This is how we pay off our
current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a
country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer
to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest
thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on
TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to
"fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn
on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a
Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.‘ Senate
Dems find themselves in a tough spot (WP) [ Tough spot? Like Iraq and a
hard place called Afghanistan [Pakistani
troops, NATO helicopters engage in firefight 6th
soldier charged in plot to kill Afghan civilians (WP) [ Gen. Hamid Gul: U.S. Generals Provoking War with Pakistan
Jones
FLASHBACK: Editorial: US in
quagmire War
in Afghanistan and Iraq costs America $1trillion Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘ex-Justice official .. accused his
former employer of instructing attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore
cases that involve black defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
]
Krauthammer:
What Obama did to Israel (Washington Post) [ The fundamental problem with
Mr. Krauthammer’s non-sequitor illogic is the manner in which war crimes nation
israel came by those lands (war) and the numerous violations of u.n.
resolutions (ie., 242, 338, etc., and oslo accords, etc.), international law,
illegal nukes, war crimes (flotilla raid, etc.) since then. He thus becomes the
journalistic equivalent of what Pat Buchanan refers to as the ‘israeli amen
corner’ in congress. If only one could realistically ignore the detriment the
world and america have suffered as a direct consequence of this foreign policy
bent … Top
Democrats criticize Obama’s Israel policy
Now the president — whom critics often accuse of employing a
play-it-safe governing style in which he waits for others to take the lead — is
largely isolated politically in raising the issue of 1967 boundaries.
(Washington Post) [ What policy … to him, just words … more b***s*** . I’ve
thus far refrained from commenting on what I’ve anticipated to be ‘just more of
the same’; empty rhetoric. Pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america makes
the wrong choice at every turn, ensuring in every way, decline and fall;
self-destructive, self-defeating. Make no mistake, and let me reiterate, that
substantially underrated President General Eisenhower would have put American
interests first and the current debacle would never have occurred in the first
instance … see, ie., http://albertpeia.com
, historical documentation, from website: http://www.ameu.org ‘Lest We Forget The Israeli lobby in
Washington has successfully influenced the U.S. Congress to give billions of
non-repayable dollars each year to Israel on the premise that Israel's loyalty
and strategic importance to the United States make it an ally worthy of such
unprecedented consideration. Is it ? In his Farewell Address, George Washington
warned Americans to avoid a passionate attachment to any one nation because it
promotes "the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no
real common interest exists." In 1948, U.S. Secretary of Defense James
Forrestal, an opponent of the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, warned
that, even though failure to go along with the Zionists might cost President
Truman the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and California, it was about time
that somebody should pay some consideration to whether we might not lose the
United States. Israeli actions over the past 53 years involving U.S. interests
in the Middle East seriously challenge the "strategic asset" premise
of the Israeli lobby. Some of these actions are compiled in the list that
follows: …’ ] Netanyahu
lays out vision for Mideast peace (Washington Post) [
Vision? Don’t make me laugh! The guy’s blind; and a ward and provocateur at
america’s substantial cost and detriment. ]
Are
Broker-Dealers Warning of a Collapse? Gayed ‘It used to be an old adage
that as broker-dealers go, so goes the market. The logic behind this relates to
the idea that if stock investors in broker-dealers are causing the industry to
underperform, it's because of a perceived slowdown in trading and a lack of
growth in deals or overall investment assets under management. If that’s the case, then one might be able to view
the group as an industry with some forecasting power in terms of overall
direction of the market. With that said, let’s take a look at the price ratio
of the Dow Jones U.S. Broker-Dealers Index Fund (IAI) relative to the Dow
Jones Industrial Average (DIA). As a reminder, a rising
price ratio means the numerator/IAI is outperforming (up more/down less) the
denominator/DIA.
[Click
to enlarge]
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/25/39580-130638067580061-Michael-A--Gayed--CFA.png
There
are a couple of things worth pointing out. Broker-Dealers as an industry
relative to the Dow bottomed out in late November, and the ratio began rising
substantially in advance of the March low in 2009. Again, this ratio rose
because of outperformance, which in the context of that time period meant being
down less than the Dow. The leadership was an early signal of some kind of a
market low.
What
is stunning now is the complete lack of leadership in the industry, especially
this year. The entire group has failed to keep up with the broader Dow,
underperforming significantly in an unrelenting trend downward. If the industry
does have some kind of predictive power because of the logic I outlined
earlier, then the recent plunge and underperformance may be warning us that
broader market declines lie ahead.If that is not the message and investors are
overreacting to the fundamental prospects of the group, then the ratio would
presumably turn back up sharply, and soon. The trend does appear to be fairly
definitive for now, so the burden of proof seem to be with the bulls.’
UPDATE 1-Equity fund outflows for third straight week-Lipper
Mirage of gold standard May
25th, 2011 15:28 by News
by S. Murlidharan May 26, 2011 (BusinessLine) — The issue of
international reserve currency has been agitating the minds of economists and
governments alike for several decades now, especially after the 2008 financial
crisis that rocked the world and called into question more than ever before the
wisdom of setting store by and large by a single currency, the US dollar which
ironically held its own even as the US economy went into a tailspin. How the US
hooked the world to its currency in 1944 on the back of the formation of the
Breton Wood twins, the World Bank and the IMF, after the Second World War is
sufficiently well-known and does not bear a repetition. It dangled the bait of
an ounce of gold for every $35 in what was arguably the best but deceptive
manifestation of gold exchange standard. The offer was too good to last and the
US predictably reneged on it in 1971 when the first oil shock shook the world
and made gold the safest haven even as the IMF members grudgingly marvelled
starry-eyed at its gumption. The international financial community hooked to
the US dollar has been willy-nilly persisting with it, thanks to its first
mover advantage and the TINA (there is no other alternative) factor . The TINA
factor which is a sad admission of helplessness is in evidence in many walks of
life, including politics where failed parties continue to win for want of
emergence of a credible alternative. Much the same is happening in the more
rarefied and less decipherable world of currencies… There are quite a few
economists and policy wonks that are pining for the return of the gold standard
this time round on a fuller and all-encompassing scale to address the problem
of a true international reserve currency.… Accounts, it is said, must speak in
a single language and should not be held hostage to and clouded by the
practices and laws of different countries. Accounting standards facilitate
comparison of accounts. But it is one thing to standardise accounts, but quite
another to standardise currencies.… Standardisation
should not introduce newer and greater rigidities, uncertainties and
inequities. … The point is each country has it own unique advantage and it
would be wrong to straightjacket the currency issue into a gold case. But then
this is not to rubbish the case for providing a solid backing for a currency.
Let each country be made accountable for its currency through the backing of
whatever it can offer by way of exchange – let it be gold, copper, oil or
coal.[source]
RS View: Regarding the author’s final note, looking into that
future with good sense would have one soon see that the various chips of
copper, of oil, and of coal would inevitably be pulled from the scorekeeping
role and recast into employment to function at their highest
industrial/economic capacity either domestically or abroad through
international trade, ultimately leaving gold, alone, to reign supreme atop this
hit parade of tangible would-be reserve assets as the superior alternative to
any given national treasury bonds.’
Questions
and Doubts About Investment Banking Wall Street Style McTeer [ Why is he afraid to use the ‘f’
word as in fraud … yes, staring, hitting everyone in the face … FRAUD, plain
and simple … that’s what they are, that’s what they do! ] ‘Joe Nocera wrote an
opinion piece for the New York Times on May 20, 2011, asking “Was
LinkedIn Scammed?” by the Wall Street Investment banks that managed its
I.P.O. He argued persuasively that it was—that the managers priced the shares
low to benefit clients other than LinkedIn (LNKD). They
priced the shares at $45. They opened at $83, rose over $120, and closed the
day at $94.25, an increase over 100 percent. That’s a pretty big miss. Misses are to be expected, but a miss of over 100
percent? It does seem that some clients are more equal than others. With
friends like that, LinkedIn doesn’t need enemies. I don’t know whether LinkedIn
was “stiffed” or not, to use Mr. Nocera’s term, but the alternative of gross
incompetence isn’t all that reassuring either. A miss over 100 percent at least
calls their competence into question. Mr. Nocera’s article stirred some
longstanding but unspoken doubts I’ve long harbored regarding investment
banking Wall Street style. What do they do to earn such high fees and why don’t
others do it cheaper, especially if they aren’t doing it well …’
UPDATE 1-Equity fund outflows for third straight week-Lipper
* Lipper: Equity fund outflows of $5.6 billion
* Taxable bond funds pull in cash for 23rd straight week
* Net redemptions in agricultural, energy, metals funds
* Muni bond fund outflows at 28 weeks
(Updates with more data, comment, background, adds byline)
By Daniel Bases
NEW YORK, May 26 (Reuters) - Investors pulled cash from
U.S. domiciled equity mutual funds for a third straight week
on lingering global economic growth concerns, while bond funds
maintained a steady inflow streak, Lipper data showed on
Thursday.
Overall, equity funds had $5.6 billion in net redemptions
with both domestic and non-domestic equity funds losing
ground. Investors pulled money from both actively managed
funds as well as exchange traded funds during the week ended
May 25.
"We saw outflows, nothing huge, but $1.75 billion out of
mutual funds, which could be people taking profits at this
time of year. There is still concern in the market about
global growth prospects and the end of QE2," said Matthew
Lemieux, a research analyst at Lipper.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is scheduled to end its economic
stimulus plan of bond purchases at the end of June. Questions
linger over whether the U.S. economy has stabilized enough to
sustain itself and grow without the Fed's influence.
A second factor that could be influencing the outflow of
cash from U.S. equity funds is the recent strengthening of the
U.S. dollar. Against a basket of currencies made up of its
major trading partners, the U.S. dollar rose 0.61 percent in
the week ended May 25.
Standard & Poor's says 47 percent of all profits made by
companies in the benchmark S&P 500 stock index are generated
outside of the United States. A stronger U.S. dollar means
companies repatriate fewer greenbacks from their overseas
operations, resulting in less revenue recorded on their
balance sheets.
Indeed the biggest outflows from the ETF's sector, which
is viewed anecdotally as institutional short-term money flow,
came from the SPDR S&P 500 fund (SPY). It had $2.8 billion in
outflows in the latest week, the worst since late March.
Emerging market equity funds had outflows of $32 million
as a result of net redemptions from ETFs. Actively managed
mutual funds saw net inflows of $180 million for emerging
market equities.
Financial and banking sector funds had net redemptions
across both ETFs and actively managed funds for a combined
$659 million for the week.
FIXED INCOME
Investors looking for some consistency and safety continue
to push fresh capital into fixed-income funds, particularly
the investment-grade and high-quality corporate bond sector.
Overall, taxable bond funds pulled in a net $3.8 billion
for the week, extending an inflow streak to 23 weeks for a
cumulative $83.7 billion.
In the corporate high-quality space, which invests in
A-rated and above bonds, inflows rose to $87 million, marking
five straight weeks of gains and the longest inflow streak
since September.
Investment-grade bonds took in a net $1 billion for the
week and haven't seen net redemptions since mid-December.
Even as QE2 comes to a close, investors did put some cash
to work in the U.S. Treasury bond sector, pulling in a net
$148 million in fresh capital.
On the opposite end of the fixed-income spectrum,
municipal bond funds had an outflow of $296 million, extending
the outflow streak to 28 weeks for a cumulative $34.7 billion
in net redemptions since mid-November.
However, for a third straight week, the picture on munis
has been mixed. Muni bond ETFs pulled in $19.2 million in
fresh cash.
COMMODITY OUTFLOWS
Investors continued their pullback on funds investing in
commodity derivatives or physical metals. Energy funds, too,
had outflows.
Funds investing in precious metals had outflows of $260
million even though both spot gold and silver prices rose
modestly during the week.
The biggest drag on the sector was the iShares:Silver
Trust ETF (SLV), which had $313 million in net outflows for
the week.
The United States Oil Fund ETF (USO) led the energy sector
funds group lower, with $120 million in outflows. The sector
had $159 million in net outflows during a week when U.S. crude
oil prices were flat CLc1 after dropping roughly 12 percent
in the last month.
Economic growth concerns are providing an excuse for
investors to take profits on the surge higher in commodity
prices, both industrial as well as agricultural.
Lipper's agriculture-focused commodity funds lost $33
million to net redemptions in the latest week.
The weekly Lipper fund flow data is compiled from reports
issued by U.S.-domiciled mutual funds and exchange-traded
funds.
The following is a broad breakdown of the flows for the
week, including exchange-traded funds (in $ billions):
Sector Flow Change Total Share
Change in Assets Assets Class
(pct) Count
=============================================================
All Equity Funds -5.582 -0.20 2,765.529 10,043
- Domestic Equities -4.074 -0.20 2,048.972 7,649
- Non-Domestic Equities -1.508 -0.21 716.557 2,394
All Taxable Bond Funds 3.801 0.28 1,344.872 4,176
All Money Market Funds 10.657 0.43 2,513.569 1,526
All Municipal Bond Funds -0.296 -0.09 315.915 1,578
STOCKS
ROCKET HIGHER AFTER AWFUL GDP: Here's What You Need To Know Business
Insider [ ‘Very odd’?No, very fraudulent to keep suckers sucked in. ] …the
top stories:
Choose Your Hathaway: Berkshire or Anne Sizemore May 26, 2011 ‘When the actress' name
is in the headlines, Berkshire Hathaway share prices rise, proof that
"robotrading" puts many investors at risk.’ ‘Given that algorithmic
trading now accounts for 70% of all trading, it’s not implausible. Sadly, this
is what the investment management profession has degenerated into.’ [ As to his
‘blood in the streets refeerence’ … sadly … coming to a theater ner you. ] [ I
just had to include this article, emphasizing the folly / fraud of wall street.
Well done! But butt buffet? Wall street shill, he ultimately goes out a buffoon
and fraud friend of wall street; a further sign of pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt american decline. But, ‘puppy-dog-eyes’? How ‘bout ‘cat’s eyes’, as in
Catwoman. Don’t forget Chuck, ‘mnemonics’, loosely speaking, are kind of
like in a clichéd sort of way, that ‘double edged sword that cuts both
ways’ … you know, ‘Tom Sizemore’ … are you related? ] We’ve always admired
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) Chairman Warren Buffett. He is, after all, the
most successful investor in history and a legend in his own time. Mr. Buffett’s
annual reports are fountains of investment wisdom that should be required
reading in business
schools and for everyone in the money management profession.We’ve also had an
admiration for the Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway for many years, though we
know nothing of her investment acumen. Some readers of the Sizemore Investment
Letter might be interested to know that the 28-year-old Ms. Hathaway will be
starring in next year’s Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, as the
Catwoman. Berkshire Hathaway shareholders had better hope that her performance
generates its share of press. Their investment returns might depend on it.Yes,
dear readers, you read that correctly. As ridiculous as it might sound, the
price of Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK-B) shares move in tandem with Ms. Hathway’s
film career. Consider what the Financial Times had to say on the matter:
Anne Hathaway is young, beautiful and excels in soppy romantic
comedies. But while her puppy-dog-eyes bring tears to multiplexes worldwide,
her performances are now being watched in a less familiar quarter: Wall Street.
Traders barely noticed that the star of The Devil Wears Prada had hosted last
month’s Oscars, until blogger Dan Mirvish spotted an odd pattern: if Ms.
Hathaway is in the news, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway stock jumps too.
US
Stocks Fall As Investors Tread Cautiously After Weak Data Dow Jones
| U.S. stocks fell in relatively light trading after a round of disappointing
data renewed investor caution over the pace and health of the economic
recovery.
Pace of
foreclosure sales picks up Miami Herald | There were 2,222
sales of bank-owned homes in the first quarter of 2011 in Miami-Dade County, up
10.7 percent from the previous quarter.
20
Questions To Ask Anyone Foolish Enough To Believe The Economic Crisis Is Over
The Economic Collapse | We are still in the middle of a
full-blown economic crisis and things are about to get even worse.
Jobless
Claims Still Keep On Climbing Higher Reuters | Labor
Department on Thursday revised the prior week’s claims number up from an
originally reported 409,000.
Oil Slips After
US Data Disappoints WSJ | Oil futures edged lower
Thursday, a day after their run above $101 a barrel.
Washington
area’s Asian population booms (Washington Post) [ This seems to foreshadow
that almost mythical, legendary, prospective ‘long march’ so heralded in
Chinese lore (at least the military’s) regarding the final conquest of
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, and rapidly declining america. I’d say
they’re watching ever more closely the ever more worthless american paper
they’re holding. Davis ‘This is how we pay off our
current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a
country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer
to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest
thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on
TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to
"fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn
on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican
said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ Senate
Dems find themselves in a tough spot (WP) [ Tough spot? Like Iraq and a
hard place called Afghanistan; indeed they are. [Pakistani
troops, NATO helicopters engage in firefight 6th
soldier charged in plot to kill Afghan civilians (Washington Post) [ Gen. Hamid Gul: U.S. Generals Provoking War with Pakistan
Jones |
U.S. intelligence is that bin Laden needs dialysis
every 3 days/ http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/osama_dead.php 5-1-11, JUST
MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED OSAMA BIN
LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF
SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN ACTUALLY DIED IN
DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T WANT AVAILABLE
WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT IS POSSIBLE
THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A "REVENGE" ATTACK
FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR
ON THE MIDDLE EAST… FLASHBACK: Editorial: US in
quagmire War
in Afghanistan and Iraq costs America $1trillion Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
]
Why
we read Palin’s tell-all The
underlying interest says something more primal than simply our fascination with
Mama Grizzly. (Washington Post) [ I’d say it’s more of a curious fascination
with the ‘new american dumb’. After all, who can deny the boost she got from
SNL’s Tina Fey’s impresarios highlighting same. Yet, in comparison with and
juxtaposed to the rest of the Washington field (mccain, bush, wobama, et als),
she’s got plenty of cover / camouflage.
Send to a friendSarah Palin: Don't pick on Donald Trump
Politico - Even
though Donald Trump has wholeheartedly embraced the wall-to-wall media coverage
that's come with his promotion of the widely discredited “birther” issue, Sarah
Palin argued Tuesday that the press is treating him ... Trump's business success claims questioned CBS News ‘…Trump hotels and casinos in Atlantic City have
filed for bankruptcy protection three times. While Trump blamed market forces,
he has long been chairman of the board for the casino businesses.In his
defense, Trump said he "didn't run the company." Isikoff then asked
why he was paid $2 million per year to chair the board of that business. Trump
replied: "Excuse me. Because I'm a genius, okay."Trump said many
different businesses license the use of his name, but he's not directly
involved in their operations.Casinos have not been the only weakness in the
Trump empire. There have been many high profile bankruptcy filings, bad real
estate deals, and a trail of ongoing lawsuits accusing him of bad business
practices.Another questionable move was "Trump University," an
online, for-profit business education firm. The attorney general in Texas
ordered him to stop using the word "university" in its title. Trump
said his company was unaware of restrictions on the use of that word.Isikoff
also said he asked Trump if he thought the state of Hawaii was lying in regards
to Obama being born there, and he did not answer the question. In summation of
his experiences that qualify him to be President of the United States, Trump
told Isikoff: "My successes...have been vast. I don't even view myself as
having failures, and I certainly learned from things that don't work out as
well." ‘ As Trump rants, TV ratings slide Tampabay.com Parker:
The GOP plays a crazy Trump card (Washington Post) [ I don't know what polls
Ms. Parker's referring to; but unless she's referring to mobster trump
apprentice news (trump was fired from his own casino company), that certainly
doesn't comport with polls I've read. Moreover, like palin, trump's the joke
that keeps on giving (for SNL, late-night talk hosts, etc.) ...’ ]
Global
Economy Dying on the Vine Nyaradi
‘The global economy seems to be dying on the vine as more news of
economic slowdown pours in every day. The U.S. stock market and ETFs continue
to react negatively to deteriorating economic news even as the Federal Reserve
bought $6 Billion in their POMO operations yesterday.The DJIA, S&P 500 and
NASDAQ are all below their 50 Day Moving Averages while the NASDAQ has also
dropped below its 100 Day Moving Average.The NASDAQ and DJIA are now on Point
and Figure “Sell” signals, having experienced a Bearish Catapult Breakdown at
Tuesday’s close and now has a price target of 12,050.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/25/saupload_djiapf052411.png stockcharts.com,
click to enlarge
…
Richmond Federal Reserve reported a severe drop in activity in the region as
the report actually contracted to -6 from a +10 in April. China’s Purchasing Manager’s Index declined, Japan
is back in recession and Belgium, one of the core countries in the eurozone was
issued a credit downgrade warning by the Fitch ratings agency. Spain’s bond premium to the
benchmark German Bund is back to January’s levels and Greek 10 Year Bonds are a whopping 17%
which is clearly unsustainable. Closer to home, Vice President Biden continues
to work with Congress towards what they’re labeling a $1 Trillion down payment to avert a
government shutdown in August and the Illinois State Treasurer says his state
is on the “verge
of financial disaster.” …’ ]
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
Drudgereport: USA
HITS DEBT CEILING...
TREASURY
RAIDS PENSIONS...
PUTIN
DECIDES TO RETAKE PRESIDENCY
GALLUP:
Romney, Palin Lead GOP Field for 2012...
In
Obama's Hometown, Romney Criticizes Econ Policies...
Sends
Left-Over Pizza to Obama HQ...
Will
formally announce run on June 2...
'PATRIOT
ACT' CLEARS CONGRESS -- WILL BE SIGNED INTO LAW BY A
MACHINE...
60
DAYS: GOP senators press Obama on war powers...
Pile
of American debt -- would stretch beyond stratosphere!
House
members' stock market success suspect...
Congressional
bonuses handed out during budget crisis...
Loughner
removed from courtroom after outburst...
Found too american to stand trial...
Gold,
silver coins to be legal currency in Utah...
DAY
3: MORE TWISTERS...
At
least 14 more killed...
VIDEO...
Fresh Twisters Touch Down...
At
least 7 more killed...
Death
toll reaches 124 in Joplin; Deadliest in half century..
1,500 Reported Missing...
TORNADO
SWARMS DEADLIEST IN MORE THAN HALF CENTURY
HEARTLAND DEVASTATION...
116
dead, nearly 500 twister deaths this year...
VIDEO...
PHOTOS...
AUDIO
TERROR: 'I LOVE YOU ALL'...
'I'm
alive!' text message saves man's life...
1,500
rescuers work through pouring rain...
Threats of more to come...
Looting
in Minneapolis...
State
Treasurer Warns Bond Houses Against Further Loans to Illinois...
NYT:
'Is Anti-White Bias a Problem?'
[ … In what some have
called the new post-racial era, what constitutes discrimination is shifting.
The landmark Supreme Court case, Ricci
v. DeStefano, for example, ruled that white firefighters suffered
discrimination when their employer threw out a promotional exam because none of
the African-American firefighters who took the test qualified for promotion
…’ UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
UPDATE:
$24B in bailout paid to contractors who owe millions in taxes...
Palestinians:
netanayahu Speech is 'declaration of war'...
SUPREME
COURT ORDERS CA TO RELEASE UP TO 46,000 PRISONERS...
'Terrible things are sure to happen'...
JERRY
BROWN: 'Let's raise taxes!!!'
FEDS
SPEND MILLIONS STUDYING SHRIMP ON TREADMILLS?? 'GELATIN WRESTLING' IN
ANTARCTICA??
Zuckerberg
Shock: 'Only meat I'm eating is from animals I've killed myself'...
‘"The only meat I'm
eating is from animals I've killed myself," says the Facebook founder and
CEO.
It's an odd dietary direction for
the 27-year-old Internet billionaire, but since he has taken to killing goats,
pigs and chickens, "I'm eating a lot healthier foods. And I've learned a
lot about sustainable farming and raising of animals," he says. "It's
easy to take the food we eat for granted when we can eat good things every
day." Zuckerberg's new goal came to light, not surprisingly, on Facebook.
On May 4, Zuckerberg posted a note to the 847 friends on his private page:
"I just killed a pig and a goat."’
Global
Economy Dying on the Vine Nyaradi ‘The global economy seems to be dying on the vine as more news of
economic slowdown pours in every day. The U.S. stock market and ETFs continue
to react negatively to deteriorating economic news even as the Federal Reserve
bought $6 Billion in their POMO operations yesterday.The DJIA, S&P 500 and
NASDAQ are all below their 50 Day Moving Averages while the NASDAQ has also
dropped below its 100 Day Moving Average.The NASDAQ and DJIA are now on Point
and Figure “Sell” signals, having experienced a Bearish Catapult Breakdown at
Tuesday’s close and now has a price target of 12,050.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/25/saupload_djiapf052411.png stockcharts.com,
click to enlarge
Yesterday’s
economic reports gave the stock market a quick boost at the open when new home
sales came in at +7.3% and an annualized rate of 323,000/year which still is at
severely depressed levels. But then, the Richmond Federal Reserve reported a
severe drop in activity in the region as the report actually contracted to -6
from a +10 in April. China’s Purchasing Manager’s Index declined, Japan is back
in recession and Belgium, one of the core countries in the eurozone was issued
a credit downgrade warning by the Fitch ratings agency. Spain’s bond premium to
the benchmark German Bund is back to January’s levels and Greek 10 Year Bonds
are a whopping 17% which is clearly unsustainable. Closer to home, Vice
President Biden continues to work with Congress towards what they’re labeling a
$1 Trillion down payment to avert a government shutdown in August and the
Illinois State Treasurer says his state is on the “verge of financial
disaster.” …’
Is the U.S. Worse
Off Than Europe? Maierhofer ‘… Deception and naive reporting are as
intertwined with the evolution of European dept woes as Feta cheese is to Greek
culinary culture. Rarely has this become more obvious than now. Luxembourg's Prime Minister didn't beat around the
bush: 'When it becomes serious, you have to lie.' You be the judge whether it
is more 'honorable' to omit, deceive, obstruct, misconstrue, or lie (purposely
or unintentionally). There are plenty of examples so we can make an educated
decision.You shouldn't throw stones if you are sitting in a glass house. This
is the case with the United States. The administration has engaged in all kinds
of maneuvers and financial alchemy to obstruct the truth and prevent free
market forces from expressing themselves. QE2 is the most famous example. Mr.
Bernanke is caught in his very own web of financial engineering side effects.
Preaching on one hand that QE2 was supposed to inflate assets and create a
wealth effect but denying that QE2 has caused wide spread food and energy
inflation. Another example is the 'adjustment' of accounting rule 157, demanded
and sanctioned by Congress. The 'new and improved' rule 157 allows banks
(NYSEArca: KBE) and financial institutions (NYSEArca: XLF) to omit hundreds of billions of toxic assets in an off
balance sheet bucket that doesn't affect earnings results …’
The
S&P 500's Lost Decade Short
‘Here is a new update of a chart that illustrates the total return performance
of the S&P 500 since the Tech Bubble closing high on March 24, 2000. The
chart shows the value of $1000 invested in the index, including dividends, but
excluding any taxes or fees, as of May 20th. I've also included the real value
using the Consumer Price Index for the inflation adjustment. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/25/saupload_sp500_total_20return_on_1000_invested_in_2000_thumb1.png
Click
for a larger image I calculated on the returns based on the daily price and
daily dividends interpolated from the quarterly dividends as reported by
Standard & Poor's. Thus the $1,070 nominal and $809 real values are the
hypothetical returns excluding any taxes or fees. For the sake of comparison
and to validate the calculation method, we can compare the nominal return in
the chart above to Vanguard's 500 Index Investor Fund (VFINX), which has had a return
of $1,057. Over the same timeframe The SPY ETF has returned $1,044.We're now
over eleven years beyond the S&P 500 2000 high. This little charting
exercise gives credence to the frequent reference to a "lost decade"
for investors. It also offers support for the wisdom of diversification across
asset classes.’
Top
Democrats criticize Obama’s Israel policy
Now the president — whom critics often accuse of employing a
play-it-safe governing style in which he waits for others to take the lead — is
largely isolated politically in raising the issue of 1967 boundaries.
(Washington Post) [ What policy … to him, just words … more b***s*** . I’ve
thus far refrained from commenting on what I’ve anticipated to be ‘just more of
the same’; empty rhetoric. Pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america makes
the wrong choice at every turn, ensuring in every way, decline and fall;
self-destructive, self-defeating. Make no mistake, and let me reiterate, that
substantially underrated President General Eisenhower would have put American
interests first and the current debacle would never have occurred in the first
instance … see, ie., http://albertpeia.com
, historical documentation, from website: http://www.ameu.org ‘Lest We Forget The Israeli lobby in
Washington has successfully influenced the U.S. Congress to give billions of
non-repayable dollars each year to Israel on the premise that Israel's loyalty
and strategic importance to the United States make it an ally worthy of such
unprecedented consideration. Is it ? In his Farewell Address, George Washington
warned Americans to avoid a passionate attachment to any one nation because it
promotes "the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no
real common interest exists." In 1948, U.S. Secretary of Defense James
Forrestal, an opponent of the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, warned
that, even though failure to go along with the Zionists might cost President
Truman the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and California, it was about time
that somebody should pay some consideration to whether we might not lose the
United States. Israeli actions over the past 53 years involving U.S. interests
in the Middle East seriously challenge the "strategic asset" premise
of the Israeli lobby. Some of these actions are compiled in the list that
follows: …’ ] Netanyahu
lays out vision for Mideast peace (Washington
Post) [ Vision? Don’t make me laugh!
The guy’s blind; and a ward and provocateur at america’s substantial cost and
detriment. ]
Poll:
More fear U.S. debt than default
Whether or not Congress raises the debt limit, majority of Americans are
worried about the consequences. (Washington Post) [ How ‘bout all of the above! “Both
Parties And The White House Are Advocating A US Default” Zero Hedge
| David Stockman, one of the few voices of fiscal prudence, debated US
insolvency.
David
Stockman: “Both Parties And The White House Are Advocating A US Default” Last
week David Stockman was on Tom Keene, making the usual media rounds (sometimes
we marvel at his patience and endurance), as one of the few voices of fiscal
prudence available to TV producers who seek to hold a balanced debate on the
topic of US insolvency.
Stop Raising the Debt
Ceiling Ron Paul | When our creditors finally wise up and
cut us off, we will be forced to face economic realities whether we want to or
not. Harry
Dent: “Major Crash” Coming for Stocks, Commodities Already Topping Out Market Downturn Approaching; Go Long the Ultra Shorts? White ‘.. consistently bad economic ..
Following is a brief list (mostly from Yahoo Finance‘s Economic Calendar) of
troubling news: …1-20…’ This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take
profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell
in May and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Market Downturn Approaching; Go Long the Ultra Shorts? White ‘It is time to worry about a market downturn. There
has been almost consistently bad economic news reported in the U.S. in the last
week. Following is a brief list (mostly from Yahoo Finance‘s Economic Calendar)
of troubling news:
Libya:
Increased Airstrikes, Ground Troops, Contractors, Civilians Killed, Deadly DU
Munitions – Can We Call This A War Yet? The globalist
coalition refers to it as ‘kinetic military action’, yet as more civilians are
killed in NATO bombings, and with experts adamant that deadly Depleted Uranium
weapons are being used by Western forces, the conflict in Libya looks a hell of
a lot like the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq all over again.
63
percent of people killed in Iraq war were civilians: report Xinhua | U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been causing huge
civilian casualties. ]
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png
1Q
bank profits up, revenue down
Profits in the first quarter were the best in four years, but the
industry isn’t back on its feet yet. (Washington Post) [ ‘Simple trick’ that you’re paying for
whether you like it or not … ie., Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money—‘ … America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants
and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
Agents
irked by plan to keep Mueller
(Washington Post) [ ‘abide by ..
tenure limits’ ? I’m more concerned with, and it’s fundamentally more important
from the perspective of the FBI’s ‘mission and purpose’, that meaningful law be
abided by regarding the following:
October 15, 2010 (*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez,
Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the Qui Tam provisions of
the Federal False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent
resolution seek to refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of
the law with which I am not familiar).
The
document in 5 pages under penalty of perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI
office in New Haven is probably the best and most concise summary of the
case RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm .
With regard to the calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices:
There was one call to the LA office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA
office where I personally met with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave
probative evidentiary documents of the money laundering which he confirmed as
indicative of same (he was transferred from said office within approximately a
month of said meeting and his location was not disclosed to me upon inquiry).
The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron Barndollar and we remained in touch
for in excess of a decade until he abruptly retired (our last conversation
prior to his retirement related to the case and parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani
whose father I stated had been an enforcer for the mob to which he registered
disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did – he served 12 years in prison,
aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no, there is no Chinese wall of
separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction to
the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
·
A judgment had been
entered in my favor in the case, United States District Court Case
#3:93cv02065(AWT)(USDCJ Alvin Thompson), worth approximately now in excess of
$300,000 remains unaccounted for and which could be used for payment to
creditors, Los Angeles, etc..
·
Counsel Robert
Sullivan on my behalf documented by way of certification upon investigation
that Alan Shiff, USBCJ, had falsely stated a dismissal upon which false
statement he predicated a retaliatory and spurious contempt proceeding against
me causing substantial damage, and for which he sought Judicial Notice of those
and related proceedings as did I in some of my filings.
·
The Order of
Dismissal With Prejudice by Alan Shiff, USBCJ, owing to Defendant Coan’s
failure to file anything whatsoever by the court’s deadline causing creditors
and me substantial damages: [ Shiff Order of Dismissal With Prejudice on
Coan’s Failure to File Page 1 Page 2 ]
·
Defendant Coan had
filed an action against me to prevent me from suing him which necessitated me
to fly to Connecticut for a hearing before The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny,
Chief Judge, USDC, District of Connecticut, who denied Coan’s requested relief
as to Coan but precluded my action against Shiff (although there is no
immunity, judicial or otherwise, for criminal acts, ie., fraud connected with a
case under Title 11, USC, etc.) . [ http://albertpeia.com/crossexamofcoanbypeia.pdf ]
·
Newly appointed
judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump’s sister, was assigned the RICO case
despite the conflict of interest in light of hundreds of thousands of dollars
of illegal (drug) money being laundered through the Trump casinos by the RICO
defendants, and despite my motion to recuse her which motion she heard herself
and denied, and U.S. Trustee Hugh Leonard with whom I met personally refused to
join or file a separate motion to recuse and not long thereafter left said
office for private practice at Cole, Shotz, et als on retainer with the RICO
defendants as his primary client.
·
Probative and
evidentiary documents, affidavits, exhibits, including those turned over to FBI
Agent Jeff Hayes in Long Beach, CA, had been given to Assistant U.S. Attorney
Jonathan Lacey with whom I met personally at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in
Newark, N.J., at which time Samuel Alito was U.S. Attorney, and went over said
documents and their probative value with him. Within approximately a month
thereafter upon inquiry I was told that Jonathon Lacey was no longer with the
office, that the file/documents could not be located, and that there was no
further information available concerning contacting him or his location. I
thereupon delivered by hand, copies of said documents to the office of then
U.S. Attorney Alito, addressed to him, with assurance they would go directly to
him. In addition to being inept [ I looked in on the
one mob case he had brought, bungled, lost (accidently on purpose?) since I was
suing some mob-connected under RICO and the court (I had known / previously met
outside of court the judge Ackerman through a client) was absolute bedlam and a
total joke since incompetent corrupt Alito brought in all 20 mob defendants
(rather than prosecute one or a few to flip them first) who feigning illness
had beds/cots in the courtroom along with their moans during testimony and had
the jury in stitches. As much as I hate the mob, it truly was funny, if not so
tragic.], Alito is also corrupt
(and maybe corrupt because he is inept). After a reasonable (but still rather
short) time I called to determine the status and was told that Alito was no
longer with the Office of the U.S. Attorney, that he was (appointed) a federal
judge, and that neither the documents nor any file or record of same could be
located. Alito did parley the same / cover-up into quid pro quo direct lifetime
appointment to the Court of Appeals, 3rd circuit, despite the
absence of judicial experience or successful tenure as U.S. Attorney (Maryanne
Trump Barry as well). This is the same Sam Alito that now sits on the purported
highest court in the land. The real application of the illegal rule ‘don’t ask,
don’t tell’.
There
is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor creditors, nor I
should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt and illegal
scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the meaningful rules of
law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert
L. Peia
611
E. 5th Street, #404
Los
Angeles, CA 90013
(213)
219-**** (cell phone)
(213)
622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with the line,
computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance greater
non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for contact).
Fight
over feral alley cats divides feline lovers (Washington Post) [ My love of cats, big and small, is no
mystery; but indeed is beyond the scope of this comment. I’ve had and loved
neutered (not by my decision / action) as well as my most recent ‘macho’ (non-neutered)
cat ( I just couldn’t bring myself to ‘cutting his b***s off’ as advised by a
girl I was seeing at the time … kind of a ‘golden rule’ thing … and knowing
‘he’d never forgive me’ … his loss to me, part of the RICO scenario, though not
part of my damages, is among the forever unforgivable parts of what occurred
therein). As for ‘taking a position’, as a noumenon, I question the premise of
any life at all in a meaningful sense in Washington d.c.; and hence, not the
best comparison for setting policy. Unlike dogs, you will not see cats
attacking and killing babies, etc.. So, I conclude that in such dire
circumstances (d.c.) where a trade-up is beneficial, such seems, though
rightfully exceptional, a sometimes favorable course, if the only choice; which
assumes procreation and continued growth of the species is not impinged upon.
Therefore, this argues for un-neutered moves to better environs. ]
Top 3 Reasons Markets were Down on Goldman’s Oil Scare May 24, 2011 Wall St.
Cheat Sheet ‘Markets closed down on Wall Street: DJI -0.2% SP500 -0.08%
Nasdaq -0.46% Gold 0.61% Oil 1.86% . Markets started in the green, sold off
into the red, made a honorable attempt to rally end of day, but sold off again
into the bell. On the commodities front, Oil (NYSE:USO) was volatile in the afternoon, but managed to
rally to $99.52 on the day. Gold (NYSE:GLD) held $1,500 again as debt scares haunted
investors, and Silver (NYSE:SLV) got back to it’s old ways adding over 4%.
Today’s
markets were down because:
1) Market
police continue to blow whistles . Yesterday Italy (NYSE:EWI) took a
credit outlook rating cut from Standard & Poor’s (NYSE:MHP), and today Moody’s (NYSE:MCO) the streak alive by threatening to
take the downgrade sword to the UK banks. As if that wasn’t enough for
bankers to skip dessert, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman got his
investigation on by expanding his mortgage fraud probe to the bond insurers:
Ambac Financial Group (PINK:ABKFQ), MBIA Inc. (NYSE:MBI), Syncora Holdings Ltd. (PINK:SYCRF), and Assured
Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE:AGO).
2) Oil rallied
on Goldman’s flip-flop . In April, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) screamed “Sell
Oil Now!” Today they went Chinatown on us and shouted “Buy
Oil Now!” Regardless, on days when Oil (NYSE:USO) rises strongly, the econ bears take the stage
warning of higher gas prices and weaker consumer sales — a good reason to sell
stocks. But don’t tell them about airline
woes because canceled flights from the volcano are sure to weigh on fuel
demand in the near future.
3) IPOs were
hot, the NASDAQ was not . Shorts got their faces melted off in LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) at 2PM, while white hot Russian search engine
Yandex (NASDAQ:YNDX) popped
55% at its initial public offering and Glencore
gave underwriters a reason to cheer.
Bonus: Results
are in. Here’s Your
Cheat Sheet to this Quarter’s Dow 30 Earnings …’
Shades
of 2008: A Greek Default Won't Be 'Contained': Mauldin Task
‘Financial markets shuddered Monday as fears over Europe's sovereign
debt crisis resurfaced yet again. Still, the Dow closed off its worst levels of
the session amid the conventional view that Greece's debt crisis can be
managed.
But Endgame
author John Mauldin says Greece won't be any more "contained" than
subprime mortgages were in 2008.
"It's not
something that stops at the European waters," Mauldin says. "Just
like the subprime crisis didn't stop in California…I'm worried this one has a
lot of contagion and it'll affect the world."
As for the
mechanism for that contagion, Mauldin lays out the following scenario in the
event of a Greek default:
Such a scenario would not go unnoticed in Portugal
or, especially, Ireland, where voters have already shown their displeasure with
having to pay for bank bailouts, Mauldin notes.
Meanwhile, U.S. banks have written credit-default
swaps to European banks. Most of these positions are hedged but "you're
only balanced as long as both of those counterparties are good," Mauldin
says. "If you have a bad counterparty, now you're out of balance."
If you'll recall, it wasn't the failing subprime
mortgages per se that caused the real crisis in 2008, but banks
refusal to trade with other banks. It was this "counterparty risk"
which caused the financial system to seize up, which is why policymakers here
and in Europe are doing everything and anything to prevent a repeat.’
Market
Outlook: Proceed With Caution Brown ‘ The market began the week down, with the S&P 500
closing at 1317. After three consecutive down-weeks, the S&P 500
has lost -4.5% from its May 2nd high and now hovers below its 30-day and 50-day
moving averages in a generally negative technical position.
It seems
investors finally took stock of the problems lurking outside of Wall Street, specifically Europe’s sovereign debt problems and
China’s slowing growth.(Daniel Sckolnik’s posting today on the Sabrient blog (”ETF Periscope: Spain Protests Just
May Cause the Running Away of the Bulls“) presents a cogent overview of
Europe’s debt problem and paints the dire picture in Spain very well.)
Of course, Europe’s
and China’s problems strengthened the dollar, which has battered
commodity stocks and the market in general over the past year. While the dollar
was pretty much flat last week, it is up 6% from its recent low. Oil prices
strengthened a bit but remain down 10% from their recent high.
Other culprits
added to the negative mood. Disappointing earnings releases from major
companies like Cisco (CSCO), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ),
Disney (DIS), Staples (SPLS), and
the Gap (GAP) reflected the
continued weakness in corporate earnings. Last week’s economic news
cast a shadow over our struggling recovery. The Philly Fed report and
Empire State index revealed a slowing in the growth of the manufacturing
sector; housing starts and existing home sales came in lower than expected; and
last week’s initial jobless claims remained stubbornly over 400,000.
Market
stats. Last week, Mid-cap
Value was the only positive cap/style, up +0.3%. Small-cap Growth, investors’
darling of the past year, was the worst performer again last week, down -0.9%,
as traders continued to take profits in this space. (Here are
the market stats.)
Energy led the
sectors, up +1.3%. Also positive were Utilities (+0.9%), Transportation
(+0.8%), Basic Industries (+0.7%), and Consumer Non-Durables (+0.3%). The worst
performer was Consumer Durables, down -2.2%, with Capital Goods and Technology
joining in the down-more-than-1% group. Technology’s poor performance was no
doubt heightened by the disappointing earnings from Hewlett-Packard.
Our forward
looking sector model continues to favor Basic Industries, followed closely by
Energy, Health Care, and Capital Goods.
Coming up. This week, we will get more hard data about our
economy. On Tuesday, new home sales will tell us whether the housing market is
continuing to flail; Wednesday, durable goods will be closely watched;
Thursday, initial jobless claims will try to break back under the 400K mark,
and we’ll get our second look at first quarter GDP. On Friday, personal
spending and Michigan sentiment chime in with their numbers.
It won’t take
much more negativity to push the S&P 500 below its current support level of
1306, and if that is breached, 1257 is our next hope for a refuge.
What the
market wants, frankly, is
for the EU to bring its sovereign debt situation under control and for
corporate America to resume strong earnings, which we won’t know until early
July. All in all, I would suggest that we proceed with caution.
4 Stock
Ideas for this Market
This week, I
started with the GARP (Growth At a Reasonable Price) preset search in MyStockFinder. I then included Buys (in
addition to Strong Buys) and increased the weighting in Long-Term Technicals.
Here are four stock ideas from some of the higher-ranked sectors that look
intriguing:
Ball Corp. (BLL)
– Basic Industries
GT Solar (SOLR) – Energy
II-VI, Inc. (IIVI) – Capital Goods
LKQ Corp. (LKQX) – Consumer Durables’
Market Downturn Approaching; Go Long the Ultra Shorts? White ‘It is time to worry about a market downturn. There
has been almost consistently bad economic news reported in the U.S. in the last
week. Following is a brief list (mostly from Yahoo Finance‘s Economic Calendar)
of troubling news:
If the U.S. news wasn’t bad enough, the EU credit
crisis is alive and well. The scuttlebutt on Greece is that it is no longer a matter of “if”
Greece will default (give
a haircut), but “when“. Ireland
may have some of its banks give haircuts to debt holders. Portugal’s
bailout has been okayed in principal, although Portugal still needs to elect a
government to accept it. That government also needs to approve the necessary
austerity measures to qualify for it. The previous government dissolved because
it wouldn’t approve such measures just a couple of months ago. Portugal
is predicted to go back into recession for 2011 and 2012 based on the
harshness of the necessary austerity package.
In Japan, the economy shrank quarter over quarter in
Jan-Mar by -0.90% vs. an expected -0.50%. Year over year Japan's
GDP declined more than expected by -3.7%. This is the second consecutive
quarter of decline. Japan is technically back in a recession. Its GDP Price
Index (YoY) was down -1.90% (deflation). Its Industrial Production (MoM) was
down a horrendous -15.50% vs. an expected -15.10%. Its Household Confidence
missed at 33.40 vs. an expected 37.30. Public debt has reached 200% of GDP.
Things are so bad there that ECRI
has forecast a global summer slowdown.
In sum, there are sufficient reasons to expect a
downturn in the U.S. equities markets. The manna of the “hypers”-- QE2-- has
been reduced to a few sparse crumbs. The signs point downward. Of course, the
market has proven better men than me wrong ...’
The 'Real' Mega-Bears Short ‘It's
time again for the weekend update of our "Real"
Mega-Bears, an inflation-adjusted overlay of three secular bear markets. It
aligns the current S&P 500f rom the top of the Tech Bubble in March 2000,
the Dow in of 1929, and the Nikkei 225 from its 1989 bubble high.
Click
[chart] for a
larger image
This chart is
consistent with my preference for real (inflation-adjusted) analysis of
long-term market behavior. The nominal all-time high in the index occurred in
October 2007, but when we adjust for inflation, the "real" all-time
high for the S&P 500 occurred in March 2000.
Here is a nominal
version to help clarify the impact of inflation and deflation, which varied
significantly across these three markets.
See also my alternate
version, which charts the comparison from the 2007 nominal all-time high in
the S&P 500. This series also includes the Nasdaq from the 2000 Tech Bubble
peak.
Click
[chart] for a
larger image ‘
“Both
Parties And The White House Are Advocating A US Default” Zero Hedge
| David Stockman, one of the few voices of fiscal prudence, debated US
insolvency.
Stop Raising the Debt
Ceiling Ron Paul | When our creditors finally wise up and
cut us off, we will be forced to face economic realities whether we want to or
not.
Gold,
silver coins to be legal currency in Utah From the Trenches
| It had to happen soon or later.
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Treasury
to tap pensions to fund government (WP) 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
Corsi
To File Criminal Charges Against White House Over Obama Birth Certificate Paul
Joseph Watson | Clear Channel radio station scrubs interview from
audio archives
Reconciliation (Washington Post) Recap: Budget
graphs and budget tables; our fiscal future basically depends on
whether this works; and why did Republicans support a budget they
knew was politically toxic? [ Budget graphs and budget tables? Don’t ‘bet
the ranch’ on them … oh, wait … everybody already did … the ranch is indeed
upside down (worth less than what’s owed)
… the ‘new american dream / nightmare / fantasy’ … Market Downturn Approaching; Go Long the Ultra Shorts? White ‘It is time to worry about a
market downturn. There has been almost consistently bad economic news ..:
1.
The Trade
Balance for March was worse than expected ..will result in a lowering of the Q1
GDP estimate, which is due out May 26.
2.
The Mississippi
Flood is the worst in a century-- this alone will depress the Q2 GDP..
3.
The PPI missed
at 0.80% vs. an expected 0.60%. The Core PPI missed at 0.30% vs. an expected
0.20%. .. This should hurt margins going forward.
4.
Retail Sales
(MoM) missed at +0.50% vs. an expected +0.60%.
5.
.. Michigan
Consumer Sentiment Index beat at 72.40 vs. an expected 70.00.
6.
The NY Empire
State Manufacturing Index missed at 11.90 vs. an expected 19.60.
7.
The TIC Net
Long-Term Transactions missed at $24.00B vs. an expected $57.70B.
8.
The NAHB Housing
Market Index missed at 16 vs. an expected 17.
9.
Housing Starts
missed at 0.52M vs. an expected 0.57M.
10. Building Permits missed at 0.55M vs. an expected
0.59M.
11. The Capacity Utilization Rate missed at 76.90% vs. an
expected 77.70%.
12. Industrial Production (MoM) missed at 0.00% vs. an
expected +0.50%.
13. Several blue chip companies such as Cisco (CSCO)
and Hewlett Packard (HPQ) gave very weak guidance going forward, as
though they are expecting a soft spot in the economy.
14. The Fed Minutes indicated that they had considered
ending QE2 before its stated end, but decided to proceed since it was so close
to the end..
15. Congress has allowed the debt ceiling to be exceeded.
Geithner is now borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, ..
16. The USD has been rallying. The above mentioned
tightening should help the USD rally. If the USD continues to strengthen, that
could cause an unwind of the USD carry trade. This would translate into selling
of equities and commodities. A stronger USD would mean commodity prices would
likely fall.
17. The Initial Jobless Claims were 409K vs. an expected
420K, but the previous week‘s number was revised upward to 438K..
18. Existing Home Sales dipped in April to 5.05M vs. an
expected 5.22M and a previous 5.10M.
19. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index missed
terribly at 3.90 vs. an expected 20.00 ..
20. The Leading Indicators for April missed at -0.3% vs.
an expected 0.0%…’ ]
NATO
launches massive Libya strike (Washington Post)Tripoli is rocked by at
least 15 huge explosions, many concentrated near Moammar Gaddafi’s compound. Senators
introduce measure supporting force [ ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ (saw that film – the empire’s the
bad guys) at … ] A
storm season on a deadly path As the death toll hits 116, the latest tornado
in Missouri has experts asking why 2011 has spawned so many deadly storms, with
many blasting heavily populated areas. (Washington Post) [ … God’s Wrath … as
good an explanation as any, especially when taking into account the innocent
blood on former empire, pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s hands …
Market Downturn Approaching; Go Long the Ultra Shorts? White ‘It is time to worry about a
market downturn. There has been almost consistently bad economic news ..:
1.
The Trade
Balance for March was worse than expected ..will result in a lowering of the Q1
GDP estimate, which is due out May 26.
2.
The Mississippi
Flood is the worst in a century-- this alone will depress the Q2 GDP..
3.
The PPI missed
at 0.80% vs. an expected 0.60%. The Core PPI missed at 0.30% vs. an expected
0.20%. .. This should hurt margins going forward.
4.
Retail Sales
(MoM) missed at +0.50% vs. an expected +0.60%.
5.
.. Michigan
Consumer Sentiment Index beat at 72.40 vs. an expected 70.00.
6.
The NY Empire
State Manufacturing Index missed at 11.90 vs. an expected 19.60.
7.
The TIC Net
Long-Term Transactions missed at $24.00B vs. an expected $57.70B.
8.
The NAHB Housing
Market Index missed at 16 vs. an expected 17.
9.
Housing Starts
missed at 0.52M vs. an expected 0.57M.
10. Building Permits missed at 0.55M vs. an expected
0.59M.
11. The Capacity Utilization Rate missed at 76.90% vs. an
expected 77.70%.
12. Industrial Production (MoM) missed at 0.00% vs. an
expected +0.50%.
13. Several blue chip companies such as Cisco (CSCO)
and Hewlett Packard (HPQ) gave very weak guidance going forward, as
though they are expecting a soft spot in the economy.
14. The Fed Minutes indicated that they had considered
ending QE2 before its stated end, but decided to proceed since it was so close
to the end..
15. Congress has allowed the debt ceiling to be exceeded.
Geithner is now borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, ..
16. The USD has been rallying. The above mentioned
tightening should help the USD rally. If the USD continues to strengthen, that
could cause an unwind of the USD carry trade. This would translate into selling
of equities and commodities. A stronger USD would mean commodity prices would
likely fall.
17. The Initial Jobless Claims were 409K vs. an expected
420K, but the previous week‘s number was revised upward to 438K..
18. Existing Home Sales dipped in April to 5.05M vs. an
expected 5.22M and a previous 5.10M.
19. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index missed
terribly at 3.90 vs. an expected 20.00 ..
20. The Leading Indicators for April missed at -0.3% vs.
an expected 0.0%…’
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog | In the newly-release
videos, Bin Laden looks better than he did years ago.
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage Paul Joseph Watson | Dubious Bin Laden
“Home Movies” Identical To Tapes Released 4 Years Ago By Pentagon Front Group
Market Downturn Approaching; Go Long the Ultra Shorts? White ‘It is time to worry about a market downturn. There
has been almost consistently bad economic news reported in the U.S. in the last
week. Following is a brief list (mostly from Yahoo Finance‘s Economic Calendar)
of troubling news:
1.
The Trade
Balance for March was worse than expected at -$48.20B vs. an expected -$47.00B
(the previous month’s was -$45.40B). Pundits are speculating that this will
result in a lowering of the Q1 GDP estimate, which is due out May 26.
2.
The Mississippi
Flood is the worst in a century-- this alone will depress the Q2 GDP. Shipping
down the Mississippi has slowed (or sometimes stopped). Huge numbers of casinos
have closed. Farms and towns have been flooded.
3.
The PPI missed
at 0.80% vs. an expected 0.60%. The Core PPI missed at 0.30% vs. an expected
0.20%. Also, the continued large spread between the CPI and PPI numbers means
that many companies are eating a good part of the quickly increasing input
costs. This should hurt margins going forward.
4.
Retail Sales
(MoM) missed at +0.50% vs. an expected +0.60%.
5.
Some good news
Friday had the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index beat at 72.40 vs. an expected 70.00.
6.
The NY Empire
State Manufacturing Index missed at 11.90 vs. an expected 19.60.
7.
The TIC Net
Long-Term Transactions missed at $24.00B vs. an expected $57.70B.
8.
The NAHB Housing
Market Index missed at 16 vs. an expected 17.
9.
Housing Starts
missed at 0.52M vs. an expected 0.57M.
10. Building Permits missed at 0.55M vs. an expected
0.59M.
11. The Capacity Utilization Rate missed at 76.90% vs. an
expected 77.70%.
12. Industrial Production (MoM) missed at 0.00% vs. an
expected +0.50%.
13. Several blue chip companies such as Cisco (CSCO)
and Hewlett Packard (HPQ) gave very weak guidance going forward, as
though they are expecting a soft spot in the economy.
14. The Fed Minutes indicated that they had considered
ending QE2 before its stated end, but decided to proceed since it was so close
to the end. The Fed also talked about how to withdraw stimulus. There seemed to
be no serious consideration of a QE3. There are only a few crumbs left of the
manna of the market hypers (QE2).
15. Congress has allowed the debt ceiling to be exceeded.
Geithner is now borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, and August 2nd is the day
that he says this must stop. The Republicans are using the threat of a default
as leverage to get concessions on many of the spending cuts they want. They
will get spending cuts, which means tightening! Tightening tends to push the
equities markets down. Hopefully the U.S. will not default.
16. The USD has been rallying. The above mentioned
tightening should help the USD rally. If the USD continues to strengthen, that
could cause an unwind of the USD carry trade. This would translate into selling
of equities and commodities. A stronger USD would mean commodity prices would
likely fall.
17. The Initial Jobless Claims were 409K vs. an expected
420K, but the previous week‘s number was revised upward to 438K. While it was
pleasant to see a beat for a change, the overall trend is still bad. The 409K
means the total increase in Initial Jobless Claims in the four weeks since the
end of the last Nonfarm Payrolls surveys’ data period has been 159K.
Additionally, the 68K jobs from the one-time McDonald’s (MCD)
hiring spree that padded the last Nonfarm Payrolls report will not be there to
prop up the next report on the first Friday of June. This means that the next
report will be shy a total of 227K jobs. The Nonfarm Payrolls number is likely
to be a big disappointment.
18. Existing Home Sales dipped in April to 5.05M vs. an
expected 5.22M and a previous 5.10M.
19. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index missed
terribly at 3.90 vs. an expected 20.00 and a previous 18.50. This is truly ominous
when combined with the terrible NY Empire State Manufacturing Index miss (see
above).
20. The Leading Indicators for April missed at -0.3% vs.
an expected 0.0%.
If the U.S. news wasn’t bad enough, the EU credit
crisis is alive and well. The scuttlebutt on Greece is that it is no longer a matter of “if”
Greece will default (give
a haircut), but “when“. Ireland
may have some of its banks give haircuts to debt holders. Portugal’s
bailout has been okayed in principal, although Portugal still needs to elect a
government to accept it. That government also needs to approve the necessary
austerity measures to qualify for it. The previous government dissolved because
it wouldn’t approve such measures just a couple of months ago. Portugal
is predicted to go back into recession for 2011 and 2012 based on the
harshness of the necessary austerity package.
In Japan, the economy shrank quarter over quarter in
Jan-Mar by -0.90% vs. an expected -0.50%. Year over year Japan's
GDP declined more than expected by -3.7%. This is the second consecutive
quarter of decline. Japan is technically back in a recession. Its GDP Price
Index (YoY) was down -1.90% (deflation). Its Industrial Production (MoM) was
down a horrendous -15.50% vs. an expected -15.10%. Its Household Confidence
missed at 33.40 vs. an expected 37.30. Public debt has reached 200% of GDP. Things
are so bad there that ECRI
has forecast a global summer slowdown.
In sum, there are sufficient reasons to expect a
downturn in the U.S. equities markets. The manna of the “hypers”-- QE2-- has
been reduced to a few sparse crumbs. The signs point downward. Of course, the
market has proven better men than me wrong...
After reading all of the above, what can you do? The simplest idea is simply to
move a substantial amount of your equities investments into cash for the
summer. Logic says the fall will be a better time for investments, presuming
the EU credit crisis does not cause another global recession / slowdown.
An alternative for those who wish to stay invested might be to sell call
options on most of the stocks owned. The premium for the options would give you
some profit if stocks go up. The premium would give you some protection if your
stocks go down.
For those of you who don't want to bother with the complications of shorting
(but do want the effect), you can by the triple short ETFs: SQQQ, SDOW, SPXU (S&P500), and SRTY (Russell 2000).
For those who prefer simple shorting, you might consider shorting (for most of
the summer) one or more of the major indices via vehicles such as the SPY
(SPDR S&P500), the QQQ (Power Shares QQQ), the DIA (SPDR
DJIA), and the IWM (iShares Russell 2000). Before
you short any of the above, you should note the recent ex-Dividend dates are:
SPY (3-18-2011), IWM (3-24-24), DIA (4-15-2011), and QQQ (3-18-2011). The next
ex-Dividend dates will be approximately 3 months from each of the respective
dates above. If you are short at the time of the ex-Dividend, you will be
responsible for paying the dividend. You may wish to cover your short position
for the day or week of the ex-Dividend.
If you want to manage the risk of the above described short positions, you can
sell covered put options on your short position((s)). You can use the premiums
from those puts to give you protection against a move upward. For some ETFs
such as the SPY, there are weekly put options available. If you sell these each
week, you will collect a lot of time premium.
For those still more aggressive investors, you might consider buying put
spreads on one or more of the above mentioned vehicles. To be safe, you might
consider expiration dates in Aug., Sept., and Oct. You almost have to use
spreads to manage the risk. They cut down on the costs, making such a trade
profitable with less actual movement down.’
The 'Real' Mega-Bears Short ‘It's
time again for the weekend update of our "Real"
Mega-Bears, an inflation-adjusted overlay of three secular bear markets. It
aligns the current S&P 500f rom the top of the Tech Bubble in March 2000,
the Dow in of 1929, and the Nikkei 225 from its 1989 bubble high.
Click
[chart] for a
larger image
This chart is
consistent with my preference for real (inflation-adjusted) analysis of long-term
market behavior. The nominal all-time high in the index occurred in October
2007, but when we adjust for inflation, the "real" all-time high for
the S&P 500 occurred in March 2000.
Here is a nominal
version to help clarify the impact of inflation and deflation, which varied
significantly across these three markets.
See also my alternate
version, which charts the comparison from the 2007 nominal all-time high in
the S&P 500. This series also includes the Nasdaq from the 2000 Tech Bubble
peak.
Click
[chart] for a
larger image ‘
IMF
Board Approves $36.8 Billion Loan to Portugal Bloomberg |
IMF loan part of a joint bailout with the EU to stem the region’s sovereign
debt crisis.
Hedge
Farm! Hedge Funds Buying Up Farms for Doomsday Food Price Scenario NY
Observer | “The Hedge Fund Manager Who Bought a Farm…”
The
Euro Doom Scenario Starts With What’s Happening In Spain Right Now Automatic
Earth | First: Spain falls in summer; bonds are dumped. Seemingly
endless EU/IMF negotiations follow.
Strauss-Kahn:
new claims of sexual misconduct add to pressure on former IMF chief London
Telegraph | Fresh allegations of sexual misconduct have emerged
against the former IMF head.
Here Is
What Happens After Greece Defaults When it comes to the topic of Greece, by
now everyone is sick of prevaricating European politicians who even they admit
are lying openly to the media, and tired of conflicted investment banks trying
to make the situation appear more palatable if only they dress it in some
verbally appropriate if totally ridiculous phrase (which just so happens
contracts to SLiME)
IMF
Board Approves $36.8 Billion Loan to Portugal The International Monetary
Fund approved a 26 billion-euro ($36.8 billion) loan to Portugal as part of a
joint bailout with the European Union in the latest effort to stem the region’s
sovereign debt crisis.
MADRID
— Thousands of protesters in Madrid furious over soaring unemployment staged a
silent protest and then erupted in cheers of joy as a 48-hour ban on their
demonstration took effect on Saturday.
States
are Draining Unemployment Insurance Funds Like Crazy
On
the Fence, Watching for an Apocalypse Alexandre ‘Uncommon as it has been,
the Federal Reserve’s dual quantitative easing exercises have elicited numerous
forecasts, and most of them have centered around upcoming inflationary
pressures. In part, the Treasury markets have supported that perception for
periods of time. And while the Fed’s attempt to inject liquidity into the
economic landscape was designed to counter deflationary forces, the end result
has been disappointing thus far.
Regardless of
everyone’s take on the subject, the best story teller is the flow of capital.
Thus, I include the chart below, which depicts the trajectory of ten year
Treasury yields and the timeline of quantitative easing. Because a picture is
worth a thousand opinions.
Click to
enlarge:
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/19/765325-13058128599075-Carlos-X--Alexandre.png
Whether one
views CPI and PPI data as reliable or not is completely irrelevant. We can
debate the issue until we turn blue in the face. But the multi-billion dollar
Treasury market is stating that inflation doesn't exist. This after responding
to the initial perception that inflation was a matter of time. And we’re
talking private capital and independent thinkers, not the so called
"manipulation" by government statisticians.
As QE1 got under way, the bond market sold off, pricing an expectation of
higher inflation ahead. About midway through the process, the lack of
inflation, among other factors, became apparent to market participants, and ten
year yields stayed roughly between 3.5% and 4.0% until QE1 ended in March of
2010. Investors looked around and couldn’t pinpoint what the quantitative
easing program had actually done.
Yields dropped
in a jiffy, from 4.0% to 2.5% until the Federal Reserve announced another round
of easy money. Sure enough – and the market thought the damage this time around
would be real – rates popped to around 3.75% and then took a deep breath. Once
again, the market could not smell the familiar inflationary stink and yields
dropped to today’s 3.15%.
Well, the
quantitative easing sequel is about to end its run, and the talk of QE3 is
making its rounds. The end result thus far, as the broad market sees it? No
damage -- and no solution either. In addition, the flow of recent economic data
highlights a return to dismal growth, with a few encouraging signs along the
way.
In some
circles relying on CPI data is sacrilegious, at best. However, in its absence
we can only point to anecdotal evidence for lack of a better measurement. And
some of us only see what we’re looking for.
Reuters
touched on the subject with the article “Inflation hits 2-1/2 year high, seen
peaking”. Then it added:
The 12-month increase at 1.3% was at its highest
level since February 2010. The Fed, however, would like to see that closer to
2% over time.
MarketWatch
added a different perspective to the subject. Even if we feel that government
data is massaged, the market always sings to its own tune, fully discounting
official numbers.
The gap between inflation-linked Treasury debt yields
and regular Treasury yields narrowed after the government's consumer price
index report on Friday, indicating investors see a smaller risk of inflation in
coming years.
The Financial
Times published an article that highlighted the shortcomings of
conventional wisdom, while providing a comparison between the U.S. and Japan’s
monetary maneuvering.
There are fears that the balance sheet of the Fed may
be too large already, but this doesn’t square with the experience of Japan. At
$2,600bn, the current Fed balance sheet represents approximately 18% of U.S.
gross domestic product. By comparison, the balance sheet of the Bank of Japan
equals approximately 30% of Japanese GDP. If the Fed were to hold as many
assets on a relative basis, it could conduct another $1,800bn worth of quantitative
easing. That would amount to QE3, QE4, and QE5 (at the same size as QE2) just
to get to where Japan is today.
And what exactly is conventional about the times that
we live in? Not a thing. Thus, thinking outside the box, as the cliché goes, is
what is needed. Because the old and new tricks are not fixing the problem.
However, an understanding of why QE has not delivered the goods and why
deflationary pressures persist is required. As I have stated before, the reason
behind the money printing exercise’s failure to accomplish its goals is quite
simple: The consumer is not responding.
And where are we, as far as stocks are concerned? From an equity market
perspective, the generally accepted belief that financials outperform when
rates are low is not materializing, and that goes to the unusual nature of the
investment environment and the lack of reference points. Banks -- not brokers
or investment houses -- are the "canary in the coal mine."
Thus far my stance has been bearish on the U.S. economy -- and continues to be
so -- and bullish on the equity markets. That is, strictly based on capital
flows. However, it appears that we are coming to a crossroads where market
perceptions of the future are meeting a screaming economic reality, and
vigilance on market sentiment, or capital flows as I prefer, will determine the
turning point.
Almost two months ago, in my April 4 post
"Will S&P 500 Shoot for 1,500", I had given 6-18 months for the
bull to live. We're about even from that date, with the S&P 500 0.40 points
higher as of last Friday's close. Now I'm sensing that the realization that the
recovery will not develop as perceived is registering into the psyche of the
general investment community faster than anticipated.
Is it because it's May and one should go away? If only life was that simple.’
Deja Vu - Will the End of QE Lead to 20% Correction? ‘The stock market updates investors on a
need-to-know basis. Obviously, Mr. Market feels that all we need to know is
available on a real time bases ... no matter how much we want to peek into the
future.
One heavily
debated question is how the withdrawal of QE2 cash will affect stocks.
Here we will
examine two schools of thought. One is plain vanilla, straight to the point,
and requires no fantasy or analytical ability. It's so deceptively simple it
might just be right.
The second
viewpoint is more like a rocky road mocha almond fudge kind of approach that
includes whipped cream and considers various variables.
Plain
Vanilla Approach
The plain
vanilla approach simply asks:
1) What was
QE2 supposed to do?
2) What did
QE2 accomplish?
3) What
happened when the last round of QE stopped?
1) What was
QE2 supposed to do? Ben Bernanke's goal was to create a wealth ripple effect by
artificially inflating stock prices.
2) What did
QE2 do? The stock market rallied. In addition to playing the yield curve, big
banks (NYSEArca: KBE - News) and financial conglomerates (NYSEArca: XLF - News) were given the license to 'invest' free
money uninhibited and indiscriminately.
Look at large
cap (NYSEArca: IWB - News), mid cap (NYSEArca: MDY - News) and small cap (NYSEArca: IJR - News) stocks. They are all up.
Look at the
nine main S&P industry sectors: Consumer discretionary (NYSEArca: XLY - News), consumer staples (NYSEArca: XLP - News), technology (NYSEArca: XLK - News), industrials , materials, utilities,
health care and energy. All sectors, whether cyclically sensitive or not, are
up.
Ironically,
the only sector missing in the line up of this year's success story is ...
financials. Yes, the sector that's been gorging on free money is in the red.
What does the market know that we don't? We shall soon find out.
3) What
happened when the last round of QE stopped? QE1 came to its conclusion in April
2010. From April to June 2010 the main U.S. indexes a la Dow Jones (DJI: ^DJI),
S&P (SNP: ^GSPC), and Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC) lost around 20% until Mr.
Bernanke carefully planted the seed of QE2 hope.
Rocky
Road Mocha Almond Fudge Approach
As the name
implies, compared to plain vanilla, this approach considers more variables to
come up with an educated, but not overanalyzed, conclusion.
Like water in
a bathtub floats all the rubber ducks, QE2 has floated all the stocks.
The key
question is where will cash come from when the QE2 spigot is turned off?
The most
recent data from the Investment Company Institute shows that mutual fund cash
levels are at 3.4%. This is an all-time low. What does this mean? If you plot
mutual fund cash levels against the S&P you will see that cash levels were
at multi-decade lows at the 2000 and 2007 peaks and at a multi-year high during
the March 2009 low.
Mutual fund
managers as a group, follow the crowd like most everyone else. It's therefore
best to take their actions as a contrarian indicator. From a supply/demand
perspective this makes sense too. If mutual fund managers are already invested
near the max, they don't have much money left to drive stocks up further
(detailed analysis featured in the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter).
Another way to
calculate 'investable cash' is to look at margin debt and available cash. The
NYSE publishes data of margin debt and free cash of member brokerage firms.
Based on this data, 'investable cash' is at the lowest level since the 2000 and
2007 peak (detailed analysis of mutual fund assets and 'investable cash' is
featured in the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter).
The conclusion
to the cash flow question seems simple and logical. There is very limited new
cash left to lift the 'rubber ducks' once QE2 has run its course …’
Drowning
in Debt Nyaradi ‘Debt, debt and more debt flared into global financial
crises last week as central banks from Greece, to Spain and the United States
grappled with the imperiled finances of sinking nation states. Sovereign debt,
along with bearish technical and fundamental indicators, makes this a
treacherous moment for stock market investors both at home and abroad.
On My
Investing Radar
The NYSE
Bullish Percent Index is one of the major charts I watch for long term trends
in ETFs and the U.S. stock market and the NYSEBP turned bearish this week which
is yet another warning flag going forward into the “sell in May” and go away
period. Click to enlarge:
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_bpny052211_300x261.png
Chart courtesy of stockcharts.com
The NYSE
Bullish Percent Index measures the percent of all NYSE stocks on a point and
figure buy signal, and this index switched to “bear confirmed” as of May 20,
2011 which indicates a significant change of tone for the broad U.S. stock
market.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_spx052211_300x300.png
Chart courtesy of stockcharts.com
This
traditional chart of the S&P 500 (SPY)
shows the index below its 20 Day Moving Average, which now becomes resistance,
and above its 50 Day Moving Average which represents major support. A break
below the 1325 level on the S&P 500 would represent a serious breakdown and
make steeper declines a more likely possibility ahead for ETFs across all asset
classes.
Sovereign debt was the issue of the week as countries
around the world struggle with what increasingly look like unsustainable debt
loads.
Greece: The problem child of Europe continued causing problems this week with
Fitch cutting their ratings and putting the country on negative outlook while
their Prime Minister says there’s no way they will need to restructure their
debt. But more and more it’s becoming obvious that at least a “soft
reprofiling” might be on the way and the market anticipates problems ahead with
the 10 Year Bond yield hitting new highs last week.
The big problem here is that a number of big European
banks are on the hook for Greek debt and some fear that default could trigger a
significant banking crisis/collapse in Europe.
Portugal: The IMF approved a $36 Billion bailout for Portugal to give it some
“breathing room” to deal with its economic problems.
Italy: S&P lowered Italy’s outlook to negative.
Spain: This “too big to fail” country was wracked with demonstrations this
week in defiance of a nationwide ban as mostly young people protested a
national unemployment rate of approximately 20% that reaches as high as nearly
50% among youth in their teens and early twenties. The Socialists are forecast
to take heavy losses in this weekend’s elections and several articles in the
general media pointed to the possibility of piles of “hidden debt” being
uncovered in the provinces after the elections, as some reports indicate that
debt has been kept off the official books to make things seem better than they
are.
United States: The Treasury Department continues to take
“extraordinary” measures to keep the U.S. afloat as it has maxed out its credit
card of $14.3 Trillion. D-Day for a debt limit increase is August 2nd when the
country would need to borrow again or default. Vice President Biden is leading
talks about cuts and tax increases but Republicans and Democrats appear to be
trillions of dollars apart as the clock ticks on.
As I reported in one of my mid-week updates the news was
mostly bad:
The only glimmer of positive data was in Initial
Unemployment Claims which declined to 409,000 versus 438,000 last week, but
still above the psychologically and statistically significant 400,000 level.
What this means to us is that risk in the U.S. stock
market is running high and the chance of a significant correction is relatively
high.
At Wall Street Sector Selector, we continue to expect
lower prices ahead in global stock markets and maintain our inverse ETF and put
option positions.
The Investing Week Ahead
Major Economic and Financial Issues/Themes
Lots of important economic reports will come our way
this week and be potential market movers. We’ll get news from the beleaguered
housing market and on Thursday we’ll see the second estimate of the all
important Q1 GDP.
Tuesday: April New Home Sales
Wednesday: April Durable Goods
Thursday: Initial Unemployment Claims, Continuing
Claims, Q1 GDP second estimate
Friday: April Personal Income, April Personal
Spending, March Pending Home Sales …’
-
Weekly Market Outlook: Actual Employment Numbers Are Weak Headley ‘For the third week in a row, stocks lost ground. It wasn’t a big
loss (only about a third of a percent), but after three straight weeks of them,
questions have to be asked. We’ll ask them all below, right after we take a
bigger-picture look at recent and upcoming economic data.
Economic
Calendar
Last week was
a big one on the real estate front, but not a good one. Starts fell from 585K
to 523K, and permits fell from 5574K to 551K; both were well short of
expectations. Existing home sales also fell, from 5.09 million to 5.05
million…. well beneath the forecasted rate of 5.23 million.
Factories,
however, appeared to remain busy. Capacity utilization stands at 76.9% as of
the end of last month, which is just a tad under the prior month’s 77.0%.
Industrial production growth was flat last month, but the productivity index
(not cited on the calendar below, but plotted on our chart) is still hovering
at multi-year highs. Though no ‘growth’ is evident, just maintaining output
levels can still led to the stability needed to foster broad economic growth.
Take a look (click charts to expand):
Capacity
Utilization and Industrial Productivity Index
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_052211_capacity_productivity.png
On the
joblessness front, we’re seeing what appears to be tepid improvement, via a
diminishing number of new and continuing unemployment claims. The former fell
from 438K to 409K last week, while the latter fell from 3.792 million to 3.711
million.
That said,
there’s an employment number you rarely (if ever) hear… the actual number of
working Americans. That number isn’t getting better. As of the end of April,
139.6 million U.S. workers are actually employed. That’s about the same number of
employed workers we saw in the middle of 2009, and the improvement since the
middle of last year has almost been immeasurable. How can this happen while
claims figures are dropping? Simple – those claims figures don’t include the
unemployed who have (1) seen their benefits expire, (2) have stopped filing
claims, and (3) are employed, but underemployed.
Take a look at
the chart of the actual number of working Americans:
Employed
U.S. Workers
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_052211_employed.png
And as always,
the economic details for the prior and coming week:
Economic
Calendar
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_052211_econ_data.png
The coming
week will be relatively busy, but not everything is hard-hitting. Here are the
biggies to watch out for.
S&P 500 Index
All told, the S&P 500 (SPX) (SPY)
gave up 4.5 point (-0.33%) last week to end Friday’s session at 1333.27. Had it
not been for Friday’s 10.3% loss though, the market would have ended the week
with a gain….. not that Friday’s something we can just delete from the
scoreboard.
As for what’s next though, that’s a little less
clear, but there are only a couple of likely paths.
Just for the record, if Friday’s dip really is the
current direction of things and we’re pointed lower – as it appears we are –
then the SPX has just made its second lower highs after making a second lower
low (framed by pink lines). Ergo, a downtrend is in place…that’s undeniable.
The question is where it might stop falling, and reverse.
While it’s not happened yet, a floor that could do
the trick is immediately below - the 50-day moving average line (purple) at
1326. Just a tad under that level is the 100-day line (gray), at 1313. If
either or both of those lines fail to stop the bleeding, odds are good the
S&P 500 will be paying a visit to the lower 50-day Bollinger band at 1278.
What happens after that is anyone’s guess.
The other possibility here is a bullish one,
beginning with a break back above that upper purple/resistance line, which by
default would coincide with a move back above the 20-day moving average line
(blue). If that happens, then the upper Bollinger band at 1372 becomes the new
target.
In the meantime we’re in limbo, although we have to
acknowledge the bears are currently in control. As such, we have to give the
greater odds to the bears right now (though we wouldn’t be digging in too deep
on either side of the fence).
Notice how the heavier volume days were all
pullbacks, while the two rallies – Wednesday and Thursday – were on light
volume.
SPX & VIX Daily HC
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_052211_sp500_daily.png
What about the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) (VXX) (VXZ) in all this?
Remember, last week was expiration week, which can skew the VIX and make it
somewhat misleading. Or in this case, the VIX was oddly unscrewed (it closed on
Friday about where it closed the prior week). That containment, however, is
still a form of skew. We want to see how it starts to move in Monday and
Tuesday before coming to any conclusions.
In the bigger picture though, the VIX is still
uncomfortably low, meaning confidence/complacency is dangerously high; these
bulls will need some sort of attitude adjustment sooner than later. A couple of
closes above the VIX’s 50-day average line at 18.0 will start that process.
Since we usually add it, we’ll once again insert a
weekly chart of the S&P 500 to out the daily one in perspective. What’s
becoming clearer here is that the broad bullishness is losing momentum, and the
bears keep testing that 100-day line.
SPX & VIX Weekly Chart
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_052211_sp500_weekly.png
Sector Performance
Things were shaken and stirred last week on the
sector front. Healthcare (XLV) is still out in front, but
Telecom (XTL) is quietly sneaking up, a complete
turnaround from telecom’s dismal performance through most of last year.
At the bearish end of the spectrum, Financials (XLF) have officially gone from bad
to worse. Notice, however, that there were few places to hide last week.
Sector Performance, since March 16th
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/23/saupload_052211_sector_performance.png ‘
Gold,
silver coins to be legal currency in Utah From the Trenches
| It had to happen soon or later.
The
Euro Doom Scenario Starts With What’s Happening In Spain Right Now Automatic
Earth | First: Spain falls in summer; bonds are dumped. Seemingly
endless EU/IMF negotiations follow.
Strauss-Kahn:
new claims of sexual misconduct add to pressure on former IMF chief London
Telegraph | Fresh allegations of sexual misconduct have emerged against
the former IMF head.
Eurozone
Debt Crisis Deepens Sending Euro Lower And Gold To New Record At EUR 1,080/oz The
euro, global equities and bonds in peripheral Eurozone countries are all lower
this morning on heightened concerns about the debt crisis in the Eurozone.
Signs
of division between IMF and Europe over bailouts The International Monetary
Fund pressed Europe on Friday for stronger steps to tackle the region’s debt
crisis, saying countries needed access to more funding to stay afloat.
Harold
Camping: the heart of the doomsday frenzy
(Los Angeles Times)
LinkedIn:
Getting it while the getting is good (Los Angeles Times) Column: The firm's hot IPO should make the
Fed happy as it tries to get money moving in the economy. But what happens when
the latest stimulus program ends? [ Hot
IPO? More like ‘Twilight Zone’ time and Dave thinks so as well … In reminder of '90s, LinkedIn has big first day (AP) -
There was an unmistakable echo of the dot-com boom Thursday on Wall Street. Rod Serling Now Linked-In : Dave's Daily ‘It definitely remains a really strange market. Fed
Governor Fisher summed things up nicely Thursday stating: "We've gone from
too little liquidity to too much." He's definitely off the main Fed
talking points but a little honesty explains the "more money than
brains" market. The LinkedIn(LNKD_) IPO
typifies this Thursday. You may not be aware of it but word on the street is
only ten institutions were privileged to obtain freshly issued shares. I wonder
who was favored with this gift; care to guess? You couldn't get a collection of
bad economic news much worse than what appeared today. While Jobless Claims
were marginally lower given previous adjustments, the moving average of
claims reached six-month highs; Home Sales were down...again; the Philly Fed
reading came in at 3.9 vs 18 expected; and Leading Indicators were lower 0.3 vs
flat expectations. These were dreadful but bulls brushed them off hoping for
more POMO
and extended ZIRP. Perhaps the stupid people are the ones
not playing ball, given rising markets on this lousy economic news. LinkedIn
should remind everyone of dotcom experiences but it's really about too much
liquidity. Commodity prices were generally lower with economic data while the
dollar was weaker and so too were base and precious metals. Bonds were flat
overall…’ ]
Harold
Camping: the heart of the doomsday frenzy
(Los Angeles Times)
Signs
of the apocalypse Quinn:
It’s not the end of the world Petri:
Harold Camping’s actual calculations (Washington Post) [ Drudgereport: Preacher
made same prediction in 1994... Doomsday
church thriving, worth $72 million... [Previous: ‘End
of Days’ message rolls into D.C.
(Washington Post) The
potentially rotten news that the world will end on May 21 arrived plastered on
a caravan of RVs. [ Gee … little premature … you know, that 2012, end of Mayan
calendar, Nostradamus thing … I previously weighed in / wrote: Why
do Americans still dislike atheists? (Washington Post) [ And
not just americans … Why? First and foremost because there is a God. Second, it
is intellectually dishonest to be an atheist. Specifically, there is absolutely
no evidence to dispute the existence of God. While one might similarly argue
that there is no evidence to suggest there is a God (which I would dispute),
which for most is a fair statement, the same would yield at best, if
intellectually honest, the position of ‘agnostic’. I can totally understand and
even empathize with the view of the agnostic. After all, at this point, there
seems to be ‘no rhyme nor reason’ at all. But, think binary, positives /
negatives. Just too many negatives. Think ‘capital punishment’. No, the world’s
not going to end in 2012 as some fear. Rather, think slow burn; decades at
best; then ‘poof’. In the scheme of things, this world’s just not that
important (apes, notochordates, and
initially single celled organisms). Kind of akin to what I
previously wrote: (God doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to
wrestle!) Boy
wrestler forfeits match to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I
feel sorry for those guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and
13) … they’ll probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink
my regard for Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart
championship teams to be the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy
who forfeited, he could have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily
do that with a lesser opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in
a certain way into the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive
orgasm, she’d unwittingly arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder
blades to the mat, thereby pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a
manner of speaking that he was making heterosexual love not war with her ………
how pathetic and preposterous this was … and, let me remind the homo that God
doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to wrestle! ]
How
the U.S could lose its credit rating
(Washington Post) [ Kinda’ like how the west was won, then lost … but,
Davis knows: Davis ‘This is how we pay off our
current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a
country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer
to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest
thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on
TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to
"fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn
on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a
Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ …
Pakistan Gun Battle Rages as Militants Storm Naval Air
Base Bloomberg | Stormed premises with rockets and
grenades targeting surveillance aircraft provided by the U.S.
The
War on Ron Paul Susan Westfall | The federal
government we live with today no longer serves the interests of the American
people.
New Documentary Exclusively For Prison Planet.tv
Subscribers: College Conspiracy Prison Planet.tv |
Just one of numerous bombshell new videos to land at Prison Planet.tv this
week.
TSA Backs Down from Prom Night Grope Kurt
Nimmo | Government searching students is now a well-established
practice at public schools.
Corsi: Trump Conspired With Obama To Neutralize Birther
Controversy Author says he is about to blow the whistle on who
helped forged the long form birth certificate.
Herald Sun: Alex Jones Was Right About Schwarzenegger’s
Megalomania Herald Sun | It wasn’t that long ago
that the deluded voters of California so loved their Governor that 65% support
him.
Is
the US Driving the World Towards World War III: Osama’s Alleged Compound. How
Many SEALs Died? In a sensational and explosive TV report, the Pakistani
News Agency has provided a live interview with an eye witness to the US attack on
the alleged compound of Osama bin Laden.
Obama Gushes
Over British Royal Family The president went on to say that the Queen is a
symbol of “the best of England” to the entire world.
Iran
Just Arrested 30 People In An Alleged U.S. Spy Network Iran has arrested 30
people it says were engaged in “complex espionage and sabotage network” run by
the United States, state media reported. Another 42 CIA operatives officers
were supposedly identified.
20
terabecquerels of radioactive materials flowed out to Pacific Tokyo
Electric Power Co. said Saturday that 250 tons of water tainted with about 20
terabecquerels of radioactive substances leaked into the Pacific Ocean from a
pit near the seawater intake for the No. 3 reactor at the troubled Fukushima
No. 1 plant earlier this month.
The Siege of Syria: US-funded unrest used to justify
regime change Tony Cartalucci | After admittedly
organizing the very mobs littering Syria’s streets, the U.S. is pressuring the
Syrian government to step down.
Attack
on Iran Imminent With Accusation of 9/11 Role? Two defectors from Iran’s
intelligence service have testified that Iranian officials knew in advance
about the attacks of September 11, 2001, says a US court filing that seeks
damages for Iran’s ”direct support for, and sponsorship of, the most deadly act
of terrorism in American history”.
Australian
Federal Police could become carbon cops THE Australian Federal Police could
be required to investigate new climate change offences under Julia Gillard’s
carbon tax, sparking concerns over the agency’s resourcing.
America’s “Arab Deception”
As Adolf Hitler noted, “all propaganda has to be popular and has to
accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom
it seeks to reach.” Certainly the writers handing US President Barack Obama his
“Middle East speech” had a particularly ignorant audience in mind.
Disney
Star Wars Ride Gets Its Own TSA Checkpoint A Star Wars ride at Disneyworld
in Orlando has been equipped with a TSA style checkpoint complete with naked
body scanners and authoritarian security agents.
New
Documentary Exclusively For Prison Planet.tv Subscribers: College Conspiracy College Conspiracy is the most comprehensive
documentary ever produced about higher education in the U.S. The film exposes
the facts and truth about America’s college education system. College
Conspiracy is just one of numerous videos that Prison Planet.tv members will
receive access to this week as we announce a bumper rollout of exclusive new
multimedia titles. ‘… The real
unemployment rate in America is now 22% and 60% of college graduates who are
lucky enough to find a job, are receiving low skilled jobs where a college
degree isn’t even required. In fact, 70% of high school graduates who didn’t go
to college, were able to get these very same jobs as the average college
graduate. The main difference is, by the time Americans who went to college get
their degree, those who went straight into the work force after high school will
already have 4 to 6 years of valuable workplace experience. Instead of having
$24,000 in debt, these experienced Americans will be working their way up to a
higher paid position or a better job at a different company. All across
America, colleges are deceiving prospective students with misleading and often
fraudulent tactics and statistics. The fact is, law schools are handing out
43,000 law degrees each year, when there are 15,000 less attorney and legal
staff jobs in the U.S. than three years ago. Many law schools are advertising a
90% job placement rate within one year of graduating. However, weeks before job
placement surveys are conducted, some law schools will hire unemployed
graduates to work in their admissions department. They are let go as soon as
these surveys are completed, but count as being part of the 90% employed …’
Donald
Rumsfeld confronted on Aspartame and Iraq War WAC Chicago
| Rumsfeld hold responsibility for the destruction of Iraq and the poisoning of
the American food supply.
Economic
Data Dismal This Week as Corporate Earnings (on currency manipulation, dollar
debasement) Carry Markets WallStCheatSheet / Nyardi Like
Putting Lipstick on a Pig ‘As the old saying goes, “You can put lipstick on
a pig but it’s still a pig,” and this week’s economic and financial data for
the U.S. economy have been truly swine-like. Here are the “boarish” details
regarding global stock markets and ETFs:
·
Japan (NYSE:EWJ) has reentered recession, its economy plunging for
the First Quarter at a -3.7% annualized rate, twice as deeply as expected.
·
May Empire
Manufacturing Index: 11.9 versus 21.7 previously
·
April Housing
Starts: 523,000 versus 585,000 previously
·
April Building
Permits: 551,000 versus 574,000 previously
·
April Industrial
Production: 0.0% versus 0.7% previously
·
April Existing Home
Sales: 5.05 million versus 5.09 previously, a -13% year over year decline
·
May Philadelphia
Fed: 3.9 versus 18.5 previously, down from 43 just two months ago which was the
highest reading since 1984.
·
April Leading
Indicators: -0.3 versus -0.7, the first decline since last June
The only
glimmer of positive data was in Initial Unemployment Claims which declined to
409,000 versus 438,000 last week, but still above the psychologically and
statistically significant 400,000 level.
Bad…bad….bad…..it has definitely been a “Miss Piggy” kind of week as,
overall, the economic numbers have been a debacle, particularly the Philly Fed
which came in at 3.9 compared to a consensus 20.5 and last month’s 18.5.
Small wonder
they call economics the “dismal science.”
At Wall
Street Sector Selector, we continue to expect lower prices ahead in global
stock markets and maintain our inverse ETF and put option positions…’
Jobless
rate up in D.C., dips in Md., Va. The rate fell in more than three-quarters
of the nation’s states. (Washington Post) [ Jobless rate? With or without the
‘stopped looking’ fudge factor. I don’t buy any of it!
7
Reasons a Major Stock Market Correction Is Imminent Furman ‘The recent 2.5% pullback in the
S&P 500 (SPY) may just be a blip during a year
bullish analysts predict the index will finish above 1500. Brief and minor
sell-offs have indeed been the market's only hurdles since QE1 began in March
2009 -- the lone exception being early summer 2010, between QE1 and QE2. On the
other hand, here are seven reasons U.S. indicies could lose 20% or more in the
next two months.
·
CONCLUSION OF QE2.
Marc Faber, Austrian economist and leading market forecaster, aptly likens
fiscal policy to narcotics abuse: Always destructive in the end, though it may
have social benefits early on. Over time, however, that benefit requires more
and more of the "good" stuff. Americans are no longer net savers and
depend, along with every corporation that uses credit or relies on consumer
spending, on government jobs and welfare more so than ever before. QE1
supported investment until it was finished. A sell off post-QE2 will be
preempted by investors large and small, which may explain recent trading
sessions closing in the red.
·
COMMODITIES LEADING
DOWN. Commodities markets are smaller and less subject to speculation than
stock markets, which is why experienced investors refer to them as leading
markets. Oil, silver, sugar, copper and other staples for both consumers and
producers have fallen severely in price of late. The selling may still be
escalating.
·
UNCLE BUCK IS BACK.
Currency markets are also referred to as leaders to stocks. Trading volume is
huge, but more driven by governments and billionaires than pension plans and
gamblers. The first few weeks of May have witnessed a long-unseen affinity for
the U.S. dollar, which has gained 2-5% versus most currencies. This may signal
the beginning of a flight to safety.
·
LEADING STOCKS
LOOKING UGLY. From economic bellwethers such as Bank of America (BAC)
and KB Homes (KBH)
to highly profitable market-changers like Apple (AAPL) and
OpenTable (OPEN),
downward moves have been drastic. Companies like these are growth-drivers of
the economy.
·
DEFENSIVE STOCKS
OUTPERFORMING. The best performers lately include utility companies American
Water Works (AWK) and Consolidated Edison (ED),
consumer staples companies Procter & Gamble (PG)
and General Electric (GE), and pharmaceutical conglomerate
Pfizer (PFE).
Outperformance by stocks that operate low-risk, low-growth businesses indicates
defensiveness by investors or an apparent lack of value elsewhere in the
market.
·
GLOBAL GROWTH
STIFLED. In 2009 and 2010, bullish arguments were largely focused on a
"good enough" United States and an emerging market boom. With Middle
Eastern sociopolitical turmoil taking center stage in that region, Japan in
shambles, Europe using Scotch tape to fix budgets, and inflation crippling
economies worldwide, from where is growth to come?
·
NO BOTTOM IN SIGHT
FOR U.S. HOUSING. It is one of the largest asset markets, and one that affects
everyone, in the world's largest economy. Still, even buyer incentives and
suppressed interest rates haven't stopped prices from sliding. A growing
population and falling housing prices are basic and clear signs of economic recession.
Investors looking to hedge portfolios or even flip
net-short have endless choices thanks to inverse and leveraged ETFs, as well as
the opportunity to short individual stocks directly or via options. Betting on
increased volatility via VXX will also yield
profits if markets sell off. Leveraged ETFs inherently lose value over time and
are best for day-traders looking for highly-liquid, diversified ways to capture
quick moves.
Directly selling a stock or ETF short allows for less
potential upside than a leveraged play, but in doing so you avoid paying a time
premium. My preferred method is to short indexes via put options. During
significant sell offs, stocks generally fall in unison, while diversified ETFs
garner lower options premiums than more volatile individual stocks. Technology
(QQQ),
homebuilders (XHB), retail (XRT)
and financial (XLF) sector ETFs as well as
broader ones (SPY) offer appealing prices on the massive leverage that comes
with options.’
Top 3 Reasons Markets were Down Ahead of the Rapture Craze May 20, 2011 ‘Markets
closed down on Wall Street: DJI 0.74% SP500 0.77% Nasdaq 0.71% Gold 1.29% Oil
1.19% .
Markets
started down, attempted to recover at lunch, and got slapped back down in the
late afternoon. On the commodities front, Oil (NYSE:USO) found a bid as traders start placing their first
bets around the new tension between the US and Israel. Gold (NYSE:GLD) retook $1,500 and closed at $1,511.50, while
Silver (NYSE:SLV) didn’t have the same luck.
Today’s
markets were down because:
·
Retailer earnings
are flowing in and input costs are crushing margins. Last night Gap (NYSE:GPS) reported
earnings and the stock got folded 17%. Although there are store-specific
problems, higher cotton costs are going to keep retailers (NYSE:XRT) from enjoying the summer and possibly beyond.
This theme was reiterated by Aeropostale
(NYSE:ARO) and The
Wet Seal (NASDAQ:WTSLA).
·
Two milestones were
overtaken in the background . If you are still bitter Bill Gates stole IP from
IBM to create Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), revenge is yours. Today IBM’s (NYSE:IBM) market cap finally eclipsed Microsoft. IBM is now
worth over $208 billion while Microsoft remains in the lowly high $207 billion
range. On another note, streaming video company Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) now has more subscribers than Comcast (CMSCA)
— making Netflix the king with more subscribers than any U.S. cable or
satellite provider.
·
Let’s face it:
LinkedIn! LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) may be trading at twice the price it was less
than 48 hours ago, but it still got off to a positive start this morning.
Unfortunately for shareholders, the irrational exuberance on Day 2 wasn’t the
same and the stock was in a downtrend until it closed down 1.23% at 93.09. This
could just be some healthy profit taking, or it could be the beginning of a
pattern established by other Web 2.0 darlings Demand Media (NYSE:DMD) and RenRen (NYSE:RENN). Don’t Miss: “LinkedIn
Now has a Price-Earnings Ratio Making Pets.com Blush” …’
Ready for Apple, Microsoft and S&P to Drop_ The
LFB ‘S&P 500 futures (ESM1) (1339)
are at a pivotal price point at 1340, with the path of least resistance seeming
to be a technical and fundamental drop to support. Recent participation levels
have been very weak, with some trading sessions close to 50% off daily averages
on the main indices.
Adding to the
bearish potential over the next two months of trade will be the lack of upside
momentum generated from earnings-related news headlines. Recently published
data from Q1 hedge funds that show a change in outlook toward Apple (AAPL) and
Microsoft (MSFT) may also weigh on sentiment.
A trading
signal will be generated to sell S&P 500 with a session close below 1333,
which will target 1328, 1323 and in the mid-term 1315. The SPY
(134.35) exchange traded fund that tracks S&P 500 futures momentum
historically lags behind the main index, and a sell signal will start to not
form until 133.50 is broken.
Investors who
do not want to wait for their regional cash market to open, or do not have
24-hour access to the market they have open positions in, are able to access
the 24-hour currency market. There is potential to analyze and trade currencies
in a high-volume market that is supported by the global inter-bank system,
which tracks the 24-hour S&P 500 futures market moves.
Investors can
trade currencies in-line with a rising global market, or trade ahead of a
falling cash market open. Being able to use currencies offers the opportunity
to be in a trade before the regional market opens.
If S&P 500
valuations drop ahead of the next Wall Street session, investors will receive
an alternate signal on a currency pair that mirrors the move, so that the trade
potential can be accessed at any time. AUD/USD and EUR/USD are strongly aligned
with S&P 500 direction, GBP/USD is also well aligned on days that do not
have U.K. economic releases, as highlighted
previously.
Adding to the
potential negativity on equity indices is the outlook on high profile stocks,
and the changes in Q1 hedge fund holdings. It would seem that Apple has lost
the title of most widely held hedge fund holding, after 22 funds (over 10% of
the total 195 that held Apple previously) closed their entire holdings of
Apple, which will certainly impact the intra-day dynamics of the market going
forward.
At the end of
Q1, the most widely held hedge fund stock, according to David Kostin’s Hedge
Fund Trend Monitor, was Microsoft, which increased the number of funds holding
it from 161 to 181. Those hedge funds have racked up over 10% of losses on this
holding alone. The pressure coming to bear from a negative turn in S&P
sentiment, as highlighted above, may also impact MSFT as selling pressure will
increase in an overall negative equity arena.
A daily chart
sell signal on Microsoft formed Feb 22 11, with a drop below 26.90 targeting
25.00. Another sell signal on May 12 11, to sell from 25.20 targeting 24.20
also followed through. A four-hour chart sell signals formed Feb 01 11 from
27.50, which traveled as low as 24.70.
The one-hour
charts have been a technical mess, but the 30-minute chart outlook reveals a
descending trading pattern that is about to signal a sell signal with a break
below 24.40 that targets 24.00 and 23.70.’
Minyanville's T3 Weekly Recap: Stocks Sell Off Into Options
Expiration, Judgement Day* [
Riiiiight! ‘Judgement Day’ – Certainly been so for the ‘Terminator’ or former
‘Governator’ … Wow! Or should we say, Bow Wow! I mean, what a dog … You just
can’t take former male model schwarzenegger any place … what a failed, gutless
wonder and fraud (that commutation) he turned out to be! … Speaking of
judgement days, raptures, previously I wrote: ‘End
of Days’ message rolls into D.C.
(Washington Post) The
potentially rotten news that the world will end on May 21 arrived plastered on
a caravan of RVs. [ Gee … little premature … you know, that 2012, end of Mayan
calendar, Nostradamus thing … I previously weighed in / wrote: Why
do Americans still dislike atheists? (Washington Post) [ And
not just americans … Why? First and foremost because there is a God. Second, it
is intellectually dishonest to be an atheist. Specifically, there is absolutely
no evidence to dispute the existence of God. While one might similarly argue
that there is no evidence to suggest there is a God (which I would dispute),
which for most is a fair statement, the same would yield at best, if
intellectually honest, the position of ‘agnostic’. I can totally understand and
even empathize with the view of the agnostic. After all, at this point, there
seems to be ‘no rhyme nor reason’ at all. But, think binary, positives /
negatives. Just too many negatives. Think ‘capital punishment’. No, the world’s
not going to end in 2012 as some fear. Rather, think slow burn; decades at
best; then ‘poof’. In the scheme of things, this world’s just not that
important (apes,
notochordates, and initially single celled organisms). Kind of
akin to what I previously wrote: (God doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to
wrestle!) Boy
wrestler forfeits match to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I
feel sorry for those guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and
13) … they’ll probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink
my regard for Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart
championship teams to be the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy
who forfeited, he could have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily
do that with a lesser opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in
a certain way into the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive
orgasm, she’d unwittingly arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder
blades to the mat, thereby pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a
manner of speaking that he was making heterosexual love not war with her ………
how pathetic and preposterous this was … and, let me remind the homo that God
doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to wrestle! ]
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price... ‘
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May and
go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Treasury
to tap pensions to fund government (WP) 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
Hedge Funds: Paulson, other big hedge funds, down in May
McCain
Calls for “Free Trade” in Middle East AFP | McCain said
United States should “move urgently” to establish free trade agreements with
Egypt and Tunisia.
The
End Of The Eurozone? — Stiglitz At European Zeitgeist 2011 The
Daily Bail | “We are out of money, but we can pay you in fish.”
Paulson
Cast as Stoic Savior in HBO’s ‘Big’ Wall Street Saga Bloomberg
| “Too Big to Fail” a TV movie that transforms complex tale of Wall Street
greed into a knight-in-shining-armor saga.
FDIC Closes Three Banks By AP Regulators on Friday shut two banks in
Georgia and one in Washington State, lifting to 43 the number of bank failures
this year.
Japan slips back into
recession Japan's economy shrank
last quarter by almost double the margin economists had expected, as the March
disaster pushed the country back into recession. (LA Times) [I’ve always
thought, and from the beginning (see infra and website) that this disaster was
of greater consequence than reported; after all, as to america, who else
besides china was foolish enough and had cash reserves sufficient to buy
pervasively corrupt, defact bankrupt america’s ever more worthless paper
Chernobyl, 25 years later (Washington Post) Following the nuclear disaster in
Japan, the Chernobyl accident
has a particular importance. Japan declares evacuation zone near nuclear plant
(Washington Post)[ Wow! Sounds like a plan!… From the beginning, as I’ve
written on my website, I’ve thought the catastrophic nature and impact of this
disaster to have been underreported at the least … the Japanese
uncharacteristically have adopted somewhat of a ‘if wishing could make it so’
tact in this sad crisis. Chernobyl,
25 years later (Washington Post)
Following the nuclear disaster in Japan, the Chernobyl accident has a
particular importance. Japan
declares evacuation zone near nuclear plant (Washington Post) [ Wow! Sounds like a plan! … From the
beginning, as I’ve written on my website, I’ve thought the catastrophic nature
and impact of this disaster to have been underreported at the least … the
Japanese uncharacteristically have adopted somewhat of a ‘if wishing could make
it so’ tact in this sad crisis.
Existing-home
sales drop in April Sales fall short of many analysts’ expectations for
this key month of the spring selling season. (WP) [ Come on! Stocks rally on worse than expected bad news to keep the
suckers suckered! This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May and go away! LinkedIn
IPO shatters expectations (WP) [ Kind of like the pre-bust dot.com
days/preposterous (all bad news today) that Dave preceded his commentary with a
twighlight zone picture In reminder of '90s, LinkedIn has big first day (AP) an
unmistakable echo of the dot-com boom Thursday on Wall Street. Rod Serling Now Linked-In : Dave's Daily ‘It definitely remains a really strange market. Fed
Governor Fisher summed things up nicely Thursday stating: "We've gone from
too little liquidity to too much." He's definitely off the main Fed
talking points but a little honesty explains the "more money than brains"
market. The LinkedIn(LNKD_) IPO
typifies this Thursday. You may not be aware of it but word on the street is
only ten institutions were privileged to obtain freshly issued shares. I wonder
who was favored with this gift; care to guess? You couldn't get a collection of
bad economic news much worse than what appeared today… While Jobless Claims
were marginally lower given previous adjustments, the moving average of
claims reached six-month highs; Home Sales were down...again; the Philly Fed reading
came in at 3.9 vs 18 expected; and Leading Indicators were lower 0.3 vs flat
expectations. These were dreadful but bulls brushed them off hoping for more POMO
and extended ZIRP. Perhaps the stupid people are the ones
not playing ball, given rising markets on this lousy economic news. LinkedIn
should remind everyone of dotcom experiences but it's really about too much
liquidity. Commodity prices were generally lower with economic data while the
dollar was weaker and so too were base and precious metals. Bonds were flat
overall…’
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
Why
Are Investors Fearful? Here are 19 Answers Khaner
5-17-11’
QE II:
U.S. ECONOMY: (bad)
UNEMPLOYMENT: ..(problematic)
U.S. DEBT CEILING:
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
Agents
irked by plan to keep Mueller
(Washington Post) [ ‘abide by ..
tenure limits’ ? I’m more concerned with, and it’s fundamentally more important
from the perspective of the FBI’s ‘mission and purpose’, that meaningful law be
abided by regarding the following:
October 15, 2010 (*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez,
Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act is
a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages and
attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims probably
owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in need of such
assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations of law which
have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption is pervasive).
A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently with the subject
action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action which was
illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention of the
Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the Qui Tam provisions of
the Federal False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent
resolution seek to refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of
the law with which I am not familiar).
The
document in 5 pages under penalty of perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI
office in New Haven is probably the best and most concise summary of the
case RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm .
With regard to the calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices:
There was one call to the LA office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA
office where I personally met with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave
probative evidentiary documents of the money laundering which he confirmed as
indicative of same (he was transferred from said office within approximately a
month of said meeting and his location was not disclosed to me upon inquiry).
The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron Barndollar and we remained in touch
for in excess of a decade until he abruptly retired (our last conversation
prior to his retirement related to the case and parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani
whose father I stated had been an enforcer for the mob to which he registered
disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did – he served 12 years in prison,
aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no, there is no Chinese wall of separation
– Andrew Maloney’s the one that prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction to
the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
·
A judgment had been
entered in my favor in the case, United States District Court Case
#3:93cv02065(AWT)(USDCJ Alvin Thompson), worth approximately now in excess of
$300,000 remains unaccounted for and which could be used for payment to
creditors, Los Angeles, etc..
·
Counsel Robert
Sullivan on my behalf documented by way of certification upon investigation
that Alan Shiff, USBCJ, had falsely stated a dismissal upon which false
statement he predicated a retaliatory and spurious contempt proceeding against
me causing substantial damage, and for which he sought Judicial Notice of those
and related proceedings as did I in some of my filings.
·
The Order of Dismissal
With Prejudice by Alan Shiff, USBCJ, owing to Defendant Coan’s failure to file
anything whatsoever by the court’s deadline causing creditors and me
substantial damages: [ Shiff Order of Dismissal With Prejudice on
Coan’s Failure to File Page 1 Page 2 ]
·
Defendant Coan had
filed an action against me to prevent me from suing him which necessitated me
to fly to Connecticut for a hearing before The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny,
Chief Judge, USDC, District of Connecticut, who denied Coan’s requested relief
as to Coan but precluded my action against Shiff (although there is no immunity,
judicial or otherwise, for criminal acts, ie., fraud connected with a case
under Title 11, USC, etc.) . [ transcript
in pertinent part -
crossexamofcoanbypeia.pdf ]
·
Newly appointed
judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump’s sister, was assigned the RICO case
despite the conflict of interest in light of hundreds of thousands of dollars
of illegal (drug) money being laundered through the Trump casinos by the RICO
defendants, and despite my motion to recuse her which motion she heard herself
and denied, and U.S. Trustee Hugh Leonard with whom I met personally refused to
join or file a separate motion to recuse and not long thereafter left said
office for private practice at Cole, Shotz, et als on retainer with the RICO
defendants as his primary client.
·
Probative and
evidentiary documents, affidavits, exhibits, including those turned over to FBI
Agent Jeff Hayes in Long Beach, CA, had been given to Assistant U.S. Attorney
Jonathan Lacey with whom I met personally at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in
Newark, N.J., at which time Samuel Alito was U.S. Attorney, and went over said
documents and their probative value with him. Within approximately a month
thereafter upon inquiry I was told that Jonathon Lacey was no longer with the
office, that the file/documents could not be located, and that there was no
further information available concerning contacting him or his location. I
thereupon delivered by hand, copies of said documents to the office of then
U.S. Attorney Alito, addressed to him, with assurance they would go directly to
him. In addition to being inept [ I looked in on the
one mob case he had brought, bungled, lost (accidently on purpose?) since I was
suing some mob-connected under RICO and the court (I had known / previously met
outside of court the judge Ackerman through a client) was absolute bedlam and a
total joke since incompetent corrupt Alito brought in all 20 mob defendants
(rather than prosecute one or a few to flip them first) who feigning illness
had beds/cots in the courtroom along with their moans during testimony and had
the jury in stitches. As much as I hate the mob, it truly was funny, if not so
tragic.], Alito is also corrupt
(and maybe corrupt because he is inept). After a reasonable (but still rather
short) time I called to determine the status and was told that Alito was no
longer with the Office of the U.S. Attorney, that he was (appointed) a federal
judge, and that neither the documents nor any file or record of same could be
located. Alito did parley the same / cover-up into quid pro quo direct lifetime
appointment to the Court of Appeals, 3rd circuit, despite the
absence of judicial experience or successful tenure as U.S. Attorney (Maryanne
Trump Barry as well). This is the same Sam Alito that now sits on the purported
highest court in the land. The real application of the illegal rule ‘don’t ask,
don’t tell’.
There
is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor creditors, nor I
should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt and illegal
scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the meaningful rules of
law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert
L. Peia
611
E. 5th Street, #404
Los
Angeles, CA 90013
(213)
219-**** (cell phone)
(213)
622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with the line,
computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance greater
non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for contact).
China
to US: respect Pakistan’s sovereignty, independence The Economic
Times | China has asked the US not to violate Islamabad’s territorial
integrity, following the reported killing of Osama bin Laden.
America’s “Arab Deception”
Tony Cartalucci | President Obama remarked that ‘America
didn’t put people in the streets,’ yet in reality the “Arab Spring” was
entirely engineered. As Adolf Hitler noted, “all propaganda has to be popular
and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of
those whom it seeks to reach.” Certainly the writers handing US President
Barack Obama his “Middle East speech” had a particularly ignorant audience in
mind.
Drudgereport:
USA
HITS DEBT CEILING...
TREASURY
RAIDS PENSIONS...
OBAMA
SIDES WITH THE PALESTINIANS...
Netanyahu
fumes at call to return to '67 borders...
Abbas
calls emergency Palestinian Authority meeting...
Israeli
Knesset member: Obama is the new Arafat...
OBAMA:
'Limited' US Role in Libyan War Means No Need For Congressional
Authorization...
I
DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION (FOR WAR,
says nobel peace laureate)
CHICAGOLAND:
GODFATHER WANTS CASINO...
Cornel
West: Obama 'a black mascot' and 'black puppet'...
Peter
Fonda calls Obama 'traitor' at Cannes...
Obama,
Sarkozy dissed in films...
Doomsday
Food Price Scenario Turning Hedge Fund Managers into Survivalists...
In
China, some new cities are ghost towns...
RON PAUL: SELL THE GOLD IN FORT KNOX... [ I
personally believe that some has already been ‘sold’, as in stole, with gold
plate the replacement; after all, with the wall street frauds, 360 tons of $100
bills flown into Iraq and ‘disappeared’, etc., why would same seem unlikely. ]
NEXT
UP FOR BAILOUT: POST OFFICE...
4
MONTHS UNTIL DEFAULT... US
Postal Service reports $2.2B loss for quarter... [ And, let me add
that they deserved that loss. The USPS is totally unreliable and basically a
jobs program for the otherwise unemployable; and, they are also corrupt. I’ve
previously set forth the scenario where the postal service waylaid dvd disks
sent priority/confirmation and a second time, certified mail, to the FBI
(violations of federal law, tampering, obstruction, etc.), and ultimately
additional copies of said disks were delivered by the reliable, efficient,
competitive, performance-driven UPS (their parcel rates are roughly the same
and yet half the delivery time – Fedex is as unreliable as the USPS-and for
some time had a deal with the USPS)…infra ]
Medvedev
warns West of new Cold War...
Russia
Expels Israel's Military Attache...
U.S.-Israeli
group tells members not to boo president...
WHITE
HOUSE SHUTS OUT NEWSPAPER OVER 'BIAS'...
Veteran
reporters mock WH press for kowtowing to 'monarch'...
GOV'T
MOTORS CHEERS CHINESE COMMUNIST MOVIE...
US
helicopter exchanges fire with Pakistan troops on Afghan border...
...increasing
tensions
Pakistan,
China Grow Closer...
New,
federally-mandated light bulbs will cost $50 -- each...
GE
lobbied for them...
REPORT:
Secret Service interrogates 7th grader without parents' knowledge...
China
cuts holdings of Treasurys for 5th month...
U.S. borrows $58,000 a second...
BUCHANAN:
'Bad day for New World Order'...
NO
BAIL FOR WORLD'S BANKER
DOWN
AND OUT IN MANHATTAN...
...sex charges likely to isolate IMF in debt crisis talks
'BLOOD
ON THE BED'...
Authorities
investigating 'at least one other' case...
CHANGE:
Obama Assets Total as Much as $12 Million...
GALLUP:
OBAMA DROPS ANOTHER 2 POINTS, DOWN TO 46%...
...Post-Bin
Laden Bump Has Vanished
Hamas
PM: Pray for an end to Israel...
Protesters
try to breach Israeli border on 3 fronts...
Israel
opens fire across border with Lebanon...
Egypt
police fire tear gas at Nakba rally...
Demonstrators
pour into Israel from Syria...
'Iran
fingerprints'...
'Terror
truck' attack...
GALLUP:
Obama slips back to 48/45...
Administration
approves 200 more new Obamacare waivers...
IMF
HEAD IN RAPE RAP...
New
Details...
May
Step Aside?
French
presidential race hopes in jeopardy...
'THUNDERBOLT'...
Ron
Paul: 'These are the kind of people running the IMF'...
9
civilians killed in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan...
ALARM
OVER APPROACHING INSOLVENCY OF SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE...
Social
Security to run 'permanent' deficits...
Texas
official accuses ATF of starting wildfire...
'That bunch has a real corner on stupid'...
British
woman decapitated in grocery store; killer flees with head...
Cannes:
Diana doc slams UK royals as 'gangsters'...
Senate
Bill Gives Feds Power to Order Blacklisting of Websites...
Treasury Auctions to Push US Over Debt Ceiling...
McCARTHY:
'Not one Republican vote' to borrow more without cuts...
REPORT:
48 Women Raped Every Hour in Congo...
'DOLLAR
IN GRAVER DANGER THAN EURO'...
FORBES:
RETURN TO GOLD STANDARD WITHIN 5 YEARS...
In
S.C., legislature takes first step...
POLL: 1 in 5 say bin Laden alive...
MICHELLE:
KEEPS ON DANCING!
First
Lady to host rapper who talks of killing cops...
USA
FREAK OUT: TERROR FEARS; FALSE ALARMS...
Sen.
Schumer Calls For Amtrak 'Do Not Ride' List...
Two
tunnel 'breaches' cause scare in NYC...
Threats
Divert Planes in Three Separate Incidents...
Passengers,
flight crew subdue man banging on cockpit door...
Dallas
Train Station Evacuated: Man Asked For Help Carrying Packages...
4
Arrested For Videotaping TSA Line At Denver...
SHOCK PHOTO: TSA LOOKING FOR
'POOP BOMBS?'
U.S.-Pak.
Rift Widens...
Pak.
warns of 'full force' response to future US raids...
S&P
cuts Greece's rating...
BOEHNER
TO DEMAND NOT BILLIONS, BUT TRILLIONS
IN CUTS...
OIL
REBOUNDS; 2ND LARGEST GAIN ON RECORD...
REPORT:
Housing crash getting worse...
...values
fall fastest rate since '08
Michelle
Obama to host rapper at WH who talks of killing cops...
'COMMAND
CENTER'...
Pakistan
skeptical of U.S. claim bin Laden directed network...
Two loud explosions heard in town where bin Laden killed...
Videos
show 9-11 mastermind watching himself on TV...
U.S.
government censors tapes, cuts audio...
Inside
bin Laden's squalid home...
NYT:
Final days of domesticity...
Drone
Strike Kills 15 in Pakistan...
First
since bin Laden raid...
BIN
LADEN SUPPORTERS RAGE ON THE STREETS OF LONDON, VOW REVENGE...
Stage
mock funeral in front of US embassy...
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
JAPAN
URGES HALT AT THREE REACTORS...
UNEMPLOYMENT
BACK UP TO 9.0%...
Fannie
Mae Reports $8.7B Loss for First Quarter...
Seeks
$8.5B more from taxpayers...
APRIL
JOBS: +244,000...
FUZZY
MATH: How can US add
jobs but the unemployment rate go up?
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
PAPER:
GREECE EU EXIT?
Silver
Plunge Spreads...
OIL
GUTTED...
Price
Slide Temporary, New Highs Likely: Goldman...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
Euro
Tumbles... CNN
SHOCK POLL: RON PAUL HAS BEST CHANCE VS OBAMA
National
Home Prices Double Dip...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS RISE TO 8 MONTH HIGH...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
9-11
FAMILY: 'SHOW US PROOF BIN LADEN KILLED'...
Victim's
father: Obama 'putting too much spotlight on himself'...
Channels
Bush at Ground Zero: 'We will never forget'...
Tells
teen survivor he knows
Justin Bieber...
Turns
Back on 9/11 Family Member...
AUDIO...
Muslim
Brotherhood urges review of Israel ties...
Pakistanis
burn U.S. flags; backlash over death grows...
Pakistan
officials: No resistance in 'cold-blooded' U.S. raid...
Warns
America not to stage any more...
Threatens
'disastrous consequences'...
Muslims
already name dump location 'Martyr's Sea'...
OBAMA,
NO PHOTOS OF OSAMA: 'We don't need to spike the football'...
'Conspiracy theorists will just claim doctored'...
Sen.
Scott Brown: 'I've seen picture, he's definitely dead'...
UPDATE:
Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was
faked...
three
senators fell for fakes...
UPDATE:
'The photo I saw and that a lot of other people saw is not authentic'...
Top
Dem: No photo needed, 'there's absolute proof'...
REUTERS RELEASES 'DEATH SCENE' PHOTOS
**WARNING GRAPHIC**
UPDATE: Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was faked...
Possibly
three senators fell for fakes...
Pakistan:
'Not a single bullet fired from compound'...
WIRE:
Photos from 1 hour after raid show 3 dead, no weapons...
The
Slippery Story of the bin Laden Kill...
Official says 'killed apparently
by the U.S. raid team'...
DOLLAR
HITS 3 YEAR LOW...
1
IN 7 ON FOOD STAMPS!
Job
numbers disappoint...
Treasury
suggests $2 trillion debt cap raise...
REUTERS, AP journalists describe staging of Obama photo taken after
TV announcement of bin Laden's death...
Wrap
up those loose ends: 'Rapture' movement predicts end of world on Saturday...
Preacher
made same prediction in 1994...
Doomsday
church thriving, worth $72 million... : ‘End
of Days’ message rolls into D.C.
(Washington Post) The
potentially rotten news that the world will end on May 21 arrived plastered on
a caravan of RVs. [ Gee … little premature … you know, that 2012, end of Mayan
calendar, Nostradamus thing … I previously weighed in / wrote: Why
do Americans still dislike atheists? (Washington Post) [ And
not just americans … Why? First and foremost because there is a God. Second, it
is intellectually dishonest to be an atheist. Specifically, there is absolutely
no evidence to dispute the existence of God. While one might similarly argue
that there is no evidence to suggest there is a God (which I would dispute),
which for most is a fair statement, the same would yield at best, if
intellectually honest, the position of ‘agnostic’. I can totally understand and
even empathize with the view of the agnostic. After all, at this point, there
seems to be ‘no rhyme nor reason’ at all. But, think binary, positives /
negatives. Just too many negatives. Think ‘capital punishment’. No, the world’s
not going to end in 2012 as some fear. Rather, think slow burn; decades at
best; then ‘poof’. In the scheme of things, this world’s just not that
important (apes, notochordates, and
initially single celled organisms). Kind of akin to what I
previously wrote: (God doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to
wrestle!) Boy
wrestler forfeits match to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I
feel sorry for those guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and
13) … they’ll probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink
my regard for Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart championship
teams to be the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy who
forfeited, he could have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily do
that with a lesser opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in a
certain way into the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive orgasm,
she’d unwittingly arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder blades to
the mat, thereby pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a manner of
speaking that he was making heterosexual love not war with her ……… how pathetic
and preposterous this was … and, let me remind the homo that God doesn’t care
that you wrestle a girl who wants to wrestle! ]
Gentlemen:
I just wanted to extend to you and your company my sincere thanks
for a job well done. The Dell computer I recently purchased from you has lived
up to all your representations and as well, my own expectations. I bought my
first computer from you (Ben) in or around 1999. It was a Sony Vaio laptop
which owing to Windows Millenium and a very proprietary approach to computing
on the part of Sony, truth be told, was not the greatest system in terms of
stability (typical Millenium problems), but no fault of yours. Ultimately,
though functional, I traded the Vaio for a Mac, an accommodation by your
company seldom seen with other companies if at all (3+ years later). You’ve
always stood by your products / service, are available / accessible to field /
handle all questions / problems which is rare indeed. In Armand you have a
top-notch A+ Certified Tech who is patient, knowledgeable, and talented. Ruben,
in truth has been particularly instrumental in seeing to a smooth transition in
my recent dealings with your company as a knowledgeable IT Specialist and
especially as a savvy, capable manager. Since 1999 I’ve purchased five
computers from you and based upon performance, the sixth is assured.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia ) ]
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price... ‘
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Treasury
to tap pensions to fund government (WP) 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
In reminder of '90s, LinkedIn has big first day (AP) - There was an unmistakable echo of the dot-com boom
Thursday on Wall Street.
Rod Serling Now Linked-In : Dave's Daily ‘It definitely remains a really
strange market. Fed Governor Fisher summed things up nicely Thursday stating:
"We've gone from too little liquidity to too much." He's definitely
off the main Fed talking points but a little honesty explains the "more
money than brains" market. The LinkedIn(LNKD_) IPO
typifies this Thursday. You may not be aware of it but word on the street is
only ten institutions were privileged to obtain freshly issued shares. I wonder
who was favored with this gift; care to guess? You couldn't get a collection of
bad economic news much worse than what appeared today. While Jobless Claims
were marginally lower given previous adjustments, the moving average of
claims reached six-month highs; Home Sales were down...again; the Philly Fed
reading came in at 3.9 vs 18 expected; and Leading Indicators were lower 0.3 vs
flat expectations. These were dreadful but bulls brushed them off hoping for
more POMO
and extended ZIRP. Perhaps the stupid people are the ones
not playing ball, given rising markets on this lousy economic news. LinkedIn
should remind everyone of dotcom experiences but it's really about too much
liquidity. Commodity prices were generally lower with economic data while the
dollar was weaker and so too were base and precious metals. Bonds were flat
overall…’
Here’s
Why Existing Home Sales Unexpectedly Slipped in April May 19, 2011 ‘According to the National Association of Realtors , Existing Home Sales came
in at 5.05 million annualized sales– lower than Wall Street’s expectations for
5.23 million sales (Briefing). Here’s your Cheat Sheet:
Sales: Came in
at an annual rate of 5.05 million in March.
Month-over-Month
Change: This is 0.8% below the downwardly revised 5.09 million in March 2011.
Year-over-Year
Change: This is 12.9% below the 5.8 million pace in April 2010.
Prices:
The national median existing-home price of $163,700 in April was 5
percent below April 2010.
Inventory: Up
9.9 percent to 3.87 million existing homes available for sale. This represents
a supply of 9.2 months at the current sales rate, up from 8.3 months in March.
Noteworthy
Stats: First-time buyers purchased 36 percent of homes in April, up from 33
percent in March; they were 49 percent in April 2010 when the tax credit was in
place. Investors slipped to 20 percent in April from 22 percent of purchase
activity in March; they were 15 percent in April 2010. The balance of sales was
to repeat buyers, which were 44 percent in April.
All-cash
transactions stood at 31 percent in April, down from a record level of 35
percent in March; they were 26 percent in March 2010; investors account for the
bulk of cash purchases.
Commentary:
Lawrence Yun NAR chief economist, said the market is underperforming. “Given
the great affordability conditions, job creation and pent-up demand, home sales
should be stronger,” he said. “Although existing-home sales are expected to
trend up unevenly through next year, unnecessarily tight credit is continuing
to restrain the market, along with a steady level of low appraisals that result
in contract cancellations.”
More Details:
Single-family
home sales slipped 0.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.42
million in April from 4.44 million in March, and are 12.6 percent below the
5.06 million pace in April 2010. The median existing single-family home price
was $163,200 in April, which is 5.4 percent below a year ago.
Existing
condominium and co-op sales fell 3.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual
rate of 630,000 in April from 650,000 in March, and are 15.0 percent below the
741,000-unit level one year ago. The median existing condo price 5 was $167,300
in April, down 2.3 percent from April 2010.
Regionally ,
existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 7.5 percent to an annual pace of
740,000 in April and are 32.1 percent below a year-ago surge. The median price
in the Northeast was $225,400, which is 7.3 percent below April 2010.
Existing-home
sales in the Midwest rose 5.7 percent in April to a level of 1.12 million but
are 16.4 percent below a cyclical peak in April 2010. The median price in the
Midwest was $133,200, down 5.1 percent from a year ago.
In the South,
existing-home sales declined 4.1 percent to an annual pace of 1.95 million in
April and are 9.3 percent below a year ago. The median price in the South was
$142,800, which is 4.1 percent lower than April 2010.
Existing-home
sales in the West slipped 1.6 percent to an annual level of 1.24 million in
April and are 0.8 percent below April 2010. The median price in the West was
$203,400, down 6.1 percent from a year ago.’
Weekly
Unemployment Claims Can’t Fall Below This Critical Level May 19, 2011, Short ‘The Department of
Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report was released
this morning for last week. Claims fell 29,000 from a 4,000 upward revision of
the previous week. Here is the official statement from the Department of Labor:
In the week
ending May 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was
409,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of
438,000. The 4-week moving average was 439,000, an increase of 1,250 from the
previous week’s revised average of 437,750.
The advance
seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week ending
May 7, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.
The advance
number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May
7 was 3,711,000, a decrease of 81,000 from the preceding week’s revised level
of 3,792,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,728,250, an increase of 750 from
the preceding week’s revised average of 3,727,500.
Today’s number
was 11,000 below the Briefing.com consensus estimate of 420,000 claims.
As we can see,
there’s a good bit of volatility in this indicator, which is why the 4-week
moving average (shown in the callouts) is a more useful number than the weekly
data.
http://dshort.com/charts/indicators/weekly-unemployment-claims.gif
Occasionally I
see articles critical of seasonal adjustment, especially when the non-adjusted
number better suits the author’s bias. But a comparison of these two charts
clearly shows extreme volatility of the non-adjusted data, and the 4-week MA
gives an indication of the recurring pattern of seasonal change in the second
chart (note, for example, those regular January spikes).
http://dshort.com/charts/indicators/weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA.gif
Because of the
extreme volatility of the non-adjusted weekly data, a 52-week moving average
gives a better sense of the long-term trends.
http://dshort.com/charts/indicators/weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA-52-ma.gif
The Bureau of
Labor Statistics provides an overview on seasonal adjustment here (scroll down about
half way down).’
Geithner:
There Will Be Another Storm Roche
‘(Tiny) Tim Geithner was recently interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin for the
upcoming film “Too Big To Fail”. His comments on the future were pretty
encouraging (via the Daily
Beast):
“It will come again. There will be another storm,”
warned Geithner, who in early 2009 succeeded Paulson as treasury secretary.
“But it’s not going to come for a while.”
Under mostly gentle questioning from Pulitzer
Prize-winning financial writer Liaquat Ahamed and New York Times business
columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, author of the book on which the film is based,
Geithner said “I’m certain we will” experience another catastrophe—he just
couldn’t say when or what kind.
“You will not know,” he answered when Sorkin tried to
pin him down. “It’s not going to be possible for people to capture risk with
perfect foresight and knowledge.”
And of course he’s right. Mr. Geithner, the fox in
the hen house at the NY Fed while the too big to fail banks were becoming the
behemoths that they are, was instrumental in ensuring that too big to fail
became too bigger to fail. He has been one of the primary players in
the build-up of the Wall Street financialization scheme. And worst of all, he
knows that it has the ability to cause another crippling storm.
The infuriating thing is that there are rules and
regulations that we could implement that would thwart or lessen the damage from
any future storms. But no, we choose instead to allow these companies to seek
profit maximization without requiring proper risk management. And in doing so,
it increases the instability of the entire system. The fact that our leaders
understand this is beyond maddening. And it would be funny if it wasn’t the
cause of so much hardship.’
Jailed
IMF chief resigns but maintains his innocence Strauss-Kahn, who is facing sexual assault charges in N.Y., says
he is stepping down with "infinite sadness" and that he wants to
devote "all my energy to proving my innocence." (Los Angeles
Times) I.M.F. Chief
Quits After His Arrest In Sexual Attack
(New York Times) [ Strauss-Kahn
resigns as head of the IMF
(Washington Post) [ So what! Who cares! There is not one head of even
one institution in the world today that deserves to keep their job; from
bernanke at the fed, to the nobel committee that awarded wobama the peace
prize, to geithner at treasury, to looney moony at the u.n., etc.. For jobs
poorly done, they should step down and make way for the generation that’s been
so negatively impacted by their venality, incompetence, corruption, etc… Why
Are Investors Fearful? Here are 19 Answers Khaner
5-17-11’
QE II: .. Place yer bets, place yer bets! Tick, tick, tick…
U.S. ECONOMY: Inventory built, inventory sold, inventory built, inventory sold.
..
UNEMPLOYMENT: ..(problematic)
U.S. DEBT CEILING: “Going up, she said, uh, huh…”
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until [12-14-01] by
intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora, according
to the Pentagon [details]. Since then,
nothing has been heard from the al-Qa'eda leader ..[Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in
Afghanistan and Pakistan almost 6 mos ago: the fugitive died in December [2001]
and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president,
Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. ..
..Osama bin Laden would not have.. remained silent for so long
if he were still alive. He always liked to take credit even for things he had
nothing to do with …[NYT 7-11-02]
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price... ‘
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
Many
With New College Degree Find the Job Market Humbling Employment rates for
new graduates have fallen sharply, as have starting salaries for those who can
find work. (New York Times) [ Yet, we
all know things are humming on wall street, and military recruitment is up. This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted.
]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! El-Erian:
“Financial Repression” In the Form of a Negative Real Rate of Return for Savers
Is Coming to America Pimco co-chair
El-Erian is saying that the major flaws in the financial system will not be
addressed, the government will keep on printing money, and that the
inflation-adjusted return on investments for most Americans will be
negative. Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘… 1) The 5-year high in the level of insider corporate stock
sales is telling. At 565 sells for every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes,
it’s normal for insiders to be selling some of their stocks so they can buy new
yachts and some of this is pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked
recently — is extraordinarily high, one might even say off-the-chart. 2)
Professor Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16. 3) The failure of
the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market. 4) Key market leaders are rolling over in price... ‘ Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for
Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by
the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand that not one high
level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billions from
the fraud ). UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against
the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May and go away! …
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
Gentlemen:
I just wanted to extend to you and your company my sincere thanks
for a job well done. The Dell computer I recently purchased from you has lived
up to all your representations and as well, my own expectations. I bought my first
computer from you (Ben) in or around 1999. It was a Sony Vaio laptop which
owing to Windows Millenium and a very proprietary approach to computing on the
part of Sony, truth be told, was not the greatest system in terms of stability
(typical Millenium problems), but no fault of yours. Ultimately, though
functional, I traded the Vaio for a Mac, an accommodation by your company
seldom seen with other companies if at all (3+ years later). You’ve always
stood by your products / service, are available / accessible to field / handle
all questions / problems which is rare indeed. In Armand you have a top-notch
A+ Certified Tech who is patient, knowledgeable, and talented. Ruben, in truth
has been particularly instrumental in seeing to a smooth transition in my
recent dealings with your company as a knowledgeable IT Specialist and
especially as a savvy, capable manager. Since 1999 I’ve purchased five
computers from you and based upon performance, the sixth is assured.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia ) ]
Wall Street - Will it Lie and Cheat Stocks to New Highs? May 18, 2011
‘Dear Wall Street and government officials (domestically and
abroad), please take the following definition and post it where you see it
daily (no, the latrine doesn't count):
Ethic:
A set of moral principles, a system of moral values, a consciousness of moral
importance.
Unless
you live in a dream world, you've come to grips with the idea that Wall Street
and ethics are as far removed as the sunset from the sunrise. But even if you
are a realist, you may be surprised to hear about the most recent escapades and
how stocks might react.
Lying - A Matter of Self-Preservation
'When
it becomes serious, you have to lie.' Which Prime Minister said that and why?
Luxembourg's
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who, as the chairman of the regular
meetings of euro zone finance ministers, is one of Europe's key spokesman, just
'legalized' lying when required by circumstances.
What
were the circumstances? The Spiegel Online (a German news outlet) reported last
Friday of a secret EU meeting regarding a Greek exodus from the European Union.
Mr.
Schuller, a spokesperson for Luxembourg's Prime Minister explained: 'There was
a very good reason to deny that the meeting was taking place. Evening in Europe
is midday in the United States. We had Wall Street open at that point in time.'
Schuller deemed this to be an issue of 'self-preservation.' Therefore, lying
was allowed.
Lies Everywhere
Europeans
are not the only ones fluent in lying. Goldman Sachs was ousted for betting
against the housing market while selling mortgage-backed securities (MBS).
According to Matt Taibbi's latest piece, Goldman's CEO and CFO Blankfein and
Viniar lied to Congress about the issue.
Perhaps
for good reason Goldman Sachs stock (NYSEArca: GS - News) has lost 20% since
mid-January and the Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLF - News) and SPDR KB Bank ETF
(NYSEArca: KBE
- News) are trading at the low of
the year. Perhaps the market knows something the public doesn't.
No Bailout ... But Give Me the Money
On
January 17, 2011 Portugal insisted it will get by without an aid package. On
March 29, Jose Socrates, Portugal's Prime Minister, went on record saying: 'I'm
sick of saying we won't' be needing a bailout. On April 7, the Wall Street
Journal reported, 'Portugal pleads for rescue.'
Greece
went down the same path just a few months earlier. In fact, on April 27, 2010
Reuters reported that 'Greece contagion fears are unfounded.' The imminent
'Flash Crash' argued otherwise.
As
the rosy-eyed media spread Greece's lies, the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter warned
of a sharp decline caused by historically low put buying. The April 16, 2010
issue stated that: 'The message conveyed by the composite bullishness is
unmistakably bearish. Once prices do fall and investors do get afraid of
incurring losses, the only option is to sell. Selling results in more selling.
This usually results in rapidly falling prices.'
How to Ruin a Career in One Hour
We
can't leave Europe (NYSEArca: VGK
- News) without addressing Dominique
Strauss-Kahn's New York escapade. Kahn was sent to jail after attempting to
forcibly rape a Manhattan hotel worker last Saturday.
Perhaps
Kahn thought that his $3000/night Sofitel Hotel suite (paid by the IMF)
automatically entitled him to become intimate with the hotel's staff. Oh no,
that can't be. As former French finance minister, current International Money
Fund (IMF) chief and top contender for the French presidency, Kahn surely new
better.
Obviously
personal urges were more important than the financial well-being of an entire
continent. This appropriately reflects today's me-first philosophy. Do as I
say, but not as I do. Unfortunately, Kahn wasn't as skillful about concealing
his actions as many others have been.
The U.S. Debt Ceiling - Quietly Raised?
According
to a May 9 document by the U.S. Treasury, the total public debt was $14.27
trillion, $20 billion shy of the $14.29 trillion debt ceiling. Since May 9, the
Federal Reserve has bought more than $30 billion worth of Treasuries (NYSEArca:
TLT - News). The debt ceiling should
have been passed, yet nobody is talking about it.
Tune Out the Soap Opera
Bad
and ugly news has accompanied the stock market rally for over a year now. Aside
from the 'Flash Crash' debacle, the market (aka QE2) has shrugged off anything
thrown in its way.
In
other words, don't focus on the news; focus on what the market is doing. Unlike
Wall Street and politicians, you can trust the market's actions. The Dow Jones
(DJI: ^DJI), S&P (SNP: ^GSPC) and Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC) don't lie.
The
post Japan disaster decline turned out to be another buying opportunity just as
the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter predicted on February 18: 'If stocks don't
fall below 1,255 we expect new recovery highs.'
On
April 3, the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter outlined the target range for the
new recovery highs and stated: 'In terms of resistance levels, the 1,369 -
1,xxx (reserved for subscribers) range is a strong candidate for a reversal of
potentially historic proportions.'
On
May 2, the S&P reversed right on queue (the day's high was 1,370.59) and
tumbled thereafter. Since the S&P has found support, we need to ask whether
May 2 marked a major market top or if the upper end of the target range will be
challenged…’
Risk On/Risk Off Markets: Dave's Daily ‘Most investors were waiting for the 2PM Fed Minutes
which offered few surprises. In it some governors were worried about inflation
while others economic weakness. The unspoken conclusion is stagflation.
Nevertheless, some Canadian wild fires near oil sands production areas halted
production which, when combined with slightly lower oil inventories, pushed
energy prices higher. This took the entire commodity complex higher once again
squeezing shorts. With commodity prices higher, stocks also took-off
with the most volatile and oversold sectors (EMs and Small Caps) leading the
charge higher. Bond prices reversed course and the dollar was mostly
flat. One of the last companies to report earnings was Dell (DELL) which
beat expectations. This led tech sectors higher despite quickly forgotten
misses by Cisco (CSCO) and Hewlett Packard (HPQ). There have also been plenty
of ignored casualties along the way as companies like Staples (SPLS) and AFLAC (AFL) reports
disappointed. That said, markets are just plain "jumpy" and there's
plenty of big money stock bets by hedge funds and others that need defending so
any excuse will do. For all the bullishness volume was once again ultra-light
which has been the signature of comeback rallies over the past nine months …’
Fed
Minutes Reveal Strategy For Exit From Markets Struck ‘The minutes released Wednesday for the Federal Reserve’s
Federal Open Market Committee meeting on April 27 contained the now familiar
rhetoric about the economy, saying, “Economic activity expanded at a moderate
pace in recent months, and labor market conditions continued to improve
gradually.” However more detail, perhaps unexpectedly, appeared about the steps
the Fed will take to normalize “the stance and conduct of monetary policy.”In
working toward putting the global economy back on its own footing, the Fed said
it will make moves to either increase short-term interest rates, decrease its
holdings of long-term securities, or both. The Fed has been buying long-term
assets in the form of government Treasuries during its two rounds of
quantitative easing that began in 2009. One way that it will seek to
reintroduce normal conditions to markets will be to reduce the size of its own
balance sheet, which now contains hundreds of billions in government bonds. The
question that many ask following this unsurprising game plan is – When will it
happen?Each move may be used by the Fed in varying degrees to achieve tighter
lending conditions, while allowing the economy to recover, as it is, at a
“moderate pace.” The minutes say:“The Committee could accomplish essentially
the same degree of monetary tightening by selling assets sooner and faster
but raising the target for the federal funds rate later and more slowly, or by
selling assets later and more slowly but increasing the federal funds rate
target sooner and faster over time as the economy strengthens.”A close focus on
the two directives for Chairman Ben Bernanke, unemployment and inflation,
continued to be present in the minutes. The steps taken to remove the stimulus
from markets will “be driven by the Committee’s monetary policy objectives for
maximum employment and price stability.” This means that the steps toward
normalization may not “necessarily begin soon.”The release of the minutes
provided a momentary pop to markets. The Dow added to its gains slightly after
the minutes were released, before falling back to near its mark before 2:00 at
12,535.The Fed reported that underlying inflation expectations excluding energy
and food were still subdued, and longer-run inflation expectations remained
stable. It also highlighted continued depressed demand for housing, saying
“Sales of new and existing homes moved lower, on net, in February and March,
while measures of home prices slid further in February.” ‘
[$$]
Watch for Flipping Tomorrow Collins
‘ This
is beginning to feel like many other bounces once again. No volume. No belief.
No problem. We're still within a range, so it is difficult to declare this the start
of a new leg higher already. The bounce over the last two days may indulge a
little flipping if we are higher tomorrow. Resistance and support levels
haven't changed from this morning. Over $135 on the SPDR S&P 500, and the
bears may feel a little pinch. We'll get a look at weekly claims numbers
tomorrow morning, as well as leading indicators and Philly Fed report shortly
after the market opens. Friday is another day without economic data, but with
options expiration in its stead, there should still be plenty of market action.
Volatility came out of the market in a big way today. The Volatility Index
(VIX) quickly slipped back into a deep state of...’
THE
GOOD OLD DAYS ARE BACK, EVERYTHING GOES UP: Here's What You Need To Know , 5-18-11 ‘The wheel
of fortune spins again!
But first, the
scoreboard
Dow: +79.29
NASDAQ: +31.76
S&P 500: +11.46
And now, the
top stories:
Floyd Norris
Blog Housing
Starts: Still Dead NORRIS Home
construction is at a new low, and for good reasons. But wouldn't it be nice to
put all those unemployed people to work building something we need? (New York
Times) [ ‘Wouldn’t it be nice’ … Sounds like a Beach Boys song … then there are
tooth fairies, etc.. The very bad news hardly affects the fraudulent
stock market as we saw in the last hour’s trading with suckers’ rally to keep
the suckers sucked in. Then of course, there’s reality, which of course, is not
lost on insiders. A storm gathers over equities markets (Reuters) Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘…
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price... ‘
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for
Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by
the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand that not one high
level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billions from
the fraud ). UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
In
Rust Belt, new jobs but smaller wages The nation’s factories have added
250,000 jobs since the beginning of last year — about 13 percent of what
was lost during the recent recession — marking the first sustained increase in
manufacturing employment since 1997. But the new hiring also reflects another
emerging reality of U.S. manufacturing.
In
the Rust Belt, glimmers of a new shine Stocks
erase declines as shares advance (Washington Post) [ Come
on! Wake up! Just another round of pre-election, make-shift,
taxpayer-subsidized talking points. .
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’..
hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper
currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until [12-14-01] by
intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora, according
to the Pentagon [details]. Since then,
nothing has been heard from the al-Qa'eda leader ..[Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in
Afghanistan and Pakistan almost 6 mos ago: the fugitive died in December [2001]
and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president,
Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. ..
..Osama bin Laden would not have.. remained silent for so long
if he were still alive. He always liked to take credit even for things he had
nothing to do with …[NYT 7-11-02]
Fed
sees ‘transitory’ higher inflation: minutes AFP | The Fed
views inflation as only temporary as the economy muddles through a weak
recovery.
Private
Global Bankers = The Priesthood of Modern Western Civilization The
Excavator | “The issue which will have to be fought sooner or later is
the People vs. the Banks.”
Ron
Paul: Sell Fort Knox Gold to Battle Debt NY Sun |
Presidential contender Ron Paul says the next big question on the federal debt
limit could be whether to start selling the government’s gold.
Medvedev
warns West of new Cold War over missile deal AFP | Russia
could enter a new Cold War with the West if agreement is not reached on new
missile defence shield.
450
British troops to withdraw from Afghanistan The Sun | Move
bitterly opposed by military chiefs, who claim it risks throwing away gains
made by British forces.
Rebels:
Gadhafi fighters shell western mountains
Houston Chronicle |
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi shelled villages and towns.
Drones
Becoming Pervasive INSIDE America Washington’s Post | It’s
not far-fetched to think drones will be used against the American people.
Gentlemen:
I just wanted to extend to you and your company my sincere thanks
for a job well done. The Dell computer I recently purchased from you has lived
up to all your representations and as well, my own expectations. I bought my
first computer from you (Ben) in or around 1999. It was a Sony Vaio laptop
which owing to Windows Millenium and a very proprietary approach to computing
on the part of Sony, truth be told, was not the greatest system in terms of
stability (typical Millenium problems), but no fault of yours. Ultimately,
though functional, I traded the Vaio for a Mac, an accommodation by your
company seldom seen with other companies if at all (3+ years later). You’ve
always stood by your products / service, are available / accessible to field /
handle all questions / problems which is rare indeed. In Armand you have a
top-notch A+ Certified Tech who is patient, knowledgeable, and talented. Ruben,
in truth has been particularly instrumental in seeing to a smooth transition in
my recent dealings with your company as a knowledgeable IT Specialist and
especially as a savvy, capable manager. Since 1999 I’ve purchased five
computers from you and based upon performance, the sixth is assured.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia ) ]
The
Magic Inflation Rate: 5.3%
Elfenbein ‘I downloaded Professor Robert Shiller’s historical stock
market data to see how inflation has impacted stock returns. I had done this
before with data from Ibbotson. Those numbers go back to 1925, but Professor
Shiller’s numbers go back to 1871.
I wanted to
see how the stock market performed at different rates of inflation. I took the
after-inflation total return of each month from 1871 through 2010.
I found that
the magic number is 5.3%. If the annualized inflation rate for the month is
under 5.3%, the stock market has performed very well. But when inflation is
above 5.3%, the market does poorly. It’s pretty amazing how well this relationship
has held up over 140 years. Historically, monthly inflation has been above 5.3%
about one-third of the time.
My
calculations show that when inflation is below 5.3%, the stock market has had
an annualized after-inflation gain of 9.59%. When inflation is above 5.3%, then
stock market has had an annualized loss of 8.15%. Stretched out over 140 years,
that’s a loss of nearly 98%.
(Click chart
to expand) http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/17/saupload_image1112.png ‘
Why
Are Investors Fearful? Here are 19 Answers Khaner
May 17, 2011 ‘It's hold-your-breath time as investors worry about inflation,
housing, the end of QE2, the Mississipi flood and more.
Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil WSCS…
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders
finally getting busted.. but what about what large banks, investment banks, and
mortgage companies did to the US economy…these insider trading cases are
basically sideshows…
Fed
official calls for vigilance (WP)
[ Who’s still buying their
b***s***! Much higher prices / inflation’s already here. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’..
hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper
currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Pension
plan draws ire of workers Proposal
to raise payroll deductions of federal workers could make public sector work
less attractive.
Diary:
Federal workers are raising the roof Treasury
to tap pensions to fund government (Washington Post) [ Most
people thought this to be beyond the realm of possibility; yet, it’s happening
and far worse is yet to come, their desperation being seen in so many ways. As
far as public sector ‘work’ being less attractive, let’s not forget the fact
that these non-productive, over-paid, over-valued public employees, like those
of the u.s. postal service, are otherwise unemployable, and as such, tend to
favor party-campaign benefactors as, ie., fraudulent wall street, etc.. Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development :
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
…
..Butler|Philbrick & Associates
conducted a study
that combined the Shiller CAPE ratio, the Q-Ratio, long-term price deviations
and total return trends. The following graph from DShort.com
displays 15-year actual stock market returns and projected returns since 1900
..
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054033822883-Erik-McCurdy.png
With a couple
of notable exceptions, actual returns have tracked projected returns almost
exactly during the past 110 years. .. this model projects that stocks will
return -0.5% during the next 10 years and 0.6% during the next 15 years..
stocks are likely to produce no gains for the next 15 years. .. However, the
fact remains that stocks are priced to deliver historically poor returns as
investment vehicles for the foreseeable future.
While
valuation-based forecasting models project a poor long-term outlook, chart
analysis and internal data also suggest that the stock market has entered a
period of heightened risk from an intermediate-term perspective. ..
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540340946043-Erik-McCurdy.png
The rally is
now 26 months old and cyclical
bulls that occur during secular bears..
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540342919514-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540344803643-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054034630148-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054034630148-Erik-McCurdy.png
Finally, our
sentiment score recently declined to the lowest level since late 2007,
reflecting an excessive amount of bullish sentiment that leaves the stock
market vulnerable to an abrupt, violent decline.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540347838945-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
A storm gathers over equities markets (Reuters) Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘…
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price... ‘
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May and
go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until [12-14-01] by
intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora, according
to the Pentagon [details]. Since then,
nothing has been heard from the al-Qa'eda leader ..[Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in
Afghanistan and Pakistan almost 6 mos ago: the fugitive died in December [2001]
and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president,
Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. ..
..Osama bin Laden would not have.. remained silent for so long
if he were still alive. He always liked to take credit even for things he had
nothing to do with …[NYT 7-11-02]
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military
spending than all the nations of the world combined... federal employees /
contractors, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
Strauss-Kahn
sex scandal obscures real IMF story RT | Attention turned
towards the IMF this week, but it didn’t concern the looming economic crisis.
Treasury
to Raid Pensions to Pay for Government Operations Washington Post
| Geithner has warned for months that the government would soon hit the $14.3
trillion debt ceiling.
‘Gaddafi
Least of Our Problems, Try Blair & Bush For War Crimes’ RT
| RT talks to British investigative journalist Tony Gosling about the
intensification of the bombardment of Libya.
Oils
of War: Pentagon Cementing Iraq Footprint? RT | Publicly,
the US says nations must be self-determinate; Behind the scenes there’s more
interference.
Congress
To Vote On Declaration of Worldwide Perpetual War; No Borders, No Clear Enemies
Intel Hub | The legislation authorizes the President to take
unilateral military action against all hostile nations, organizations, and
persons.
For a people
to be free, they must first be honest with themselves, their government, and
the world at large. History is filled with stories of free nations that fell
under the spell cast by their governments who exploited the threat of terror…
1. Rule
by force, not by law: This is where it all begins; when the legal
framework that serves to define a country and its behavior is dismantled and intimidation
tactics take over. In the most extreme case, drone bombings
and assassinations have begun of non-citizens, as well as U.S.
citizens, leading only to a debate over whether U.S. citizens
should be stripped
of citizenship before assassination. Governmental
assassinations are in complete opposition to the laws
of America and all international laws and agreements. In the
last week we have also seen the official
elimination of the 4th Amendment in Indiana, which is a clear
precedent-setting ruling to say that the State now believes that it owns the
property and person of its citizens. As a result, the militarized
police have been granted unlimited access, which will only cause
an escalation in cases of police brutality and misconduct. This is yet
another addition to the precedent set by TSA
groping and sexual harassment in airports, Child Protective
Services kidnapping
children of activists in pro-liberty causes, public school surveillance,
and the lawless detention of activists who videotape
the police. All areas of society are now ruled top-down
through state legislation adopted to justify federal grants that have installed
a police state apparatus in America. And these federal agencies such as
the TSA actually believe they
rule supreme over the states. We now live in a country where
CIA abductions, overseas detention, torture and assassinations can be carried
out against Americans without
due process and without recourse if later cleared.
Consequently, an atmosphere has been created where the government is
permitted to break countless laws, like warrantless GPS tracking of
activists by the FBI, while average citizens are guilty of
pre-crimes. The increase in executive power under the aegis of National
Security is our greatest threat and has led to all that follows.
2. Crushing
peaceful protest: Despite the current
mission to defend protesters living in dictatorships overseas,
when George Bush brought “free speech zones” to America it effectively spelled
the end of peaceful, lawful street protest. Now the full force of
brutality and surveillance has been unleashed upon the very people intent in
stopping it through peaceful means. It is as sure a sign as any about
totalitarian intentions, when anti-war
activists have become one of the targets. The activist is
beginning to equal terrorist in the all-seeing eye of the State, and any street
gathering is a sure sign to let loose all of the riot weapons that were
formerly used against insurgents on foreign battlefields. One look at the
G20
protest in Pittsburgh, a recent Illinois
University event, and the ongoing travesty of the torture
and incarceration of Bradley Manning, and we can begin to see
through the propaganda of White House officials when they talk about terrible
dictators in other nations crushing dissent.
3. Checkpoints:
The slow acclimation of the populace to military-style checkpoints began first
as border
control operations up to 100 miles inland in what the ACLU calls
the Constitution
Free Zone. However, this has rather quickly morphed into
local traffic stops across the country for “unsavory” characters such as those
targeted by the Amber Alert system and DUI checkpoints. Though
apparently well meaning, we are now far beyond even loosely suspected criminal
activity, as VIPR
teams have been introduced to take
over public transportation and events. The TSA tyranny has
hit the streets of America, now forming a de facto internal passport system straight out of the
totalitarian playbook. The expanding checkpoint system dovetails with new
initiatives such as the No
Ride List proposal of Chuck Shumer, building upon the No Fly List
already in place. These no-travel lists are extrajudicial, secret, and
form a guilty-until-proven innocent framework that subverts freedom instead of
protecting it. Incidentally, this element of constant suspicion is
exactly what leads to a citizen spy network.
4. Citizen
spy network: Dictatorships know how difficult it is to rule over large
populations with only the relatively small numbers of military and police.
Despite the lessons of terror created by citizen surveillance that the
East German Stasi files left us to examine, just such a network
has been openly introduced to present-day America — and now it’s even more
high-tech and populated.
Secret black budget projects organized through the NSA like Perfect
Citizen is just one among many. Our head of Homeland
Security, Janet Napolitano — in partnership with retailer Wal-Mart
– kicked off the See
Something, Say Something program, which goes beyond the already
high-tech surveillance apparatus of the NSA and turns each of us into an unpaid
employee of the police state. Similarly, the web of cameras and data
mining is far too massive for even the well-funded NSA, but with gadgets at our
disposal we can now download
apps to enable spying on our neighbors. Most dangerous of
all, though, is new legislation introduced by Peter King that enshrines Janet
Napolitano’s program and would provide
immunity for accusers “acting in good faith” while reporting
suspicious activities. This is guaranteed to lead to false arrests and
disappearances, just as it has on every occasion throughout history when a
society’s fear becomes self-directed.
5.
Executive Orders: This is means by which a dictator can come to power
in the United States, despite a framework of checks and balances. Any
time a country has centralized its power to the executive branch by erasing the
checks and balances of separate legislative and judicial bodies, the result has
been dictatorship. And this normally happens when national security is
“threatened.” The Constitution is clear, however: only the legislature
(Congress) can make laws. Yet, the use of Executive Orders has increased,
beginning with President Clinton who came under fire for his abuse of this
power, becoming one of only two presidents (the other was Truman’s E.O. 12954)
to have an Executive Order struck down by the courts. His
successors seem only to have been
encouraged. Clinton issued 14, George W. issued over 60, and Obama
is at 26 with many more to be expected if he wins a second term. Among the most
egregious of Obama’s orders is the ability to
hold detainees indefinitely even after a court has found them not
guilty. Executive Orders also form the basis for control over regulatory
agencies, which then impose the directives. While it seems multi-layered
with potential checks and balances, all directives can now be issued top-down in
dictatorial fashion.
6. Control
of regulatory agencies: This is the more insidious and, ultimately,
dangerous tactic used by dictatorships. Dictatorship through regulation
invades every
facet of society without relying only upon overt violence.
As mentioned above, only the legislature can make laws. However, the
legislature has created “regulatory bodies” which make de facto laws through “violations” that rob us of
freedom. There is no clearer example at the moment than the FDA, which
has brought in near-total food
control. The FDA is working in concert with a global agenda
being foisted upon us through the Codex
Alimentarius commission in Europe which essentially renders
anything healthy as toxic, and all that is toxic as healthy.
Regulatory agencies in the United States have engendered a system where the corporate-government
revolving door leads to corruption and consolidation — not free markets.
The current regulations are opposed to the principles of freedom and
independence, and favor only those in positions to make money from more
control; so more control and less freedom is what we can expect under these
federal directives controlling the states.
7.
President declares war unilaterally: Despite the parade of
lies that led to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it pales in
comparison with the new war in Libya and other interventions and sanctions
throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Through Executive Orders,
outlined above, the President can declare war so long as there is a resolution
passed by Congress. This has been dispensed with through Obama’s
illegal wars, and it appears that Congress could go even further by
ceding its power completely to the president. The disregard for
Congressional approval is already dictatorial, but if this last step is taken
we will effectively be living in a permanent
state of war tantamount to WWIII that will be controlled at the
sole discretion of the current and future presidents. This unilateral
power to drag nations into war without checks and balances is a hallmark of
dictatorships where entire countries are swept along purely by the ideology of
their leader. As Ron Paul and Lew Rockwell have
stated, “We have a dictatorship when it comes to foreign
policy.” With the latest development, it is actually a dictatorship when
it comes to domestic
policy as well, since America’s espionage network has turned
inward, and this new presidential power would not be limited to overseas
actions.
8. Torture:
Torture has long been a tactic used by America. In fact it runs the
leading school on its methods. The School
of the Americas has been responsible for training Latin American
dictators and their thugs on how to intimidate the local population and rule
with an iron fist. However, the torture debate has hit mainstream media in
a serious discussion about its effectiveness, especially following the
assassination of Osama bin Laden. Aside from the despicable morals
involved, torture
doesn’t work for intelligence gathering, according to
experts. Furthermore, the legalization of torture was what really brought
the dreaded Russian
secret police out into the open. When such a declaration is
made, it is literally a recruiting strategy to find the criminals and sadists
who would love to be part of such a system. Torture is not normal work
for normal people; it is the work of psychopaths such as Dick
Cheney who loves the tactic of waterboarding so much that he has
stated it should be brought back and used more widely. No nation that
uses torture to obtain confessions can be called legitimate. It is only used as
a tool of intimidation and oppression by totalitarian regimes.
9. Forced
labor camps (gulags): This is when we know that a totalitarian society
has arrived in full and our society is run completely by coercion. As Naomi
Wolf has illustrated, “With its jails in Iraq and Afghanistan, and,
of course, Guantánamo in Cuba, where detainees are abused, and kept
indefinitely without trial and without access to the due process of the law,
America certainly has its gulag now.” Additionally, a silent gulag has
already been created inside America, starting with the nation’s prisoners who
are increasingly locked up within a for-profit
prison-industrial system that makes money both on the construction
of prisons as well as the cheap
labor force. The Defense Department itself pays
prisoners 23 cents per hour to build its weapons systems, which is clearly
a type of slave labor. One might immediately argue that there is a huge
difference between real prisoners and innocent people swept off the streets as
they were in Stalinist Russia, for example, or in modern day North Korea and
China. That is to presume, however, that everyone in prison is guilty;
and, if they are, that the crimes which have sent them there really constitute offenses
worthy of prison sentences. America has the world’s
largest prison population and the highest
incarceration rate precisely because nearly everything is a
jail-time crime, and there is money to be made by the growing corporate prison
system. The War on Drugs alone has led to a disproportionate number of
inmates for non-violent offenses among the already 2.4 million in jail and the
5 million on probation. With the economy imploding, even debtors
prisons have made a comeback. Although FEMA camps
are still relegated to fringe conspiracy
theory, we should be wary of the potential endgame for such a
proven system of oppression. Through Continuity
of Government, national emergency directives would openly suspend
the Constitution and could possibly lead once
again to internment camps in America.
10. Control
over all communications (propaganda): Once the physical
framework of dictatorial control has been set up, then the justification for
its continued presence can commence. The type of high-tech control grid
now put into place in The United States to this point has only been explored in
works of fiction such as 1984,
which has led Paul
Craig Roberts to draw a correct parallel. A public emergency
announcement system has in fact been in place since the ’50s, whereby the
president can interrupt television and radio to deliver critical
messages. However, this has been recently expanded as the FCC
voted to mandate (PDF) “the first-ever Presidential alert to be
aired across the United States on the Nation’s Emergency Alert System (EAS),”
Now, with the arrival of the trackable smartphone that can
be hijacked to bring government messages (emergency or not) we
find ourselves “willing” participants in a scenario reaching far beyond 1984. Using the bin Laden assassination and the
threat of guaranteed reprisal, the government has announced that the president
will break into these private networks to carry PLAN
government messages and warnings; and there is no opt-out. At the
same time, we have seen the buildup in rhetoric leading toward Internet
control. As always, an unsavory element of society
(pirating) has been used as one of the pretexts to introduce government control
over private industry, while cybersecurity lays claim to total control over the
infrastructure for national emergencies. Ideologically, Obama advisor,
Cass Sunstein, has proposed a fairness
doctrine for the Internet that would enable a government overlay
on private websites that would offer counter opinions to anti-establishment
content. We are approaching a situation worse
than China, where both mental intrusion via propaganda and
physical intrusion via systems control are merging. It is not comforting
to know, also, that the president made a shocking claim recently that he
can censor unclassified documents. There is clearly a
concerted effort to take over all forms of information, permitting the
government to alter it or censor it before consumption by its citizens.
In any other country we would call this a dictatorship.
It would
appear that the United States should be a called a dictatorship based on the
above criteria. Once the atmosphere is established, average participants need
not be part of a conspiracy, as they tend to unquestioningly go with the flow.
However, we must acknowledge that the U.S. is in a vastly different
position than totalitarian regimes of the past, as well as her contemporaries.
America has a history that is built upon the foundation of resistance to
dictators. This memory needs to be invoked by following the protections
outlined in our founding documents, particularly the power of the states to resist
Federal tyranny. The protections therein can be restored once we have the
courage to admit how much freedom we have lost, then refuse to succumb to a
fear-based perception of reality. Only then will Liberty, Love and Peace
prevail!’
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil WSCS…
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders
finally getting busted.. but what about what large banks, investment banks, and
mortgage companies did to the US economy…these insider trading cases are basically
sideshows…
Fed
official calls for vigilance (WP)
[ Who’s still buying their b***s***!
Much higher prices / inflation’s already here. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’..
hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper
currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic performance
of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble in U.S.
history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Pension
plan draws ire of workers Proposal
to raise payroll deductions of federal workers could make public sector work
less attractive.
Diary:
Federal workers are raising the roof Treasury
to tap pensions to fund government (Washington Post) [ Most
people thought this to be beyond the realm of possibility; yet, it’s happening
and far worse is yet to come, their desperation being seen in so many ways. As far
as public sector ‘work’ being less attractive, let’s not forget the fact that
these non-productive, over-paid, over-valued public employees, like those of
the u.s. postal service, are otherwise unemployable, and as such, tend to favor
party-campaign benefactors as, ie., fraudulent wall street, etc.. Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development :
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
…
..Butler|Philbrick & Associates
conducted a study
that combined the Shiller CAPE ratio, the Q-Ratio, long-term price deviations
and total return trends. The following graph from DShort.com
displays 15-year actual stock market returns and projected returns since 1900
..
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054033822883-Erik-McCurdy.png
With a couple
of notable exceptions, actual returns have tracked projected returns almost
exactly during the past 110 years. .. this model projects that stocks will
return -0.5% during the next 10 years and 0.6% during the next 15 years..
stocks are likely to produce no gains for the next 15 years. .. However, the
fact remains that stocks are priced to deliver historically poor returns as
investment vehicles for the foreseeable future.
While
valuation-based forecasting models project a poor long-term outlook, chart
analysis and internal data also suggest that the stock market has entered a
period of heightened risk from an intermediate-term perspective. ..
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540340946043-Erik-McCurdy.png
The rally is
now 26 months old and cyclical
bulls that occur during secular bears..
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540342919514-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540344803643-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054034630148-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054034630148-Erik-McCurdy.png
Finally, our
sentiment score recently declined to the lowest level since late 2007,
reflecting an excessive amount of bullish sentiment that leaves the stock
market vulnerable to an abrupt, violent decline.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540347838945-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
A storm gathers over equities markets (Reuters) Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘…
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price... ‘
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until [12-14-01] by
intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora, according
to the Pentagon [details]. Since then,
nothing has been heard from the al-Qa'eda leader ..[Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in
Afghanistan and Pakistan almost 6 mos ago: the fugitive died in December [2001]
and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president,
Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. ..
..Osama bin Laden would not have.. remained silent for so long
if he were still alive. He always liked to take credit even for things he had
nothing to do with …[NYT 7-11-02]
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military
spending than all the nations of the world combined... federal employees /
contractors, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST… [ infra, for article text ]]
Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘No one indicator by itself can be trusted. Many indicators
taken as whole, however, can offer valuable guidance when a clear pattern
develops. Right now, that guidance appears to warn about current conditions.
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16. Although p/e’s can
remain elevated for longer than you would imagine, reversion to the mean
eventually takes place. Such a reversion would knock off almost 40% of
current price. From today’s level, that would put the S&P 500 at
about 800. Some shake their heads when I mention this, but it wasn’t too
many months ago that we just broke above that.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market. Tom
Aspray’s charts demonstrate the unfortunate price patterns of some big
banks. I’ve
mentioned this as well, previously. It’s hard to imagine how much further a
rally can go without support from financials.
4) Key market leaders are rolling over in price.
Take a look at Google (GOOG),
one of the hottest stocks going in the recent rally. It appears to have
peaked in January and is unable to set new highs even as the S&P continued
upward. GOOG’s 50-day
moving average has turned downward and has crossed below the 200-day moving
average. This is a significant change of trend. ‘
AIG
to sell Treasury shares The government soon will begin unloading its 92.1
percent ownership stake in the bailout company. (Washington
Post) [ Who’s the unlucky sucker? Ultimately, a pension fund or two or three,
etc., or maybe you or an equally unlucky member of your family. Stock
market on a roll despite slowing economic growth, lingering
unemployment[Also known as reality! Roll … yes, indeed … everyone’s to get
rolled! ] (WP) Dow is up more than 10 percent for 2011, to its highest
point in nearly three years. [ Same bubble scenario preceeding last crash
(including currency manipulation); yet, far worse this time owing to
insurmountable debt and defacto bankruptcy of the nation. Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(WP) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNANKE’ show is
scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for ‘economic growth’,
the frauds on wall street still rallied.
Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He
already has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at
record levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing
of fiat paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline’ ]
States
face shortfall for retirees ]
Getting Defensive in Equities, Aggressive in Fixed Income The Simple Accountant ‘In last week’s outlook we
recommended staying with defensive sectors and fixed income, avoiding commodity
related stocks, and waiting for a bounce before selling commodities short.
Let’s have a look at how those tactics worked, and then try to anticipate what
the next week’s trading might look like.
Week in
Review
Stocks: The major US indexes were little changed on
contracting volume. On Friday the SPX (SPY)
closed below the key short term level of 1340, with which it had been flirting
for over a week. S&P sector action showed a third consecutive week of
defensive rotation as investors moved out of commodity linked stocks and into
perceived safety. Healthcare, consumer staples and utilities led the way again,
while the shares of companies leveraged to economic expansion fell. Financials
were the real laggard, dropping more than 2% on weakness in bank stocks.
Although non-bank blue chip stocks like American Express (AXP)
and Travelers (TRV) have been solid, the financial
sector SPDR (XLF) is now down year to date, and
with a meager yield, its total return is none too impressive.
In foreign stock markets, the MSCI EAFE index dropped more than 2% for a second
consecutive week on broad weakness in the UK, Europe and Japan, but emerging
markets fared a little better thanks to support in Shanghai and strength in
smaller Asian markets such as Singapore and Thailand.
Bonds: The run of falling Treasury yields across the curve was finally
broken, as bond trading was a mixed bag last week. Rates at the short and long
end rose, but fell slightly in the middle. TIPs were marked down a little and
corporate issues did nothing much, in either investment grade or junk ratings.
All in all, nothing to make us excited except munis, which have been on a nice
little run since early April. Some of the European bond markets were a bit more
active on the downside, for the obvious reasons, but emerging market bonds
posted modest gains.
Commodities: After heavy losses in the previous week, commodities
found some bids as bargain hunters came in to buy, but trading was volatile.
Gold, silver and oil saw the most action and buying interest, but copper and
the grains continued to extended previous losses, with the former breaking the
200 day MA and the latter sitting just above. If you subscribe to the theory
that copper prices are a leading indicator for the economy, this is worth
noting.
Currencies: The US Dollar index recorded another week of gains,
breaking the 50 day MA to finish at 75.78 at Friday’s close. The euro index
sold off again but remains above the 140 level for now. The Aussie and Canadian
dollars both fell but remain above parity to the greenback at 105.76 and 103.26
respectively. Yen was off slightly.
The Week Ahead
Stocks: With earnings season largely behind us, the market is looking
at the macro picture and getting defensive. Even the normally bullish Ken
Fisher is quoted by Reuters as saying “expectations for the stock market are a
bit on the high side” (contrary to popular belief, Fisher is not a perma-bull
and actually makes some good calls on the market). Certainly there are signals
that have to give us cause for concern:
This is potentially a stagflationary brew, but it has
been with us for some time, and stocks have overcome it to this point. Why
should it be different now? Ken Fisher hit on the concern: we’ve come a long
way since the March 2009 bottom,and many stocks are priced, not for perfection,
but for much less forgiving forward growth expectations. Perhaps it should not
surprise us that defensive sectors are leading the market, as the broader
indexes struggle to make headway.
Last week we said investors need to start adapting to a new market environment
which is likely to be more volatile, and would place a premium on stock
selection, sector rotation and timing. We detailed some of that movement above
in our review of last week: while XLF is down 1% year to date, TRV is up over
12% and AXP more than 16%. To give another example, if you are in stocks
through an index vehicle like SPY, you’re up only 6.5%, but XLV is up 14.5% and
XLP 9.5%.
It may seem like we are cherry picking results like these in hindsight, but the
simple point is this: Whatever method you use, have a plan and hold leading
stocks and sectors that are acting well, and sell those that aren't. This is
particularly important in tax advantaged accounts. Even if you pick up only 2-3
extra points a year net of expenses this will help to build your portfolio in
the long run.
click on all charts to enlarge:
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/220228-130541053554117-The-Simple-Accountant.png
Bonds: So far so good for bond holders. Our analysis for some time has been
that we like what we have bought at attractive yield-on-cost, but it’s getting
quite difficult to find reasonable yield for new money at current prices. Among
popular bond ETFs, a buyer at last week’s closing price would only get around
2.5% in AGG, 3.2% in TLT and 3.5% in LQD. Not very
impressive and difficult to produce an attractive income stream at those rates
so, as with equities, we have been forced to adapt to the market environment.
My strategy going forward in the fixed income portfolio is going to shift to
more active management. We will be adding high yield and preferred securities
but with a very strict sell discipline to preserve capital. Sometimes the
market just makes you work harder for your money.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/220228-130541104590747-The-Simple-Accountant_origin.png
Commodities: We’ve seen a big selloff followed by some developing
support in the hottest commodity sectors. My take on this action is that it’s
still a short term trader’s market, and since that’s not my style, they can go
at it while I stay on the sidelines. For me the real signals are in the
industrial metals: aluminum, copper and steel, and in the grains. Those are
signaling weakness. On a fundamental level commodities are still expensive, and
with signs that near term growth may be slowing, there is room for prices to
fall farther. On a longer term macro level, I have little doubt the price trend
will be up, which is why my strategy as stated last week is not to short
commodities but to look for more attractive prices to go long. We’re not there
yet, not even close.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/220228-130541126175833-The-Simple-Accountant_origin.png
Currencies: We have a developing rally in the US Dollar index with the
close above the 50 day and the recent down trend broken. There is plenty of
skepticism but on both a fundamental and a technical basis it seems to me this
move could have legs. Fundamentally, I have long been a euro skeptic and see
nothing to change my view there - the news only gets worse over time. With
China actively draining excess liquidity and the impending end of QE in the US,
the commodity currencies are early in an overdue correction. Japan is under
pressure to cap the rise in the Yen. With this landscape, we have a reasonable
possibility of a 78 - 82 range for the Dollar index this summer.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/220228-130541158885356-The-Simple-Accountant_origin.png
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and
no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours
Market's
Risk/Reward Ratio Remains Poor McCurdy ‘The S&P 500 index has been in a
secular bear market since 2000 and our Secular
Trend Score (STS) indicates that we remain in the middle stage of its
development (click to enlarge images):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540693393499-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
The STS has
yet to even approach positive territory since the last secular sell signal was
issued in late 1999, suggesting that the start of the next secular bull market
is still several years away. Highly reliable valuation-based models that
forecast future market returns using data such as the Shiller
cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings (CAPE) ratio confirm the long-term
outlook provided by our STS.
For example,
Adam Butler and Mike Philbrick of Butler|Philbrick
& Associates conducted a study
that combined the Shiller CAPE ratio, the Q-Ratio, long-term price deviations
and total return trends. The following graph from DShort.com
displays 15-year actual stock market returns and projected returns since 1900
using the Butler/Philbrick model.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054033822883-Erik-McCurdy.png
With a couple
of notable exceptions, actual returns have tracked projected returns almost
exactly during the past 110 years. Currently, this model projects that stocks
will return -0.5% during the next 10 years and 0.6% during the next 15 years.
In other words, stocks are likely to produce no gains for the next 15 years. Of
course, the stock market is likely to go nowhere in an interesting way,
experiencing violent advances and declines as the secular bear market moves
into the final phase of its development. However, the fact remains that stocks
are priced to deliver historically poor returns as investment vehicles for the
foreseeable future.
While
valuation-based forecasting models project a poor long-term outlook, chart
analysis and internal data also suggest that the stock market has entered a
period of heightened risk from an intermediate-term perspective. The current
cyclical bull market from March 2009 has been an extreme move, resulting in a
doubling of the S&P 500 index during the course of 24 months.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540340946043-Erik-McCurdy.png
The rally is
now 26 months old and cyclical
bulls that occur during secular bears have an average duration of 33
months. The last cyclical uptrend that followed a market crash occurred in 1974
and had a duration of 23 months, so it would not be unusual for the current
advance to terminate during the next few months.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540342919514-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
Additionally,
market internals continue to negatively diverge from price behavior, indicating
that the rally is gradually losing buying support. For example, volume
summation continues to hold near recent lows following the sharp decline in
February and breadth summation has been moving sideways for the past year.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540344803643-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054034630148-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-13054034630148-Erik-McCurdy.png
Finally, our
sentiment score recently declined to the lowest level since late 2007,
reflecting an excessive amount of bullish sentiment that leaves the stock
market vulnerable to an abrupt, violent decline.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/14/668911-130540347838945-Erik-McCurdy_origin.png
Valuation-based
forecasting models leave little doubt that stocks are priced to deliver very
poor long-term returns and the cyclical bull market from 2009 is an extreme
move that will almost certainly be followed by a violent correction. At a
current duration of 26 months, the cyclical uptrend has reached the age range
within which rallies typically end when they occur during secular bear markets
and market internals and sentiment are not supportive of additional gains, so
stocks currently offer a poor risk/reward ratio as both investing and trading
vehicles.’
Market
Outlook: Are We Dealing With Ursa Major or Ursa Minor?
Red
Flags Everywhere Nyaradi ‘Red flags are flying everywhere as we travel farther
into the “sell in May and go away” period of the year.” We remain in a
defensive posture and continue to enjoy unrealized gains in our inverse ETF
positions and put options.
On My
Radar
Volatility was
the name of the game last week and we can expect more ahead as we enter the
seasonally difficult “worst six months of the year” according to the “sell in
May and go away” slogan.
The View
From 35,000 Feet
Lots of
exciting things are going on around us as we head into late spring.
Here’s just a
quick executive summary with my thoughts in parenthesis:
1. United
States will reach its debt ceiling limit on Monday. (This one is
making markets really nervous as witnessed by Friday’s action.) Everyone
expects Congress to raise the ceiling but the Republican and Tea Party
insistence on meaningful budget cuts first puts an unusual level of stress on
this round of talks and turns it into a very high stakes game of chicken.
2. On
Friday it was announced that Medicare and Social Security are in worse shape
than previously thought and will be unable to cover their current obligations
earlier than expected. Medicare is expected to be out of money by
2024, five years earlier than expected, Social Security will exhaust its trust
by 2036 and the disability insurance program will be underwater by 2018. (No
surprises here and this ties back to item #1 as it’s going to get ugly no
matter what Congress does or doesn’t do.)
3. The
commodity selloff continues as the dollar gains. (Much of the recent
rally in commodities and equities was fueled by the Fed easy money policy and
weaker dollar. With QE2 coming to an end and a possibly stronger dollar ahead,
this could be a game changer for “buy the dip” strategies in both asset
classes.)
4. There
has been a significant rotation into “defensive” sectors like utilities and
consumer stocks. (This typically indicates money leaving “risk” assets
and often portends market declines)
As I mentioned
at the outset, “sell in May” is a proven, valid slogan because statistically
the months from the end of October through the end of April, are in fact the
best months of the year for investing while the six months from May through
October are the “worst.”
One of the
best sources of information on this subject comes from my friend, Jeffrey
Hirsch, at “Stock Trader’s
Almanac” where he has developed a trading indicator based on this
seasonality and the historical returns it has generated.
Let’s take a
look at some of “Stock Traders Almanac’s” findings:
Finally for the week, one of the most sobering
reports that received wide coverage in the blogosphere and mainstream media was
the announcement by well known and widely respected analyst Jeremy Grantham who
said that the market is currently 40% overvalued which would relate to 920 on
the S&P 500 and that the current environment was too high risk for a
prudent investor.
Weekly Developments:
Positive: Initial unemployment claims declined, continuing claims were mostly
flat, and Michigan Consumer Sentiment rose to 72.4 from 69.8
Negative: Consumer prices and producer prices both rose substantially, indicating
that inflation might be coming back more into the picture (we have been
expecting this for sometime) and retail sales, although posting a gain, came in
lower than the previous month’s report and below expectations, indicating
ongoing weakness in the all important consumer sector.
What This All Means To You
What this means to us is that risk is running high in
the markets and the chance of a significant correction is relatively high for
the period between here and Halloween. Fundamentals continue to weaken and
technical indicators are flashing red. The reduction of support by Dr. Bernanke
and his colleagues at the Fed is a major factor going forward from here and
could yield significant volatility and downward pressure in equities and
commodities.
The Week Ahead
Major Issues/Themes: Lots of important economic reports will come our way
this week and be potential market movers, but the big thing to pay attention to
is what happens in Congress with the budget negotiations and how markets
respond to those talks and Treasury Secretary Geithner’s “extraordinary”
measures to keep the U.S. from default between now and the early August drop
dead date.
Monday: May Housing Market Index,
Tuesday: April Housing Starts, April Building
Permits, April Industrial Production
Thursday: Initial Unemployment Claims, Continuing
Claims, April Existing Home Sales, May Philadelphia Fed, April Leading
Indicators
Sector Spotlight
Leaders: (NYSEArca: EPU) Peru, (NYSEArca: IBB) Biotech
Laggards: (NYSEArca: TUR) Turkey,
(NYSEArca: EWP) Spain’
IMF
warns EU debt crisis may still spread to core Reuters |
spite bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, Europe’s debt crisis may yet
spread to core euro zone countries.
Medicare,
Social Security Funds Expiring Sooner, U.S. Says Bloomberg
| Medicare and Social Security are running out of money sooner than expected.
Geithner
Predicts Double-Dip if Congress Fails to Lift Debt Ceiling [ How ‘bout the reality of double dip even if
they don’t. Keep in mind, they’ve spent money they don’t have, the
manipulations of themselves for appearances / talking points, etc., have been detrimental
to the economy of themselves. Why should anyone believe them now, certainly not
wobama; after all, we’ve heard this all before, and certainly in his false
campaign promises, breach of which has indeed made the continuing financial
crisis worse. Obama
warns of worse crisis if no debt ceiling rise Reuters |
President Barack Obama warned Congress that failing to raise the U.S. debt
limit could lead to a worse financial crisis.
IMF
warns EU debt crisis may still spread to core Reuters |
spite bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, Europe’s debt crisis may yet
spread to core euro zone countries.]
MF
chief jailed without bail in NY hotel-sex case (AP) AP - Haggard and unshaven after a weekend in
jail, the chief of the International Monetary Fund was denied release on bail
Monday on charges of trying to rape a hotel maid as allegations of other,
similar attacks by Dominique Strauss-Kahn began to spill out. US
hits credit limit, setting up 11-week fight (AP)
[$$] Troubling Action Collins ‘It may only be one day during a week or during a
month, but today didn't have a good feel to it. Dollar weakness brought no
money into the usual names. Equities, oil, silver -- they all sold off hard,
even as the dollar failed to gain any traction today. This wasn't a rotation.
It was an evacuation. If today wasn't bad enough, after the bell, internal
notes from Hewlett Packard seem to indicate that another tough quarter is on
the way. The closing number on the SPDR S&P 500 held the very level of
support keeping me from being much more bearish. The HPQ drop after the bell
has dragged the SPY below the $133 level. Still, I believe we have to watch the
action tomorrow along with the closing value. It is quite possible the U.S.
reaching its debt limit today prompted some selling...’
Gold
demand strong; predicted prices around $2000 Dubai Chronicle
| Physical demand for gold has raised in the Far East and Asia.
IMF
warns EU debt crisis may still spread to core Reuters |
spite bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal, Europe’s debt crisis may yet
spread to core euro zone countries.
Top 3 Reasons Markets were Down as US Debt Ceiling Reached Wall St.Cheat
Sheet ‘Markets closed down on Wall Street: DJI -0.38% SP500 -0.62% Nasdaq
-1.63% Gold -0.25% Oil -2.62% .
Markets
started the day down, climbed back, and as soon as the Nasdaq (NASDAQ:QQQ) got to par traders sold the remainder of the
day. On the commodities front, Oil (NYSE:USO) had the same pattern as it kissed $99 a barrel
then sold off to $97. Gold (NYSE:GLD) ended the day below $1,500 an ounce, and
Silver (NYSE:SLV) got slammed over 4% after rising over 3% last
Friday. Is
Silver a Bubble Bursting Now?
Fresh Off
the Press: Wall St. Cheat Sheet’s newest Feature Trades of the
Month>>
Today’s
markets were down because:
1) IMF Chief
Abuses Position. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is facing 7 counts of sexual assault
related crimes. Since the man is completely replaceable, we’re not sure why
this should matter to markets. Regardless, the juicy tabloid-style news sparked
lots of hot air about what will happen to the EU’s handling of the debt crisis.
We’re sure they’ll get on fine without ole’ Strauss-Kahn.
2) Tech picked
up where it left off on Friday. Clearly, the bubblicious activity in Silicon
Valley is cooling a bit. Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO) got taken to the shed again — down 4.4% — and
fell below the technical $16 mark. Investors are still shocked about the lack
of control and awareness regarding major Yahoo assets such as Alibaba. This
means people are scared there’s more roaches in the hotel. But Indian internet
company Rediff.com (NASDAQ:REDF) has it worse. The company was down over 20%
today. Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU), Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY), AOL (NYSE:AOL), Sohu (NASDAQ:SOHU), and IACI (NASDAQ:IACI) all got slammed as well as it seems traders
are working a “short internet” strategy. At least Wall St. Cheat Sheet expert
contributor (and Board member) Larry
Kramer has some great ideas how Yahoo can preserve their audience and increase
cash flow.
3) The US has
hit the debt limit. US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner rang the death knell
this morning as the
US officially crashed into the legal debt ceiling. Maybe that’s China (NYSE:FXI) has been dumping
US Treasuries 5 straight months. Should we be scared? Forbes editor John
Tamny gave Wall St. Cheat Sheet an exclusive first look at why
irony is dripping from Geithner’s “Economic Catastrophe” rationale for raising
the debt ceiling.
Larry
Kramer has some great ideas how Yahoo can preserve their audience and increase
cash flow. ‘Larry Kramer is the Founder and Former CEO of CBS
Marketwatch.com. He was the first president of CBS Digital (NYSE:CBS)
and sits on the Boards of Discovery Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:DISCA),
American Media Inc., Freedom Communications, Inc., Answers Corp., Black Arrow
Inc., and Harvard Business School Publishing. He is the author of the book C-Scape: Conquer the Forces Changing Business Today
and runs a blog
by the same name.
Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO)
is 17 years old, and like any teenage it’s having an identity crisis. It used
to be a tech company, dominated by engineers who won the Portal Wars,
ultimately defeating AOL (NYSE:AOL),
Excite and wounding MSN (NASDAQ:MSFT).
Because it was a cool company and one that gave new-to-the-internet users (that
was all of us, at the time) the best overall experience, it triumphed.
Its success
happened because it was the best experience on the web, and for many years kept
surprising its users with new and interesting things to do online.
But along the
way, like many kids its age, it got diverted from its mission of pleasing its
users. This happened for a number of reasons. Competition grew and while Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO)
got comfortable in its business model as an aggregator of content, deriving
revenue streams from partners, it left behind that commitment to give users
exactly what they want. Instead, it gave them what the highest paying partners
were willing to give them. So when consumers got more sophisticated about what
content they wanted, and how they used digital platforms, competitors popped up
and started picking them off.
In search and
email, along came Google (NASDAQ:GOOG).
In social media, along came Facebook. In music, first came My Space then came
ITunes (NASDAQ:AAPL).
In news and information categories, hundreds of existing and new businesses got
better on the web.
There is an
interesting post about Google by Matt Rossoff on Business Insider this morning that is a perfect backdrop
for this post. It’s thesis is that Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)
needs to hire some Liberal Arts Majors before it hires any more engineers.
“Engineers are
great at solving problems,” the post reads. “But they’re not always so great at
figuring out which problems to solve.”
Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO)
has figured out that Content has become king on the Internet and across digital
platforms, but it still hasn’t figured out what it has to do to become a great
content company. It is still a company run by engineers. In fact, after an
ultimately less-than-successful CEO reign by Hollywood Mogul Terry Semple,
Yahoo saw the engineers come back and take an even stronger hold on the
company. Actually, the engineers never really let go. Even when content people
were hired with large promise, control of the key pages on Yahoo was kept in
the hands of engineers.
To be sure,
even though the next CEO, Carol Bartz, came from the technology industry, she fairly
quickly decided the company had fallen too far behind in technology in several
areas to compete and wisely announced that Yahoo was now a “content company.”
It then did begin to spend some serious money to build its own content. It has
built some strong franchises in Yahoo Finance and Sports, for example.
But the
company hasn’t really taken the plunge. For it to be a content business,
content people have to run the company. The business has to be obsessed with
what it’s consumers want and be able to give them that and much more. In fact
then need to give them things that they didn’t know they wanted. Content
consumers ultimately need to be surprised and fully expect their sources of
information to be smarter than they are about the topics they are reading or
viewing.
Content
businesses need an editorial intelligence, and personality, built and
maintained by a strong team of creative people, whether they are called editors
or producers, they need to be obsessed by giving their readers everything they
want and much, much more. They need to live for delighting their customers. And
they need to include the CEO or someone reporting directly to the CEO.
No one reads a
magazine, or goes to a play or movie, expecting to see exactly what they want
to see. They expect to be surprised, entertained or even educated. The
brilliance of a great content company, whether it’s The New
York Times (NYSE:NYT)
or Warner Bros. or Harper Collins or The Harvard Business Review or Conde Nast,
is that it cultivates and rewards people who can figure out what is about to
become interesting before its audience knows. It does that by giving creative
people the time and rope, and even the ability to fail, en route to creating
great content, whether it’s explanatory journalism or a moving and entertaining
movie, TV show or Magazine article.
Those creative
types, as difficult to understand and to manage as they are, are the secret
sauce. They need to permeate to process. Great engineers will be needed to
create great tools, sites, apps and many other aspects of what makes a media
company great in the future. But they must work arm in arm with the creative
content people who are defining the brand and who understand the needs of their
consumers.
A great
example is the recent launch of News Corp’s (NASDAQ:NWSA)
IPad news product, “The Daily.” Despite the fact that the company has done
exactly the right thing by creating a content company to specifically exploit a
new medium (the tablet), the initial product was designed largely by engineers
before the first journalists were brought on board — because people didn’t want
to hire reporters and editors before they had any place to put their content.
Then, when the journalists got there, the technological underpinning of the
product was about done and guess what, it was over-engineered and wasn’t the
least bit user friendly. The engineers built a product from specs so it would
take advantage the new platform, but no one spent enough time thinking about
how the audience would actually want or use the information.
As the product
matures and as the technology of tablets improves, The Daily could grow an
awesome audience. But it has to go through some difficult transitions. It might
even find that there is a large audience for its content on other digital
platforms and broaden its distribution. But that’s OK, it’s one of the first
native digital news products in existence and it has a real chance to learn to
be great before it’s caught.
Back to Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO),
it’s hard to say from the outside if it’s too late to save. But they still
something that is very hard to build from scratch: a huge audience and some
real cash flow. They could finance a real run at becoming the next generation
media company. It’s still an easier path for them to go that way than for an
existing media player to go heavily digital, because those companies don’t want
to risk the huge revenue streams they already have from existing distribution,
whether that’s print, video or audio. But the future is in the combination of
the three on to the digital platform and there appears to still be room for
some new winners. Are We Entering the Golden Era of Media?>>
Larry Kramer is the Founder and Former CEO of CBS
Marketwatch.com. He was the first president of CBS Digital (NYSE:CBS)
and sits on the Boards of Discovery Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:DISCA),
American Media Inc., Freedom Communications, Inc., Answers Corp., Black Arrow
Inc., and Harvard Business School Publishing. He is the author of the book C-Scape: Conquer the Forces Changing Business Today
and runs a blog
by the same name’
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits
while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May
and go away! …
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding. . According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble …
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of
investors in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current
debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country
that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn
(entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing
about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and
talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to
"fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn
on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a
Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ .
Wall Street's second weekly fall raises fear of retreat (Reuters)
Stocks ended a second week of losses on a down note Friday, reflecting
growing worries that stocks are on the precipice of a pullback. [ Fear?
Worries? How ‘bout realities … the ones the insiders already know … Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘No one indicator by itself can be trusted. Many indicators
taken as whole, however, can offer valuable guidance when a clear pattern
develops. Right now, that guidance appears to warn about current conditions.
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16. Although p/e’s can
remain elevated for longer than you would imagine, reversion to the mean
eventually takes place. Such a reversion would knock off almost 40% of
current price. From today’s level, that would put the S&P 500 at
about 800. Some shake their heads when I mention this, but it wasn’t too
many months ago that we just broke above that.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market. Tom
Aspray’s charts demonstrate the unfortunate price patterns of some big
banks. I’ve
mentioned this as well, previously. It’s hard to imagine how much further a
rally can go without support from financials.
4) Key market
leaders are rolling over in price. This is a significant change of
trend. ‘ Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil WSCS‘DJI -1.02% SP500 -1.11% Nasdaq -0.93%
Gold -0.82% Oil -4.63% at $98.88.
Gold sold off ..Silver lost over 8%.
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders finally
getting busted... 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. ]
Pay
credit cards or mortgage? (Washington Post) [ How ‘bout none of the above! That’s certainly a coming reality
if not already there. Things are far worse than reported and the worst yet to
come.] As Americans unload more than
$100 billion in debt leftover from the heady days of the economic boom, many
households face a daunting question. Wall Street's second weekly fall raises fear of retreat (Reuters) Stocks
ended a second week of losses on a down note Friday, reflecting growing worries
that stocks are on the precipice of a pullback. [ Fear? Worries? How ‘bout
realities … the ones the insiders already know … Navin (see infra) ‘…1) The
5-year high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565
sells for every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to
be selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart…’
28
Statistics About The Gutting Of The U.S. Economy That Will Blow Your Mind ‘Red alert! Over 40 billion dollars of
America’s national wealth is being shipped out of the country every single
month. Our economy is being gutted and we are bleeding wealth and we are
bleeding jobs. The
American Dream 5-11-11
Red alert! Over 40 billion
dollars of America’s national wealth is being shipped out of the country every
single month. Our economy is being gutted and we are bleeding wealth and
we are bleeding jobs. This is a distress call. Is anyone
listening? Thousands of our factories and millions of our jobs are being
shipped overseas. Over the past decade over 6 trillion dollars have been
transferred into the hands of foreigners. Our national government is so
broke that they constantly have to go and beg those foreigners to lend us back
some of that money in order to finance our exploding debt. The number of good
jobs continues to decline and there are millions upon millions of my countrymen
that are unemployed. Can anybody help us? Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!Sadly,
the vast majority of Americans really are dead asleep on this issue... ‘ Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders
finally getting busted.. but what about what large banks, investment banks, and
mortgage companies did to the US economy…these insider trading cases are
basically sideshows…
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. ]
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for
Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by
the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand that not one high
level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from
the fraud ). UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
In
Greece, austerity and discontent
Anarchist movement is resurgent as the nation’s financial woes kindle
deep frustration and threaten a breakdown in the rule of law. (Washington
Post) [ Coming to a state near you
… Greece
launches massive fire sale to service growing debt as riot police clash with
violent protesters A general strike held today has seen most public
services grind to a halt across the country, while thousands marched through
Athens to protest against harsh austerity measures. Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘No one indicator by itself can be trusted. Many indicators
taken as whole, however, can offer valuable guidance when a clear pattern
develops. Right now, that guidance appears to warn about current conditions.
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16. Although p/e’s can
remain elevated for longer than you would imagine, reversion to the mean
eventually takes place. Such a reversion would knock off almost 40% of
current price. From today’s level, that would put the S&P 500 at
about 800. Some shake their heads when I mention this, but it wasn’t too
many months ago that we just broke above that.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market. Tom
Aspray’s charts demonstrate the unfortunate price patterns of some big
banks. I’ve
mentioned this as well, previously. It’s hard to imagine how much further a
rally can go without support from financials.
4)
Key market leaders are rolling over in price. Take a look at Google (GOOG),
one of the hottest stocks going in the recent rally. It appears to have
peaked in January and is unable to set new highs even as the S&P continued
upward. GOOG’s 50-day
moving average has turned downward and has crossed below the 200-day moving
average. This is a significant change of trend. ‘ ]
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until [14 December
2001] by intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora,
according to the Pentagon [details]. Since then,
nothing has been heard from the al-Qa'eda leader and President Bush has hinted
in private that bin Laden's silence could mean he has been killed. [Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in
Afghanistan and Pakistan almost six months ago: the fugitive died in December
[2001] and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's
president, Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. The remnants of Osama's
gang, however, have mostly stayed silent, either to keep Osama's ghost alive or
because they have no means of communication.
With an ego the size of Mount Everest, Osama bin Laden would not
have, could not have, remained silent for so long if he were still alive. He
always liked to take credit even for things he had nothing to do with. Would he
remain silent for nine months and not trumpet his own survival? [New York Times. July 11, 2002]
Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful
death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who
allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader.
Bin Laden has often been reported to be in poor health. Some
accounts claim that he is suffering from Hepatitis C, and can expect to live
for only two more years. According to Le Figaro, last year [2000] he ordered a
mobile dialysis machine to be delivered to his base at Kandahar in Afghanistan.
[Guardian]
Peter Bergen: Bin Laden has aged 'enormously'
This is a man who was clearly not well. I mean, as you see from
these pictures here, he's really, by December [2001] he's looking pretty
terrible…’ ]
Oils
of War: Pentagon Cementing Iraq Footprint? RT | Publicly,
the US says nations must be self-determinate; Behind the scenes there’s more
interference.
Congress
To Vote On Declaration of Worldwide Perpetual War; No Borders, No Clear Enemies
Intel Hub | The legislation authorizes the President to take
unilateral military action against all hostile nations, organizations, and
persons.
Disney
Trademarks “Seal Team 6″ Fishbowl Ny | It is a
perfect example of a big media company capitalizing on curent events.
Fukushima Daiichi
plant worker dies NHK | A worker at the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant fell unconscious at work on Saturday.
Wall Street's second weekly fall raises fear of retreat (Reuters)
Reuters - Stocks ended a second week of losses on a down note Friday,
reflecting growing worries that stocks are on the precipice of a pullback. [
Fear? Worries? How ‘bout realities … the ones the insiders already know … Navin
(see infra) ‘…1) The 5-year high in the level of insider corporate stock sales
is telling. At 565 sells for every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s
normal for insiders to be selling some of their stocks so they can buy new
yachts and some of this is pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked
recently — is extraordinarily high, one might even say off-the-chart…’ ]
Stock
Market: 4 Current Warning Signs
Navin ‘No one indicator by itself can be trusted. Many indicators
taken as whole, however, can offer valuable guidance when a clear pattern
develops. Right now, that guidance appears to warn about current conditions.
1) The 5-year
high in the level of insider corporate stock sales is telling. At 565 sells for
every 1 buy, it’s never been higher. Yes, it’s normal for insiders to be
selling some of their stocks so they can buy new yachts and some of this is
pre-planned. But that ratio — which has spiked recently — is extraordinarily
high, one might even say off-the-chart.
2) Professor
Shiller at Yale figures that the
present price-to-earnings ratio for the Standard & Poor’s 500 is in the
area of 26. The historical average is about 16. Although p/e’s can
remain elevated for longer than you would imagine, reversion to the mean
eventually takes place. Such a reversion would knock off almost 40% of
current price. From today’s level, that would put the S&P 500 at
about 800. Some shake their heads when I mention this, but it wasn’t too
many months ago that we just broke above that.
3) The failure
of the financial sector to keep up is a significant negative divergence for the
entire market. Tom
Aspray’s charts demonstrate the unfortunate price patterns of some big
banks. I’ve
mentioned this as well, previously. It’s hard to imagine how much further a
rally can go without support from financials.
4) Key market leaders are rolling over in price.
Take a look at Google (GOOG),
one of the hottest stocks going in the recent rally. It appears to have
peaked in January and is unable to set new highs even as the S&P continued
upward. GOOG’s 50-day
moving average has turned downward and has crossed below the 200-day moving
average. This is a significant change of trend. ‘
AIG
to sell Treasury shares The government soon will begin unloading its 92.1
percent ownership stake in the bailout company. (Washington
Post) [ Who’s the unlucky sucker? Ultimately, a pension fund or two or three,
etc., or maybe you or an equally unlucky member of your family. Stock
market on a roll despite slowing economic growth, lingering
unemployment[Also known as reality! Roll … yes, indeed … everyone’s to get
rolled! ] (WP) Dow is up more than 10 percent for 2011, to its highest
point in nearly three years. [ Same bubble scenario preceeding last crash
(including currency manipulation); yet, far worse this time owing to
insurmountable debt and defacto bankruptcy of the nation. Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(WP) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNANKE’ show is
scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for ‘economic growth’,
the frauds on wall street still rallied.
Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He
already has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at
record levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing
of fiat paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline’ ]
States
face shortfall for retirees ]
Hedge
Funds Chasing Bubbles vs. Fundamentals
Goldman ‘Start with basics: the central banks can huff and puff all they
want, but if credit doesn’t get out to private borrowers, the result is more
deflationary than inflationary. Devaluing the dollar, to be sure, reprices
tradeables on a one-shot basis, but that can only go on so long. When it looks
like the dollar is getting about as cheap as it’s likely to, you get a pullback
in the price of dollar hedges.
We are seeing
a decline in government borrowing (due to the collapse of the muni market) and
a decline in government spending in the US, and probably will get more as the
Republicans force the issue on Obama. Housing prices remain in free fall.
One difference
between this recovery and the last few recoveries is that the banks, rather than
using their deep pockets to lead the way back into risk, have retreated from
risk, under the regulatory whip. Bank prop trading desks used to be the
bellwether of risk-taking. They don’t exist any more. Banks don’t care if their
ROE is miserable as long as it’s stable. All of bank asset-liability management
these days is directed to reducing volatility of earnings. In effect, the banks
have been socialized and are acting like (still overpaid) public monopolies.
The orphaned
prop traders have all gone to hedge funds, or to the beach. What are the hedge
funds supposed to buy? There’s little issuance of private securities for them
to play with. Gone are the days when mortgage-backed securities made fortunes
for traders. That leaves the hedge funds to chase whatever trend appears
underway–which is why commodity prices are nuttily volatile. You’re supposed to
own commodity stocks that feed into Asian demand, which will continue to grow.
China is doing just fine, as I argued on Larry Kudlow’s CNBC show
Tuesday night. Don’t try to out-trade the hedge funds. They can’t out-trade
each other.
Stocks will be
choppy as the dollar effect wears off. If the dollar goes up a bit, stocks may
give some ground. Below is a chart (click to enlarge) of the S&P
vs. the trade-weighted dollar index during the past two years, which I’ve run
before. Here it is again as a reminder.
S&P
500 vs Trade-Weighted Dollar, Past 2 Years of Daily Data
The Week Ahead: Volatility Is Not Your Friend Aspray ‘The odds are
against stocks making a sustained comeback in the short term. Unless you’re an
intra-day trader, the best advice is to hold on for the ride and make sure
protective stops are in place.
The rollercoaster
ride continued last week in both the stock and commodity markets—if you’re
keeping track, the S&P 500 was up three days and down two.
The commodity
markets were also very choppy, and there are some worrisome signs in the energy
patch. The Energy Select Spyder (XLE) and many of the biggest oil companies, including ExxonMobil
(XOM), Chevron (CVZ) and Schlumberger (SLB) have completed top formations. (For full technical
appraisal, please see Big Oil’s Big Top.)
It looks as
though my view is at odds with the big hedge funds, as The Wall Street
Journal reported on Friday that several of the largest hedge-fund managers
were bullish on the energy sector.
With Friday’s
sharply lower close, the stock market is in a precarious position for the short
term, and the odds now favor further selling this week. This high volatility is
not an investor or a swing trader’s friend, but those who trade intra-day may
be having a good time.
The number of
bulls according to the AAII sentiment numbers continues to decline, and is now
at 30%, not far above last summer’s lows. For specific price levels to watch,
see below.
The economic
numbers met analysts’ expectations, but next week the economic calendar is much
more crowded. On Tuesday, we’ll have the latest reading on housing starts,
along with industrial production numbers for April. FOMC minutes will be
released on Wednesday, while Thursday brings existing home sales and jobless
claims.
The storm clouds
seem to be again darkening in Europe, a year after the $158-billion bailout
plan for Greece was announced. Now France and Germany are apparently lobbying
for a debt extension, though the ECB is not convinced this is a good idea. The
downgrade of Greece’s debt did not help the situation.
China’s consumer
prices were a bit lower in April, after setting a record in March, while the
trade surplus was much greater than expected. There were signs that the
tightening was having some impact, as monthly iron ore imports dropped 11%.
Even more dramatic was copper, as it dropped 14% from March, and is now down
40% from last year.
As I warned last
week, many of the emerging markets had fallen back to support, and the
violation of the recent lows makes a further decline likely. The stronger
dollar is a negative for these markets.
WHAT TO
WATCH
The sharp decline last Wednesday set the stage for heavier selling on Thursday
and I suggested to “Fasten Your Seatbelts.” Thursday’s rebound was encouraging,
but the bears again took over Friday, as early gains were met with heavy
selling and the major averages closed lower.
The new highs by
both the NYSE Composite and the S&P 500 A/D line in early May are positive
for the intermediate-term trend. A break of the May 5 lows in the major
averages, which now looks likely, will signal a decline to stronger support.
S&P
500
The Spyder Trust (SPY) hit Thursday’s high at $135.36 early Friday before
turning lower. On a short-term basis, the key support is at $133.02. A break of
this level will indicate a decline to the $131.70 to $132.40 range, if not the
support from the April lows at $130.40 to $129.50 (line a).
The SPY has initial
resistance at $135.36, but needs a daily close above $136.11 to signal a move
to the $138.50 to $140 area.
The S&P 500’s
A/D line made a new high on May 10 (line b), consistent with a positive
intermediate trend. The weak A/D numbers Friday have taken the A/D line back to
its uptrend (line c). Even slightly negative A/D numbers Monday will cause a
break of this uptrend, with longer-term support at line d.
http://www.moneyshow.com/image.asp?imgSrc=Investing/Guru/guru051311_1_large.gif&aid=GURU-23095&scode=021551
Click to Enlarge
Dow
Industrials
The chart of the Diamonds Trust (DIA) is very similar to that of the S&P 500. Key
short-term support for DIA now sits at $125, not far above Friday’s close. A
break of this level will signal a decline to between $122.60 and $123. The
major supports are at $120.65 and the April low.
Initial
resistance stands at $127.16, with further levels at last week’s high of
$127.67.
Dow
Transportations
The Dow Transportation Index led the charge into early May, but after a strong
close last Tuesday reversed course to close near the lows. The previous lows at
5,368, from May 5, were exceeded by a few points Friday.
The 38.2%
retracement support is at 5,313, with the 50% support at 5,235.
Nasdaq-100
The PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQ)
has stayed in a tight range since the early May highs at $59.34 (line e). QQQ
was actually up last week, barely, so the tech sector could lead the market
once the current correction is over.
There is initial
support at $58.24 to $58.09. There is additional support at $57.70, with
stronger at $56.50 to $57 and the uptrend (line f).
The Nasdaq-100
A/D line made convincing new highs in early May (line g), and is still well
above its uptrend (line h). The March and April highs in the A/D line need to
hold if the uptrend is broken.
Russell
2000
The iShares Russell 2000 Trust (IWM) continues to act weak as its A/D line failed to make
new highs in early May. This divergence is a short-term negative.
There is first
support at the commodity-crash lows of $82.40, with more important levels at
$81.40 and the longer-term uptrend. A close above the recent highs at $85.54
would improve the short-term outlook.
Sector
Focus
Oil
The July crude-oil contract is trying to hold above the low of $95.18, which if
broken could set the stage for a drop to the $90 to $92 area. The wide trading
range I expected last week is still the most likely scenario, as last week’s
rally failed just above $105.
http://www.moneyshow.com/investing/article/1/guru-23095/The-Week-Ahead:-Volatility-Is-Not-Your-Friend/?aid=guru-23095&iid=GURU&page=2&scode=021551#
Click to Enlarge
US Dollar
The US dollar was the big story last week as the dollar index and the PowerShares
DB US Dollar UP ETF (UUP) rallied sharply on heavy volume.
The daily downtrend for UUP (line a) is at $22.38,
with additional resistance in the $22.80 to $23.20 area. This level could limit
the upside over the next few weeks.
There is initial support now at $21.40 to $21.20 and
the rising 20-period EMA. The OBV has not yet broken its downtrend (line b),
but the volume has been strong over the past two weeks.
Interest Rates
There were quite a few developments in the bond market, as the rush into bonds
has been overwhelming. Here are a few highlights:
In terms of the ten-year Treasury yield, those who
were expecting higher rates and sold the ten-year short have been hurt over the
past month, as yields have dropped from 3.62% to 3.13% this week.
This decline broke the uptrend (line c) and has taken
yields close to its flat 200-day MA. The 50-day MA is still above the 200-day,
which is positive, and the intermediate trend for yields still appears to be
up.
Gold
The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) hit a low Friday of $144.29, which was well above the
prior week’s low of $142.55. GLD could be forming a short-term bottom.
There is initial resistance at $147.35 and a close
above $148.50 should signal a test of the $150.50 level.
Silver
The iShares Silver Trust (SLV) broke convincingly through the previous lows at
$33.58, and hit $31.97 before bouncing. It held above the 50% support level of
$31.30.
Continued volatility is to be expected in silver,
with the first resistance now at $36.50, and those who are short are likely
using stops above $38.50.
The Week Ahead
Last week’s rally failure in the stock market likely means a deeper correction
is underway. The S&P 500 needs two consecutively strong closes to turn the
market’s momentum positive.
The breakdowns in the financial sector and toppy
action in many of the big oil companies are likely to weigh down the major
averages. The decline should set that stage for higher prices down the road.
As I have been recommending for several weeks, this
is a good time to raise some cash—and be sure to have stops in place on your
long positions.
Those not in the stock market could consider a
dollar-cost averaging strategy, so that by later in the summer your desired
allocation to the stock market is established. Any new buying of individual
stocks or ETFs should wait until the market stabilizes and there is lower
volatility.’
Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil WSCS‘DJI -1.02% SP500 -1.11% Nasdaq -0.93%
Gold -0.82% Oil -4.63% at $98.88.
Gold sold off ..Silver lost over 8%.
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders
finally getting busted.. but what about what large banks, investment banks, and
mortgage companies did to the US economy…these insider trading cases are
basically sideshows…
Fed
official calls for vigilance (WP)
[ Who’s still buying their
b***s***! Much higher prices / inflation’s already here. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’..
hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper
currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
New
Yorkers under 30 flee city because of high taxes and few jobs NY
Daily News | Escape from New York is not just a movie — it’s also a
state of mind.
IMF
warns EU debt crisis may still spread to core Reuters |
Europe’s debt crisis may yet spread to core euro zone countries and emerging
Eastern Europe.
Treasury
Auctions To Take US Over Debt Ceiling On Monday Dow Jones News
| The Treasury Department auctioned $56 billion in new debt this week.
ON MAY 1,
2011, JUST MOMENTS BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED THAT THE US HAD KILLED
OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE WHATREALLYHAPPENED WEBSITE CAME UNDER MASSIVE DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK. THIS PAGE, WHICH DOCUMENTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN
ACTUALLY DIED IN DECEMBER OF 2001, APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T
WANT AVAILABLE WHILE THE NEW PROPAGANDA WAS "CATAPULTED FORWARD". IT
IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE OPENING GAMBIT IN A PLAN TO STAGE A
"REVENGE" ATTACK FROM "AL QAEDA" ON THE UNITED STATES, WITH
WHICH TO JUSTIFY TOTAL WAR ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
Bin Laden's voice was detected regularly until [14 December
2001] by intelligence operatives monitoring radio transmissions in Tora Bora,
according to the Pentagon [details]. Since then,
nothing has been heard from the al-Qa'eda leader and President Bush has hinted
in private that bin Laden's silence could mean he has been killed. [Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Osama bin Laden: A dead nemesis perpetuated by the US government
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in
Afghanistan and Pakistan almost six months ago: the fugitive died in December
[2001] and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's
president, Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. The remnants of Osama's
gang, however, have mostly stayed silent, either to keep Osama's ghost alive or
because they have no means of communication.
With an ego the size of Mount Everest, Osama bin Laden would not
have, could not have, remained silent for so long if he were still alive. He
always liked to take credit even for things he had nothing to do with. Would he
remain silent for nine months and not trumpet his own survival? [New York Times. July 11, 2002]
Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful
death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who
allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader.
Bin Laden has often been reported to be in poor health. Some
accounts claim that he is suffering from Hepatitis C, and can expect to live
for only two more years. According to Le Figaro, last year [2000] he ordered a
mobile dialysis machine to be delivered to his base at Kandahar in Afghanistan.
[Guardian]
Peter Bergen: Bin Laden has aged 'enormously'
This is a man who was clearly not well. I mean, as you see from
these pictures here, he's really, by December [2001] he's looking pretty
terrible.
But
by December, of course, that tape that was aired then, he's barely moving the
left side of his body. So he's clearly got diabetes. He has low blood pressure.
He's got a wound in his foot. He's apparently got dialysis ... for kidney
problems. [CNN]
The [December 27, 2001 video] was dismissed by the Bush
administration ... as sick propaganda possibly designed to mask the fact the
al-Qa'eda leader was already dead. "He could have made the video and then
ordered that it be released in the event of his death," said one White
House aide. [Telegraph]
Pakistan's Musharraf: Bin Laden probably dead
Pakistan's
president says he thinks Osama bin Laden is most likely dead because the
suspected terrorist has been unable to get treatment for his kidney disease.
[A
Bush administration official] said U.S. intelligence is that bin Laden needs
dialysis every three days and "it is fairly obvious that that could be an
issue when you are running from place to place, and facing the idea of needing
to generate electricity in a mountain hideout." [CNN]
Renal dialysis -- talking about hemodialysis -- is something
that really is reserved for patients in end-stage renal failure. That means
their kidneys have just completely shut down. The most common cause of
something like that would be something like diabetes and hypertension. Once
that's happened, if you're separated from your dialysis machine -- and
incidentally, dialysis machines require electricity, they're going to require
clean water, they're going to require a sterile setting -- infection is a huge
risk with that. If you don't have all those things and a functioning dialysis
machine, it's unlikely that you'd survive beyond several days or a week at the
most. [CNN]
Karzai: bin Laden 'probably' dead
Osama
bin Laden is "probably" dead, but former Taliban leader Mullah Omar
is alive, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said. [CNN]
FBI: Bin Laden 'probably' dead
The
US Federal Bureau of Investigation's counter-terrorism chief, Dale Watson, says
he thinks Osama bin Laden is "probably" dead. [BBC]
Magazine runs what it calls bin Laden's will
The
editor-in-chief of a London-based Arab news magazine said a purported will it
published Saturday was written late last year [2001] by Osama bin Laden, and
shows "he's dying or he's going to die soon." [CNN]
Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful
death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported,
citing a Taliban leader who allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda
leader. "The Coalition troops are engaged in a mad search operation but
they would never be able to fulfill their cherished goal of getting Usama alive
or dead," the source said. [FOX News]
Translation of Funeral Article in
Egyptian Paper:
al-Wafd, Wednesday, December 26, 2001 Vol 15 No 4633
News of Bin Laden's Death and Funeral
10 days ago
A
prominent official in the Afghan Taleban movement announced yesterday the death
of Osama bin Laden, the chief of al-Qa'da organization, stating that binLaden
suffered serious complications in the lungs and died a natural and quiet death.
[Welfare State]
Osama bin who?
Israel
does not view bin Laden as a threat. [Janes]
Israeli intelligence: Bin Laden is dead, heir
has been chosen
Israeli
sources said Israel and the United States assess that Bin Laden probably died
in the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan in December. They said the
emergence of new messages by Bin Laden are probably fabrications, Middle East
Newsline reported. [World Tribune]
[See
also The Fake bin Laden Audio Tape]
[See
also Benazir Bhutto says Osama is dead.]’
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in Afghanistan
and Pakistan almost six months ago: the fugitive died in December [2001] and
was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president,
Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. The remnants of Osama's gang,
however, have mostly stayed silent, either to keep Osama's ghost alive or
because they have no means of communication. Bin Laden's voice was detected
regularly until [14 December 2001] by intelligence operatives monitoring radio
transmissions in Tora Bora, according to the Pentagon [details]. Since then, nothing has been heard from the
al-Qa'eda leader and President Bush has hinted in private that bin Laden's
silence could mean he has been killed. [Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Pakistan's
Musharraf: Bin Laden probably dead
Pakistan's president says he thinks Osama
bin Laden is most likely dead because the suspected terrorist has been unable
to get treatment for his kidney disease. [A Bush administration official] said
U.S. intelligence is that bin Laden needs dialysis every three days and
"it is fairly obvious that that could be an issue when you are running
from place to place, and facing the idea of needing to generate electricity in
a mountain hideout." [CNN]
Karzai: bin
Laden 'probably' dead
Osama bin Laden is "probably"
dead, but former Taliban leader Mullah Omar is alive, Afghan President Hamid
Karzai has said. [CNN]
FBI: Bin Laden
'probably' dead
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation's
counter-terrorism chief, Dale Watson, says he thinks Osama bin Laden is
"probably" dead. [BBC]
Magazine runs
what it calls bin Laden's will
The editor-in-chief of a London-based
Arab news magazine said a purported will it published Saturday was written late
last year [2001] by Osama bin Laden, and shows "he's dying or he's going
to die soon." [CNN]
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage
Then,
of course, there’s also: that ‘pearl harbor event’ so sought by the neo-cons /
war mongers still defies explanation (ie., the ‘stand-down order’, symmetrical
implosions, foreknowledge by some {who conveniently ‘missed the party’ that
day}, etc.. Some links, echoing the unbelief akin to the ‘Jessica Lynch’,
Tillman, etc., affairs follow. People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, and
the highest crime rates in the world by far.
]
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military
spending than all the nations of the world combined... federal employees /
contractors, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers and the
highest crime rates in the world by far.
http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg . Defacto
bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military spending than all the
nations of the world combined... federal employees / contractors, cia, all 3
branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved american
trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
U.S.
to raise fuel efficiency standards Over the next few months, regulators are
scheduled to set the next round of fuel standards for automakers. Among the
proposals under consideration is one that would lift average fuel economy under
the law to as much as 62 mpg by 2025. (Washington Post) [ Well, there you go … problem solved … and
the auto cos can really afford the retooling costs … I can’t remember how many
times I heard reference to such legislative mandates … have they been in effect
… have they changed … have they worked? Look
at How Producer Prices Continue Getting More Expensive Wall St. Cheat
Sheet [This spells big trouble affecting corporate earnings (some costs can’t
be passed on without decreasing sales) and disposable income / consumer
spending. ] Weekly
Unemployment Claims Still Above This Scary Level WSCS Short ‘The
Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report was released
this morning for last week. Claims fell 44,000 from a 4,000 upward revision of
the previous week, which takes the number back to approximately the level prior
to last week’s blip. Here is the official statement from the Department of
Labor:In the week ending May 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted
initial claims was 434,000, a decrease of 44,000 from the previous week’s
revised figure of 478,000. The 4-week moving average was 436,750, an increase
of 4,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 432,250. The advance
seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week
ending April 30, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week
ending April 30 was 3,756,000, an increase of 5,000 from the preceding week’s
revised level of 3,751,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,718,500, an
increase of 13,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of
3,705,250.Today’s number was 11,000 above the Briefing.com consensus estimate of 423,000 claims.As we can
see, there’s a good bit of volatility in this indicator, which is why the
4-week moving average (shown in the callouts) is a more useful number than the
weekly data.
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims
Occasionally I
see articles critical of seasonal adjustment, especially when the non-adjusted
number better suits the author’s bias. But a comparison of these two charts
clearly shows extreme volatility of the non-adjusted data, and the 4-week MA
gives an indication of the recurring pattern of seasonal change in the second
chart (note, for example, those regular January spikes).
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA
a 52-week
moving average gives a better sense of the long-term trends.
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA-52-ma
Krauthammer:
Obama's demagoguery in El Paso (Washington Post) [ What else can you expect
from a demagogue … suddenly he’s talkin’ immigration with the election ‘round
the corner, as he courts the Hispanic vote. Aren’t people on to this unctuous
jive-talker yet, failed president that he is.
Davis ‘… This is how we
pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get
anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is
no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all
of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING
FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘
… Suckers’ rally to keep suckers
suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..the
Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the
lowest since November 2010… This is an especially
great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much
worse to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
Milbank:
The medical mystery of Mitt Romney (Washington Post) [ Does anyone else think Mr. Milbank’s reference
to the Chinese twin girls born with a
single body and two heads was at the least in poor taste. Moreover, I would
further say his reference is probably better suited as applicable to ‘wobama
the b’ (for b***s***) whose actions in office have belied most every campaign
pledge and rhetoric. This is not to say that Romney gets a pass; though I did
previously say and still on my website is (what I write thereon is ‘forever’ as
if engraved on stone) that I recommended that war criminal, coward, incompetent
cheney be replaced by Romney, and then the same, whether by impeachment or
‘encouragement’ (kind of like that Nixon / Ford dynamic), for war criminal,
coward, incompetent moron dumbya bush. I doubt there’s anyone other than mental
cases (ie., limbaugh, hannity, o’reilly, etc.) who could seriously argue that
the country wouldn’t have been better off to this day. That said, 2012 is a
whole new year, and a whole new ‘ballgame’, and wide open, so to speak.
Ultimately, for me, the next president will have met criterion that for me is
measurable in terms of justice, in accordance with long lost (for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america) constitutional principles. For me, it’s what
I can see, touch, and measure as being right. As such, for me, the clear
resolution of long standing, justice delayed, justice denied RICO litigation is
that measure and criterion. . Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america
also spends more on military spending than all the nations of the world
combined... federal employees / contractors, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s.
government, etc., are included in this evolved american trait of inherent
criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
Osama bin Laden is dead..: died in December [2001] ..buried in the
mountains of southeast Afghanistan [Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Musharraf: Bin
Laden probably dead
[A Bush administration official] said U.S. intelligence is that
bin Laden needs dialysis every three days ..." [CNN]
Karzai: bin
Laden 'probably' dead .. but former Taliban leader Mullah Omar is alive [CNN]
FBI: Bin Laden
'probably' dead
The FBI’s counter-terrorism chief, Dale
Watson, says he thinks Osama bin Laden is "probably" dead. [BBC]
The editor-in-chief of a London-based
Arab news magazine said a purported will it published Saturday was written late
last year [2001] by Osama bin Laden, and shows "he's dying or he's going
to die soon." [CNN]
Usama bin Laden has died
a peaceful death due to an untreated lung complication .. [FOX
News] Renal dialysis is reserved for patients in end-stage renal failure. ..
it's unlikely that you'd survive beyond several days or a week at the most. [CNN]
]
Weekly
Unemployment Claims Still Above This Scary Level WSCS Short ‘The
Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report was released
this morning for last week. Claims fell 44,000 from a 4,000 upward revision of
the previous week, which takes the number back to approximately the level prior
to last week’s blip. Here is the official statement from the Department of
Labor:In the week ending May 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted
initial claims was 434,000, a decrease of 44,000 from the previous week’s
revised figure of 478,000. The 4-week moving average was 436,750, an increase
of 4,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 432,250. The advance
seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week
ending April 30, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.0 percent.
The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week
ending April 30 was 3,756,000, an increase of 5,000 from the preceding week’s
revised level of 3,751,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,718,500, an
increase of 13,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of
3,705,250.Today’s number was 11,000 above the Briefing.com consensus estimate of 423,000 claims.As we can
see, there’s a good bit of volatility in this indicator, which is why the
4-week moving average (shown in the callouts) is a more useful number than the
weekly data.
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims
Occasionally I
see articles critical of seasonal adjustment, especially when the non-adjusted
number better suits the author’s bias. But a comparison of these two charts
clearly shows extreme volatility of the non-adjusted data, and the 4-week MA
gives an indication of the recurring pattern of seasonal change in the second
chart (note, for example, those regular January spikes).
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA
Because of the
extreme volatility of the non-adjusted weekly data, a 52-week moving average
gives a better sense of the long-term trends.
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA-52-ma
The Bureau of
Labor Statistics provides an overview on seasonal adjustment here (scroll down about
half way down).
Doug Short
Ph.d is the author of dshort.com.’
Look
at How Producer Prices Continue Getting More Expensive Wall St. Cheat
Sheet [This spells big trouble affecting corporate earnings (some costs can’t
be passed on without decreasing sales) and disposable income / consumer
spending. ] ‘The Producer Price Index for finished goods rose 0.8
percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This
advance followed increases of 0.7 percent in March and 1.6 percent in February.
At the earlier
stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate
goods climbed 1.3 percent in April, and the crude goods index rose 4.0
percent. On an unadjusted basis, prices for finished goods moved up 6.8 percent
for the 12 months ended April 2011, the largest year-over-year gain since
an 8.8-percent increase in September 2008.
Stage-of-Processing
Analysis
About three
quarters of the April advance in the finished goods index can be traced to a
2.5 percent jump in prices for finished energy goods. Also contributing to
the rise in the finished goods index, prices for both finished goods other
than foods (NYSE:RJA) and energy (NYSE:XLE) and for finished consumer foods moved up 0.3
percent in April.
Finished
energy: Prices for finished energy goods increased 2.5 percent in April, the
seventh consecutive monthly advance. Over half of the April rise can be
attributed to the gasoline index, which climbed 3.6 percent (NYSE:USO). Higher prices for liquefied petroleum gas and
residential natural gas (NYSE:UNG) also were factors in the increase in the finished
energy goods index. (See table 2.)
Finished core:
The index for finished goods less foods and energy moved up 0.3 percent
in April, the fifth straight monthly rise. Nearly one-fourth of the April
monthly advance can be traced to a 1.2-percent jump in civilian aircraft
prices. An increase in the index for light motor trucks also contributed
significantly to the rise in finished core prices.
Finished
foods: Prices for finished consumer foods rose 0.3 percent in April after
falling 0.2 percent in the prior month. Leading this advance, the index
for eggs for fresh use surged 56.7 percent.
Intermediate
goods
The Producer
Price Index for intermediate materials (NYSE:XLB), supplies, and components rose 1.3
percent in April, the ninth consecutive monthly advance. The broad-based
April increase was led by prices for intermediate goods less foods and
energy, which moved up 1.1 percent. The indexes for intermediate energy
goods and for intermediate foods and feeds also contributed to
the intermediate goods advance, rising 1.9 percent and 1.8 percent,
respectively. For the 12 months ended April 2011, prices for intermediate
goods climbed 9.4 percent, the largest increase since a 9.8-percent jump
in October 2008. (See table B.)
Intermediate
core: Prices for intermediate goods less foods and energy moved up 1.1 percent
in April, the ninth consecutive monthly rise. About fifteen percent of the
April gain can be attributed to the index for primary basic organic
chemicals, which increased 3.2 percent. Higher prices for ethanol and
steel mill products (NYSE:DBB) also contributed to the advance in intermediate
core prices. (See table 2.)
Intermediate
energy: The index for intermediate energy goods climbed 1.9 percent in April,
the smallest advance since a 1.5-percent increase in November 2010. Prices
for diesel fuel, which moved up 3.5 percent, were a significant
contributor to the April rise. Higher prices for gasoline also were a
factor in the increase in the intermediate energy goods index.
Intermediate
foods: The intermediate foods and feeds index advanced 1.8 percent in April,
the
ninth straight monthly increase. A 5.6-percent jump in prices for beef and veal
accounted for a quarter of the April advance in the intermediate foods and
feeds index.
Crude goods
The Producer
Price Index for crude materials for further processing increased 4.0 percent
in April. For the 3 months ending in April, prices for crude materials
moved up 7.0 percent following an 11.4-percent jump for the 3 months
ending in January. Leading the broad-based monthly advance in April, the
index for crude energy materials rose 4.8 percent. Prices for
crude foodstuffs and feedstuffs and for crude nonfood materials less
energy increased 4.0 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively.
Crude energy:
The index for crude energy (NYSE:XLE) materials moved up 4.8 percent in April.
From January to April, crude energy prices advanced 5.3 percent compared
with a 17.9-percent jump in the previous 3-month period. For the month of
April, the index for natural gas rose 9.4 percent, accounting for over half
of the increase in prices for crude energy materials. Advances in
the indexes for crude petroleum and coal also contributed to higher crude
energy prices.
Crude foods:
Prices for crude foodstuffs and feedstuffs (NYSE:RJA) advanced 4.0 percent in April. For the
3 months ending in April, the index for crude foods jumped 11.4 percent
subsequent to moving up 5.5 percent from October to January. Accounting
for about half of the monthly rise in April, the grains index increased
15.5 percent. Higher prices for slaughter steers and heifers also were
a factor in the advance in the crude foods index.
Crude core:
The index for crude nonfood materials less energy rose 2.6 percent in April.
From January to April, crude core prices moved up 2.5 percent after a
10.1-percent advance in the previous 3-month period. For the month of
April, a 4.5-percent increase in the index for copper base scrap was a
factor in higher crude core prices.
Services
Analysis Trade Industries
TTrade
industries: The Producer Price Index for the net output of total trade
industries moved up 0.1 percent in April, the third consecutive increase.
Trade indexes measure changes in margins received by wholesalers and
retailers (NYSE:RTH). Leading the April advance was a
5.3-percent increase in margins received by department stores (NYSE:IYR). Higher margins received by women’s
clothing stores and by electronic shopping and mail order houses also
contributed significantly to the rise in the total trade industries index.
Transportation
and warehousing industries: The Producer Price Index for the net output
of transportation and warehousing industries rose 0.3 percent in April,
the seventh consecutive increase. Accounting for forty-five percent of the
April advance, prices received by couriers climbed 1.4 percent. Increases
in the indexes for long distance general freight trucking (truckload) and
line-haul railroads also were factors in the April rise in the transportation
and warehousing industries index.
Traditional
service industries: The Producer Price Index for the net output of total
traditional service industries moved up 0.7 percent in April after no
change in the previous month. Leading this advance, prices received by the
depository credit intermediation industry group rose 7.3 percent. Higher
prices received by insurance carriers and by general medical and
surgical hospitals (NYSE:XLV) also contributed to the increase in the total
traditional service industries index.’
Mohamed A.
El-Erian [ In an interview with
Motek, El-Erian states that the nations are facing not debt issues per se, but
solvency issues (ie., america’s defacto bankrupt, etc.) and (PIMCO dumped their
u.s. treasury holdings) that it will take higher interest rates to sell those debt
securities. Moreover, he stated that the subject nations have only exacerbated
their fiscal problems by piling more debt on debt … the following is an excerpt
from El-Erian in part, from the PIMCO website: http://www.pimco.com]
‘ … BALANCE OF RISKS Most baselines are subject to two-sided
risks. Our Secular Outlook is no different in this regard and, in this case,
the risks are well balanced.
On the one
hand, the baseline could prove to be too pessimistic on three major counts:
First, emerging economies (and China in particular) could show greater
willingness and ability to unleash domestic consumption; second, the balance
sheets of central banks in industrial countries could indeed be used very
aggressively without undermining inflationary expectations and fueling a
political reaction; and third, some of the remarkable scientific advances could
translate quickly into massive productivity gains.
These three
factors would facilitate economic growth in industrial countries. And growth is
critical for enhancing the capacity of the world economy to deal with its
balance sheet problems, reverse the involvement of governments in markets and,
thereby, reduce the likelihood of government failures following the recent
string of market failures.
On the other
hand, the baseline could be too optimistic on (also) three major counts: First,
households and companies could embark upon a renewed cycle of self-insurance in
reaction to the medium-term uncertainties facing the global economy. This
paradox of thrift would further weaken the growth and debt dynamics; it would
also increase the risk of trade protectionism. Second, some of the
super-secular issues (such as climate change, demographics and the atomization
of societies) could play out in secular time, significantly increasing the
structural headwinds facing the global economy. Third, the world could face a
geopolitical shock, either because of frictions and tensions between certain
nation-states or due to vulnerability to acts of terrorism perpetrated by small
groups or individuals.
In Conclusion
We are living through a
remarkable time of change for the global economy, where several anchoring
parameters have become variables. It is a time of friction, collisions and
renewal as we journey to a de-levered and re-regulated world with weaker growth
dynamics in industrial countries and less political enthusiasm for unfettered
globalization and markets.
This brings us
back to the image of a car that, having used its spare tire(s), is still
embarked on a bumpy road through unfamiliar territory and to a less-than-stable
destination. Parts of the car are up for this journey; others will likely hold
up but in a tentative and fragile manner; and yet others will fail.
For investors,
this translates into a secular period of changing risks and opportunities:
Look
How the Federal Budget Deficit Will Exceed $1 Trillion Again Wall St.
Cheat Sheet ‘Yesterday the Federal Budget Deficit reminded us that even during the
season when Uncle Sam collects your taxes — 45% more than last year — we still
can’t create a surplus! Superficially, we can blame the recent economic
crisis for the issue. However, if we dig deeper into the historical data, below
we can see politicians have been out of control for decades. More specifically,
the fall of 2001 kicked off a drunken binge on Federal deficit spending (Click for Larger Image) We haven’t seen a single
budget surplus since the economic crisis, and future budget projections from
the Congressional Budget Office indicate we shouldn’t sit on the shore waiting
for one to dock anytime soon. Check Out “CHART
OF THE DAY: Watch the US Debt Set a 60 Year Record“. In fact, the CBO
increased their annual deficit projection for 2011 from $1.1 trillion to
$1.5 trillion — the third straight year of $1 trillion-plus deficits. The
record monthly deficit of $222.5 billion in February beat last February’s
record by almost $2 billion. At least we didn’t set a new record so soon.’ Debt
ceiling battles have negotiation experts shaking their heads Professional
negotiators weigh in on lawmakers’ inept attempts to negotiate the national
debt ceiling. (Washington Post) [ Boehner
seeks more than $2 trillion in cuts (Washington Post) [ I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking
‘Riiiiight! … that’ll happen … and all
without cuts to endless war spending … while the situation’s more than that
dire, the advice is … don’t hold your breath!
Milbank:
The GOP’s juvenile debate (Washington Post) [ Mr. Milbank has lamentably become the rush
limbaugh / sean hannity of the newspaper world, though he barks and apologizes
for dems (and wobama the b for b*** s***) only (as they for the gop / bushies
only). A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) [ What plan!
. Let
the budget battle begin Congress returns to fight over the nation’s
solvency. (WP) [ Stated another way, the nation’s solvency is
over. .. america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is
eating progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..the
Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the
lowest since November 2010… This is an especially
great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much
worse to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers and the
highest crime rates in the world by far.
http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg . Defacto
bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military spending than all the
nations of the world combined... federal employees / contractors, cia, all 3
branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved american
trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
AIG
to sell Treasury shares The government soon will begin unloading its 92.1
percent ownership stake in the bailout company. (Washington
Post) [ Who’s the unlucky sucker? Ultimately, a pension fund or two or three,
etc., or maybe you or an equally unlucky member of your family. Stock
market on a roll despite slowing economic growth, lingering
unemployment[Also known as reality! Roll … yes, indeed … everyone’s to get
rolled! ] (WP) Dow is up more than 10 percent for 2011, to its highest
point in nearly three years. [ Same bubble scenario preceeding last crash
(including currency manipulation); yet, far worse this time owing to
insurmountable debt and defacto bankruptcy of the nation.
Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(WP) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNANKE’ show is
scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for ‘economic growth’,
the frauds on wall street still rallied.
Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He
already has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at
record levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing
of fiat paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil WSCS‘DJI -1.02% SP500 -1.11% Nasdaq -0.93%
Gold -0.82% Oil -4.63% at $98.88.
Gold sold off ..Silver lost over 8%.
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders
finally getting busted.. but what about what large banks, investment banks, and
mortgage companies did to the US economy…these insider trading cases are
basically sideshows…
Fed
official calls for vigilance (WP)
[ Who’s still buying their
b***s***! Much higher prices / inflation’s already here. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’..
hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper
currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009…’
Treasury
Auctions To Take US Over Debt Ceiling On Monday Dow Jones News
| The Treasury Department auctioned $56 billion in new debt this week.
Fed
warns politicians to raise US debt ceiling AFP | Bernanke
warned politicians to raise the debt limit soon or risk destabilizing the
financial system.
Republicans
unveil cuts as Democrats eye tax hike Reuters |
Republicans planned sharp cuts to foreign aid and education on Wednesday, while
Democrats weighed a tax hike on millionaires.
28
Statistics About The Gutting Of The U.S. Economy That Will Blow Your Mind ‘Red alert! Over 40 billion dollars of
America’s national wealth is being shipped out of the country every single
month. Our economy is being gutted and we are bleeding wealth and we are
bleeding jobs. The
American Dream May 12, 2011
Red alert! Over 40 billion
dollars of America’s national wealth is being shipped out of the country every
single month. Our economy is being gutted and we are bleeding wealth and
we are bleeding jobs. This is a distress call. Is anyone
listening? Thousands of our factories and millions of our jobs are being
shipped overseas. Over the past decade over 6 trillion dollars have been
transferred into the hands of foreigners. Our national government is so
broke that they constantly have to go and beg those foreigners to lend us back
some of that money in order to finance our exploding debt. The number of good
jobs continues to decline and there are millions upon millions of my countrymen
that are unemployed. Can anybody help us? Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!Sadly,
the vast majority of Americans really are dead asleep on this issue. They
just continue to run out to the big retail stores and fill their carts with
products made in China and yet they seem completely bewildered by the fact that
the number of good jobs continues to decline.Over the past decade, the number
of middle class jobs has fallen by about ten percent. There is a reason
for this. America is becoming poorer. The economic pie is
shrinking. When we ship 40 to 50 billion dollars into the hands of
foreigners every single month, that means that there is a lot less wealth for
all of us to divide up.Every single month, the U.S. ships in massive amounts of
foreign oil and massive amounts of cheap plastic trinkets from places such as
China which we greedily consume. In return, we send them a giant pile of
money.This happens month after month after month. You see, we always need
more of their oil and more of their plastic trinkets. They are more than
happy to keep getting richer and richer.Meanwhile, thousands of our factories
and millions of our jobs continue to be sent overseas where labor is far
cheaper. Thanks to globalization, American workers much now directly
compete for jobs with workers that are willing to work for less than a dollar
an hour on the other side of the globe.
The
dismantling of our economy is happening right in front of our eyes and most of
our politicians are not doing a thing to stop it.
The following
are 28 statistics about the gutting of the U.S. economy that will blow your
mind….
#1 According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the
U.S. trade deficit for the month of March was $48.2 billion. That was up from
$45.4 billion in February.
#2 The United States has had a negative trade
balance every single yearsince 1976.
#3 Between December 2000 and December 2010, the U.S.
ran a total trade deficit of 6.1 trillion dollars.
#4 The U.S. trade deficit with China in March was $18.1
billion. This is money that is not going to support U.S. businesses
and U.S. workers. If that money was actually going to our businesses and
to our workers it would increase tax revenues.
#5 Since China entered the WTO in 2001, the U.S. trade deficit
with China has grown by an average of 18% per
year.
#6 During 2010, we spent $365 billion on goods and services
from China while they only spent $92 billion on goods and services from us.
#7 Since 2005, Americans have gobbled up Chinese
products and services totaling $1.1 trillion, but the Chinese have
only spent $272 billion on American goods and services.
#8 The U.S. trade deficit with China in 2010 was 27 times larger than it was back in 1990.
#9 According to a recent report from the Economic
Policy Institute, between 2001 and 2008 the United States lost 2.4 million jobs due to the growing
trade deficit with China. Every single state in America experienced a net
job loss due to our trade deficit with China during that time period.
#10 The United States has lost an average of
50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the World Trade Organization in
2001.
#11 The United States has lost a staggering 32
percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#12 Between
December 2000 and December 2010, 38 percent of the manufacturing jobs in
Ohio were lost, 42 percent of the manufacturing jobs in North Carolina were
lost and 48 percent of the manufacturing jobs in Michigan were lost.
#13 Back in 1970, 25 percent of all jobs in the United
States were manufacturing jobs. Today, only 9 percent of the jobs in the
United States are manufacturing jobs.
#14 China produced 19.8 percent of all the goods
consumed in the world last year. The United States only produced 19.4 percent.
#15 According to the IMF, China is going to have the
largest economy in the world by 2016.
#16 Nobel economist Robert W. Fogel of the University of
Chicago is projecting that the Chinese economy will be three times larger
than the U.S. economy by the year 2040 if current trends continue.
#17 Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of
the world’s high tech export market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years
later, the United States had less than 15 percent and China’s share had soared to 20 percent.
#18 Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer
industry was actually lower in 2010 than it was in 1975.
#19 In 2002, the United States had a trade deficit in
“advanced technology products” of $16 billion with the rest of the world.
In 2010, that number skyrocketed to $82 billion.
#20 Last year, China produced 11 times as much steel as the United
States did.
#21 Do you remember when the United States was the
dominant manufacturer of automobiles and trucks on the globe? Well, in
2010 the U.S. ran a trade deficit in automobiles, trucks and parts of $110 billion.
#22 In 2010, South Korea exported 12 times as many automobiles, trucks and
parts to us as we exported to them.
#23 According to one recent study, China could
become the global leader in patent filings by next year.
#24 China is now the number
one supplier of components that are critical to the operation
of U.S. defense systems.
#25 In 2010, the number one U.S. export to China
was “scrap and trash”.
#26 Thanks to our exploding trade deficit with China,
the Chinese have accumulated nearly 3 trillion dollars
in foreign currency reserves. That is the largest stockpile of foreign
currency reserves on the entire globe.
#27 The amount of the trade deficit that can be
attributed to foreign oil is at the highest level that we have seen since 2008.
#28 It is being projected that for the first time ever,
the OPEC nations are going to bring in over a trillion dollars
from exporting oil this year. Their biggest customer is the United
States.
Our dependence
on foreign oil is literally bleeding us dry. Once we have burned up all
of that foreign oil in our cars we are left with nothing. But the people
we bought all that oil from are still sitting on all that cash.As we ship our
wealth, our factories and our jobs out of the country, America is getting
poorer.That means that individual Americans are getting poorer.According to one
estimate, between 1999 and 2009 real median household income in the United
States declined by 5.0%.Today, over 44
million Americans are on food stamps and over 47 million Americans are living
in poverty. This is not an accident and it didn’t happen overnight.
Our economic policies are absolutely killing us.This economic downturn has hit
men particularly hard. As thousands of manufacturing facilities have shut
down, millions of blue collar workers have been dumped out on the street.
Most blue collar workers are men.Since January 2008, male employment has
declined by 4,932,000 jobs.Ouch.During 2010,
only 66.8% of American men had jobs, which was a
new all-time record low.There are a lot of blue collar workers that are sitting
at home on their couches today that are still trying to figure out what in the
world happened to their good jobs.There are now more than 6 million Americans
that the government says have given up
looking for work completely. Most of them are men.Sadly, in our
society today most of the people that pursue higher education are women.
Today, 61% of all college degrees
are earned by women.Not that a college education is a ticket to success in
today’s world. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the unemployment
rate for college graduates younger than 25 years old was 9.3 percent in 2010.In fact, the majority of
all of our college graduates end up running home to Mom and Dad after they
graduate.According
to a poll conducted by Twentysomething Inc., 85 percent of U.S. college
graduates will move back home with their parents (at least initially) after
graduation. That is up from 67 percent back in 2006.The truth is that
there are not nearly enough jobs for everyone and that is a huge problem.We
have become a nation that consumes far more wealth than it produces. That
is a recipe for disaster any way that you cut it.Until we have some fundamental
changes to our trade policy, these long-term trends are just going to
continue. We are going to continue to bleed wealth, bleed factories and
bleed jobs.Tax revenues go down when factories shut down and when American
workers are sitting at home on their couches. This is a huge factor in
why our federal, state and local governments are drowning in debt. We
have got to have more wealth creation inside this country or else we are going
to continue to see our government debt problems get even worse.If you walk into
just about any major retail store today, what do you find?You find loads and
loads of products that have been made somewhere else.I hope that you are
enjoying “the low, low prices” because they come at a very high cost.We once
had the greatest economic machine in the history of the world but now it is
being gutted like a fish.If we continue on the road that we are on, the entire
country is eventually going to become just like Detroit.Is that what you want?’
Treasury
Auctions To Take US Over Debt Ceiling On Monday Dow Jones News
| The Treasury Department auctioned $56 billion in new debt this week.
Fed
warns politicians to raise US debt ceiling AFP | Bernanke
warned politicians to raise the debt limit soon or risk destabilizing the
financial system.
Republicans
unveil cuts as Democrats eye tax hike Reuters |
Republicans planned sharp cuts to foreign aid and education on Wednesday, while
Democrats weighed a tax hike on millionaires.
2012
defense bill authorizes ‘permanent war’ against terror The Hill
| Democrats argue that affirming continued war against terrorist forces goes
too far.
Syrian
tanks shell towns, at least 19 killed Reuters | Syrian tanks
shelled residential areas in two towns.
Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in Afghanistan
and Pakistan almost six months ago: the fugitive died in December [2001] and
was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president,
Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. The remnants of Osama's gang,
however, have mostly stayed silent, either to keep Osama's ghost alive or
because they have no means of communication. Bin Laden's voice was detected
regularly until [14 December 2001] by intelligence operatives monitoring radio
transmissions in Tora Bora, according to the Pentagon [details]. Since then, nothing has been heard from the
al-Qa'eda leader and President Bush has hinted in private that bin Laden's
silence could mean he has been killed. [Telegraph, 12/28/2001]
Pakistan's
Musharraf: Bin Laden probably dead
Pakistan's president says he thinks Osama
bin Laden is most likely dead because the suspected terrorist has been unable
to get treatment for his kidney disease. [A Bush administration official] said
U.S. intelligence is that bin Laden needs dialysis every three days and
"it is fairly obvious that that could be an issue when you are running
from place to place, and facing the idea of needing to generate electricity in
a mountain hideout." [CNN]
Karzai: bin
Laden 'probably' dead
Osama bin Laden is "probably"
dead, but former Taliban leader Mullah Omar is alive, Afghan President Hamid
Karzai has said. [CNN]
FBI: Bin Laden
'probably' dead
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation's
counter-terrorism chief, Dale Watson, says he thinks Osama bin Laden is
"probably" dead. [BBC]
Magazine runs
what it calls bin Laden's will
The editor-in-chief of a London-based
Arab news magazine said a purported will it published Saturday was written late
last year [2001] by Osama bin Laden, and shows "he's dying or he's going
to die soon." [CNN]
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage
Then,
of course, there’s also: that ‘pearl harbor event’ so sought by the neo-cons /
war mongers still defies explanation (ie., the ‘stand-down order’, symmetrical
implosions, foreknowledge by some {who conveniently ‘missed the party’ that
day}, etc.. Some links, echoing the unbelief akin to the ‘Jessica Lynch’,
Tillman, etc., affairs follow. People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, and
the highest crime rates in the world by far.
]
Drudgereport: Treasury Auctions to Push US Over Debt Ceiling...
McCARTHY:
'Not one Republican vote' to borrow more without cuts...
'Greater
than expected' damage seen at Japan reactor...
Obama
Tells Companies to 'Step Up' and Hire Workers...
'Nothing
More Important' Than A Government Job… [ and if you believe the jive-talker, he
has some swampland in jersey he wants to sell you! ] ...
REPORT:
48 Women Raped Every Hour in Congo...
'DOLLAR
IN GRAVER DANGER THAN EURO'...
FORBES:
RETURN TO GOLD STANDARD WITHIN 5 YEARS...
In
S.C., legislature takes first step...
POLL: 1 in 5 say bin Laden alive...
MICHELLE:
KEEPS ON DANCING!
First
Lady to host rapper who talks of killing cops...
USA
FREAK OUT: TERROR FEARS; FALSE ALARMS...
Sen.
Schumer Calls For Amtrak 'Do Not Ride' List...
Two
tunnel 'breaches' cause scare in NYC...
Threats
Divert Planes in Three Separate Incidents...
Passengers,
flight crew subdue man banging on cockpit door...
Dallas
Train Station Evacuated: Man Asked For Help Carrying Packages...
4
Arrested For Videotaping TSA Line At Denver...
SHOCK PHOTO: TSA LOOKING FOR
'POOP BOMBS?'
U.S.-Pak.
Rift Widens...
Pak.
warns of 'full force' response to future US raids...
S&P
cuts Greece's rating...
BOEHNER
TO DEMAND NOT BILLIONS, BUT TRILLIONS
IN CUTS...
OIL
REBOUNDS; 2ND LARGEST GAIN ON RECORD...
REPORT:
Housing crash getting worse...
...values
fall fastest rate since '08
Michelle
Obama to host rapper at WH who talks of killing cops...
'COMMAND
CENTER'...
Pakistan
skeptical of U.S. claim bin Laden directed network...
Two loud explosions heard in town where bin Laden killed...
Videos
show 9-11 mastermind watching himself on TV...
U.S.
government censors tapes, cuts audio...
Inside
bin Laden's squalid home...
NYT:
Final days of domesticity...
Drone
Strike Kills 15 in Pakistan...
First
since bin Laden raid...
BIN
LADEN SUPPORTERS RAGE ON THE STREETS OF LONDON, VOW REVENGE...
Stage
mock funeral in front of US embassy...
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
JAPAN
URGES HALT AT THREE REACTORS...
UNEMPLOYMENT
BACK UP TO 9.0%...
Fannie
Mae Reports $8.7B Loss for First Quarter...
Seeks
$8.5B more from taxpayers...
APRIL
JOBS: +244,000...
FUZZY
MATH: How can US add
jobs but the unemployment rate go up?
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
Silver
Plunge Spreads...
OIL
GUTTED...
Price
Slide Temporary, New Highs Likely: Goldman...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
Euro
Tumbles...
CNN
SHOCK POLL: RON PAUL HAS BEST CHANCE VS OBAMA
National
Home Prices Double Dip...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS RISE TO 8 MONTH HIGH...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
9-11
FAMILY: 'SHOW US PROOF BIN LADEN KILLED'...
Victim's
father: Obama 'putting too much spotlight on himself'...
Channels
Bush at Ground Zero: 'We will never forget'...
Tells
teen survivor he knows
Justin Bieber...
Turns
Back on 9/11 Family Member...
AUDIO...
Muslim
Brotherhood urges review of Israel ties...
Pakistanis
burn U.S. flags; backlash over death grows...
Pakistan
officials: No resistance in 'cold-blooded' U.S. raid...
Warns
America not to stage any more...
Threatens
'disastrous consequences'...
Muslims
already name dump location 'Martyr's Sea'...
OBAMA,
NO PHOTOS OF OSAMA: 'We don't need to spike the football'...
'Conspiracy theorists will just claim doctored'...
Sen.
Scott Brown: 'I've seen picture, he's definitely dead'...
UPDATE:
Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was
faked...
three
senators fell for fakes...
UPDATE:
'The photo I saw and that a lot of other people saw is not authentic'...
Top
Dem: No photo needed, 'there's absolute proof'...
REUTERS RELEASES 'DEATH SCENE' PHOTOS
**WARNING GRAPHIC**
UPDATE: Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was faked...
Possibly
three senators fell for fakes...
Pakistan:
'Not a single bullet fired from compound'...
WIRE:
Photos from 1 hour after raid show 3 dead, no weapons...
The
Slippery Story of the bin Laden Kill...
Official says 'killed apparently
by the U.S. raid team'...
DOLLAR
HITS 3 YEAR LOW...
1
IN 7 ON FOOD STAMPS!
Job
numbers disappoint...
Treasury
suggests $2 trillion debt cap raise...
Postal
Service loses $2.2B in second quarter (Washington Post) [ And, let me add that they
deserved that loss. The USPS is totally unreliable and basically a jobs program
for the otherwise unemployable; and, they are also corrupt. I’ve previously set
forth the scenario where the postal service waylaid dvd disks sent
priority/confirmation and a second time, certified mail, to the FBI (violations
of federal law, tampering, obstruction, etc.), and ultimately additional copies
of said disks were delivered by the reliable, efficient, competitive,
performance-driven UPS (their parcel rates are roughly the same and yet half
the delivery time – Fedex is as unreliable as the USPS-and for some time had a
deal with the USPS). Amazon, Ebay, though a boon to the USPS, have consistently
failed to deliver in the realm of computers.
http://www.procomputercenter.com . Pro Computer Center is among the few
remaining stores of their kind. They are performance / service / customer
oriented like no other surviving computer retailer / repairer / service
providers I’ve experienced. They’ve also moved into the realm of computer
forensics / data recovery in the context of court proceedings where they’ve
successfully performed where others failed and at substantially more reasonable
rates than ‘the competition’. My most
recent computer problems accounting for some website / posting delays has been
once again been resolved by them and another Dell computer (the circumstances
of the most recent debacle was a barrage of Trojans caught by my antivirus, one
after another, then shutting down my antivirus, ultimately freezing (no boot)
my computer (I previously alluded to my reasonable suspicions as to who
perpetrated same). My experiences with such as Amazon, Ebay have been atrocious
and borderline if not outright fraudulent (the shoddy sellers), time consuming,
and aggravating in the ‘claims process’. Moreover, other retailers lay most of
the warrantee on the manufacturer. (Prior testimonial:
I just wanted to extend to you and your company my sincere thanks
for a job well done.. I bought my first computer from you (Ben) in or around
1999. It was a Sony Vaio laptop which owing to Windows Millenium and a very
proprietary approach to computing on the part of Sony, truth be told, was not
the greatest system in terms of stability, but no fault of yours. Ultimately,
though functional, I traded to you the Vaio for a Mac. You’ve always stood by
your products / service, are available / accessible to field / handle all
questions / problems which is rare indeed. In Armand you have a top-notch A+
Certified Tech who is patient, knowledgeable, and talented. Ruben, in truth has
been particularly instrumental in seeing to a smooth transition in my recent
dealings with your company as a knowledgeable IT Specialist and especially as a
savvy, capable manager. Since 1999 I’ve purchased five computers from you and
based upon performance, the sixth is assured.
Debt
ceiling battles have negotiation experts shaking their heads Professional
negotiators weigh in on lawmakers’ inept attempts to negotiate the national
debt ceiling. (Washington Post) [ Boehner
seeks more than $2 trillion in cuts (Washington Post) [ I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking
‘Riiiiight! … that’ll happen … and all
without cuts to endless war spending … while the situation’s more than that
dire, the advice is … don’t hold your breath!
Milbank:
The GOP’s juvenile debate (Washington Post) [ Mr. Milbank has lamentably become the rush
limbaugh / sean hannity of the newspaper world, though he barks and apologizes
for dems (and wobama the b for b*** s***) only (as they for the gop / bushies
only). A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) [ What plan!
. Let
the budget battle begin Congress returns to fight over the nation’s
solvency. (WP) [ Stated another way, the nation’s solvency is
over. .. america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is
eating progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..the
Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the
lowest since November 2010… This is an especially
great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much
worse to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers and the
highest crime rates in the world by far.
http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg . Defacto
bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military spending than all the
nations of the world combined... federal employees / contractors, cia, all 3
branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved american
trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
AIG
to sell Treasury shares The government soon will begin unloading its 92.1
percent ownership stake in the bailout company. (Washington
Post) [ Who’s the unlucky sucker? Ultimately, a pension fund or two or three,
etc., or maybe you or an equally unlucky member of your family. Stock
market on a roll despite slowing economic growth, lingering
unemployment[Also known as reality! Roll … yes, indeed … everyone’s to get
rolled! ] (WP) Dow is up more than 10 percent for 2011, to its highest
point in nearly three years. [ Same bubble scenario preceeding last crash
(including currency manipulation); yet, far worse this time owing to
insurmountable debt and defacto bankruptcy of the nation.
Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(WP) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNANKE’ show is
scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for ‘economic growth’,
the frauds on wall street still rallied.
Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He
already has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at
record levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing
of fiat paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
Stocks
slip after three-day rally (Washington Post) [
Top 3 Reasons Markets Tanked with Oil WSCS‘DJI -1.02% SP500 -1.11% Nasdaq -0.93%
Gold -0.82% Oil -4.63% at $98.88.
Gold sold off ..Silver lost over 8%.
1) Commodities
and Oil got slaughtered. .. widening trade gap.
2) Insiders
finally getting busted.. but what about what large banks, investment banks, and
mortgage companies did to the US economy…these insider trading cases are
basically sideshows…
Fed
official calls for vigilance (WP)
[ Who’s still buying their
b***s***! Much higher prices / inflation’s already here. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’..
hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper
currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage
Then,
of course, there’s also: that ‘pearl harbor event’ so sought by the neo-cons /
war mongers still defies explanation (ie., the ‘stand-down order’, symmetrical
implosions, foreknowledge by some {who conveniently ‘missed the party’ that
day}, etc.. Some links, echoing the unbelief akin to the ‘Jessica Lynch’,
Tillman, etc., affairs follow. People
must realize that though having but 5% of the world’s
population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, and the
highest crime rates in the world by far.
]
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers and the
highest crime rates in the world by far.
http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg . Defacto
bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on military spending than all the
nations of the world combined... federal employees / contractors, cia, all 3
branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved american
trait of inherent criminality ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ).
That perverse field of dreams I’ve previously alluded to, the american
nightmare, if you build / contrive war, they will come. And, they do; seals of
them (among others); and when their ‘tours’ are done, it’s murder inc./contract
killing for hire that they’ve won (cia, mob, etc.). The 20th century, the
‘bloodiest century’, not coincidentally referred to as the american century,
brings longings of nostalgia to american criminals who, like Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the prospect of killing, raping, pillaging, and plundering
which primitive mindset they have mistakenly been conditioned to connect to
their now irretrievably lost success as a nation state; and to the contrary,
has become globally and domestically self-destructive / self-defeating. The
entire 911 / Bin Laden scenario just doesn’t pass the smell test and reeks of
political desperation and Orwellian opportunism.
Stocks Fall, In Step With Commodities Midnight Trader ‘4:24 PM, May 11, 2011 --
GLOBAL SENTIMENT
UPSIDE MOVERS
(+) M beats with earnings, hikes dividend, raises guidance.
(+) TISA reports improved earnings.
(+) JNJ upgraded.
(+) LVS initiated with Buy rating.
(+) ALTI inks contract.
(+) TYPE added to S&P 600 SmallCap.
(+) ASTC inks contract.
(+) HALO inks licensing pact.
(+) CHOP guides for beat.
(+) AIG sets share offering through Treasury Dept.
DOWNSIDE MOVERS
(-) NTAP upgraded.
(-) CS upgraded.
(-) IRM initiated with Overweight rating.
(-) GIVN reports positive results from European study.
(-) NTAP upgraded.
(-) DIS misses with results.
(-) YGE cuts margin, shipment guidance.
(-) HBC details cost-cutting.
(-) STWD selling shares.
(-) MYRX reports narrower loss vs year earlier.
MARKET DIRECTION
Stock averages end sharply lower, in the bottom end of the session's range, and
snapping a three-day rally. Weaker commodities sapped early strength in the
stock market as did concerns for Chinese inflation and Greek debt. Blue chip
Disney (DIS) fell after disappointing results.
Commodities ended trading lower as crude oil futures faltered on concerns over
rising inventories and a Chinese interest rate hike, and gold slumped on a
stronger greenback.
Light, sweet crude for June delivery finished down 5.5% to $98.21 a barrel. In
other energy futures, heating oil was down 2.8% to $2.91 a gallon while natural
gas was down 0.64% to at $4.21 per million British thermal units.
Meanwhile, gold futures ended lower as the dollar strengthened against foreign
currencies.
Gold for June delivery finished down 1% to $1,501.40 an ounce. In other metal
futures, silver settled down 7.7% to $35.52 a troy ounce while copper traded up
0.62% to $4.04.
The U.S. dollar index (DXY) is up 1.01% to $75.37.
Walt Disney Co. fell after reporting Q2 EPS of $0.49, up from $0.48 per share
in the prior year quarter. Revenue was $9.07 billion, up from $8.58 billion.
The Street view was $0.57 per share in earnings on revenue of $9.11 billion.
The U.S. trade deficit widened by 6% in March to $48.2 billion, the Commerce
Department said Wednesday. The trade deficit was above the consensus forecast
of Wall Street economists for $47.0 billion. Exports rose to the highest level
on record while imports were the strongest since August 2008.
Also, crude oil futures moved lower following talk about interest rate hikes in
China and a larger-than-expected rise in U.S. oil supplies last week. The
Energy Information Administration said crude oil inventories for the week ended
May 6 increased by 3.8 million barrels, above the 1.1 million barrels expected
by analysts.
The major refiners - including Chevron (CVX),
BP (BP),
Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) and
Exxon (XOM) - were all trending lower.
In company news:
Intel (INTC)
is higher after it raises its quarterly cash dividend 16% to $0.21 per share, beginning
with the dividend that will be declared in Q3. The move is the second time in
six months the world's largest chipmaker has boosted its dividend as corporate
technology spending increases.
Shares of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) are higher following an AP report that
the drug and healthcare products company is recalling a prescription drug due
to a musty odor - most likely from a chemical on shipping pallets. J&J said
it is recalling five lots of HIV medicine Prezista. The recall comes at the
wholesale and pharmacy level in five countries.
U.S.-traded shares of HSBC (HBC) are down after the bank released cost
cutting measures as part of a strategy day. HSBC plans to slash as much as $3.5
billion from mounting costs and announced a review of its U.S. credit-card
business and branch network, MarketWatch and other news outlets reported. The
bank said it aims to achieve sustainable annual cost savings of between $2.5
billion and $3.5 billion by 2013, bringing its cost efficiency ratio, the ratio
of expenses to revenue, down to between 48% and 52%.
Level 3 (LVLT) firms after it says HBO selected
the company to provide content delivery network (CDN) services supporting the
new HBO GO mobile app delivery initiative.
American International Group (AIG) shares gained after the
insurer said it and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as the selling
shareholder, have commenced a registered public offering of AIG common stock,
par value $2.50 per share. One hundred million shares will be issued and sold
by AIG and 200 million shares will be sold by the selling shareholder. The Wall
Street Journal was out with a report earlier Wednesday saying the $9 billion
offering was smaller than analysts expected.
In earnings news:
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) reports Q1 non-GAAP
EPS rose 11.8% to $1.04 a share, beating the Thomson Reuters mean analyst
estimate for $1.03 by a penny. Net sales rose 11.7% to $4.08 billion.
- Arcelor Mittal (MT) says Q1 sales were $22.2 billion, up 7.2% from a
year ago. Net income was $0.69 per share, up from $0.42 a year earlier.
- Macy's (M)
says Q1 sales were $5.889 billion, more than the Thomson Reuters mean for
$5.85849 billion. It earned $0.30 per share, better than forecasts for $0.18.
In energy ETFs, the United States Oil Fund (USO)
is down 2.56% to $40.03 and the United States Natural Gas fund (UNG) is down 2.18%, to
$10.77.
In precious metal ETFs, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD)
is down 0.94% at $146.51. Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX)
is down 1.9% to $55.68. iShares Silver Trust (SLV)
is down 6.18% to $35.18.’
Dollar
mixed on deeper trade deficit, Greece woes Associated Press
| Dollar mixed against major currencies Wednesday after a report showed a
growing U.S. trade deficit.
US
Trade Gap Widens More Than Expected in March CNBC | The
U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in March.
U.S.
‘Underwater’ Homeowners Increase to 28 Percent Bloomberg |
Homeowners with negative equity increased from 22 percent a year earlier.
Fed
official calls for vigilance Action may be taken against even the
possibility of a surge of higher prices, Jeffrey M. Lacker says. (Washington
Post) [ Who’s still buying their
b***s***! Much higher prices / inflation’s already here. They conveniently have
said they’re using an ‘inflating strategy’ for asset prices, also known as
inflation. Why? Because high inflation is here! 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (WP) Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Bernanke
prepares to make history (WP) [ He already has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+
gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at record levels, hyperinflation as
predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat paper currency by fed as
predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009, corporate subsidies, etc.
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage
Then,
of course, there’s also: that ‘pearl harbor event’ so sought by the neo-cons /
war mongers still defies explanation (ie., the ‘stand-down order’, symmetrical
implosions, foreknowledge by some {who conveniently ‘missed the party’ that
day}, etc.. Some links, echoing the unbelief akin to the ‘Jessica Lynch’,
Tillman, etc., affairs follow. People
must realize that though having but 5% of the
world’s population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, and
the highest crime rates in the world by far.
]
Sell
in May? The Signals to De-Risk Cam Hui ‘In the wake of the commodity rout
last week, the Inflation-Deflation
Timer Model has moved into "neutral" from an
"inflation" reading*. This told my inner trader that he should take
some risk off the table. Given the high level of macro risk, I would be
inclined to take more more defensive position than usual.
This signal to de-risk isn't a surprise. In early April, I wrote about negative
divergences (see Getting
ready to sell in May). How the market reacts to news is also a good
short-term indicator of direction. The fizzled Osama bin Laden rally should
have been as clear as ringing the bell in the town square to traders that this
market was looking tired.
What happens now?
Now that the Timer Model has gone neutral, what happens now? Mr. Market could
take one of two paths.
First, this could be the start of a run-of-the-mill 5-10% correction in the
equity market, with an extreme downside limit of about 15%. VIX
and More has tabulated the market pullbacks in the 2009-11 period and the
average depth of these correction was 6.5%.
Macro risks everywhere
I am concerned that the market is acting vulnerably during a period of
heightened macro risk. There are three major sources of macro risk:
The current market environment is likely to resolve
itself with a plain vanilla 5-10% correction. However, if any of these macro
risks were to manifest themselves during that pullback, the downside has the
potential to extend itself to 40-50%.
My inner investor has already heeded these warnings
and de-risked his portfolio. My inner trader is inclined to be more defensive
than normally called for.’
Should
Long-Term Investors Buy or Sell This Market? Jones ‘…Stocks: Overbought & Overvalued The data show that stocks right now are overbought
and overvalued. That's not dogma or my opinion or the narrative I'm trying to
promulgate; it's just what the data show.With the exception of the bubble 90’s,
the stock market has never had a positive 10-year return that began
from valuation levels like the present …’
‘ It's a good question.
The kind of question than long-term investors like you and I really want to
know the answer to. Is the
market a long term buy? To help us answer it we're going to look at some
charts, including one that might be the most important chart of all. The King
of the Charts! It's the one that every long-term investor should be interested
in.
Overbought
& Overvalued? Underowned & Fundamentally Cheap?
We're already
on record as believing that stocks are a tricky value proposition over the
short run. The market has gone up for eight straight months since the QE2
program was announced and anything that moves that far in a straight line faces
an increasingly large risk of reverting back to mean. Moving to a slightly
longer time horizon -- the medium term -- one of our Predictions
for 2011 was that the market would end basically flat for the year. So far,
I've been dead wrong on that one though the rest have panned out nicely,
nailing it on gold, oil, Paul Ryan, and real estate. I expect to finish the
year about 50/50 on my predictions. That's the best that any of us who lack
crystal balls can really hope for.But what about over the long-term? Is it OK
to ignore the short and medium term risks and buy?Long-term investors nowadays
sort themselves into two basic camps. I'll bet dollars or donuts that you
already have a view on the matter and what we discuss today won't change your
mind one way or the other. But that's how it goes with investment research --
we look for stuff that confirms our preconceived notions and discard
information that refutes it. Trying to change minds in this business is just
asking for trouble.Most likely you're already either in the camp that thinks
that stocks are cheap and a fantastic buy or you think that they're expensive
and you're waiting for them to fall back to lower valuations. But maybe you're
in the middle. Who knows. Maybe you just own gold or GLD and are hiding out in
your bunker cranking out angry manifestos about how stocks are a fraud and
Treasuries are a fraud and so, incidentally, is the Dollar and it's nebbish champion,
Timothy Franz Geithner.That's cool too. Hopefully you like charts:
click to enlarge [ chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/6/524360-130470267773646-Jeffrey-Dow-Jones_origin.png ]
I love this
chart. It's my time machine chart.What this chart does is start at the very
beginning of the year 1900. It takes a look at the Price/Earnings ratio for the
market at that exact moment. Then it fast forwards through time to exactly ten
years later and it measures how much the market went up in down over that ten
year span. The chart plots those two bits of information against each other as
one data point. Then it goes back to February of 1900 and repeats the process
for every single month and every single 10-year window in the 20th century.The
chart measures present valuation
against future
return. Pretty snazzy, huh?For this kind of study, it's important to use some
kind of normalized earnings to smooth out the volatility of corporate earnings.
Personally, I like Bob Shiller's simple "average 10 year earnings".
But there are bunch of different ways you can normalize earnings. It all tells
basically the same story.If you look back at that chart again, you'll probably
say, "whoah, that's cool." You can see that there is a
definite relationship between present valuation and future return.
High valuations correlate with low future returns and low valuations correlate
with higher future returns. Always be skeptical if you hear people denying this
relationship or that you should always buy (or sell) the market regardless of
its valuation. The data doesn't lie. As a long-term investor, it really pays to
get a sense of whether the market is cheap or expensive before investing
because it can make a HUGE different over the long run.In other words: if you
buy when stocks are fundamentally cheap and hold them for a while, there is a very good
chance you'll make decent money. If you buy stocks when they are expensive and hold them for a while, there is a very good
chance you'll get a whole lot of heartburn and your wife will wonder why you're
always using so much profanity.Looking back at that chart, you'll also notice
that there are two different curves. That probably makes you say, "whoah,
that's weird." What's going on here?The entire upper curve is pretty much
the 1990's through now. Valuations were really high in the early 90's and the
market did great for the next decade. In the late 90's valuations were really,
REALLY high and the market pretty much broke even for the next decade. That
brings us to right around today.What was the reason for that? How was it that
the stock market did so well, doubling or better from a 20+ P/E ratio when every
other instance like that in history stocks had gone down?Some of it had to do
with the tech bubble. Investors bought the market at a time when it was kind of
pricy but the 10-year window happened to close during the peak of the bubble
days. Then there is also the collection of points that started in the mid-90's
when the market was starting to get really expensive and ran through the peak
of the credit bubble in 2007.Do you want to blame Alan Greenspan for those
points, distorted by the bubble windows? You can if you want. I won't get in
your way.We all kind of freaked out when we had 9/11 and the little 2001
recession and when the stock market went down for a few years in a row we got
desperate and cut interest rates to basically zero percent. When you do that, real interest rates usually go negative and that gives
people a serious incentive to invest in anything that's not cash, regardless
of the price. I wrote a much
more in-depth piece about the effect of negative real interest rates right here. It boils
down to "Risk or
Die."Because interest rates have been so low for so long, and real
interest rates have been negative or close enough to it, the market is behaving in a
manner totally discordant with the bulk of recorded history.
It's a
policy-driven world
You can make a
pretty good case that a lot of those points have been driven entirely by modern
policy -- both Fed policy and political policy. We can argue about whether or
not this goal to inflate asset prices is the prudent or appropriate policy. But it's kind of silly to debate whether or
not it actually works. It does.Will this super-aggressive, asset-stimulative
policy continue? That's the big discussion right now and it's why so many
people pay so much attention to those two little words -- "extended
period" -- in the Fed minutes. If the policy doesn't continue then the
market might start behaving like it did for the century prior to the credit
bubble.
UH OH.
What might
that look like? Let's revise our chart. Let's take out all of these modern data
points, the ones from this era of unprecedented and aggressive monetary &
fiscal policy. It'll be what an investor should expect if they think they next
few decades will resemble the first 90% of the 20th century and not this recent
era since Greenspan and Bernanke took over.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/6/524360-130470615079765-Jeffrey-Dow-Jones_origin.png ]
In this chart,
our time machine basically stops before we get too far into the
buy-at-any-price psychology of tech boom and subsequent credit bubble.I also
marked the today's Price/Earnings ratio. As of last week, the Shiller PE stands
at around 24. Again, you can use other flavors of normalized earnings, but they
all tell pretty much the same story. The numbers are different but the relationship
is the same.
Stocks:
Overbought & Overvalued
The data show
that stocks right now are overbought and overvalued. That's not dogma or my
opinion or the narrative I'm trying to promulgate; it's just what the data
show.With the exception of the bubble 90’s, the stock market has never
had a positive 10-year return that began from valuation levels like the
present. Now, I want to emphasize that that’s not to say that stocks will go down over the next decade. They could go up. These
are crazy times!There are plenty of convincing arguments to buy stocks for the
long run, but relative to historical valuation data, stocks are expensive. In a
sense, buying them is a bet that policy will continue to be asset-stimulative
and that we won't have any technical or economic hiccups along the way.This
condition won’t last forever. I'm one of those guys that doesn't like to buy
things that are expensive and if they are things that fluctuate in value (like
stocks) I am happy just being patient until they get cheap again. Don’t worry,
they will get
cheap again. The history of the stock market is one where it moves in big
cycles from “expensive” to “cheap” and back again. When stocks do get cheap
I’ll go shopping. Until then, I’m avoiding the risk and saving myself the heartburn.
How to
play it
If you think
that the arguments against using historical valuation as a compass are
outweighed by other arguments then go ahead and load up on something like the
SPDRs (SPY) or Diamonds (DIA) and just hold them for
as long as you'd like. Or buy an actively managed growth fund. Over the
long-run, most of them are pretty much the same and they'll all do well if the
market does well.Go on ahead and bet on systemtically-important U.S. stocks
like Apple (AAPL),
Microsoft (MSFT), Exxon (XOM),
Wal-Mart (WMT), or Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).
Odds are, over the long run those stocks will grow by at least GDP. I probably wouldn't use a bank stock like
Citgroup (C)
or Bank of America (BAC) to make a bet like this on the
broader market. There are a lot of factors idiosyncratic to that industry that
may produce extra volatility and more-difficult-to-predict returns.If you don't
like to buy the market when it's expensive... then don't buy it! I probably
wouldn't recommend shorting it just because that's a tough thing to
successfully manage over the long run. Try and be patient and hold your cash as
you wait for that opportunity. Hang out in bonds or something. Heck, go play
golf and check back in a year or so.You can also narrow your focus. Just
because the market
is expensive doesn't mean that every stock is expensive. There are plenty of cheap stocks out
there and this is the kind of stuff that people talk about on Seeking Alpha
every day.In fact, if you're going to draw one conclusion from this article, I
hope it's not that you should buy the market or sell the market. It's that this
is an environment where you'll probably be better off with active strategies
and picking specific stocks than with passive strategies and positioning
yourself like an index.
When to
go all in
If that red
line ever gets below 10, I am going to load the freakin’ boat with domestic
equities. It will be a long-term trade, and the bad news is that it’s the kind
trade that most investors get only one shot to make in their entire careers. It’s like
buying stocks in 1908 or 1933 or 1947 or 1982. I wasn’t in the business in
1982, so I’m still waiting for my chance. It will come. But I can tell you
right now that it won’t be an easy trade to make. The world will feel like it’s
ending and people will hate stocks with a violent passion. (Sort of like real
estate today.) Stocks will sell for 8 or 9 times the previous decade’s
earnings and everybody in the world will think they should be selling at 4 or
5x. That sounds like it will be an easy thing to do. But trust me, it will take
some serious cojones.
Everyone in the world will have a reason for why investors shouldn't buy the market despite the historically cheap
valuation.Psychology is a funny thing.’
Boehner
seeks more than $2 trillion in cuts (Washington Post) [ I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking
‘Riiiiight! … that’ll happen … and all
without cuts to endless war spending … while the situation’s more than that
dire, the advice is … don’t hold your breath!
Milbank:
The GOP’s juvenile debate (Washington Post) [ Mr. Milbank has lamentably become the rush
limbaugh / sean hannity of the newspaper world, though he barks and apologizes
for dems (and wobama the b for b*** s***) only (as they for the gop / bushies
only). A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) [ What plan!
. Let
the budget battle begin Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the
nation’s solvency. (WP) [ Stated another way, the nation’s solvency is
over. .. america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is
eating progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and
you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how
we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this
(while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the
top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t
fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..And here
comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010… This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
(Washington
Post) [ And don’t forget the
troubled states. Ask Meredith Whitney! She was right last time, and this time,
like last last time, she’s takin’ it on the chin from the permabull wall street
frauds: Meredith
Whitney Sticks to Her Guns Today Roche ‘Talk about holding onto a losing
trade. At the Milken Conference yesterday, Meredith Whitney said there was nothing
controversial about her muni call, maintaining that she has more conviction
about the muni crisis call than anything in her entire career. Via Bloomberg:
Whitney said on the panel, “It’s not that big of a
call..There’s nothing controversial about that call, if you look at the
numbers.”
“You can criticize me for everything you want, I’m
just numb to it because I have more conviction on this than I’d had on any
single thing in my career.”
On the same panel, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs’
co-head of investment banking said, “I don’t think we’re doomed. I think the
resources available to us, and the changes that will evolve as we come out of a
very, very difficult economic period that we’ve been stuck in over the past
couple of years, will provide more flexibility than I think Meredith believes.”
Whitney is certainly right that the states are
suffering fiscal woes; however, as we’ve seen in Europe, there are mechanisms
that can be utilized to combat these issues. While I still maintain that there
is a chance of local defaults, I think the United States will be proactive in
fending off a euro-style crisis.
And that means the US federal government will do what
it has always done. It will credit the bank accounts of the states in order to
ensure that any single municipality cannot cause widespread economic hardship
throughout the United States. This would be nothing new. The US has always
credited the bank accounts of the states that are part of this union.
If Europe was truly united, we would see the same
thing occurring in Europe; however, because it's not united, it instead chooses
austerity due to fears of inflation. The reality is that the ECB is not
creating inflation; it's merely stopping the potentially deflationary debacle
that would ensue with sovereign defaults.
I would hope that a truly
United States of America would be a bit more caring of its own member
states.’
Strange Week: Wall Street Takes a Dive Hansen
‘Strange week on Wall Street.
Weekly
unadjusted initial unemployment claims popped above the 2010 year-ago number.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/8/saupload_z_unemployment2.png
US
Postal Service reports $2.2B loss for quarter... [ And, let me add
that they deserved that loss. The USPS is totally unreliable and basically a
jobs program for the otherwise unemployable; and, they are also corrupt. I’ve
previously set forth the scenario where the postal service waylaid dvd disks
sent priority/confirmation and a second time, certified mail, to the FBI
(violations of federal law, tampering, obstruction, etc.), and ultimately
additional copies of said disks were delivered by the reliable, efficient,
competitive, performance-driven UPS (their parcel rates are roughly the same
and yet half the delivery time – Fedex is as unreliable as the USPS-and for
some time had a deal with the USPS). Amazon, Ebay, though a boon to the USPS,
have consistently failed to deliver in the realm of computers / peripherals.
The following includes a prior testimonial to the service, reliability of PRO
Computer Center ( http://www.procomputercenter.com Pro Computer Center, 10837 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
90025 ) .
Pro Computer Center is among the few remaining stores of their kind. They are
performance / service / customer oriented like no other surviving computer
retailer / repairer / service providers I’ve experienced. They’ve also moved
into the realm of computer forensics / data recovery in the context of court
proceedings where they’ve successfully performed where others failed and at
substantially more reasonable rates than ‘the competition’. My most recent computer problems accounting
for some website / posting delays has been once again been resolved by them and
another Dell computer (the circumstances of the most recent debacle was a
barrage of Trojans caught by my antivirus, one after another, then shutting
down my antivirus, ultimately freezing (no boot) my computer (I previously
alluded to my reasonable suspicions as to who perpetrated same). My experiences
with such as Amazon, Ebay have been atrocious and borderline if not outright
fraudulent (the shoddy sellers), time consuming, and aggravating in the ‘claims
process’. Moreover, the other brick and mortar stores, even if reputable, have
a fine print which lays most of the warrantee/ guarantee on the manufacturer.
In sum, Pro Computer Center does not have any ‘real’ competition. They are currently
building me a backup computer that comports with my budget and their survival
as a company, though somewhat rare among computer retailers of their type, is
totally understandable and a testament to high quality performance and service. (Prior testimonial:
Pro Computer
Center
10837 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Gentlemen:
I just wanted to extend to you and your company my sincere thanks
for a job well done. The Dell computer I recently purchased from you has lived
up to all your representations and as well, my own expectations. I bought my
first computer from you (Ben) in or around 1999. It was a Sony Vaio laptop
which owing to Windows Millenium and a very proprietary approach to computing
on the part of Sony, truth be told, was not the greatest system in terms of
stability (typical Millenium problems), but no fault of yours. Ultimately,
though functional, I traded the Vaio for a Mac, an accommodation by your
company seldom seen with other companies if at all (3+ years later). You’ve
always stood by your products / service, are available / accessible to field /
handle all questions / problems which is rare indeed. In Armand you have a
top-notch A+ Certified Tech who is patient, knowledgeable, and talented. Ruben,
in truth has been particularly instrumental in seeing to a smooth transition in
my recent dealings with your company as a knowledgeable IT Specialist and
especially as a savvy, capable manager. Since 1999 I’ve purchased five
computers from you and based upon performance, the sixth is assured.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia ) ]
Tea
party vs. the RINOs Activists and lawmakers are split on what’s next. (Washington Post) [ Ah, yes! Those activists … those musket-bearing
tea partyers … riiiiight, gotcha. What Mr. Milbank conveniently omits (too
obvious, maybe?) is that the Tea Party is particularly adversarial to the DINs
(democrat in name). Truth be told, I really don’t follow the Tea Party; but,
it’s also true I don’t follow the democrats or republicans either. After all, I
don’t consider myself a lemming, propelled to the precipice so to speak; and,
moreover, posit an inevitable futility in light of past (and future) events. If
only they had listened … made love, not war! Well, like the scorpion, it’s in
their nature (I’m sure you remember that fable). Speaking of fables, they’re
getting downright primetime:
The Osama Deception Corbett
Report | James Corbett breaks down the Osama raid hoax and the “home
video” footage.
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog | In the newly-release
videos, Bin Laden looks better than he did years ago.
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage Paul Joseph Watson | Dubious Bin Laden
“Home Movies” Identical To Tapes Released 4 Years Ago By Pentagon Front Group
Trump’s 2012 polling plummets (The Ticket)
Marcus Baram
over at Huffington Post has a thoroughly
reported piece on Trump University on Friday. I have spent part of the past
week digging into some of the same issues that Baram did.
The case
against Trump University alleges that “The primary lesson Trump University
teaches its students is how to spend more money by buying more Trump Seminars.”
Students say they were encouraged to raise the credit limit on their credit
cards so they could spend up to $35,000 to take a Trump University multi-day
seminar.
The case is
not new –it was filed last year in U.S. District Court in San Diego –but the
judge may rule on it as soon as this month. The complaint in the suit says
attorneys general in six states have received “numerous complaints against
Trump University” and the Texas Attorney General began investigating in January
2010.
George Sorial,
assistant general counsel at the Trump Organization, denies the suit’s claims.
Sorial told me that 11,000 students have taken Trump University courses and
most have been happy. He sent me copies of customer satisfaction surveys that
rank the courses highly. He also sent a video interview with Tarla Makaeff, one
of the plaintiffs in the class action suit, taken in August 2008 in Los Angeles
after a Trump U seminar, in which she praises the program.
Makaeff, a
former fashion and handbag designer in San Diego, says via email that the
video interview of her was manipulative, and that before it was taken she had
already complained toTrump University about not making any money off her
$35,000 investment in a seminar. “They … knew I had to give a positive
response [in the video] and cooperate with them and a camera being shoved in my
face in order to get further support and services from them for my $35,000
investment which I had yet to make any money off in 1 year despite verbal
promises otherwise since day one,” Makaeff continues in an email.
The Trump
Organization has also countersued Makaeff for $1 million, alleging defamation.
A judge has denied Makaeff’s motion to dismiss the counterclaim. Call it the
case of the billionaire vs. the handbag designer.
The question
is what affect, if any, the lawsuits might have on billionaire Donald Trump, should he
decide to run for president. Oh, and there’s a lesson, too. Before you decide
to spend $35,000 on a Trump University seminar, remember what its lawyers say:
“Trump University cannot guarantee riches any more than Harvard University can
guarantee a Rhodes Scholarship or MIT can guarantee a Nobel Prize.”
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese (actually
including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his casinos,
bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve Wynn's
doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people and
companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve in
the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie., bribery,
money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss … trump is
total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade, quite
insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable
structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have
survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms
condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his
opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt
america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed
the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’.
The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win
election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He was incorruptible;
and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if not also all but
unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies in america as
I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even false
perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake
it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
Drudgereport:
US
Postal Service reports $2.2B loss for quarter...
MICHELLE:
KEEPS ON DANCING!
First
Lady to host rapper who talks of killing cops...
USA
FREAK OUT: TERROR FEARS; FALSE ALARMS...
Sen.
Schumer Calls For Amtrak 'Do Not Ride' List...
Two
tunnel 'breaches' cause scare in NYC...
Threats
Divert Planes in Three Separate Incidents...
Passengers,
flight crew subdue man banging on cockpit door...
Dallas
Train Station Evacuated: Man Asked For Help Carrying Packages...
4
Arrested For Videotaping TSA Line At Denver...
SHOCK PHOTO: TSA LOOKING FOR
'POOP BOMBS?'
U.S.-Pak.
Rift Widens...
Pak.
warns of 'full force' response to future US raids...
S&P
cuts Greece's rating...
BOEHNER
TO DEMAND NOT BILLIONS, BUT TRILLIONS
IN CUTS...
OIL
REBOUNDS; 2ND LARGEST GAIN ON RECORD...
REPORT:
Housing crash getting worse...
...values
fall fastest rate since '08
Michelle
Obama to host rapper at WH who talks of killing cops...
'COMMAND
CENTER'...
Pakistan
skeptical of U.S. claim bin Laden directed network...
Two loud explosions heard in town where bin Laden killed...
Videos
show 9-11 mastermind watching himself on TV...
U.S.
government censors tapes, cuts audio...
Inside
bin Laden's squalid home...
NYT:
Final days of domesticity...
Drone
Strike Kills 15 in Pakistan...
First
since bin Laden raid...
BIN
LADEN SUPPORTERS RAGE ON THE STREETS OF LONDON, VOW REVENGE...
Stage
mock funeral in front of US embassy...
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
JAPAN
URGES HALT AT THREE REACTORS...
UNEMPLOYMENT
BACK UP TO 9.0%...
Fannie
Mae Reports $8.7B Loss for First Quarter...
Seeks
$8.5B more from taxpayers...
APRIL
JOBS: +244,000...
FUZZY
MATH: How can US add
jobs but the unemployment rate go up?
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
Silver
Plunge Spreads...
OIL
GUTTED...
Price
Slide Temporary, New Highs Likely: Goldman...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
Euro
Tumbles...
CNN
SHOCK POLL: RON PAUL HAS BEST CHANCE VS OBAMA
National
Home Prices Double Dip...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS RISE TO 8 MONTH HIGH...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
9-11
FAMILY: 'SHOW US PROOF BIN LADEN KILLED'...
Victim's
father: Obama 'putting too much spotlight on himself'...
Channels
Bush at Ground Zero: 'We will never forget'...
Tells
teen survivor he knows
Justin Bieber...
Turns
Back on 9/11 Family Member...
AUDIO...
Muslim
Brotherhood urges review of Israel ties...
Pakistanis
burn U.S. flags; backlash over death grows...
Pakistan
officials: No resistance in 'cold-blooded' U.S. raid...
Warns
America not to stage any more...
Threatens
'disastrous consequences'...
Muslims
already name dump location 'Martyr's Sea'...
OBAMA,
NO PHOTOS OF OSAMA: 'We don't need to spike the football'...
'Conspiracy theorists will just claim doctored'...
Sen.
Scott Brown: 'I've seen picture, he's definitely dead'...
UPDATE:
Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was
faked...
three
senators fell for fakes...
UPDATE:
'The photo I saw and that a lot of other people saw is not authentic'...
Top
Dem: No photo needed, 'there's absolute proof'...
REUTERS RELEASES 'DEATH SCENE' PHOTOS
**WARNING GRAPHIC**
UPDATE: Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was faked...
Possibly
three senators fell for fakes...
Pakistan:
'Not a single bullet fired from compound'...
WIRE:
Photos from 1 hour after raid show 3 dead, no weapons...
The
Slippery Story of the bin Laden Kill...
Official says 'killed apparently
by the U.S. raid team'...
DOLLAR
HITS 3 YEAR LOW...
1
IN 7 ON FOOD STAMPS!
Job
numbers disappoint...
Treasury
suggests $2 trillion debt cap raise...
Boehner
seeks more than $2 trillion in cuts (Washington Post) [ I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking
‘Riiiiight! … that’ll happen … and all
without cuts to endless war spending … while the situation’s more than that
dire, the advice is … don’t hold your breath!
Milbank:
The GOP’s juvenile debate (Washington Post) [ Mr. Milbank has lamentably become the rush
limbaugh / sean hannity of the newspaper world, though he barks and apologizes
for dems (and wobama the b for b*** s***) only (as they for the gop / bushies
only). A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) [ What plan!
. Let
the budget battle begin Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the
nation’s solvency. (WP) [ Stated another way, the nation’s solvency is
over. .. america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is
eating progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..And here
comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010… This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
Tea
party vs. the RINOs Activists and lawmakers are split on what’s next. (Washington Post) [ Ah, yes! Those activists … those
musket-bearing tea partyers … riiiiight, gotcha. What Mr. Milbank conveniently
omits (too obvious, maybe?) is that the Tea Party is particularly adversarial
to the DINs (democrat in name). Truth be told, I really don’t follow the Tea
Party; but, it’s also true I don’t follow the democrats or republicans either.
After all, I don’t consider myself a lemming, propelled to the precipice so to
speak; and, moreover, posit an inevitable futility in light of past (and
future) events. If only they had listened … made love, not war! Well, like the
scorpion, it’s in their nature (I’m sure you remember that fable). Speaking of
fables, they’re getting downright primetime:
The Osama Deception Corbett
Report | James Corbett breaks down the Osama raid hoax and the “home
video” footage.
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog | In the newly-release
videos, Bin Laden looks better than he did years ago.
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage Paul Joseph Watson | Dubious Bin Laden
“Home Movies” Identical To Tapes Released 4 Years Ago By Pentagon Front Group
Then, of course, there’s
also: that ‘pearl harbor event’ so sought by the neo-cons / war mongers still
defies explanation (ie., the ‘stand-down order’, symmetrical implosions,
foreknowledge by some {who conveniently ‘missed the party’ that day}, etc..
Some links, echoing the unbelief akin to the ‘Jessica Lynch’, Tillman, etc., affairs follow. People must realize
that though having but 5% of the world’s
population, america can boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, and the
highest crime rates in the world by far.
]
(Washington
Post) [ And don’t forget the
troubled states. Ask Meredith Whitney! She was right last time, and this time,
like last last time, she’s takin’ it on the chin from the permabull wall street
frauds: Meredith
Whitney Sticks to Her Guns Today Roche ‘Talk about holding onto a losing
trade. At the Milken Conference yesterday, Meredith Whitney said there was
nothing controversial about her muni call, maintaining that she has more
conviction about the muni crisis call than anything in her entire career. Via
Bloomberg:
Whitney said on the panel, “It’s not that big of a
call..There’s nothing controversial about that call, if you look at the
numbers.”
“You can criticize me for everything you want, I’m
just numb to it because I have more conviction on this than I’d had on any
single thing in my career.”
On the same panel, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs’
co-head of investment banking said, “I don’t think we’re doomed. I think the
resources available to us, and the changes that will evolve as we come out of a
very, very difficult economic period that we’ve been stuck in over the past
couple of years, will provide more flexibility than I think Meredith believes.”
Whitney is certainly right that the states are
suffering fiscal woes; however, as we’ve seen in Europe, there are mechanisms
that can be utilized to combat these issues. While I still maintain that there
is a chance of local defaults, I think the United States will be proactive in
fending off a euro-style crisis.
And that means the US federal government will do what
it has always done. It will credit the bank accounts of the states in order to
ensure that any single municipality cannot cause widespread economic hardship
throughout the United States. This would be nothing new. The US has always
credited the bank accounts of the states that are part of this union.
If Europe was truly united, we would see the same
thing occurring in Europe; however, because it's not united, it instead chooses
austerity due to fears of inflation. The reality is that the ECB is not
creating inflation; it's merely stopping the potentially deflationary debacle
that would ensue with sovereign defaults.
I would hope that a truly
United States of America would be a bit more caring of its own member
states.’
Strange Week: Wall Street Takes a Dive Hansen
‘Strange week on Wall Street.
Weekly
unadjusted initial unemployment claims popped above the 2010 year-ago number.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/8/saupload_z_unemployment2.png
Strange Week: Wall Street Takes a Dive Hansen
‘Strange week on Wall Street.
Weekly
unadjusted initial unemployment claims popped above the 2010 year-ago number.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/8/saupload_z_unemployment2.png
Yet the BLS
jobs report this week (analysis here)
was outstanding.
Was it caused
by an unusual event in unemployment? Maybe, but the same uptick happened in
2008 – and the convergence began in the prior week. But hey – this is an
economic recovery expansion right? As the BLS jobs data for April actually uses
a mid month cutoff – whatever caused the spike in initial unemployment claims
will not be in the current jobs data release. And the great BLS numbers
released this week are subject to revision for several months.
But these were
not the only bizarre data points this week.
This week Econintersect released its economic
forecast for May 2011 anticipating a continuing flat growth rate. The question
- Is the economy on the doorstep of another dip?
The fundamental economic real time building blocks
are positive, and in some ways are gaining strength. The economy is not
correcting when the transport of goods and materials to your local shopping
center remains up YoY. Some transport data points are only a week old. Yes,
some data points are not showing the same growth rate as they were earlier this
year, but others are stronger. Overall a push.
The unsettling aspect of this week is the investing
markets. There is a correlation between wealth and spending, and many are
poorer as this week draws to a close. The economy has been “moderately” growing
(Fed Chairman Bernanke’s words) – nothing has changed. It is the markets
themselves which were growing at rates above the economic dynamics.
Sooner or later, the markets (stocks and commodities)
correct to reflect a more considered forward view. The high end consumer is
caught in this game of investing musical chairs, and as they are a major
element in consumer “growth” – there might be another headwind to growth in the
months to come.
But with any luck, the energy headwind might be
abating. Econintersect remains positive for near term economic growth.
Economic News This Week:
Econintersect issued this week its economic forecast
for May 2011
indicating a peaking of this current economic sub-cycle. In simple words, the
same moderate recovery seen in March and April will continue in May.
This week the Weekly Leading Index (WLI) from ECRI declined from 7.5% to
6.7%. This level implies the business conditions six months from now will be
approximately the same or slightly improved compared to today.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/8/saupload_z_weekly_indexes.png
As discussed above, initial unemployment claims rose
rather strongly in this week’s release. I suspect there might be an issue with
the seasonal adjustment factors but only time will tell.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/8/saupload_z_unemployment3.png
Most of the data this week had elements of
uncertainty – but overall did not rise to a level which signaled a correction
to moderate economic growth forecast.
Weekly Economic Release Scorecard:
Item |
Headline |
Analysis |
Up |
Jobs up a solid 244,000. Economic markers in the data are not
excellent. |
|
Up |
With smoke and mirrors consumer credit is up 0.06% YoY |
|
|
Doug Short and John Lounsbury review three market valuation indicators |
|
|
Dirk Ehnts suggests Goldman Sachs may have been involved in the
commodity price bubbles |
|
Up |
The seasonally and non-seasonally adjusted data tell the same bad
story |
|
Up |
Unusually small productivity growth |
|
Less Good |
This survey is not as bad as the pundits are making out |
|
Up |
Lower growth, and barely above labor force growth rates |
|
|
Elliott Morss overviews effects of eliminating some of the Bush Tax
Cuts on deficit reduction |
|
Up |
Manufacturing new orders are in record territory |
|
|
Malcolm Harris overviews the growing debt problem against the benefits
of college education |
|
Less Good |
The underlying survey results show manufacturing is growing |
|
Up |
Not Up – still falling YoY but at a slower rate |
|
|
Elliott Morss looks at the role of education in maintaining empires |
|
|
Same economy as April |
|
|
Sunil Chandra argues that the Reserve Bank should not be raising the
prime rate |
|
|
Frank McKenna discusses short sale flipping fraud |
|
|
Michael Pettis looks at how the reserve currency has created global
imbalances |
|
|
Sanjeev Kulkarni opines on the BRIC conference outcome |
|
|
Michael Collins lists essential elements in the government settlements
with the banking industry |
|
|
Erik McCurdy graphs the warning signals |
Bankruptcy This Week: Raser Technologies, Majestic Capital (fdba CRM
Holdings) and Majestic USA Capital, Caribe Media and CII Acquisition Holdings
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/8/saupload_z_failed_banks.png ‘
Key
Market Movers This Week: Buying Opportunity or Epic Turning Point? Wachtel ‘…Fundamentals
Data from the
US, UK and EU outside of the core funding nations has been steadily downbeat.
In addition, US earnings season failed to provide the lift it has typically
delivered in the past years. As earnings season wraps up, just 60% of companies
have “beat” expectations so far – the lowest rate of any quarter in the current
bull market. Finally, QE 2 is set to end, even though income from current
holdings will be reinvested in US bonds to keep the Fed’s balance sheet from
actually shrinking. Although the great liquidity contraction has yet to begin,
the expansion is ending.
Technical Evidence: S&P 500, EURUSD Approach Multi-Year Highs, QE 2
End In Sight, Begs Profit Taking
The bellwether
S&P 500 Index began the week at 1380, under 200 points from its pre Great
Financial Crisis highs of 2007, though the global and US economy is in much
worse condition. The EURUSD was challenging pre-Greek-Crisis highs of a year
ago of 1.5000 though the EU debt crisis too has only gotten worse, with Greece
at the brink of default and 2 other nations on bailout life support, and
too-big-to-bailout Spain’s situation has also deteriorated.
Admittedly,
these assets have been challenging and breaking though significant resistance
for some time now, though the above catalysts, combined with the above
technical and fundamental conditions, may have been enough.
Certainly
they had help from bearish fundamentals this past week.
EUR
Bearish News
Euro zone
events allowed for additional follow through to the extent that they changed
current market perceptions not only for this week but for at least a part of
the coming week as well.
These
included:
Oil
Prices Will Top Highs After Correction: Goldman CNBC | Oil
to surpass recent highs by 2012 due to supply tightness.
U.S.
Adds 244,000 Jobs in April, but Unemployment Rises National Journal
| Pace of employment growth accelerates; unemployment up to 9 percent.
Jobs
Report Has More Bad News Than Good News CNBC | There was
more bad news than met the eye to Friday’s jobs report.
U.S.
economy adds 244,000 jobs But the
unemployment rate edged up last month, showing that the outlook for workers
remains grim (Washington Post) [244,000
jobs added in April Associated Press In biggest hiring spree in five years,
employers posted a third straight month of hiring; unemployment rose to 9
percent as people resumed looking for work. Interactive:
Why it doesn’t feel like a recovery (Washington Post) [ Short answer: Because it’s really not a
recovery! What jobs? $1 dollar a day, 3 days a year … and on government pork
projects for the porkers’ reelection campaigns? I don’t think so! Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed
presidency/administration as others, including from the Post.. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘..it eerily feels
like the months before the financial crisis and meltdown of 2008. .. impending
and significant pullback over the summer.
10 reasons
2011 ..like 2008.
Milbank:
The GOP’s juvenile debate (Washington Post) [ Mr. Milbank has lamentably become the rush
limbaugh / sean hannity of the newspaper world, though he barks and apologizes
for dems (and wobama the b for b*** s***) only (as limbaugh / hannity for the
gop / bushies only). A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) Questions
about deficit and growth complicate Treasury’s plan to overhaul corporate
taxes. [ What plan! . Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(WP) [
Or more aptly put, stated another way, the nation’s solvency is over. ..
america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is eating
progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and
you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how
we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this
(while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the
top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t
fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..And here
comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010… This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
Pledge
not squaring with reality Obama’s
vow to boost middle-class economic security at odds with corporate profits,
unemployment. (Washington Post) [CEOs’
pay: It’s as if the Great Recession never happened (Washington Post) The typical big-business CEO made $9
million last year, exceeding pre-recession level. [ And ‘worth every penny’? Not
likely in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, leaders no more except
in fraud, crime, manipulation, subterfuge. Imagine the comparisons to their
foreign counterparts where value still has meaning. As if ‘never happened? How
‘bout not over, and worse to come! UBS
bank admits rigging bids (WP) Swiss
bank reaped millions of dollars of illegal profits by rigging municipal bond
transactions in 36 states, government said. [ The key here is ‘Swiss’ and
‘millions of dollars of illegal profits’ when the american banks / wall street
frauds’ generated hundreds of billions in illegal profits, which frauds
continue to this day by way of slightly subdued high-frequency trading /
commission-generated scams along with cover-up and cash-out from the last,
still unprosecuted fraud in the trillions for which disgorgement, fines is long
overdue. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP)
Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at the end
of fiscal 2009 Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (WP) Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (WP)
More Americans disapprove of President Obama’s management of the war in
Afghanistan than support it Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows ]
Meredith
Whitney Sticks to Her Guns Today Roche ‘Talk about holding onto a losing
trade. At the Milken Conference yesterday, Meredith Whitney said there was
nothing controversial about her muni call, maintaining that she has more
conviction about the muni crisis call than anything in her entire career. Via
Bloomberg:
Whitney said on the panel, “It’s not that big of a
call..There’s nothing controversial about that call, if you look at the
numbers.”
“You can criticize me for everything you want, I’m
just numb to it because I have more conviction on this than I’d had on any
single thing in my career.”
On the same panel, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs’
co-head of investment banking said, “I don’t think we’re doomed. I think the
resources available to us, and the changes that will evolve as we come out of a
very, very difficult economic period that we’ve been stuck in over the past
couple of years, will provide more flexibility than I think Meredith believes.”
Whitney is certainly right that the states are
suffering fiscal woes; however, as we’ve seen in Europe, there are mechanisms
that can be utilized to combat these issues. While I still maintain that there
is a chance of local defaults, I think the United States will be proactive in
fending off a euro-style crisis.
And that means the US federal government will do what
it has always done. It will credit the bank accounts of the states in order to
ensure that any single municipality cannot cause widespread economic hardship
throughout the United States. This would be nothing new. The US has always
credited the bank accounts of the states that are part of this union.
If Europe was truly united, we would see the same
thing occurring in Europe; however, because it's not united, it instead chooses
austerity due to fears of inflation. The reality is that the ECB is not creating
inflation; it's merely stopping the potentially deflationary debacle that would
ensue with sovereign defaults.
I would hope that a truly United States of
America would be a bit more caring of its own member states.’
Don't
Be Fooled By The Jobs Report
Harding ‘This was a week that confirmed that the economic recovery has
stalled.
We knew from
the previous week that economic growth (GDP) slowed to just 1.8% in the March
quarter from 3.1% in the December quarter. This week it was reported that
the ISM Non-Mfg Index, which tracks the service sector of the economy, plunged
to 52.8 in April from 57.3 in March (versus the consensus estimate of
economists that it would improve to 57.8).
It was a
shocking report since the ISM Non-Manufacturing Index covers just about every
business sector– everything from education, healthcare, finance, insurance and
retail, to technology services, transportation, and mining, accounting for more
than 80% of U.S. employment. At the same time it was reported that the ISM New
Orders Index also plunged substantially, from 64.1 in March to 52.7 in April,
not encouraging for service sector business activity for the next few months.
Commodity
markets, already worried about what slowing global economies would do to demand
for materials and supplies, reacted with further substantial declines. By the
close on Thursday, the price of crude oil had collapsed from its high of
$114.80 a barrel a week ago, to $99.75. The S&P GSCI Index of 24 raw
materials fell 11.5% in just five days.
Fortunately,
the stock market’s reaction to the further evidence that the economic recovery
is in trouble was more muted. By the close on Thursday, the S&P 500 was
down only 1.8% for the week.
And
thankfully, on Friday morning the Labor Department released its monthly jobs
report, which showed that 244,000 new jobs were created in April, 60,000 more
than had been forecast, and the stock market surged up in reaction, with the
Dow up 150 points within minutes of the market’s open.
Indeed the
jobs report was good news, even though it was also reported that the
unemployment rate rose to 9.0% from its previous level of 8.8%. But did the
better than expected jobs report cancel out the even more surprising plunge in
the ISM service sector index in April, reported the previous day?
I don’t think
so. Even within the employment report the numbers show that 13.7 million people
remained unemployed in April, still almost double the number just before the
last recession began in December, 2007. Including part-time workers who
have not been able to find full-time jobs, and those who have given up looking
for a job, the “underemployed” rate rose to 15.9% in April. That seems to more
closely resemble what the ISM Index said about the economy slowing further in
April.
And here’s the
thing about the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report. As my subscribers know,
I have always called it ‘The Big One’ as far as economic reports go.
That’s because it’s so difficult for economists to forecast that it comes in
with a big surprise in one direction or the other more often than any other
series of reports. And that surprise results in a one or two day triple-digit
move by the Dow in one direction or the other more often than any other report.
But the rest
of that pattern is that the move is then most often reversed over the following
two or three days, and the market returns to whatever its focus was before the
report.
In this
instance, with the 1st quarter earnings reporting season pretty much
over, that is liable to be a refocus on the slowing economic recovery that had
it troubled prior to the jobs report.
Meanwhile, the
collapse in commodity prices was another example of what happens when markets
become overbought, and investor sentiment reaches extremes of bullishness, as
was the case with commodities. The consensus opinion a week ago was that they
could only move higher. $2,000 gold, $75 silver, $150 a barrel oil seemed
assured. But when a surprise hits and investors head in a rush for the exit
they discover they can’t all get through the door at once. Since most everyone
interested in commodities was already invested there was no one willing to buy
what they wanted to sell except at much lower prices.
Perhaps a
cautionary tale for the stock market as it enters its unfavorable season with
investors so bullish and anxious to jump in on any dip?’
Three-Theme Monty: Economic Conditions, Commodity Rally / Rout,
Euro Crisis
A Rough Week for World Markets Short ‘This past week was a downer across major
world markets. The Nikkei 225 is the one index showing a fractional gain, but
it was closed three of the last six market days. The DAX was down fractionally,
but the other markets finished deeper in the red. The table below shows the
three-week trend of the seven markets I've been tracking in this series.
[
chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/9/saupload_world_indexes_weekly_comp_110506_table.png ]
The chart
below illustrates the comparative performance of World Markets since March 9,
2009. The start date is arbitrary: The S&P 500 and BSE SENSEX hit their
lows on March 9th, the Nikkei 225 on March 10th, the DAX on March 6th, the FTSE
on March 3rd, the Shanghai Composite on November 4, 2008, and the Hang Seng
even earlier on October 27, 2008. However, by aligning on the same day and
measuring the percent change, we get a better sense of the relative performance
than if we align the lows.
[
chart Click
for a larger image ]
A Longer Look
Back
Here is the
same chart starting from the turn of 21st century. The relative
over-performance of the emerging markets (Shanghai, Mumbai, Hang Seng) is
readily apparent.
[
chart Click
for a larger image ]‘
Alan
Greenspan “Betrayed” Ayn Rand [ Ayn Rand … Is that all? … If it was only Ayn
Rand ] and Ruined the Economy [ With
‘no-recession-helicopter-ben’s coup de grace’, so to speak, in finishing ‘the
job’. ] - Aaron Task "Ayn Rand would have never
advocated for the kind of policies Alan Greenspan instituted," says Yaron
Brook, President of the Ayn Rand Institute.
Yaron
Brook: GOP Should Repeal Dodd-Frank, Abolish the Fed- Peter
Gorenstein
America’s
Middle Class Crisis: The Sobering Facts- Peter Gorenstein
Housing
Crash Is Getting Worse- MarketWatch
Greece
hit by new downgrade, EU ponders more help
Greeks
ring alarm bells just a year after bailout
SMH | Greece will not be able to meet the terms of last
year’s rescue.
U.S.
‘Underwater’ Homeowners Increase to 28 Percent, Zillow Says
Bloomberg | More than 28 percent of U.S. homeowners owed more
than their properties were worth.
Gold,
Silver Prices Recover After Carnage The Street | Gold and
silver prices were recovering Monday.
National
/ World
The Osama Deception Corbett
Report | James Corbett breaks down the Osama raid hoax and the “home
video” footage.
Media
Ignores Fukushima Fire Kurt Nimmo | The situation
at Fukushima is not newsworthy for the corporate media.
Why Does the Terrorist Kingpin Look Better Than He Did in
2001? Washington’s Blog | In the newly-release
videos, Bin Laden looks better than he did years ago.
Hoax: White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New
Footage Paul Joseph Watson | Dubious Bin Laden
“Home Movies” Identical To Tapes Released 4 Years Ago By Pentagon Front Group
Red Alert: Help Stop False Flag Terror Infowars.com
| Alex warns about the potential for another false flag attack, urging
listeners to call the White House.
Alternative Media Rankings Surge After bin Laden
Assassination Spectacle Activist Post | As a
result, traffic to alternative news sites has surged dramatically.
More Fake Photos Emerge In Bin Laden Farce Infowars
| Check out the bad photoshopping on this supposed image of Bin Laden’s wife’s
passport.
Hoax:
White House Claims 4-Year-Old Bin Laden Video Is New Footage In a desperate
effort to bolster its crumbling official narrative, the White House today
released a set of dubious Bin Laden “home movies” purportedly seized from his
compound during the raid on Sunday night that it claims show Bin Laden on
camera in 2010, but the tapes are almost identical to footage released almost
four years ago by a notorious Pentagon front group that acts as a conduit for
US intelligence by regularly releasing fake Al-Qaeda videos.
Obama
Administration Official Took Photographs Of Press During Bin Laden Briefing The
audio from the videos were not played, Ms. Starr reports, and reporters were
not allowed to record the briefing. They were permitted to take notes, she
said, while an Obama administration official took photographs of the reporters.
More Fake
Photos Emerge In Bin Laden Farce Check out the bad photoshopping on this
supposed image of Bin Laden’s wife’s passport.
Media Ignores Fukushima
Fire Image captures of video footage from the Fukushima nuclear plant
appear to show a fire. According to Alexander Higgins and other bloggers, the
Japanese shut down the webcam after the images below appeared on the internet.
Lucas White Field Hixson posted the images last night, according to Higgins.
There is also an animation of the images posted on YouTube.
Bin
Laden had Pakistan ‘support network’: Obama Osama bin Laden had a “support
network” in Pakistan but it is not clear if the Pakistani government was
involved, US President Barack Obama said in his first public comments on the
issue.
Scepticism
in Pakistan over bin Laden’s alleged role Pakistani security officials
reacted with scepticism on Sunday to a U.S. assertion that Osama bin Laden was
actively engaged in directing his far-flung network from his compound in
Abbottabad where he was killed on May 2.
A Final Word on
the Bin Laden Hoax The “Bin Laden” hoax is consuming our time and energy
even as the global corporate-financier oligarchs flee forward cashing in on the
political capital they presume they have gained by making this announcement.
Bin Laden: The Ears Have
It Ears are as unique as fingerprints, and they do not change with time.
The ears do not match (and the noses are also different). The man in the video
watching TV is most definitely not Osama Bin Laden.
Syria
Standing in Defiance: US-funded sedition and the responsibility to restore
order The global corporate-financier funded think-tanks rolled out their
slick acronym, “R2P,” or the “responsibility to protect,” as a means to
encapsulate the latest excuse in a long history of untenable excuses for wars
of imperial expansion, in recent regards to Libya.
Alternative
Media Rankings Surge After bin Laden Assassination Spectacle A story like
the assassination of “public enemy #1″ is naturally going to drive people
toward all news sources. However, we in the alternative news media have been
particularly busy since the announcement late Sunday night, as indicated by
Alexa website rankings.
More
Propaganda: Was Bin Laden betrayed by his right-hand man? Osama Bin Laden’s
deputy led U.S. troops to the Al Qaeda leader’s hideout so he could take over
the terrorist group, it was claimed today.
The
Cost of Bin Laden: $3 Trillion Over 15 Years What do we have to show for
that tab? Two wars that continue to occupy 150,000 troops and tie up a quarter
of our defense budget; a bloated homeland-security apparatus that has at times
pushed the bounds of civil liberty.
My
mother is still gone The daughter
of a 9/11 victim reflects on bin Laden’s death. (Washington Post) Parker:
Bin Laden death was anti-climactic [ Paul
Craig Roberts: What Is The Agenda Behind The Bin Laden Fable? The US
government’s bin Laden story was so poorly crafted that it did not last 48
hours before being fundamentally altered. What agenda or agendas is the “death
of bin Laden” designed to further? US Government Contractor Claims “Al-Qaeda” Has Confirmed
Bin Laden Fairytale Paul Joseph Watson | SITE
organization was behind release of fake “Al-Qaeda” tapes released at
politically opportune times stretching back years Red Alert: Help Stop False Flag Terror Infowars.com
| Alex warns about the potential for another false flag attack, urging
listeners to call the White House. Terrorist Hunter: General Under Wolfowitz Told Me 9/11
Was False Flag Infowars.com | Government insider
Dr. Steve R. Pieczenik cannot be dismissed as a “conspiracy theorist.” Pieczenik: The Psychological Resurrection of Osama Bin
Laden Infowars.com | Critically acclaimed author of
psycho-political thrillers, Steve Pieczenik continues his analysis of the
so-called death of Osama bin Laden. The
Cost of Bin Laden: $3 Trillion Over 15 Years What do we have to show for
that tab? Two wars that continue to occupy 150,000 troops and tie up a quarter
of our defense budget; a bloated homeland-security apparatus that has at times
pushed the bounds of civil liberty.
The
Week Ahead: Is the Worst Over? [ Over?
Much worse is yet to come! This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much, much worse to come! ]
Marcus Baram
over at Huffington Post has a thoroughly
reported piece on Trump University on Friday. I have spent part of the past
week digging into some of the same issues that Baram did.
The case
against Trump University alleges that “The primary lesson Trump University
teaches its students is how to spend more money by buying more Trump Seminars.”
Students say they were encouraged to raise the credit limit on their credit
cards so they could spend up to $35,000 to take a Trump University multi-day
seminar.
The case is
not new –it was filed last year in U.S. District Court in San Diego –but the
judge may rule on it as soon as this month. The complaint in the suit says
attorneys general in six states have received “numerous complaints against
Trump University” and the Texas Attorney General began investigating in January
2010.
George Sorial,
assistant general counsel at the Trump Organization, denies the suit’s claims.
Sorial told me that 11,000 students have taken Trump University courses and
most have been happy. He sent me copies of customer satisfaction surveys that
rank the courses highly. He also sent a video interview with Tarla Makaeff, one
of the plaintiffs in the class action suit, taken in August 2008 in Los Angeles
after a Trump U seminar, in which she praises the program.
Makaeff, a
former fashion and handbag designer in San Diego, says via email that the
video interview of her was manipulative, and that before it was taken she had
already complained toTrump University about not making any money off her
$35,000 investment in a seminar. “They … knew I had to give a positive
response [in the video] and cooperate with them and a camera being shoved in my
face in order to get further support and services from them for my $35,000
investment which I had yet to make any money off in 1 year despite verbal
promises otherwise since day one,” Makaeff continues in an email.
The Trump
Organization has also countersued Makaeff for $1 million, alleging defamation.
A judge has denied Makaeff’s motion to dismiss the counterclaim. Call it the
case of the billionaire vs. the handbag designer.
The question
is what affect, if any, the lawsuits might have on billionaire Donald Trump, should he
decide to run for president. Oh, and there’s a lesson, too. Before you decide
to spend $35,000 on a Trump University seminar, remember what its lawyers say:
“Trump University cannot guarantee riches any more than Harvard University can
guarantee a Rhodes Scholarship or MIT can guarantee a Nobel Prize.”
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC where
t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
Drudgereport:
USA
FREAK OUT: TERROR FEARS; FALSE ALARMS...
Sen.
Schumer Calls For Amtrak 'Do Not Ride' List...
Two
tunnel 'breaches' cause scare in NYC...
Threats
Divert Planes in Three Separate Incidents...
Passengers,
flight crew subdue man banging on cockpit door...
Dallas
Train Station Evacuated: Man Asked For Help Carrying Packages...
4
Arrested For Videotaping TSA Line At Denver...
SHOCK PHOTO: TSA LOOKING FOR
'POOP BOMBS?'
U.S.-Pak.
Rift Widens...
Pak.
warns of 'full force' response to future US raids...
S&P
cuts Greece's rating...
BOEHNER
TO DEMAND NOT BILLIONS, BUT TRILLIONS
IN CUTS...
OIL
REBOUNDS; 2ND LARGEST GAIN ON RECORD...
REPORT:
Housing crash getting worse...
...values
fall fastest rate since '08
Michelle
Obama to host rapper at WH who talks of killing cops...
'COMMAND
CENTER'...
Pakistan
skeptical of U.S. claim bin Laden directed network...
Two loud explosions heard in town where bin Laden killed...
Videos
show 9-11 mastermind watching himself on TV...
U.S.
government censors tapes, cuts audio...
Inside
bin Laden's squalid home...
NYT:
Final days of domesticity...
Drone
Strike Kills 15 in Pakistan...
First
since bin Laden raid...
BIN
LADEN SUPPORTERS RAGE ON THE STREETS OF LONDON, VOW REVENGE...
Stage
mock funeral in front of US embassy...
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
JAPAN
URGES HALT AT THREE REACTORS...
UNEMPLOYMENT
BACK UP TO 9.0%...
Fannie
Mae Reports $8.7B Loss for First Quarter...
Seeks
$8.5B more from taxpayers...
APRIL
JOBS: +244,000...
FUZZY
MATH: How can US add
jobs but the unemployment rate go up?
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
Silver
Plunge Spreads...
OIL
GUTTED...
Price
Slide Temporary, New Highs Likely: Goldman...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
Euro
Tumbles...
CNN
SHOCK POLL: RON PAUL HAS BEST CHANCE VS OBAMA
National
Home Prices Double Dip...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS RISE TO 8 MONTH HIGH...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
9-11
FAMILY: 'SHOW US PROOF BIN LADEN KILLED'...
Victim's
father: Obama 'putting too much spotlight on himself'...
Channels
Bush at Ground Zero: 'We will never forget'...
Tells
teen survivor he knows
Justin Bieber...
Turns
Back on 9/11 Family Member...
AUDIO...
Muslim
Brotherhood urges review of Israel ties...
Pakistanis
burn U.S. flags; backlash over death grows...
Pakistan
officials: No resistance in 'cold-blooded' U.S. raid...
Warns
America not to stage any more...
Threatens
'disastrous consequences'...
Muslims
already name dump location 'Martyr's Sea'...
OBAMA,
NO PHOTOS OF OSAMA: 'We don't need to spike the football'...
'Conspiracy theorists will just claim doctored'...
Sen.
Scott Brown: 'I've seen picture, he's definitely dead'...
UPDATE:
Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was
faked...
three
senators fell for fakes...
UPDATE:
'The photo I saw and that a lot of other people saw is not authentic'...
Top
Dem: No photo needed, 'there's absolute proof'...
REUTERS RELEASES 'DEATH SCENE' PHOTOS
**WARNING GRAPHIC**
UPDATE: Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was faked...
Possibly
three senators fell for fakes...
Pakistan:
'Not a single bullet fired from compound'...
WIRE:
Photos from 1 hour after raid show 3 dead, no weapons...
The
Slippery Story of the bin Laden Kill...
Official says 'killed apparently
by the U.S. raid team'...
DOLLAR
HITS 3 YEAR LOW...
1
IN 7 ON FOOD STAMPS!
Job
numbers disappoint...
Treasury
suggests $2 trillion debt cap raise...
U.S.
economy adds 244,000 jobs But the
unemployment rate edged up last month, showing that the outlook for workers
remains grim (Washington Post) [244,000
jobs added in April Associated Press In biggest hiring spree in five years,
employers posted a third straight month of hiring; unemployment rose to 9
percent as people resumed looking for work. Interactive:
Why it doesn’t feel like a recovery (Washington Post) [ Short answer: Because it’s really not a
recovery! What jobs? $1 dollar a day, 3 days a year … and on government pork
projects for the porkers’ reelection campaigns? I don’t think so! Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed
presidency/administration as others, including from the Post.. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘..it eerily feels
like the months before the financial crisis and meltdown of 2008. .. impending
and significant pullback over the summer.
10 reasons
2011 ..like 2008.
Pledge
not squaring with reality Obama’s
vow to boost middle-class economic security at odds with corporate profits,
unemployment. (Washington Post) [CEOs’
pay: It’s as if the Great Recession never happened (Washington Post) The typical big-business CEO made $9
million last year, exceeding pre-recession level. [ And ‘worth every penny’?
Not likely in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, leaders no more
except in fraud, crime, manipulation, subterfuge. Imagine the comparisons to
their foreign counterparts where value still has meaning. As if ‘never
happened? How ‘bout not over, and worse to come! UBS
bank admits rigging bids (WP) Swiss
bank reaped millions of dollars of illegal profits by rigging municipal bond
transactions in 36 states, government said. [ The key here is ‘Swiss’ and
‘millions of dollars of illegal profits’ when the american banks / wall street
frauds’ generated hundreds of billions in illegal profits, which frauds
continue to this day by way of slightly subdued high-frequency trading /
commission-generated scams along with cover-up and cash-out from the last,
still unprosecuted fraud in the trillions for which disgorgement, fines is long
overdue. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP)
Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at the end
of fiscal 2009
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (WP)
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (WP)
More Americans disapprove of President Obama’s management of the war in
Afghanistan than support it
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great opportunity
to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to
come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows ]
]
Al-Qaeda
vows retaliation on U.S. Online
posting attributed to group also confirms the death of Osama bin Laden. (Washington Post) [ Paul
Craig Roberts: What Is The Agenda Behind The Bin Laden Fable?
My
mother is still gone The daughter
of a 9/11 victim reflects on bin Laden’s death. (Washington Post) Parker:
Bin Laden death was anti-climactic [ Paul
Craig Roberts: What Is The Agenda Behind The Bin Laden Fable? The US
government’s bin Laden story was so poorly crafted that it did not last 48
hours before being fundamentally altered. What agenda or agendas is the “death
of bin Laden” designed to further? US Government Contractor Claims “Al-Qaeda” Has Confirmed
Bin Laden Fairytale Paul Joseph Watson | SITE organization was behind release of fake
“Al-Qaeda” tapes released at politically opportune times stretching back
years Red Alert: Help Stop False Flag Terror Infowars.com | Alex warns about the potential for another false
flag attack, urging listeners to call the White House. Terrorist Hunter: General Under Wolfowitz Told Me 9/11
Was False Flag Infowars.com | Government insider Dr. Steve R. Pieczenik cannot be dismissed as a
“conspiracy theorist.” Pieczenik: The Psychological Resurrection of Osama Bin
Laden Infowars.com |
Critically acclaimed author of psycho-political thrillers, Steve Pieczenik
continues his analysis of the so-called death of Osama bin Laden. The
Cost of Bin Laden: $3 Trillion Over 15 Years What do we have to show for
that tab? Two wars that continue to occupy 150,000 troops and tie up a quarter
of our defense budget; a bloated homeland-security apparatus that has at times
pushed the bounds of civil liberty.
Markets Take No Prisoners: Dave's Daily ‘Oil prices moved from $94 to $102 in 7 hours only to settle at $97.80 --
how's that for volatility? The euro spent the first half of Friday at 145
(already down 300 bps from Thursday) to close at around 143 after rumors (later
denied) spread regarding Greece dropping euro. Silver and gold were all over
the map again with rumors persisting of more margin calls. U.S. stocks climbed
nearly 175 points early based on the employment report showing 224K new jobs
added while the unemployment rate inched up to 9%. Lost in this report were details
regarding the Birth/Death Model (estimates of new businesses created or closed)
or the number of part time jobs being created by the McDonald's of the world
and lastly, a five vs. four week report. [244,000
jobs added in April Associated Press In biggest hiring spree in five years,
employers posted a third straight month of hiring; unemployment rose to 9
percent as people resumed looking for work. Interactive:
Why it doesn’t feel like a recovery (Washington Post) [ Short answer: Because it’s really not a
recovery! What jobs? $1 dollar a day, 3 days a year … and on government pork
projects for the porkers’ reelection campaigns? I don’t think so! Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed presidency/administration
as others, including from the Post.. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘..it eerily feels
like the months before the financial crisis and meltdown of 2008. .. impending
and significant pullback over the summer. ]
HFT algos are programmed to react to headline numbers that beat expectations.
The employment data was a beat and algos jumped on the news. But, remember,
based on Wednesday's poor ADP jobs report and Thursday's Jobless Claims data
employment report estimates were sharply lowered making Friday's news a large
beat. More thoughtful types started selling the news around noon and doing so
the rest of the day. Leading U.S. stocks higher were materials (XLB) and the
higher price-weighted components of the DJIA (BA, CAT, CVX, IBM, MMM and so
forth). All this volatility and conflicting news, while putting on a great
show, causes Main Street to trust markets less in my opinion. This chaos in
commodity markets is a major turn-off and will have negative consequences
longer-term. We've beaten the commodity story to death but we still await the
juicy details from the exchanges as to the real story behind their draconian
actions. Some of this may be contained in the silver Commitment of Traders
report and Open Interest. Until we can analyze this properly let's wait.
Further, there will be some serious trading casualties announced in the coming
days so stay tuned for that. The Fed continues to aid bulls with more QE
Friday and ongoing poor economic data means there's no rush for them to
stop POMO. Trading volume was also higher today than the average over the past
few months. Breadth, per the WSJ, was quite positive; but, a glance at the 5
minute SPY chart shows most volume was in selling.’
Sell
in May: Still Valid? Roche ‘Here is
an interesting expansion on the idea of Sell in May. Fidelity Investments elaborates by
combining several time cycle indicators into one. The result – still Sell in
May:
On the negative side, it is coming to that point in
the cycle where, seasonally, the market tends to take a pause, also known as
Sell in May and Go Away.
Since, historically markets have tended to follow
cyclical patterns such as this, I compiled the seasonal pattern, the four-year
presidential cycle, and the 10-year decennial cycle into a composite
performance index and projected the pattern. So far, the stock market has
followed this roadmap very closely, so over the next two years. As you can see
in the chart below, the market has closely tracked these historical cyclical
patterns Since December 2009. Because of this, I think it bears watching. (Past
performance is no guarantee of future results.)
click to enlarge
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/6/saupload_time_cycles1105_thumb1.jpg
Clear
Capital: The Housing Double Dip Is Now Official Today
Meredith
Whitney Sticks to Her Guns Today Roche ‘Talk about holding onto a losing
trade. At the Milken Conference yesterday, Meredith Whitney said there was
nothing controversial about her muni call, maintaining that she has more
conviction about the muni crisis call than anything in her entire career. Via
Bloomberg:
Whitney said on the panel, “It’s not that big of a
call..There’s nothing controversial about that call, if you look at the
numbers.”
“You can criticize me for everything you want, I’m
just numb to it because I have more conviction on this than I’d had on any
single thing in my career.”
On the same panel, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs’
co-head of investment banking said, “I don’t think we’re doomed. I think the
resources available to us, and the changes that will evolve as we come out of a
very, very difficult economic period that we’ve been stuck in over the past
couple of years, will provide more flexibility than I think Meredith believes.”
Whitney is certainly right that the states are
suffering fiscal woes; however, as we’ve seen in Europe, there are mechanisms
that can be utilized to combat these issues. While I still maintain that there
is a chance of local defaults, I think the United States will be proactive in
fending off a euro-style crisis.
And that means the US federal government will do what
it has always done. It will credit the bank accounts of the states in order to
ensure that any single municipality cannot cause widespread economic hardship
throughout the United States. This would be nothing new. The US has always credited
the bank accounts of the states that are part of this union.
If Europe was truly united, we would see the same
thing occurring in Europe; however, because it's not united, it instead chooses
austerity due to fears of inflation. The reality is that the ECB is not
creating inflation; it's merely stopping the potentially deflationary debacle
that would ensue with sovereign defaults.
I would hope that a truly United States of
America would be a bit more caring of its own member states.’
Don't
Be Fooled By The Jobs Report
Harding ‘This was a week that confirmed that the economic recovery has
stalled.
We knew from
the previous week that economic growth (GDP) slowed to just 1.8% in the March
quarter from 3.1% in the December quarter. This week it was reported that
the ISM Non-Mfg Index, which tracks the service sector of the economy, plunged
to 52.8 in April from 57.3 in March (versus the consensus estimate of
economists that it would improve to 57.8).
It was a
shocking report since the ISM Non-Manufacturing Index covers just about every
business sector– everything from education, healthcare, finance, insurance and
retail, to technology services, transportation, and mining, accounting for more
than 80% of U.S. employment. At the same time it was reported that the ISM New
Orders Index also plunged substantially, from 64.1 in March to 52.7 in April,
not encouraging for service sector business activity for the next few months.
Commodity
markets, already worried about what slowing global economies would do to demand
for materials and supplies, reacted with further substantial declines. By the
close on Thursday, the price of crude oil had collapsed from its high of
$114.80 a barrel a week ago, to $99.75. The S&P GSCI Index of 24 raw
materials fell 11.5% in just five days.
Fortunately,
the stock market’s reaction to the further evidence that the economic recovery
is in trouble was more muted. By the close on Thursday, the S&P 500 was
down only 1.8% for the week.
And
thankfully, on Friday morning the Labor Department released its monthly jobs
report, which showed that 244,000 new jobs were created in April, 60,000 more
than had been forecast, and the stock market surged up in reaction, with the
Dow up 150 points within minutes of the market’s open.
Indeed the
jobs report was good news, even though it was also reported that the unemployment
rate rose to 9.0% from its previous level of 8.8%. But did the better than
expected jobs report cancel out the even more surprising plunge in the ISM
service sector index in April, reported the previous day?
I don’t think
so. Even within the employment report the numbers show that 13.7 million people
remained unemployed in April, still almost double the number just before the
last recession began in December, 2007. Including part-time workers who
have not been able to find full-time jobs, and those who have given up looking
for a job, the “underemployed” rate rose to 15.9% in April. That seems to more
closely resemble what the ISM Index said about the economy slowing further in
April.
And here’s the
thing about the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report. As my subscribers know,
I have always called it ‘The Big One’ as far as economic reports go.
That’s because it’s so difficult for economists to forecast that it comes in
with a big surprise in one direction or the other more often than any other
series of reports. And that surprise results in a one or two day triple-digit
move by the Dow in one direction or the other more often than any other report.
But the rest
of that pattern is that the move is then most often reversed over the following
two or three days, and the market returns to whatever its focus was before the
report.
In this
instance, with the 1st quarter earnings reporting season pretty much
over, that is liable to be a refocus on the slowing economic recovery that had
it troubled prior to the jobs report.
Meanwhile, the
collapse in commodity prices was another example of what happens when markets
become overbought, and investor sentiment reaches extremes of bullishness, as
was the case with commodities. The consensus opinion a week ago was that they
could only move higher. $2,000 gold, $75 silver, $150 a barrel oil seemed
assured. But when a surprise hits and investors head in a rush for the exit
they discover they can’t all get through the door at once. Since most everyone
interested in commodities was already invested there was no one willing to buy
what they wanted to sell except at much lower prices.
Perhaps a
cautionary tale for the stock market as it enters its unfavorable season with
investors so bullish and anxious to jump in on any dip?’
CEOs’
pay: It’s as if the Great Recession never happened (Washington Post) The typical big-business CEO made $9
million last year, exceeding pre-recession level. [ And ‘worth every penny’?
Not likely in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, leaders no more
except in fraud, crime, manipulation, subterfuge. Imagine the comparisons to
their foreign counterparts where value still has meaning. As if ‘never
happened? How ‘bout not over, and worse to come! UBS
bank admits rigging bids (WP) Swiss
bank reaped millions of dollars of illegal profits by rigging municipal bond
transactions in 36 states, government said. [ The key here is ‘Swiss’ and
‘millions of dollars of illegal profits’ when the american banks / wall street
frauds’ generated hundreds of billions in illegal profits, which frauds
continue to this day by way of slightly subdued high-frequency trading /
commission-generated scams along with cover-up and cash-out from the last,
still unprosecuted fraud in the trillions for which disgorgement, fines is long
overdue. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP)
Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at the end
of fiscal 2009
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (WP)
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (WP)
More Americans disapprove of President Obama’s management of the war in
Afghanistan than support it
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows ]
A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) Questions
about deficit and growth complicate Treasury’s plan to overhaul corporate
taxes. [ What plan! . Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(WP) [
Or more aptly put, stated another way, the nation’s solvency is over. ..
america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is eating
progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the
top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t
fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..And here
comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010… This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
‘End
of Days’ message rolls into D.C.
(Washington Post) The
potentially rotten news that the world will end on May 21 arrived plastered on
a caravan of RVs. [ Gee … little premature … you know, that 2012, end of Mayan
calendar, Nostradamus thing … I previously weighed in / wrote: Why
do Americans still dislike atheists? (Washington Post) [ And
not just americans … Why? First and foremost because there is a God. Second, it
is intellectually dishonest to be an atheist. Specifically, there is absolutely
no evidence to dispute the existence of God. While one might similarly argue
that there is no evidence to suggest there is a God (which I would dispute),
which for most is a fair statement, the same would yield at best, if
intellectually honest, the position of ‘agnostic’. I can totally understand and
even empathize with the view of the agnostic. After all, at this point, there
seems to be ‘no rhyme nor reason’ at all. But, think binary, positives /
negatives. Just too many negatives. Think ‘capital punishment’. No, the world’s
not going to end in 2012 as some fear. Rather, think slow burn; decades at
best; then ‘poof’. In the scheme of things, this world’s just not that
important (apes,
notochordates, and initially single celled organisms). Kind of
akin to what I previously wrote: (God doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to
wrestle!) Boy
wrestler forfeits match to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I
feel sorry for those guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and
13) … they’ll probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink
my regard for Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart
championship teams to be the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy
who forfeited, he could have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily
do that with a lesser opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in
a certain way into the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive
orgasm, she’d unwittingly arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder
blades to the mat, thereby pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a
manner of speaking that he was making heterosexual love not war with her ………
how pathetic and preposterous this was … and, let me remind the homo that God
doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to wrestle! ]
244,000
jobs added in April Associated Press In biggest hiring spree in five years,
employers posted a third straight month of hiring; unemployment rose to 9
percent as people resumed looking for work. Interactive:
Why it doesn’t feel like a recovery (Washington Post) [ Short answer: Because it’s really not a
recovery! What jobs? $1 dollar a day, 3 days a year … and on government pork
projects for the porkers’ reelection campaigns? I don’t think so! Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed
presidency/administration as others, including from the Post.. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘..it eerily feels
like the months before the financial crisis and meltdown of 2008. .. impending
and significant pullback over the summer.
10 reasons
2011 ..like 2008.
‘THE OBAMA DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
Jobs
Report Has More Bad News Than Good News CNBC | There was
more bad news than met the eye to Friday’s jobs report.
National Debt Breaks
Debt Clock Infowars.com | Sign of the times.
Jobless
Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Jump Bloomberg | The number of
claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, pushed up by
auto-plant shutdowns and other unusual events.
National
/ World
Drudgereport:
UNEMPLOYMENT
BACK UP TO 9.0%...
Fannie
Mae Reports $8.7B Loss for First Quarter...
Seeks
$8.5B more from taxpayers...
APRIL
JOBS: +244,000...
FUZZY
MATH: How can US add
jobs but the unemployment rate go up?
Gas
nat'l average: $3.99...
Eats
9% of household budgets...
Average
price sets record in Indiana -- $4.25 a gallon...
$6.03
in Hawaii...
Silver
Plunge Spreads...
OIL
GUTTED...
Price
Slide Temporary, New Highs Likely: Goldman...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
Euro
Tumbles...
CNN
SHOCK POLL: RON PAUL HAS BEST CHANCE VS OBAMA
National
Home Prices Double Dip...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS RISE TO 8 MONTH HIGH...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
9-11
FAMILY: 'SHOW US PROOF BIN LADEN KILLED'...
Victim's
father: Obama 'putting too much spotlight on himself'...
Channels
Bush at Ground Zero: 'We will never forget'...
Tells
teen survivor he knows
Justin Bieber...
Turns
Back on 9/11 Family Member...
AUDIO...
Muslim
Brotherhood urges review of Israel ties...
Pakistanis
burn U.S. flags; backlash over death grows...
Pakistan
officials: No resistance in 'cold-blooded' U.S. raid...
Warns
America not to stage any more...
Threatens
'disastrous consequences'...
Muslims
already name dump location 'Martyr's Sea'...
OBAMA,
NO PHOTOS OF OSAMA: 'We don't need to spike the football'...
'Conspiracy theorists will just claim doctored'...
Sen.
Scott Brown: 'I've seen picture, he's definitely dead'...
UPDATE:
Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was
faked...
three
senators fell for fakes...
UPDATE:
'The photo I saw and that a lot of other people saw is not authentic'...
Top
Dem: No photo needed, 'there's absolute proof'...
REUTERS RELEASES 'DEATH SCENE' PHOTOS
**WARNING GRAPHIC**
UPDATE: Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was faked...
Possibly
three senators fell for fakes...
Pakistan:
'Not a single bullet fired from compound'...
WIRE:
Photos from 1 hour after raid show 3 dead, no weapons...
The
Slippery Story of the bin Laden Kill...
Official says 'killed apparently
by the U.S. raid team'...
DOLLAR
HITS 3 YEAR LOW...
1
IN 7 ON FOOD STAMPS!
Job
numbers disappoint...
Treasury
suggests $2 trillion debt cap raise...
CEOs’
pay: It’s as if the Great Recession never happened (Washington Post) The typical big-business CEO made $9
million last year, exceeding pre-recession level. [ And ‘worth every penny’?
Not likely in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, leaders no more
except in fraud, crime, manipulation, subterfuge. Imagine the comparisons to
their foreign counterparts where value still has meaning. As if ‘never
happened? How ‘bout not over, and worse to come! UBS
bank admits rigging bids (WP) Swiss
bank reaped millions of dollars of illegal profits by rigging municipal bond
transactions in 36 states, government said. [ The key here is ‘Swiss’ and ‘millions
of dollars of illegal profits’ when the american banks / wall street frauds’
generated hundreds of billions in illegal profits, which frauds continue to
this day by way of slightly subdued high-frequency trading /
commission-generated scams along with cover-up and cash-out from the last,
still unprosecuted fraud in the trillions for which disgorgement, fines is long
overdue. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The US is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP)
Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at the end
of fiscal 2009
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (WP)
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (WP)
More Americans disapprove of President Obama’s management of the war in
Afghanistan than support it
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows ]
A
political minefield in Treasury plan
(Washington Post) Questions
about deficit and growth complicate Treasury’s plan to overhaul corporate
taxes. [ What plan! . Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(WP) [
Or more aptly put, stated another way, the nation’s solvency is over. ..
america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is eating
progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..And here
comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010… This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
‘End
of Days’ message rolls into D.C.
(Washington Post) The
potentially rotten news that the world will end on May 21 arrived plastered on
a caravan of RVs. [ Gee … little premature … you know, that 2012, end of Mayan
calendar, Nostradamus thing … I previously weighed in / wrote: Why
do Americans still dislike atheists? (Washington Post) [ And
not just americans … Why? First and foremost because there is a God. Second, it
is intellectually dishonest to be an atheist. Specifically, there is absolutely
no evidence to dispute the existence of God. While one might similarly argue
that there is no evidence to suggest there is a God (which I would dispute),
which for most is a fair statement, the same would yield at best, if
intellectually honest, the position of ‘agnostic’. I can totally understand and
even empathize with the view of the agnostic. After all, at this point, there
seems to be ‘no rhyme nor reason’ at all. But, think binary, positives /
negatives. Just too many negatives. Think ‘capital punishment’. No, the world’s
not going to end in 2012 as some fear. Rather, think slow burn; decades at
best; then ‘poof’. In the scheme of things, this world’s just not that
important (apes,
notochordates, and initially single celled organisms). Kind of
akin to what I previously wrote: (God doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to
wrestle!) Boy wrestler forfeits match
to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I feel sorry for those
guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and 13) … they’ll
probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink my regard for
Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart championship teams to be
the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy who forfeited, he could
have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily do that with a lesser
opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in a certain way into
the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive orgasm, she’d unwittingly
arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder blades to the mat, thereby
pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a manner of speaking that he
was making heterosexual love not war with her ……… how pathetic and preposterous
this was … and, let me remind the homo that God doesn’t care that you wrestle a
girl who wants to wrestle! ]
244,000
jobs added in April Associated Press In biggest hiring spree in five years,
employers posted a third straight month of hiring; unemployment rose to 9
percent as people resumed looking for work. Interactive:
Why it doesn’t feel like a recovery (Washington Post) [ Short answer: Because it’s really not a
recovery! What jobs? $1 dollar a day, 3 days a year … and on government pork
projects for the porkers’ reelection campaigns? I don’t think so! Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed
presidency/administration as others, including from the Post.. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘..it eerily feels
like the months before the financial crisis and meltdown of 2008. .. impending
and significant pullback over the summer.
10 reasons
2011 ..like 2008.
Nimmo / Jones | Videos [ I personally believe Osama’s been dead
for quite some time. Indeed, for one on dialysis, he otherwise would have been
nothing less than a modern day miracle in terms of longevity / mortality rates
for those so afflicted, particularly under the ‘stressful’ circumstances
involving evading capture, betrayal for money, etc.. His ‘surfacing’ for a
‘talk’ wouldn’t even pass muster in the most rudimentary requirements for
‘proof of life’. The release at this time of the ‘announcement’ is, rather than
a victory lap so to speak, but rather a sign of weakness and desperation on the
part of america whose global and domestic economic, financial, and geopolitical
position is substantially diminished and declining rapidly and whose military
industrial complex welfare plan along with the Orwellian diversion of the
masses could at most yield a pyrrhic victory which also would require for
consummation a wrap-up of this nation-bankrupting contrived war scenario, which
is not likely. Moreover, the same comes at a
time of systemic failure for pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america While the ‘announcement’ plays well for the nonce, to the dumb,
uninformed back home, the same will
galvanize resistance in the name of their now martyr, Osama Bin Laden.
In sum, other than somewhat questionable propaganda value, the announcement
will have no measurable effect on america’s continuing mideast / global
debacle. In other words, defacto bankrupt america has used up a ‘bullet’,
albeit a blank at that! ]
Weekly
Unemployment Claims Going in the Wrong Direction Short May 5, 2011 ‘The Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report was released
this morning for last week. Claims rose 43,000 from an upward revision of the
previous week to 431,000. That is a 10% increase for the week and a 4-week
moving average increase of 5.4%. Here is the official statement from the
Department of Labor:
In the week
ending April 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was
474,000, an increase of 43,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of
431,000. The 4-week moving average was 431,250, an increase of 22,250 from the
previous week’s revised average of 409,000.
The advance
seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0 percent for the week
ending April 23, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week’s
unrevised rate of 2.9 percent.
The advance
number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending
April 23 was 3,733,000, an increase of 74,000 from the preceding week’s revised
level of 3,659,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,700,750, a decrease of
1,250 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,702,000.
Today’s number
was 18.5% higher than the Briefing.com consensus expectation of 400,000 claims.
As we can see,
there’s a good bit of volatility in this indicator, which is why the 4-week
moving average (shown in the callouts) is a more useful number than the weekly
data.
[ chart
http://dshort.com/charts/indicators/weekly-unemployment-claims.gif ]
Occasionally I
see articles critical of seasonal adjustment, especially when the non-adjusted
number better suits the author’s bias. But a comparison of these two charts
clearly shows extreme volatility of the non-adjusted data, and the 4-week MA
gives an indication of the recurring pattern of seasonal change in the second
chart (note, for example, those regular January spikes).
Because of the
extreme volatility of the non-adjusted weekly data, a 52-week moving average
gives a better sense of the long-term trends.
The Bureau of
Labor Statistics provides an overview on seasonal adjustment here (scroll down about
half way down).
Doug Short Ph.d is the author
of dshort.com.’
Closer
Than We'd Like to Think to a Second Banking Crisis? The Inflation Trader
‘Trading continues to be lethargic. This isn’t just true of this week –
Employment weeks can be notoriously quiet – but of markets generally over some
period of time. NYSE Composite total volumes haven’t exceeded 1bln shares this
quarter, the longest streak of failing to do so in many years. One reason that
the VIX (equities), the MOVE (Treasuries), and other volatility indices are so
low is not complacency – although there is some of that as well – but the fact
that the realized moves have been so small for so long that it is just too hard
for an options trader to keep a long position subject to the drip, drip, drip
of time decay. When I first got into the markets and was trained as a technical
analyst, we considered this ‘coiling’ and a sign that a big move was near. That
may no longer be true. It may simply be that the market has lost enough
liquidity, due to Dodd-Frank, rules about naked shorting, and capital
constraints, that volumes and volatility are moving to a lower equilibrium.
This is, of
course, bad news for the banks. We have noted this week how banks are being
forcibly under-levered because of the excess reserves in the banking system.
That’s one element of the DuPont model. Lower volumes are a second component.
Unless banks can charge much fatter margins (and the chance of that is the only
thing that’s fat), earnings are doomed to decline. This has been apparent for a
long time, but for a while these companies can keep hitting targets by drawing
down reserve accounts (evidence the trend over the last year to sharply reduce
credit reserves, supposedly because of improved default experience). The
mathematics in the long run are powerful, however, and this is a big reason
that while the S&P has recovered 75% of its 2007-2009 decline, the NASDAQ
Bank Index has recovered only 28% of its dive (see Chart, click to enlarge).
[
chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/5/saupload_badbanks.png
]
For all
the tender mercies of the central banks, the non-central banks are still weak.
No one cries
for the banks. But healthy banks matter. I present the chart above not to bury
the banks but to point out how poorly they’ve done even with the Fed, ECB, and
other monetary authorities working very hard to engineer a very steep yield
curve – historically, the way that banks have gotten healthy again after bad
periods.
It isn’t
American banks only that remain weak (and by weak, I don’t mean so much the
balance sheet. The balance sheets have definitely improved, but the long-term
growth rate of the company is what allows them to bear up in a crisis and
recover after it. It’s the economic strength, not the accounting strength, I’m
talking about here). European banks have similar issues, and that matters because
they’re also all stuffed with dicey sovereign debt that is allowed to be
carried at par. We are, indeed, much closer to a second banking crisis than we
would like to think, and this is the significance of comments like those last week from ECB
Executive Board member José Manuel González Paramo. In discussing the
possibility of simply restructuring Greece’s sovereign debt – never mind
default – he said:
Any debt restructuring would imply the breach of
legal obligations, which most likely would have a more negative systemic effect
than the Lehman catastrophe.
One reason for this is that the banks and the ECB
both own lots of Greek paper considered legally to be worth par. And there’s no
way it’s really worth par. To a strong banking system, a Greek default or
restructuring would be damaging but survivable. In the banking system’s current
state? Paramo may not be far wrong.
It would help banks to strengthen, of course, if the
economy were to continue to strengthen (it would also help them if inflation
rose, because that would increase the value of loan collateral, such as
housing, that currently provides insufficient coverage for loan exposures).
Yesterday’s economic data in isolation are not encouraging on that score. The
ADP number was soft, although close enough to expectations at 179k (198k was
expected). More surprising was the Non-Manufacturing ISM report, which printed
52.8 versus expectations for 57.5. The Non-Man ISM is not usually a market-mover,
but this big of a miss had some market repercussions. I was right that the
markets had more downside than upside: stocks lost 0.7% while 10y notes only
rallied 3bp to 3.22%.
A time-series chart of the Non-Man ISM is below (click
to enlarge). The number returned essentially to last February’s level,
mainly because of a sharp decline in the New Orders subcomponent to 52.7 from
64.1
[
chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/5/saupload_nmi_1_thumb1.png ]
Bad drop, but it's probably not the start of a second
leg down. We hope.
Now, keep in mind that this is a relative-change
measure, not an absolute measure. That is, the fact that it is at the level of
Feb 2010 doesn’t imply activity is at the level of a year ago, but that the
economy is improving as fast as it was in February last year – which is to say,
it’s not improving very much at all at the moment. That beats getting worse,
but with the Fed about to stop its bond-buying program and with “issues” still
to solve in Europe it would help to have the economy starting to kick into high
gear right about now. And it ain’t. (Hey, but thanks for that $1.5 trillion. It
really did a lot, didn’t it?)
These are only two minor reports, although in general
the disappointments have been on the downside for a while now (as
I showed on Monday). A cheerful Initial Claims report today (Consensus:
410k from 429k) and a strong Payrolls number on Friday would go a long way to
dispelling concerns raised from these minor reports. But Claims has actually
been part of the problem. Economists were initially encouraged last November
when Claims finally moved consistently below 440k. With some chop, they
continued to decline until February and March, when for the most part Claims
were below 400k. Recently, though, they’ve risen again – to 416k, 404k, and
429k the last three weeks – and after revisions Claims have exceeded the
consensus expectations for eight consecutive weeks (actually, on April 1st
they matched expectations exactly).
Also due out today is Non-Farm Productivity and Unit
Labor Costs for Q1. It isn’t an important number although if ULC exceeds the
+0.8% forecast by very much it will get some of the wage-push inflation guys
excited.
Bonds continue to do very well despite the poor
seasonal pattern for this time of year, but gains below 3.20% yields on the 10y
note will get increasingly difficult without a really bad Employment report on
Friday. I would expect some duration risk to be taken off the table on
Thursday. Commodities have gotten smacked around for a couple of days.
Initially it was a Silver thing, then a precious metals thing; yesterday
Grains, Livestock, Softs, Precious and Industrial Metals all fell. But with the
dollar weak and real interest rates so low, I don’t think commodities are going
to take a serious hit.’
Is
Market Weakness About to Emerge?
[Short answer: Yes! ] Degner ‘I've
thought at length about the bizarre correlation between crude oil and the
S&P 500. With equities, oil, precious metals, and other commodities all
falling over the last few days, I decided to extend my analysis to the broader
commodity market as measured by the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI).
The GSCI is made up of a basket of commodities covering all major asset groups.
Since it's weighted by trading activity and volatility, a large portion of the
index is made up of energy commodities. However, precious and base metals as
well as agricultural, meat, and "soft" commodities are also
represented. The GSCI is designed to give a portfolio view of commodity price
movements. Logic would suggest that the value of commodities should be
uncorrelated, or perhaps even NEGATIVELY correlated, to equity prices. But
logic would be wrong.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/5/saupload_spx_gsci_110504.png
The chart
above shows the very strong correlation between commodity and equity prices
over the last 18 months. The correlation actually extends back to the
precipitous decline in all issue during the 2008 financial melt-down. Over the
last 18 months the linkage has been particularly strong, with the r-squared an
incredible 88%. Such a relationship is hard to ignore, and reinforces the
belief that all markets are being influenced by the same broad macro-economic
(or speculative?) trends.
This analysis
makes clear that analyzing one particular segment of the financial landscape
without considering the fundamentals of other parts of the global financial
system is short-sighted and maybe even dangerous. Note for example how the GSCI
is now at the lowest level since late March even while (until today) the
S&P was very near the highs for the entire move. Could this be a sign of
weakness about to emerge in the stock market? [Short answer: Yes! ] …’
UBS
bank admits rigging bids (Washington Post)
Swiss bank reaped millions of dollars of illegal profits by rigging
municipal bond transactions in 36 states, government said. [ The key here is
‘Swiss’ and ‘millions of dollars of illegal profits’ when the american banks /
wall street frauds’ generated hundreds of billions in illegal profits, which
frauds continue to this day by way of slightly subdued high-frequency trading /
commission-generated scams along with cover-up and cash-out from the last,
still unprosecuted fraud in the trillions for which disgorgement, fines is long
overdue. 24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny
it. ..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (WP)
Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at the end
of fiscal 2009, a report says.
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (WP)
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (WP)
More Americans disapprove of President Obama’s management of the war in
Afghanistan than support it, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll,
a finding that reflects the public’s broader concern over the course of the
nearly decade-old conflict.
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(WP) (The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast
turmoil to obfuscate their failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times ]
Is
this a Republican distress call? (Washington Post) The first presidential
primary debate will be distinguished more by who isn’t there than who is. [
What do debates matter in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america? Take
‘wobama the b’ for b***s***. What did what he said in debates actually matter
in reality. Wobama, the failed president as was his predecessor, is a complete
and total fraud. Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(WP) [
Or more aptly put, stated another way, the nation’s solvency is over. ..
america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight.. interest alone is eating
progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge.. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (WP) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘..And here
comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010… This is an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv ]
Kurt Nimmo and Alex Jones | Obama makes a suspiciously timed speech, claims
Osama killed in Pakistan. Videos [ As set forth infra, I personally believe
Osama’s been dead for quite some time. Indeed, for one on dialysis, he
otherwise would have been nothing less than a modern day miracle in terms of
longevity / mortality rates for those so afflicted, particularly under the
‘stressful’ circumstances involving evading capture, betrayal for money, etc..
His ‘surfacing’ for a ‘talk’ wouldn’t even pass muster in the most rudimentary
requirements for ‘proof of life’. The release at this time of the
‘announcement’ is, rather than a victory lap so to speak, but rather a sign of
weakness and desperation on the part of america whose global and domestic
economic, financial, and geopolitical position is substantially diminished and
declining rapidly and whose military industrial complex welfare plan along with
the Orwellian diversion of the masses could at most yield a pyrrhic victory
which also would require for consummation a wrap-up of this nation-bankrupting
contrived war scenario, which is not likely. Moreover, the same comes at a time of systemic failure for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america While the ‘announcement’ plays well for the
nonce, to the dumb, uninformed back home, the same will galvanize resistance in the name of their
now martyr, Osama Bin Laden. In sum, other than somewhat questionable
propaganda value, the announcement will have no measurable effect on america’s
continuing mideast / global debacle. In other words, defacto bankrupt america
has used up a ‘bullet’, albeit a blank at that! ]
In February,
2004, Iranian state radio claimed Osama bin Laden had been
captured in Pakistan’s border region with Afghanistan “a long time ago.”
Pentagon and Pakistani officials denied the report. “Osama bin Laden has been
arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda
maneuvering in the presidential election,” the radio report said…’ Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed
presidency/administration as others, including from the Post, have done and
made. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ]
White
House goes quiet on bin Laden raid
(WashPost) As further questions about the original story surfaced,
officials said they will neither release photos of a bloodied terrorist leader
nor provide new details about the raid on his compound in Pakistan. [ OBL
miraculously cured himself of kidney
failure/ no shots fired/Was Bin Laden Assault A Jessica Lynch-Style Fable? Watson
| Myriad of inconsistencies in alleged raid begin to resemble war propaganda
fairytales told about Private Lynch and Pat Tillman Police State Expands On Bin Laden Death Hype Nimmo
‘World
is safer,’ president says Osama exposed his cowardice. (WP) [ This former cia-supported ally may be
legitimately described as many things; but coward is not one of them.
Principled in giving up riches, comfort, he said americans are thieves; that is absolutely true, and I would
add frauds, criminals, war criminals. Bullies / cowards;ie., wobama, bush,
clinton, cheney, bush, et als Psychology forum Re: Bystander
Effect ‘ I believe the foregoing psycho-babble to be
Rubbish/Hogwash/b.s.
While walking through Military Park
(“park”/pedestrian thoroughfare/cement walks) in newark, n.j., I heard the
clearly audible screams/cries of what turned out to be an old lady on the ground
with blood streaming from her mouth. I ran toward the sound of the cries, the
source of which I could not see because there were so many people... When I
came to the woman, on the ground, blood streaming from her mouth, I asked what
happened, to which she responded she had been hit in the mouth and knocked to
the ground, her purse stolen/put inside her shopping bag, and she pointed out
the criminal casually now walking across the main street. Nobody stopped to
help her, many having passed her by. I slammed the thug to the ground so hard
that, in light of all the blood and confusion, I thought I had been stabbed
(the blood was from his elbows hitting the pavement so hard - no one helped/a
crowd gathered/an undercover cop happened along). I testified at the Grand Jury
Proceeding (he went to prison – pled out). (The other case I wrote about here - Having had occasion to have run down a mugger in newark, n.j. who
apparent had followed a girl from the bank on her way to the bursar to pay
tuition, though in pretty good shape, I was astounded by how totally exhausting
such a pursuit was, ..The girl was not that seriously injured, did get her
pocketbook and tuition back, and the criminal went to jail. The other
thing about such a pursuit that amazed me was that no one else assisted the
girl or me despite being in a position to do so).
CONCLUSION
The reality is that quite
simply, the vast and overwhelming majority of americans are without any courage
whatsoever. They are cowards, plain and simple. All the excuses, psycho-babble,
in the world will not change that fact! ]
Jobless
Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Jump Bloomberg | The number of
claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, pushed up by
auto-plant shutdowns and other unusual events.
Dollar Falls to Three
Year Low Reuters | The yen also hit a six-week high
against the dollar.
Is a
Liquidity Crisis Brewing in Europe? CNBC | Do we bailout
the banks or do we throw more money at highly-indebted nations?
National
/ World
Ron Paul will
win tonight’s GOP debate The Hill | Ron Paul will win tonight’s
Republican debate because he will be the only candidate discussing serious
ideas.
Obama
teleprompter coach has $100K contract Washington Times |
The White House is using tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on a public
relations firm.
American
Decline: Nearly Half Of Detroiters Can’t Read Business Insider
| The data about Detroit grow more depressing by the month.
Drudgereport: CNN
SHOCK POLL: RON PAUL HAS BEST CHANCE VS OBAMA
National
Home Prices Double Dip...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS RISE TO 8 MONTH HIGH...
Fears
linger of a new 'flash crash'...
9-11
FAMILY: 'SHOW US PROOF BIN LADEN KILLED'...
Victim's
father: Obama 'putting too much spotlight on himself'...
Channels
Bush at Ground Zero: 'We will never forget'...
Tells
teen survivor he knows
Justin Bieber...
Turns
Back on 9/11 Family Member...
AUDIO...
Muslim
Brotherhood urges review of Israel ties...
Pakistanis
burn U.S. flags; backlash over death grows...
Pakistan
officials: No resistance in 'cold-blooded' U.S. raid...
Warns
America not to stage any more...
Threatens
'disastrous consequences'...
Muslims
already name dump location 'Martyr's Sea'...
OBAMA,
NO PHOTOS OF OSAMA: 'We don't need to spike the football'...
'Conspiracy theorists will just claim doctored'...
Sen.
Scott Brown: 'I've seen picture, he's definitely dead'...
UPDATE:
Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was
faked...
three
senators fell for fakes...
UPDATE:
'The photo I saw and that a lot of other people saw is not authentic'...
Top
Dem: No photo needed, 'there's absolute proof'...
REUTERS RELEASES 'DEATH SCENE' PHOTOS
**WARNING GRAPHIC**
UPDATE: Photo proving bin Laden's death to Sen. Brown was faked...
Possibly
three senators fell for fakes...
Pakistan:
'Not a single bullet fired from compound'...
WIRE:
Photos from 1 hour after raid show 3 dead, no weapons...
The
Slippery Story of the bin Laden Kill...
Official says 'killed apparently
by the U.S. raid team'...
DOLLAR
HITS 3 YEAR LOW...
1
IN 7 ON FOOD STAMPS!
Job
numbers disappoint...
Treasury
suggests $2 trillion debt cap raise...
Top 3 Reasons Markets were Down Like a Geodetic Effect Wall St.
Cheat Sheet May 4, 2011 ‘Markets closed down on
Wall Street: DJI -0.66% SP500 -0.69% Nasdaq -0.47% Gold -1.64% Oil -1.95% .
Last week was
a streak of winning markets. This week is over the hump — all losers. On the
commodities front, Oil (NYSE:USO) sold off most of the day to at $108.89. Gold (NYSE:GLD) and Silver (NYSE:SLV) also sold off hard, with Silver getting
slaughtered over 5% — two days in a row!
Today’s
markets were down because:
1) Economic
data was lackluster. This morning started with lower
than expected Private Payrolls and continued with a steep month-over-month
drop in the ISM Non-manufacturing Index (Don’t Miss: “Chart
of the Day: US Services Sector Trying to Hold On“). Last week’s lackluster
data is catching up to us as earnings hasn’t been the savior this week.
2) Gas prices
in Hawaii broke $6 a gallon. Oil (NYSE:USO) may have dipped, but someone forgot to tell a
lone gas station (NYSE:XOP) attendant in Hana, Hawaii where
you can love yourself some gas for the bargain price of only $6.03 a gallon.
The silly high number is so silly, every media outlet focused on rising gas
prices despite traders slaughtering Oil (NYSE:USO) two days in a row. Well, no one said the
mainstream media ever focused on the right meme.
3) Remember
the PIIGS? Portugal finally screamed “mercy” and accepted a 78 billion Euro
rescue package. As investors wake up to reality, some are finally changing to a
“risk off” stance as more debt addicts are in line for harsh sessions of rehab.
At least Americans don’t have to worry (yet) because this
Pew chart shows we’re in the middle of a textbook relapse…’
Coming to a Head - Long-term Analysis of the U.S. Economy , May 4, 2011 ‘Based purely on the stock market, the
economy should be rockin' and rollin', but while the market's performance has
been stellar, the economy is flat. QE2 has disrupted the internal balance
between stocks and the economy. With QE2 about to end, we ask, will stocks
catch up with the economy or the economy with stocks?
Just how
strong is the market? The SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF (NYSEArca: MDY - News) is trading at an all-time
high, the Nasdaq-100 (Nasdaq: QQQQ
- News) has surpassed its
2007 watermark, the Russell 2000 (NYSEArca: IWM - News) is closing in on its
all-time high, the S&P 500 (SNP: ^GSPC) has doubled since March 2009, and
the Dow (DJI: ^DJI) is viewed as the ultra safe haven in a world of turmoil.
How strong is
the economy? Real estate (NYSEArca: IYR - News), the biggest wealth
builder/destroyer in the country, is still weak. The Standard & Poor's
Case-Shiller Home Price Index has dropped to the lowest level in nearly a
decade. As the Home Price Index has fallen below March 2009 levels, residential
REIT stocks have nearly tripled since then.
Another huge
contributor to a healthy economy - unemployment - shows signs of improvements
at a peripheral glance but continues to lag significantly if examined beyond
the rosy headline numbers. To wit, if it wasn't for the labor force sliding to
a near 30-year low, the headline unemployment number would be around 12% while
the real unemployment would be around 20%.
Based on an
11-line surface analysis, stocks and the economy are out of sync. To see
whether stocks will catch up with the economy, or vice versa, we'll need to
slice beneath the service and examine the very foundation of our economy.
Multi-decade
Economic Trend
Unnoticed by
Wall Street, the economy has been shifting gears, and has gone from
acceleration mode to coasting mode. How so?
A few decades
ago, sweat-trenched U.S. manufacturing facilities were the most fertile,
growth-producing environment on the planet. This growth was fueled by 'Made in
America' products. The growth was organic and it was real.
When taking a
closer look at the economy over the past 70 years, we see two distinct growth
periods. Phase 1 lasted from 1947 - 1966 and phase 2 stretched from 1975 -
2000.
Throughout
phase 1, GDP averaged 4.18% while unemployment was low. GDP during phase 2
averaged 3.40% with unemployment inching up.
http://www.etfguide.com//contributor/UserFiles/8/Image/Growth%20Periods%20Yahoo.gif
GE, a company
that endured through both phases, provides important clues about the difference
between both phases. Up until the end of phase 1, GE was known for
manufacturing quality products like light bulbs, refrigerators, jet engines,
and aircraft super chargers. GE's slogan was 'We bring good things to life.'
In the second
phase, GE ventured into television and high finance. GE Capital, GE Commercial
Finance, GE Money, GE Consumer Finance and NBC Universal contributed an
ever-growing slice of GE's profit pie.
GE's focus
shifted from manufacturing to financial engineering. If GE didn't build a
product, it would finance the consumer's purchase of a competitor's product. It
was just appropriate that GE's slogan was changed to 'Imagination at work.'
The 'New
Normal' - New but not Normal
The concept of
making money by using money, encouraged by the Fed's interest rate policy,
lacked substance and sustainability. The 2000 tech (NYSEArca: XLK - News) crash was more pronounced
than what we've seen from the decades before. The real estate boom was as
gigantic as its subsequent bust.
The post-2007
financial crisis further highlighted the dangers of an economy low on
manufacturing but rich on leverage, accounting tricks, and financial
engineering. No wonder the average GDP for the 2001 - 2010 period - dubbed the
lost decade - dropped to 1.71%.
But amnesia,
or selective memory loss, usually triggered by rising prices, is not new to
investors. The more stocks rally, the more excited investors become, the more
dangerous the stock market gets.
Building
an Air Castle?
The post
meltdown economy has become a launching pad for the new economy and new key
players. Facebook and Twitter are Wall Street's new darlings. Six of the
founders and investors behind Facebook just made it on Forbes annual list of
world's top billionaires and investors can't wait to get their hands on the
upcoming IPOs.
According to
Wall Street valuations, Facebook is worth as much as Home Depot or Boeing. Home
Depot employs 306,000 workers, Boeing 154,000. Facebook sends paychecks to
about 1,000 lucky individuals.
A happy go
lucky investor looks at the new economy and says 'Wow, that's just marvelous.'
A skeptical mind looks at it and wonders 'How long before that blows up in my
face?'
Simple
Math
As the economy
is weakening, the government and the Fed's role in providing sufficient
liquidity (QE2) to keep a faux system running is ever increasing. Government
spending (unemployment benefits, social security, welfare, etc.) accounts now
for 35% of all private U.S. income and 26% of GDP.
But, the
government is nearly broke and will have to face massive spending cuts. The
Federal Reserve can't currently risk any more QE as inflation concerns have
become prohibitive.
From a
fundamental point of view, the outlook is less than rosy. From the valuation
standpoint (dividend yields near all-time low, mean reverting projected
earnings near all-time high), stocks are looking over priced.
The only thing
keeping stocks afloat is the remaining weeks of QE2 and a higher technical
target.
The March ETF
Profit Strategy Newsletter outlined the ideal up side target for a major
market. While the up side target hasn't been reached, the market has reached
frothy levels...’
Are
We Headed for a Major Correction?
The Housing Time Bomb ‘I wanted to take a few minutes and share a chart
with you. As you all know I am not much of a T/A guy. However, over the longer
term, I do watch them from time to time.
I often watch
the Russell 2000 when I am looking for a trend change because it's usually the
first sector that rolls over during bear markets.
After taking a peak at the monthly of the Russell, I couldn't help but take
notice of an almost perfect double top:
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/4/saupload_2011_05_03_tos_charts.png
My Take:
The Russell is
much more sensitive than the rest of the market because it is comprised of
smaller companies with matching smaller balance sheets. Therefore, they are
much more susceptible to a weakening economy versus a huge company like Apple (AAPL) that
sits on tens of billion in cash.
As a result,
when things start to head south as a result of things like $4 gas, the market
tends to sell these names first. The fact that it couldn't hold the trendline
after breaking through the 2007 highs is something to take note of.
The
Bottom Line:
So are we due
for a major correction? Hard to tell. The Fed seems obsessed with taking the
market higher, and it has decided to destroy our currency in order to due so in
the process.
The reality
here is no one wins this game if the dollar loses because stocks are priced in
dollars, and if the currency cracks it's not going to matter where the market
is.
The market, in
my opinion, seems to be struggling with a colossal battle between the powerful
forces of debt deflation and deleveraging, versus the equally powerful forces
of inflation via currency debasing courtesy of the easy money Fed.
This battle
has become a personal struggle for myself, which is why I haven't had much to
say recently. Part of me believes that debt deflation is inevitable as the
world realizes the trillions of digital dollars that people moronically
borrowed over the past decade will never be paid back.
However, at
the same time, you also have extremely powerful inflationary forces that are
being created by the Fed as they continue money printing and keeping rates low
at the same time the rest of the world takes rates higher. India just raised
rates by .50 basis points yesterday.
Who will win
this battle? Hard to say. I am positioning myself for both.
What I can
tell you is what I have done with my positions recently:
I sold out of
50% of my silver at around $45. Things got a little too bubbly for me here. I
will look for cheaper prices.
I shorted the
Russell last week via TWM. I also continue holding some small short positions
in SDS and QID.
On the long side I bought the nuclear stock EXC
when it got oversold following the Japanese nuclear disaster and I also added
the titanium stock TIE.
I still hold
the majority of my money in cash which at any moment could become worthless.
This is a scary proposition to me but the way I see it the dollar should rise
before it tanks because I think Europe is going to go down before we do.
Greece will
default by the end of the year. The market has already priced it in. The
rippling effects of this in terms of the rest of the PIIGS are flat out
frightening to me but there is nothing I can do to control it.
All I can do
here is stick to the fundamentals and the most important one to remember is
risk is relative! As a result, I don't believe the dollar is toast just yet
because the bond market continues to tell us that we are the best looking horse
in the glue factory of bankrupt countries.
I write this
post as a warning that something big could be coming. Please play defense and
be safe.’
High-Probability,
Mean-Reversion Strategy - Options Strategy Continues to Succeed Crowder
‘The High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Strategy continued its success Tuesday as
the strategy triggered another good trade. This time it was the SPDR S&P
500 ETF (SPY). SPY moved into a short-term
extreme state on Friday so I purchased a few puts per the strategy guidelines.
Tuesday, I was able to sell them for a decent 7.6% return. So far, after only
one trade the strategy is up 5.6% for the month of May. Another trade like
Tuesday and the strategy will certainly exceed April’s 10.5% gain.
Year-to-date
the HPMR options strategy is up 37.7% . Check out the results.
The decline in
the S&P falls right in line with the “sell in May” phenomenon that occurs
during this time of year. Will it be this easy?
The market has
looked frothy for weeks now, but I think the move in SLV
over the last two days was the catalyst the bears needed. Or could it be that
the market finally realizes that the strongest monetary and fiscal policy in
U.S. history is not enough to keep this economy above water. Did you see the
GDP last week – 1.8%. When GDP hit -6.8% and QE1 was enacted the economy came
roaring and has done so for slightly over two years. But I think the fun is
over. I think now, more than ever is the appropriate time to use sound
options-based strategies.
Just look at
the High-Probability, Mean-Reversion strategy’s performance over the past
several days while the market was moving lower. A 7.6% return while the S&P
has taken a turn for the worse.
Anyone, and I
mean anyone, can make money when the market is in bull mode. I see the machismo
every day. Analysts who think they have the hidden gem to riches. Touting how
great they are during a strong bull rally, but neglecting to remember how they
performed (if they even had money in the market) when the market was moving the
other way. I see, read and hear it everyday.
And these same
analysts who tout gains during bull markets know very little when it comes
options and how powerful they can become during any type of market environment.
Nor do they want to know.
Anyway, I
could go on and on, but I will save it for tomorrow's post.
Short-Term
High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Indicator – as of close 5/03/11
click to enlarge
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/4/saupload_5_3_11_hpmr.png
‘
Dollar Falls to Three
Year Low
Reuters | The yen also hit a six-week high against the
dollar.
Is a
Liquidity Crisis Brewing in Europe?
CNBC | Do we bailout the banks or do we throw more money
at highly-indebted nations?
Report
urges U.S. open door to China investment flood Reuters |
Tens of billions of dollars of Chinese investment could flood into the United
States in the next decade.
Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(Washington Post) [ Or more aptly put, stated another way, the
nation’s solvency is over. Now that would be cutting to the chase. After all,
it’s a little late for ‘budget bustin’ heroics’. Quite simply, america’s
defacto bankrupt with no end in sight, such being the insurmountable nature of
same where interest alone is eating progressively into GDP beyond the
subterfuge, smoke and mirrors, diversions. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!
U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘This has
been a whirlwind week for intangible monetary policy news which was lead by:
My foggy long range economic view is of a moderately
improving economy which is fighting growing fiscal headwinds. My takeaway from
from the press conference and FOMC meeting was a fairly strong opinion by
Chairman Bernanke that the economy was gaining enough traction to stand on its
own without further accommodation.
A deeper look at advance 1Q2011 GDP real growth of
1.8% should quickly dispel this.
The economy is still in recession if the economic
effects of the automatic
stabilizers are taken into consideration. Automatic stabilizers are
automatic changes in the government’s revenues and outlays that are
attributable to cyclical movements in real output.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_weekly13.png
…
]
U.S.
debt Running in the red: How the U.S., on the road to surplus, detoured to
massive debt (Washington Post) [
Detour, towar’, war … thieving, raping, pillaging and plundering … Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘And here comes the first indicator that Q2
GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!
WallStCheatSheet:
Obama’s
victory lap (Washington Post) The
killing of bin Laden offered hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado
Mr. Milbank could latch onto this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it
victory. Sounds like he’s shootin’ for a job in this failed
presidency/administration as others, including from the Post, have done and
made. 10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘The market ended
April as it began, grinding up on low volume, ignoring increasingly worsening
energy prices, continued turmoil in the Middle East and slowing worldwide
economic growth. To me it feels like we are in the calm before the storm. More
specifically, it eerily feels like the months before the financial crisis and
meltdown of 2008. The similarities are striking to me and think the market is
ignoring the signs of an impending and significant pullback over the summer.
Here are ten
reasons 2011 is starting to feel so much like 2008.
SPX
Pullback History: 2009-2011
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/3/saupload_spxpullbacks09_11050311.png ]
CHART
OF THE DAY: Watch the US Debt Set a 60 Year Record
National
/ World
‘World
is safer,’ president says Osama bin Laden is portrayed as a reclusive
figure whose final moments exposed his cowardice. (Washington Post) [ This former cia-supported ally may be
legitimately described as many things; but coward is not one of them.
Principled in giving up riches, comfort, he said americans are thieves; that is absolutely true, and I would
add frauds, criminals, war criminals. Bullies / cowards;ie., wobama, bush,
clinton, cheney, bush, et als … - I wrote: Psychology
forum Re: Bystander Effect ‘… I believe the
foregoing psycho-babble to be absolute, unequivocal
Rubbish/Hogwash/b.s.
The foregoing web site is, from direct experience,
lacking credibility. Indeed, while walking through Military Park (a sliver of a
“park” - more a pedestrian thoroughfare/cement walks) in newark, new jersey on
the way to the bank during lunch hour, I heard the clearly audible screams/cries
of what turned out to be an old lady on the ground with blood streaming from
her mouth. I ran toward the sound of the cries, the source of which I could not
see because there were so many people in and about this thoroughfare so as to
block any vision of the source of the cries. When I came to the woman, on the
ground, blood streaming from her mouth, I asked what happened, to which she
responded she had been hit in the mouth and knocked to the ground, her purse
stolen/put inside her shopping bag, and she pointed out the criminal casually
now walking across the main street. Nobody stopped to help her, many having
passed her by. I slammed the thug to the ground so hard that, in light of all
the blood and confusion (limbic system / adrenalin flow) I thought I had been
stabbed (the blood was from his elbows hitting the pavement so hard - no one
helped/a crowd gathered/an undercover cop happened along). When I testified at
the Grand Jury Proceeding I made sure his threat on my life was set forth in prima
facie fashion so as to maximize the DA’s position with both felonies (he
went to prison – pled out). (The other case I wrote about here - Having had occasion to have run down a mugger in newark, n.j. who
apparent had followed a girl from the bank on her way to the bursar to pay
tuition, though in pretty good shape, I was astounded by how totally exhausting
such a pursuit was, how much like rubber my arms were when I traded punches
with the perpetrator, and truth be told, if I had a flashlight on my belt, I
have little doubt that I would have probably used it to subdue the perp. The
girl was not that seriously injured, did get her pocketbook and tuition back,
and the criminal went to jail. The other thing about such a pursuit that
amazed me was that no one else assisted the girl or me despite being in a
position to do so).
CONCLUSION
The reality, though difficult for many, including
psychologists to accept is that quite simply, the vast and overwhelming
majority of americans are without any courage whatsoever. They are cowards,
plain and simple. All the excuses, rationalizations, etc., psycho-babble if you
will, in the world will not change that fact. I could cite numerous instances
involving white collar/RICO crimes involving such cowardice as well. I
understand statistics, the term ad hoc, sampling, etc.. The conclusion stands!.
Kurt Nimmo and Alex Jones | Obama makes a suspiciously timed speech, claims
Osama killed in Pakistan. Videos [ As set forth infra, I personally believe
Osama’s been dead for quite some time. Indeed, for one on dialysis, he
otherwise would have been nothing less than a modern day miracle in terms of
longevity / mortality rates for those so afflicted, particularly under the
‘stressful’ circumstances involving evading capture, betrayal for money, etc..
His ‘surfacing’ for a ‘talk’ wouldn’t even pass muster in the most rudimentary
requirements for ‘proof of life’. The release at this time of the
‘announcement’ is, rather than a victory lap so to speak, but rather a sign of
weakness and desperation on the part of america whose global and domestic
economic, financial, and geopolitical position is substantially diminished and
declining rapidly and whose military industrial complex welfare plan along with
the Orwellian diversion of the masses could at most yield a pyrrhic victory
which also would require for consummation a wrap-up of this nation-bankrupting
contrived war scenario, which is not likely. Moreover, the same comes at a time of systemic failure for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america While the ‘announcement’ plays well for the
nonce, to the dumb, uninformed back home, the same will galvanize resistance in the name of their
now martyr, Osama Bin Laden. In sum, other than somewhat questionable
propaganda value, the announcement will have no measurable effect on america’s
continuing mideast / global debacle. In other words, defacto bankrupt america
has used up a ‘bullet’, albeit a blank at that! ]
In February,
2004, Iranian state radio claimed Osama bin Laden had been
captured in Pakistan’s border region with Afghanistan “a long time ago.”
Pentagon and Pakistani officials denied the report. “Osama bin Laden has been
arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda
maneuvering in the presidential election,” the radio report said…’ ]
Recovery
efforts may be bad for dollar (Washington Post) U.S. efforts to speed the
economic recovery could transform the currency’s slow decline into a
precipitous fall. [ Oh, riiiiight! That ‘method’ to their madness. I’d like to
know at this point in the continuing debacle just what possibly could be
realistically good for the dollar. SPX
Pullback History: 2009-2011
chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/3/saupload_spxpullbacks09_11050311.png
CHART
OF THE DAY: Watch the US Debt Set a 60 Year Record
Wall Street falls as earnings fears threaten rally (Reuters) - Reuters - stocks fell on Tuesday as investors
questioned the sustainability of the rally in light of fresh worries about
earnings growth in the coming quarters.
[video]
Trader: I See Stagflation
Prominent
Attorney Jonathon Bristol Pleads Guilty in Kenneth Starr Money Laundering Crime
Economist
says bin Laden’s death won’t boost economy KTAR | Any
future attacks by al Qaeda on oil pipelines would certainly have a negative
impact.
US
Debt Rating Should Be ‘C’: Independent Agency CNBC.com |
There have been increasing concerns about the fate of United States’ prized
triple-A sovereign debt rating.
U.S.
Treasury: China Has Decreased Its Holdings of U.S. Debt CNS
| Mainland China has decreased its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities since
last October.
As
Food Stamp Recipients Hit New Record, 400 Americans Account For 10% Of Capital
Gains Today SNAP released the most recent food stamp numbers. Not
surprisingly, we just saw another all time high 44.2 million poverty-level
Americans relying on government funding for day to day sustenance. ]
Deal
on controlling debt stalls (Washington Post) A bipartisan effort to rein in
the national debt stalls, as members of the Senate’s so-called Gang of Six
signal that an agreement is unlikely to come in time for the start of White
House-led budget talks. [ Who woulda’ thunk it? Riiiiight! Stalling in
washington … I’ve experienced it myself.
Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(Washington Post) [ Or more aptly put, stated another way, the
nation’s solvency is over. Now that would be cutting to the chase. After all, it’s a little late for ‘budget bustin’
heroics’. Quite simply, america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight, such
being the insurmountable nature of same where interest alone is eating
progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge, smoke and mirrors, diversions. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘This has been a whirlwind week for intangible
monetary policy news which was lead by:
…
A deeper look at advance 1Q2011 GDP real growth of
1.8% should quickly dispel this.
The economy is still in recession if the economic
effects of the automatic
stabilizers are taken into consideration. Automatic stabilizers are
automatic changes in the government’s revenues and outlays that are
attributable to cyclical movements in real output.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_weekly13.png
…]
Rising
gas prices shift debate (Washington
Post) A year after a massive oil spill, a single concern is prompting push for
more drilling: $4-a-gallon gas. [Ah, riiiiight! Drilling … that’s it … not an
end to ‘no-recession-helicopter ben-b.s. bernanke’s’ dollar debasement policies
with the predictable consequences we’re seeing (including $4 gas), which among
other manipulations have been great for the frauds on wall street and ‘the
few’, to the detriment of virtually everyone else. SPX
Pullback History: 2009-2011
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/3/saupload_spxpullbacks09_11050311.png ]
CHART
OF THE DAY: Watch the US Debt Set a 60 Year Record
Wall Street falls as earnings fears threaten rally (Reuters) - Reuters - stocks fell on Tuesday as investors
questioned the sustainability of the rally in light of fresh worries about
earnings growth in the coming quarters.
[video]
Trader: I See Stagflation
Prominent
Attorney Jonathon Bristol Pleads Guilty in Kenneth Starr Money Laundering Crime
Economist
says bin Laden’s death won’t boost economy KTAR | Any
future attacks by al Qaeda on oil pipelines would certainly have a negative
impact.
US
Debt Rating Should Be ‘C’: Independent Agency CNBC.com |
There have been increasing concerns about the fate of United States’ prized
triple-A sovereign debt rating.
U.S.
Treasury: China Has Decreased Its Holdings of U.S. Debt CNS
| Mainland China has decreased its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities since
last October.
As
Food Stamp Recipients Hit New Record, 400 Americans Account For 10% Of Capital
Gains Today SNAP released the most recent food stamp numbers. Not
surprisingly, we just saw another all time high 44.2 million poverty-level
Americans relying on government funding for day to day sustenance. ]
White
House says bin Laden was unarmed, had no human shield (Washington Post)
Officials attribute initial missteps to administration’s “great haste” in
trying to share details even while operational updates were still pouring in. [
I don’t believe anything the u.s. government says … I can’t believe there are
people dumb enough to believe anything the u.s. government says. Bin
Laden was unarmed when SEALs stormed room (AP) AP - Osama bin Laden was
unarmed when Navy SEALs burst into his room and shot him to death, the White
House said Tuesday, a change in the official account that raised questions… White House struggles to get story right on raid (AP)
Outside
White House Luke Rudkowski | WeAreChange attempts to
educate hysterical public about the truth behind Bin Laden.
Fears
David Petraeus will ‘militarize’ CIA Australian
We’re United Again! Butler
Shaffer | Is Boobus going to buy into this story, just as he did the
government’s assertion that bin Laden masterminded the 9/11 attacks?
How
Pakistan responds will determine its future relationship with the U.S. (Washington Post) A final breach could put
at risk U.S.’s hope of military progress against Afghan Taliban insurgents. [ I
mean come on! You have to give Pakistan a little credit; that is, like Iraq, Afghanitstan, etc., it’s a
thanks but no thanks … look at the destruction, the raping, pillaging and
plundering by the war criminal americans. What we see on our propagandist,
filtered news couldn’t possibly reflect the real sentiments regarding
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, war criminal americans. Key
Afghan aid programs delayed (WP) [
Strategy? Critical time? We’ve heard that song before. And, yet another nation
and innocent lives destroyed for no good reason .. Petraeus
to helm more-militarized CIA (WP) [
I believe there has already been a defacto coup d’etat in america.
Drudgereport: Pentagon Warns Obama Against Deeper Defense Cuts Ron
Paul: After ‘CIA coup,’ agency ‘runs military’ US House Rep. Ron Paul
says the CIA has has in effect carried out a “coup” against the US government,
and the intelligence agency needs to be “taken out.” I also personally
believe there has been a defacto coup d’etat which has manifested in
various substantial, blatant, brazened frauds, ie., wall street, missing 360
tons of $100 bills in Iraq, war profiteering, etc., without fear of
prosecution, as the treasury is looted. But I also believe its scope is beyond
just the CIA with many complicit within the corrupted 3 branches of u.s.
government (fed judges, us attorneys, illegal system, etc.),military and
private big money, ie., wall street men, etc… http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
… “torture taxis” – used by the CIA to move captives seized in its
kidnapping or “extraordinary rendition” operations .. simultaneously used for
drug distribution .. A Gulfstream II jet aircraft N9875A identified by the
British Government and the European Parliament as being involved in this traffic
crashed in Mexico- In 2004, another torture taxi crashed in a field in
Nicaragua with a ton of cocaine aboard- same planes chartered to the CIA for
the rendition of suspected terrorists prisoners…’]
SPX
Pullback History: 2009-2011
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/3/saupload_spxpullbacks09_11050311.png ]
CHART
OF THE DAY: Watch the US Debt Set a 60 Year Record
Wall Street falls as earnings fears threaten rally (Reuters) - Reuters - stocks fell on Tuesday as investors
questioned the sustainability of the rally in light of fresh worries about
earnings growth in the coming quarters.
[video]
Trader: I See Stagflation
Prominent
Attorney Jonathon Bristol Pleads Guilty in Kenneth Starr Money Laundering Crime
Economist
says bin Laden’s death won’t boost economy KTAR | Any
future attacks by al Qaeda on oil pipelines would certainly have a negative
impact.
US
Debt Rating Should Be ‘C’: Independent Agency CNBC.com |
There have been increasing concerns about the fate of United States’ prized
triple-A sovereign debt rating.
U.S.
Treasury: China Has Decreased Its Holdings of U.S. Debt CNS
| Mainland China has decreased its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities since
last October.
‘World
is safer,’ president says Osama bin Laden is portrayed as a reclusive
figure whose final moments exposed his cowardice. (Washington Post) [ This former cia-supported ally may be
legitimately described as many things; but coward is not one of them.
Principled in giving up riches, comfort, he said americans are thieves; that is absolutely true, and I would
add frauds, criminals, war criminals. Bullies / cowards;ie., wobama, bush,
clinton, cheney, bush, et als … - I wrote: Psychology
forum Re: Bystander Effect ‘… I believe the
foregoing psycho-babble to be absolute, unequivocal
Rubbish/Hogwash/b.s.
The foregoing web site is, from direct experience,
lacking credibility. Indeed, while walking through Military Park (a sliver of a
“park” - more a pedestrian thoroughfare/cement walks) in newark, new jersey on
the way to the bank during lunch hour, I heard the clearly audible
screams/cries of what turned out to be an old lady on the ground with blood
streaming from her mouth. I ran toward the sound of the cries, the source of
which I could not see because there were so many people in and about this
thoroughfare so as to block any vision of the source of the cries. When I came
to the woman, on the ground, blood streaming from her mouth, I asked what
happened, to which she responded she had been hit in the mouth and knocked to
the ground, her purse stolen/put inside her shopping bag, and she pointed out
the criminal casually now walking across the main street. Nobody stopped to
help her, many having passed her by. I slammed the thug to the ground so hard
that, in light of all the blood and confusion (limbic system / adrenalin flow)
I thought I had been stabbed (the blood was from his elbows hitting the
pavement so hard - no one helped/a crowd gathered/an undercover cop happened
along). When I testified at the Grand Jury Proceeding I made sure his threat on
my life was set forth in prima facie fashion so as to maximize the DA’s
position with both felonies (he went to prison – pled out). (The other case I
wrote about here - Having had occasion to have
run down a mugger in newark, n.j. who apparent had followed a girl from the
bank on her way to the bursar to pay tuition, though in pretty good shape, I
was astounded by how totally exhausting such a pursuit was, how much like
rubber my arms were when I traded punches with the perpetrator, and truth be
told, if I had a flashlight on my belt, I have little doubt that I would have
probably used it to subdue the perp. The girl was not that seriously injured,
did get her pocketbook and tuition back, and the criminal went to jail.
The other thing about such a pursuit that amazed me was that no one else
assisted the girl or me despite being in a position to do so).
CONCLUSION
The reality, though difficult for many, including
psychologists to accept is that quite simply, the vast and overwhelming
majority of americans are without any courage whatsoever. They are cowards,
plain and simple. All the excuses, rationalizations, etc., psycho-babble if you
will, in the world will not change that fact. I could cite numerous instances
involving white collar/RICO crimes involving such cowardice as well. I
understand statistics, the term ad hoc, sampling, etc.. The conclusion stands!.
Let
the budget battle begin After two weeks of tumultuous meetings with
constituents, Congress returns to a lengthy fight over the nation’s solvency.
(Washington Post) [ Or more aptly put, stated another way, the
nation’s solvency is over. Now that would be cutting to the chase. After
all, it’s a little late for ‘budget bustin’
heroics’. Quite simply, america’s defacto bankrupt with no end in sight, such
being the insurmountable nature of same where interest alone is eating
progressively into GDP beyond the subterfuge, smoke and mirrors, diversions. Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not much! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think
bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it
owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global
GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and
you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how
we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this
(while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the
top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t
fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘This has been a whirlwind week for intangible
monetary policy news which was lead by:
My foggy long range economic view is of a moderately
improving economy which is fighting growing fiscal headwinds. My takeaway from
from the press conference and FOMC meeting was a fairly strong opinion by
Chairman Bernanke that the economy was gaining enough traction to stand on its
own without further accommodation.
A deeper look at advance 1Q2011 GDP real growth of
1.8% should quickly dispel this.
The economy is still in recession if the economic
effects of the automatic
stabilizers are taken into consideration. Automatic stabilizers are
automatic changes in the government’s revenues and outlays that are
attributable to cyclical movements in real output.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_weekly13.png
…
]
U.S.
debt Running in the red: How the U.S., on the road to surplus, detoured to
massive debt (Washington Post) [
Detour, towar’, war … thieving, raping, pillaging and plundering … Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply
happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global
GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of
unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is
to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn
worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to
spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year).
There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the
people all of the time. THIS HOUSE
OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘
… Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘And here comes the first indicator that Q2
GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing
inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27
year high) to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010…
This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still
can since there's much worse to come!
WallStCheatSheet:
Obama’s
victory lap (Washington
Post) The killing of bin Laden offered
hope of instant renewal. [ Only wobama aficionado Mr. Milbank could latch onto
this propagandist Orwellian dream and call it victory. Sounds like he’s
shootin’ for a job in this failed presidency/administration as others,
including from the Post, have done and made.
10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘The market
ended April as it began, grinding up on low volume, ignoring increasingly
worsening energy prices, continued turmoil in the Middle East and slowing
worldwide economic growth. To me it feels like we are in the calm before the
storm. More specifically, it eerily feels like the months before the financial
crisis and meltdown of 2008. The similarities are striking to me and think the
market is ignoring the signs of an impending and significant pullback over the
summer.
Here are ten
reasons 2011 is starting to feel so much like 2008.
]
Osama
bin Laden was discovered ‘hiding in plain sight’ in Pakistan (Washington Post) U.S. officials begin to
provide details on the chronology of events. [
Kurt Nimmo and Alex Jones | Obama makes a suspiciously timed speech, claims
Osama killed in Pakistan. Videos [ As set forth infra, I personally believe
Osama’s been dead for quite some time. Indeed, for one on dialysis, he
otherwise would have been nothing less than a modern day miracle in terms of
longevity / mortality rates for those so afflicted, particularly under the
‘stressful’ circumstances involving evading capture, betrayal for money, etc..
His ‘surfacing’ for a ‘talk’ wouldn’t even pass muster in the most rudimentary
requirements for ‘proof of life’. The release at this time of the
‘announcement’ is, rather than a victory lap so to speak, but rather a sign of
weakness and desperation on the part of america whose global and domestic
economic, financial, and geopolitical position is substantially diminished and
declining rapidly and whose military industrial complex welfare plan along with
the Orwellian diversion of the masses could at most yield a pyrrhic victory
which also would require for consummation a wrap-up of this nation-bankrupting
contrived war scenario, which is not likely. Moreover, the same comes at a time of systemic failure for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america While the ‘announcement’ plays well for the
nonce, to the dumb, uninformed back home, the same will galvanize resistance in the name of their
now martyr, Osama Bin Laden. In sum, other than somewhat questionable
propaganda value, the announcement will have no measurable effect on america’s
continuing mideast / global debacle. In other words, defacto bankrupt america
has used up a ‘bullet’, albeit a blank at that! ]
In February,
2004, Iranian state radio claimed Osama bin Laden had been
captured in Pakistan’s border region with Afghanistan “a long time ago.”
Pentagon and Pakistani officials denied the report. “Osama bin Laden has been
arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda
maneuvering in the presidential election,” the radio report said…’ ]
National
/ World
Bin
Laden was unarmed when SEALs stormed room (AP) AP - Osama bin Laden was
unarmed when Navy SEALs burst into his room and shot him to death, the White
House said Tuesday, a change in the official account that raised questions… White House struggles to get story right on raid (AP)
Outside
White House Luke Rudkowski | WeAreChange attempts to
educate hysterical public about the truth behind Bin Laden.
Fears
David Petraeus will ‘militarize’ CIA Australian |
Petraeus’s appointment as CIA director is part of the biggest shake-up of
Obama’s national security team since he took office two years ago.
We’re United Again! Butler
Shaffer | Is Boobus going to buy into this story, just as he did the
government’s assertion that bin Laden masterminded the 9/11 attacks?
Drudgereport: IMAM:
'Dogs should not rejoice too much for killing lions'...
IMAM VOWS REVENGE
UN
rights boss asks US for facts on bin Laden killing...
Pakistan
condemns 'unauthorized unilateral action'...
PANETTA: Photo coming...
One image
shows a bullet wound to his head above his left eye...
Likely to become most viewed photographs in modern
history...
Will
death image silence doubters or fan flames?
CARNEY:
Release 'could be inflammatory'...
Concerned with Muslim 'sensitivities'...
Should
news organizations publish?
What
bin Laden photos show...
STORY
CHANGES: OSAMA DIDN'T HAVE GUN, DIDN'T USE WIFE AS SHIELD...
WH
SPOKESMAN: 'Resistance does not require a firearm'...
Official:
Appeared to be 'reaching for a weapon'...
Wife
not killed, shot in leg...
FLUSTERED
CARNEY: 'EVEN I'M GETTING CONFUSED'...
RASMUSSEN:
No 'Immediate Bounce' for Obama...
AVERAGE GAS PRICE NATIONWIDE LIKELY TO TOP $4 BY WEEK'S END...
$4.44
a gallon in Chicago...
Petition
Demands Equal FACEBOOK Town Hall Meeting for the GOP Presidential Nominee...
Looters
hit tornado victims' homes...
WIKILEAKS' Assange says
FACEBOOK a spy tool for US government... [ Facebook is not alone in
that regard … you must assume that all is being viewed … that’s my view.
Moreover, I further believe that much of the ‘hacking’ / intrusion / viral
infections are done by the u.s. government or their assigns. ]
U.S. Economy Remains on Life Support Hansen ‘This has been a whirlwind week for intangible
monetary policy news which was lead by:
My foggy long range economic view is of a moderately
improving economy which is fighting growing fiscal headwinds. My takeaway from
from the press conference and FOMC meeting was a fairly strong opinion by
Chairman Bernanke that the economy was gaining enough traction to stand on its
own without further accommodation.
A deeper look at advance 1Q2011 GDP real growth of
1.8% should quickly dispel this.
The economy is still in recession if the economic
effects of the automatic
stabilizers are taken into consideration. Automatic stabilizers are
automatic changes in the government’s revenues and outlays that are
attributable to cyclical movements in real output.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_weekly13.png
A caveat when
interpreting the above chart is that no study has determined what portion of
automatic stabilizers actually get into GDP – GDP measures only 1/3 of the
economic money flows. But understanding the size of automatic stabilizers in
comparison to GDP are indicative of current economic duress.
A better measure of economic health is comparing the fiscal boost
being given to the economy due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(aka “the stimulus”).
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_weekly21.png
The orange
range in the above graph is the estimated range of effects on GDP of the
stimulus. My take from this graph is that it is likely the economy was negative
in 1Q2011 without stimulus.
Some of the automatic stabilizers were funded within
the stimulus – and looking at GDP is a rear view mirror of the economy. What is
important is where the economy is headed.
And this leads me to the final nail in the coffin –
government spending. In Chairman Bernanke’s press conference, he stated that
there were no government deficit reduction bills or programs which would derail
his positive
(but downwardly revised) economic projections.
Before any of these deficit reductions begin
effecting the economy, the USA has the government putting a 1% headwind on GDP
in 1Q2011 – the largest government spending headwind since the end of World War
II.
The economy is much weaker than picture Chairman
Bernanke painted, and it is likely he crossed his fingers when saying further
extraordinary monetary policy accommodation would not be necessary.
Economic
News This Week:
Econintersect issued its economic forecast for April 2011 indicating a peaking of
this current economic sub-cycle. In simple words, the same moderate recovery
seen in March will continue in April.
This week the Weekly Leading Index (WLI) from ECRI declined slightly from
7.7% to 7.5%. This level implies the business conditions six months from now
will be approximately the same or slightly improved compared to today.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_weekly_indexes4.png
Initial unemployment claims increased moderately in this week’s
release. The data for the last two months as been quite noisy, and it
remains important to follow the four week moving average for analysis of
unemployment to smooth out the reporting idiosyncrasies. Although the trend
over the last six months has been down, we are in a short term uptrend – please
refer to Initial
Unemployment Claims Rise – A Harbinger of Poor April Jobs Outlook.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_unemployment3.png
The data released this week were consistent with a
moderately improving economy. Housing data was as expected – not good – but
this economic cycle is operating with poor housing dynamics which continues to
degrade slightly. There are some indications of light at the end of the housing
tunnel.
Weekly Economic Release Scorecard:
Item |
Headline |
Analysis |
|
Rick Davis suggests the weak numbers are a perfect excuse for more
monetary intervention |
|
Up |
Consumption increase is 66% price increases. Disposable income 80%
nullified by inflation |
|
Up 1.8% |
Government spending contraction the news in this low number |
|
Up |
This super economic coincident index is now showing economy growing at
trend |
|
Up |
Not up – Pending home sales index has been down YoY for the last 8 of
9 months |
|
Up |
Sharp improvement |
|
|
Likely strategic mortgage defaults will be a growing problem |
|
Up |
Comparing consumer confidence “recovery” and trends over the last 5
recessions |
|
Down |
Compares all leading home price indexes. |
|
Growing |
Showing growing income disparity in the USA |
|
Up |
Not up – but there is light in the tunnel |
|
|
Menzie Chinn questions whether Chinese inflation is endangering the
USA economy |
|
|
Elliott Morss looks at taxing options to lower the deficit |
|
|
Yves Smith pokes holes in FDIC belief they could have prevented the
destruction caused by Lehman’s collapse |
|
|
Jeff Miller points out most investors are not using good forward
earning information |
|
|
Paul Hanly overviews the Oz market from a historical perspective |
|
|
Erik McCurdy argues a correction is coming |
|
|
John Lounsbury shares a video on the progression of the information
age |
|
|
Martin Andelman questions whether the banking lobby was involved in the
disappearance |
|
|
Rick Davis examines the “art” of economic solutions – and who profits |
Bankruptcy
This Week: Peregrine
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/5/1/saupload_z_failed_banks3.png
Disclosure:
I have no positions in any
stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72
hours.
More
articles by Steven
Hansen »
GDP: These Awesome Charts Put the GDP Revision in Perspective
7 Significant Variables That Can Move Stock Prices Lower WallStCheatSheet [ It’s truly a bad investing scenario when stocks / stock market
is likened to gambling / sports betting – and I’d say the latter is less prone
to fraud / manipulation as is ubiquitously extant on fraudulent wall street. ]
‘ There are many similarities between investing in stocks and handicapping in sports betting. For
example, investors (bettors) have opposing views on whether a particular stock
will go up or down (win or lose), and determine if the valuation (point spread)
is reflective of the proper equilibrium (supply & demand). And just like
the stock market, virtually anybody off the street can place a sports bet –
assuming one is of legal age and in a legal betting jurisdiction.
Right now investors are poring over data as part of the
critical, quarterly earnings ritual. Thus far, roughly 20% of the companies
in S&P 500 index (NYSE:SPY) have reported their results and 78% of those companies have beaten Wall Street expectations.
Unfortunately for the bulls, this trend has not been strong enough to push
market prices higher in 2010. Companies that have reported include: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alcoa (NYSE:AA), American Express (NYSE:AXP), Boeing (NYSE:BA), Bank of American (NYSE:BAC), Citigroup (NYSE:C), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), duPont (NYSE:DD), General Electric (NYSE:GE), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), IBM (NYSE:IBM), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Ford (NYSE:F), McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), 3M (NYSE:MMM), Merck (NYSE:MRK), Proctor & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Sprint (NYSE:S), Traveler’s (NYSE:TRV), United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY), Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM).
So how and why
can market prices go down on good news? There are many reasons that
short-term price trends can diverge from short-run fundamentals. One major
reason for the price-fundamental gap is the following factor: expectations.
Just last week, the market had climbed over +70% in a ten month period, before
issues surrounding the Massachusetts Senatorial election, President Obama’s
banking reform proposals, and Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke’s
re-appointment surfaced. With such a large run-up in the equity markets come
loftier expectations for both the economy and individual companies.
So when
corporate earnings unveiled from companies like Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM), and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) outperform relative to forecasts, one
explanation for an interim price correction is due to a significant group of
investors not being surprised by the robust profit reports. In sports betting
lingo, the sports team may have won the game this week, but they did not win by
enough points (“cover the spread”).
Some other
reasons stock prices move lower on good news:
Certainly these previously mentioned issues do not
cover the full gamut of explanations for temporary price-fundamental gaps.
Moreover, many of these factors could be used in reverse to explain market
price increases in the face of weaker than anticipated results.
For those individuals traveling to Las Vegas to place
a wager on the NFL Super Bowl, betting on the hot team may not be enough. If expectations
are not met and the hot team wins by less than the point spread, don’t be surprised to see a decline in the value of the bet.
Wade W. Slome is a CFA and CFP® at Sidoxia Capital
Management.
Disclosure: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some
of its clients own GOOG and certain exchange traded funds, but do not own JPM
or INTC or any other security referenced in this article…’
10
Reasons 2011 Is Feeling More and More Like 2008 Jensen ‘The market ended April as it began, grinding
up on low volume, ignoring increasingly worsening energy prices, continued
turmoil in the Middle East and slowing worldwide economic growth. To me it
feels like we are in the calm before the storm. More specifically, it eerily
feels like the months before the financial crisis and meltdown of 2008. The
similarities are striking to me and think the market is ignoring the signs of
an impending and significant pullback over the summer.
Here are ten
reasons 2011 is starting to feel so much like 2008.
History does not always repeat itself, but it does
rhyme, as the saying goes. For the reasons listed above, I am very cautious here.
I believe we are due we are in for a significant correction over the summer of
15%-25%. I am keeping a good portion of my portfolio in cash, awaiting the
pullback that I feel is close. I hope to use these funds to pick up good
companies with solid growth prospects - like Apple (AAPL) and
Google (GOOG)
- at some point over the summer at lower prices. The funds I do have in the
market are concentrated in large cap blue chip stocks with reasonable
valuations, growing revenues and solid dividend yields. Companies like
Microsoft (MSFT), Intel (INTC),
Novartis (NVS),
Abbott Labs (ABT), and Telefonica (TEF) are
some of these types of stocks that I think fit the bill. Be careful out there.’
U.S.
Treasury: China Has Decreased Its Holdings of U.S. Debt CNSNews.com | Mainland China has decreased its holdings of U.S.
Treasury securities since last October.
The
American Dream
May 2, 2011
The U.S. middle
class is being shredded, ripped apart and systematically wiped out. If
you doubt this, just check out the statistics below. The American Dream
is being transformed into an absolute nightmare. Once upon a time, the
rest of the world knew that most Americans were able to live a middle class
lifestyle. Most American families had nice homes, most American families
had a car or two, most American families had nice clothes, most American
families had an overabundance of food and most American families could even
look forward to sending their children to college if that is what the kids
wanted to do. There was an implicit promise that this was the way that it
was always going to be. Most of us grew up believing that if we worked
really hard in school and that if we stayed out of trouble and that if we did
everything that “the system” told us to do that there would be a place for us
in the middle class too. Well, it turns out that “the system” is breaking
down. There aren’t enough good jobs for all of us anymore. In fact,
there aren’t very many crappy jobs either. Millions are out of work,
millions have lost their homes and nearly all of the long-term economic trends
just keep getting worse and worse. So is there any hope for the U.S.
middle class?
No, there is not.
Unless
fundamental changes are made economically, financially and politically, the
long-term trends that are destroying the U.S. middle class will continue to do
so.
The number of
good jobs has been declining for a long time. The good jobs that have
been lost are being replaced by a smaller number of low paying “service jobs”.
Meanwhile, the cost
of everything is going up. It is getting really hard for American
families to be able to afford to put food on the table and to put gas in the
tank. Health care costs are absolutely outrageous and college tuition is
now out of reach for millions of American families.
Every single
month more American families fall out of the middle class. Today there
are 18 million more Americans on food stamps than there were just four years
ago. More than one out of every five U.S. children is living in
poverty. Things are getting really, really bad out there.
The following are
36 statistics which prove that the American Dream is turning into an absolute
nightmare for the middle class….
#1 The competition for decent jobs in America has
gotten absolutely insane. There have been reports of people actually
getting down on their knees and begging for jobs. Many Americans are
starting to wonder if they will ever get a decent job again. According to
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average duration of unemployment in
the United States is now an all-time record 39
weeks…
#2 According to the Wall Street Journal, there
are 5.5
million Americans that are unemployed and yet are not
receiving unemployment benefits.
#3 The number of “low income jobs” in the U.S. has
risen steadily over the past 30 years and they now account for 41 percent of all jobs in the United
States.
#4 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last
year. That was the lowest level that has ever been recorded in all of
U.S. history.
#5 Once upon a time, anyone could get hired at
McDonald’s. But today McDonald’s turns away a higher percentage of
applicants than Harvard does. Approximately 7 percent of all those that apply to get
into Harvard are accepted. At a recent “National Hiring Day” held by
McDonald’s only about 6.2 percent of the one
million Americans that applied for a job were hired.
#6 There are now about 7.25 million fewer jobs in
America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The United States has lost an average of about
50,000 manufacturing jobsper month since China joined the World Trade Organization in
2001.
#8 A New York post analysis has found that the rate of
inflation in New York City has been about 14 percent over the past
year.
#9 The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the
United States is now up to$3.91 a gallon.
#10 Over the past 12 months the average price of
gasoline in the United States has gone up by about 30%.
#11 Spending on energy now accounts for more than 6
percent of all consumer spending. Every time this has happened since
1970 we have also had a recession
that followed.
#12 The average American driver will spend somewhere
around $750 more for gasoline in 2011. Unfortunately, it
seems likely that the price of oil is going to go up even higher. Already
the price of oil is closing in on the all-time record….
#13 In the United States, over 20 percent of all children are
living in poverty. In the UK and in France that figure is well under 10
percent.
#14 According to the U.S. Census, the number of children
living in poverty has gone up by about 2 million in just the
past 2 years.
#15 The wealthiest 1% of all Americans now own more than a third of all the
wealth in the United States.
#16 The poorest 50% collectively own just 2.5% of all the wealth in the United
States.
#17 The wealthiest 1% of all Americans own over 50% of all the stocks and bonds.
#18 According to a new report from the AFL-CIO, the
average CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American did last year.
#19 In 1980, government transfer payments accounted for
just 11.7% of all income. Today, government
transfer payments account for 18.4% of all income.
#20 U.S. households are now receiving more income from
the U.S. governmentthan they
are paying to the government in taxes.
#21 59 percent of all Americans now receive
money from the federal government in one form or another.
#22 The average cost of tuition, room and board at
America’s public universities is now $16,000 a year. For America’s
private universities, that figure is $37,000 a year.
#23 The cost of college tuition in the United States has
gone up by over 900 percent since 1978.
#24 Approximately two-thirds of all college students
graduate with student loan debt.
#25 17 million college
graduates are doing jobs that do not even require a college degree.
#26 According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, health
care costs accounted for just 9.5% of all personal consumption back in
1980. Today they account for approximately 16.3%.
#27 One study found that approximately 41 percent of working age
Americans either have medical bill problems or are currently paying off medical
debt.
#28 Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was
on Medicaid. Today,one out of every 6 Americans is
on Medicaid.
#29 Total credit card debt in the United States is
now more than 8 times larger
than it was just 30 years ago.
#30 During the first three months of this year, less new
homes were sold in the U.S. than in any three month period ever recorded.
#31 Now home sales in the United States are now down 80% from the peak in July 2005.
#32 U.S. home prices have now declined 32% from
the peak of the housing bubble.
#33 For most middle class families, the family home is
the number one financial asset. Unfortunately, U.S. home values have
declined an astounding 6.3
trillion dollars since the housing crisis first began.
#34 According to a recent census report, 13% of all
homes in the United Statesare currently sitting empty.
#35 The housing crisis just seems to keep on getting
worse. 31 percent of the homeowners that
responded to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey indicated that they are
“underwater” on their mortgages.
#36 Unfortunately, it looks like millions more middle
class Americans could soon be in danger of losing their homes. According
to the Mortgage Bankers Association, at least 8 million
Americans are at least one month behind on their mortgage payments at this
point
National
/ World
Kurt Nimmo and Alex Jones | Obama makes a suspiciously timed speech, claims
Osama killed in Pakistan. Videos [ As set for the infra, I personally believe
Osama’s been dead for quite some time. Indeed, for one on dialysis, he
otherwise would have been nothing less than a modern day miracle in terms of
longevity / mortality rates for those so afflicted, particularly under the
‘stressful’ circumstances involving evading capture, betrayal for money, etc..
His ‘surfacing’ for a ‘talk’ wouldn’t even pass muster in the most rudimentary
requirements for ‘proof of life’. The release at this time of the
‘announcement’ is, rather than a victory lap so to speak, but rather a sign of
weakness and desperation on the part of america whose global and domestic
economic, financial, and geopolitical position is substantially diminished and
declining rapidly and whose military industrial complex welfare plan along with
the Orwellian diversion of the masses could at most yield a pyrrhic victory
which also would require for consummation a wrap-up of this nation-bankrupting
contrived war scenario, which is not likely. Moreover, the same comes at a time of systemic failure for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america While the ‘announcement’ plays well for the
nonce, to the dumb, uninformed back home, the same will galvanize resistance in the name of their
now martyr, Osama Bin Laden. In sum, other than somewhat questionable
propaganda value, the announcement will have no measurable effect on america’s
continuing mideast / global debacle. In other words, defacto bankrupt america
has used up a ‘bullet’, albeit a blank at that! ]
In February,
2004, Iranian state radio claimed Osama bin Laden had been
captured in Pakistan’s border region with Afghanistan “a long time ago.”
Pentagon and Pakistani officials denied the report. “Osama bin Laden has been
arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda
maneuvering in the presidential election,” the radio report said.
Osama bin
Laden died of kidney failure soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks. In
2002, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said bin Laden had kidney disease, and
that he had required a
dialysis machine when he lived in Afghanistan. That same year, the FBI’s
top counterterrorism official, Dale Watson, said, “I personally think he is probably
not with us anymore.”
A Taliban
leader told the Pakistan Observer on December 21, 2002, that Bin Laden was
suffering from a serious lung complication and died in mid-December, in the
vicinity of the Tora Bora mountains. The source claimed that bin Laden was laid
to rest honorably in his last abode and his grave was made as per his Wahabi
belief, according to Fox News.
Alex Jones was
told live on the radio in 2002 by high-level Council on Foreign Relations
members that Osama Bin Laden had died of kidney failure in early 2002.
“I have it
from high level [sources] from inside the Bush administration…that bin Laden
died of natural causes and that his family has given the body to the CIA, that
they’re gonna roll him out right before the election, that he’s on ice right
now. They will claim they killed him right before the election,” Alex
said at the time.
“Jones gave a
caution that the intelligence could be disinformation but claimed that his base
in Austin was extremely close to the Bush administration and similar
information received in the past had been credible,” Paul
Joseph Watson wrote in August of 2002.
During the
2004 election, CNN reported that Democratic insiders had been told that George
W. Bush was going to use the Bin Laden body as an ace-in-the-hole if he thought
he was in danger of losing the 2004 election. This confirmed the evidence that
Jones had been given by the CFR and others.
In 2003,
former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told Fox News Channel analyst Morton
Kondracke she suspected Bush knew the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and was
waiting for the most politically expedient moment to announce his capture.
Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a suicide attack at the
end of 2007, stated that Osama bin Laden had been killed by Ahmed Omar Saeed
Sheikh, a man convicted of kidnapping and killing journalist Daniel Pearl.
Obama’s
announcement follows the release of a highly suspicious birth certificate last week. Both events
represent psychological operations that possibly portend more significant
events in the days ahead as the U.S. dollar continues to lose its reserve
status, the economy fails to recover as promised, and wars expand in Libya,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Obama’s
propaganda stunt arrives as the Democrats kick off their leader’s presidential
reelection bid against a number of Republicans contenders who have been highly
critical of not only his perceived handling of the economy, but also his
management of the manufactured war on terror.’
Stock
market on a roll despite slowing economic growth, lingering
unemployment[Also known as reality! Roll … yes, indeed … everyone’s to get
rolled! ] (Washington Post) Dow is up
more than 10 percent for 2011, to its highest point in nearly three years.
[ Same bubble scenario preceeding last crash (including currency manipulation);
yet, far worse this time owing to insurmountable debt and defacto bankruptcy of
the nation.
Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(WP) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNANKE’ show is
scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for ‘economic growth’,
the frauds on wall street still rallied.
Bernanke
prepares to make history
(Washington Post) [ He already
has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at record
levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat
paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
ATTENTION: REPORTERS –
HIP BOOTS MANDATORY, WADERS RECOMMENDED SINCE YOU’LL BE AT LEAST KNEE-DEEP IN
‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNAKE’ B*** S***! ] On Wednesday, he will be the first Fed
chairman to take on-the-record questioning from the media.
Why
do Americans still dislike atheists? (Washington Post) [ And
not just americans … Why? First and foremost because there is a God. Second, it
is intellectually dishonest to be an atheist. Specifically, there is absolutely
no evidence to dispute the existence of God. While one might similarly argue
that there is no evidence to suggest there is a God (which I would dispute),
which for most is a fair statement, the same would yield at best, if
intellectually honest, the position of ‘agnostic’. I can totally understand and
even empathize with the view of the agnostic. After all, at this point, there
seems to be ‘no rhyme nor reason’ at all. But, think binary, positives /
negatives. Just too many negatives. Think ‘capital punishment’. No, the world’s
not going to end in 2012 as some fear. Rather, think slow burn; decades at
best; then ‘poof’. In the scheme of things, this world’s just not that
important (apes,
notochordates, and initially single celled organisms). Kind of
akin to what I previously wrote: (God doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to
wrestle!) Boy
wrestler forfeits match to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I
feel sorry for those guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and
13) … they’ll probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink
my regard for Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart
championship teams to be the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy
who forfeited, he could have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily
do that with a lesser opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in
a certain way into the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive
orgasm, she’d unwittingly arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder
blades to the mat, thereby pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a
manner of speaking that he was making heterosexual love not war with her ……… how
pathetic and preposterous this was … and, let me remind the homo that God
doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to wrestle! ]]
]
U.S.
troops’ deadliest month in Iraq (Washington Post) With 11 deaths, April was the worst for U.S. forces since combat
missions officially ended last year, according to military and independent
record keepers. [Riiiiight! … That ‘progress thing’ they keep reminding us of …
which of course is progress in progressive increasing pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america’s insurmountable debt. Key
Afghan aid programs delayed (Washington
Post) [ Strategy? Critical time? Seems we’ve heard that song before. And, yet
another nation and innocent lives destroyed for no good reason … and,
pervasively corrupt and defacto bankrupt america … winning hearts and minds
…NOT! … Petraeus
to helm more-militarized CIA
(Washington Post) [ I personally unequivocally believe there has already
been a defacto coup d’etat in america. Drudgereport: Pentagon
Warns Obama Against Deeper Defense Cuts ... (And where is it going to come from
... we've already had in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, war crimes
nation america a defacto coup d'etat) ... Ron
Paul: After ‘CIA coup,’ agency ‘runs military’ US House Rep. Ron Paul
says the CIA has has in effect carried out a “coup” against the US government,
and the intelligence agency needs to be “taken out.” I also personally
believe there has been a defacto coup d’etat which has manifested in
various substantial, blatant, brazened frauds, ie., wall street, missing 360
tons of $100 bills in Iraq, war profiteering, etc., without any fear of
prosecution, and of course concomitant decline for u.s. as the treasury is
looted. But I also believe its scope is beyond just the CIA with many complicit
within the corrupted 3 branches of u.s. government (fed judges, us attorneys,
illegal system, etc.) plus the military and private big money, ie., Goldman
Sachs / wall street men, etc… http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
The
outdated ‘Trump Rule’ (Washington
Post) COLUMN | The would-be GOP
presidential contender has long shown a penchant for sexism. Trump
calls leaders ‘stupid’ at Vegas casino [ Again, the pot calls the kettle black … if it was only just
sexism that defined deeply flawed, mental case, mobster / fraudster trump, … yet there’s just enough truth and an open
bar to keep their attention … Memo to Donald Trump: You're fired Los Angeles Times - What The Donald 'accomplished' is to make a fool of
himself and diminish President Obama's dignity. It's time for the loud-mouthed
man with the big bankroll and bad haircut to take his sideshow to the trash
heap.’… What Mr. Banks fails to realize is that wobama has no dignity and
appropriate criticism, as I’ve said before, is to him like ‘water off a duck’s
back’ and you can not shame the stereotypical wobama. TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his casinos, bribery,
etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In
a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
The
president, lost in thought
(WP) [ How ‘bout just lost!
Wobama … a common liar. Drudgereport: TELEPROMPTER
INVENTOR DIES... (Wobama ‘mourns … day of silence declared’)
U.S. Murders Children in Bid to Assassinate Qaddafi Tony
Cartalucci | Ghoulish hunt for Qaddafi defines NATO.
Fed
Sting Against Amish Raw Milk Producer Results in Federal Case A year long
sting operation against an Amish “contraband” raw milk producer in Pennsylvania
has resulted in a court case against Rainbow Acres Farms. The government filed
a ten page complaint against the Amish business in federal court last week.
US
Murders Children in Bid to Assassinate Qaddafi (Again) The very policy of
targeted assassinations sidesteps any semblance of law, national or
international.
Drudgereport: REPORT: Bin Laden already buried at sea... [ As set for the supra, I personally believe Osama’s
been dead for quite some time. Indeed, for one on dialysis, he otherwise would
have been nothing less than a modern day miracle in terms of longevity /
mortality rates for those so afflicted, particularly under the ‘stressful’
circumstances involving evading capture, betrayal for money, etc.. His
‘surfacing’ for a ‘talk’ wouldn’t even pass muster in the most rudimentary
requirements for ‘proof of life’. The release at this time of the
‘announcement’ is, rather than a victory lap so to speak, but rather a sign of
weakness and desperation on the part of america whose global and domestic
economic, financial, and geopolitical position is substantially diminished and
declining rapidly and whose military industrial complex welfare plan along with
the Orwellian diversion of the masses could at most yield a pyrrhic victory which
also would require for consummation a wrap-up of this nation-bankrupting contrived war scenario, which is not
likely. Moreover, the same comes at a
time of systemic failure for pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america While the ‘announcement’ plays well for the nonce, to the dumb,
uninformed back home, the same will
galvanize resistance in the name of their now martyr, Osama Bin Laden.
In sum, other than somewhat questionable propaganda value, the announcement
will have no measurable effect on america’s continuing mideast / global
debacle. In other words, defacto bankrupt america has used up a ‘bullet’,
albeit a blank at that! ]
SHOT IN HEAD; BIN LADEN IS DEAD.....
SEALS HELD TWO REHEARSALS; OBAMA WATCHED RAID IN SITUATION ROOM...
Mission was to kill, not capture; no prisoners taken...
OFFICIAL: BIN LADEN GIVEN RELIGIOUS FUNERAL BEFORE SEA BURIAL...
Obama: U.S. Carried Out Operation 'At My Direction'...
Hundreds gather outside Bush's Dallas home...
SIGN: 'Obama Forgot To Say Thank You President Bush!'
Killing brings anger, relief in Arab world...
Pakistanis rally to pay homage to bin Laden...
Musharraf: Mission violated sovereignty...
Hamas condemns killing of 'holy warrior'...
BURIED AT SEA:
WH DEBATES RELEASING PHOTO OF CORPSE
U.S.
issues worldwide travel alert...
Islamists:
Death will not mute Jihad call...
OFFICIAL:
U.S. didn't want to create shrine...
DNA
tests won't be complete for days...
WHITE
HOUSE: BODY HANDLED IN 'ACCORDANCE WITH ISLAMIC PRACTICE'...
WIKILEAKS: Al Qaeda to unleash 'nuclear hellstorm' if Osama
killed...
FEAR:
Security Tightened at NY Airports, Times Square, World Trade Center Site...
Napolitano:
'Heightened state of vigilance'...
U.S.
issues worldwide travel alert...
Chemical
Biological Response Team Recalled from Japan...
Taliban
commander vows to avenge death...
USA
'Faces Broad Terror Threat'...
SHOT IN HEAD; BIN LADEN IS DEAD.....
Killed in mansion close to Pakistani capital...
Crowds gather at White House, Ground Zero to celebrate...
REPORT: DNA testing confirms bin Laden death... [ Come
on! Much like the purported ‘in-house’ DNA test ‘confirming’ the paternity of
‘Prince Harry’ (actually the bastard son of Hewitt), easy enough to buy /
contrive with sworn secrecy / money. ]
WH:
'99.9% sure...
PENTAGON: WIFE IDENTIFIED HIM BY NAME DURING RAID...
Senator
questions sea burial... [ Yeah … pretty quick at that, particularly
for the u.s. government! Riiiiight! ‘Dead men buried at sea quickly tell no
tales!’ Sounds contrived, set to music for propaganda value at u.s. low point.
]
Islamic
scholars condemn...
SKYNEWS:
Can US Offer Final Proof Of Osama's Death?
Will
there be a photo?
Raid
captured on TWITTER...
PHOTOS:
719 newspaper front pages announce death...
GADHAFI
SURVIVES ATTACK THAT KILLS SON...
Disabled
children school hit in NATO strike...
April
deadliest month for US in Iraq since '09...
Obama's
father forced out at Harvard... BOSTON — President Barack Obama’s father was forced
to leave Harvard University before completing his Ph.D. in economics because
the school was concerned about his personal life and finances, according to
newly public immigration records. Harvard had asked the Immigration and Naturalization
Service to delay a request by Barack Hussein Obama Sr. to extend his stay in
the U.S., “until they decided what action they could take in order to get rid
of him,” immigration official M.F. McKeon wrote in a June 1964 memo. Harvard
administrators, the memo stated, “were having difficulty with his financial
arrangements and couldn’t seem to figure out how many wives he had.”…’
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53968.html#ixzz1L7vqFAhV
‘Microsoft
confirmed Thursday its Windows cash machine is under threat. So what else is
new? Uncertainty about the PC market's growth prospects, and what that means
for Windows in particular, arguably has been baked into Microsoft's ...’
Microsoft wrestles slack PC sales and wilting stock Reuters [ Microsoft is a dinosaur that should be out of business!
My latest / current but typical problems with Microsoft / windows-based pc’s
(dell) confirms this! ]
Investors
Seek Shelter: Dave's Daily ‘Another day and another light volume rally in
stocks. Investors continued to hedge this action by buying precious metals.
Ludicrous statements by government officials regarding inflation and the dollar
are starting to wear thin even among Permabulls. The WSJ headlined this
topic Friday stating government officials are "unfazed
by dollar slide". But, they reached fuzzy conclusions about what to do
about it. As long as the government doesn't seem to care, commodities will
rise, especially precious metals. It's the elephant in the room no one really
wants to confront. One way to end Bucky's slide is to stop printing so much
money. The Bernank hasn't figured this out since his previous academic studies
didn't yield results like we're experiencing now. In the Great Depression, from
which he gained his theories and policies, it was illegal to own gold and
currency trading hardly existed. But the Fed Chairman hasn't figured this out
yet so he continues to keep the presses running at full speed as we saw today
with more POMO
($6.6 billion) actions to lube the Primary Dealers. Earnings continue to
roll-in mostly mixed. The DJIA continues to lead the way as high priced
heavyweights (BA, CAT, CVX and etc) continue to lead the price-weighted index
higher. Losers included Microsoft(MSFT_) and
Research in Motion(RIMM_). The
bottom line is that it's the end of the month and window-dressing remains at
the forefront…’
Why
History Says You Should 'Sell in May'
Sterman ‘The most
active traders, which usually man Wall Street's trading desks, can alter market
sentiment by either their presence or absence. As the weather warms, these
traders take ever longer lunch breaks, which morphs into "Friday-free
weekends," culminating in their absence for decent chunk of the month of
August. When these traders leave their desks, it's a sign for the rest of us to
cool off as well, in case thin trading volume causes one of our holdings to
suddenly spike or plunge. Hence, the old-adage: "Sell in May and then go
away." (Until the fall...)
Is it a wise move? Let's look. Well, we know April surely gives the impressions
of a solid market rally. The S&P 500 (SPY)
rose, 4%, 4% and 10% respectively in each of the past three years and is up
another 2.2% this month. That rally has recently extended into May, as the
S&P 500 has rallied an average of 3% in the past three years. But by the end
of May, the party seems to end.
(Click charts
to expand)
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/29/saupload_04_29_11_sterman.png
The market has fallen in six of the past 10 Junes of the past decade, three
times the rate at which the various positive months have risen. Was there a
July bounce-back? Well, the five Julys of the last decade were split, but the
average loss was greater than the average gain.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/29/saupload_04_29_11_sterman2.png
The rest of the summer doesn't hold much promise, either. An analysis by Standard
& Poor's shows that in the past 60 years, the market has fallen by 0.04% on
average in August. It's even worse in September, with that figure dropping to
0.78%. In fact, September is the only month to produce negative average results
through the past 80 years, according to Ibbotson & Associates. Lastly,
here's a sobering stat: according to S&P, since 1950, the Dow Jones
Industrial Average has produced an average gain of 7.4% from November through
April and 0.4% from May through October. (Yet as I noted above, May has looked
a bit stronger during the past three years.)
If you believe in the notion of "sell in May and go away," then there
are certain sectors you should be concerned about that are especially
vulnerable to the summer doldrums. For example, tech stocks tend to lag in
summer months, due to the capital spending cycle. Major orders are placed at
the beginning of the year and then purchasing managers are told to slow it down
as the year progresses, in part because it's hard to round up key materials
during the summer to complete major installations when so many are planning
their summer vacations. By year's end, tech spending rebounds as purchasing
managers tend to spend allocated-but-unused funds, in what's know as a budget
flush.
Natural gas stocks tend to weaken in the summer, unless it is an especially
active season for hurricanes or a large heat wave causes a spike in demand. In
their absence, heavy gas production, coupled with seasonal ebb in demand, has
tended to max-out gas storage facilities. And when that happens, gas prices hit
new lows and producers are forced to curtail production.
Lastly, commodities such as precious and industrial metals tend to slump as
major purchasers compete their full-year purchasing needs in the spring. Indeed,
China is said to be sitting on more-than-ample supplies of copper, silver and
other surging commodities, right at a time when the Chinese government is
trying to cool its economy. A drop in demand would pull the rug out from some
of the highest-flying commodities. Watch the commodity sector, especially as it
is priced to perfection and highly vulnerable to any slowdown in demand…’
S&P's
US Downgrade and the Death of American Exceptionalism Harding ‘america, formerly the world’s
greatest country, whose financial strength and currency were supreme for the
past 100 years, has been put on notice by Standard & Poor’s
that it is … second rate status. It was disconcerting to read the ho-hum reactions of economists to S&P’s shift to a
negative outlook for US sovereign debt. As one who sees darker implications of
a downgrade in Treasuries, it gave me pause to wonder if I am overreacting to
the event. Perhaps they are correct in that it will probably not happen, and
that if it does, it’s no big deal because the dollar is still the world’s
reserve currency. Japan (real fine…disaster) and Great Britain (real
fine…disaster) did it and they are fine. And where else would investors go?
My conclusion is that the other 99 guys are out of step. My fellow analysts are
mired so deep in the trees that they overlook the forest of reasons why we got
into this mess in the first place. The problem with economic analysis and
analysts is that there is a tendency of disassembly. By breaking down the
problem into its parts one can miss how they all connect. Perhaps if they
stepped back and considered where this country is heading they would be less
sanguine.
After all, we are not looking at a single event but a series of political
decisions made over the past 15 years or so that have created today’s budget
crisis. And stepping back even farther, we are experiencing fundamental changes
in American culture. The well-worn cliché of the large ocean tanker taking
miles to change course is an accurate depiction of our situation. There is so
much built-in momentum based on entitlements and defense spending it is
unlikely that a crisis can be avoided.
Our economic and policy experts need to focus on this long-term problem rather
than just its short-term effects. Unless we deal with the fundamental problems,
today’s jury-rigged fixes will not stop our continued downward spiral.
The long-term problem is that American culture has changed and we are losing
what has been known as American “exceptionalism” as described by
de Toqueville in Democracy in America:
Tocqueville tried to understand why America was so
different from Europe in the last throes of aristocracy. America, in contrast
to the aristocratic ethic, was a society where hard work and money-making was
the dominant ethic, where the common man enjoyed a level of dignity which was
unprecedented, where commoners never deferred to elites, and where what he
described as crass individualism and market capitalism had taken root to an
extraordinary degree.
These values, behaviors, and ideas made America great.
But, things have changed. Today it is acceptable to rely on government to solve
our problems instead of taking responsibility for solving them ourselves. We
borrow more, spend more, save less, and rely on government to bail us out in
old age. We want government to “take care of us” when it comes to medical care.
We have become a culture of entitlement. And our rhetoric is more about
victimhood and entitlement than initiative and self-reliance. Unlike our
grandparents, we have no shame from accepting handouts.
We now accept Social Security and Medicare as normal. Many want Obamacare and
are willing to give up some sovereignty and self-reliance to get it. Our
younger generations believe they have a right to higher education and that they
(or their parents) should not have to pay for it. Government always has a
solution for you.
This is a massive cultural shift and it represents a struggle between two
opposing forces: our exceptionalism versus the entitlement culture. Both
operate in our society side-by-side, but the trend clearly favors the culture of
entitlement.
Our exceptionalism has declined inversely to the rise of the welfare state. It
started with the Progressive movement in the early 20th Century and the rise of
a powerful federal government. The greatest change came during the Franklin Roosevelt
years when government was seen to be a solution rather than the problem that
our Founders witnessed. The New Deal changed the social landscape because its many
programs pervaded almost every aspect of society. Many of these programs
survive today.
The significance of the Progressive movement is that the now common belief that
government “works” has become fixed in the popular psyche. That is far from de
Toqueville’s image of self-reliant individualistic Americans. The belief that
we can rely on government to solve problems means that we don’t have to solve
them ourselves. It means subordinating our individualism to the technocrat
class.
What are the consequences of this cultural shift? Higher taxes and a less
dynamic economy. Ultimately it means the disintegration of our economy. Let me
explain why.
We are becoming “European” in the sense that most of our fellow Americans
accept the idea that the welfare state has primacy over the individual in
pursuing social goals. As a result we are becoming less dynamic as a society.
We are becoming more complacent, culturally acceding to the mediocrity of
security at the expense of personal freedom. It means that taxpayers are
willing to accept higher taxes to pay for the Nanny State.
The question is: which taxpayers?
It is an axiom of politics that the recipient class will vote to preserve their
benefits. If they become the majority you will never get rid of their benefits.
The recipient class is already in the majority. The 77 million long-lived Baby
Boomers will be the dominant economic force for the next 40 years. And they
vote.
[chart]
Boomers will retire and apply for their Social Security and Medicare benefits. That
is, they will cease being producers and become recipients. They will draw on
those benefits for many, many years. It’s pretty obvious they won’t pay for it.
It doesn’t take a statistician to see that our declining birthrate means there
will be fewer producers to support a growing class of recipient. The Social Security
Administration estimates that by 2035 only 2.1 workers will support one
recipient (down from about 5.1 workers in 1960 to about 3.0 today). Therein
lies the problem: our system of benefits is unworkable. When the working
taxpayers realize how much they must pay in taxes to support an unworkable
system, change will come, just not soon enough to satisfy S&P.
Add to that the following statistic:
A record 18.3% of the nation’s total personal income
was a payment from the government for Social Security, Medicare, food stamps,
unemployment benefits, and other programs in 2010. Wages accounted for the
lowest share of income -- 51.0% -- since the government began keeping
track in 1929.
You may believe that the cultural values de Tocqueville identified haven’t
diminished in the US, but they have. Almost every index measuring startups and
job creation has declined. Here is some longitudinal data from the Census Department showing this
trend:
[chart]
It would be foolish of me to ignore the unparalleled entrepreneurial
infrastructure we Americans have. It is still strong and serves us well. This
infrastructure includes a vast economic system that provides capital and
support for entrepreneurs and rewards success well. It is a strong social force
that is the exact opposite of the cultural attitudes toward entitlement that I
discussed above. We still believe in the ability to make it big.
But that is changing. The decline in new business formation is still a telling
statistic. Since most (55%) new business formations have 1 to 4 employees
(if 1 to 10, then 76% in 2009), it demonstrates a shift in popular attitudes
about starting your own business.
Good things don’t last forever when their cultural and moral foundations are
being destroyed.
I don’t believe we will have budget reform that will be sufficient to turn
supertanker America around. We will have budget reform but it won’t put a
significant dent in our social welfare programs, at least in time to avoid
S&P’s threatened downgrade of US Treasuries. I would hope that Republicans
and Democrats can come together to deal with the
underlying substantive issues.
Maybe the Republicans will be able to force through some major changes in
Social Security, Medicare, and (eliminate) Obamacare. If they win the
Presidency in 2012 and are able to take Congress as well, it could be a
political sea change.
Don’t misunderstand what I am saying: I strongly support any attempts at
reform, but I don’t believe in political miracles. When polls of Tea Partiers
show they don’t want their retirement benefits touched, their new brand of
conservatism illustrates the breadth of our cultural change and the new
political reality.
Ask yourself this question: if the welfare system is not quickly reformed, what
solutions will our politicians turn to?
The answer is symbolic of the two clashing societal forces in America: the
producers versus the recipients. We know that the recipients have more votes.
I believe increased taxes are inevitable and, with Republicans’ opposition to
increased income taxes, raising them is questionable. That leaves politicians
with a very European solution: a national sales tax. With exemptions for
politically favored classes (“poor” people, however defined) it will be hailed
as a fair tax that will fall primarily on the “rich.”
“Everybody who understands our long-term budget problems understands
we’re going to need a new source of revenue, and a VAT [value-added tax]
is an obvious candidate,” said Leonard Burman, co-director of the Tax Policy
Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution,
who testified on Capitol Hill [May, 2009] about his own VAT plan. “It’s common
to the rest of the world, and we don’t have it.”
And my point is that Americans will accept high taxes to get their benefits and
that makes us similar to Europeans who are used to them:
[chart]
If we cannot achieve fundamental reform of our welfare system, then high taxes
will become a fixture of our society and that has negative economic
consequences.
There is an economic concept known as the Rahn Curve, devised by Professor
Richard Rahn, now a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. It states that as
government spending exceeds a certain percentage of GDP, the economy will
decline as a result. That number is subject to fierce debate among economists,
but it ranges from 15% to 25% of GDP.
[chart]
There are sound reasons for this idea, mainly that since government produces
nothing, the more it spends the less the private economy has to invest and
spend. This means less productivity. European countries are saddled with low
productivity, high taxes, and permanently high unemployment. Further, they are
facing the same demographic issues that we find in the US: a graying (and
declining) population. Their welfare systems are in trouble now, and as
Margaret Thatcher famously warned about socialism, they are finding that
eventually you really do run out of other people’s money.
What does this mean for America and S&P? It means we are likely to
experience a downgrade in our sovereign debt at some point in the future. Don’t
ask me to predict when this will happen. There are too many “what ifs.” A
downgrade means that there will be less money available to the government for
its programs. It means that debt service costs will rise. It means the Treasury
will find it more difficult to place US debt. It means that many holder of our
debt will try to unload their positions (it won’t be easy for them). It means
the Fed will likely acquire more Treasurys, effectively monetizing the debt and
this monetary inflation will lead to price inflation. It means that the dollar
will decline further. It means there will be pressure on the government to
raise taxes further. It also means that inflation will be employed as an
additional tool of fiscal policy as rising prices (actually devalued dollars)
will allow the government to repay debt with cheaper dollars.
It will also mean that we will be closer to the European ideal and farther away
from american exceptionalism. The very long-term consequences of this cannot be
known, but it won’t be good for america…’
(Washington Post) Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at
the end of fiscal 2009, a report says.
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce
(Washington Post) Share of
renters who spend more than half their income on housing is at its highest
level in half a century.
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (Washington Post) More Americans disapprove of President
Obama’s management of the war in Afghanistan than support it, according to a
new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a finding that reflects the public’s broader
concern over the course of the nearly decade-old conflict.
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(Washington Post) As gas prices
bite into household incomes, Obama’s support takes a hit, according to new
poll. The high fuel price dynamic is
the slow / now faster motion, long predicted hyperinflationary consequence of
failed fed, administration, congressional economic / financial / fiscal policy
that essentially has been interposed for the (short-term particularly) benefit
of the frauds on wall street (The frauds on
wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and
disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast turmoil to obfuscate their
failure… an especially great opportunity to sell
/ take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times
Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not too! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!
Corporate
Poll Reveals Boobeoisie Fooled Again on Budget Kurt Nimmo
| Little people think for some reason establishment Republicans will do a
better job dealing with the “budget.”
WSJ | The dollar dropped after economic indicators
pointed to a dismal employment picture and slowing economic growth.
Economic
Growth Slow as Inflation Measure Spikes Up Reuters | U.S.
economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter as higher food
and gasoline prices dampened consumer spending.
National
security shake-up expected
(Washington Post) [ Shake-up? I
don’t think so. There may have been a time when a such changes, be it
personnel, policy, etc., might as per the following reference be slight
exaggeration; but no more, as all such now is literally a rearrangement of the
deck chairs on the uss Titanic. Nothing succeeds quite like failure in america
these days! Poll:
Egyptians skeptical about U.S. Egyptians have an unfavorable view of the U.S., but they are also
divided over Islamic fundamentalists. (Washington Post) [ Hey! … Guess what? … americans and the
rest of the world (except zionist israel, zionists, and old biddy britain) are
skeptical and have an unfavorable view of america. The Economic Collapse: 24 more signs of economic decline in
America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 Bad economy is causing “ghost towns” to appear all
across the U.S..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time
- Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last year-
lowest level ever ..
#9 Avg CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices five dollars per gallon at gas stations.. $6 gas soon
#11 .. 12 months the average price of gasoline in the US
has gone up by
about 30%.
#12 Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost a staggering $436 million during first qtr 2011.
#13 U.S. households now receiving more from the US gov’t
than
they are paying to the government in taxes.
#14 1 of 4
dollars that the U.S. govt borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is
now about
5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Total credit card debt in u.s. more than 8 times larger
than 30 yrs ago.
#17 Avg household debt in the United States has
now reached a level of 136% of avg household income. In China, avg
household debt is only 17% of avg household income.
#18 Avg American spends approximately 23 percent
.. on food and gas.
#19 .. 74 percent of u.s. said that they
planned to slow down their spending
#20 59 percent u.s. receive money from the
govt ..
#21 avg length of unemployment in the U.S. is now an
all-time record 39 weeks.
#22 u.s. random acts
of violence”…
#23 Americans are popping
the gold teeth right out of their mouths / selling them to pawn shops.
#24
..u.s. people gobbling up larger and larger amounts of antidepressants / other
drugs. ..’ ]
National
/ World
Approval of Congress at 9%
Rasmussen Reports | Nine percent (9%) now say Congress is
doing a good.
More
Democrats defiant on debt ceiling (Washington Post) Lawmakers are pushing back against the White
House, joining the GOP in calling for deficit reductions as a condition for
lifting the $14.3 trillion ceiling. [ Ah yes, ‘The Defiant Ones’… principled to
the end … Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not too! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!
The Economic
Collapse: 24 more signs of economic
decline in America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 Bad economy is causing “ghost towns” to appear all
across the U.S..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time
- Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last year-
lowest level ever ..
#9 Avg CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices five dollars per gallon at gas stations.. $6 gas soon
…11-24…]
Key
Afghan aid programs delayed
(Washington Post) [ Strategy? Critical time? Seems we’ve heard that song
before. And, yet another nation and innocent lives destroyed for no good reason
… and, pervasively corrupt and defacto bankrupt america … winning hearts and
minds …NOT! … Petraeus
to helm more-militarized CIA
(Washington Post) [ I personally unequivocally believe there has already
been a defacto coup d’etat in america. Drudgereport: Pentagon
Warns Obama Against Deeper Defense Cuts ... (And where is it going to come from
... we've already had in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, war crimes
nation america a defacto coup d'etat) ... Ron
Paul: After ‘CIA coup,’ agency ‘runs military’ US House Rep. Ron Paul
says the CIA has has in effect carried out a “coup” against the US government,
and the intelligence agency needs to be “taken out.” I also personally
believe there has been a defacto coup d’etat which has manifested in
various substantial, blatant, brazened frauds, ie., wall street, missing 360
tons of $100 bills in Iraq, war profiteering, etc., without any fear of
prosecution, and of course concomitant decline for u.s. as the treasury is
looted. But I also believe its scope is beyond just the CIA with many complicit
within the corrupted 3 branches of u.s. government (fed judges, us attorneys,
illegal system, etc.) plus the military and private big money, ie., Goldman
Sachs / wall street men, etc… http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
… “torture taxis” – used by the CIA to move captives seized in its
kidnapping or “extraordinary rendition” operations through Gatwick and other
airports in the EU being simultaneously used for drug distribution .. A
Gulfstream II jet aircraft N9875A identified by the British Government and the
European Parliament as being involved in this traffic crashed in Mexico…” In
2004, another torture taxi crashed in a field in Nicaragua with a ton of
cocaine aboard… Mexican soldiers found ..132 bags containing 3.3 metric tons of
cocaine. .. was one of the very same planes chartered to the CIA for the
rendition of suspected terrorists prisoners…’]
Royal Family Enforces Media Embargo Against Australia To
Prevent Nazi Jokes
Poll:
60% Reject Government ID for Online Security Cape Fear Business
News | Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows just 13% of
American Adults favor issuing of secure government credential.
Drudgereport:
SF
CHRONICLE: WHITE HOUSE LYING Update: In a pants-on-fire moment, the White House press office today denied anyone there had issued threats to remove
Carla Marinucci and possibly other Hearst reporters from the press pool
covering the President in the Bay Area.Chronicle editor Ward Bushee called the
press office on its fib: Sadly, we expected the White House
to respond in this manner based on our experiences yesterday. It is not a
truthful response. It follows a day of off-the-record exchanges with key people
in the White House communications office who told us they would remove our
reporter, then threatened retaliation to Chronicle and Hearst reporters if we
reported on the ban, and then recanted to say our reporter might not be removed
after all.The Chronicle's
report is accurate…’Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry_id=87978#ixzz1Kzv7asG6
PUMP
PRICES JUMP ON TIGHTENING SUPPLIES...
Romney
blames Obama...
MORE
RECORD PROFITS...
Gold
Surges to All-time Record...
Dollar
reaches three-year low...
Losing
to the Loonie...
China
divesting...
NO
JOKE: Superman to renounce U.S. citizenship...
Storm
death over 300
in South...
Deadliest
Swarm of Twisters Since 1974...
Among
Largest, Strongest Ever Recorded...
ECONOMY
SLOWS, INFLATION GROWS...
Doubt
cast on recovery...
Dollar
drops to lowest since 2008...
Investors
flee greenback; silver hits all-time high, gold sets new record...
GALLUP:
U.S. confidence plunges, only 27% say economy is growing...
WAL-MART:
Our shoppers are 'running out of money'...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS 429,000...
CBS
ANCHOR SCHIEFFER: Trump is racist...
TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now caleefornia
mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years: buy real
estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too little
too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern
emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
Economy
grows, but slows (Washington Post)
Economic growth slowed at the start of the year, weighed down by higher
oil prices and lower government spending, according to new data. [ At what cost for that ‘slow growth’, if
any. They’re dreamin’!
Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(Washington Post) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S.
BERNANKE’ show is scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for
‘economic growth’, the frauds on wall street still rallied. Bernanke
prepares to make history
(Washington Post) [ He already
has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at record
levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat
paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher demand
for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has artificially
subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
ATTENTION: REPORTERS –
HIP BOOTS MANDATORY, WADERS RECOMMENDED SINCE YOU’LL BE AT LEAST KNEE-DEEP IN
‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNAKE’ B*** S***! ] On Wednesday, he will be the first Fed
chairman to take on-the-record questioning from the media.
]
]
More
Democrats defiant on debt ceiling (Washington Post) Lawmakers are pushing back against the White
House, joining the GOP in calling for deficit reductions as a condition for lifting
the $14.3 trillion ceiling. [ Ah yes, ‘The Defiant Ones’… principled to the end
… Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not too! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!
The Economic
Collapse: 24 more signs of economic
decline in America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 Bad economy is causing “ghost towns” to appear all
across the U.S..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time
- Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last year-
lowest level ever ..
#9 Avg CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices five dollars per gallon at gas stations.. $6 gas soon
…11-24…]
Key
Afghan aid programs delayed
(Washington Post) [ Strategy? Critical time? Seems we’ve heard that song
before. And, yet another nation and innocent lives destroyed for no good reason
… and, pervasively corrupt and defacto bankrupt america … winning hearts and
minds …NOT! … Petraeus
to helm more-militarized CIA
(Washington Post) [ I personally unequivocally believe there has already
been a defacto coup d’etat in america. Drudgereport: Pentagon
Warns Obama Against Deeper Defense Cuts ... (And where is it going to come from
... we've already had in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, war crimes
nation america a defacto coup d'etat) ... Ron
Paul: After ‘CIA coup,’ agency ‘runs military’ US House Rep. Ron Paul
says the CIA has has in effect carried out a “coup” against the US government,
and the intelligence agency needs to be “taken out.” I also personally
believe there has been a defacto coup d’etat which has manifested in
various substantial, blatant, brazened frauds, ie., wall street, missing 360
tons of $100 bills in Iraq, war profiteering, etc., without any fear of
prosecution, and of course concomitant decline for u.s. as the treasury is
looted. But I also believe its scope is beyond just the CIA with many complicit
within the corrupted 3 branches of u.s. government (fed judges, us attorneys,
illegal system, etc.) plus the military and private big money, ie., Goldman
Sachs / wall street men, etc… http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
… “torture taxis” – used by the CIA to move captives seized in its
kidnapping or “extraordinary rendition” operations through Gatwick and other
airports in the EU being simultaneously used for drug distribution .. A
Gulfstream II jet aircraft N9875A identified by the British Government and the
European Parliament as being involved in this traffic crashed in Mexico…” In
2004, another torture taxi crashed in a field in Nicaragua with a ton of
cocaine aboard… Mexican soldiers found ..132 bags containing 3.3 metric tons of
cocaine. .. was one of the very same planes chartered to the CIA for the
rendition of suspected terrorists prisoners…’]
Disappointing
First Quarter GDP Growth (Stocks rally on the bad news!) (The advance
estimate for Q1 GDP came in at 1.8 percent — a sharp decline from last
quarter’s 3.1 – and worse than expected)
Weekly
Unemployment Claims Back Above This Scary Line (Stocks rally on the bad
news!) Short ‘On Thursday April 28, 2011, The
Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report was released
this morning for last week. Claims rose 25,000 from an upward revision of the
previous week to 429,000. The 4-week moving average increased by 2.3%. Here is
the official statement from the Department of Labor:
In the week
ending April 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was
429,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of
404,000. The 4-week moving average was 408,500, an increase of 9,250 from the
previous week’s revised average of 399,250.
The advance
seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.9 percent for the week
ending April 16, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week’s
revised rate of 3.0 percent.
The advance
number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending
April 16 was 3,641,000, a decrease of 68,000 from the preceding week’s revised
level of 3,709,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,697,750, a decrease of
22,750 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,720,500.
Today’s number
was 10% higher than the Briefing.com consensus expectation of 390,000 claims.
As we can see,
there’s a good bit of volatility in this indicator, which is why the 4-week
moving average (shown in the callouts) is a more useful number than the weekly
data.
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims
Occasionally I
see articles critical of seasonal adjustment, especially when the non-adjusted
number better suits the author’s bias. But a comparison of these two charts
clearly shows extreme volatility of the non-adjusted data, and the 4-week MA
gives an indication of the recurring pattern of seasonal change in the second
chart (note, for example, those regular January spikes).
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA
Because of the
extreme volatility of the non-adjusted weekly data, a 52-week moving average
gives a better sense of the long-term trends.
http://dshort.com/charts/weekly-unemployment-claims-charts.html?weekly-unemployment-claims-NSA-52-ma
The Bureau of
Labor Statistics provides an overview on seasonal adjustment here (scroll down about
half way down).
Doug Short Ph.d is the author
of dshort.com.’
Trump faces scrutiny over donations, merch made in China (The
Ticket)
Dollar Loses More Ground
WSJ | The dollar dropped after economic indicators pointed to
a dismal employment picture and slowing economic growth.
Economic
Growth Slow as Inflation Measure Spikes Up Reuters | U.S.
economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter as higher food
and gasoline prices dampened consumer spending.
More
people applied for unemployment benefits AP | More people
requested unemployment benefits last week, the second increase in 3 weeks
Gerson:
How serious are we about the deficit? (Washington Post) [ Not too! I mean come on! Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I
think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits
it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire
global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this
(and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about
how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix"
this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for
the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you
can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ … Suckers’
rally to keep suckers suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!
The Economic
Collapse: 24 more signs of economic
decline in America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 Bad economy is causing “ghost towns” to appear all
across the U.S..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time
- Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last year-
lowest level ever ..
#9 Avg CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices five dollars per gallon at gas stations.. $6 gas soon …
Fed
Chairman Bernanke does reality TV
(Washington Post) [ Except the ‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S.
BERNANKE’ show is scripted unreality … even with his reduction in estimate for
‘economic growth’, the frauds on wall street still rallied. Bernanke
prepares to make history
(Washington Post) [ He already
has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at record
levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat
paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
ATTENTION: REPORTERS –
HIP BOOTS MANDATORY, WADERS RECOMMENDED SINCE YOU’LL BE AT LEAST KNEE-DEEP IN ‘NO-RECESSION
HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNAKE’ B*** S***! ]
On Wednesday, he will be the first Fed chairman to take on-the-record
questioning from the media.
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny
it. ..’ ] States
face shortfall for retirees (Washington Post) Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at
the end of fiscal 2009, a report says.
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce
(Washington Post) Share of
renters who spend more than half their income on housing is at its highest
level in half a century.
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (Washington Post) More Americans disapprove of President
Obama’s management of the war in Afghanistan than support it, according to a
new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a finding that reflects the public’s broader
concern over the course of the nearly decade-old conflict.
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(Washington Post) As gas prices
bite into household incomes, Obama’s support takes a hit, according to new
poll. The high fuel price dynamic is
the slow / now faster motion, long predicted hyperinflationary consequence of
failed fed, administration, congressional economic / financial / fiscal policy
that essentially has been interposed for the (short-term particularly) benefit
of the frauds on wall street (The frauds on
wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and
disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast turmoil to obfuscate their
failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times
National
/ World
Top
Mexican Drug Lord: I Trafficked Cocaine For The U.S. Government The
“logistical coordinator” for a top Mexican drug-trafficking gang that was
responsible for purchasing the CIA torture jet that crashed with four tons on
cocaine on board back in 2007 has told the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Illinois in Chicago that he has been working as a U.S. government
asset for years.
National
security shake-up expected
(Washington Post) [ Shake-up? I
don’t think so. There may have been a time when a such changes, be it
personnel, policy, etc., might as per the following reference be slight
exaggeration; but no more, as all such now is literally a rearrangement of the
deck chairs on the uss Titanic. Nothing succeeds quite like failure in america
these days! Poll:
Egyptians skeptical about U.S.
Egyptians have an unfavorable view of the U.S., but they are also
divided over Islamic fundamentalists. (Washington Post) [ Hey! … Guess what? … americans and the
rest of the world (except zionist israel, zionists, and old biddy britain) are
skeptical and have an unfavorable view of america. The Economic Collapse: 24 more signs of economic decline in
America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 Bad economy is causing “ghost towns” to appear all
across the U.S..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time
- Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last year-
lowest level ever ..
#9 Avg CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices five dollars per gallon at gas stations.. $6 gas soon
#11 .. 12 months the average price of gasoline in the US
has gone up by
about 30%.
#12 Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost a staggering $436 million during first qtr 2011.
#13 U.S. households now receiving more from the US gov’t
than
they are paying to the government in taxes.
#14 1 of 4
dollars that the U.S. govt borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is
now about
5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Total credit card debt in u.s. more than 8 times larger
than 30 yrs ago.
#17 Avg household debt in the United States has
now reached a level of 136% of avg household income. In China, avg
household debt is only 17% of avg household income.
#18 Avg American spends approximately 23 percent
.. on food and gas.
#19 .. 74 percent of u.s. said that they
planned to slow down their spending
#20 59 percent u.s. receive money from the
govt ..
#21 avg length of unemployment in the U.S. is now an
all-time record 39 weeks.
#22 u.s. random acts
of violence”…
#23 Americans are popping
the gold teeth right out of their mouths / selling them to pawn shops.
#24
..u.s. people gobbling up larger and larger amounts of antidepressants / other
drugs. ..’ ]
…“Evidence points to aircraft – familiarly known as “torture taxis” –
used by the CIA to move captives seized in its kidnapping or “extraordinary
rendition” operations through Gatwick and other airports in the EU being
simultaneously used for drug distribution .. A Gulfstream II jet aircraft
N9875A identified by the British Government and the European Parliament as
being involved in this traffic crashed in Mexico…” In 2004, another torture
taxi crashed in a field in Nicaragua with a ton of cocaine aboard… Mexican
soldiers found ..132 bags containing 3.3 metric tons of cocaine. .. was one of
the very same planes chartered to the CIA for the rendition of suspected
terrorists prisoners…’]
Drudgereport: NO
JOKE: Superman to renounce U.S. citizenship...
Storm
death near 300
in South...
Deadliest
Swarm of Twisters Since 1974...
Among
Largest, Strongest Ever Recorded...
ECONOMY
SLOWS, INFLATION GROWS...
Doubt
cast on recovery...
Dollar
drops to lowest since 2008...
Investors
flee greenback; silver hits all-time high, gold sets new record...
GALLUP:
U.S. confidence plunges, only 27% say economy is growing...
WAL-MART:
Our shoppers are 'running out of money'...
JOBLESS
CLAIMS 429,000...
CBS
ANCHOR SCHIEFFER: Trump is racist...
TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
Fed Spin Lifts Stocks: Dave's Daily ‘It's a con plain and simple. I've bought into it because I must.
Overall we're long and will be until the jig's up. Until then, I've advised
subscribers for many months that our Lazy Portfolios are the path to success as
Fed policies steamroll most technical systems beyond HFTs [high-frequency
traders]. When it ends, and it will, it's back to business as usual. Earnings
have been good, especially for companies (MMM, KO, MCD and etc.) where a weak
dollar has led to grand overseas profits. Most of those gains remain stashed
abroad and will remain there until U.S. corporate tax policy changes--a cold
day in hell IMHO. Further, Fed policies have been positive for financial
engineering, M&A, corporate debt financings and stock buybacks. This is the
result of a sea of liquidity finding its way to Wall Street which trickles down
to S&P 500 companies. It leads to minimal gains in U.S. employment as
companies are stimulated to outsource work overseas. It does not lift real
estate prices off the deck either. The great con remains current inflation,
which Bernanke alluded to briefly in his comments today. They cling to
"core" inflation as their measure of choice while we commoners who
shop everyday for essentials know better. Turbo Tim even had the nerve to say
the other day high gas prices are something we'll just "adjust to"
and "won't hurt" the recovery. He has a government car and driver. He
also had the nerve to reiterate the necessity to maintain a strong dollar.
Yikes! The Fed expects GDP to grow between 3.1 and 3.3% this year. Thursday's
GDP data may serve as a guide although expectations are for a weaker report.
It's been a strange week as the dollar continued to slide, commodities rallied
and stocks moved higher on ultra light volume. As to the latter, where is
everybody? Most retail investors are content to hang on to their IRAs and 401Ks
but they're still distrustful of markets. From the data it seems they'd rather
have a new car or TV which is something they can trust. Current trading
patterns remain dominated by HFTs whether from institutional trading desks or
hedge funds. This is the way we've rolled since QE2 began...’
Is
the Market Crazy? [ Short answer: Yes! Fraudulently, criminally insane type
crazy! ]
Can
Dollar Weakness Mean Equity Weakness?
Kaspar ‘Are there any dollar bulls left? Inflationists across the web
are crying ‘victory’ as the dollar sinks and certain asset prices (especially oil prices, food prices, and the gold price) mushroom higher. To the
level-headed, you should exercise extreme caution against assumed fixed
correlations like “weak dollar” means “asset price increases.” Correlations can
quickly change.
A mentor of
mine consistently preaches that the market will always do whatever it can to
make most investors look foolish. Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is a
case that investors should at least consider: that an accelerating
decline in the dollar could turn asset prices negative, at least in the short
term.
The 1987 crash
is an appropriate case study. The cause of that October market crash, when the
S&P 500 lost 20.5% in a single day, has never been thoroughly explained. No
major event could be credited as the catalyst for such a monstrous and rapid
decline.
Portfolio
insurance, rapidly rising long term US interest rates, a series of preceding
market declines during the week leading up to the crash, and a weakening US
dollar are all mentioned as possible triggers. In truth, it was likely a
confluence of these and other factors that ultimately pushed the market to a
tipping point.
One macro
factor stands out among the rest: the rapidly
weakening US dollar leading up to Black Monday.
Beginning in
late July of 1987, the dollar, after already falling to a seven year low just a
few months prior, began a steep decline. A much wider trade deficit than
expected was thought to have accelerated the dollar’s descent.
US Dollar: 1987
http://seekingalpha.com/article/265995-can-dollar-weakness-mean-equity-weakness?source=yahoo
Over the long
term, all things being equal, it is logically sound to conclude that a
weakening dollar must cause assets priced in dollars to rise. However, in the
short term, markets are not always logical and can anticipate the next move by
world bankers. In 1987, the U.S. dollar lost 10% in roughly three months.
During the same time span, the equity markets lost close to 30%. Such a move
contradicts today’s accepted wisdom.
Though the
Federal Reserve has approached its dollar policy with the same restraint as
Charlie Sheen at Happy Hour, we should avoid approaching every scenario with
broad generalizations, regardless of one’s long term view on the dollar. In the
financial markets, nothing goes in a straight line, and correlations tend to
break down if certain asset classes move too violently.
US
Dollar: Last Twelve Months
http://seekingalpha.com/article/265995-can-dollar-weakness-mean-equity-weakness?source=yahoo
While the last
twelve months have been unfavorable for the dollar, and while assets have
benefited from the Federal Reserve’s currency abuse, correlations do seem to be
diverging. Over the past year, the dollar is down roughly 8% and the S&P is
up about 9%. But the market has begun reacting more coolly towards a weakening
dollar as oil prices have accelerated higher. In fact, in the past two months,
the dollar is down 4.25%, and the S&P 500 is down 1%. In the last two
weeks, the dollar is down 1.45% and the S&P 500 is down about 1.1%. These
moves are in stark contrast to the performance of the past year, so the trend
is clearly weakening.
I might worry that if the dollar begins a sharp move downward, the Fed may be
forced to approach dollar policy with greater restraint, which could instigate
a strong market reaction.
I am fairly
agnostic on the dollar’s next move, and I am unsure how that next move will
correlate with asset prices. Furthermore, I do not intend to predict an
imminent market crash. I simply revisit this history lesson to emphasize a few
broader points:
Extreme dollar bears (and asset bulls) should be
cautious. The markets do not move in straight lines, and the only certainty in
volatile markets is uncertainty. A handy life jacket is worthwhile if the boat
flips.’
Chinese
Stocks Send Warning Signals
Federal
Reserve Press Release April 27, 2011 Federal Reserve The
economic recovery is proceeding at a moderate pace and overall conditions in
the labor market are improving gradually.
Fed
Says Recovery is ‘Moderate’; Bond Buying to End in June Bloomberg
| Federal Reserve policy makers said the economy is recovering at a “moderate
pace” and a pickup in inflation is likely to be temporary.
20 Questions for Ben
Bernanke Zero Hedge | The Fed is expected to continue the
QE2 Lite mandate.
National / World
Drudgereport: SPOOK
SHUFFLE: PETRAEUS TO CIA, PANETTA TO PENTAGON (americans-just a bunch of
spooks!)...
Afghan
officer fires on U.S. troops, kills 9 [american war criminals winning hearts
and minds]...
BERNANKE:
Here comes the inflation...
GOLD
RECORD -- AGAIN...
Banks Warn
Obama on Soaring Debt Problems...
Gasoline
futures jump 6 cents in one day...
TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
Fed Spin Lifts Stocks: Dave's Daily ‘It's a con plain and simple. I've bought into it because I must.
Overall we're long and will be until the jig's up. Until then, I've advised
subscribers for many months that our Lazy Portfolios are the path to success as
Fed policies steamroll most technical systems beyond HFTs [high-frequency traders].
When it ends, and it will, it's back to business as usual. Earnings have been
good, especially for companies (MMM, KO, MCD and etc.) where a weak dollar has
led to grand overseas profits. Most of those gains remain stashed abroad and
will remain there until U.S. corporate tax policy changes--a cold day in hell
IMHO. Further, Fed policies have been positive for financial engineering,
M&A, corporate debt financings and stock buybacks. This is the result of a
sea of liquidity finding its way to Wall Street which trickles down to S&P
500 companies. It leads to minimal gains in U.S. employment as companies are
stimulated to outsource work overseas. It does not lift real estate prices off
the deck either. The great con remains current inflation, which Bernanke
alluded to briefly in his comments today. They cling to "core"
inflation as their measure of choice while we commoners who shop everyday for
essentials know better. Turbo Tim even had the nerve to say the other day high
gas prices are something we'll just "adjust to" and "won't
hurt" the recovery. He has a government car and driver. He also had the
nerve to reiterate the necessity to maintain a strong dollar. Yikes! The Fed
expects GDP to grow between 3.1 and 3.3% this year. Thursday's GDP data may serve
as a guide although expectations are for a weaker report. It's been a strange
week as the dollar continued to slide, commodities rallied and stocks moved
higher on ultra light volume. As to the latter, where is everybody? Most
retail investors are content to hang on to their IRAs and 401Ks but they're
still distrustful of markets. From the data it seems they'd rather have a new
car or TV which is something they can trust. Current trading patterns remain
dominated by HFTs whether from institutional trading desks or hedge funds. This
is the way we've rolled since QE2 began...’
Is
the Market Crazy? [ Short answer: Yes! Fraudulently, criminally insane type
crazy! ]
Can
Dollar Weakness Mean Equity Weakness?
Kaspar ‘Are there any dollar bulls left? Inflationists across the web
are crying ‘victory’ as the dollar sinks and certain asset prices (especially oil prices, food prices, and the gold price) mushroom higher. To the
level-headed, you should exercise extreme caution against assumed fixed
correlations like “weak dollar” means “asset price increases.” Correlations can
quickly change.
A mentor of
mine consistently preaches that the market will always do whatever it can to
make most investors look foolish. Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is a
case that investors should at least consider: that an accelerating
decline in the dollar could turn asset prices negative, at least in the short
term.
The 1987 crash
is an appropriate case study. The cause of that October market crash, when the
S&P 500 lost 20.5% in a single day, has never been thoroughly explained. No
major event could be credited as the catalyst for such a monstrous and rapid
decline.
Portfolio
insurance, rapidly rising long term US interest rates, a series of preceding
market declines during the week leading up to the crash, and a weakening US
dollar are all mentioned as possible triggers. In truth, it was likely a
confluence of these and other factors that ultimately pushed the market to a
tipping point.
One macro
factor stands out among the rest: the rapidly
weakening US dollar leading up to Black Monday.
Beginning in
late July of 1987, the dollar, after already falling to a seven year low just a
few months prior, began a steep decline. A much wider trade deficit than
expected was thought to have accelerated the dollar’s descent.
US Dollar: 1987
http://seekingalpha.com/article/265995-can-dollar-weakness-mean-equity-weakness?source=yahoo
Over the long
term, all things being equal, it is logically sound to conclude that a
weakening dollar must cause assets priced in dollars to rise. However, in the
short term, markets are not always logical and can anticipate the next move by
world bankers. In 1987, the U.S. dollar lost 10% in roughly three months.
During the same time span, the equity markets lost close to 30%. Such a move
contradicts today’s accepted wisdom.
Though the
Federal Reserve has approached its dollar policy with the same restraint as Charlie
Sheen at Happy Hour, we should avoid approaching every scenario with broad
generalizations, regardless of one’s long term view on the dollar. In the
financial markets, nothing goes in a straight line, and correlations tend to
break down if certain asset classes move too violently.
US
Dollar: Last Twelve Months
http://seekingalpha.com/article/265995-can-dollar-weakness-mean-equity-weakness?source=yahoo
While the last
twelve months have been unfavorable for the dollar, and while assets have
benefited from the Federal Reserve’s currency abuse, correlations do seem to be
diverging. Over the past year, the dollar is down roughly 8% and the S&P is
up about 9%. But the market has begun reacting more coolly towards a weakening
dollar as oil prices have accelerated higher. In fact, in the past two months,
the dollar is down 4.25%, and the S&P 500 is down 1%. In the last two
weeks, the dollar is down 1.45% and the S&P 500 is down about 1.1%. These
moves are in stark contrast to the performance of the past year, so the trend
is clearly weakening.
I might worry that if the dollar begins a sharp move downward, the Fed may be
forced to approach dollar policy with greater restraint, which could instigate
a strong market reaction.
I am fairly
agnostic on the dollar’s next move, and I am unsure how that next move will
correlate with asset prices. Furthermore, I do not intend to predict an
imminent market crash. I simply revisit this history lesson to emphasize a few
broader points:
Extreme dollar bears (and asset bulls) should be
cautious. The markets do not move in straight lines, and the only certainty in
volatile markets is uncertainty. A handy life jacket is worthwhile if the boat
flips.’
Bernanke
prepares to make history
(Washington Post) [ He already
has! $6 gas acomin’, $1,508+ gold, $46+ silver, other commodities at record
levels, hyperinflation as predicted well on the way from over-printing of fiat
paper currency by fed as predicted, etc., Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come!
ATTENTION: REPORTERS –
HIP BOOTS MANDATORY, WADERS RECOMMENDED SINCE YOU’LL BE AT LEAST KNEE-DEEP IN
‘NO-RECESSION HELICOPTER BEN B.S. BERNAKE’ B*** S***! ] On Wednesday, he will be the first Fed
chairman to take on-the-record questioning from the media.
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny
it. Over the past year I have included literally thousands of depressing
statistics in my articles about the U.S. economy. The
Economic Collapse April 23, 2011 The United States is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny it. Over
the past year I have included literally thousands of depressing statistics in
my articles about the U.S. economy… the U.S. economy is in deep decline and is
dying a little bit more every single day…
Treasury
quietly plans for debt showdown (Washington Post) As White House warns of catastrophe if Congress fails to raise
the debt ceiling, Geithner is working behind the scenes to juggle the books and
conserve cash. [ Quietly? Hardly. It’s probably the most trumpeted quiet plan
in the history of this now defacto bankrupt nation. Davis ‘… This is how we
pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get
anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is
no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all
of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING
FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘
… Suckers’ rally to keep suckers
suckered: Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010… This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come!]
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog.. the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...
Chinese
Stocks Send Warning Signals
Federal
Reserve Press Release April 27, 2011 Federal Reserve The
economic recovery is proceeding at a moderate pace and overall conditions in
the labor market are improving gradually.
Fed
Says Recovery is ‘Moderate’; Bond Buying to End in June Bloomberg
| Federal Reserve policy makers said the economy is recovering at a “moderate
pace” and a pickup in inflation is likely to be temporary.
20 Questions for Ben
Bernanke Zero Hedge | The Fed is expected to continue the
QE2 Lite mandate.
National / World
Drudgereport: SPOOK
SHUFFLE: PETRAEUS TO CIA, PANETTA TO PENTAGON (americans-just a bunch of
spooks!)...
Afghan
officer fires on U.S. troops, kills 9 [american war criminals winning hearts
and minds]...
BERNANKE:
Here comes the inflation...
GOLD
RECORD -- AGAIN...
Banks Warn
Obama on Soaring Debt Problems...
Gasoline
futures jump 6 cents in one day...
TRUMP
TO GIBBS: YOU'RE 'A LOSER' [‘Another trumped-up case of the pot calling the
kettle black’]... TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir melodramatic
fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen / favored’
elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required trump to
go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a classmate, Ted
Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed.
) vegetable garden in the same manner as dumbya bush … mobster trump and
people like trump are part of the problem (total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in
his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes, jersey / new york), not the solution.
Indeed, trump is an interesting mental case in that he evolved from narcissist
(those inflated grandiose moods coupled with feelings of inferiority – he loved
to obsessively read those hitler speeches for inspiration and to pump himself
up according to Ivana Trump) to severe case of antisocial personality disorder
[ predatory disregard for and violation of the rights of others – hence, those
sophomoric soundbite solutions to complex problems as, ie., taking oil
fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese (actually including american goods made in
China), drug money laundering in his casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said america’s
become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the biggest
joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles Learning
Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now caleefornia
mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years: buy real
estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly bureaucracies.
Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans. Most, including
sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug money laundering and
obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit ( also maryanne trump
barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her brother’s casinos in a
civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it for the
money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is great
for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
National
security shake-up expected
(Washington Post) [ Shake-up? I
don’t think so. There may have been a time when a such changes, be it
personnel, policy, etc., might as per the following reference be slight
exaggeration; but no more, as all such now is literally a rearrangement of the
deck chairs on the uss Titanic. Nothing succeeds quite like failure in america
these days! Poll:
Egyptians skeptical about U.S.
Egyptians have an unfavorable view of the U.S., but they are also
divided over Islamic fundamentalists. (Washington Post) [ Hey! … Guess what? … americans and the
rest of the world (except zionist israel, zionists, and old biddy britain) are skeptical
and have an unfavorable view of america. The Economic Collapse: 24 more signs of economic decline in
America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 Bad economy is causing “ghost towns” to appear all
across the U.S..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time
- Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last year-
lowest level ever ..
#9 Avg CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices five dollars per gallon at gas stations.. $6 gas soon
#11 .. 12 months the average price of gasoline in the US
has gone up by
about 30%.
#12 Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost a staggering $436 million during first qtr 2011.
#13 U.S. households now receiving more from the US gov’t
than
they are paying to the government in taxes.
#14 1 of 4
dollars that the U.S. govt borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is
now about
5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Total credit card debt in u.s. more than 8 times larger
than 30 yrs ago.
#17 Avg household debt in the United States has
now reached a level of 136% of avg household income. In China, avg
household debt is only 17% of avg household income.
#18 Avg American spends approximately 23 percent
.. on food and gas.
#19 .. 74 percent of u.s. said that they
planned to slow down their spending
#20 59 percent u.s. receive money from the
govt ..
#21 avg length of unemployment in the U.S. is now an
all-time record 39 weeks.
#22 u.s. random acts
of violence”…
#23 Americans are popping
the gold teeth right out of their mouths / selling them to pawn shops.
#24
..u.s. people gobbling up larger and larger amounts of antidepressants / other
drugs. ..’ ]
]
Trump’s
donations favor Democrats
(Washington Post) [ Why the surprise? In addition to being a bribester,
mobster, trump’s a total fraudster / mental case who stands for absolutely
nothing more than expedient soundbites! Drudgereport: TRUMP: Obama Not
Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically
donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a classmate,
Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as dumbya bush … mobster
trump and people like trump are part of the problem (total b*** s***, fraud,
etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes, jersey / new york), not the
solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental case in that he evolved from
narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled with feelings of inferiority
– he loved to obsessively read those hitler speeches for inspiration and to
pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to severe case of antisocial
personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and violation of the rights of
others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions to complex problems as,
ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese (actually including
american goods made in China) goods, drug money laundering in his casinos,
bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
Case-Shiller
Chairman: Here’s Why There is Very Little, If Any, Good News About Housing
‘Have you ever tried to keep your head above water while doggy-paddling?
The
S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index shows prices for the 10- and
20-city composites are lower than a year ago but still slightly above their
April 2009 bottom. The 10-City Composite fell 2.6% and the 20-City
Composite was down 3.3% from February 2010 levels. With an index level of
139.27, the 20-City Composite is virtually back to its April 2009 trough
value (139.26); the 10-City Composite is 1.5% above its low.
Washington
D.C. was the only market to post a year-over-year gain with an annual growth
rate of +2.7%. Ten of the 11 cities that made new lows in January 2011 saw
new lows again in February 2011. Detroit avoided another new low, managing
a +1.0% increase in February over January, the only city with a positive
monthly change.
David M.
Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s
commented:
“There is very
little, if any, good news about housing. Prices continue to weaken, trends in
sales and construction are disappointing. Ten of the 11 MSAs that
recorded index lows in January fell further in February. The one
exception, Detroit, is 30% below its 2000 price level. The 20-City Composite
is within a hair’s breadth of a double dip. Fourteen MSAs and both
Composites have continued to decline month over-month for more than
six consecutive months as of February.
Atlanta,
Cleveland and Las Vegas join Detroit as cities with home prices below their
2000 levels; and Phoenix is barely above its January 2000 level after a
new index low. The one positive is Washington D.C. with a positive annual
growth rate, +2.7%, and home prices more than 80% over its January 2000
level. Other cities holding on to large gains from 11 years ago include
Los Angeles (68.25%), New York (65.19%) and San Diego (55.05%).’
The
Financial Sector Mess Nussbaum ‘Yesterday on CNBC I heard a tease for a
segment (I missed the actual segment) about the fact the domestic financial
stocks are not doing well relative to technology. While I am not sure that tech
is the best comparison there is a point here about financial stocks that I have
been making for a long time that I believe will remain relevant for several
more years.
First, some
numbers with results of a few different sectors over several time periods:
YTD
Financials XLF +0.88%
Technology XLK +4.75%
Energy XLE +14.97%
Staples XLP +5.12%
Discretionary XLY +6.51% (XLY is a
client holding)
S&P 500 (SPY) 6.16%
One Year
XLF -4.11
XLK +9.58%
XLE +26.37
XLP +9.92%
XLY +11.72%
S&P 500 +9.68%
Four Years
XLF -56.64%
XLK +8.91%
XLE +24.35%
XLP +11.63
XLY +0.71%
S&P 500 -10.05%
The numbers say a lot about the mess that has been made in the domestic
financial sector. The events in the market from 2007-2009 were obviously about
the financial sector. There were many types of excesses that resulted in a
monumental meltdown in the sector--monumental for the number of large companies
that failed and the large number of stocks that dropped 90% and are nowhere
close to where they traded before the implosion.
The nature of this sort of event is such that it will be years before domestic
financials, collectively, are attractive on a fundamental basis and so I think
it is likely that they will continue to struggle as stocks. This has been the
case with technology from that market event. For ten years the S&P 500 (SPY)
is up 7.41% while XLK is down 12.02% [Microsoft (MSFT)
is down 25% for ten years and INTC is down 32% for ten years]. It looks to me
like outperformance of tech over the SPX may have started at the 2009 bottom,
which is a long time for the ground zero sector to lag. While an exact
duplicate in financials is unlikely, if you then consider the fundamental
outlook, I think we are a long way from health.
The above brings in two different things to consider; one being how markets
tend to work, which is more of a top down factor. The other is what I believe
to be a lack of fundamental health, which is of course a bottom up factor. It
seems to me that no matter, the financial sector has been a favorite of many
professional market participants. Given my perceptions of the sector I think it
makes sense to underweight the risk in whatever financial sector exposure you
have (I believe in having exposure to all sectors as zero weight is a big bet).
For us this means mostly owning foreign banks as I have discussed many times
before.
Think of it this way, in speculating on parts of the financial sector where the
fundamentals are not yet healthy, how much do you hope to make? Let's say you
think you can double your money. I would say it makes more sense to go to a
sector that is healthy on all fronts to pick a stock where you think you could
double your money. I realize other people view it differently and clearly there
were some great trades off the bottom in the financial sector - but speculating
on something with weak fundamentals is not a risk I am willing to take.’
States
face shortfall for retirees (Washington Post) Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at
the end of fiscal 2009, a report says.
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce (Washington Post) Share of
renters who spend more than half their income on housing is at its highest
level in half a century.
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (Washington Post) More Americans disapprove of President
Obama’s management of the war in Afghanistan than support it, according to a
new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a finding that reflects the public’s broader
concern over the course of the nearly decade-old conflict.
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(Washington Post) As gas prices
bite into household incomes, Obama’s support takes a hit, according to new
poll. The high fuel price dynamic is
the slow / now faster motion, long predicted hyperinflationary consequence of
failed fed, administration, congressional economic / financial / fiscal policy
that essentially has been interposed for the (short-term particularly) benefit
of the frauds on wall street (The frauds on
wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and
disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast turmoil to obfuscate their
failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times
American
Stock Ownership Declines
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny
it. Over the past year I have included literally thousands of depressing
statistics in my articles about the U.S. economy. The
Economic Collapse April 23, 2011 The United States is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny it. Over
the past year I have included literally thousands of depressing statistics in
my articles about the U.S. economy… the U.S. economy is in deep decline and is
dying a little bit more every single day…
Poll:
Egyptians skeptical about U.S.
Egyptians have an unfavorable view of the U.S., but they are also
divided over Islamic fundamentalists. (Washington Post) [ Hey! … Guess what? … americans and the
rest of the world (except zionist israel, zionists, and old biddy britain) are
skeptical and have an unfavorable view of america. The Economic Collapse: 24 more signs of economic decline in
America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 This cruel economy is causing “ghost towns” to
appear all across the United States..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time right
now. Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last
year. That was the lowest level ever ..
#9 According to a new report from the AFL-CIO, the
average CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices reached five dollars per gallon at a gas station in Washington, DC
on April 19th, 2011. .. $6 gas soon
#11 .. 12 months the average price of gasoline in the
United States has gone up by
about 30%.
#12 Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost a staggering $436 million during the first quarter of
2011.
#13 U.S. households are now receiving more income from
the U.S. governmentthan
they are paying to the government in taxes.
#14 1 of 4
dollars that the U.S. government borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is
now about
5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Total credit card debt in u.s. more than 8 times larger
than 30 yrs ago.
#17 Average household debt in the United States has
now reached a level of 136% of average household income. In China,
average household debt is only 17% of average household income.
#18 The average American now spends approximately 23 percent
.. on food and gas.
#19 .. 74 percent of Americans said that they
planned to slow down their spending in coming months
#20 59 percent u.s. receive money from the
federal government ..
#21 average length of unemployment in the U.S. is
now an
all-time record 39 weeks.
#22 As the economy
continues to collapse, frustration ..“random acts of violence”…
#23
Some Americans have become so desperate for cash that they are literallypopping
the gold teeth right out of their mouths and selling them to pawn shops.
#24
..u.s. people have been gobbling up larger and larger amounts of
antidepressants and other prescription drugs. ..’ ]
20 Questions for Ben
Bernanke Zero Hedge | The Fed is expected to continue the
QE2 Lite mandate.
Gold and silver
continue to surge Neil Dennis | Gold hit a record high,
while silver surged more than 5 per cent to within a whisker of its all-time
peak.
Don’t
Like a Weak Dollar? Might as Well Get Used to It CNBC.com
| Weakness in the US dollar, which is causing everything to go up.
Dollar
Hits Record Low Against Swiss Franc The dollar tumbled to an all-time low
point of 0.8745 Swiss francs.
Chernobyl,
25 years later (Washington Post)
Following the nuclear disaster in Japan, the Chernobyl accident has a
particular importance. Japan
declares evacuation zone near nuclear plant (Washington Post) [ Wow! Sounds like a plan! … From the
beginning, as I’ve written on my website, I’ve thought the catastrophic nature
and impact of this disaster to have been underreported at the least … the
Japanese uncharacteristically have adopted somewhat of a ‘if wishing could make
it so’ tact in this sad crisis. Cesium
137 Threat Grows While Corporate Media Remains Mute The hereditary communist
dictatorship in North Korea reports on the spread of radiation from the
Fukushima nuclear plant, but it has all but fallen off the corporate media
radar screen here. Monitoring stations across North Korea from April 11 to 17
detected iodine-131 and cesium-137 in the air above Wonsan in the southeast and
Chongjin in the southeast, according to the country’s state-run media. According
to the Los Angeles Times, seawater near the Fukushima nuclear complex was
recently found to contain “iodine-131 at 7.5 million times the legal
limit”. Something
Odd Is Happening at Reactor Number 4 The operator of the troubled Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant is carefully monitoring the situation at the Number
4 spent fuel pool, where the water temperature is rising despite increased
injections of cooling water. Helen
Caldicott Talks About the Horror of Fukushima Australian physician, author,
and anti-nuclear advocate Helen Caldicott talks about the Fukushima nuclear
catastrophe and what we can expect. It ain’t pretty. Busby:
‘Can’t seal Fukushima like Chernobyl – it all goes into sea’ As world marks
the Chernobyl anniversary, many say that the world has failed to learn the
lessons on nuclear safety that the tragedy provided. RT talks to Professor
Christopher Busby, Scientific secretary of the European Committee on radiation
risks, for a little more insight on 21st century’s most serious nuclear crisis
at Fukushima. Assassinate
Qaddafi? Tyrants Beware – What Goes Around Might Come Around Lindsey Graham
and John McCain, both of the meddling International Republican Institute
implicated in funding and fueling the “Arab Spring” to begin with, have called
for the assassination of Libya’s Qaddafi and members of his inner circle. The
London Telegraph also reported that Foreign Secretary William Hague refused to
rule out using US drones to assassinate Qaddafi. TEPCO
finds radioactive concrete emitting 900,000 microsieverts per hour of nuclear
radiation The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant
says that concrete debris emitting a high level of radiation has been found
near the Number 3 reactor.
With
Barbour now out, new questions for GOP
(Washington Post) THE TAKE | Decision sets off scramble for parts of his
financial and political network and raises questions about challenges party
faces in unseating Obama.
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (Washington Post) [ If only ‘wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) had
been a man of his word and stopped these nation-bankrupting, murderous wars. ]
Drudgereport: TRUMP: Obama Not
Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically
donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and violation
of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions to
complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China) goods, drug money laundering
in his casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
Islamic Group with British Intelligence Links Threatens
Royal Wedding Kurt Nimmo | Muslims Against Crusades
has reportedly told Princes William and Harry to “watch your backs.”
Media Distorts Truth To Propagandize For NATO-Backed War
On Syria Paul Joseph Watson | Another contrived
“humanitarian” war is in the making.
Modern British Royalty: Eugenicists, Nazis and Neo-Feudalists
Steve Watson & Alex Jones | The upcoming royal
Wedding of William Mountbatten-Windsor, heir in waiting to the British throne
has the UK media in a frenzy.
Waking Up to Economic Realities Ron
Paul | Even the most conservative budget that has been proposed by
Republican leadership requires raising the debt ceiling.
MI5
Intelligence Front Threatens Royal Wedding To Justify Banning Protest Once
again, the corporate media rolls out a scary story about Islamists threatening
the state, this time represented by the British royal family.
Media
Distorts Truth To Propagandize For NATO-Backed War On Syria Despite the
fact that western media is completely cut off from entering Syria and therefore
unable to verify reports of hundreds of murders carried out by security forces
loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, grainy and often misconstrued
YouTube videos have been cited as proof positive that Assad is overseeing a
brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, but a whistleblower living in
Syria has contacted us to express his disbelief at such claims, dismissing them
as little more than fabricated fairy-tales designed to law the groundwork for
yet another NATO-backed military intervention based on contrived “humanitarian”
grounds.
Modern
British Royalty: Eugenicists, Nazis and Neo-Feudalists The upcoming royal
Wedding of William Mountbatten-Windsor, heir in waiting to the British throne
has the UK media in a frenzy of vomit inducing worship and stomach churning
sycophantic fawning. Even the US media is pouring over the royals to such an
extent that commentators have pointed out that had the modern day corporate
media covered the Revolutionary War, it would have firmly supported the
British.
CNN
investigation: Obama born in U.S. Was Barack Obama really born in America?
Alex Jones – The
Man, The History “Alex Jones is a model for people to create their own
media,” Michael Harrison, editor of the industry trade magazine Talkers, told
Rolling Stone writer Alexander Zaitchik. “When the history is written of talk
broadcasting’s transition from the corporate model of the 20th century to the
digital, independent model of the 21st century, he will be considered an early
trailblazer.”
Investigator:
Fukushima Blast Was Nuclear Explosion British scientist Christopher Busby,
a researcher on the negative health effects of ionizing radiation, told Russia
Today that one of the explosions at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in
Japan was a nuclear explosion, not a hydrogen explosion as widely reported in
the media.
Drudgereport: Gas
prices rise for 35th straight day...
Climb
6 cents overnight in Michigan...
President's
answer: More taxes...
Gasoline
Futures Highest Since 2008...
TELEPROMPTER
INVENTOR DIES... (Wobama ‘goes in mourning … day of silence
declared’)
Buchanan
to Matthews: 'You're supposed to be a journalist'...
RON
PAUL: HE'S IN!
Killer
Combo of High Gas, Food Prices at 'Key Tipping Point'...
AAA
Sees 18% Increase In Roadside Calls For Drivers Out Of Gas...
$5.69
GALLON IN ORLANDO -- FOR REGULAR...
IMF:
AGE OF AMERICA NEARS END...
Dollar's
Decline Speeds Up...
China
planning to cut U.S. reserves by two-thirds?
Gold
and silver continue to surge...
Reid's
China junket sked kept secret over 'security concerns'...
WASHPOST: If the trip's so dangerous, why are senators
spouses tagging along?
TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the biggest
joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles Learning
Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now caleefornia
mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years: buy real
estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
Poll:
Egyptians skeptical about U.S.
Egyptians have an unfavorable view of the U.S., but they are also
divided over Islamic fundamentalists. (Washington Post) [ Hey! … Guess what? … americans and the
rest of the world (except zionist israel, zionists, and old biddy britain) are
skeptical and have an unfavorable view of america. The Economic Collapse: 24 more signs of economic decline in
America…
#1 On Monday, S&P altered its outlook on U.S.
government debt from “stable” to “negative” ..at the rest of the world is
losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced reducing their holdings of U.S. dollar
#3 .. “panic
dollar selling is setting in” and U.S. dollar in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 This cruel economy is causing “ghost towns” to
appear all across the United States..
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time right
now. Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. .
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last
year. That was the lowest level ever ..
#9 According to a new report from the AFL-CIO, the
average CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American
#10 Gas prices reached five dollars per gallon at a gas station in Washington, DC
on April 19th, 2011. .. $6 gas soon
#11 .. 12 months the average price of gasoline in the
United States has gone up by
about 30%.
#12 Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost a staggering $436 million during the first quarter of
2011.
#13 U.S. households are now receiving more income from
the U.S. governmentthan
they are paying to the government in taxes.
#14 1 of 4
dollars that the U.S. government borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is
now about
5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Total credit card debt in u.s. more than 8 times larger
than 30 yrs ago.
#17 Average household debt in the United States has
now reached a level of 136% of average household income. In China,
average household debt is only 17% of average household income.
#18 The average American now spends approximately 23 percent
.. on food and gas.
#19 .. 74 percent of Americans said that they
planned to slow down their spending in coming months
#20 59 percent u.s. receive money from the
federal government ..
#21 average length of unemployment in the U.S. is
now an
all-time record 39 weeks.
#22 As the economy
continues to collapse, frustration ..“random acts of violence”…
#23
Some Americans have become so desperate for cash that they are literallypopping
the gold teeth right out of their mouths and selling them to pawn shops.
#24
..u.s. people have been gobbling up larger and larger amounts of
antidepressants and other prescription drugs. ..’ ]
Chernobyl,
25 years later (Washington Post)
Following the nuclear disaster in Japan, the Chernobyl accident has a
particular importance. Japan
declares evacuation zone near nuclear plant (Washington Post) [ Wow! Sounds like a plan! … From the
beginning, as I’ve written on my website, I’ve thought the catastrophic nature
and impact of this disaster to have been underreported at the least … the
Japanese uncharacteristically have adopted somewhat of a ‘if wishing could make
it so’ tact in this sad crisis. Cesium
137 Threat Grows While Corporate Media Remains Mute The hereditary
communist dictatorship in North Korea reports on the spread of radiation from
the Fukushima nuclear plant, but it has all but fallen off the corporate media
radar screen here. Monitoring stations across North Korea from April 11 to 17
detected iodine-131 and cesium-137 in the air above Wonsan in the southeast and
Chongjin in the southeast, according to the country’s state-run media. According
to the Los Angeles Times, seawater near the Fukushima nuclear complex was
recently found to contain “iodine-131 at 7.5 million times the legal
limit”. Something
Odd Is Happening at Reactor Number 4 The operator of the troubled Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant is carefully monitoring the situation at the Number
4 spent fuel pool, where the water temperature is rising despite increased
injections of cooling water. Helen
Caldicott Talks About the Horror of Fukushima Australian physician, author,
and anti-nuclear advocate Helen Caldicott talks about the Fukushima nuclear
catastrophe and what we can expect. It ain’t pretty. Busby:
‘Can’t seal Fukushima like Chernobyl – it all goes into sea’ As world marks
the Chernobyl anniversary, many say that the world has failed to learn the
lessons on nuclear safety that the tragedy provided. RT talks to Professor
Christopher Busby, Scientific secretary of the European Committee on radiation
risks, for a little more insight on 21st century’s most serious nuclear crisis
at Fukushima. Assassinate
Qaddafi? Tyrants Beware – What Goes Around Might Come Around Lindsey Graham
and John McCain, both of the meddling International Republican Institute
implicated in funding and fueling the “Arab Spring” to begin with, have called
for the assassination of Libya’s Qaddafi and members of his inner circle. The
London Telegraph also reported that Foreign Secretary William Hague refused to
rule out using US drones to assassinate Qaddafi. TEPCO
finds radioactive concrete emitting 900,000 microsieverts per hour of nuclear
radiation The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant
says that concrete debris emitting a high level of radiation has been found
near the Number 3 reactor.
States
face shortfall for retirees (Washington Post) Public workers’ retirement funds had a gap of $1.26 trillion at
the end of fiscal 2009, a report says.
Study:
Affordable rentals scarce
(Washington Post) Share of
renters who spend more than half their income on housing is at its highest level
in half a century.
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (Washington Post) More Americans disapprove of President
Obama’s management of the war in Afghanistan than support it, according to a
new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a finding that reflects the public’s broader
concern over the course of the nearly decade-old conflict.
Fuel
prices cut into Obama popularity
(Washington Post) As gas prices
bite into household incomes, Obama’s support takes a hit, according to new
poll. The high fuel price dynamic is
the slow / now faster motion, long predicted hyperinflationary consequence of
failed fed, administration, congressional economic / financial / fiscal policy
that essentially has been interposed for the (short-term particularly) benefit
of the frauds on wall street (The frauds on
wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and
disgorgement imposed), and have used the mideast turmoil to obfuscate their
failure. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s Blog / the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Davis ) Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times
Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times
American
Stock Ownership Declines
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a devastating
long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny it. Over the
past year I have included literally thousands of depressing statistics in my
articles about the U.S. economy. The
Economic Collapse April 23, 2011
The United
States is in the middle of a devastating long-term economic decline and it is
getting really hard to deny it. Over the past year I have included
literally thousands of depressing statistics in my articles about the U.S.
economy… the U.S. economy is in deep decline and is dying a little bit more
every single day…
With
Barbour now out, new questions for GOP
(Washington Post) THE TAKE | Decision sets off scramble for parts of his
financial and political network and raises questions about challenges party
faces in unseating Obama.
Poll:
For Obama, low marks on Afghan war (Washington Post) [ If only ‘wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) had
been a man of his word and stopped these nation-bankrupting, murderous wars. ]
Drudgereport: TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to
severe case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and
violation of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions
to complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]
In
a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such)…
Financial Folklore: Tales from Wall Street to Main Street DeLegge April
22, 2011 SAN DIEGO (ETFguide.com) – ‘Throughout the ages, financial folklore
has been handed down from one generation to the next as so-called wisdom. And
our generation has been brainwashed with its fair share of folklore.
Let's consider
some examples.
'Buying a
home is the best investment anyone can make.'
The pummeled
housing market should have put this particular fairy tale to rest, but there
are a few holdouts that haven't gotten the message.
People, for
example, that bought their home decades ago are often cited as proof that
buying a home is still the 'best investment anywhere.' But before we count
their profits, don't forget to deduct their insurance premiums, the cost of
home maintenance, improvements and property taxes. Including these real life
expenses into the equations portrays a far more realistic picture about the
true investment value of home ownership. It's not as good of a deal as you've been
sold.
But the real
test of truthfulness behind this is to ask anyone that's purchased a home or
condominium within the past 10 years. Ask them how profitable their foray into
housing market has been and they'll tell you.
'Max out
your 401(k) plan.'
Overstuffing
your 401(k) plan with lots of money - is a good savings habits - but won't
necessarily help you you're your investments more profitable. Why? It's because
most 401(k) plans offer a diverse menu of rigged investment choices with
unnecessarily high fees. It's the mutual fund industry's best kept
secret.
What about the
wonderful benefits of tax free growth and employer matches? Unfortunately,
these 401(k) features are undermined by consistent underperformance by mutual
fund managers, poor asset allocation decisions by plan members and compounding
fees.
Unless low
cost index funds and ETFs are investment choices inside your 401(k) plan,
overstuffing your 401(k) retirement plan with bloated contributions is probably
not a good idea.
'Only
invest in funds with managers that have a good track record.'
There are
countless examples of how this piece of advice has been proven false more times
than true. But since we don't have countless time or space, let's consider just
one recent example - Philip Jabre.
Jabre is one
of Europe's best known hedge fund managers and after posting a tranquil 3% gain
during 2008's financial crisis, he followed it up with a handsome 46% gain in
2009. Surely investing money with Jabre - a seasoned professional with an
impressive track record - was the smart thing to do, right?
In March,
Jabre bought Japanese stocks (NYSEArca: EWJ - News) on news of the earthquake
but got clobbered when the Nikkei Stock Average tumbled. Instead of staying
calm, Jabre panicked and sold his shares before Japanese stocks bounced back,
which netted his firm $300 million in losses. Hardly anyone could've foreseen
this sort of meltdown from a guy with an amazing track record!
For anyone
confiding in the false comfort of past performance, beware!
'Buy
whatever Warren Buffett is buying.'
In the 1960s
and 70s, youthful groupies would follow their favorite musical bands from city
to city. Today, these same folks have graduated to following the financial
moves made by investing legends like Warren Buffett. Are there guaranteed
profits for those who ape the 'big money?'
Reuters looked
at five recent acquisitions made by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A - News) to test out this theory.
Someone who
bought 100,000 shares in stock in each of Berkshire's acquisition targets 70
days before Buffett announced a deal, would have made money in just three out
of five tries. Not bad, but hardly a sure thing.
In this
simplified case study conducted by Reuters, the reward for aping Warren
Buffett's past five deals - or should we say, beating him to each deal by 70
days - was a complete wash. The profitable trades amounted to a gain of $3.256
million whereas the losses were $3.268 million.
So much for
the false theory that copying financial titans delivers market beating
results.’
Return of Inflation: 5 Worrying Signs From Friday's NY Times
As financial advisers increasingly embrace a
fee-based model based on the amount of assets overseen — instead of charging a
flat fee — the portion invested in index funds is costing investors mightily writes Dow
Jones columnist Ian Salisbury.
Salisbury notes that since 2006 “many advisers began
charging smaller, but more regular, fees to manage a portfolio, often in the
neighborhood of 1% a year.”
While 1% is a big improvement over the 5% fee that
advisers often charged in years past, the savings that index funds offer in
this context are effectively nullified.
The average expense ratio for U.S. stock index funds
is 0.19%, versus 0.92% for actively managed funds, which have to charge for
stock research and trading, according to investment researcher Morningstar Inc.
Individual investors can do better cost-wise by
buying index funds directly from issuers.
However, it would be overly simplistic to focus
exclusively on cost when considering the relative merits of using an adviser.
Advisers can add value by managing a portfolio’s
asset allocation, both to take advantage of market trends and to grow more
conservative as an investor ages. They often also provide extra services such
as tax and estate planning.’
American
Stock Ownership Declines
24 Signs Of
Economic Decline In America ‘The United States is in the middle of a
devastating long-term economic decline and it is getting really hard to deny
it. Over the past year I have included literally thousands of depressing
statistics in my articles about the U.S. economy. The
Economic Collapse April 23, 2011
The United
States is in the middle of a devastating long-term economic decline and it is
getting really hard to deny it. Over the past year I have included
literally thousands of depressing statistics in my articles about the U.S.
economy. I have done this in order to make an overwhelming case that the
U.S. economy is in deep decline and is dying a little bit more every single
day. Until we understand exactly how bad our problems are we will never
be willing to accept the solutions. The truth is that our leaders have
absolutely wrecked the greatest economic machine that the world has ever
seen. Most Americans just assume that we will always experience overwhelming
prosperity, but that is not anywhere close to the truth. We are not
guaranteed anything. Our manufacturing base has been gutted, the number
of jobs is declining, more Americans are dependent on government handouts than
ever before, our dollar is dying and as a nation we are absolutely drowning in
debt. The economists that are trumpeting an “economic recovery” and that
are declaring that the U.S. economy will soon be “better than ever” are
delusional. We really are steamrolling toward a complete and total
economic collapse and our leaders are doing nothing to stop it.
The following
are 24 more signs of economic decline in America. Hopefully you will not
get too depressed as you read them….
#1 On Monday, Standard & Poor’s altered its outlook
on U.S. government debt from “stable” to “negative” and warned the U.S. that
it could
soon lose its AAA rating. This is yet another sign that the rest of
the world is losing faith in the U.S. dollar and in U.S. Treasuries.
#2 China has
announced that they are going to be reducing their holdings of U.S.
dollars. In fact, there are persistent rumors that this has already been
happening.
#3 Hedge fund manager Dennis Gartman says that “panic dollar selling is setting in”
and that the U.S. dollar could be in for a huge decline.
#4 The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds.
#5 This cruel economy is causing “ghost towns” to
appear all across the United States. There are quite a few counties
across the nation that now have home vacancy rates of
over 50%.
#6 There are now about 7.25
million less jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007.
#7 The average American family is having a really tough time right
now. Only 45.4% of Americans had a job during 2010. The last time
the employment level was that low was back in 1983.
#8 Only 66.8% of American men had a job last
year. That was the lowest level that has ever been recorded in all of
U.S. history.
#9 According to a new report from the AFL-CIO, the
average CEO made 343 times more money than the
average American did last year.
#10 Gas prices reached five dollars per gallon at a gas station in Washington, DC
on April 19th, 2011. Could we see $6 gas soon?
#11 Over the past 12 months the average price of
gasoline in the United States has gone up by
about 30%.
#12 Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost a staggering $436 million during the first quarter of
2011.
#13 U.S. households are now receiving more income from
the U.S. governmentthan
they are paying to the government in taxes.
#14 Approximately one out of every four dollars that the
U.S. government borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt.
#15 Total home mortgage debt in the United States is
now about
5 times larger than it was just 20 years ago.
#16 Total credit card debt in the United States is
now more than 8 times larger
than it was just 30 years ago.
#17 Average household debt in the United States has
now reached a level of 136% of average household income. In China,
average household debt is only 17% of average household income.
#18 The average American now spends approximately 23 percent
of his or her income on food and gas.
#19 In a recent survey conducted by Deloitte
Consulting, 74 percent of Americans said that they planned to slow
down their spending in coming months due to rising prices.
#20 59 percent of all Americans now receive
money from the federal government in one form or another.
#21 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the average length of unemployment in the U.S. is now an
all-time record 39 weeks.
#22 As the economy continues to collapse, frustration
among young people will continue to grow and we will see more seemingly “random
acts of violence”. One shocking example of this happened in the Atlanta
area recently. The following is how
a local Atlanta newspaper described the attack….
Roughly
two dozen teens, chanting the name of a well-known Atlanta gang, brought mob
rule to MARTA early Sunday morning, overwhelming nervous passengers and
assaulting two Delta flight attendants.
#23
Some Americans have become so desperate for cash that they are literallypopping
the gold teeth right out of their mouths and selling them to pawn shops.
#24
As the economy has declined, the American people have been gobbling up larger
and larger amounts of antidepressants and other prescription drugs. In
fact, the American people spent 60
billion dollars more on prescription drugs in 2010 than they did in 2005.’
Ecomonic
Strength Is An Illusion Dohmen ‘There is a perception that
economic growth in many countries is very strong. Is it? These
countries have an accelerating inflation problem that is presenting an illusion
of economic strength. Russia is running at 9.5%, India at 9%, Brazil 6.3%.
China’s official inflation rate (CPI) just came in at 5.4%, higher “than
expected by analysts.” Well, that number is a fairy tale. Actual inflation is
mid-teens. “Official” food inflation year-over-year is 11%. Actual food inflation
is probably twice that.
What always
happens in such an environment is that the central bank hikes interest rates,
but always too little, too late. The added cost of money raises the cost of
business and is passed on as price increases, causing even higher inflation.
The governments restrict credit only grudgingly because they don’t want the
economy to weaken. That would make people unhappy and cause them to riot. Not
pleasant for autocratic regimes. And that’s how these countries will eventually
see double-digit inflation.
When that
happens, they will become more forceful in tightening money, availability of
credit, etc. And that eventually produces a recession, pain, and a financial
crisis.
There is
another aspect to this under-reporting of inflation: the GDP growth numbers of
these countries are fictitious. Yet, money managers apparently believe them and
are sending billions of dollars overseas into stocks in those countries. For
example, let’s assume a country’s nominal GDP growth is 15%. Official inflation
is 5%, which is deducted from the 15% to give headline GDP growth of 10%. But
what if actual inflation is 10% instead of the “official” version of 5%? Then
actual GDP growth is 5%. That certainly reduces the great growth stories of
these emerging markets.
In the U.S.,
inflation is also far underreported. John Williams’ Shadow Government Statistics calculates
the CPI before the “fudge factors” were introduced by Bush Senior and Clinton.
According to him, the CPI now is at 10%.
If we use that
number to convert nominal GDP to actual GDP, then we get negative, “real”
economic growth. In other words, most or all of the reported GDP growth here
and abroad reflects price increases, not genuine economic growth. Currently,
nominal GDP growth is 4%. The CPI is 2.7%. That gives us “real” GDP growth of
1.3%, certainly not the 4% Wall Street had been predicting. If we use the GDP
deflator of 3.6%, then we get “real” GDP growth of 0.3%, barely above zero.
I ask, how can
this anemic growth, if any, give you the 20% corporate profit growth that Wall
Street has been predicting? It would mean that companies can raise prices
faster than their cost of supplies. That seems unlikely in the current
high-unemployment environment except for consumer essentials, like food and
energy. Beware of governmental statistics! As an investor, you can protect
yourself against this hidden inflation via gold and silver.’
VIX at 34-Month
Low - Time to Sell and Go Away Before May? , On
Monday April 25, 2011,
‘This should
be interesting. The VIX is at a 34-month low and stocks have been rising on
anemically low volume, but the S&P is within points of breaking above the
technically important neckline of an inverse head and shoulders bottom
formation.
Of more
immediate importance is the S&P's resistance at 1,339, which has rebuffed
the S&P 500 on seven different trading days. And as if there wasn't enough
intrigue to the current constellation, the S&P has an open chart gap right
below 1,343.
Open
Chart Gaps - Unfinished Business
The gap was
caused by a February 22 gap down open that left a vacuum between 1,339 and
1,443. Concerning this chart gap, the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter stated on
the night of February 21:
'As of 11pm
EST the S&P futures are down 15 points. Since there's a good chance of a
gap down open, it would be timely to mention that the S&P has a strong
tendency of closing open chart gaps sooner or later. If an early morning gap
isn't closed right away, it might be closed sometime later this week, month or
year.'
This open
chart gap was one reason the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter speculated on March
20 that: '1,249.05 was the low of a 7% correction that will result in new highs
around 1,3XX (target level reserved for subscribers) as discussed in the March
ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter, page 3.'
What's it
Worth? The VIX Sell Signal
As the S&P
has come within points of closing this vexing chart gap, the VIX (Chicago
Options: ^VIX) has dropped to a 34-month low. Not only that, the VIX has also
dropped below the lower Bollinger Band. A close back above the lower Bollinger
Band will trigger a sell signal for stocks.
There have
been five such VIX sell signals since the March 2009 bottom. June 30, 2009 -
January 12, 2010 - April 13, 2010 - September 4, 2010 - October 13, 2010.
Discerning eyes will see that the market corrected sharply following the first
three sell signals.
The S&P
(SNP: ^GSPC), Dow Jones (DJI: ^DJI), Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC), small caps
(NYSEArca: IWM - News) and mid caps (NYSEArca: MDY - News) tumbled 15 - 20% from April - June 2010.
The April 2010
VIX sell signal was compounded by a 10-year low in the CBOE equity put/call
ratio. A low put/call ratio means that only a minority of equity positions are
equipped with a put safety net.
On April 16,
2010 the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter warned that: 'Once prices do fall and
investors do get afraid of incurring losses, the only option is to sell.
Selling, results in more selling. This negative feedback loop usually results
in rapidly falling prices.' The market peaked six trading days later. The
'Flash Crash,' which temporarily reduced the Dow by 1,000 points, happened 14
trading days later.
As accurate as
the June, January, and April VIX signals were, the two sell signals that
occurred since QE2 was announced (September and October 2010) failed miserably.
Sector
Discrepancies
Looking at a
long-term chart, the S&P is short of reaching important Fibonacci and
multi-decade trend lines and a potential head and shoulders target. Market
technicians like myself, would like to see the S&P go higher before
reversing meaningfully. With the VIX at a 34-month low, this may or may not
happen.
It seems even
the broad market is torn between bullish potential and bearish overtones. The
technology sector (NYSEArca: XLK - News) is in the process of reasserting itself
while the financial sector (NYSEArca: XLF - News) is trading near this year's low.
The new
recovery high in the Dow Jones Industrial Average is thus far unconfirmed by
the Dow Jones Transportation Average (NYSEArca: IYT - News), which is a negative according to Dow
Theory (this could be resolved soon though). The S&P 500 futures rallied to
a new 2-month high while the S&P 500 cash index did not.
Risk
Assessment in a Nutshell
At least two
technical chart formations suggest higher prices if we see a close above 1,340.
The VIX suggests not only elevated complacency but the potential for a
significant decline. Every decline below 15.5 for the VIX over the past 2 years
was followed by a quick 7 - 17% decline for stocks. On Thursday the VIX closed
at 14.69.
The positive
seasonality of April is dwindling away and the summer doldrums often start out
with the 'sell in May and go away' adage (that was certainly the case last
year).
In a nutshell,
the market appears to be at cross roads. To deal with it, stocks may continue
churning for a bit longer but will eventually break out one way or another.
Detecting the direction of the next big move early is key to capital protection
and trading/investment profits…’
Beijing detains Christian church members on Easter (AP)
Roadside bombs kill 3 NATO troops in Afghanistan (AP) - Roadside bombs killed three NATO service
members and a gunman shot dead a prominent local official in southern
Afghanistan, where thousands of Afghan and international troops are bracing for
an e...
Gold and silver
continue to surge Neil Dennis | Gold hit a record high,
while silver surged more than 5 per cent to within a whisker of its all-time
peak.
Don’t
Like a Weak Dollar? Might as Well Get Used to It CNBC.com
| Weakness in the US dollar, which is causing everything to go up.
British pound
devalues by 94% in 50yrs A new survey shows that the value of money in the
UK has dropped by 94 percent over the past 50 years, which means an 18-time
increase in retail prices.
All
those who were hoping global stock markets would surge tomorrow based on a
ridiculous rumor that China would revalue the CNY by 10% will have to wait.
National
/ World
Small
plane full of cocaine crashes in New Mexico lake A small planed loaded with
bundles of cocaine crashed into a lake in northern New Mexico on Sunday
morning, apparently killing all on board, according to the New Mexico State
Police.
Investigation: Government Ordered Cellphone Companies to Spy
on Users Paul Joseph Watson | Under federal law,
surveillance grid in place for 10 years.
American Hellholes The
Economic Collapse | The U.S. economy is slowly dying. The U.S. economy is dying and we are heading
for the next Great Depression. The talking heads in the mainstream media love
to spin the economic numbers around and around and they love to make it sound
like the economy is improving, but the truth is that it doesn’t take a genius
to see what is happening to the U.S. economic system.
ElBaradei urges ICC
trial of Bush Press TV | The so-called hunt for WMD in
Iraq yielded no results.
Drudgereport: RON
PAUL: HE'S IN!
Killer
Combo of High Gas, Food Prices at 'Key Tipping Point'...
AAA
Sees 18% Increase In Roadside Calls For Drivers Out Of Gas...
$5.69
GALLON IN ORLANDO -- FOR REGULAR...
IMF:
AGE OF AMERICA NEARS END...
Dollar's
Decline Speeds Up...
China
planning to cut U.S. reserves by two-thirds?
Gold
and silver continue to surge...
Reid's
China junket sked kept secret over 'security concerns'...
WASHPOST: If the trip's so dangerous, why are senators
spouses tagging along?
TRUMP: Obama
Not Worthy of Ivy Leagues... [ Talk about the pot calling the kettle
black … trump’s b.s., low grade (penn) ivy league (courtesy of papa mobster
trump who ‘twisted his arm to go’ so people would take him ‘seriously’ – papa
mobster trump would pound the undistinguished academically / athletically,
Donald with the mantra, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king’ in film noir
melodramatic fashion which proved too much for the more balanced and ‘chosen /
favored’ elder brother trump who committed suicide. The old man also required
trump to go to prep / military / boarding school where according to a
classmate, Ted Levine, trump used to wet / pee in his bed. ) vegetable garden in the same manner as
dumbya bush … mobster trump and people like trump are part of the problem
(total b*** s***, fraud, etc., as in his home turf, mob-infested sinkholes,
jersey / new york), not the solution. Indeed, trump is an interesting mental
case in that he evolved from narcissist (those inflated grandiose moods coupled
with feelings of inferiority – he loved to obsessively read those hitler
speeches for inspiration and to pump himself up according to Ivana Trump) to severe
case of antisocial personality disorder [ predatory disregard for and violation
of the rights of others – hence, those sophomoric soundbite solutions to
complex problems as, ie., taking oil fields(Libya), 25% tariff on Chinese
(actually including american goods made in China), drug money laundering in his
casinos, bribery, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]
In a rational nation that wasn’t in decline as pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america, trump and sister Maryanne would both be in prison.
'Terrible
student,' not good enough for Harvard... Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly bureaucracies.
Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans. Most, including
sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug money laundering and
obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit ( also maryanne trump
barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her brother’s casinos in a
civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it for the
money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is great
for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
SHOCK
VIDEO: ANOTHER MCDONALDS BEATDOWN
Dad
who broke up fight in MCDONALD'S shot dead... A DAD-of-four who split up a fight in a McDonald’s was shot dead moments
after being told he wouldn’t see the morning.
Raymond Mitchell, 34, had only popped
into the restaurant to buy a hot chocolate.
But he apparently caused offence after
splitting up two men fighting in the queue.
One of them, who had several gold teeth,
shouted at Raymond: “You are gonna die tonight, you are not gonna see the
morning.”
The thug is then said to have phoned an
accomplice to fetch a gun, yelling into his mobile: “Bring me that thing.”
Raymond left the 24-hour McDonald’s but
was chased into a cul-de-sac. The gun was then delivered and Mr Mitchell was
beaten and pistol-whipped before being shot three times in an alley in Brixton,
South London, at 6.50am on Sunday. Raymond, nicknamed Brown, was taken to
hospital but died hours later.
One neighbour, who saw the shooting but
was too terrified to be named, said: “He was begging, literally begging for his
life. I didn’t dare look out my window in case they saw me. I heard them
laughing and swearing at him, calling him a ‘b***h’. I heard them laughing
afterwards as well.”
Raymond’s partner, who asked not to be
named, said: “I’m terrified. They’re still out there and they’ve not been caught.
I’ve been told how they were laughing, actually laughing after they beat him
and shot him. How could anybody do something like that?”
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
]
U.S.
role in Libyan conflict widens
(Washington Post) Buoyed by Obama’s deployment of armed drones and a
visit by Sen. John McCain, rebels expressed hope that increased support will
help turn the tide in the conflict. [ As if we didn’t see that coming! With
Iraq saying thanks, but no thanks to continued american ‘help’, despite defacto
bankruptcy of the nation, america’s looking for new war horizons. Now that
‘sounds like a plan’! ‘Mission
creep’ feared in Libya campaign The National | US
maintains it will not send any ground troops into Libya. Libyan
War Gets Weird: Defending the Indefensible Even those who have studied for
years the criminal consolidation of this planet under the global
corporate-financier oligarchy may be noticing that the war in Libya is turning
into something new and unprecedented. Roberts:
Pentagon budget is the result of corruption Half a century ago, president
Dwight Eisenhower issued a warning to the American nation about growing
military industrial complexes being a threat to democracy, and now it seems as
though Eisenhower’s warning has become reality. US is the modern world’s
biggest military spender. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, a former Reagan
administration official and a columnist, shares his opinion on RT. Libya:
Increased Airstrikes, Ground Troops, Contractors, Civilians Killed, Deadly DU
Munitions – Can We Call This A War Yet? The globalist coalition refers to
it as ‘kinetic military action’, yet as more civilians are killed in NATO
bombings, and with experts adamant that deadly Depleted Uranium weapons are
being used by Western forces, the conflict in Libya looks a hell of a lot like
the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq all over again.]
The
U.S. dollar, no longer almighty [
Talk about understatements … and not just the dollar that’s not almighty in
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america.
] (Washington Post) Amid talk of
deficits, investing gurus, such as Warren Buffett, are betting against the
dollar. [ Duh! Winning! (As per Charlie Sheen). But are they? I don’t think so
… Indeed, senile buffet had in the manner of a ‘lovefest’ expressed his
unbridled enthusiasm for favorable prospects for the u.s. economy. Yet, at this
rate, buffet et als won’t be declaring ‘mission accomplished’(as per dumbya
bush) and complete victory until loaves of bread are going for $100 a pop and
near everyone has stopped looking for those non-existent, fleeting, fleeing
jobs enabling them to declare near 100% employment. Indeed, such mundane
considerations worry buffet not … ‘cause the frauds on wall street got his back
… Why? … ‘cause he’s got their backs and shills for them in that homespun,
country bumpkin kind of way. And, with manipulated frauds as are ubiquitous on
wall street, reality impacts them … almost not at all. Suckers’
rally into the close to keep suckers suckered on really bad news : Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘4-21-11 And
here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by
everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia
Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010. ‘…natural resource plays provided an afternoon lift…’ … This is an especially great opportunity to sell / take
profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell
in May and go away! … ]
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog.. the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar ... According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
…only time the markets have been more overvalued .. 1929 & tech bubble. http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates...]
Suckers’ rally into the close to keep suckers suckered on really bad
news : Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT And here comes the first indicator that Q2 GDP is
about to be mass revised by everyone, courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation
pressures: the Philadelphia Fed collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high)
to 18.5, the lowest since November 2010.
… sounds like a real pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt american
plan! ‘…natural resource plays provided an afternoon lift…’ …Riiiiight! You can’t
make this stuff up, you really can’t. How totally pathetic! … This is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! Remember: ‘Sell in May and go away! … ]
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding. . According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble …
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of
investors in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
Davis ‘… This is how we
pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get
anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is
no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all
of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING
FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘
.
Lawyer
charged with insider trading (Washington Post) [ Come on! Just enough for a
few headlines so people think they're actually doing something. They could (but
don't) bring a case as this or other wall street crime against a different wall
street liar (sic lawyer) / fraud in that corrupt sinkhole new york (metro, ie.,
jersey, conn., etc.) every single day and bearly touch the tip of the iceberg.
Is anybody foolish enough to think what goes on there is legitimate? Remember,
still no pros for the huge debacle / fraud precipitatin the last and continuing
economic / financial crisis. Chemist
charged with insider trading (WP) [ This
remains incredulous to me. Everyone but the big boys / frauds! The
frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined,
and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm . Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Davis ‘… This
is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to
get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). SEC:
Wachovia cheated investors (WP)
[ I truly can see decreasing the
apple weighting, and increasing the oracle (open office, etc.), google
(ubiquitous) weighting, but increasing dyingosaur microsoft weighting … I don't
think so … something's gone awry here that smacks of desperation and an attempt
to circumvent the visual effects on the nasdaq of a post-jobs apple, viz.,
over-priced apple sauce. Isn't that just like the frauds on wall street … to
pad the nasdaq bubble based on a 1-stock story, and manipulate when that
1-stock story falls to earth! April
Is a Good Time to Sell [ I quite agree … at the least a 'sell in May and go
away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' Adler ]
Philadelphia
Fed Depresses Economists Durden ‘On Thursday April 21,
2011, 1:32 pm EDT
And here comes
the first indicator that Q2 GDP is about to be mass revised by everyone,
courtesy of Japan, and ongoing inflation pressures: the Philadelphia Fed
collapsed from a revised 43.4 (a 27 year high) to 18.5, the lowest since
November 2010.
And here is
why even the Philly Fed admits “indicators suggest slower growth” – “The
survey’s broadest measure of manufacturing conditions, the diffusion index of
current activity, decreased from 43.4 in March to 18.5 this month (see Chart).
The demand for manufactured goods, as measured by the current new orders index,
showed a similar slowing: The index fell 22 points, following seven
consecutive months of increase.
The shipments
index declined 6 points and remained at a relatively high level….A
majority of firms continue to cite price pressures, and a significant share of
firms reported higher prices for their own manufactured goods again this
month.” Translation: Wall Street Q2 GDP revisions coming en masse: the podium
is yours Jan Hatzius.
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Philly-Fed-April1.jpg
Alas, as
companies are only starting to recall, inflation is sticky and takes far more
than 15 minutes to fix:
Firms Report
Higher Output Prices
Firms
continue to report price increases for inputs as well as their own manufactured
goods. The prices paid index declined 7 points this month but remains about 45
points higher than readings just seven months ago. Fifty?nine percent of the
firms reported higher prices for inputs this month, compared to 64 percent last
month. On balance, firms also reported an increase in prices for their own
manufactured goods: The prices received index increased 5 points and has
steadily increased over the last eight months. Thirty percent of firms reported
higher prices for their own goods this month; just 3 percent reported price
reductions.
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Philly-Fed-April-Index2.jpg
Tyler
Durden is the founder of Zero Hedge.’
Clock
Still Ticking on Greece and Portugal Default Inflation Trader ‘The clock is
clearly ticking on Greece and Portugal’s default or severe restructuring, and
the clock seems to be speeding up. Yesterday Greek 10-year yields rose to
14.75% and 2-year yields soared past 22%. If you think Greece is not
going to default and force significant haircuts on its bondholders (including
the ECB), you have a great opportunity to buy a 22% note that will pay off at
par! Portuguese 10-years are at 9.28%; 2-years at 10.5% (see Chart below for
the 2yr, click to enlarge). The Irish 2y and 10y are both over 10% as
well.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/21/saupload_portublech.png
Portuguese,
Greek, 2y or 10y. It doesn't matter, they all look this bad. This happens to be
the Portuguese 2-year note yield.
This is
starting to be an all-the-king’s horses situation. With all the powers that can
be brought to bear on the problems, all of the ECB secondary market support,
all of the rescue packages and promised rescue packages – and even after Spain
and Portugal both successfully sold bonds overnight – these markets are in
free-fall.
One reason for
it is that investors are newly skeptical that the European Financial Stability
Facility, and its successor European Stability Mechanism, are going to work
because of one little design flaw: the fact that member countries must cough up
the dough. Well, make that two design flaws: member countries are by and large
democratic, and the ‘little people’ seem to object to coughing up the dough. We
saw the recent German election results, and the Finns this week gave a lot of
votes to a “euro-skeptic” protest party (although a Finnish friend of mine
thinks it is unlikely that party will end up as part of the ruling coalition).
Today, the
ruling party in Slovakia declared that it won’t support the creation of the
ESM, which means that two minority parties will need to form a coalition if
Slovakia is going to participate. The words of the ruling party’s chairman
resound:
We are here to defend interests of Slovak citizens,
not the interests of foreign banks, which have for a long time made profits on
high interest on loans to irresponsible countries.
Investors are gradually coming to realize that the
cacophony in Europe right now isn’t merely distracting, but destructive to the
notion of a unified eurozone. And that is causing them to separate the (German)
wheat from the (periphery) chaff when it comes to periphery markets. This may
ironically be good for the euro if only the periphery are jettisoned, but the
behavior of the euro bond markets look much like a film of the mid-1990s
“convergence trade” being run in reverse.
Having a bailout mechanism that requires consensus of
the members appears to be simply not workable. By contrast, the U.S. bailouts
do not require state approval, nor Federal approval. The Fed just prints the
money and voila! And so far, it has worked.
It has worked, that is, except for the fact that the
dollar’s downtrend periodically threatens to become disorderly. Yesterday the
greenback reversed the rest of Monday’s rally and went to new lows on the year.
It is challenging 2009’s low now. Partly as a consequence, commodities rallied
again yesterday, with NYMEX Crude Oil setting its second-highest close of the
year (above $111). Softs, Precious Metals, and Industrial Metals all rallied.
The dollar’s problems and the imminent shuttering of
the debt markets to Portugal and Greece didn’t impact the equity markets.
Stocks soared overnight and then traded sideways on light-to-medium volume
throughout the day. Supposedly this was due to Intel’s (INTC)
generous outlook in their earnings release Tuesday. I’ve never understood why Intel’s
earnings, or those of almost any other single company with the possible
exception of a megaconglomerate like GE, matter to the other 5000 stocks, but
this was the excuse. Stocks are back up near the 2011 highs again! I suspect
that we’ll need some actual good news, rather than scattered positive quarterly
earnings reports, to propel stocks much higher but to be honest I’m not sure
why they’re levitating now.
Bonds sold off slightly, with 10y nominal Treasuries
at 3.40% and the 10y TIPS at 0.78%. Today the Treasury auctions $14bln new 5y
TIPS at 11:30ET ahead of the early close and Good Friday holiday.[1] The new
TIPs will have a coupon of 0-1/8%, the lowest ever auctioned, and if they still
issued paper bonds I’d buy some just to frame for that reason. They’ll be
auctioned at a premium at that coupon, because the real yield will be
negative. It doesn’t light my fire unless and probably only unless your
alternative is the nominal Treasury note. The market needs inflation-linked
paper because of all of the money flowing into inflation-linked bond
strategies, but I think there’s a chance this one is sloppy and needs to be
cleaned up next week.
The economic data yesterday didn’t do much to push
the inflation outlook higher. Existing Home Sales were somewhat above
expectations (although, as with Housing Starts, the current level isn’t
impressive), but the inventory of existing homes rose slightly to 3.549mm
units. That implies CPI Shelter over the next 12 months should be expected to
be roughly +1.1%, all else being equal (see Chart, click to enlarge).
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/21/saupload_hafsshelt.png
Housing Inventory like this augurs something like
1.1% Shelter inflation in the year ahead.
All else, of course, is not equal
and this is a very simple regression. CPI Shelter could well be higher and
could possibly be lower. But if CPI for Shelter is only +1.1% over the next 12
months, it will be difficult for overall inflation to really blast off. Still,
if core CPI ex-Shelter continues to rise, it will still feel bad.
Today, we have another Initial Claims figure
(Consensus: 390k from 412k), with the consensus hoping…praying…that the jump
last week was an aberration. If we get another number around 400k-410k, bonds
might get a bid into the long weekend. Also today is the Philly Fed index
(Consensus: 36.4 vs 43.4), which should remain fairly strong, and some home
price data. As noted, it is also a short trading session (in the bond market).
I will write a comment after today’s session (or on Friday), but then I am out
of the country for a week and will not be writing commentary from the beach.
The next installment of this serial, after tomorrow, will be on or around May 2nd.
Happy Easter.
[1] SIFMA, the self-regulatory body that ‘recommends’
early closes and holidays for the bond market, made a decision in 2009 to
de-emphasize early closes and holidays. Oddly, although Good Friday isn’t
always a holiday (unlike Christmas) in the market, they’ve decided this year
that it should be even though they’re trying to make bond traders work harder.
I don’t understand why, but I’m grateful.’
The
Myth of 'Inflation Proof' Stocks
AAII
Sentiment Survey: Bullish Sentiment PLUNGES
Profit
Margin Squeeze and Inflation Risk
Oil Up, Dollar Down Reuters
| Factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region fell in April.
US jobless
claims stick above 400,000 FT.com | The number of people
claiming unemployment benefit stayed above 400,000 for the second week in a
row.
Standard &
Poor’s Outlook for U.S. Karen De Coster | Three largest
rating companies failed to downgrade the obvious: failing insurance companies.
University
Of Texas Fund CEO Shares His Views On Gold, Explains Why He Took Delivery Of $1
Billion In The Precious Metal Over the weekend, University of Texas made
headlines after disclosing it was the first major institution to take delivery
of $1 billion in gold, although still keeping it in the Comex system.
$6
Gas? Could Happen if Dollar Keeps Getting Weaker A dollar plumbing
three-year lows is hitting Americans squarely in the gas tank, and one
economist thinks it could drive prices as high as $6 a gallon or more by
summertime under the right conditions.
National / World
Are You Scared Yet? Big Sis To Beam Terror Warnings To
Your iPhone Steve Watson | The government will tell
you when to stay indoors.
Easily Duped Islamists Demand Blind CIA Operative Be
Released from Prison Kurt Nimmo | The fact
Abdul-Rahman worked with U.S. and British intelligence should send up a red
flag for any self-respecting Islamist.
Lukashenko: Globalists Are Preparing To Strangle Belarus Paul
Joseph Watson | “They want to force us to be just like everybody
else….we will resist.”
Gingrich: Ben Bernanke Has “Done a Terrible Job” Real
Clear Politics | Newt Gingrich was very critical of Fed Chairman Ben
Bernanke.
‘Mission
creep’ feared in Libya campaign The National | US
maintains it will not send any ground troops into Libya.
Lukashenko:
Globalists Are Preparing To Strangle Belarus Belarusian President Alexander
Lukashenko warned today that the globalists were preparing to strangle his
country because of its refusal to join the new world order, with Belarus set to
become the latest target of the contrived “Arab Spring” riots as the NATO
powers further encircle Russia and China.
Are
You Scared Yet? Big Sis To Beam Terror Warnings To Your Iphone The
Department of Homeland Security is beefing up it’s terror alert warning system
in a move that will see terror alerts, whether real or phony, issued via the
mainstream media and directly to your phone or computer over social networking
sites, and possibly even via Emergency Alert broadcasts.
Silver
surge prompts conspiracy theorists In 1980 it was the Hunt brothers. In
1998 it was Warren Buffett. And in 2011? For anyone unversed in the history of
the silver market, those dates refer to market squeezes that caused surges in
the silver price. The talk among some conspiracy-minded traders and analysts is
that something similar could be happening today.
Silver
Surges Over $46.25/oz As Rumours Of A Short Squeeze And Cornering Market Gain
Credence Traders and technically minded investors are firmly focused on
silver’s record nominal high of $50.35/oz. Some with a longer term fundamental
focus continue to see silver in triple digits if it is to match the real record
highs of $130/oz seen in 1980.
Soros
Event Sets in Motion New Attacks on Dollar It’s been two weeks since George
Soros bought himself a major economic conference designed to remake the entire
global economy. Just because the event received little major news attention, it
still had an impact Americans might be reeling from for years.
Nanny State Gone Wild A
shocking acceleration of the nanny state in recent months confirms that the
government has launched a total takeover of society under the pretext of
keeping everyone safe, when in reality the move is a calculated coup d’état
against individuality and is designed to oppress and enslave the American
people.
Libyan
War Gets Weird: Defending the Indefensible Even those who have studied for
years the criminal consolidation of this planet under the global
corporate-financier oligarchy may be noticing that the war in Libya is turning
into something new and unprecedented.
10
Examples That Should Convince Anyone That We No Longer Live In The Land Of The
Free And The Home Of The Brave Do you know people that still believe that
America is a free country? Do you have friends or family that are proud to live
in “the land of the free and the home of the brave”? If you do, just show them
this article.
Oil
Crisis Just Got Real: Sinopec (Read China) Cuts Off Oil Exports As if a
dollar in freefall was not enough, surging oil is about to hit the turbo boost,
decimating what is left of the US (and global) consumer. Xinhua, via Energy
Daily, brings this stunner: ” Chinese oil giant Sinopec has stopped exporting
oil products to maintain domestic supplies amid disruption concerns caused by
Middle East unrest and Japan’s earthquake, a report said Wednesday.
Lies about the war on
Libya It has been said that truth is the first casualty of war. The Libyan
military operations and Resolution 1973, which functions as their legal basis,
are not an exception to the rule.
Drudgereport: Debt
Hits New High: $14.3 Trillion...
FOLLOWING
YOU: APPLE RECEIVES IPHONE LOCATIONS
Dollar
plunges to 2½-year low...
NYTCBSNEWS
POLL: Nation's Mood Lowest in Years...
OIL
DRAMA CONTINUES...
Killing
Spring Breaks...
Obama
to investigate...Gold
Rallies to New Record for Fifth Straight Trading Session...
REPORT:
Man Kills Parents Over $5 in Gas Money...
CA's
Criminal Alien Population Leaps...
SUPPORTERS
HECKLE OBAMA: 'WHERE'S OUR CHANGE?'
Darling
Obama Becomes 'Snarling' Obama...
Dollar Continues Slide...
$6 GAS BY SUMMER?
Federal Borrowing on Pace to Hit
Debt Limit in Less Than Week...
CANTOR: No more borrowing without
major cuts, reforms...
OBAMA'S DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN
'FALLS SHORT'
GOLD:
$1,500 FOR 1ST TIME...
China
warns US to protect creditors...
US
hurries to sell GM stake...
Agency/NASA loses (stolen) large
amounts of high-tech equipment; Vanished...
Calls GOP proposal 'radical'...
BOOK TO REVEAL OBAMA'S TRUE IDENTITY?
HITS #2 AMAZON... ' BOOK TO REVEAL OBAMA'S 'TRUE' IDENTITY?
Wed Apr 20 2011 10:35:52 ET
**Exclusive**
This year's high stakes publishing project quietly went to press this week, the
DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
After years of research and digging by the nation's top private investigators,
here it comes:
"WHERE'S THE BIRTH
CERTIFICATE? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President."
MORE
The street date is a LONG month away, and author Jerome Corsi, the man who
torpedoed John Kerry's presidential dreams with SWIFT BOAT, has gone
underground and is holding his new findings thisclose.
"It's utterly devastating," reveals a source close to the publisher.
"Obama may learn things he didn't even know about himself!"
MORE
Does Corsi definitively declare the location of Obama's birth?
Will the president's attorneys attempt to interfere with the book's
distribution? [The publisher vows to vigorously fight any legal action that may
be taken.]
Will the book finally -- once and for all -- put an end to the growing
controversy?
Or will it just ignite new ones!?
"When Donald Trump said he sent PIs to Hawaii to get to the bottom of all
this, he meant this book," declares an insider.
[THE CASE ranked #1,341 on AMAZON's
hitparade late Wednesday morning.]
Developing... '
U.S.,
Europe step up efforts to aid Libya rebels (Washington Post) U.S. and its
allies enter a new stage of involvement, sending assistance and advisers
directly to opposition forces, who are still fighting to break Gaddafi’s grip.
[ Ah! Riiiiight!…’new stage of involvement’ … so that’s what they’re calling it
… I wonder what they called such … in Vietnam, etc.. Wow! And defacto bankrupt
america / nato friends can really afford it! Total
US Debt Now Officially Above The Ceiling Zero Hedge
Libya
Proxy Cold War Between China & West? Many share the opinion that
Washington is pursuing a larger goal than just regime change across the Arab
world. RT crosses live to Brazil to speak to Asia Times correspondent – Pepe
Escobar – about the role some countries are playing in the uprisings.
Libyan
Rebels Fighting the Globalists’ War As the global corporate-financier
oligarchs prepare the way rhetorically and logistically to send in the ground
troops we were told would never set foot on Libyan soil, in a war that was only
to last days, then weeks, but now over a month, the discernment, ambition, and
true intentions of the Libyan rebels must be called into question. U.S.
Credit Downgrade: A Game-Changer in Progress Alexandre 'We heard about the threat of a credit downgrade for an
extremely long time, but it never occurred, and we became somewhat complacent
about the issue. Now it’s here, although in its mildest form, and markets
reacted in unexpected ways…’ The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm . Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Drudgereport: Dollar Continues Slide...
$6 GAS BY SUMMER?
Federal Borrowing on Pace to Hit
Debt Limit in Less Than Week...
BOOK TO REVEAL OBAMA'S TRUE IDENTITY?
HITS #2 AMAZON...
After years of research and digging by the nation's top private investigators,
here it comes:
"WHERE'S THE BIRTH
CERTIFICATE? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President."
Missing
Records in Hawaii, Missing Records in Kenya, Missing Records in Indonesia
"It's utterly devastating," reveals a source close to the publisher.
"Obama may learn things he didn't even know about himself!"
Renewed
Recession, Housing Bottom, and the Faux Chinese Luxury Bubble Adler,
Winter, Krowne ]
Japan
declares evacuation zone near nuclear plant (Washington Post) [ Wow! Sounds like a plan! … From the
beginning, as I’ve written on my website, I’ve thought the catastrophic nature
and impact of this disaster to have been underreported at the least … the
Japanese uncharacteristically have adopted somewhat of a ‘if wishing could make
it so’ tact in this sad crisis. Cesium
137 Threat Grows While Corporate Media Remains Mute The hereditary
communist dictatorship in North Korea reports on the spread of radiation from
the Fukushima nuclear plant, but it has all but fallen off the corporate media
radar screen here. Monitoring stations across North Korea from April 11 to 17
detected iodine-131 and cesium-137 in the air above Wonsan in the southeast and
Chongjin in the southeast, according to the country’s state-run media. According
to the Los Angeles Times, seawater near the Fukushima nuclear complex was
recently found to contain “iodine-131 at 7.5 million times the legal limit”.
Authorities in Japan recently upgraded the crisis at Fukushima to a
“level 7″ nuclear disaster, and almost everyone is finally acknowledging
that this crisis is as bad or worse than Chernobyl…’
Japan
Forces Top Official To Retract Prime Minister’s Comments That Fukushima
Permanently Uninhabitable Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has
apologized to the public over media reports about the long-term inhabitability
of areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Tech
firms’ optimism fuels markets
Companies not only reported strong profits but also raised their
expectations for the future. (Washington Post) [ They’re dreamin’. Sounds like
the dot com b*** s*** bubble, along with america’s now defacto bankruptcy. The
earnings are totally manipulated; a combination of ever more worthless,
overprinted fiat currency to prop the ever more worthless paper stocks for the
churn-and-earn fraud; FASB rule change fraud-prone manipulation; illusory
currency translation profits; etc.. High oil / worthless dollar (currency
translation) / manipulated earnings rally … sounds like a real pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt american plan! ‘…natural resource plays provided an
afternoon lift…’ …Riiiiight! You can’t make this stuff up, you really can’t.
How totally pathetic! ]
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... potential ramifications of this are astounding . Shiller,
the market is now 41% overvalued according to this valuation metric. The only
time the markets have been more overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and
the tech bubble markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble
today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
... the market is
stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and 2007!
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
a valuation bubble,
earnings on which the projections are based are non-sustaining... same
overvaluation situation as a few years ago … nothing fixed ...']
‘THE OBAMA
DECEPTION’ http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
]
High oil / worthless dollar (currency translation) / manipulated
earnings rally … sounds like a real pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
american plan! ‘…natural resource plays provided an afternoon lift…’
…Riiiiight! You can’t make this stuff up, you really can’t. How totally pathetic!
]
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding. . According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble …
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of
investors in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
Davis ‘… This is how we
pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get
anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is
no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all
of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING
FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘
.
Lawyer
charged with insider trading (Washington Post) [ Come on! Just enough for a
few headlines so people think they're actually doing something. They could (but
don't) bring a case as this or other wall street crime against a different wall
street liar (sic lawyer) / fraud in that corrupt sinkhole new york (metro, ie.,
jersey, conn., etc.) every single day and bearly touch the tip of the iceberg.
Is anybody foolish enough to think what goes on there is legitimate? Remember,
still no pros for the huge debacle / fraud precipitatin the last and continuing
economic / financial crisis. Chemist
charged with insider trading (WP) [ This
remains incredulous to me. Everyone but the big boys / frauds! The
frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined,
and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm . Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Davis ‘… This
is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to
get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). SEC:
Wachovia cheated investors (WP)
[ I truly can see decreasing the
apple weighting, and increasing the oracle (open office, etc.), google
(ubiquitous) weighting, but increasing dyingosaur microsoft weighting … I don't
think so … something's gone awry here that smacks of desperation and an attempt
to circumvent the visual effects on the nasdaq of a post-jobs apple, viz.,
over-priced apple sauce. Isn't that just like the frauds on wall street … to
pad the nasdaq bubble based on a 1-stock story, and manipulate when that
1-stock story falls to earth! April
Is a Good Time to Sell [ I quite agree … at the least a 'sell in May and go
away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' Adler ]
U.S.
Credit Downgrade: A Game-Changer in Progress Alexandre 'We heard about the threat of a credit downgrade for an
extremely long time, but it never occurred, and we became somewhat complacent
about the issue. Now it’s here, although in its mildest form, and markets
reacted in unexpected ways.
With the exception for the Japanese yen, every major currency dropped on
the news that the S&P had downgraded the U.S.'s credit outlook from
positive to negative while maintaining the AAA rating. Certainly a downgrade
from the much-coveted high rating wouldn’t take place without a generous
warning, and the U.S. government deserved the “shot across the bow.” If nothing
else, the negative outlook is a wake-up call to get our fiscal house in order.
But one thing is certain: Market dynamics have changed.
[Click to enlarge]
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/19/765325-130325009045926-Carlos-X--Alexandre.png
U.S. Treasuries and the dollar rallied as if a celebration was taking
place, and at least two factors were in play. First, as a “carry trade”
currency, the dollar benefited from a knee-jerk reaction from short positions
in view of potential higher rates. But the second reason was less apparent:
Whether one likes it or not, the broad thinking goes that if the U.S. triple A
rating is in jeopardy, there’s no safety anywhere.
U.S. Credit Default Swaps jumped to 49.42 (priced in euros), a level
that is still lower than it was in late January, around the time when the
S&P downgraded Japan to AA- from AA. However, government debt continues to
escalate despite some well-touted yet meaningless spending reductions, which
are the equivalent of reducing an individual’s annual bread consumption by one
slice a year.
On the historical day when the U.S. received its first negative outlook
ever, what other countries in this global village joined the Credit Default
Swap sinking party? Just about everyone, as the table below demonstrates,
showing the eight highest increases on April 18, courtesy of CMA. Even China’s CDS cost went up 2.25% to
73.16. To varying degrees, this is a global disease.
Entity Name |
5 Yr Mid |
Change (%) |
Change (bps) |
CPD (%) |
United States of America |
49.42 |
+19.21 |
+7.96 |
4.30 |
Italy |
159.20 |
+10.97 |
+15.74 |
13.16 |
France |
78.60 |
+10.14 |
+7.23 |
6.80 |
Sweden |
27.19 |
+9.88 |
+2.44 |
2.40 |
Greece |
1332.06 |
+9.04 |
+110.43 |
65.76 |
Spain |
253.31 |
+8.70 |
+20.28 |
20.18 |
Austria |
67.13 |
+8.29 |
+5.14 |
5.82 |
Poland |
154.01 |
+8.20 |
+11.67 |
10.45 |
|
|
|
|
|
But before we jump up and down and start saying “I told you so” about
the upcoming American meltdown, please be mindful that if such an event was to
occur, the reverberations would be felt around the globe. The so called
“American Empire” would be the first climber on the side of a steep cliff to
fall, dragging every other climber attached to the same rope. And that is what
the markets told us.
The quantity of debt by itself does not establish risk. It’s the ability
to service the debt that raises eyebrows, and the U.S. has a trump card that is
mostly absent in other countries, especially at this juncture. As economically
hurtful and as unwelcome as it will be, the U.S. has the ability and the room
to raise taxes. Although we wish that our government was an efficient
enterprise, it is still less of a burden on society than in the majority of
other countries.
The influence of the dollar goes well beyond the reserve status, and in
addition to the perceived and largely accepted safety status, global economies
have developed with the dollar as its foundation.
Could it change? Certainly, but the currency cannot be abandoned without
repercussions, and simplistic views that America is doomed and everyone else
will rise are just that: Simplistic.
A Reuters
article gathered a few opinions:
"One of the reasons why the U.S. dollar is still the reserve
currency is the lack of other options, and in two years there may still be no
other options," said Tom Simons, a money market economist at Jefferies
& Co. in New York. If the dollar did weaken, it could boosts export sales of
U.S. manufacturers, but also put upward pressure on inflation by making imports
more expensive.
"While still a remote risk, the possibility of the U.S. losing its
AAA rating could result in a wholesale abandonment of dollar assets and would
potentially destabilize the entire global economy," said Omer Esiner,
chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington.
Raising taxes and reducing spending to resolve our government’s debt
issues does not happen in a vacuum. Real people with real lives are directly
affected by both tactics, and that is the reason why the solution to our
financial ills will trigger unpopular side effects – no “ifs” or “buts” about
it.
It’s a no-brainer: Lower government spending and higher taxes cut
directly into consumption that will affect private companies and real people.
And the global community is not immune, either. Politicians are now under the
gun to implement both approaches, and "headline-pleasing" moves are
no longer an option. All the S&P did was to get the race going by starting
the stopwatch.
Mark Hulbert wrote an article for MarketWatch
which started by saying, “Here’s another entry for 'Ripley’s Believe It Or
Not',” referring to the fall in treasury yields after the S&P downgrade.
This comes as such a surprise because, other things being equal, a
ratings downgrade should lead investors into demanding higher yields to
compensate them for the greater risk of default.
But “other things” are not equal, and simplistic linear analysis hardly
holds the answer. The markets are still digesting the current situation, and
players are formulating strategies without the benefit of a historical point of
reference -- although some will yank some parallels that will prove of little
help in this framework. The dollar resumed its fall the day after and
treasuries still rose, providing lower yields while US CDS dropped a bit to
47.43. Lastly, there is no other security as big and as liquid as U.S.
Treasuries.
Time to rethink investment strategies, especially for long-term
investors.'
[$$]
Watch for the Next Moment of Weakness
Greenback
Reverses Gains Boosting Commodities and TIPs
Drudgereport:
Dollar Continues Slide...
$6 GAS BY SUMMER?
Federal Borrowing on Pace to Hit
Debt Limit in Less Than Week...
Renewed
Recession, Housing Bottom, and the Faux Chinese Luxury Bubble Adler,
Winter, Krowne ' The Wall Street Examiner’s
Lee Adler, Russ Winter of Winter Watch, and
Aaron Krowne of the Mortgage Lender
Implode-o-meter focus their discussion this week on whether the data
pointing to continued recovery are real or illusory, whether a housing bottom
is in, signs of collapse in the luxury bubble, and the Fed being caught between
a rock and a hard place.
Here’s what we covered
in Part 1:
· Corporate
income taxes are weak but better than our last look
·
Consumer Metrics
show renewed recession, weak retail
·
Uptick in house
listing prices points to interest rate and housing price bubble … technical outlook says final top approaching
...'
Here’s
Why Existing Home Sales Were Up in March wallstcheatsheet '... Noteworthy
Stats: Distressed homes – typically sold at discounts in the vicinity of 20
percent – accounted for a 40 percent market share in March, up from 39 percent
in February and 35 percent in March 2010
...'
Short-Term,
High-Probability Mean-Reversion Indicator: TBT Moves Into an Extreme State
Crowder 'It has been a strange few weeks in the market.
We had several trading days of strong resistance in the S&P 500 (SPY) and have basically sold off
since the beginning of earnings season. Is it me, or does the market almost
seems too predictable at the moment.
Will the market truly be this simple to predict over the coming months?
I am certainly not claiming to have the magic crystal ball, but at the
moment, the market just feels heavy and tired.
With the old Wall Street adage about to grace us with its seasonal
presence, I feel like we have seen the highs for a while. I expect to see a
decent decline during the summer doldrums, which I think will offer a very good
buying opportunity over the long-term. We could see a few gaps close that were
created months ago. I to plan to discuss the gaps in an upcoming weekly
newsletter edition stay tuned. There just isn’t enough room here.
However, I am not overly concerned with the long-term, at least in my
strategy. I only want to take advantage of short-term high-probability set-ups
created by a variety of extremes in the market.
This is one of the reasons that led me to options. Options, when used in
the proper way, allow you to profit from bullish, bearish or sideways price
action. It truly doesn’t matter.
Over the coming months, in my free weekly newsletter, I plan to speak
more about various options strategies and how to apply them to current market
conditions.
Believe me, I have a few favorites, including credit spreads, iron
condors and other premium selling strategies that I often use with my favorite
strategy – the HP-MR strategy.
Short-Term High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Indicator – as of close
4/19/11
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/20/saupload_4_19_20_hpmr.png '
Standard &
Poor’s Outlook for U.S. Karen De Coster | Three largest
rating companies failed to downgrade the obvious: failing insurance companies.
Max
Keiser Documentary On Irish Eco Hell Max Keiser, in his typical engaging
and florid style, has released the first part of a documentary focusing on
economic collapse hotspots offshore.
The
Fed Is Not There To Solve Your Problem Many banks are insolvent, yet are
allowed to stay in business. Being allowed to keep two sets of books is
obscuring their real estate loan problems.
Jim
Rogers Comments On Triple Digit Silver And Issues Warning: “Parabolic Moves
Always Collapse” Jim Rogers commented on the recent move by the University
of Texas to take delivery of $1 billion in gold, saying the decision is long
overdue, and has only occurred because everyone else is now buying thereby
taking metal out of circulation.
National / World
Missing
Records in Hawaii, Missing Records in Kenya, Missing Records in Indonesia Drudge
Report | Book to reveal Obama’s true identity?
Study
Reveals Eco Bulbs Cause Cancer Paul Joseph Watson |
Americans will be forced to use CFLs that contain poisonous carcinogens after
government ban on traditional light bulb begins to take effect in January.
Government
Orders Expedited Printing of Detainee Handbook Kurt Nimmo
| Considering the history of FEMA and the government, it does not take a lot of
imagination to speculate on the contents of the handbook.
Censored
Video: Alex Jones Joins the New World Order The Alex Jones Channel
| The pressure has finally got to Alex.
Damning
New Study: Eco Bulbs Cause Cancer A damning new study conducted by German
scientists has found that so-called energy saving light bulbs contain poisonous
carcinogens that could cause cancer and should be “kept as far away as possible
from the human environment,” but Americans will be forced to replace their
traditional light bulbs with toxic CFLs ahead of a government ban set to take
effect at the start of next year.
Cesium
137 Threat Grows While Corporate Media Remains Mute The hereditary
communist dictatorship in North Korea reports on the spread of radiation from
the Fukushima nuclear plant, but it has all but fallen off the corporate media
radar screen here. Monitoring stations across North Korea from April 11 to 17
detected iodine-131 and cesium-137 in the air above Wonsan in the southeast and
Chongjin in the southeast, according to the country’s state-run media.
Book
To Reveal Obama’s True Identity? The street date is a LONG month away, and
author Jerome Corsi, the man who torpedoed John Kerry’s presidential dreams
with SWIFT BOAT, has gone underground and is holding his new findings
thisclose. “It’s utterly devastating,” reveals a source close to the publisher.
“Obama may learn things he didn’t even know about himself!”
iPhone
Keeps Record of Everywhere You Go Security researchers have discovered that
Apple’s iPhone keeps track of where you go – and saves every detail of it to a
secret file on the device which is then copied to the owner’s computer when the
two are synchronised.
Libya
Proxy Cold War Between China & West? Many share the opinion that
Washington is pursuing a larger goal than just regime change across the Arab
world. RT crosses live to Brazil to speak to Asia Times correspondent – Pepe
Escobar – about the role some countries are playing in the uprisings.
Libyan
Rebels Fighting the Globalists’ War As the global corporate-financier
oligarchs prepare the way rhetorically and logistically to send in the ground
troops we were told would never set foot on Libyan soil, in a war that was only
to last days, then weeks, but now over a month, the discernment, ambition, and
true intentions of the Libyan rebels must be called into question.
Censored
Video: Alex Jones Joins the New World Order The pressure has finally got to
Alex. He has decided to implement a new “Employee Meal Plan”. Watch as he and
crew use absurdity to point out the absurd with the current federal nanny
state.
Drudgereport:
Dollar Continues Slide...
$6 GAS BY SUMMER?
Federal Borrowing on Pace to Hit
Debt Limit in Less Than Week...
CANTOR: No more borrowing without
major cuts, reforms...
OBAMA'S DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN
'FALLS SHORT'
Agency/NASA loses (stolen) large
amounts of high-tech equipment; Vanished...
Calls GOP proposal 'radical'...
BOOK TO REVEAL OBAMA'S TRUE IDENTITY?
HITS #2 AMAZON... ' BOOK TO REVEAL OBAMA'S 'TRUE' IDENTITY?
Wed Apr 20 2011 10:35:52 ET
**Exclusive**
This year's high stakes publishing project quietly went to press this week, the
DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
After years of research and digging by the nation's top private investigators,
here it comes:
"WHERE'S THE BIRTH
CERTIFICATE? The Case that Barack Obama is not Eligible to be President."
MORE
The street date is a LONG month away, and author Jerome Corsi, the man who
torpedoed John Kerry's presidential dreams with SWIFT BOAT, has gone
underground and is holding his new findings thisclose.
"It's utterly devastating," reveals a source close to the publisher.
"Obama may learn things he didn't even know about himself!"
MORE
Does Corsi definitively declare the location of Obama's birth?
Will the president's attorneys attempt to interfere with the book's
distribution? [The publisher vows to vigorously fight any legal action that may
be taken.]
Will the book finally -- once and for all -- put an end to the growing
controversy?
Or will it just ignite new ones!?
"When Donald Trump said he sent PIs to Hawaii to get to the bottom of all
this, he meant this book," declares an insider.
[THE CASE ranked #1,341 on AMAZON's
hitparade late Wednesday morning.]
Developing... '
Obama
faces fundraising test in California
(Washington Post) [ Test? You mean intelligence test for those
Californians? A cliché, aphorism is apposite: ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool
me twice, shame on me’. Now frauds on wall street got value for their bribes;
viz., no prosecution of their continuing nation-destroying frauds, yet cleaning
up the frauds with prosecutions was the presumption upon which their support was predicated , at least in part.
Certainly Hollywood spoke with their academy award for ‘Inside Job’ . Roche 'The
worst part of it ...Obama, who vowed
change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues most of
the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for
Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by
the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand that not one high
level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from
the fraud ), the commentator / experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt
eric holder ( what do holder and wobama have in common … wall street money? … a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ?...all/some of the above … or is it something else
... . UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. I mean, what can he do for the siliconeheads? … act like some communist country and buy
their sh**ty, unreliable, dysfunctional technology? ] The president will woo big-money donors this
week in California in the first test of whether he can renew support from the
entertainment and high-tech industries that helped him win in 2008. There have
been some signs that fervor for Obama in Hollywood and Silicon Valley has
ebbed.
S&P
unmoved by U.S. entreaties
(Washington Post) [ You really have to shake your head and wonder … The
audacity, given the blatantly precarious (I'm being euphemistically kind) state
of u.s. finances; viz., defacto bankruptcy. You have to give Standard &
Poor’s credit here for not succumbing to the schmooze among fairly presumed
other pressures; particularly from the ultimate, stereotypically fitting
jive-talker, 'wobama the b' (for b*** s***). If anything, they should be
faulted for being remiss in not so doing much earlier. Indeed, most financially
attuned individuals, including yours truly have as Atlas, shrugged and with a
yawn say, tell us something we don't know. Well, I will tell people now what
they don't want to know; namely, they're just not going to get it done! It's
all too little, too late. Moreover, absent prosecution, fines, jail and
disgorgement first from the (continuing, complicit) frauds on wall street, it
should not be done. It should be noted that very smart money, PIMCO, already
sold off there once very large stake in u.s. treasuries. ] Obama
looks to reassure on debt [ Come on! Who'd be foolish enough to believe
anything 'wobama the b' (for b*** s***) says? ] So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on
which the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation
situation as a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
High oil / IBM worthless dollar (currency translation) rally … sounds
like a real pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt american plan! [ YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM
] :‘…natural resource plays
provided an afternoon lift…’ …Riiiiight!
America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding. . According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
The only time the markets have been more overvalued was a few brief months in
1929 and the tech bubble. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble
...
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
Afghan
veteran is called elsewhere
(Washington Post) [ Is Mr. Jaffe
dreaming here? Indeed, in looking away from the headline momentarily the image
persisted and the latter part of the sentence became ‘he leaves with depth of
experience few can DREAM OF’. Yes, dream, as in nightmare; as in death,
destruction, pillaging and plundering for no good reason at all. I’ve
previously said that beginning with clinton and on, all honorable, capable
military brass either resigned or retired. Make no mistake, if large scale
heroin production / distribution is the experience alluded to, then that otherwise
preposterous statement would ring true. The Afghanistan campaign is
unequivocally a disastrous self-destructive, nation bankrupting conflict for
Afghanistan and the respective defacto bankrupt nato members. ! This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm . Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Davis ‘…
This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply
happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global
GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of
unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is
to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn
worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to
spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). In sum, who’d want to match or
emulate that ‘depth of experience’. After all, how low can you go? Over the past decade, the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan have cost U.S. taxpayerswell
over a trillion dollars.
So what have we gotten in return for a trillion dollars?
In Afghanistan, we haven’t even found the one man we supposedly went
there to look for – Osama Bin Laden… set up a good form of government, right?
Oh yeah, we set up a really wonderful
government. For example, they recently arrested a one-legged Afghan Red
Cross worker and sentenced him to death for
converting to Christianity…
The same thing is true in Iraq. Yeah, we may have gotten rid of
Saddam, but the nation is now in far worse shape than before we went in…’ The
End Of An Empire And The Beginning Of A Depression
Since the end ofWorld War 2, the United States
has been the leading military power and the leading economic power on the
entire globe. Those days are done! By The
American Dream These are a far cry
from the brightest bulbs on the planet. ]
As Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez departs theater, he leaves with depth of
experience few can match.
Loan
Sharks Rejoice - Greece 2-Year Notes at 20% !
[video]Trader:
S&P Downgrade A Game Changer NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Ben Willis of
Sunrise Securities is rethinking his portfolio after the downgrade from
S&P.
Infographic:
Easiest Way to Fix a Windows, Mac, or Linux Computer [ Yeah! ‘american
technology’ (not really american anymore and that’s the positive, value-part of
the equation) is really all that bad / overrated / overvalued. I believe most
are afraid to admit that owing to an insecure fear that they’ll be pegged as
among the ranks of the ubiquitous ‘computer illiterate’ (beyond the bells and
whistles interface). But such is foolishness because ‘american technology’ is
all that … BAD. …Really … bad news … kind of in the realm of that brilliant GM
strategy of ‘planned obsolescence’ so they’d sell more cars as you’d need new
cars to replace the shoddy old cars … sounds like … a defacto bankrupt american plan! Yet, fraud’s become
pervasively corrupt america’s strongest suit. Day in, day out on wall street,
that’s really what it is in the final analysis; viz., a huge,
government-protected (through bribes, one way or another, and that ‘insecurity
thing’ concerning their finance / economics illiteracy) foisted scam / fraud. I
surprised these ‘american companies’ are still in business … including
intel (they’re all wintel machines now,
and they should know better). ]
Interest
on National Debt is Biggest Projected Problem, Not Healthcare
Standard &
Poor’s Outlook for U.S. Karen De Coster | Three largest rating companies failed to downgrade
the obvious: failing insurance companies.
Total
US Debt Now Officially Above The Ceiling Zero Hedge
Rand
Paul: Spending cuts must include Pentagon Washington
Times | Military spending
will have to be cut if the country is going to get its debt problems under
control.
National / World
Drudgereport: Debt
Hits New High: $14.3 Trillion...
GOLD:
$1,500 FOR 1ST TIME...
China warns
US to protect creditors...
US
hurries to sell GM stake...
More
than $11B loss for taxpayers...
Brits
join ground fight in Libya...
Military
advisers to aid rebels...
Iran
Considering Crackdown on Dog Ownership...[ I once had the unfortunate
occasion to have witnessed an adult, pedigree german shepard take a dump on the
floor and lap it up like it was the greatest, most delicious treat in all the
world … how totally disgusting … a cat would never, never do that! ]
The
American Dream 4-16-11 'Since the end of
World War 2, the United States has been the leading military power and the
leading economic power on the entire globe. The U.S. has had the largest
economy in the history of the world, the U.S. dollar has been used by nearly
all of the nations on earth as a reserve currency and the U.S. military has had
a physical presence in most of the countries on the planet. Today, the
U.S. military is in approximately 130 different nations and it has a total of
about 700 military bases around the world. But just like the Roman
Empire, the U.S. empire has become overextended and it is starting to
decline. Most of our politicians believe that we can continue to “police
the world” and project our power to every corner of the globe, but the more we
meddle the more the rest of the world hates us and the worse our financial
problems get. America is now swamped with debts and our influence is
fading. The truth is that what we are witnessing is the end of an empire
and the beginning of a depression.
Over the past decade,
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost U.S. taxpayerswell over a trillion dollars.
So what have we gotten
in return for a trillion dollars?
In Afghanistan, we
haven’t even found the one man we supposedly went there to look for – Osama Bin
Laden. ..
But at least we got rid
of the Taliban and set up a good form of government, right?
Oh yeah, we set up
a really wonderful government. For example, they
recently arrested a one-legged Afghan Red Cross worker and sentenced him to
death for
converting to Christianity.
Fortunately there was
enough of an international outcry that Said Musa was not hung, but the fact
that the Afghan government wanted to string him up is enough to show that we
have completely failed over there.
The same thing is true
in Iraq. Yeah, we may have gotten rid of Saddam, but the nation is now in
far worse shape than before we went in.
Before the war
Christians felt safe in Iraq. Now large numbers of them are fleeing Iraq
as fast as they can. More than 80 Iraqi Christians were recently
beheaded on
a single day. All the Christians were trying to do was attend a
church service...
Robinson:
Take Donald Trump seriously (Washington Post) [
Riiiiight! For Mr. Robinson an oft times wobama apologist whom I have
invariably found to be but a disingenuous shill for what could be described in
the absence of a better term, the black lobby, a trump candidacy would be a
dream come true. Drudgereport: RASMUSSEN:
Obama 49% Trump 34%... Yet, where is the objective analysis of
wobama's betrayal of that very block among others, yet, you know, based on skin
color alone, they will vote for wobama.
Indeed, it is an inconvenient truth that I have found blacks to be as
racially prejudiced based on skin color alone as any other race. UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an
ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case
against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing
attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black
defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP
| Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. Cohen:
Donald Trump, the comeback huckster (WP) [On the other hand is the zionist shill
Mr. Cohen who in his startling revelation states 'back in 1990, Ivana Trump
told her divorce lawyer Michael Kennedy that “from time to time, her husband
[Donald Trump] reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, ‘My New Order,’
which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed.” This information, which comes from a
startling 1990 Vanity Fair profile of Trump …' . I must say that beyond his
corrupt, mob related / type activities detailed on my web site, trump was
'naziish' in his dog-pack, bully mentality (sinkholes jersey/new
yorkster). Certainly Steve Wynn who now
successfully does business in Macau / Vegas can attest to same. To be sure,
trump is a mental case … but, so is wobama … but, then again, mental illness is
rife in pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless, defacto bankrupt
america.
Roche
'The worst part of it ...Obama, who
vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues
most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for
Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by
the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand that not one high
level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from
the fraud ), the commentator / experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt
eric holder ( what do holder and wobama have in common … wall street money? … a proclivity for jive-talking
/ b*** s*** ?...all/some of the above … or is it something else ... ]
[Suckers'
rally into the close off lows for no reason at all but to keep the suckers
suckered. But this tact, and the not good news is not news which though true
for quite some time, has been conveniently ignored by the frauds on wall
street: YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM] '...sell-off came as a culmination of concerns
stemming from speculation about debt restructuring for less fiscally
responsible eurozone nations like Greece, Ireland, and Portugal and news that
analysts at S&P lowered their outlook on U.S. debt to Negative...']
Lawmakers
seize on S&P outlook (Washington Post) [ Ah! So reassuring! I
mean, come on! There's no mystery here. I'd even say at this point the u.s.
debt has become an insurmountable problem having come in the form of too
little, too late. Budget
passes, but conservatives let down (Washington Post) The compromise touted as
cutting $38.5 billion would actually only cut $352 million this fiscal year, an
analysis says. While that didn’t prevent the budget from passing, it could sour
some Republicans. [ Come on! This 'budget deal' was a
showboating scam ab initio … Davis gets this right: Davis ‘… This is how
we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get
anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is
no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all
of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE
CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘ .
Obama
seeks spending cuts, taxes on wealthy (WP) [
Too little, too late for 'wobama the b'
(for b*** s***) ! After all, though contraindicated, he previously extended the
war criminal, moron bush tax cuts to what is now realistically perceived as
'their base' (that top 1 percent). Wobama has no credibility whatsoever, wars
and all. He's just plain done! Liberals
worry Obama has given up ground (WP) [ Worried? Given up ground? Are they kidding?
Is this some parallel universe they're operating in? Come on! Wake up! Wobama's
done! Finito! He's been and is an abject failure as president; both by what
he's done as not promised and not done as promised, viz., perpetual wars and
overspending, etc., and no prosecutions of the frauds on wall street, etc.,
respectively. He is a total failure and an embarrassment to the presidency as
was his predecessor. He's totally incompetent with an innate predilection to
'zig when he should zag' … 'wobama the b' (for b*** s***) is pathetic! Quite
simply, for wobama, it's too late! …
Drudgereport: RASMUSSEN:
President hits new low Taxpayers
foot $850M bill for Wall St.’s pension fees NY
Post | New
York City taxpayers are helping to pay $850 million in Wall Street investment
fees. ]
Suckers'
rally into the close off lows for no reason at all but to keep the suckers
suckered. But this tact, and the not good news is not news which though true
for quite some time, has been conveniently ignored by the frauds on wall
street: YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM]
'...sell-off came as a culmination of concerns
stemming from speculation about debt restructuring for less fiscally
responsible eurozone nations like Greece, Ireland, and Portugal and news that
analysts at S&P lowered their outlook on U.S. debt to Negative...'
Reality
Bites: Dave's Daily 'First, why
do we depend on these fee-conflicted rating agencies who have dropped the ball
repeatedly? Answer: because there are no other non-fee conflicted rating
(ratting?) agencies that have also made serious mistakes. Is there something
from S&P today regarding U.S. debt we didn't already know? Hardly, so no
Black Swan here. We've just been on an "extend and pretend" path to
see how much money we can make before "the you know what" hits the
fan. And, for all we know denial will continue and we could close this week
higher as we shrug this off as something "down the road". As we enter
a short week, and with markets already weak from the get-go, the S&P
outlook for U.S. debt as "negative" blind-sided investors. Markets
sold-off sharply but then recovered much of the damage late which should
surprise given the pervasive dip buying mentality. Bonds initially sold-off
then rallied (the down the road mentality) while commodities were mixed with
energy falling despite a cut in crude oil output by the Saudis while precious
metals and grains higher. The dollar rallied off its critical support as
investor's repatriated money, not necessarily to safe parking, but maybe to
cover some margin calls. Some believe, and I have no credible information on
this other than chatter, the Fed is selling puts on U.S. debt to pin interest
rates lower. That's an interesting strategy and could consume an entire posting
and then some. Earnings were posted for Citigroup(C_)
and given all the adjustments, accounting games and what not, reported lower
than expected revenues but beat earnings expectations by penny. The stock was
flat and the reverse split will be coming shortly along with the symbolic penny
dividend. The market remains extraordinarily manipulated. Note the headline
DJIA ("the window dressing for the tourists") reclaimed the 50-day
moving average. Volume was much higher on the sell-off as stops routinely get
hit on these event-type days. As you would expect, breadth per the WSJ, was
clearly as negative as you would expect. '
Gannett's
newspaper ad woes drag down 1Q earnings (AP) [ My experience with them
is such that they should be out of business! ]
S&P
threatens to cut U.S. credit rating on deficit (Reuters)
Super
rich see federal taxes drop dramatically (AP)
Wall
Street falls on sovereign fears (Reuters)
- S&P
threatens to cut U.S. credit rating on deficit (Reuters) - Citi
profit sags as revenue shrinks, expenses grow (Reuters) - Texas
Instruments misses forecasts, blames Japan (Reuters) - Eliot Spitzer
Wants Attorney General Eric Holder To Prosecute Goldman Sachs Right This Second - America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted.
The
End Of An Empire And The Beginning Of A Depression
Since the end ofWorld War 2, the United States
has been the leading military power and the leading economic power on the
entire globe. Those days are done!
The
American Dream April 16, 2011 'Since the
end of World War 2, the United States has been the leading military power and
the leading economic power on the entire globe. The U.S. has had the
largest economy in the history of the world, the U.S. dollar has been used by
nearly all of the nations on earth as a reserve currency and the U.S. military
has had a physical presence in most of the countries on the planet. Today,
the U.S. military is in approximately 130 different nations and it has a total
of about 700 military bases around the world. But just like the Roman
Empire, the U.S. empire has become overextended and it is starting to
decline. Most of our politicians believe that we can continue to “police
the world” and project our power to every corner of the globe, but the more we
meddle the more the rest of the world hates us and the worse our financial
problems get. America is now swamped with debts and our influence is
fading. The truth is that what we are witnessing is the end of an empire
and the beginning of a depression.
Over the past decade, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost U.S.
taxpayerswell over a trillion dollars.
So what have we gotten in return for a trillion dollars?
In Afghanistan, we haven’t even found the one man we supposedly went
there to look for – Osama Bin Laden. It defies comprehension how a man
with a really bad kidney disease can hide in caves and evade the most powerful
military on earth for nearly a decade.
But at least we got rid of the Taliban and set up a good form of
government, right?
Oh yeah, we set up a really wonderful
government. For example, they recently arrested a one-legged Afghan Red
Cross worker and sentenced him to death for
converting to Christianity.
Fortunately there was enough of an international outcry that Said Musa
was not hung, but the fact that the Afghan government wanted to string him up
is enough to show that we have completely failed over there.
The same thing is true in Iraq. Yeah, we may have gotten rid of
Saddam, but the nation is now in far worse shape than before we went in.
Before the war Christians felt safe in Iraq. Now large numbers of
them are fleeing Iraq as fast as they can. More than 80 Iraqi Christians
were recently beheaded on
a single day. All the Christians were trying to do was attend a
church service.
Now we are involved in a third war in the Middle East. Even though
Libya was no threat to the United States, Obama felt compelled to stick our
nose into a chaotic civil war.
Now it looks like our involvement in Libya could last for a very, very
long time.
In a joint op-ed piece in
the New York Times, Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy
declared that NATO military operations in Libya will not end until there is a
regime change….
However, so long as Qaddafi is in power, NATO must maintain its
operations so that civilians remain protected and the pressure on the regime
builds. Then a genuine transition from dictatorship to an inclusive
constitutional process can really begin, led by a new generation of leaders. In
order for that transition to succeed, Qaddafi must go and go for good.
So exactly who are we “helping” in Libya?
It turns out that we are providing “air cover” for many of the same
people who were shooting at our troops in Iraq.
Yes, you read the correctly.
According to The
Telegraph, the leader of the Libyan rebels is even admitting that his
“troops” include jihadists that were firing bullets at U.S. troops in Iraq….
Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi, the Libyan rebel leader, has said jihadists who
fought against allied troops in Iraq are on the front lines of the battle
against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
What type of government do you think they are going to set up once this
is over?
And all of this meddling is turning the rest of the world against us in
a big way.
Most Americans don’t realize just how much hatred there is for America
in the rest of the world. There are millions upon millions of people out
there that now hate us with every fiber of their beings, and every time we bomb
someone else world opinion turns against us even more.
Sadly, our meddling goes well beyond the three wars we are currently
fighting. The truth is that the U.S. military is actively “conducting
operations” in dozens of different countries.
For example, most Americans don’t even realize what the U.S. is doing in
Pakistan.
How would you like it if a foreign power was conducting missile attacks
inside the United States over the objections of our national leaders?
Well, that is what we are doing in Pakistan and we are going to continue
even though Pakistani officials are adamantly objecting.
According
to AFP, the CIA intends to continue conducting operations in Pakistan no
matter what the Pakistani government says….
The Central Intelligence Agency has no plans to suspend “operations” in
Pakistan against terror suspects despite objections from leaders in Islamabad,
a US official said Thursday.
This approach to foreign policy is absolutely foolish. Attempting
to have an “iron grip” on the rest of the world is only going to cause the rest
of the world to deeply hate us and deeply resent us. We like to think of
ourselves as “do gooders” but most of the rest of the world considers us to be
tyrannical. Eventually the rest of the world will lash out at us.
In addition, maintaining our vast empire is bankrupting us.
As I have written about previously, U.S.
military spending is wildly out of control. The truth is that U.S.
military spending is
greater than the military spending of China, Russia, Japan, India, and the
rest of NATO combined.
The United States already accounts for 46.5%
of all military spending in the world. China is next with only 6.6%.
Just one day of the war in Afghanistan costs
more money than it took to build the entire Pentagon.
So will reducing military spending solve all of our financial problems?
Of course not.
In fact, if you eliminated every penny of military spending we would
still have a gigantic budget deficit.
And that is another reason why our empire is dying.
The United States has the biggest debt
problem in the history of the world.
Right now the U.S. government is over 14 trillion dollars in debt.
Our debt is increasing by over 2 million dollars every single minute.
Our politicians are running up the national credit card as if there will
never be any consequences.
But a very serious day of reckoning is coming, and when it arrives the
rest of the world is not going to be in the mood to help us.
It is being projected that by 2021, the U.S. will be paying $1.1
trillion a year just in interest on the national debt.
So how big is a trillion dollars?
Well, if you were alive when Jesus was born and you spent a million
dollars every single day since then, you still would not have spent a trillion
dollars by now.
Our national debt is now at a tipping point. A recently revised
IMF policy paper entitled “An Analysis of
U.S. Fiscal and Generational Imbalances: Who Will Pay and How?” projects
that U.S. government debt will rise to about 400 percent of GDP by the year
2050.
So what are our politicians doing about it?
Nothing.
During the last election, the Republicans made a “pledge” to the
American people to cut $100 billion from the 2011 budget if they were elected.
Then once they got in they told us that $61 billion would be enough.
Then John Boehner gave in and agreed to cut the 2011 budget by only
$38.5 billion.
Well, now it turns out that even the $38.5 billion figure was not even
real.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the “budget deal” will
only slash $352 million (with an “m”) from the 2011 budget.
That is less than one percent of the $38.5 billion figure that was announced.
No wonder so many Tea Party activists are now declaring that John
Boehner must go.
In the end, our politicians do not intend to do anything about our
runaway debt.
The Democrats will shut down the government rather than allow serious
cuts to social programs or entitlements.
The Republicans will never allow serious cuts to the military and they
are pushing for even more tax cuts.
So how in the world is U.S. government debt ever going to be brought
under control?
The sad news is that it is not going to be. It is just a matter of
time before a great U.S. debt crisis strikes.
But the U.S. is not the only one with a debt crisis.
The European
debt crisis just seems to get worse with each passing month. The
bonds of several European nations have been significantly downgraded in recent
weeks.
According to the
Wall Street Journal, Moody’s actually downgraded Irish debt by two levels
on Friday….
Moody’s Investors Service Inc. downgraded Ireland’s government debt by
two notches Friday, taking the country to the brink of junk status, and kept
its outlook negative.
Things are getting scary.
Bond yields all over Europe are going through the roof.
A year ago, the yield on 10-year Portuguese bonds was hovering around
5%. On Friday it reached 9.0%.
A year ago, the yield on 10-year Irish bonds was also generally in the
neighborhood of 5%. On Friday it closed at 9.7%.
But that is nothing compared to what is happening to Greek debt.
On Friday, the yield on 10-year Greek bonds skyrocketed to an astounding 13.83%.
Yes, a depression is getting a little bit closer every single day.
Things don’t look good in Asia either. Prior to the recent
tsunami, the Japanese
economy was the third largest economy on the entire globe.
But there are now very serious questions about whether or not Japan will
ever fully recover from what has just happened.
The mainstream media has been really downplaying the economic damage
that has been done to Japan, but eventually the truth will become clear.
In a previous article, I contended that this was essentially a “death blow”
for the
Japanese economy….
The tsunami that struck Japan on March 11th swept up to 6 miles inland,
destroying virtually everything in the way. Thousands upon thousands of
Japanese were killed and entire cities were wiped off the map. Yes, Japan is a
resilient nation, but exactly how does a nation that is already drowning in
debt replace dozens of cities and towns that are suddenly gone? The truth is
that thousands of square miles have been more completely destroyed than if they
had been bombed by a foreign military force. The loss of homes, cars,
businesses and personal wealth is almost unimaginable. It is going to take many
years to rebuild the roads, bridges, rail systems, ports, power lines and water
systems that were lost. Nobody is quite sure when the rolling blackouts are
going to end, and nobody is quite sure when all of the damaged manufacturing
facilities are going to be fully brought back online.
If all that wasn’t bad enough, the nuclear crisis at Fukushima just
seems to get worse by the day.
According
to the Los Angeles Times, seawater near the Fukushima nuclear complex was
recently found to contain “iodine-131 at 7.5 million times the legal limit”.
Authorities in Japan recently upgraded the crisis at Fukushima to a
“level 7″ nuclear disaster, and almost everyone is finally acknowledging
that this crisis is as bad or worse than Chernobyl.
Many now fear that vast portions of northern Japan may end up beinguninhabitable
after all this is over. The health effects and the economic effects from
this nightmare are going to be felt for the rest of our lives.
But even if all of the things above were not happening, the rapidly
rising price of oil could potentially be enough to push the world into a
depression. The entire global economy is predicated on the ability to
consume gigantic amounts of very cheap oil. Nobody has ever been able to
prove that the global economy can continue to function normally if the price of
oil stays above $100 a barrel for an extended period of time.
When oil goes up, people start staying home. Certain types of
economic activity become unprofitable. The cost of transporting all goods
increases. The amount of money being transferred out of the U.S. economy
and into the hands of oil barons soars.
The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States is
now $3.81. It is about a dollar higher than it was at this time last
year.
If the price of oil stays where it is right now, the global economy can
probably handle it, at least for a while. However, if it explodes up to
$150 or $200 a barrel it is going to unleash hell on world financial markets.
The world is becoming a very unstable place. The U.S. empire is
crumbling and the global financial system is on the verge of a nightmare.
Hopefully the rest of 2011 will not be as eventful as the first part
has. We could use some global peace and stability for a while.
Unfortunately, that is probably not going to be the case.'
[video]
Trader: S&P Downgrade A Game Changer
Easy
Money (2): U.S. Inflation Now at 4% - How Fed Dismisses the Signs Tobey 'In "Easy
Money (1): Fed Touts Flawed/Risky Rationale," we discussed the Federal
Reserve Open Market Committee's (FOMC's) weak rationale for easy money.
Today, we'll cover how the FOMC dismisses clear signs of 4% inflation.
As FOMC members speak out, trying to deflate growing inflation worries,
they are revealing weaknesses in their analysis. Judging by their comments,
they are using selected data to support their arguments and dismissing other,
better signs of inflation.
There are two important problem areas:
First, the FOMC's preferred price index adjustment (i.e., excluding food
and energy) is misleading. It is resulting in significantly reduced price
inflation readings in this economy.
Second, the official money supply numbers are too low. The FOMC's
policies are creating the problem.
Today's write-up addresses the Fed's
choice of an inflation measure. Money supply will be discussed in the following
write-up.
CPI vs. PCEPI
To measure inflation, the FOMC prefers the Personal Consumption
Expenditures Price Index (PCEPI) to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The PCEPI has a unique construction that makes it less effective than
the CPI in measuring price inflation caused by money supply expansion. The
problem is that it expands the parties involved beyond consumers and it allows
the spending basket to continually change. These moving parts can disguise what
we're looking for: fiat money inflation
Even at that, the two indexes are highly correlated, with the PCEPI
being a bit less volatile. (And the FOMC likes less volatility, as will be
discussed next.)
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-130306461217606-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
In addition, here is the comparison of CPI and PCEPI excluding food and
energy (to be discussed next).
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-130306467435166-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
Note: For the rest of this write-up, I
will be using CPI data because of the high correlation between CPI and PCEPI,
CPI's better measurement of inflation and the availability of CPI component
data.
Excluding food and energy is improper
The Fed and others defend taking food and energy out of a price index
because they are so "volatile." Supporting this proposition is
usually a graph like the following, showing 12-month price changes comparing
with and without.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-130306471039341-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
That graph may look like the only effect is volatility, but it's not.
Food and energy have their own price trends beyond those movements.
Importantly, food and energy, as key commodities, are at the heart of
all long-term inflation studies. When inflation shows up, food and energy
prices are among the first to react. They are even better measures today
because these worldwide commodities can be both traded and transported among
countries with relative ease. (Contrast food and energy price moves to other
CPI categories such as housing, medical and education. These other items react
slowly to inflation caused by money supply changes.)
Looking at the cumulative price movements, not a simple 12-month moving
one, we can see a significant rise in inflation by including food and energy.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-13030647528933-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
Clearly, there has been more inflation in the U.S. than the Fed's
measure is showing. The 11+ year 2.5% inflation rate is well above the Fed's
"limit" of 2%.
Housing, the FOMC's inflation friend, should be excluded
Housing costs are slow moving and significantly affected by factors
beyond money supply inflation. These characteristics are visible in the
CPI-housing index.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-130306479786696-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
Note especially how the housing price index changed its shape in the
past three years, during which housing costs were down or flat. As we know,
this pattern reflects housing's supply/demand conditions – not the effect of
the FOMC's easy money policy. Therefore, including housing in the price index
hides what's actually happening.
All countries face the same problem. Therefore, a common CPI adjustment
made outside the U.S. is to report CPI excluding housing. Such an adjusted
index is thought to be a better measure of price inflation.
The preferred inflation measure: CPI excluding housing
So, let's adopt the international convention and examine CPI without
housing. Although it is not a publicly released CPI number, we can approximate
it.
Housing represents about 40% of the CPI basket (much higher if food and
energy are excluded). By presuming a 40% weighting throughout the period (this
isn't precise, but it is an acceptable approximation), we can use the CPI
measures available to calculate:
CPI excluding housing = [(CPI * 100%) –
(CPI for housing * 40%)] / 60%
Here is the result:
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-13030648510201-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-130306555644225-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
Comparing the price index numbers
Now let's compare all those different measures. Here are the different
price index results for the entire period and sub periods.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/17/524222-130306512628397-John-Tobey.jpg
(Click to enlarge)
Note how many readings show inflation above the Fed's "limit"
of 2%. The latest ones are the what's bothering investors - especially as the
FOMC takes comfort in its single, low measure.
Final thought: Why only one index?
Looking at these different index results raises the question of why the
FOMC publicly uses only one number to defend its easy money policy. Is it
playing the old marketing game of cherry picking the statistic that best
supports its position? Or is it myopic, focusing on its one choice, believing
all other measures to be flawed and, therefore, not requiring presentation or
explanation? Or is it simply trying to keep our confidence up and not adversely
affect "inflation expectations?"
Good analysis is fulsome (looking at an issue from all sides), objective
(not being influenced by other considerations) and unique (incorporating
underlying conditions, not simply relying on a number). The FOMC's comments
have not shown good analysis – and that is worrisome.
So … price index measures are showing
inflation running well above the FOMC's 2% "limit." These measures
lend support to the rising inflation concerns we read about, along with rising
long-term interest rates (in spite of the FOMC's bond buying program). Only the
FOMC seems relaxed - and that's causing even more concern.
Next … reported money supply numbers
are too low.'
Top
3 Reasons Markets were as Negative as US Credit Outlook Wall St. Cheat Sheet Markets closed down on Wall
Street: DJI -1.14% SP500 -1.1% Nasdaq -1.06% Gold +0.47% Oil -2.05 .
Markets got slammed today when the S&P (NYSE:MHP)
came out of the blue and
downgraded the US Credit Rating outlook to “Negative”. On the commodities
front, Oil (NYSE:USO)
got hit hard and slid $2 although OPEC
said they won’t be increasing supply any time soon. Gold (NYSE:GLD)
and Silver (NYSE:SLV)
resumed their climb to the moon as investors are now fretting whether the US
will receive a full downgrade.
Don’t Miss: Wall
St. Cheat Sheet’s newest Feature Trades of the Month>>
Today’s markets were down because:
1) Yes, the US really just took a bullet in the armor. Many investors
and analysts have been warning of a downgrade to the US credit rating, but it’s
another phenomenon to actually see one in the wild. (Check Out: The
Shocking S&P Note) Plain and simple: a lot of investors are reducing
risk in case the next credit rating headline pierces the armor. But isn’t the
US “Too Big to Fail”?
2) Earnings continue to come in mixed. Strangely, solid earnings from Citibank
(NYSE:C)
and Halliburton
(NYSE:HAL)
couldn’t drag indexes higher. The biggest
miss of the day goes to drug company Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)
which fought all day to make up ground on the earnings blunder. Get ready for
the rest of the week as earnings just keep pouring in like Passover and Easter
guests.
3) Everybody hates tax day. Too bad the Federal government didn’t shutdown.
Taxes were due today and 55% of the nation should’ve been sending a check to
Uncle Sam. On such a special day, Wall St. Cheat Sheet’s expert contributor Ed
Dolan takes a look at whether Tax Reform is Real, or just more political B.S.'
Russian
Finance Minister Kudrin Says US Won't Meet Budget Goals '...Russia, thanks
to windfalls from oil revenues from its three state owned oil giants — Gazprom,
Lukoil and Rosneft — coupled with a declining population will help the
government meet its goal of eradicating its deficit by 2015. The government
agreed to cut federal spending three fold by then. Kudrin also noted in his
keynote speech at the Peterson Institute that his government is not treating
the budget issue politically. “We have an economics department that handles
this, and not a political party,” he said, in short.Russia’s federal
budget deficit is expected to end the year around 1.5% of GDP. The US federal
deficit as percentage of GDP is around 7% to 8%.'
Rand
Paul: Spending cuts must include Pentagon Washington Times
| Military spending will have to be cut if the country is going to get its debt
problems under control.
IRS,
CPA bureaucracy cost tax payers $431 billion a year WSJ |
There is a lot more to taxes than simply paying the bill.
S&P
Moves US Outlook To Negative, Gold Hits New Record CNBC |
Standard & Poor’s on Monday downgraded the outlook for the United States to
negative.
National / World
The
West is to blame for regional unrest, Ahmadinejad says CNN
| Ahmadinejad blamed the West for unrest throughout the Middle East and North
Africa in a speech.
Afghan
soldier kills 5 NATO troops and 4 Afghan comrades Washington Post
| The bombing took place at the headquarters of the Afghan army’s 201st Corps.
Parker:
The GOP plays a crazy Trump card (Washington Post) [ I don't know what polls
Ms. Parker's referring to; but unless she's referring to mobster trump
apprentice news (trump was fired from his own casino company), that certainly
doesn't comport with polls I've read. Moreover, like palin, trump's the joke
that keeps on giving (for SNL, late-night talk hosts, etc.). Indeed, such a move by the GOP would almost
guarantee a 3rd Party shoe-in. After all, trump has as little
credibility as wobama. My other t_rump posts won't fit here, but the latest
from Drudge is noteworthy (note the date, inside parentheses my words)
(4-15-11) Drudgereport: Flashback: Updated 11/11/2008 09:19 PM NY1 Exclusive: Donald Trump Slams "Evil"
Bush, Praises Obama By: Dominic Carter 'If there's one thing certain about
real estate mogul Donald Trump, it's that he (like Charlie Sheen) likes to win
(duh … winning) ... even though he endorsed John McCain for president.
"McCain, really, that was almost an impossible situation," said
Trump. Bush has been so bad, maybe the worst president in the history of this
country. He has been so incompetent, so bad, so evil that I don't think any
Republican could have won
During an exclusive interview with NY1 in his Midtown office on Fifth
Avenue, Trump slammed President George Bush's foreign policies.
"You know, you can be enemies with people, whether it's Iran, Iraq,
or anyplace else and you can still have dialogue. These people wouldn't even
talk with him. It's terrible," said Trump.
While he had harsh words for the outgoing president, he had a much
different opinion of President-elect Barack Obama.
"I think he has a chance to go down as a great president. Now, if
he's not a great president, this country is in serious trouble," said
Trump.
"I think [Obama's] going to lead through consensus," continued
Trump. "It's not going to be just a bull run like Bush did. He just did
whatever the hell he wanted. He'd go into a country, attack Iraq, which had
nothing to do with the World Trade Center and just do it because he wanted to
do it."
Trump was then asked if he ever thought he would see an African-American
president in his lifetime.
"They always said 100 years before a black man or woman could be
elected president. And the 100 years turned out to be, like, one year. He's
done an amazing job," said Trump.
An Associated Press GFK poll released Tuesday shows that a
majority of people share Trump's approval of Obama...' trump:
'CARTER
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY'...
'BUSH
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY'...
'OBAMA
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY...
[ Clearly, like wobama, mobster trump is full
of his own s***! ] ]
'… Anything can look great in a demo. For many years, my
signature bore the saying — a tweak on a quote from sci-fi author Arthur
C. Clarke seen online — that “Any sufficiently
advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.” While it’s
not possible to make every botched product look good in a demonstration, a huge
number of flops have looked fantastic and compelling in a precisely rehearsed
demo. (I admit it: The Power Mac Cube looked magical and revolutionary at
first.) And enough people will buy after that introduction to make the gadget
look like a hit. As tech analyst Michael Gartenberg observes,
“You can sell 50,000 of anything.” …'
I have sampled the apple products and have invariably
concluded that they are overpriced, overvalued, and are but means of getting
consumers to part with their cash (ie., exclusive, proprietary itunes
prerequisites, etc.) owing to what I
infer to be particularly influenced by Jobs' LSD induced empathetic feel for
the 'pizzaz' that has invariably worked most applephiles into a frenzy with
each 'new introduction' (the touch screen / ipad was an exception which though
easily produced for far less gets an 'a' for pioneering). I further believe
that apple's success is a testament to how dumb americans particularly have
become. This is no shill for the pc which both as I write here and for other
mundane tasks I've been constrained to use linux ubuntu (dual boot) for
stability otherwise absent with xp (microsoft is a dinosaur). Given the state
of the world, it is not so surprising that such obsessions with devices as
those alluded to, the next new thing, etc., have a psychological component that
does not bespeak mental well being / balance. This is not to say that I deplore
technology in which to the contrary I have found great utility. What it is,
since you mentioned Arthur C. Clarke, is what I perceive to be a new innate
longing for HAL (and not IBM particularly), in one form or another. Ah! The
wisdom of cats! Good Luck!
Grants
for housing counseling slashed /
Job
training feels budget ax (Washington Post)
[ For what jobs? The 'new green
jobs'? How is such an investent going
to pass muster in rigorous financial analysis for profit? Where's the capital
coming from? People must come to grips with the reality that the nation's
defacto bankrupt and all that that entails.The news is bad, the reality
daunting, yet stocks rallied … A mystery? … Yes, until you look up and see that
blazing full moon. I was somewhat nonplussed by the suckers’ market bounce;
and then, ‘Eureka!’ … there it was, staring down for all to see … a blazing
full moon. Yes, they have such effects on lunatics as in pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america et als; but particularly on wall street, and it
certainly doesn’t take much to push the frauds on wall street over the edge and
into their predisposed fraudulent madness. In fact, you could say, ‘it’s in
their genes’ America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding. . According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble …
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of investors
in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
What
was left out of this article is the point that the movie studio led an Oscar
campaign for Natalie Portman based in large part emphasizing her development
into a professional ballerina for the role and the majority of scenes in the
movie they stated she danced herself. Sarah Lane has contested that she danced
the majority and even the editor of the movie is on the record stating more of
Sarah's dance scenes were included in the movie than the studio stated were.
Sounds like the studio boondoggled the Oscar voters to get a win for Natalie. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1377550/Caroline-Davis-paid-250-act-Natalie-Portmans-body-double-Your-Highness.html#ixzz1Jli7GtVQ
Drudgereport:
S&P
SOUNDS ALARM ON USA
Worst
since Pearl Harbor: Debt blow for economy...
Trump's
Political 'Pit Bull'; Dem Op Has The Donald's Back...
Rove:
'Joke Candidate'...
TRUMP:
SEIZE OIL FIELDS IN LIBYA...
RASMUSSEN:
Obama 49% Trump 34%...
Anti-spending
group blasts The Donald as 'tax-hiking liberal'...
Gas at $4
in nation's capital, 5 states...
The news is bad, the reality daunting, yet stocks rallied … A mystery? …
Yes, until you look up and see that blazing full moon. I was somewhat
nonplussed by the suckers’ market bounce; and then, ‘Eureka!’ … there it was,
staring down for all to see … a blazing full moon. Yes, they have such affects
on lunatics as in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america et als; but
particularly on wall street, and it certainly doesn’t take much to push the
frauds on wall street over the edge and into their predisposed fraudulent
madness. In fact, you could say, ‘it’s in their genes’ America
Is a Failed State Because It Won’t Prosecute Financial Crime Washington’s
Blog | It’s now mainstream news that none of the big financial
criminals have been prosecuted. This
is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s***
alone and today’s short-covering / suckers’ rally provides an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year Harding
/ April
Is a Good Time to Sell Adler ( I quite agree … overvalued to the
hilt in this new manipulated bubble …
at the least a 'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill,
sell in April!' ) Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding. Exhibit one: The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings
ratio, or CAPE. This is not a “fad” valuation metric. CAPE dates back
to 1871, offering 140 years worth of data, during which time, the mean
price-to-earnings ratio is 16. According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble …
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of
investors in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has artificially
subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
10
Scary Charts: A 'Post-Recession' Economy Wake Up Call Kavadas 'I find the
following 10 charts to be disturbing. These charts would be disturbing at any
point in the economic cycle; that they depict such a tenuous situation now – 21
months after the official (as per the 9-20-10 NBER announcement) June 2009 end
of the recession – is especially notable.
These charts raise a lot of questions. As well, they highlight the
"atypical" nature of our economic situation from a long-term
historical perspective. I regularly discuss many troubling characteristics of
our economy in this EconomicGreenfield.com blog.
All of these charts (except one, as noted) are from the Federal Reserve,
and represent the most recently updated data.
These following charts are from the St. Louis Federal Reserve:
Housing starts (last updated 3-16-11):
(Click to enlarge)
The Federal Deficit (last updated 2-17-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Federal Net Outlays (last updated 2-17-11):
(Click to enlarge)
State & Local Personal Income Tax Receipts (% Change from Year
Ago)(last updated 3-25-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Total Loans and Leases of Commercial Banks (% Change from Year Ago)(last
updated 4-11-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Bank Credit – All Commercial Banks (% Change from Year Ago)(last updated
4-11-11):
(Click to enlarge)
M1 Money Multiplier (last updated 4-7-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Median Duration of Unemployment (last updated 4-1-11):
(Click to enlarge)
This next chart is from the CalculatedRisk.com
blog post of 4-1-11, and it shows (in red) the relative length and depth of
this downturn and subsequent recovery from an employment perspective:
(Click to enlarge)
This last chart is of the Chicago Fed National Activity Index and it
depicts broad-based economic activity (last updated 3-21-11):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/14/saupload_cfnai_monthly_ma3_3_21_11.png
(Click to enlarge)
I will update these charts on an intermittent basis as they deserve
close monitoring ...'
Don't
Be A Lemming, Keep Cash In Your Portfolio Dohmen 'My work shows that the
rally going into early April brought bullish sentiment in the stock market to
levels seen at extreme tops in 2000 and 2007. That doesn’t necessarily mean
that we will have a crash, because the Fed would fight any strong market
decline with everything they have. But it does say that a great amount of cash
in your portfolio right now would be a good idea.
The low volume on the bounce since the mid-March low has been
pathetic. Until the last two years, that was always a very important
warning signal. Yet, most money managers don’t even analyze charts. The late
March rally, which created so much enthusiasm, didn’t even bring the major
indices such as the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite above their February
highs.
Mutual fund cash is now lower than at the top in 2007. Low fund cash
positions correlate very well with market tops. Our astute colleague Alan
Newman (www.cross-currents.net)
points out that even with the rise in fund assets in January, the total
outflow since February 2007 has been $213 billion. It appears that the
average investor is gone, although in January there was an inflow of over $25
billion. Are they getting back in at just the wrong time?
Corporate insiders are selling at the heaviest pace since other major
market tops. Obviously, they don’t agree with Wall Street about the euphoric
outlook. Have you noticed that so many top company officials being interviewed
make cautious remarks about “things are improving,” or “we see some positive
signs, etc.” When there is genuine improvement, these people will shout
it from the rooftops on national TV.
But in spite of this, investment professionals are super-bullish. Rydex
is closing down 12 of its leveraged, inverse ETF’s, the ones that sell short,
because of the low amount of assets. Could that mean that traders are not
interested in being short? That’s often a very good contrarian signal.
Investors Intelligence, which surveys the sentiment of investment
advisors, in their latest survey had the percent of bulls increase to
57.3% from 51%. That’s a huge jump and now is at levels seen at
important market tops. The bears have plunged to 15.7%
compared to 23.1%. The difference between bulls and bears is now at 41.6, which
is in the “danger” zone (over 40).
Because so far the stock market has almost ignored some of the greatest
global turmoil in many decades, including one of the worst natural disasters in
Japan, money managers believe that the market cannot go down. So, they buy, which
triggers buying by other managers, which then creates more buying. That
continues, until they look and suddenly see that they are looking at themselves
in the mirror and that there is no one to sell to.
The Fed’s QE2 is ending in June. That’s no secret. There is a big 86%
correlation between the size of the Fed’s balance sheet–read security
purchases–and the S&P 500. Therefore, if the balance sheet stops
growing in June, so should the stock market rise. The bulls say that’s already
in the market. That’s totally unrealistic. When suddenly $50 billion per month
of liquidity injection is missing, there are consequences.
The large trading operations have to attract sufficient buyers from the
sidelines to enable the “distribution” of their stock holdings. This is done by
having produced that last gasp rally when the reluctant bulls can no longer
stand being out of the market. At a top, these lemmings finally plunge in,
allowing the smart money to make the turn.
Don’t be a lemming!'
Earnings
stumbles to awaken bears (Reuters)
Sustaining
Disbelief in the Face of Obvious Impossibilities / The
Problem With Inflation Targets '... there are plenty of other elements
of core inflation that are rising, and the uptrend is well-established...'
Stocks are Cheap,
Buy Now! - Really? Maierhofer,
April 15, 2011
'This is no time to sell stocks.'
'Evidence is building that we have a self-sustaining recovery.'
'We see accelerating growth around the globe.'
'This market looks cheap to us.'
'Dividends may increase to a record $31.07 a share in 2013.'
All the above quotes were taken from a recent Bloomberg article
regarding the most explosive profit growth in the past century. This profit
explosion is happening right here, right now.
'The gap between projected 12-month profits and average earnings over
the last 10 years is set to widen the most since 1951,' continues the article.
Projected earnings are expected to clock in at a record $91 for S&P 500
companies.
The Best 'Buying' Opportunity since 1951?
Before you trigger the 'buy everything now' button, think about the
above statement for a second. If the gap between projected profits and average
earnings is the biggest since 1951, it means that it's bigger than in 2000 and
2007. Could that be a contrarian indicator?
I purposely picked the years 2000 and 2007 because they marked major
market tops and were followed by sizeable declines. The gap between projected
and average profits today is, in fact, larger than it was in 2000 and 2007,
although not by much.
If you graph this out, you would see three spikes; one pop in 2000, one
in 2007 and one now. Every time the spread spiked to new highs, stocks fell
hard.
In 2000, it was the post-tech boom (NYSEArca: XLK - News) crash. In 2007, it was the
overleveraged financial sector (NYSEArca: XLF - News) that caused a nasty
recession. Both times, the spread was the highest since 1951.
Keep in mind that the spread is based on projected earnings. Projected
earnings are about as certain as a politician's promise.
Accuracy of Earnings Projections
Nevertheless, let's examine the accuracy of analysts and earnings
projections.
'As earnings estimates are ratcheted down and hope for a quick economic
fix fades, the once-inconceivable notion of returning to Dow 5000 or S&P
5000 looks a little less far-fetched.'
This quote was taken from a Wall Street Journal front-page article
featured on March 9, 2009. If history isn't your forte, March 9 was the date
the Dow Jones (DJI: ^DJI) bottomed at 6,470, the S&P (SNP: ^GSPC) at 666,
and the Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC) at 1,265.
Days before the March 2009 low, Goldman lowered its earnings outlook for
the S&P from $113 incrementally to $40. Bank of America Merrill Lynch
lowered their estimate to $46 and Citigroup lowered to $51.
At the same time - on March 2, 2009 - the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter
sent out a special buy alert and recommended loading up on broad market
indexes, economically sensitive sectors, dividend ETFs like the iShares Dow
Jones Dividend ETF (NYSEArca: DVY
- News), SPDR S&P Dividend
(NYSEArca: SDY - News) and leveraged ETFs like the
Ultra S&P ProShares (NYSEArca: SSO - News), and Ultra Financial
ProShares (NYSEArca: UYG
- News).
The moral of the story is that analysts tend to be overly bullish at
market tops just as they are overly bearish at market bottoms. Based on
Standard & Poor's data, earnings actually peaked at $87 in 2006 and never
reached Goldman's projected upside target of $113. Earnings also bottomed
before they reached Goldman's projected down side target of $40.
Of course, even analysts have an accuracy sweet spot. This sweet spot is
during extended trends. Analysts are correct as long as the trend persists, but
as a group they never see a trend change coming.
Ready for a Curveball?
It seems like analysts have selective memories. Here is what Merrill
Lynch's 2007 Global Market Forecast predicted: 'First, the global economy will
continue to grow in 2007 - with no sign of a cyclical slowdown.'
Keep in mind that in 2007, there was no European debt crisis,
unemployment in the U.S. was around 5% not 9%, housing prices were stable,
there was no financial crisis, there was no Middle East unrest, there was no BP
oil spill, there was no Japanese earthquake, Tsunami, and nuclear disaster,
etc.
Rather than counting un-hatched chickens (projected earnings), let's
take a look at P/E ratios with substance. The chart below shows a 110-year
history of the Robert J. Shiller's cyclically-adjusted P/E ratio.
Chart http://www.etfguide.com//contributor/UserFiles/8/Image/CAPE%20PE%204%2011.gif
The red line marks the average since 1900. Professor Shiller considers
the S&P to be 41% over valued.
Valuations are always mean reverting. As such, owning stocks at current
prices is risky even though - or rather because - analysts expect earnings to
rise.
Safety Locks
Whenever rich valuations rendezvous with optimism and complacency,
investors should become extra cautious. The ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter
identified three such occasions over the past 15 months - January 2010, April
2010, and February 2011.
Each time, stocks (NYSEArca: VTI - News) declined between 7 - 20%.
However, all three declines turned out to be head fakes and optimistic
analysts' projections haven't been as reliable as contrarian indicators as they
were in March 2009 and late 2007. I suppose this is due to the Federal
Reserve's QE2 liquidity.
Just as QE2 is a plus for equities (and commodities) right now, it is
likely to eventually turn into a double or triple minus as individual and
institutional investors start unloading some of their positions. Eventually,
the 'too good to be true' syndrome will multiply like a malignant cell and
overwhelm the exchanges with sell orders.
This doesn't mean stocks can't go higher in the short-term. In fact, it
would be great to see the S&P rally to its ideal target range. The ideal
target range is comprised of a multi-decade trend line and important Fibonacci
resistance. If the S&P is able to rally into that range, it would have
exhausted its up side potential and has no obvious reason to come back anytime
soon...'
Why
Options Traders See a 10% Market Correction Rama 'The Teflon market
began chipping on April 7 after another earthquake hit Japan, threatening to
bring a second tsunami.
The tsunami alert was a false alarm, but the S&P held a 4-day losing
streak till Wednesday. Try as investors may, however, they haven't been able
stay away from stocks. With all that easy money flying around and few other
options for high returns, equities have held their year-to-date gains despite
mounting geopolitical troubles that threaten to derail the recovery.
But a big trade Thursday in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF [SPY Loading...
() ] shows stock investors' nerves of steel
are faltering. The trade, called a put fly, positioned for a gain if the
S&P 500 breaks through the key 1304 technical level and plunges 10% from
there to 1180 (a 118 level on the SPY).
"To me it seems interesting that people are
concerned with downside more than they were," said Jim Iuorio, Director at TJM
Institutional Services. "There are a lot of dark clouds gathering,
oil, labor numbers, there are more nerves," he added.
The put fly turned out to to be a bad trade for
Thursday because the S&P broke through the 1304 level and rejected it,
ending higher. That was a moderately positive signal for the index, Iuorio
noted, but the trade belies the persistently low volatility index, which is
holding below 17 despite investors' growing skittishness.
Iuorio expects volatility to shoot higher once Fed
liquidity dries up, so he says it's prudent to buy it now that it's cheap.
"If you keep preventing a correction through
government liquidity, when that correction finally comes it, it could be more
dramatic than normal," the Options Action contributor said. '
Gold
Celebrates Complete Lack Of Inflation By Surging To New Record Zero
Hedge | Gold takes a new all time high of $1,481.46.
Rand
Paul: ‘Pentagon thinks it’s too big to audit’; no serious budget cuts proposed
in Washington Infowars | Senator Rand Paul said the
Washington shutdown was threatened over nothing, because no serious cuts were
proposed.“We threatened to shut down Washington over nothing, because we’re not
cutting spending in any serious way…” that was just one part of Senator Rand
Paul’s fiery floor speech blasting both sides of the isle for failing to make a
sober effort to operate from a balanced budget.
Oil
Hits 32-Month High As Unrest Persists in the Middle East Marin
Katusa | For at least the rest of the year, uncertainty is the most
reliable aspect of oil.
35
Statistics That Show The Average American Family Has Been Broke Down, Tore
Down, Beat Down, Busted And Disgusted By This Economy The economic statistics
that you are about to read are incredibly shocking, but they are also very,
very real. Tonight there are going to be millions of men and women all across
America that cannot sleep because they are consumed with anxiety about their
financial problems.
National / World
“Outraged and Disgusted” Congressman Introduces
Legislation To Bar TSA From Groping Children Steve Watson
| “I am so furious with them I can’t even see straight,” Chaffetz said.
It’s
Official: “Arab Spring” Subversion U.S. Funded Tony Cartalucci
| We must see the global corporate-financier empire as the source of the
problem and its removal and replacement as the solution.
Obama
Budget Plan: Higher Taxes on Small Businesses American Small
Business League | Fortune 500 firms and other corporate giants are the
actual recipients of most federal small business contracts.
Why
an Income Tax is Not Necessary to Fund the U.S. Government Devvy
Kidd | Where do your “income” tax dollars go?
Our
Income taxes go to the private group called the Federal Reserve Steve
Balich | Do you want to know where your tax dollars really go?
20
Signs That A Horrific Global Food Crisis Is Coming The Economic
Collapse | The world is on the verge of a horrific global food crisis.
Obama
says ‘birther’ talk will be a liability for GOP (The Ticket) [ Listen to 'wobama the b' (for b*** s***) …
having b*** s***ed everybody else, he’s
now resorted to b*** s***ing himself … the story of his life! ]
CIA
will not halt operations in Pakistan: official AFP
| CIA has no plans to suspend “operations” in Pakistan despite objections from
Islamabad leaders.
Russia:
NATO gone too far in Libya Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says
NATO’s military intervention in oil-rich Libya has gone far beyond the mandate
authorized by the United Nations.
Libya:
The Hard-Sell is Coming When presidents are writing editorials in newspapers
a hard-sell is just around the corner. Judging by the recent tripartite op-ed
in the New York Times by Obama, Sarkozy, and Cameron regarding Libya, the
hard-sell is most likely a protracted air campaign above Libya with an ever
increasing ground presence below possibly leading to an all out invasion.
Clearly the operation in Libya will exceed the “days or weeks, but not months”
we were told it would take.
Now
it IS regime change: Cameron, Obama and Sarkozy promise to keep bombing Libya
until Gaddafi is gone David Cameron, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy upped
the stakes in the Libya conflict last night as they vowed to fight on until
Colonel Gaddafi is ousted.
Japan
Forces Top Official To Retract Prime Minister’s Comments That Fukushima
Permanently Uninhabitable Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has
apologized to the public over media reports about the long-term inhabitability
of areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Drudgereport: OBAMA
BACK TO GALLUP LOW...
'YOU THINK
WE'RE STUPID?'
Disappointed
With Lack of 'Cool' Phone in Oval Office...
HOT MIC: GOP
tried to 'sneak' agenda into budget...
CARNEY:
'Miscommunication'...
HOUSE
PASSES $6 TRILLION SPENDING CUT PLAN...
U.S.
gas prices pass $4 in some states...'...The national average has increased for 24 straight
days, hitting $3.82 per gallon on Friday. Motorists in Connecticut, Illinois,
California, Hawaii and Alaska now pay more than $4 per gallon. A gallon of
regular cost an average of $3.979 in New York and $3.999 in Washington...'
PUSH
CONSUMER PRICES HIGHER...
Feds
Shut 6 Banks...
It's
2016: Dow's at 4000, gas prices sky-high: 'ATLAS SHRUGGED' hits the screen...
Will
Conservatives Make Film A Hit?
STUDY:
Nearly half of US meat tainted with drug-resistant bacteria...
Flashback: Updated 11/11/2008 09:19 PM NY1 Exclusive: Donald Trump Slams "Evil" Bush, Praises
Obama By: Dominic Carter 'If there's one thing certain about real estate
mogul Donald Trump, it's that he (like Charlie Sheen) likes to win (duh …
winning) ... even though he endorsed John McCain for president. "McCain,
really, that was almost an impossible situation," said Trump. Bush has
been so bad, maybe the worst president in the history of this country. He has
been so incompetent, so bad, so evil that I don't think any Republican could
have won.
During an exclusive interview with NY1 in his Midtown office on Fifth
Avenue, Trump slammed President George Bush's foreign policies.
"You know, you can be enemies with people, whether it's Iran, Iraq,
or anyplace else and you can still have dialogue. These people wouldn't even
talk with him. It's terrible," said Trump.
While he had harsh words for the outgoing president, he had a much
different opinion of President-elect Barack Obama.
"I think he has a chance to go down as a great president. Now, if
he's not a great president, this country is in serious trouble," said
Trump.
"I think [Obama's] going to lead through consensus," continued
Trump. "It's not going to be just a bull run like Bush did. He just did
whatever the hell he wanted. He'd go into a country, attack Iraq, which had
nothing to do with the World Trade Center and just do it because he wanted to
do it."
Trump was then asked if he ever thought he would see an African-American
president in his lifetime.
"They always said 100 years before a black man or woman could be
elected president. And the 100 years turned out to be, like, one year. He's
done an amazing job," said Trump.
An Associated Press GFK poll released Tuesday shows that a majority of
people share Trump's approval of Obama...'
trump:
'CARTER
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY'...
'BUSH
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY'...
'OBAMA
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY...
[ Clearly, like wobama, mobster trump is full
of his own s***! ]
'Black
Swan Dance Double: Filmmakers Are "Completely Lying" - In a new 20/20 interview
airing tonight (4/15/11), Natalie Portman's dance double from Black Swan...
Lane’s claim follows a March 23 L.A.
Times article in which Portman’s fiancé and Black
Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied said Lane’s work in the film was far
less significant. “There are articles now talking about her dance double
[American Ballet Theatre dancer Sarah Lane] that are making it sound like
[Lane] did a lot of the work, but really, she just did the footwork, and the
fouettés, and one diagonal [phrase] in the studio,” he said. “Honestly, 85
percent of that movie is Natalie.”
Lane disagrees. “The shots that are just her face with
arms, those shots are definitely Natalie,” she says. “But that doesn’t show the
actual dancing.” Lane admits that she was never promised a particular title for
her six weeks of work on the film, though she was disappointed to see that she
is credited only as as “Hand Model,” “Stunt Double,” and “Lady in the Lane” (a
brief walk-on role).
[ Give Lane a break! This in no way disparages nor diminishes Portman's
acting performance or the film which I found to be superb (which I attribute to
my own personal fascination with viewing female ballet dancing) though my pick
for Oscar was 'Inception' by Nolan. ]
[ Drudgereport: FADE:
OSCAR RATINGS DOWN 10% ...
Injury
Added to Insult... [ In terms of production value (rich in content in every
way), I believe this to be as good and in my view better than ever as award
ceremonies can be without the inimitable Bob Hope. I believe any falloff can be
directly attributable to last year the academy’s egregious misstep in
overlooking ‘Avatar’ / Cameron presaging a similar fate concerning my clear
choice of ‘Inception’ / Nolan ( Truth be told, I’ve yet to see ‘The King’s
Speech’ failing to muster any enthusiasm for seeing a film centered around a
‘so-called royal’ trying to over-come a speech impediment, albeit a minor one,
regardless of circumstances; viz., stuttering, though I would concede that it
was probably well done. We all know of the problems attendant to english royal
inbreeding…ho hum…) I did find ‘The Black Swan’ superb but attribute same to my
own bias and fascination with viewing female ballet dancing). Bob Hope: Academy Awards, ‘passover’ … very
funny! ]
2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA USA
March 17-19, 2011
Outstanding Wrestler - Anthony Robles, Arizona State, 125 lbs.
Team Standings - 3/20/2011
1 - 107.5 - Penn State
2 - 93.5 - Cornell
3 - 86.5 - Iowa
4 - 70.5 - Oklahoma State
5 - 65.0 - American
6 - 62.5 - Arizona State
7 - 61.0 - Minnesota
8 - 58.5 - Lehigh
9 - 57.5 - Boise State
10 - 54.5 - Wisconsin
11 - 44.0 - Stanford
12 - 43.5 - Nebraska
13 - 39.0 - Central Michigan
13 - 39.0 - Northwestern
15 - 38.5 - Michigan
16 - 38.0 - Oklahoma
17 - 37.0 - Kent State
18 - 35.5 - Maryland
19 - 35.0 - Missouri
20 - 31.5 - Iowa State
21 - 26.0 - Oregon
22 - 25.0 - Illinois
23 - 24.0 - Edinboro
23 - 24.0 - Virginia
25 - 23.5 - Indiana
26 - 22.0 - Hofstra
27 - 21.5 - Rutgers
28 - 21.0 - Wyoming
29 - 20.5 - Ohio State
30 - 18.5 - Utah Valley University
31 - 17.5 - Pennsylvania
32 - 17.0 - Cal Poly
33 - 16.0 - Virginia Tech
34 - 15.5 - Pittsburgh
35 - 12.5 - Harvard
36 - 11.5 - Bucknell
37 - 11.0 - Navy
37 - 11.0 - Old Dominion
39 - 9.0 - Buffalo
39 - 9.0 - Columbia
39 - 9.0 - Purdue
42 - 8.0 - Boston U
43 - 7.0 - Michigan State
43 - 7.0 - North Carolina
45 - 6.0 - Lock Haven
46 - 5.5 - Air Force
46 - 5.5 - Northern Iowa
48 - 5.0 - Clarion
48 - 5.0 - Duke
48 - 5.0 - Rider
51 - 4.5 - West Virginia
52 - 4.0 - North Carolina-Greensboro
52 - 4.0 - North Dakota State University
54 - 3.5 - Bloomsburg
54 - 3.5 - Northern Illinois
56 - 3.0 - Appalachian State
56 - 3.0 - Binghamton
56 - 3.0 - North Carolina State
56 - 3.0 - Ohio
60 - 2.0 - Drexel
60 - 2.0 - Northern Colorado
62 - 1.0 - Army
62 - 1.0 - Cal State Bakersfield
62 - 1.0 - Gardner-Webb
65 - 0.0 - Campbell
65 - 0.0 - Chattanooga
65 - 0.0 - Eastern Michigan
65 - 0.0 - Franklin & Marshall
65 - 0.0 - Liberty
65 - 0.0 - Millersville
65 - 0.0 - Princeton
65 - 0.0 - The Citadel
65 - 0.0 - VMI
MEDALISTS
Wt. 125
125 1st: Anthony Robles (Arizona State)
125 2nd: Matt McDonough (Iowa)
125 3rd: Brandon Precin (Northwestern)
125 4th: Ben Kjar (Utah Valley University)
125 5th: Zachary Sanders (Minnesota)
125 6th: Ryan Mango (Stanford)
125 7th: Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma)
125 8th: James Nicholson (Old Dominion)
Wt. 133
133 1st: Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State)
133 2nd: Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State)
133 3rd: Andrew Long (Penn State)
133 4th: Scotti Sentes (Central Michigan)
133 5th: Tyler Graff (Wisconsin)
133 6th: Mike Grey (Cornell)
133 7th: Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra)
133 8th: Bernard Futrell (Illinois)
Wt. 141
141 1st: Kellen Russell (Michigan)
141 2nd: Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly)
141 3rd: Michael Thorn (Minnesota)
141 4th: Montell Marion (Iowa)
141 5th: James Kennedy (Illinois)
141 6th: Todd Schavrien (Missouri)
141 7th: Zack Bailey (Oklahoma)
141 8th: Zack Kemmerer (Pennsylvania)
Wt. 149
149 1st: Kyle Dake (Cornell)
149 2nd: Frank Molinaro (Penn State)
149 3rd: Jason Chamberlain (Boise State)
149 4th: Ganbayar Sanjaa (American)
149 5th: Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State)
149 6th: Andrew Nadhir (Northwestern)
149 7th: Kevin LeValley (Bucknell)
149 8th: Derek Valenti (Virginia)
Wt. 157
157 1st: Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State)
157 2nd: David Taylor (Penn State)
157 3rd: Steve Fittery (American)
157 4th: Derek St. John (Iowa)
157 5th: Adam Hall (Boise State)
157 6th: Jason Welch (Northwestern)
157 7th: Bryce Saddoris (Navy)
157 8th: Walter Peppelman (Harvard)
Wt. 165
165 1st: Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska)
165 2nd: Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma)
165 3rd: Andrew Howe (Wisconsin)
165 4th: Colt Sponseller (Ohio State)
165 5th: Shane Onufer (Wyoming)
165 6th: Josh Asper (Maryland)
165 7th: Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh)
165 8th: Paul Gillespie (Hofstra)
Wt. 174
174 1st: Jonathan Reader (Iowa State)
174 2nd: Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford)
174 3rd: Edward Ruth (Penn State)
174 4th: Mack Lewnes (Cornell)
174 5th: Colby Covington (Oregon State)
174 6th: Christopher Henrich (Virginia)
174 7th: Mike Letts (Maryland)
174 8th: Ben Bennett (Central Michigan)
Wt. 184
184 1st: Quentin Wright (Penn State)
184 2nd: Robert Hamlin (Lehigh)
184 3rd: Grant Gambrall (Iowa)
184 4th: Steve Bosak (Cornell)
184 5th: Christopher Honeycutt (Edinboro)
184 6th: Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming)
184 7th: Travis Rutt (Wisconsin)
184 8th: Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota)
Wt. 197
197 1st: Dustin Kilgore (Kent State)
197 2nd: Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State)
197 3rd: Cam Simaz (Cornell)
197 4th: Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin)
197 5th: Luke Lofthouse (Iowa)
197 6th: Zack Giesen (Stanford)
197 7th: Sonny Yohn (Minnesota)
197 8th: Matt Powless (Indiana)
Wt. 285
285 1st: Zachery Rey (Lehigh)
285 2nd: Ryan Flores (American)
285 3rd: Dominque Bradley (Missouri)
285 4th: Jarod Trice (Central Michigan)
285 5th: Ricardo Alcala (Indiana)
285 6th: Spencer Myers (Maryland)
285 7th: Anthony Nelson (Minnesota)
285 8th: Levi Cooper (Arizona State)
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Penn State University math majors
were working during Saturday’s first session.
With the program’s first championship since 1953 within
reach, it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’, but ‘when.’
When Wisconsin’s Tyler Graff beat Cornell’s Mike Grey for
fifth place at 133 and PSU’s Andrew Long rallied to beat Central Michigan’s Scotti
Sentes for third at the same weight, the Nittany Lion lead was 102.5 to 88.5, a
14-point advantage ahead of Cornell.
Fittingly, when Penn State’s Ed Ruth and Cornell’s Mack
Lewnes didn’t end with a pin – in Lewnes’ favor – the team title was mathematically
clinched.
“This is a real tough tournament. Things go your way
sometimes and sometimes they don’t,” said second-year Nittany Lion coach Cael
Sanderson after Ruth’s victory against Lewnes. “You just have to want it and
you can see it the kids’ eyes before they wrestle. I really liked the way guys
wrestled this week.
“Our guys today did a great job. They made it really easy
for our guys in the finals. Now they can just focus on going out there and
chasing their dream.”
Ruth had to injury default his quarterfinal match to
Stanford’s Nick Amuchastegui on Friday morning. There was questions as to
whether he could come back.
Ruth, the No. 2 seed at 174, came back with a 7-6 win and
a 42-second pin on Friday night. After beating Virginia’s Chris Henrich, he finished
off Lewnes and Cornell.
“It’s a big honor [to clinch the team title],” Ruth said.
“I was thinking of my knee and all the things that could go wrong and all the
things that could go right.”
Added Sanderson, “To do that as freshman, to have that
kind of frustration and then come back to beat some tough kids, it really shows
a lot of who Ed Ruth is. Just really proud of him.”
The battle of attrition was all-but-decided on Friday
night when the Nittany Lions pushed three into the finals and the Big Red saw
Lewnes, third-seed Steve Bozak and No. 1 seed Cam Simaz lose back-to-back
semifinal matches.
PSU, Cornell, Iowa and Minnesota all finish with five
All-Americans with Oklahoma State and American leading a pack of 10 with three
apiece.
“This tournament is going to take five or six
All-Americans [to win],” said Oklahoma State coach John Smith before the
tournament. “And you have to have high All-Americans, a couple of guys in the
finals and two or three high finishers. If you have less than five you aren’t
going to have a chance.”
The Cowboys put two in the finals but only managed one
other All-American – 149-pounder Jamal Parks.
Penn State’s Frank Molinaro, David Taylor and Quentin
Wright still have a match to wrestle in the finals Saturday night. Sophomore
133-pounder Andrew Long bounced back from a semifinal loss to win two matches,
including a pin of Cornell’s Mike Grey Saturday morning. Long, a transfer from
Iowa State, lost in the 125-pound final in 2010 and finished third in 2011.
“(Long) has been a big part of this team,” Sanderson said.
“He brings intensity everyday, a good attitude to practice. He was a big
addition to our program.”
Iowa, winners of three consecutive team titles from 2008
to 2010, pushed just one to a final and saw Montell Marion, Derek St. John and
Grant Gambrall take fourth place.
The first
Utah Valley’s Ben Kjar finished fourth at 125 pounds. The senior dropped a 4-2
decision to top-seeded Anthony Robles of Arizona State in Friday’s semifinals.
After winning a bout Saturday morning, Kjar lost to Northwestern’s Brandon
Precin in the third-place match.
Kjar (30-8) is the first Division I All-American in
program history.
“I’m happy for the program,” said Penn State assistant
coach Cody Sanderson, who was the school’s first coach in 2003 when wrestling
was added. “It’s important for a young program like (Utah Valley) to have
All-Americans. It’s not easy at a place like that, it takes a lot of work.
“I’m very happy for (Kjar).”
Four-timer
American’s Steve Fittery finished his career as a four-time All-American, twice
in Division II for Shippensburg (Pa.) State and twice in DI for the Eagles. The
Pennsylvania native, who finished this season 33-1, took third at 157 after
beating Boise State’s Adam Hall and Iowa’s Dan St. John on Saturday.
Three-timers
Minnesota’s Zach Sanders, Northwestern’s Brandon Precin, Illinois’ James
Kennedy, Wisconsin’s Andrew Howe, Virginia’s Chris Henrich each picked up their
third All-America medal this week. Sanders, fifth at 125 pounds, and Howe,
third at 165 after winning the title in 2010, will be back for one more season.
The next one?
University of Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates announced his retirement earlier
this season. The Division II champion for Slippery Rock as a student-athlete in
1973 and Division I finalist in 1974 saw Jarrod Patterson, seventh at 125, and
Zack Bailey, seventh at 141, finish as All-Americans in his final season.
Spates will coach one last time on the big stage Saturday
night when Tyler Caldwell faces Nebraska’s Jordan Burroughs in the 165-pound
final.
Word around Philadelphia is that former world champion and
current assistant coach Sam Henson will take over the program which has won
seven NCAA championships, the last in 1974 under Stan Abel.
Iron Man Award(s)
Maryland heavyweight Spencer Myers lost a 9-7 overtime match to Indiana’s Ricky
Alcala in the first round on Thursday morning. The freshman from Selinsgrove,
Pa., came back to win five matches before falling to Missouri’s Dom Bradley in
the wrestleback semifinals.
Myers (30-11) wrestled seven matches in three days and
took home a sixth-place medal after falling to Alcala again in the fifth-place
match.
Northwestern 149-pounder Andrew Nadhir, the 11th seed, was
pinned by Lehigh’s Joey Napoli in the first round. Nadhir, a senior from
Michigan, had to go overtime to beat Pitt’s Dane Johnson in his first
wrestleback, and again against Wyoming’s Cole Dallaserra two rounds later, on
his march to a sixth-place showing.
Like Myers, Nadhir (34-7) wrestled seven matches in the
tournament, losing to Oklahoma State’s Jamal Parks in the fifth-place
contest. '
Inflation,
fueled by gas and food prices, adds to worry
Drudgereport: Obama
to Call for Higher Taxes...
DEFICIT
ROCKETS 16% IN FIRST HALF OF YEAR...
Inflation Actually 'Near 10%'...
IMF:
US 'lacks credibility' on debt...
Paper:
Obama’s Speech Most ‘Dishonest in Decades’ WSJ | Obama’s
toxic speech and even worse plan for deficits and debt.
Libya:
All About Oil, or All About Banking? I have never before heard of a central
bank being created in just a matter of weeks out of a popular uprising. This
suggests we have a bit more than a rag tag bunch of rebels running around and
that there are some pretty sophisticated influences.
Dow,
S&P inch up as growth questioned, Google off late (Reuters) Stocks that
outperform in a weak economy helped the Dow and S&P 500 eke out gains on
Thursday as concerns about faltering growth and inflation prompted investors to
seek out less volatile na...
Earnings
Help DJIA Turn a Bad Day Good [ Earnings? Are people dreaming …
blocking … repressing reality? Kaspar '… ... growth in earnings
have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
accounting profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...' ]
...
These following charts are from the St. Louis Federal Reserve:
Housing starts (last updated 3-16-11):
(Click to enlarge)
The Federal Deficit (last updated 2-17-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Federal Net Outlays (last updated 2-17-11):
(Click to enlarge)
State & Local Personal Income Tax Receipts (% Change from Year
Ago)(last updated 3-25-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Total Loans and Leases of Commercial Banks (% Change from Year Ago)(last
updated 4-11-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Bank Credit – All Commercial Banks (% Change from Year Ago)(last updated
4-11-11):
(Click to enlarge)
M1 Money Multiplier (last updated 4-7-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Median Duration of Unemployment (last updated 4-1-11):
(Click to enlarge)
This next chart is from the CalculatedRisk.com
blog post of 4-1-11, and it shows (in red) the relative length and depth of
this downturn and subsequent recovery from an employment perspective:
(Click to enlarge)
This last chart is of the Chicago Fed National Activity Index and it
depicts broad-based economic activity (last updated 3-21-11):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/14/saupload_cfnai_monthly_ma3_3_21_11.png
(Click to enlarge)
…' ]
Weekly
Unemployment Claims Suddenly Jump Higher Wall St.
Cheat Sheet 'The Department of Labor’s Unemployment
Insurance Weekly Claims Report was released this
morning for last week. The 27,000 increase in claims is on top of a 3,000
upward revision to the previous week’s claims. Here is the official statement
from the Department of Labor: …' [ Spare yourself their mindless b***
s***/statement. Do you know how many points on the dow, etc., that b.s. story
was good for... then there's the 'stopped looking fudge factor'. ] [ Worthless dollar, high
metals, high oil price rally on wall street … riiiiight! ] Trade
Data is Bleak: Exports Down, Imports Down, Growth Estimates Down
Dow,
S&P inch up as growth questioned, Google off late (Reuters) Stocks that
outperform in a weak economy helped the Dow and S&P 500 eke out gains on
Thursday as concerns about faltering growth and inflation prompted investors to
seek out less volatile na...
Earnings
Help DJIA Turn a Bad Day Good [ Earnings? Are people dreaming …
blocking … repressing reality? Kaspar '… ... growth in earnings
have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
accounting profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...' ]
Congress
OKs big budget cuts, bigger fights await (AP) [ Record? Come on! Wake up! In todays
evermore worthless dollars, and compared to the record, insurmountable debt?
They're dreamin'! Barely covers annual interest! ]AP - Congress sent President Barack Obama hard-fought
legislation cutting a record $38 billion from domestic spending on Thursday,
bestowing bipartisan support on the first major compromise between th...
'Perfect
Storm' Has Markets in Its Path
LIARS!
Goldman Sachs is the Next Barry BondsWall Street Cheat Sheet 'If you hate
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS),
you’ll love today’s news. A Senate subcommittee released a new report
showing how Goldman recommended four Collateralized Debt Obligations — Hudson,
Anderson, Timberwolf, and Abacus — to its clients without “fully disclosing key
information about those products,” or Goldman’s opinions of the securities.
To make matters worse for the firm some people describe as a “Vampire
Squid“, Sen. Carl Levin said the Senators also found new evidence
proving Goldman Sachs’ (NYSE:GS)
executives including CEO Lloyd Blankfein may have perjured themselves
during Congressional testimony given last year. Move over Barry Bonds. Steroid
use didn’t abet the collapse of the US economy.
Goldman isn’t the only high profile bank (NYSE:XLF)
on the coals. Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB)
committed the same scams and Washington
Mutual (NYSE:JPM)
“knowingly underwrote mortgages of questionable value despite warnings from
their chief credit officer.”
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)
already agreed to pay $550 million to settle civil fraud charges over similar
accusations. So, they can’t be squeaky clean. And we all know
Congress is looking for more blood, so I think Blankfein and friends
better be taking notes on how everything plays out with Barry Bonds.
Goldman may also consider spending
less time issuing bearish analyst notes on Oil and more on the operation in
their own building.'
Barry
Bonds Faces Jail Time While Wall Street Execs Sit Pretty Touryalai ' …
Yesterday, the Senate’s
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released the findings of a 2-year investigation
around Wall Street’s bad behavior leading up the financial crisis. The
report concluded that Wall Street firms contaminated the U.S. financial system
with toxic mortgages and engaged in conflicts of interest.Goldman Sachs’
behavior was especially egregious according to the report, and Senator Carl
Levin wants everyone to know it.In fact, he hopes to see the “great vampire
squid” face criminal charges for allegedly lying in its
2010 testimony before Congress.“In my judgment, Goldman clearly misled
their clients and they misled the Congress,” he said.So now, Levin plans to
refer that testimony to the Department of Justice (which has the power to bring
criminal charges) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (which has
authority to bring civil charges and fines and already did against Goldman when it settled
for $550 million.)But will Levin’s threats amount to any criminal action
against Goldman? Probably not.First, it seems like Levin isn’t even going after
Goldman for any of its actual business activity rather he’s accusing the firm’s
executives like CEO Lloyd
Blankfein of lying before Congress. Here’s the problem with that: the
question and answer session between Senators and executives during the
testimony was so incredibly rife with unclarity and so confusing that it would
be hard to accuse the executives of willingly giving false answers.Bill Singer, a veteran Wall
Street securities lawyer and Forbes contributor says the senators’ questions
were so tactless and fuzzy that they allowed for extremely indirect answers by
executives. Singers says the testimony made him “wince” when he heard the
“incompetent” Congress members deliver speeches and follow them up with inept
questions...' Former
fund manager charged (Washington Post) [ Joseph F. Skowron III accused of insider trading. Drudgereport: Senate
panel slams Goldman in scathing crisis report... (Goldman clearly misled
their clients and they misled Congress … referring this matter to the Justice
Department and to the SEC)
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding.
Exhibit one: The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, or CAPE.
This is not a “fad” valuation metric. CAPE dates back to 1871, offering
140 years worth of data, during which time, the mean price-to-earnings ratio is
16.
According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the
late 1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble …
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of
investors in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as
a few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
U.S.
Consumer Credit Puts Markets and Economy on Notice Alexandre 'I often see
money supply as the headline when pointing to inflationary pressures building
up in the system, but the supply of anything is not very meaningful unless it
is being consumed. If I attend a party and the host drops 12 bottles of the
finest wine on my lap, I will not get drunk unless I consume the mind-altering
juice.
Apparently the effects of the Fed’s Quantitative Easing – or "money
printing," if one wishes – are muted at best, and the so-called runaway
inflation is not taking shape, although the recent oil spike is only now
impacting retail food prices – mostly vegetables, fruit, and dairy -- and has
added a few percentage points to daily staples. I am aware of this because I do
most of the household food shopping and can recite the current prices of a
number of items, and what they were last December, although aggressive sales on
a variety of items continue to take place to attract a shrinking consumer’s
wallet. However, more pronounced deflationary pressures continue to erode the
savings tied to real estate – the largest asset for most Americans – and will
not end anytime soon.
U.S. trade balance figures were best summarized by Reuters,
and came on the heels of the first Chinese trade balance negative quarter since
2004:
U.S. imports and exports fell in February, prompting analysts to cut
again their forecasts for U.S. economic growth in early 2011 and showing signs
of a slowing in the global recovery. The trade gap totaled $45.8 billion and
was down 2.6 percent from January as imports fell faster than exports, even as
oil prices hit their highest level since October 2008, the Commerce Department
said on Tuesday.
U.S. retail sales delivered a mixed and weak picture, due to the high
price of gasoline with 0.4% growth and 0.8% core, while previous numbers were
revised up — February from 0.3% to 0.7%, and March’s sales increased to 1.1%
from 1.0%. However, auto sales shrunk 1.7%, which brings us to consumer credit
and how the data series is building an uneasy picture of divergence between
reality and expectations. Even if one is to assume that the Fed’s quantitative
easing had a hand in credit expansion, the impact was negligible and is already
fading before the program ends.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/14/765325-130278941172719-Carlos-X--Alexandre.png
Revolving credit includes credit cards, or the daily financial bread and
butter for most consumers. Non-revolving is defined by the Federal Reserve
Board in its release
as including “automobile loans and all other loans not included in revolving
credit, such as loans for mobile homes, education, boats, trailers, or
vacations. These loans may be secured or unsecured.”
For the record, consumer credit expanded virtually non-stop between 1943
and 2008, then dropped precipitously into last year. Now we are observing an
expansion of non-revolving, a resumption of a contraction in the revolving
category, and total consumer credit displaying a little bounce and starting to
descend again. Residential mortgages and home equity lines of credit are not
tracked by the Fed in this report, but we know that tale from other sources.
But let’s stop a second and take a look at the non-revolving story. Of
the seven types — and you can see them in the release — only “Federal
Government” increased, while the other six decreased. Why? Student loans. That
type of credit, although helpful to those seeking an education, is not
contributing to the traditional economic engine, and without student loans,
consumer credit would have been short by $9 billion – and an overall
contraction.
One very interesting piece of data in the report is the “Loan-to-Value
Ratio” for new car loans at auto finance companies; I see it as a little window
into consumers’ demeanor. Where in 2006 the consumer was financing 94% of
value, the latest reading shows a huge decline to 80% – larger cash down
payments – and that is a screaming reflection of consumers’ attitudes toward
debt. The table below shows that, with the exception of the “Loan-to-Value
Ratio,” not much has changed between 2006 and today.
New Car Loans by Auto Finance Companies |
2006 |
2011 |
Interest Rate |
4.99% |
4.73% |
Loan Maturity |
63 months |
62.3 months |
Loan-to-Value Ratio |
94% |
80% |
Amount Financed |
$26,620 |
$26,673 |
Joe and Mary Consumer are extremely conservative about their money, and
no longer splurge without a second thought. Going forward, consumer attitudes
have changed considerably, are here to stay, and are not priced in the markets.
The fallout will be felt for a very long time, and for those who state that the
American consumer is not that important in a global sense, time will tell – and
the cracks are already showing...'
10
Scary Charts: A 'Post-Recession' Economy Wake Up Call Kavadas 'I find the
following 10 charts to be disturbing. These charts would be disturbing at any
point in the economic cycle; that they depict such a tenuous situation now – 21
months after the official (as per the 9-20-10 NBER announcement) June 2009 end
of the recession – is especially notable.
These charts raise a lot of questions. As well, they highlight the
"atypical" nature of our economic situation from a long-term
historical perspective. I regularly discuss many troubling characteristics of
our economy in this EconomicGreenfield.com blog.
All of these charts (except one, as noted) are from the Federal Reserve,
and represent the most recently updated data.
These following charts are from the St. Louis Federal Reserve:
Housing starts (last updated 3-16-11):
(Click to enlarge)
The Federal Deficit (last updated 2-17-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Federal Net Outlays (last updated 2-17-11):
(Click to enlarge)
State & Local Personal Income Tax Receipts (% Change from Year
Ago)(last updated 3-25-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Total Loans and Leases of Commercial Banks (% Change from Year Ago)(last
updated 4-11-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Bank Credit – All Commercial Banks (% Change from Year Ago)(last updated
4-11-11):
(Click to enlarge)
M1 Money Multiplier (last updated 4-7-11):
(Click to enlarge)
Median Duration of Unemployment (last updated 4-1-11):
(Click to enlarge)
This next chart is from the CalculatedRisk.com
blog post of 4-1-11, and it shows (in red) the relative length and depth of
this downturn and subsequent recovery from an employment perspective:
(Click to enlarge)
This last chart is of the Chicago Fed National Activity Index and it
depicts broad-based economic activity (last updated 3-21-11):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/14/saupload_cfnai_monthly_ma3_3_21_11.png
(Click to enlarge)
I will update these charts on an intermittent basis as they deserve
close monitoring ...'
Bretton
Woods II-attendee Joseph Stiglitz advocates global reserve currency RT
| Fmr. World Bank Chief Economist says the US dollar as the reserve currency is
hurting the entire world.
More Americans
leaving workforce USA Today | Only 45.4% of Americans had
jobs in 2010, the lowest rate since 1983.
Jobless
Claims Unexpectedly Rise; Inflation Pressure Grows CNBC |
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a seasonally
adjusted 412,000, the Labor Department said.
Goldman
Sachs misled Congress after duping clients, Senate panel chairman says
Bloomberg | Goldman Sachs misled clients and Congress about
the firm’s bets on securities tied to the housing market.
Change:
Percent Of Americans Working Lowest Since Reagan The share of the
population that is working fell to its lowest level last year since women
started entering the workforce in large numbers three decades ago, a USA TODAY
analysis finds.
National / World
Alex Jones:
We’re Not Your Slaves! Infowars | Alex takes a call from a
chicago women who says the school system there has been corrupt for many years.
SWAT
Attacks Home School Mom for Refusing to Force Med Child Kurt Nimmo
| CPS works with SWAT team to grab home schooled child for refusing to take
dangerous drug Risperdal.
TSA
Gropes 8-Year Old Boy, In Front Of Outraged Mother Steve Watson
| Ms Shehan quickly grabbed her camera and took photos to document the
incident.
Red
Pill Review: Police State 4 – The Rise of FEMA William Walbut
| This review from our Red Pill Documentaries page covers Police State 4-The
Rise of FEMA.
Banks
Face $3.6 Trillion ‘Wall’ of Debt: IMF Reuters | The
world’s banks face a $3.6 trillion “wall of maturing debt” in the next two
years.
Globalists
Positioned to Exploit Japan’s Tragedy Tony Cartalucci |
America couldn’t offer Japan much help even if they wanted to.
New
World Powers Push for End of Dollar Dominance Reuters |
The BRICS group of emerging-market powers kept up the pressure on Thursday for
a revamped global monetary system that relies less on the dollar
Paper:
Obama’s Speech Most ‘Dishonest in Decades’ WSJ | Obama’s
toxic speech and even worse plan for deficits and debt.
Libya:
All About Oil, or All About Banking? I have never before heard of a central
bank being created in just a matter of weeks out of a popular uprising. This
suggests we have a bit more than a rag tag bunch of rebels running around and
that there are some pretty sophisticated influences.
Busby:
400,000 to develop cancer in 200 km radius of Fukushima Engineers at
Japan’s Fukushima plant continue work on emptying highly radioactive water from
one of the nuclear reactors. The latest tests show that radiation levels in the
sea near the damaged facility have spiked.
Drudgereport: BUCHANAN:
Obama blows up the bridge...
Tiny Tim (geithner): YOU
WILL GIVE ME MORE MONEY
OBAMA
CALLS NEW TAXES 'SPENDING REDUCTIONS IN TAX CODE'...
RYAN:
'Dramatically inaccurate,' 'hopelessly inadequate'...
CANTOR: Raising
taxes 'is not the answer'...
Obama's
Support Among Poor Drops to All-time Low...
Left's
angst grows over president's 'shift to center'...
Pentagon
Warns Obama Against Deeper Defense Cuts ... (And where is it going to come from
... I've said before, and it's still true today, that we've already had in
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, war crimes nation america a defacto coup
d'etat) ...
GOOGLE: IT'S A MISS
BANKS FACE $3,600,000,000,000 IN DEBT
(and then there's the trillions in worthless, paper, toxic assets / securities
that are being carried 'new FASB rule change defacto bankrupt american
style)...
RISE
OF NEW WORLD POWER[WITHOUT USA]...
SHOCK:
CBO Says Budget Deal Will Cut Spending by Only $352 Million...
Libya
Rebels in 'hopeless disarray'...
Seek
$2 Billion Loan...
NATO short of planes...
Senate
panel slams Goldman in scathing crisis report... (...Goldman clearly
misled their clients and they misled Congress … referring this matter to the
Justice Department and to the SEC … )
NBC:
Rev. Jesse Jackson Subject of Gay Harassment Complaint...
Duke lacrosse rape accuser
faces more charges...
Man
Mangum accused of stabbing dies...
JOBLESS CLAIMS RISE; INFLATION PRESSURE
GROWS...
Suicide
Rates Rise...
Consumers Hardest Hit by Oil Shock...
NEW
WORLD POWERS PUSH FOR END OF DOLLAR DOMINANCE...
New
York, San Diego no longer have white majorities...
BUCHANAN:
Obama blows up the bridge... "Rather than building bridges, he's poisoning
wells," said Rep. Paul Ryan, after listening to Barack Obama's scathing
attack on his deficit-reduction plan as a shredding of America's social
contract with the elderly and poor.
Ryan is right. Yet, with Obama's partisan savagery, virtually calling
the GOP plan immoral, we have clarity.
There will be no grand bipartisan bargain on taxes and spending.
The two parties on Capitol Hill and the president will not be coming
together to solve the gravest financial and fiscal crisis America has faced
since the Great Depression. Between them today is a high wall and a deep ditch.
The heart of the Ryan plan is to turn Medicaid into block grants to the states, so each can decide for itself how best
to use the funds, and to convert Medicare into a program
where the U.S. government would provide citizens with the funds and freedom to
chose whatever health insurance they wished to buy.
Obama denounced both.
But if the Republican Medicare and Medicaid proposals are dead on
arrival in Harry Reid's Senate and Obama's White House, Obama's plan to raise
taxes is equally lifeless.
On MSNBC's "Morning Joe," this writer asked Grover Norquist of
Americans for Tax Reform exactly how many GOP members of the House had taken
his pledge not to raise taxes.
His response: "The commitment that 235 Republican members of the
House and 40 Republicans in the Senate have signed is the Taxpayer Protection
Pledge – it says no raising taxes. So, taxes are off the table."
Seems clear. But if virtually every GOP member of the House and 40 GOP
senators have signed a pledge not to raise taxes, how can they dishonor that
pledge?
How could they agree to raise the top U.S. income tax rate back up to
the 40 percent of the Bill Clinton era, as Obama demands, then go home and tell
voters they had no choice, that to get a deal with Reid and Obama they had to
let the government take a larger share of the income of American citizens?
They cannot.
Put bluntly, a vote by a Republican House to raise taxes as part of a
big budget deal would be an act of collective suicide by the party of Speaker
John Boehner.
And the Democrats?
With the exception of the civil rights acts of the 1960s, no programs
are more hallowed in party mythology than Medicare, Medicaid and Social
Security.
Are Democrats, after the "shellacking" of 2010, going to go
home and tell their constituents they voted to cut Medicaid benefits?
Are they going to tell the old folks of the Greatest Generation and the
Silent Generation and the retiring baby boomers that Medicare in the future
will not be as generous as it has been in the past, that we are going to have
to start rationing their health care?
The new Republican governors – Scott Walker in Wisconsin,
John Kasich in Ohio, Chris Christie in New Jersey, Tom Corbett in Pennsylvania
– all have resisted raising taxes, as has Andrew Cuomo, Democrat of New York,
who enjoys remarkably high poll numbers for the times we live in.
The praise these governors are receiving, even when embattled, has also
steeled the spine of congressional Republicans against any tax increase.
But if Democrats are not going to do even minor surgery on Medicare and
Medicaid and Republicans are not going to raise taxes, there is no hope of big
budget deal to cut a deficit now running at 11 percent of gross domestic
product.
And that raises another question.
How long can the Federal Reserve continue financing
these deficits?
China, choking on U.S. debt, is reportedly beginning to divest itself of
U.S. bonds. Japan will need to sell U.S. bonds to get hard currency to repair
the damage from the earthquake and tsunami. And the Fed is about to end its QE2
monthly purchases of $100 billion in U.S. bonds.
Where is the Fed going to borrow the $125 billion a month to finance this year's deficit of $1.65 trillion, and another of
comparable size in 2012?
Bill Gross' Pimco, the world's largest bond fund, has sold all his U.S.
bonds and begun to short U.S. debt. Pimco is betting that the value of U.S.
Treasury bonds will begin to fall.
We may be about to enter a maelstrom.
No big budget deal is brokered. The deficit endures, and another looms
in 2012. To finance them, the Fed borrows at the rate of $30 billion a week
wherever it can.
But as countries begin to choke on U.S. debt, the
market starts to dry up. To attract investors, the Fed must raise interest
rates, which sends bond prices sinking and forces interest rates up across the
economy.
With interest rates rising, gas prices rising and inflation rising, the
squeeze is on, and there is talk of a double-dip recession.
And if that happens, Obama is toast. But, then, so are we.'
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years, equity valuations are the 2nd largest bubble
in U.S. history... the cause and the potential ramifications of this are astounding.
Exhibit one: The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, or CAPE.
This is not a “fad” valuation metric. CAPE dates back to 1871, offering
140 years worth of data, during which time, the mean price-to-earnings ratio is
16.
According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
… bubbles turn a believable story/trend into an overvaluation. In the 1700s
during the South Sea Bubble...Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the late
1800s ... In the 1920s, a bubble … A
similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention of
investors in the 1990s ...
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average
... the market is stretching this reversion greater than 2000 and
2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
... growth in earnings have been artificially manufactured...
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which the
projections are based are non-sustaining... same overvaluation situation as a
few years ago … nothing fixed ...'
Inflation,
fueled by gas and food prices, adds to worry
GE
Not Repaying Tax Refund; AP Duped by Phony Press Release
AT&T,
T-Mobile file merger application (Washington Post) [ I believe the simplest
test to be best here; viz., 'if att wants it, it's got to be anti-competitive'.
Why? Because even the simplest tasks, ie., land / long lines, etc., are beyond the capability and competence of
this 'can't do' , mob-infested jersey / bushland texas regressive company;
hence, their need, their hankering for monopoly power. Of course, monopoly is
ingrained in the history of att and telecommunications thrived and advanced on
their breakup. Quite simply, att can't compete on a level playing field … it's
their story! Merger
a disconnect for consumers (Washington Post) [ Yeah!
True enough! I had to drop my land line (att/sbc – jersey/bushland) which I
kept for the public listing and which became disfunctional / unusable to the
point where it was impacting my DSL line; both of which I dropped in favor of
MagicJack (I recommend it) and Time Warner Cable / Internet (also better). Deal
to combine AT&T, T-Mobile raises questions (AP)
[Questions? Is that all? att / sbc is a horribly managed company that can't
even do the simplest things well; ie., land lines and dsl thereby, my direct
experience. We've seen this all before. When they can't do, they go monopoly
bigger with disasterous results. This is an old story with a familiar ending. AP
- AT&T's surprise announcement that it plans to acquire T-Mobile USA will
force federal regulators to confront a difficult antitrust question: Can
American consumers get good wireless service at a ... ] OPINION | Your
choice for wireless service would get smaller should AT&T carry out its
plan to buy T-Mobile USA. ] Firm confident it will win over regulators to its bid
to buy T-Mobile USA, even as critics continue to bash the deal. Here's that other story of what's
'unsaid' being very costly to the nation :
On
NBC, the missing story about GE
(Washington Post) [ Ya think! … Seriously though, this is as important a
story as can be since these scenarios have been a significant problem for the
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. for quite some time... (0 taxes
paid)'
] A call by lawmakers for a careful review
of AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile is really more code language for
something else, analysts say. ]
Libya:
Increased Airstrikes, Ground Troops, Contractors, Civilians Killed, Deadly DU
Munitions – Can We Call This A War Yet? The globalist
coalition refers to it as ‘kinetic military action’, yet as more civilians are
killed in NATO bombings, and with experts adamant that deadly Depleted Uranium
weapons are being used by Western forces, the conflict in Libya looks a hell of
a lot like the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq all over again.
63
percent of people killed in Iraq war were civilians: report Xinhua | U.S.-led wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan have been causing huge civilian casualties.
Retail
Sales Miss ExpectationsWall St. Cheat Sheet On
Wednesday April 13, 2011, 9:40 am EDT 'The U.S.
Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and
food services sales for March, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday
and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $389.3 billion, an
increase of 0.4 percent from the previous month, and 7.1 percent above March
2010. Analysts were expecting a rise of 0.5 percent.
Total sales for the January through March 2011 period were up 8.1
percent from the same period a year ago. The January to February 2011
percent change was revised from +1.0 percent to +1.1 percent.
Retail trade sales were up 0.3 percent from February 2011, and 7.3
percent above last year. Gasoline stations sales were up 16.7 percent from
March 2010 and nonstore retailers sales were up 12.4 percent from last year.
Obviously, inflating Oil (NYSE:USO)
prices are adding to gross revenues for gasoline sales. So, although retail
sales are up for the ninth month in a row, drilling down to the details shows a
weakening trend. If we strip out gas station sales, retail sales were up a
very small 0.1%.
Motor vehicles sales dropped 1.7%. Nevertheless, Toyota Motor
Corporation (NYSE:TM)
is up 1.3%, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)
is up 0.4%, General Motors (NYSE:GM)
is up 0.3%, and Honda Motor Company (NYSE:HMC)
is up over 3%.'
chart http://wallstcheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/March-Retail-Sales.png
Inflation,
fueled by gas and food prices, adds to worry
GE
Not Repaying Tax Refund; AP Duped by Phony Press Release
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar [ Give
this man a cigar ... he gets it right! ] Originally Posted on GoldShark.com 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years (both in terms of the markets and the general
economy), equity valuations are now approaching the second largest bubble in
United States history, surpassed only by the technology bubble.
Both the cause and the potential ramifications of this development are
astounding.
Exhibit one: The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, or CAPE.
This is not a “fad” valuation metric. CAPE dates back to 1871, offering
140 years worth of data, during which time, the mean price-to-earnings ratio is
16.
According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%. In
United States History, only the tech bubble was bigger than what we are
experiencing today.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
Historically, bubbles turn a believable story and a trend into an
overvaluation. In the 1700s during the South Sea Bubble, the mania driving the
bubble was the seemingly endless wealth and prosperity of the New World.
Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the late 1800s as America became
connected from the east coast to the west coast. In the 1920s, a bubble formed
on belief in the newly formed League of Nations (world peace), and more
importantly, the society-changing impact of the automobile.
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention
of investors in the 1990s as the prospect of a virtual marketplace would
forever globalize commerce. Every bubble has a story, whether it be tulips or
inventions or some other craze.
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average. (Two
notes: a. the chart from Bloomberg fails to insert the word ‘projected’; Robert
Shiller references this chart in this Bloomberg
article. b. the 10-year average is the cyclically adjusted price to
earnings ratio).
Considering the power of mean reversion, the market is stretching this
reversion greater than 2000 and 2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
Another question. Could the growth in earnings have been artificially
manufactured?
To quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “Let me count the ways.”
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining, and non-market driven. Brilliant.
Again, I am left wondering how it is possible to find ourselves in the same
overvaluation situation as a few years ago especially considering
nothing has been resolved to actually fix the world’s economic system.
A parting thought: according to research
conducted by the Duke University Medical Center, it would seem that even
monkeys are capable of learning from their mistakes. Why can’t we?'
Normalcy Bias and Crisis: A quirk of the human condition is for the mind to desire normalcy so
intensely as to consciously or subconsciously disregard knowledge that is
disruptive to a pre-conditioned reality. This phenomenon is an important part
of crisis management and market psychology. The consequence of a normalcy bias
is that warning signs of a potential crisis go unnoticed or are interpreted
optimistically...'
When a crisis occurs people are so overwhelmed by events inconsistent
with a desired reality they lose their ability to make decisions. Researchers
believe when the mind encounters an entirely new experience or event it
attempts to match that reality to relevant experiences from the past. If there
are no matching experiences the mind enters into a kind of feedback loop
resulting in passivity. This lack of action as a response to risk is called
negative panic1 and it culminates in a dangerous inability to act assertively
in crisis. In essence, the psyche struggles to come to terms with what is
really happening. Paralysis follows. ( Interestingly, I believe this to be a
more apt description of the Japanese reaction in this earthquake / tsunami
induced nuclear crisis. )
He then goes on to discuss how the normalcy bias can lead investors to
ignore looming threats, which in turn can lead to "a cancellation of
short-term volatility risk premium that should otherwise exist." This new Negative
Volatility Regime is defined by:
1. Large declines in spot volatility: The past nine
months have shown an unusually high number of large declines in spot volatility
(realized and implied) that are of a much higher magnitude and length than what
has been observed historically. As a result of these large declines, the VIX
index and short-term realized volatility are below historic averages;
2. Abnormally steep volatility curve: The manifestation
of an abnormally steep volatility curve (as a % of spot volatility) with a
linear shape that more closely resembles a glacial cliff as opposed to the more
traditional desert plateau (see chart);
3. Underperformance of Variance Hedges: Low
volatility-of-volatility on the back of the variance term-structure results in
the underperformance of out-of-the-money options and variance as a hedge
against market declines;
4. High Volatility Skew: High levels of volatility skew
for far out-of-the-money options showing increased likelihood of large declines
in equity prices.
The article has a detailed discussion and great graphs representing the
shape of the volatility structure. The full report can be accessed at: Artemis
Q1 2011_Is Volatility Broken. (It is posted with permission.)'
[ If only gas prices
were the only reasons for concern regarding
the so-called recovery:
Weisenthal On Tuesday April 12, 2011, 1:02 pm EDT
‘Dear investors.You’ve had an amazing run since March 2009.
Maybe it’s time to get a little nervous. In addition to all kinds of
dicey headlines — Japan (NYSE:EWJ),
the Mideast, etc. –the economic data is starting to add up, and look like a
slowdown.
You can see it in business confidence, headline GDP, and certain aspects
of employment. Some previously hot industries are clearly starting to fade.
Case Shiller Is Showing The Housing Double Dip Getting Worse
Small Business Confidence Is Suddenly Turning Lower
Image: NFIB
Q1 GDP estimates have been getting slashed
Image: Wikimedia Commons
After starting off at 4%, estimates
for GDP are now in some cases below 4%.
Durable goods have been weak Las
Vegas gaming revenue has suddenly turned south again.
Image: WilWheaton on flickr
Oil prices have pushed the economy to the breaking point
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4da466804bd7c84422020000-547/markets-are-stalling-out.jpg
Markets are stalling out The age of cheap money is going away
With inflation on the rise, basically everything things QE2 is toast.
Austerity warnings from the UK
Image: Twitpic
In London, where fiscal tightening is further along than here, it’s
having a clear effect on consumer spending. That’s coming to the US, too.’
Yield
Curve Appears to Be Flattening. Is Recession on the Way? The Hard
Trade 'Slowly and quietly, spreads
of the 2-10 year Treasuries decided not to blow out and instead have started
coming back. What does it mean that in a world of increasing rates, we’re
getting a flattening yield curve?
Here’s the 10 year yield (click to enlarge):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/30/saupload_10yryld.png
Edging up slightly recently, and certainly not contracting. On the flip
side, look at the 2-10 spread (click to enlarge):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/30/saupload_2_10_yr.png
A few short months ago, hyper-inflationists were warning that this
spread, which hit high after high, would blow out as inflation took hold,
became rampant, and we’d be back to the middle ages. I was never in that camp,
and while we see some inflationary pressures building, I think the main risk
remains deflation as real estate, unemployment, etc. will drag down the
consumer.
Regardless, the 2-10 spread has come back from the brink and the curve
is now flattening. I don’t know which way we go from here, but my analysis is
still that rates are headed higher on an absolute level and the flattening
yield curve supports my view that a recession or worse could be on the way.
It’s a bad combination to have higher rates, deflation of stores of wealth, and
a government with no ability to provide future fiscal and monetary stimulus.'
Taxpayers
foot $850M bill for Wall St.’s pension fees NY
Post
Sideways
Action Boots S&P 500 Below 50 Day Moving Average
Survey:
Big Money Managers Preparing For Inflation, Rise In Oil
March
Retail Sales Show a Slight Decline in Real Terms
Why
is the Federal Reserve giving $220 million in bailout money to two wives of
Morgan Stanley bigwigs? Matt Taibbi | America has two
national budgets, one official, one unofficial.
Big
banks are government-backed: Fed’s Hoenig Reuters | Big
banks like BoA and Citigroup should be reclassified as government-sponsored
entities and have their activities restricted.
Ken
Salazar: GOP has ‘amnesia’ about oil spill Politico |
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday that Republicans have a “sense of
amnesia” about last year’s Gulf of Mexico spill.
National / World
63
percent of people killed in Iraq war were civilians: report Xinhua | U.S.-led wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan have been causing huge civilian casualties.
Busted:
TSA lied about promise to not pat-down children Aaron Dykes
| TSA has defended the groping of 6 year-old girl, saying it followed policy.
Yet in Nov. 2010, TSA vowed no ‘enhanced’ pat-downs for children.
Congress
once again trying to push unconstitutional internet sales taxes Republican
Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming first tried it and failed in 2007, and now he and
Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin from Illinois are together trying it again.
Drudgereport: Tiny Tim (geithner): YOU
WILL GIVE ME MORE MONEY
OBAMA
CALLS NEW TAXES 'SPENDING REDUCTIONS IN TAX CODE'...
RYAN:
'Dramatically inaccurate,' 'hopelessly inadequate'...
CANTOR: Raising
taxes 'is not the answer'...
Obama's
Support Among Poor Drops to All-time Low...
Left's
angst grows over president's 'shift to center'...
Pentagon
Warns Obama Against Deeper Defense Cuts ... (And where is it going to come from
... I've said before, and it's still true today, that we've already had in
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, war crimes nation america a defacto coup
d'etat) ...
RISE
OF NEW WORLD POWER[WITHOUT USA]...
SHOCK:
CBO Says Budget Deal Will Cut Spending by Only $352 Million...
Senate
panel slams Goldman in scathing crisis report... (...Goldman clearly misled their clients and they
misled Congress … referring this matter to the Justice
Department and to the SEC … )
CHICAGOLAND:
Blago Calls Out Rahm... ..."If the government has their way, my
lawyers cannot ask questions about the last conversation I had less than
10 hours before I was arrested, with my deputy governor, when I told him my
chief of staff told me, that Rahm Emanuel said that pending Barack Obama's
approval, he agreed to be the go-between between me and [Illinois House
Speaker] Mike Madigan [and] I would appoint Madigan's daughter the senator in
exchange for passing a public works bill that would put thousands of people to
work, healthcare expansion for working families so they can afford the high
cost of seeing a doctor, and a written promise -- a guarantee in writing -- not
to raise income taxes on the people of Illinois."He held a similar press event about a year ago, just prior
to the start of his first trial."I'm here today to
issue a challenge," a
visibly upset Blagojevich said last April 20. "I challenge Mr.
Fitzgerald. Why don't you show up in court tomorrow and explain to everybody.
Explain to the whole world. Why you don't want those tapes that you made played
in court. I'll be in court tomorrow. I hope you're man enough to be in court
too."Blagojevich has kept a low profile in recent
months, making the timing of his statement curious. Recall
that a little more than a year ago, he went on Bill O'Reilly's Fox program and danced
around a question as to whether Obama or Rahm Emanuel had any involvement in
the case to sell a U.S. Senate seat. Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/blagojevich-press-conference-119785689.html?12#ixzz1JSctCUNQ'
Stiglitz,
Soros, Summers try to remake global economy RT | George
Soros brought together the economic elite to take apart and remake world
finance.
Iceland
rejects hostile takeover attempt in national referendum John
Stratton | Iceland is the only country where the people have been
allowed to have a say in the matter.
Inflation,
fueled by gas and food prices, adds to worry
War
crime? U.S. Troops Fire on Iraqi Detainees (Video)
Aaron
Dykes | Shocking video has
surfaced from 2005 of U.S. troops firing on captive Iraqi detainees after a
riot.
IRS to
increase “pre-crime” enforcement Sovereign Man | Did you ever see Minority Report?
Libya:
Increased Airstrikes, Ground Troops, Contractors, Civilians Killed, Deadly DU
Munitions – Can We Call This A War Yet? The globalist coalition refers to
it as ‘kinetic military action’, yet as more civilians are killed in NATO
bombings, and with experts adamant that deadly Depleted Uranium weapons are
being used by Western forces, the conflict in Libya looks a hell of a lot like
the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq all over again. ]
Private firms have hired scores of top officers, partly to gain access
to intelligence contracting.
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar [ Give
this man a cigar ... he gets it right! ] Originally Posted on GoldShark.com 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years (both in terms of the markets and the general
economy), equity valuations are now approaching the second largest bubble in
United States history, surpassed only by the technology bubble.
Both the cause and the potential ramifications of this development are
astounding.
Exhibit one: The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, or CAPE.
This is not a “fad” valuation metric. CAPE dates back to 1871, offering
140 years worth of data, during which time, the mean price-to-earnings ratio is
16.
According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%. In
United States History, only the tech bubble was bigger than what we are
experiencing today.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
Historically, bubbles turn a believable story and a trend into an
overvaluation. In the 1700s during the South Sea Bubble, the mania driving the
bubble was the seemingly endless wealth and prosperity of the New World.
Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the late 1800s as America became
connected from the east coast to the west coast. In the 1920s, a bubble formed
on belief in the newly formed League of Nations (world peace), and more
importantly, the society-changing impact of the automobile.
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention
of investors in the 1990s as the prospect of a virtual marketplace would
forever globalize commerce. Every bubble has a story, whether it be tulips or
inventions or some other craze.
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average. (Two
notes: a. the chart from Bloomberg fails to insert the word ‘projected’; Robert
Shiller references this chart in this Bloomberg
article. b. the 10-year average is the cyclically adjusted price to
earnings ratio).
Considering the power of mean reversion, the market is stretching this
reversion greater than 2000 and 2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
Another question. Could the growth in earnings have been artificially
manufactured?
To quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “Let me count the ways.”
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining, and non-market driven. Brilliant.
Again, I am left wondering how it is possible to find ourselves in the same
overvaluation situation as a few years ago especially considering
nothing has been resolved to actually fix the world’s economic system.
A parting thought: according to research
conducted by the Duke University Medical Center, it would seem that even
monkeys are capable of learning from their mistakes. Why can’t we?'
Normalcy Bias and Crisis: A quirk of the human condition is for the mind to
desire normalcy so intensely as to consciously or subconsciously disregard
knowledge that is disruptive to a pre-conditioned reality. This phenomenon is
an important part of crisis management and market psychology. The consequence
of a normalcy bias is that warning signs of a potential crisis go unnoticed or
are interpreted optimistically...'
When a crisis occurs people are so overwhelmed by
events inconsistent with a desired reality they lose their ability to make
decisions. Researchers believe when the mind encounters an entirely new
experience or event it attempts to match that reality to relevant experiences
from the past. If there are no matching experiences the mind enters into a kind
of feedback loop resulting in passivity. This lack of action as a response to
risk is called negative panic1 and it culminates in a dangerous inability to
act assertively in crisis. In essence, the psyche struggles to come to terms
with what is really happening. Paralysis follows. ( Interestingly, I believe
this to be a more apt description of the Japanese reaction in this earthquake /
tsunami induced nuclear crisis. )
He then goes on to discuss how the normalcy bias can
lead investors to ignore looming threats, which in turn can lead to "a
cancellation of short-term volatility risk premium that should otherwise
exist." This new Negative Volatility Regime is defined
by:
1. Large declines in spot volatility:
The past nine months have shown an unusually high number of large declines in
spot volatility (realized and implied) that are of a much higher magnitude and
length than what has been observed historically. As a result of these large
declines, the VIX index and short-term realized volatility are below historic
averages;
2. Abnormally steep volatility curve:
The manifestation of an abnormally steep volatility curve (as a % of spot
volatility) with a linear shape that more closely resembles a glacial cliff as
opposed to the more traditional desert plateau (see chart);
3. Underperformance of Variance Hedges:
Low volatility-of-volatility on the back of the variance term-structure results
in the underperformance of out-of-the-money options and variance as a hedge
against market declines;
4. High Volatility Skew: High levels
of volatility skew for far out-of-the-money options showing increased
likelihood of large declines in equity prices.
The article has a detailed discussion and great
graphs representing the shape of the volatility structure. The full report can
be accessed at: Artemis
Q1 2011_Is Volatility Broken. (It is posted with permission.)'
[ If only gas prices were the only reasons for concern regarding the so-called recovery:
Weisenthal On Tuesday April 12, 2011, 1:02 pm EDT
‘Dear investors.You’ve had an amazing run since March
2009.
Maybe it’s time to get a little nervous. In addition
to all kinds of dicey headlines — Japan (NYSE:EWJ),
the Mideast, etc. –the economic data is starting to add up, and look like a
slowdown.
You can see it in business confidence, headline GDP,
and certain aspects of employment. Some previously hot industries are clearly
starting to fade.
Case Shiller Is Showing The Housing Double Dip
Getting Worse
Small Business Confidence Is Suddenly Turning
Lower
Image: NFIB
Q1 GDP estimates have been getting slashed
Image: Wikimedia Commons
After starting off at 4%, estimates
for GDP are now in some cases below 4%.
Durable goods have been weak Las Vegas gaming revenue has suddenly turned
south again.
Image: WilWheaton on flickr
Oil prices have pushed the economy to the breaking
point
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4da466804bd7c84422020000-547/markets-are-stalling-out.jpg
Markets are stalling out The age of cheap money is going away
With inflation on the rise, basically everything
things QE2 is toast.
Austerity warnings from the UK
Image: Twitpic
In London, where fiscal tightening is further along
than here, it’s having a clear effect on consumer spending. That’s coming to
the US, too.’
Yield
Curve Appears to Be Flattening. Is Recession on the Way? The Hard
Trade 'Slowly and quietly, spreads
of the 2-10 year Treasuries decided not to blow out and instead have started
coming back. What does it mean that in a world of increasing rates, we’re
getting a flattening yield curve?
Here’s the 10 year yield (click to enlarge):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/30/saupload_10yryld.png
Edging up slightly recently, and certainly not
contracting. On the flip side, look at the 2-10 spread (click to enlarge):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/30/saupload_2_10_yr.png
A few short months ago, hyper-inflationists were
warning that this spread, which hit high after high, would blow out as
inflation took hold, became rampant, and we’d be back to the middle ages. I was
never in that camp, and while we see some inflationary pressures building, I
think the main risk remains deflation as real estate, unemployment, etc. will
drag down the consumer.
Regardless, the 2-10 spread has come back from the
brink and the curve is now flattening. I don’t know which way we go from here,
but my analysis is still that rates are headed higher on an absolute level and
the flattening yield curve supports my view that a recession or worse could be
on the way. It’s a bad combination to have higher rates, deflation of stores of
wealth, and a government with no ability to provide future fiscal and monetary stimulus.'
Taxpayers
foot $850M bill for Wall St.’s pension fees NY
Post | New York City taxpayers are helping to pay $850 million in Wall
Street investment fees.
Equity
Valuations Are Forming the Second Biggest Bubble in U.S. History Kaspar [ Give
this man a cigar ... he gets it right! ] Originally Posted on GoldShark.com 'Despite the terrible economic
performance of the past ten years (both in terms of the markets and the general
economy), equity valuations are now approaching the second largest bubble in
United States history, surpassed only by the technology bubble.
Both the cause and the potential ramifications of this development are
astounding.
Exhibit one: The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, or CAPE.
This is not a “fad” valuation metric. CAPE dates back to 1871, offering
140 years worth of data, during which time, the mean price-to-earnings ratio is
16.
According
to Yale University’s Dr. Robert Shiller, the market is now 41% overvalued
according to this valuation metric. The only time the markets have been more
overvalued was a few brief months in 1929 and the tech bubble.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_cape_thumb1.png ]
Exhibit 2: The Q ratio, which measures total market value compared to
its replacement cost.
The Q-ratio data in the chart below dates back to 1900. According to the
data, the markets have now surpassed the 1929 peak valuation by over 8%. In
United States History, only the tech bubble was bigger than what we are experiencing
today.
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_q_ratio_thumb1.png ]
Historically, bubbles turn a believable story and a trend into an
overvaluation. In the 1700s during the South Sea Bubble, the mania driving the
bubble was the seemingly endless wealth and prosperity of the New World.
Railroading prospects induced a bubble in the late 1800s as America became
connected from the east coast to the west coast. In the 1920s, a bubble formed
on belief in the newly formed League of Nations (world peace), and more
importantly, the society-changing impact of the automobile.
A similar life-changing invention – the Internet – swept the attention
of investors in the 1990s as the prospect of a virtual marketplace would
forever globalize commerce. Every bubble has a story, whether it be tulips or
inventions or some other craze.
What is the story today? The prospect of inflation? High unemployment?
Exhibit 3: The gap between projected 12-month earnings against the
10-year average. (Two
notes: a. the chart from Bloomberg fails to insert the word ‘projected’; Robert
Shiller references this chart in this Bloomberg
article. b. the 10-year average is the cyclically adjusted price to
earnings ratio).
Considering the power of mean reversion, the market is stretching this
reversion greater than 2000 and 2007!
[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/12/saupload_gap_between_12_month_average_thumb1.png ]
Another question. Could the growth in earnings have been artificially
manufactured?
To quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “Let me count the ways.”
·
The change in
accounting rules for the financial sector by FASB has generated massive “false”
account profits beginning in 2009.
·
The extended (and
then further extended) unemployment benefits have kept an artificially higher
demand for consumer consumption. As a result, the US government has
artificially subsidized corporate profits.
·
The billions saved
through “free loading” by homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages yet
maintained their residence, thus living without a mortgage payment.
·
The artificially
suppressed interest rates.
So, not only do we have a valuation bubble, but the earnings on which
the projections are based are non-sustaining, and non-market driven. Brilliant.
Again, I am left wondering how it is possible to find ourselves in the same
overvaluation situation as a few years ago especially considering
nothing has been resolved to actually fix the world’s economic system.
A parting thought: according to research
conducted by the Duke University Medical Center, it would seem that even
monkeys are capable of learning from their mistakes. Why can’t we?'
The
Negative Volatility Regime: The Market's Disconnect From Global Turmoil The Hard
Trade [ A very interesting and important read / perspective; but I
believe he is far too kind, gentle, empathetic, and overly eager to
euphemistically explain the criminal fraud that continues even as I write. Indeed,
his explanation may fit for the more 'passive' market participants as they
watch these frauds unfold in the face of dire, contraindicated facts and circumstances. Yet he ignores the
reality in that we are talking about literally the criminally insane on wall
street. Forget not that huge amounts of money, in the trillions, have been
scammed through fraudulent means,
ignoring reality, and with wink and nod embracing the convenient,
glaringly inaposite non-truth. His explanation is analogous to trying posit
some rationale to the serial killer as such confronts a new victim. Moreover, I
also believe he ignores the role of modern-day technology, viz., complex
computer programming in facilitating these frauds, high-frequency
churn-and-earn trading (of no economic benefit in net real terms), the ease
of which accomplished is too tempting
for these predisposed criminals to resist.
I truly believe that with the 'profit' / fraudulent gains taken out of
the 'equation' through, ie., prosecution, fines, jail, disgorgement, etc.,
you'd be less likely (though not completely, given the nature of criminal
insanity) to see such disconnect from those 'inconvenient truths' others of us
know as reality. That said, as elsewhere set forth on this website, the
psychological factor is among the factors considered when analyzing securities,
others of which include the economy, growth of earnings, quality of earnings,
etc.. But, make no mistake, they are greedy, criminally insane, and do it for
the money ( in contravention of the rights of others as in, ie., anti-social
personality disorder, among other psychological afflictions ). ] ' For months I have been frustrated and
surprised by the action of the markets in the face of continued turmoil. In
different contexts, I’ve used terms such as "disconnected" or
"bifurcated" where there seems to be a total discontinuity between
the facts and the market actions. I now have a new term: The Negative
Volatility Regime. In
a new report from Artemis Capital, Christopher Cole outlines the current
environment by focusing on volatility. After my own heart, he starts with
behavioral finance and defines the normalcy bias:
Normalcy Bias and Crisis: A quirk of the human condition is for the mind to desire normalcy so
intensely as to consciously or subconsciously disregard knowledge that is
disruptive to a pre-conditioned reality. This phenomenon is an important part
of crisis management and market psychology. The consequence of a normalcy bias
is that warning signs of a potential crisis go unnoticed or are interpreted
optimistically. When a crisis occurs people are so overwhelmed by events
inconsistent with a desired reality they lose their ability to make decisions.
Researchers believe when the mind encounters an entirely new experience or event
it attempts to match that reality to relevant experiences from the past. If
there are no matching experiences the mind enters into a kind of feedback loop
resulting in passivity. This lack of action as a response to risk is called
negative panic1 and it culminates in a dangerous inability to act assertively
in crisis. In essence, the psyche struggles to come to terms with what is
really happening. Paralysis follows. ( Interestingly, I believe this to be a
more apt description of the Japanese reaction in this earthquake / tsunami
induced nuclear crisis. )
He then goes on to discuss how the normalcy bias can lead investors to
ignore looming threats, which in turn can lead to "a cancellation of
short-term volatility risk premium that should otherwise exist." This new Negative
Volatility Regime is defined by:
1. Large declines in spot volatility: The past nine
months have shown an unusually high number of large declines in spot volatility
(realized and implied) that are of a much higher magnitude and length than what
has been observed historically. As a result of these large declines, the VIX
index and short-term realized volatility are below historic averages;
2. Abnormally steep volatility curve: The manifestation
of an abnormally steep volatility curve (as a % of spot volatility) with a
linear shape that more closely resembles a glacial cliff as opposed to the more
traditional desert plateau (see chart);
3. Underperformance of Variance Hedges: Low
volatility-of-volatility on the back of the variance term-structure results in
the underperformance of out-of-the-money options and variance as a hedge
against market declines;
4. High Volatility Skew: High levels of volatility skew
for far out-of-the-money options showing increased likelihood of large declines
in equity prices.
The article has a detailed discussion and great graphs representing the
shape of the volatility structure. The full report can be accessed at: Artemis
Q1 2011_Is Volatility Broken. (It is posted with permission.)'
Weisenthal On Tuesday April 12, 2011, 1:02 pm EDT
‘Dear investors.You’ve had an amazing run since March 2009.
Maybe it’s time to get a little nervous. In addition to all kinds of
dicey headlines — Japan (NYSE:EWJ),
the Mideast, etc. –the economic data is starting to add up, and look like a
slowdown.
You can see it in business confidence, headline GDP, and certain aspects
of employment. Some previously hot industries are clearly starting to fade.
Case Shiller Is Showing The Housing Double Dip Getting Worse
Small Business Confidence Is Suddenly Turning Lower
Image: NFIB
Q1 GDP estimates have been getting slashed
Image: Wikimedia Commons
After starting off at 4%, estimates
for GDP are now in some cases below 4%.
Durable goods have been weak Las
Vegas gaming revenue has suddenly turned south again.
Image: WilWheaton on flickr
Oil prices have pushed the economy to the breaking point
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4da466804bd7c84422020000-547/markets-are-stalling-out.jpg
Markets are stalling out The age of cheap money is going away
With inflation on the rise, basically everything things QE2 is toast.
Austerity warnings from the UK
Image: Twitpic
In London, where fiscal tightening is further along than here, it’s
having a clear effect on consumer spending. That’s coming to the US, too.’
Yield
Curve Appears to Be Flattening. Is Recession on the Way? The Hard
Trade 'Slowly
and quietly, spreads of the 2-10 year Treasuries decided not to blow out and
instead have started coming back. What does it mean that in a world of
increasing rates, we’re getting a flattening yield curve?
Here’s the 10 year yield (click to enlarge):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/30/saupload_10yryld.png
Edging up slightly recently, and certainly not contracting. On the flip
side, look at the 2-10 spread (click to enlarge):
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/30/saupload_2_10_yr.png
A few short months ago, hyper-inflationists were warning that this
spread, which hit high after high, would blow out as inflation took hold,
became rampant, and we’d be back to the middle ages. I was never in that camp,
and while we see some inflationary pressures building, I think the main risk
remains deflation as real estate, unemployment, etc. will drag down the
consumer.
Regardless, the 2-10 spread has come back from the brink and the curve
is now flattening. I don’t know which way we go from here, but my analysis is
still that rates are headed higher on an absolute level and the flattening yield
curve supports my view that a recession or worse could be on the way. It’s a
bad combination to have higher rates, deflation of stores of wealth, and a
government with no ability to provide future fiscal and monetary stimulus.'
Taxpayers
foot $850M bill for Wall St.’s pension fees NY
Post | New York City taxpayers are helping to pay $850 million in Wall
Street investment fees.
Stiglitz,
Soros, Summers try to remake global economy RT | George
Soros brought together the economic elite to take apart and remake world
finance.
Iceland
rejects hostile takeover attempt in national referendum John
Stratton | Iceland is the only country where the people have been
allowed to have a say in the matter.
Inflation,
fueled by gas and food prices, adds to worry
National / World
Top
Scientist: Fukushima Meltdown Could Trigger Atomic Explosion Kurt
Nimmo | Missing isotope readings will reveal if explosions were
hydrogen or nuclear.
War
crime? U.S. Troops Fire on Iraqi Detainees (Video)
Aaron Dykes | Shocking video has surfaced from 2005
of U.S. troops firing on captive Iraqi detainees after a riot.
IRS to
increase “pre-crime” enforcement Sovereign Man | Did you
ever see Minority Report?
Libya:
Increased Airstrikes, Ground Troops, Contractors, Civilians Killed, Deadly DU
Munitions – Can We Call This A War Yet? The globalist coalition refers to
it as ‘kinetic military action’, yet as more civilians are killed in NATO
bombings, and with experts adamant that deadly Depleted Uranium weapons are
being used by Western forces, the conflict in Libya looks a hell of a lot like
the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq all over again.
Top
Scientist: Fukushima Meltdown Could Trigger Atomic Explosion A British
professor and expert on the health effects of ionizing radiation told Alex
Jones today evidence points toward a nuclear explosion occurring at the
Fukushima Daiichi complex. Two explosions at the plant in March were described
as hydrogen gas explosions by Japanese officials and the corporate media.
Stiglitz,
Soros, Summers try to remake global economy The original Bretton Woods
conference of world leaders created the global economic framework still in
place today.The one that took place over the weekend put on by the Institute
for New Economic Thinking — a think tank bankrolled by billionaire investor
George Soros – brought together some of the economic elite to take it apart and
talk about how to make a new one. So where is the global economy, and
specifically the United States headed now?
Drudgereport:
JAPAN NOW
ADMITS: IT'S CHERNOBYL...
Tries to
Explain Delays in Reporting Radiation...
Obama
to Call for Higher Taxes...
DEFICIT
ROCKETS 16% IN FIRST HALF OF YEAR...
Inflation Actually 'Near 10%'...
IMF:
US 'lacks credibility' on debt...
'Stringent
Austerity Measures' Needed...
BUDGET
TRICKS, SLEIGHTS OF HAND IN BUDGET DEAL...
Conservatives'
criticism growing...
Budget deal axes
'czars' -- who are already gone...
Proposal
$773B Higher Than 2008 Budget...
$5
GAS BY MEMORIAL DAY
Thermal
Cameras On Boston Streets Can Show Activity Inside Homes...
Pump
prices less than 10% below record high...
San
Fran highest at $4.13...
OBAMA
MAN: TRUMP HAS 'ZERO CHANCE' [ Hard to believe, or maybe because this particular
factual reality is so easy to believe because it's so obviously true, but
wobama finally got something right, not that it changes anything for him! ]
Despite
Vote, We're Keeping FCC Internet Rules! [
Pelosi finally gets something right! ]
[ wobama, pelosi finally uncharacteristically correct, albeit once each
in their lifetime ... must be the japanese radiation ... ]
9th
Body Found In NY Serial Killer Probe, Possibly A 10th...
Obama
regrets HIS vote against raising debt limit...
RASMUSSEN:
President hits new low 'strongly approve' – 19%...
UPDATE:
Egyptians turn anger on army in Cairo protest...
New
Clashes in Tahrir Square...
Gaza-Israel
violence rages...
'West wants
war'...
'Mideast
Without Israel and America Now Possible'...
Despite
Vote, We're Keeping FCC Internet Rules! [
Pelosi finally gets something right! ]
US
Debt Jumped $54 Billion in Week Preceding Deal to Cut $38 Billion...
11TH HOUR: LET'S MAKE A
DEAL
Obama:
'Americans of different beliefs came together'...
Takes credit for
'biggest annual spending cut in history'...
'LIVE
WITHIN OUR MEANS'...
FLASHBACK:
Deficit Forecast Nears $1.5 Trillion...
SURPRISE:
Government shutdown averted...
Spending
cuts total nearly $40 billion...
$78
billion below Obama request...
Deal
bans DC from spending funds for abortion, continues school voucher program...
BOEHNER:
'As good a deal as we could get'...
REPORT:
Oprah won't endorse Obama for re-election...
Poll:
Obama Struggling With Whites...
Even
black voters slip...
OIL
JUMPS 2% -- IN A DAY...
Fever
for Gold, Silver Grips Investors...
Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct
appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to
recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO
Case)] earned many
billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard
and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the
time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
The
Economic Collapse April 12, 2011
'Everything that you own is slowly being taken away from you. It is being
done purposely and it is being done by design. Many Americans like to
think of themselves as “well off”, but as will be demonstrated below, we don’t
“own” nearly as much as we think that we do. The truth is that most of us
have to frantically run around accumulating wealth as rapidly as we can so that
we can somehow stay ahead of the rate that wealth is being taken away from
us. The entire system is designed to take what you have away from
you. There are many ways that this is accomplished – taxation, inflation,
debt, interest, fines, fees, tickets, government seizures and good
old-fashioned corporate greed. If you tried to just sit back and do
nothing but hold on to the wealth that you already have you would find out that
it would disappear rather quickly. When you take the time to really
analyze our system the conclusion is undeniable – everything that you think
that you own is being systematically taken away from you.
There is a reason why the wealthiest one percent of all Americans control
40 percent of all the wealth in the United States. The system is
designed to funnel all of the wealth to them and to the government.
Average Americans are experiencing a declining standard of living and it is not
by accident.
Just check out some of the ways that our wealth is being taken from us….
#1 Do you think that
you own your house? You might want to think again. Most Americans
that “own a home” are paying a mortgage. If you stop paying that mortgage
you will lose that home. Over a million American families were kicked out
of their homes last year. This year a million more American families will
get the boot.
But when those families get booted out onto the street they don’t get
their down payments back. They don’t get all the mortgage payments that
they have made back. The banks get to keep all of the money and all of
the houses.
Perhaps you don’t have a mortgage. Does that mean that you “own
your home”?
No, not really. Just refuse to pay your property taxes and watch
what happens. At best you can say that you have the right to rent your
home from the government.
In any event, the reality is that the banks now own more of “our homes”
than we do. During
the most recent recession, the total amount of U.S. home equity owned by
the banks surpassed the total amount of U.S. home equity owned by the rest of
us for the first time ever.
Things used to be far different in this country. Once upon a time
American families owned most of the houses and most of the land in this nation.
But now the banks own most of it. Sadly, most American families
that believe that they “own homes” are actually enslaved to 20 or 30 year debt
contracts.
#2 Do you think that
you own your car? You don’t own it if you are still making payments on
it. If you stop making payments you will rapidly lose that car.
But even if your car is paid off, you can only operate that car if you
do the following….
*You must pay the license fee
*You must pay the car registration fee
*You must pay the emissions inspection fee
*You must pay the property taxes on that car (if that applies in your
area)
*You must pay the tire taxes
*You must pay the gas taxes
If you have paid all of those taxes, then you are permitted to drive
only where the government allows you to drive and only under the rules that the
government sets for you.
But at least you “own” your car, right?
#3 What about your
possessions? Do you own them?
Well, yes, you probably own some possessions.
But that doesn’t mean that they are not enslaving you.
After all, did you use a credit card to pay for any of them?
If so, you could end up paying much more for your possessions than you
originally thought that they cost.
For example, if you only make the minimum payment on your credit card
each month, a $6,000 credit card bill could end up costing you over $30,000
(depending on the interest rate).
#4 Do you own your
education? Well, it is undeniable that nobody can ever take it away from
you. But if you took out student loans that debt may end up enslaving you
for decades.
The borrower is the servant of the lender and student loan debt is more
of a financial drain on Americans than ever before. Americans now owe
more on student loans than they do on credit cards. As hard as that is to
believe, that is actually true. Americans now owe more than $903
billion on student loans, which is a new all-time record.
#5 Will you protect
your wealth if you put your money in the bank?
No, in fact your wealth will be systematically destroyed in the bank.
Inflation is a hidden tax on every single dollar that you own. It
destroys the value of all dollars in existence. There are some Americans
that have been saving money for decades, but those savings are being taxed into
oblivion by inflation. Many experts are now projecting that the average
price of a gallon of gasoline will
hit $5 by the end of the year. So the next time you go to the gas
pump just take a moment to think about how your wealth is being drained away by
inflation.
#6 Insurance costs
continue to soar. After insuring everything in our lives many of us
barely have any money left over to actually live our lives with. In
particular, health insurance premiums have become completely and totally
ridiculous. According
to the Los Angeles Times, Blue Shield of California plans to raise rates an
average of 30% to 35%, and some individual policy holders could see their
health insurance premiums rise by a whopping 59 percent this year alone.
So how are American families supposed to survive if they keep on handing over
bigger and bigger chunks of their income to thehealth
care industry?
#7 State and local
governments all over the nation have turned to ticket writing as a primary
revenue source. In fact, in some areas of the country traffic citations
are soaring at a crazy rate. For example, 110,000 more traffic
citations were written in Los Angeles County last fiscal year than were
written in the fiscal year immediately prior to the last recession.
The truth is that the police even realize what is going on. Just
consider the following quote from from
Police Chief Michael Reaves of Utica, Michigan….
“When I first started in this job 30 years ago, police work was never
about revenue enhancement, but if you’re a chief now, you have to look at
whether your department produces revenues.”
#8 Some states have
decided to simply confiscate wealth even if nothing has been done wrong.
For example, the state of California is aggressively seizing
“unclaimed” safe deposit boxes. If you have a safe deposit box that you
have not checked on in a while you might want to make sure that it is still
there.
#9 You might end up
losing your valuables when you cross the border. It is being reported
that U.S. border agents are
now regularly seizing laptops and other electronic devices as people cross
the border. In many cases those items are never returned.
#10 If you don’t pay
your property taxes, you will lose your house and it will likely be a big Wall
Street bank that will be taking it from you. As
I have written about previously, the big Wall Street banks are buying up
thousands upon thousands of tax liens and are making a killing by socking
distressed homeowners with predatory interest, outrageous penalties and
almost unbelievable legal fees.
#11 Of course the
biggest way that our wealth is being drained is through federal income taxes.
The reason that the
Federal Reserve and the IRS were established back in 1913 was to
redistribute wealth. Wealth is transferred from the American people to
the U.S. government and then ultimately to the elite and to the causes that the
elite favor.
But federal taxes are only one of the taxes that we pay. The truth
is that the average American pays dozens of different taxes each year.
Just check out a few
examples of the different taxes that drain our wealth….
#12 Accounts
Receivable Taxes
#13 Building Permit
Taxes
#14 Capital Gains Taxes
#15 CDL License Taxes
#16 Cigarette Taxes
#17 Corporate Income
Taxes
#18 Court Fines
(indirect taxes)
#19 Dog License Taxes
#20 Federal
Unemployment Taxes (FUTA)
#21 Fishing License
Taxes
#22 Food License
Taxes
#23 Gasoline Taxes
#24 Gift Taxes
#25 Hunting License
Taxes
#26 Inheritance Taxes
#27 Inventory Taxes
#28 IRS Interest
Charges (tax on top of tax)
#29 IRS Penalties
(tax on top of tax)
#30 Liquor Taxes
#31 Local Income
Taxes
#32 Luxury Taxes
#33 Marriage License
Taxes
#34 Medicare Taxes
#35 Payroll Taxes
#36 Property Taxes
#37 Real Estate Taxes
#38 Recreational
Vehicle Taxes
#39 Road Toll Booth
Taxes
#40 Road Usage Taxes
(Truckers)
#41 Sales Taxes
#42 Self-Employment
Taxes
#43 School Taxes
#44 Septic Permit
Taxes
#45 Service Charge
Taxes
#46 Social Security
Taxes
#47 State Income
Taxes
#48 State
Unemployment Taxes (SUTA)
#49 Telephone federal
excise taxes
#50 Telephone federal
universal service fee taxes
#51 Telephone
federal, state and local surcharge taxes
#52 Telephone minimum
usage surcharge taxes
#53 Telephone
recurring and non-recurring taxes
#54 Telephone state
and local taxes
#55 Telephone usage
charge taxes
#56 Toll Bridge Taxes
#57 Toll Tunnel Taxes
#58 Traffic Fines
(indirect taxation)
#59 Trailer
Registration Taxes
#60 Utility Taxes
#61 Vehicle License
Registration Taxes
#62 Vehicle Sales
Taxes
#63 Watercraft
Registration Taxes
#64 Well Permit Taxes
#65 Workers
Compensation Taxes
Even the future is being taken away from us. The future is
literally being stolen from our children and our grandchildren. They will
be inheriting the 14 trillion dollar (and still rising) national debt that we
have accumulated. What we have done to future generations is unthinkable,
and yet we continue to
endlessly borrow more money. The Congressional Research Service
estimates that the U.S. government will need to borrow $738
billion between April 1st and September 30th. Faith in U.S.
Treasuries is falling so rapidly that now the biggest bond fund in the world,
PIMCO, is
actually shorting U.S. Treasuries.
When you base an entire economy on debt, eventually you end up withmoney
problems that never seem to end. As a nation we are now enslaved to a
vicious spiral of debt that is going to destroy everything that our forefathers
worked so hard to build.
As the debt loads of our federal, state and local governments become
even more burdensome, they are going to want even more money from us. For
decades we gave in to new tax after new tax thinking that it would finally
satisfy them. But it never seems to be enough. They always want
more.
It is the same thing with the banksters. They are never satisfied
either. They always want more assets and they always want more Americans
to be enslaved to debt.
Unfortunately, most Americans are so caught up in the “rat race” that
they never take much time to think about who designed the race or why they are
running it.
Hopefully more Americans will wake up and will realize that our entire
economy and our entire financial system need to be reformed. Our current
system is inherently flawed and it will eventually impoverish the vast majority
of us if we allow it to.'
Cuts
will affect vast spectrum of priorities (Washington Post) [ Drudge was
reporting that the new focus will be trillions, not as just passed, the
billions in cuts, which I did not include / highlight because that's not
news! Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply
happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global
GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of
unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is
to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn
worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to
spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year).
There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the
people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS
TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘ . ] More than half of the $38 billion in
spending cuts that lawmakers agreed to last week in the 2011 budget
compromise that averted a government shutdown would hit education, labor
and health programs. [The
Return of the Carry Trade? [
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org 'What Does Currency
Carry Trade Mean? A strategy in which an investor sells a
certain currency with a relatively low interest rate and uses the funds to
purchase a different currency yielding a higher interest rate. A trader using
this strategy attempts to capture the difference between the rates, which can
often be substantial, depending on the amount of leverage used. - The carry of an asset is the return obtained
from holding it (if positive), or the cost of holding it (if negative)
(see also Cost of carry).For
instance, commodities
are usually negative carry assets, as they incur storage costs or may suffer
from depreciation, but in some circumstances, appropriately hedged commodities
can be positive carry assets if the forward/futures market is willing to pay
sufficient premium for future delivery. This can also refer to a trade with
more than one leg, where you earn the spread between borrowing a low
carry asset and lending a high carry one; such as gold during financial crisis,
due to its safe haven
quality. Carry trades are not arbitrages:
pure arbitrages make money no matter what; carry trades make money only if nothing changes against the
carry's favor. ]
ETF
News Update: Theater of the Absurd
Nyaradi 'This week’s soap
opera in Washington, D.C. was truly the “theater of the absurd” as Congress and
the President wrangled over an “historic” $39 billion budget cut that pales
sadly in comparison to the $189 billion deficit that the Federal Government ran
up in March alone.We’ll discuss this in greater detail in a moment, but for
today, we are content with our positions in gold, oil and inverse exchange
traded funds and we remain in the defensive mode, anticipating stronger
headwinds ahead. On My Radar
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/11/saupload_spxpf040911.png …’ ]
Gerson:
Obama’s tap dance on a tightrope (Washington Post) [ What an understatement
… wobama the b (for b*** s***)Yeah! An appropriate word picture straight out
one of the old Roach ' Our Gang' comedies … and I'm not going say which
characters are which, according to wobama we must share the sacrifice, which
means you because we all know how the wobamas sacrifice, ie., $500 sneakers,
lavishly expensive vacations, etc., which means we have a buck, we eat! Obama
turns to deficit panel (WP) The president plans this week to call for
“balance” and shared sacrifice in tackling the rocketing national debt. { Obama
vs. Trump: A Circus Sideshow on the Road to Feudalism [ Even if you don't
buy the 'feudalism' characterization
of pervasively corrupt, meaningfully
lawless, defacto bankrupt america, there is no question but that america is in
an intractable and regressive state of decline. Nimmo |
Roche 'The worst part of it ...Obama, who vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of
it and in fact continues most of the policies that helped get us here in the
first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson
wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the
(many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand
that not one high level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite
‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator / experts recommend
getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( what do holder and wobama have in
common … wall street money? … a
proclivity for jive-talking / b*** s*** ?...all/some of the above … or is it
something else ... a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In emotional and
personal testimony, an ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a
voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party accused his former
employer of instructing attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases
that involve black defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud WP | Obama has promised to
hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
Obama’s Dismal
Approval Numbers
Drudgereport:
OBAMA
MAN: TRUMP HAS 'ZERO CHANCE' [ Hard to believe, or maybe because this particular
factual reality is so easy to believe because it's so obviously true, but
wobama finally got something right, not that it changes anything for him! http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]
Despite
Vote, We're Keeping FCC Internet Rules! [
Pelosi finally gets something right! ]
[ wobama, pelosi finally uncharacteristically correct, albeit once each
in their lifetime ... ]
RASMUSSEN:
President hits new low 'strongly approve' – 19%... } ]
IMF
Will Work on Portugal Bailout Plan With European Union Bloomberg
| Portugal has requested IMF assistance, according to Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
A
Militarized Economy Cannot Balance the Budget John Perkins
| We can’t afford our bloated military budget and still have democracy.
US to delay
China currency report AFP
Peter
Schiff: Government Counterfeiting and Economic Terrorism
A
Crack in the Great Wall-mart: Watch Out for Rising Prices from China
Oil
prices hit highest level since 2008
Economists
Shocked, Shocked: We Really Are Losing Jobs to China! Fletcher
Soros
and friends reorder global finance at new Bretton Woods
Markets fall
on earnings caution, energy selloff (Reuters) - Reuters
- Stocks mostly fell on Monday as energy shares sold off on lower oil prices
and the onset of earnings season was clouded by concern company outlooks may
fall short of expectations.
China
Goes American, Registers First Trade Deficit Since '04 Rapoza 'The Chinese economy registered a trade deficit in the
first quarter of 2011, it’s first negative trade balance since 2004. A growing
middle class and a stronger local currency has more Chinese businesses buying
abroad. Higher priced commodities — especially soy from the Americas and
iron ore from Brazil — didn’t help the trade figures either.
The General Administration of Accounting (GAC) said in their
report this weekend that, a “strong and rapidly growing domestic economy, plus
international markets and the sharp rise in commodity prices and the Spring
Festival holiday this year all led to a cumulative deficit of $1.02 billion in
the first quarter.” According to the GAC,
China imports in the first three months of the year reached $400.66 billion, up
32.6%, while exports totaled $399.64 billion, an increase of 29.5%.
China’s economy is in fifth gear, with the Asian
Development Bank in Manila forecasting growth of at least 8.2% in 2011,
higher than the official growth estimate of 7%.
Last year, China trade registered the kind of surplus the US only dreams
about, a modest $13.9 billion, according to the GAC. By comparison, the U.S.
trade deficit in January was around $46 billion.
For March, China’s total trade value rose 31.4% to $304.3
billion compared with March 2010. Export values for the month totaled
$152.2 billion, while import values were $152.06 billion. March’s monthly
import data was yet another record, beating January 2011’s historical import
record of $144.3 billion, the GAC said.
In bilateral trade, China and the European Union trade rose 22% to
$123.7 billion. China-US trade totaled around $97 billion, up 25%. In
third place, Chinese-Japanese trade hit $80.78 billion in the first, up 27.1%.
Multinationals accounted for nearly half of China’s import and export
value in the first quarter with a total of $415.4 out of around $800.3 billion
in trade. The multinationals saw an increase of 24.9% in trade out of China so
far this year. Of the total, the MNCs exported $217.5 from China, 24.6%
more than the first quarter of 2010, and imported $197.8 billion worth of goods
and services, an increase of 25.2%, according to the GAC.
China’s state owned enterprises, or SEOs, exported $172.95 billion in
the first quarter, an increase of 27.8%. Of the total, exports were around
$57.58 billion, up 16.4%, and imports were $115.38 billion, up 34.5%.
What Was Exported
China’s leading exports were electromechanical products,
accounting for $232.03 billion, up 22.8% from the same period in 2010 and
accounting forr 58.1% of first quarter exports. Exports of electrical
and electronic products was $6.9 billion, an increase of 27.8%. Machinery
and equipment exports rose 15.5% to $74.6 billion. Traditional Chinese
exports like apparel exports rose 18.4% to $28.5 billion; textiles
jumped 32.7% to $20.2 billion; footwear up 22% to $8.8 billion
and furniture sales rose 19.3% to $8.4 billion.
What Was Imported
China imported 180 million tons of iron ore in the first
quarter, an increase of 14.4%. Average iron ore prices were $156.5 per ton, up
59.5%; soybean imports declined marginally by 0.7% to 10.96
million tons, but the cost of importing soy from the US and South America rose
by an average of 25.7% to $573.90 per ton. In addition, imports of machinery
and electronic products rose 25.6% to $172.92 billion.
Guangdong continues to lead China as the nation’s trade hub, accounting
for $201.2 billion in foreign trade (export + import value). Jiangsu, Shanghai
and Beijing came in third with $121 billion, $98 billion and $91 billion in
trade values, respectively.
Martin Schulz, Managing Director of International Equity at PNC Capital
Advisors was in China last month and said one of the things that surprised him
most was that Chinese clothing manufacturing was starting to move to countries
like Vietnam. “Chinese clothes are starting to be made in southeast Asia
because the wage rates are growing so fast that a lot of manufacturers are
simply moving into the rural areas in the interior of China, or across
borders,” he says.
China’s growing domestic demand could make the country an inflationary
force in the global economy, Shulz said. “The growth there has been a
deflationary force in the world for some time, but now it is going to be an
inflationary one.”
Want to make money trading with China? Honestly, become a soy farmer or
work in agribusiness, at Boeing, or in the organic chemicals space. Because
pretty much everything we sell to China, they sell to us. And apparently at
cheaper prices. Whether its electrical machinery, power generation equipment,
medical devices, or iron and steel, the US registered a trade deficit on them
all with the big C.
US-China Trade Statistics
2009 Top US Exports to China
1. Electrical machinery & equipment: $9.5 billion
2. Oil seeds & other oleaginous fruits: $9.3 billion
3. Power generation equipment: $8.4 billion
4. Air and spacecraft: $5.3 billion
5. Plastics: $4.4 billion
6. Optics and medical devices: $4 billion
7. Iron and steel: $3.5 billion
8. Pulp and cardboard: $2.5 billion
9. Organic chemicals: $2.4 billion
10. Vehicles, excl. railway: $1.9 billion
2009 Top US Imports From China
1. Electrical machinery and equipment: $72.9 billion
2. Power generation equipment: $62.4 billion
3. Apparel: $24.3 billion
4. Toys: $23.2 billion
5. Furniture: $16 billion
6. Iron and steel: $8 billion
7. Footwear: $13.3 billion
8. Plastics: $8 billion
9. Leather and travel bags: $6 billion
10: Optics and medical devices: $5.6 billion
Source: US International Trade Commission. '
The
Return of the Carry Trade? [
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org 'What Does Currency
Carry Trade Mean? A strategy in which an investor sells a
certain currency with a relatively low interest rate and uses the funds to
purchase a different currency yielding a higher interest rate. A trader using
this strategy attempts to capture the difference between the rates, which can
often be substantial, depending on the amount of leverage used. - The carry of an asset is the return obtained
from holding it (if positive), or the cost of holding it (if negative)
(see also Cost of carry).For
instance, commodities
are usually negative carry assets, as they incur storage costs or may suffer
from depreciation, but in some circumstances, appropriately hedged commodities
can be positive carry assets if the forward/futures market is willing to pay
sufficient premium for future delivery. This can also refer to a trade with
more than one leg, where you earn the spread between borrowing a low
carry asset and lending a high carry one; such as gold during financial crisis,
due to its safe haven
quality. Carry trades are not arbitrages:
pure arbitrages make money no matter what; carry trades make money only if nothing changes against the
carry's favor. ]
ETF
News Update: Theater of the Absurd
Nyaradi 'This week’s soap
opera in Washington, D.C. was truly the “theater of the absurd” as Congress and
the President wrangled over an “historic” $39 billion budget cut that pales
sadly in comparison to the $189 billion deficit that the Federal Government ran
up in March alone.We’ll discuss this in greater detail in a moment, but for
today, we are content with our positions in gold, oil and inverse exchange
traded funds and we remain in the defensive mode, anticipating stronger
headwinds ahead.
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/11/saupload_spxpf040911.png
Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com,
click to enlarge.
In the chart above we can see that the S&P500 remains in a bearish
signal mode with a price objective of 1160. Strong overhead resistance is at
1330 which held this week and support lies at the 1250 level.We have been in
this range for the last 25 trading days but, as always, this sideways action
will be broken one way or the other. Based on current fundamental and
technical elements, we expect this break to be on the downwards side of the
range.
The big news this week was the 11th hour “resolution” of the bill to keep
the government open which resulted in an “historic” cut of $39 Billion. As
mentioned at the outset, this is truly the theater of the absurd because the
deficit in March alone was $189 Billion, and so far for this fiscal year, we
have racked up a budget deficit of $830 Billion according to the Congressional
Budget Office, up $113 Billion compared to the same period last year. Of course
what went largely unsaid is that this fiscal year is already half way over and
the discussion of the 2012 budget is about to get underway along with the horse
trading that is about to ensue over raising the Federal debt ceiling of $14.3
Trillion that is set to be exceeded in mid May. So it should be good
entertainment as the second and third installments of the “theater of the
absurd” get underway...
In geopolitical news, Palestinians and Israelis continued their
hostilities in the Gaza Strip, protesters in Syria and Egypt persisted with
their demonstrations, and the war in Libya has reached what everyone is now
recognizing to be a stalemate with a fire doing unknown damage to that
country’s Sarir oil field.
All of this unrest resulted in West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil hitting
a 2 1/2 year high of $113/bbl and Brent Crude hitting $126/bbl, its highest
level since July, 2008.
In Europe, the ECB raised interest rates, an action that is sure to put
more pressure on the already struggling peripheral nations and Portugal is
being squeezed for more cuts as they are now a ward of the European Central
Bank. Greece is in recession and everyone wonders if Spain, often thought of as
too big to save and too big to fail, is next on the chopping block.
U.S. Treasuries and the U.S. Dollar continued their slide while gold set
a new nominal record of $1476/oz and silver hit a 30 year high of $40/0z.
Finally another earthquake hit Japan on Thursday and the Japanese
government said that Japan’s economy was in “severe condition.”
We continue to live in historic times fraught with challenges, danger
and uncertainty. Rising oil prices are never good for Western economies and the
looming fight over raising the debt ceiling and the 2012 budget proposal put
forth by U.S. Representative Paul Ryan will set the economic tone for the rest
of this year and next. Dr. Bernanke and his colleagues at the Federal Reserve
say that inflation is “transitory,” however, the precious metals and oil
markets seem to be literally screaming otherwise.
1.
Major
Issues/Themes: This week
brings significant economic reports and the kickoff on Monday of earnings
season with Alcoa (AA)
reporting after the bell.
Important reports to watch are Alcoa on Monday, JP Morgan (JPM) and March Retail Sales on
Wednesday, Google (GOOG)
earnings on Thursday and manufacturing and industrial production reports on
Friday.
·
Monday: Alcoa Earnings Report
·
Wednesday: JP Morgan earnings, MBA Mortgage Index, March
Retail Sales, February Business Inventories, April Fed Beige Book
·
Thursday: Initial Unemployment Claims, Continuing Claims, March
Consumer Price Index, Fairchild Semiconductor and Google earnings reports
·
Friday: March Consumer Price Index, April Empire Manufacturing,
March Industrial Production, April Michigan Consumer Sentiment
1.
Leaders: (NYSEArca: SLV) iShares Silver (NYSEArca: EPOL) iShares Poland
2.
Laggards: (NYSEArca: EWJ) iShares Japan Index
(NYSEArca: IYT) iShares
Transportation
This week I was in Germany where it was unseasonably warm in Frankfurt
with lovely spring days and warm evenings by the Main River. The restaurants
and bars were full as soccer played on the televisions and I couldn’t help but
wonder how much longer the Germans will be willing to carry their weaker
neighbors in the European Community...'
IMF
Will Work on Portugal Bailout Plan With European Union Bloomberg
| Portugal has requested IMF assistance, according to Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
A
Militarized Economy Cannot Balance the Budget John Perkins
| We can’t afford our bloated military budget and still have democracy.
US to delay
China currency report AFP
| The US Treasury said it would delay a report labeling China a currency
manipulator until at least May.
Economists
Shocked, Shocked: We Really Are Losing Jobs to China! Ian Fletcher
| There’s a nice new academic paper with hard data to back up everyone’s
suspicion that the U.S. is losing jobs to China.
Soros
and friends reorder global finance at new Bretton Woods Washington
Examiner | It’s no accident they’re meeting on the very same site as
Bretton Woods– formally UN Monetary and Financial Conference.
IMF
Will Work on Portugal Bailout Plan With European Union Bloomberg
| Portugal has requested IMF assistance, according to Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
[chart http://www.prisonplanet.com/goldman-sachs-the-margins-are-not-what-they-seem.html ]
…'
Iceland
rejects hostile takeover attempt in national referendum John
Stratton | Iceland is the only country where the people have been
allowed to have a say in the matter.
Five
Things You Didn't Know About Ben Bernanke
Breslin 'You know Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, but
how much do you really know about the guy? The
"most powerful nerd on the planet” became a household name during the
Great Recession, and yet the real man behind that bearded, calm exterior
remains something of a mystery.
Born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Dillon, South Carolina, Bernanke was
the son of a pharmacy owner and a schoolteacher. He went on to become an
economics professor and chaired the Department of Economics at Princeton. In
2002, he landed at the Federal Reserve as a governor, and in 2006, President
Bush appointed him chairman. He’s been criticized for failing to foresee the
nation’s financial crisis and for bailing out Wall Street. What you might not
know: The 57-year-old used to be a theme-park waiter.
May I Take Your Order, Please?
If you’ve ever crossed the border between North Carolina and South Carolina
along Interstate 95 and seen a giant Sombrero Tower, you’ve spotted where Young
Bernanke worked as a waiter. During the summers between semesters at Harvard,
the Fed-in-Chief returned to his hometown and slaved at “tourist mecca” South
of the Border to pay his way through college. At the Mexican-themed
roadside attraction, which features an amusement park and a mascot named Pedro,
Bernanke served diners at the Sombrero Restaurant and wore a poncho. In a 60
Minutes interview, Bernanke revealed that his summer jobs taught him that “work
is hard.”
A Man of Many Nicknames
“Helicopter Ben” is Bernanke’s most popular nickname. He earned the title after
a 2002 speech, “Deflation:
Making Sure ‘It’ Doesn’t Happen Here,” in which he referenced Nobel
Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman’s “helicopter drop” theory that says
deflation is best combated by a direct infusion of cash to the people. For
this, Bernanke was rewarded with artistic
renderings of himself dropping money over the country from a helicopter.
Subsequently, he was crowned “Bearnanke” by the Wall
Street Journal : “By harping on his worries about inflation and tight labor
markets, Bernanke has implied there will be no cut in interest rates any time
soon, and bond
investors […] risk losing money as they come to grips with that.” Most
recently, he has been rechristened “Bernie
Mac," “Banana
Ben,” "the
Ben Bernank," and “He
Who Sees No Bubbles.”
Foreclosure Crisis Hits Home
In 2009, Bernanke’s ranch-style childhood home in economically hard-hit Dillon
was sold at a
foreclosure sale to Travis Jackson, a 27-year-old loan officer. Bernanke
declined to comment on the record specifically about his foreclosed-upon
boyhood residence (the Bernanke family had sold the property over a decade
prior), but he stated, “We believe that getting the credit markets going,
getting banks
lending again, increasing the demand for all products—including those made in
Dillon—are part of economic recovery. […] That's what the Fed's trying to
do."
Richard Schafer, who owns South of the Border, says post-recession revenue at
the park is down 10% and he wishes he’d kept a photo of Bernanke as a
serape-wearing server: “I'd probably get some economic-bailout money if I did.”
A Private Faith
Bernanke, almost didn’t go to Harvard because his family was concerned that he
would “lose his Jewish identity.” At the time, Harvard grad student and former
fellow Dillon resident Kenneth Manning, who is African-American and now an
M.I.T. professor, reassured the Bernanke family “there were Jews in
Boston.” When it comes to religion, says a friend, Bernanke “keeps
his feelings and beliefs private … but it’s really embedded in who he is.”
Bernanke learned Hebrew from his maternal grandfather, Harold Friedman, a
professional hazzan and Hebrew teacher.
Upon his arrival in Washington, Bernanke’s leadership experience as chair of
the economics department at Princeton was so limited that “he
liked to joke that his major decisions involved what type of bagels to order
for faculty meetings.”
Nice Beard
“Has Ben Bernanke's beard gotten significantly whiter since he started as Fed
Chairman or is it just me?” tweeted @The Analyst
of Bailout Ben. In terms of facial hair, Bernanke’s now-snowy iconic beard is
the yang to Giants’ pitcher Brian Wilson’s yin. In fact, Mr. Chairman’s beard
even has its own Facebook
page. “I hate everything Ben Bernanke stands for,” the Info page reads,
“but his beard is an epic win.”...'
National / World
Leahy:
Obama Needs Congressional Approval to Put Troops in Libya
CNS News | Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy said
President Obama needs congressional approval to send U.S. troops into Libya.
$5 Gas by
Memorial Day CBS | At one time, $5 per gallon gas seemed
like a farfetched idea.
Obama
vs. Trump: A Circus Sideshow on the Road to Feudalism [ Even if you don't
buy the 'feudalism' characterization
of pervasively corrupt, meaningfully
lawless, defacto bankrupt america, there is no question but that america is in an
intractable and regressive state of decline.
] Kurt Nimmo | Obama’s wranglers know the American
spectator does not elect presidents.
Obama’s Dismal
Approval Numbers Rasmussen Reports | There has been a
sharp decline in enthusiasm among liberal voters.
Drudgereport:
$5
GAS BY MEMORIAL DAY
Thermal
Cameras On Boston Streets Can Show Activity Inside Homes...
Pump
prices less than 10% below record high...
San
Fran highest at $4.13...
OBAMA
MAN: TRUMP HAS 'ZERO CHANCE' [ Hard to believe, or maybe because this particular
factual reality is so easy to believe because it's so obviously true, but
wobama finally got something right, not that it changes anything for him! ]
Despite
Vote, We're Keeping FCC Internet Rules! [
Pelosi finally gets something right! ]
[ wobama, pelosi finally uncharacteristically correct, albeit once each
in their lifetime ... must be the japanese radiation ... ]
9th
Body Found In NY Serial Killer Probe, Possibly A 10th...
Obama
regrets HIS vote against raising debt limit...
RASMUSSEN:
President hits new low 'strongly approve' – 19%...
UPDATE:
Egyptians turn anger on army in Cairo protest...
New
Clashes in Tahrir Square...
Gaza-Israel
violence rages...
'West wants
war'...
'Mideast
Without Israel and America Now Possible'...
Despite
Vote, We're Keeping FCC Internet Rules! [
Pelosi finally gets something right! ]
US
Debt Jumped $54 Billion in Week Preceding Deal to Cut $38 Billion...
11TH HOUR: LET'S MAKE A
DEAL
Obama:
'Americans of different beliefs came together'...
Takes credit for
'biggest annual spending cut in history'...
'LIVE
WITHIN OUR MEANS'...
FLASHBACK:
Deficit Forecast Nears $1.5 Trillion...
SURPRISE:
Government shutdown averted...
Spending
cuts total nearly $40 billion...
$78
billion below Obama request...
Deal
bans DC from spending funds for abortion, continues school voucher program...
BOEHNER:
'As good a deal as we could get'...
REPORT:
Oprah won't endorse Obama for re-election...
Poll:
Obama Struggling With Whites...
Even
black voters slip...
OIL
JUMPS 2% -- IN A DAY...
Fever
for Gold, Silver Grips Investors...
Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles
Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now
caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years:
buy real estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino
in mob-infested jersey!
Trump
luxury resort folds, leaving buyers defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for
sister maryanne, the corrupt federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in
n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud
and handles her own motions to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in
jail ... (see RICO Case)] earned many billions of
dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard and
acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the time. ]
." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
I get a kick out of
people who dismiss it as an interesting theory that doesn’t always work. It’s
not theory. It’s proven fact. In spite of the few years when it has not worked,
investing over the long-term based on the market’s seasonality significantly
outperforms the market, and with much less risk.
Selling
In May Is Very Good Advice This Year
Harding [ { April
Is a Good Time to Sell ( I quite agree … overvalued to the hilt in this new
manipulated bubble … at the least a
'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' ) Adler , see infra, immediately after
Harding } 'It’s that time of year again
when I always remind you of the market’s seasonality, its proven tendency to
make most of its gains between November and May, and experience most of its
losses in the opposite period.
I get a kick out of people who dismiss it as an interesting theory that
doesn’t always work. It’s not theory. It’s proven fact. In spite of the few
years when it has not worked, investing over the long-term based on the
market’s seasonality significantly outperforms the market, and with much less
risk.
Don’t take my word for it. Academic studies provide clear evidence.
For instance, a 27-page study published in the prestigious American
Economic Review in 2002 concludes, “We found that this inherited wisdom of
Sell in May to be true in 36 of 37 developed and emerging markets” It went
on to say that, “A trading strategy based on this anomaly would be highly
profitable in many countries. The annual risk-adjusted outperformance ranges
between 1.5% and 8.9% annually depending on the country being considered. The
effect is robust over time, economically significant, unlikely to be caused by
data-mining, and not related to taking excess risk.”
Another study in 2008 at the New Zealand Institute of Advanced Study,
which focused solely on the U.S. stock market, concluded that “All U.S.
stock market sectors, and 48 out of 49 U.S. industry sectors performed better
during the winter months than summer months in our sampling from 1926-2006.”
Let’s put the fact that it doesn’t work every year in context.
To begin with, no strategy, particularly buy and hold, works every year.
And that is also true of seasonality. For instance, it underperformed in 2003
and 2009. In those years the market made gains in the winter months, and then,
fueled by massive government stimulus programs, continued still higher during
the summer months when a seasonal investor would have been invested in
something other than stocks.
But the seasonal investor did not lose money by being out of
the market in the unfavorable season in those years. He or she merely missed
further gains. But when an investor is in the market in unfavorable seasons in
which the market experiences the serious declines that most often take place in
unfavorable seasons, that investor actually loses money. Those losses
can be substantial, with investors giving back much, if not all of the gains
made in the previous favorable season. For instance, from May 1st to
its low during the summer months, the S&P 500 lost 22% of its value in
2001, 24% in 2002, 38% in 2008, and even 16% in the early summer correction in
the positive year last year. Those are the experiences that created the ‘lost
decade’ that buy and hold investors experienced but which seasonal investors
avoided.
Why might seasonality be even more important this year than in other
years?
Negatives are piled up against the economy and market to a degree not
seen in a number of years. They include rising inflation; global central banks
raising interest rates to ward off inflation, which is also likely to slow
their economic growth; signs of the U.S. economy slowing again (sharp declines
in home sales, durable goods orders, and consumer confidence); the coming end
of the Federal Reserve’s QE2 stimulus efforts in June; and the austerity
measures Congress will be forcing on the country in efforts to bring the record
budget deficit under control.
Then there is the high level of investor bullishness usually seen near
market tops. For instance, the Investors Intelligence Sentiment survey shows
bullishness has jumped up to 57%, while bearishness has fallen to just 15.7%.
That spread of 41.6% is considered to be in a danger zone. The last time it
reached 40% was in October, 2007, as the market topped out into the 2007-2009
bear market.
So, fair warning. Seasonality is liable to be even more important this
year than in most years.
The traditional seasonality maxim, ‘Sell in May and Go Away’, calls for
buying November 1 and selling on May 1 of the following year. Those dates were
the basis for the academic studies mentioned earlier.
But obviously a positive market move does not begin and end on the same
day each year. So in my 1999 book Riding the Bear – How to Prosper in the
Coming Bear Market, I introduced my Seasonal Timing Strategy. It
uses a technical indicator that tracks market momentum reversals to better
identify the entries and exits. Over the last 40 years, its exit signals have
been as early as April 20, and as late as June 20.
The modification significantly improved the already impressive
performance of the basic ‘Sell in May and Go Away’ seasonal strategy. In a
recent article on MarketWatch, Mark Hulbert wrote that the Hulbert Financial
Digest has only been tracking the performance since mid-2002, and since then
“Harding’s modification of the Sell In May and Go Away indicator produced an
8.2% annualized return . . . with 37% less risk.” That significantly beat the
performance of the S&P 500.' April
Is a Good Time to Sell [ I quite agree … overvalued to the hilt in this new
manipulated bubble … at the least a
'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' ] Adler 'Both banks and foreign central
banks [FCB] have normal buying cycles, and last
week’s evidence suggests that both are just past the peak of those cycles.
In addition, because of Japan’s predicament, FCB buying is for the foreseeable
future, likely to be well below the necessary levels to keep levitating stocks.
Add to that, the loss of the 2 month long, $25 billion weekly stipend from the
Treasury on March 24, and we have the conditions for a rough patch.
With less help from the Treasury, the banks, and FCBs, the Fed would have its
hands full keeping all its balls in the air. Some would be likely to hit the ground,
but not this month. That’s because of the light Treasury supply that I covered in
the Treasury update. That makes the job much easier this month, even
without the banks and the FCBs.This week is one of those easy weeks, with lots
of Fed pumping and no new Treasury supply ...
The evidence shows that banks are again out of the Treasury buying game. It
also shows that they lost money in the first quarter, which is insane
considering that their cost of funds is zero. It’s an indication of just how
dire the circumstances are. Banks continue to accumulate cash at a frantic rate
in their accounts at the Fed. The last time reserves rose this fast was in the
midst of the crisis in 2008.
...These elements essentially neutralize the Fed’s pumping. ..
In the meantime I would not wait to "sell in May and go away." April
looks like a good time to scale out of all equity longs, including in
particular broad based ETFs, like SPY (SPY), DIA (DIA), QQQ (QQQ), and IWM (IWM). Aggressive traders and
hedgers can use strength to establish short positions probably around mid-month
and after ...' ]
Apr 8, 2011 ... NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- 'With the price of oil
breaching the $110 a ... time oil surged this high, and
they're likely to hit the brakes yet again. ... NEW YORK (TheStreet)
-- With the price of oil breaching the $110 a barrel level, Jim Cramer told the
viewers of his "Mad
Money" TV show Friday that we've officially "entered the danger
zone" where the price of oil will matter more than corporate earnings.
Cramer said he simply cannot be as bullish on the markets as he once was, and
advised investors to begin using strength to raise cash. "Take a lesson
from 2008," Cramer told viewers as he outlined his game plan for next
week's trading. He said the markets faltered the last time oil surged this
high, and they're likely to hit the brakes yet again. "I'm going to become
more bearish as oil continues to climb," Cramer told viewers frankly. ...'
Keep
it Simple - Here's What's Really Driving Stock Prices
Toshiba
proposes to scrap 4 nuke reactors at Fukushima plant [ Am I missing
something here … some failed attempt at (Japanese) humor … Wow! … remind me not to buy a Toshiba
computer (I’ve also just eliminated dell and apple’s just not worth it). The
only explanation is that the radiation must be eating at their brains. Was this
proposal ever in doubt … even necessary? I’m at a loss for words! I really am!
] TOKYO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Toshiba
Corp. submitted a proposal to Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and the Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to decommission four troubled reactors at
the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, ...
Stocks
End Lower Friday, Mixed for Week
Midnight Trader 4:24 PM, Apr 8, 2011 --
2.
NYSE down 5.39
(-0.1%) to 8,483.94
3.
DJIA down 29.44
(-0.2%) to 12,380
4.
S&P 500 down
5.34 (-0.4%) to 1,328
5.
Nasdaq down
15.73 (-0.6%) to 2,780
GLOBAL SENTIMENT
·
Hang Seng up 0.47%
·
Nikkei up 1.85%
·
FTSE down 0.81%
These policies like wars of aggression, illegal surveillance of
Americans, torture of detainees indefinitely held without formal charges,
unfair “free trade” agreements, and bank bailouts ... these policies
accelerated under Obama, even more of the draconian playbook is unfolding.
After 8 years of Bush’s reign that ended with a record low presidential
approval rating in the low 20s, Obama’s promise of hope and change ...Although policies being implemented under
Obama’s leadership exhibit the continuation of Bush’s tyrannical agenda,
his stunning betrayal of populist and Constitutional principles in support of
these actions makes him the ultimate hypocrite...
There have been many articles written about Obama’s unkept promises and
outright lies, but here are 10 actions that prove Obama is just as bad if not
worse than Bush:
1) Bank/Corporate Bailouts...
2) Betrayal of the Poor...
3) Expansion of Free Trade: Obama excoriated NAFTA, GATT and other so-called “Free Trade”
agreements that were put in place under Clinton and Bush (with CAFTA)...These free
trade agreements are designed to only help the multinational corporations
who wrote them, and who Obama now works for. … the government moves forward
with many new similar
agreements.
4) Escalating Wars of Aggression...
5)Internet Rights Eroding...
6) Finally, the DHS
has been arbitrarily seizing domain names, which is clearly
unconstitutional … Obama is completely in bed with Google and others in the
corporate information cartel...
7) Free Speech Restrictions...
8) Illegal Domestic Surveillance...
9) Rule of Law is Dead...
10) Obamacare Fascism... ]
From Egypt to Libya and now the budget, the questions on leadership
style have followed a consistent pattern.
A
Crack in the Great Wall-mart: Watch Out for Rising Prices from China Jason
Kaspar | If inflation is to hit home in the heartland of America, it
will certainly begin at Wal-Mart.
Portugal
defaults, America on the waiting list? RT | Prime Minister
of Portugal asked the European Union for a bailout.
Two
George Soros Events Aim to Remake Financial Order and Media Dan
Gainor | His flunkies want to “Change the world. Change the media.”
National / World
Drudgereport: 11TH HOUR: LET'S MAKE A
DEAL
Obama:
'Americans of different beliefs came together'...
Takes credit for
'biggest annual spending cut in history'...
'LIVE
WITHIN OUR MEANS'...
FLASHBACK:
Deficit Forecast Nears $1.5 Trillion...
SURPRISE:
Government shutdown averted...
Spending
cuts total nearly $40 billion...
$78
billion below Obama request...
Deal
bans DC from spending funds for abortion, continues school voucher program...
BOEHNER:
'As good a deal as we could get'...
REPORT:
Oprah won't endorse Obama for re-election...
Poll:
Obama Struggling With Whites...
Even
black voters slip...
OIL
JUMPS 2% -- IN A DAY...
Fever
for Gold, Silver Grips Investors...
Biden daughter
trashes Trump...
Bill Cosby slams: 'He's
full of it!'...
Trump
Takes On NYT, Gail Collins...
Admires
her for surviving 'so long with so little talent'...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC
where t_rump has his Jerry Springer
derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole new york's fraud street journal … poll?
… Don't make me laugh … Lawrence O'Donnell insists parent company
NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily
Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington
Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions (ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has
such); of that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in
many battles and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single
time," the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s
never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged
bankrupcies’ crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ]
He also with his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve
Wynn's doing extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people
and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve
in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH: Direct from Lost Angeles Learning
Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new yoke, new joyzey, and now caleefornia
mob fame with his continuing message for the past several years: buy real
estate (and watch the values go down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire
Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year
At N.J. Mainstay Ends With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect
from a mobster’s casino in mob-infested jersey!
Trump
luxury resort folds, leaving buyers defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for
sister maryanne, the corrupt federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in
n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud
and handles her own motions to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in
jail ... (see RICO Case)
] earned many billions of
dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense was both a scorecard and
acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the people, all of the time. ]
." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world …
true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt
legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt
nation. ] “I would announce, without
equivocation, a 25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
These policies like wars of aggression, illegal surveillance of
Americans, torture of detainees indefinitely held without formal charges,
unfair “free trade” agreements, and bank bailouts ... these policies
accelerated under Obama, even more of the draconian playbook is unfolding.
After 8 years of Bush’s reign that ended with a
record low presidential approval rating in the low 20s, Obama’s promise of
hope and change ...Although policies being implemented under
Obama’s leadership exhibit the continuation of Bush’s tyrannical agenda,
his stunning betrayal of populist and Constitutional principles in support of
these actions makes him the ultimate hypocrite...
There have been many articles written about Obama’s unkept promises and
outright lies, but here are 10 actions that prove Obama is just as bad if not
worse than Bush:
1) Bank/Corporate Bailouts...
2) Betrayal of the Poor...
3) Expansion of Free Trade: Obama excoriated NAFTA, GATT and other so-called “Free Trade”
agreements that were put in place under Clinton and Bush (with CAFTA)...These free
trade agreements are designed to only help the multinational corporations
who wrote them, and who Obama now works for. … the government moves forward
with many new similar
agreements.
4) Escalating Wars of Aggression...
5)Internet Rights Eroding...
6) Finally, the DHS
has been arbitrarily seizing domain names, which is clearly
unconstitutional … Obama is completely in bed with Google and others in the
corporate information cartel...
7) Free Speech Restrictions...
8) Illegal Domestic Surveillance...
9) Rule of Law is
Dead...
10) Obamacare Fascism... ]
From Egypt to Libya and
now the budget, the questions on leadership style have followed a consistent
pattern.
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year
Whistling
Past the Expanding Graveyard as Spain Goes 'On the Clock 'Inflation Trader 'For some time now, the
markets have been ‘whistling past the graveyard,’ impressively ignoring and/or
shrugging off a fair pile of news that ought definitely to be negative for
equities and probably somewhat negative for bonds as well. I’ve detailed these
things previously and they don’t really need much repeating.
But it’s one thing to go whistling past the local church graveyard,
something else entirely to keep whistling when the graveyard stretches on for
miles. Yesterday, Portugal
formally asked the EU for a bailout. “I tried everything but we came to a
moment that not taking this decision would bring risks we can’t afford,” said
Prime Minister Jose Socrates. A day or two ago, there had been talk that
Portugal wanted a short-term loan to float it past a big slug of bond
redemptions that is approaching; the EU said ‘it doesn’t work that way,’ so
Portugal was forced to throw itself on the mercy of the Union.
Well, this is something less than a total surprise, and indeed
Portuguese bond yields rallied 17bps, along with Ireland’s 32bp rally
and Spain’s 6bp rally. I don’t know how Portugal seeking aid improves the lot
of Ireland, but there it is. Now, I don’t really care about a one-day rally but
the significance of Portugal succumbing is that the market’s crosshairs will
now be trained on Spain, Italy, or Belgium. Judging from market yields, it
would appear Spain is likely to be the next one ‘on the clock.’ And that’s
really the main event, because Spain’s economy is much larger than Portugal’s,
Greece’s, or Ireland’s.
The graveyard stretches onward. How long can markets keep whistling?
A
Trading System That Challenges the Efficient Market Hypothesis [ I haven't included the body of this
article because it's not worth your time. What parallel universe is McCurdy
operating in? Even in the heyday of that so-called hypothesis, close
examination of the data indicated that if you weren't timing the market you
were, in a somewhat 'Charlie Sheenish' manner of speaking, duh! … losing!
(my MBA Thesis, 1977, NYU GBA, Finance – which required study / mastery
of such math intensive theory which wasn't for the faint of heart.) Said
'hypothesis' wasn't true then and certainly isn't true today where complex
computer-programming can and does artificially produce the various criteria /
buy / sell / signals alluded to in the article (they're widely known /
followed) creating the rigged / fraudulent trading game geared to maximized the
'churn-and-earn' commission profits (net negative in economic terms) and
enabling the passing of 'those hot potatoes'/paper shares in a manner that
resembles a game of musical chairs with those not in the loop winding up
holding the bag (including pension funds, etc.); all the while funding those
lavish lifesyles / over-compensation of the frauds on wall street along with
the direct / indirect bribes inuring them from stigma and as well, insulating
them from proper scrutiny and prosecution.
Fundamentals, fundamental rational analysis has become virtually
irrelevant to these now fraud-prone markets like never before in history
facilitating frauds of magnitudes that have made the rationalization 'too big
to fail' a byword of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt american failed
finance; which frauds continue unabated, unprosecuted even as you read these
words. In retrospect, one might say of such theory, in reality, that famed
snoopy(ish - the dog) aphorism,
'baffling them with b*** s*** '. (Which
as it stands today particularly, remains an american financial / economic
strategy, albeit a now widely known failed strategy.) - Lawyer
charged with insider trading (Washington Post) [ Come on! Just enough for a
few headlines so people think they're actually doing something. They could (but
don't) bring a case as this or other wall street crime against a different wall
street liar (sic lawyer) / fraud in that corrupt sinkhole new york (metro, ie.,
jersey, conn., etc.) every single day and bearly touch the tip of the iceberg.
Is anybody foolish enough to think what goes on there is legitimate? Remember,
still no pros for the huge debacle / fraud precipitating the last and
continuing economic / financial crisis. Chemist
charged with insider trading (WP) [ This
remains incredulous to me. Everyone but the big boys / frauds! The
frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined,
and disgorgement imposed. Dave's
Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its
inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up.
Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy
back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money-- … an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm . Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding PRECHTER:
We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows Davis ‘… This
is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to
get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). SEC:
Wachovia cheated investors
(WP) I truly can see decreasing
the apple weighting (formerly 20%), and increasing the oracle (open office,
etc.), google (ubiquitous) weighting, but increasing dyingosaur microsoft
weighting … I don't think so … something's gone awry here that smacks of
desperation and an attempt to circumvent the visual effects on the nasdaq of a
post-jobs apple, viz., over-priced apple sauce. Isn't that just like the frauds
on wall street … to pad the nasdaq bubble based on a 1-stock story (apple), and
manipulate when that 1-stock story falls to earth! April
Is a Good Time to Sell [ I quite agree … at the least a 'sell in May and go
away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' Adler ]
Whistling
Past the Expanding Graveyard as Spain Goes 'On the Clock 'Inflation Trader 'For some time now, the
markets have been ‘whistling past the graveyard,’ impressively ignoring and/or
shrugging off a fair pile of news that ought definitely to be negative for
equities and probably somewhat negative for bonds as well. I’ve detailed these
things previously and they don’t really need much repeating.
But it’s one thing to go whistling past the local church graveyard,
something else entirely to keep whistling when the graveyard stretches on for
miles. Yesterday, Portugal
formally asked the EU for a bailout. “I tried everything but we came to a
moment that not taking this decision would bring risks we can’t afford,” said
Prime Minister Jose Socrates. A day or two ago, there had been talk that
Portugal wanted a short-term loan to float it past a big slug of bond
redemptions that is approaching; the EU said ‘it doesn’t work that way,’ so
Portugal was forced to throw itself on the mercy of the Union.
Well, this is something less than a total surprise, and indeed
Portuguese bond yields rallied 17bps, along with Ireland’s 32bp rally
and Spain’s 6bp rally. I don’t know how Portugal seeking aid improves the lot
of Ireland, but there it is. Now, I don’t really care about a one-day rally but
the significance of Portugal succumbing is that the market’s crosshairs will
now be trained on Spain, Italy, or Belgium. Judging from market yields, it
would appear Spain is likely to be the next one ‘on the clock.’ And that’s
really the main event, because Spain’s economy is much larger than Portugal’s,
Greece’s, or Ireland’s.
The graveyard stretches onward. How long can markets keep whistling?
U.S. 10y note yields reached 1-month highs at 3.55%, and I will not be
at all surprised to see them keep going higher. I believe the economic data is
going to be flattening out a bit here, but not quickly enough to get investors
champing at the bit to take up the slack once the Fed stops buying in a couple
of months. Real yields are back to 0.96% on the 10y – still too expensive for
my tastes but it is easy to say that; harder it is to find good alternatives.
Even OSM, which
I wrote about a year ago when it was trading at 16, only sports a yield of
CPI+4.8% or so. After accounting for the credit risk of the issuer, that’s not
particularly cheap (although probably better than many alternatives – I am not
selling mine yet).
Energy markets continue to ooze slowly higher. The impacts of the
Japanese disaster are continuing to spread and be felt. The financial impacts
won’t be measured by Geiger counter readings, but by guidance from companies
whose supply chains have been disrupted by the crisis. That guidance and those
calls will start to happen when earnings announcement season gets kicked off on
Monday (although the companies affected probably aren’t those that report next
week but in the week or two thereafter).
And the money spigot the Fed has turned on will be turning off in only a
few months.
Some people would say that this is all part of the “market climbing a
wall of worry.” But that’s not right. A “wall of worry” is when investors are
timid because of the possibility that things might go wrong, and they’re
worrying about what might go wrong. That’s not the situation here. These things
are not possibilities; they are things that are actually going wrong, right
now. It’s whistling past the graveyard (frankly I picture it more like Michael Jackson’s Thriller,
with lots of ghouls and ghastly things reaching out to clutch at the
passersby).
Today, there are two main events on schedule. The first is the announcement
by the ECB of the results of the monetary policy meeting. There is total
unanimity among economists (at least, the 57 polled by Bloomberg) that the ECB
will hike rates by 25bps even as Portugal, Greece, and Ireland are foundering
on high rates. I think that will be a colossal error, although if they stop
after one tightening or indicate that there will be a pause of some length to
let the policymakers evaluate the effect of the move then it may not be as big
of an error. But tightening policy now, given what is happening in MENA, given
what is happening in Japan, and given what is happening with oil (which price
rise is already contractionary), is a mind-boggling decision. And, as I have
said before, it clearly points out that the EU doesn’t care much about the
periphery countries and that policy is being run for the core. That’s fine,
unless you’re a periphery country! We will see, I suppose, how willing the
consumers of Europe are to take slower growth or a return to recession in order
to restrain inflation.
This was always going to be the battle. Inflation, given the scale of
central bank response to crisis, was always doomed to turn higher long before
the “economic slack” (which is to say, jobs for the people) had evaporated. In
the U.S., I have long assumed that the Fed would be very slow
to hike rates for this reason and because the institution – despite its
apparent independence – isn’t insulated from public rancor or from the
brickbats of Congressional blowhards.
The other report is the weekly Initial Claims data (Consensus: 385k from
388k), which is unlikely to have a major impact unless it spikes well above
400k. A 410k print would get people wondering whether Claims are turning higher
again, but a better-than-expected number has a high hurdle because the
presumption is that Claims are in a downtrend.
For my money, I’m watching the ECB, listening to the press conference
afterwards, and wearing a garlic necklace.'
These policies like wars of aggression, illegal surveillance of
Americans, torture of detainees indefinitely held without formal charges,
unfair “free trade” agreements, and bank bailouts ... these policies
accelerated under Obama, even more of the draconian playbook is unfolding.
After 8 years of Bush’s reign that ended with a record low presidential
approval rating in the low 20s, Obama’s promise of hope and change ...Although policies being implemented under
Obama’s leadership exhibit the continuation of Bush’s tyrannical agenda,
his stunning betrayal of populist and Constitutional principles in support of
these actions makes him the ultimate hypocrite...
There have been many articles written about Obama’s unkept promises and
outright lies, but here are 10 actions that prove Obama is just as bad if not
worse than Bush:
1) Bank/Corporate Bailouts...
2) Betrayal of the Poor...
3) Expansion of Free Trade: Obama excoriated NAFTA, GATT and other so-called “Free Trade”
agreements that were put in place under Clinton and Bush (with CAFTA)...These free
trade agreements are designed to only help the multinational corporations
who wrote them, and who Obama now works for. In contrast to being
“opposed” to such agreements, the government moves forward with many new similar
agreements.
4) Escalating Wars of Aggression...
5)Internet Rights Eroding...
6) Finally, the DHS
has been arbitrarily seizing domain names, which is clearly unconstitutional.
Given that Obama is completely in bed with Google and others in the
corporate information cartel, you can bet he will
show his support for these endeavors even if only by remaining silent as they
are debated then implemented.
7) Free Speech Restrictions...
8) Illegal Domestic Surveillance...
9) Rule of Law is Dead...
10) Obamacare Fascism... ]
After an evening meeting with congressional leaders at the White House, the
president said the two sides are divided over “relatively narrow numbers.”
A
Crack in the Great Wall-mart: Watch Out for Rising Prices from China Jason
Kaspar | If inflation is to hit home in the heartland of America, it
will certainly begin at Wal-Mart.
Portugal
defaults, America on the waiting list? RT | Prime Minister
of Portugal asked the European Union for a bailout.
Two
George Soros Events Aim to Remake Financial Order and Media Dan
Gainor | His flunkies want to “Change the world. Change the media.”
Markets
Fall On Second Major Earthquake Near Fukushima Following a 7.4 magnitude
earthquake off the coast of northeastern Japan today, the major stock market
indexes fell after rising all morning.
“We
Don’t Need A Bailout… We Don’t Need A Bailout…Uh, We Need A Bailout”: Portugal
Admits To Needing EU Rescue In the biggest shocker to come out just hours
before the ECB’s announcement tomorrow, which many see is a guaranteed rate
hike, Journal de Negocios has just announced that according to the Portuguese
Finance Minister, the country needs a bailout, after weeks and weeks of
Greece-style denials. And yes, nobody could have foreseen this, and all that
jazz.
National / World
Obama
Remembers Pumping Gas During an appearance before Al Sharpton’s shake down
organization, the National Action Network, the comedian Obama said he was a gas
station attendant before he decided to serve his country as a teleprompter
reader. Barry Obama was a regular Joe with student loans to pay off and other
hardships suffered daily by the boobeoisie.
Drudgereport: Obama:
'I Remember What It Was Like To Pump Gas'...
Get
used to high prices...
GOP
lawyer circulating wobama impeachment article on Hill...
FAA
sets 'no-fly zone' over Williamsburg...
'Long-planned
family trip'...
'Rest
and relaxation'...
Malls
hit highest vacancy in 11 years...
General:
U.S. may consider ground troops in Libya...
DEM:
WH 'dramatically underestimating' cost of war...
NATO
Fears War without End...
NATO Airstrike Kills
Libyan Rebels -- again...
OIL SPIKES PAST $110...
Traders
prepare for oil at $175...
Ryan:
Debt On Track To Hit 800% Of GDP...
Oklahoma
sees driest 4 months since Dust Bowl...
'CBO Can't Conceive of Any Way' Economy Can Continue Past 2037...[that's
awfully optimistically close to if not beyond the 'decades at best
scenario']...
REPORT:
Saudis 'So Unhappy' With White House They Sent Emissaries to China, Russia
Seeking Enhanced Ties...
Cash-Strapped
NYC To Close 20 Fire Companies...
NBCWSJ
POLL SHOCK: TRUMP #2 GOP [ NBC where
t_rump has his Jerry Springer derivative shock-jock show and sinkhole
new york's fraud street journal … poll? … Don't make me laugh … Lawrence
O'Donnell insists parent company NBC consider firing Donald Trump Daily Caller ... Milbank: Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington Post) [ Trump’s a loser, dressed up and propped up
by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt regions
(ie., new york, jersey, etc.) of the country (every fallen nation has such); of
that there is no question …"Over the years I've participated in many battles
and have really almost come out very, very victorious every single time,"
the Donald said. (Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is. [ trump’s never won a
battle that wasn’t fixed in advance (including the ‘pre-packaged bankrupcies’
crammed down the throats of objecting creditors – jersey general ] He also with
his corrupt mob ilk 'chased' Steve Wynn out of jersey – Steve Wynn's doing
extremely well in Macau and Vegas.) "I've beaten many people and
companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't serve in
the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie., bribery,
money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss … trump is
total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade, quite
insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! …trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … NEWS FLASH:
Direct from Lost Angeles Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new
yoke, new joyzey, and now caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for
the past several years: buy real estate (and watch the values go
down…..riiiiight!).
Bank
sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump
casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own company’)
Gunfire
Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year
At N.J. Mainstay Ends With Employee Killed – What else would you you expect
from a mobster’s casino in mob-infested jersey!
Trump
luxury resort folds, leaving buyers defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for
sister maryanne, the corrupt federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in
n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud
and handles her own motions to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in
jail ... (see RICO Case)
]
earned many billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense
was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the
people, all of the time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said
america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the
biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the possibility of a run when he
should be in jail is a testament to just how big a laughingstock pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become!
[ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and scoundrel trump wraps himself
in populist american flag and offers up an (too little too late – typical
lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’ flowing though he’d
already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with meaningful laws. All
China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their ever more and
declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies) u.s. paper /
bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down to it, this has been
america’s most significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable structural shift,
hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have survived with
them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest
thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms condemned and
warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his opponents, could not be
bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt america, he could never
have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed the good (but not great,
other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery including judges, police,
politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The Untouchables’ getting a
wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant part of american
folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in america, and
certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’. The
reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win
election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He was incorruptible;
and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if not also all but
unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies in america as
I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even false perception!
Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake it anymore.
See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal / judicial processes,
etc., Defacto
bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on offensive (defensive a
misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the nations of the world
combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern emerging here [ I
unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed employees, cia, all 3
branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved american
trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense … The pervasively corrupt american
illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their lifetime plush
appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are unheard of in
productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these drags on
society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly bureaucracies. Rules
of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans. Most, including sam
alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug money laundering and
obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit ( also maryanne trump
barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her brother’s casinos in a
civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it for the
money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is great
for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ]. america’s just a
fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation.
] “I would announce, without equivocation, a 25% tax increase on
anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?'
]
These policies like wars of aggression, illegal surveillance of
Americans, torture of detainees indefinitely held without formal charges,
unfair “free trade” agreements, and bank bailouts ... these policies
accelerated under Obama, even more of the draconian playbook is unfolding.
After 8 years of Bush’s reign that ended with a
record low presidential approval rating in the low 20s, Obama’s promise of
hope and change ...Although policies
being implemented under Obama’s leadership exhibit the continuation of
Bush’s tyrannical agenda, his stunning betrayal of populist and Constitutional
principles in support of these actions makes him the ultimate hypocrite...
There have been many articles written about Obama’s unkept promises and
outright lies, but here are 10 actions that prove Obama is just as bad if not
worse than Bush:
1) Bank/Corporate Bailouts...
2) Betrayal of the Poor...
3) Expansion of Free Trade: Obama excoriated NAFTA, GATT and other so-called “Free Trade”
agreements that were put in place under Clinton and Bush (with CAFTA)...These free
trade agreements are designed to only help the multinational corporations
who wrote them, and who Obama now works for. In contrast to being
“opposed” to such agreements, the government moves forward with many new similar
agreements.
4) Escalating Wars of Aggression...
5)Internet Rights Eroding...
6) Finally, the DHS
has been arbitrarily seizing domain names, which is clearly
unconstitutional. Given that Obama is completely in bed with Google and
others in the corporate information cartel, you can
bet he will show his support for these endeavors even if only by remaining
silent as they are debated then implemented.
7) Free Speech Restrictions...
8) Illegal Domestic Surveillance...
9) Rule of Law is Dead...
10) Obamacare Fascism...
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump
Taj Mahal Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends
With Employee Killed
Trump
luxury resort folds, leaving buyers defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for
sister maryanne, the corrupt federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in
n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud
and handles her own motions to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in
jail ... (see RICO Case)
Bad
News for Cisco is Good: Dave's Daily 'This is the Alice in Wonderland world we live in. Cisco CEO John
Chambers admits that all is not well ("we suck!") and investors bid
the stock up 5%. Maybe the thinking is his confession will force his ouster. Maybe
investors will think a government shutdown is a good thing since that's one way
to cut spending. Across the pond, Portugal is bust (another bad news item) but
the euro and stocks rally. Elsewhere Fed Governor Lockhart stated he didn't see
any reason to abandon "QE2" early or raise interest
rates before the end of the year. Was that bad or good news? The best news
item of the day came from part one of a David Stockman op-ed calling out "Crony
Capitalism" as our major problem. It's a great read and the
conclusions within will ring true for many people...'
Slowing
Global Economy With Downside Risk
Roche 'Danske Bank, which has
been very bullish in recent years, is joining the chorus of banks becoming
increasingly concerned about a global slowdown. In a recent note they discussed
their macro outlook and where they see the risks to the downside:
Summary and outlook
Global leading indicators are showing signs of weakening, but they are
still at comfortable levels. US ISM declined modestly from a very high level in
March. Likewise, European PMIs still look good, but survey expectations point
towards a slowdown in growth. In China the slowdown seems to have taken hold.
We expect the majority of the leading indicators to decline to less
expansive levels in the coming months, but to remain at decent levels. However,
several factors could temporarily speed up the decline. Rising oil prices,
caused by the Middle East turmoil, lead to rising production costs and reduced
purchasing power. The disaster in Japan hampers Japanese production and could
also disrupt global supply chains. Finally, the recent slowdown in China
reduces demand growth from Asia.
Details
Global PMI new orders have dropped to 55 from the peak last month at 60.
This is the first drop since September 2010, confirming the expected slowdown
in growth.
In the US, ISM declined moderately from 61.4 to 61.2, but the new orders
index took a dive indicating further corrections in the coming months. Hence we
expect ISM to continue to decline.
In Euroland PMIs generally sent a positive signal, with Germany being
the driving force. However, here as well, we expect to see adjustments in the
coming months. Scandi leading indicators are somewhat less positive, but
generally point to decent growth rates, yet Denmark is still trailing the rest
of the region.
Asia has been sending less upbeat signals lately. Chinese manufacturing
PMI dropped also in March, indicating slowing growth. Other Asian PMIs are
starting to point in the same direction. CEE PMIs have started to show some
signs of moderation as well, but we continue to believe in healthy growth rates
over the coming months. Similarly in Brazil PMI has lost its recent momentum.
click to enlarge
http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/6/saupload_danske.png '
U.S.
Equities Stall: Short Exposure Is Best Karnik [ I have a few difficulties
with 'Karnak' here since he correctly sets forth reasons for lower equities;
yet he's long SPY (though in his article he seems to distinguish already ultra
short S & P plays which might bounce to cover). ]
Short-Term,
High-Probability Mean-Reversion Strategy: ETFs Hit a Short-Term Extreme
Crowder 'After marching higher for most of the day, the major market indices
came back near the closing bell to close Tuesday basically flat.
We have seen several days of range bound trading, and I expect to see a
violent move outside of the range when it inevitably occurs.
Given the extreme short-term overbought state in most of the ETFs I
follow for my ETF/Options strategy, I expect to see a short-term reprieve over
the coming days.
Because of the extreme overbought nature of the ETFs, I still have both
of my positions on. I will take them both off once we get back to neutral
territory.
Until then, I will sit back and patiently wait for the trade. This type
of price action has happened before and it will happen again. However, if we
look at the history of the strategy each time this has occurred we have seen
profitable days ahead. I expect that history will repeat itself once again. Of
course, as we all know, there are no guarantees in trading so always consider
risk management mostly through position-sizing with each and every trade. This
is a must for every trader and one that will make you a successful trader over
the long-term. Remember, this is a marathon and not a sprint.
Short-Term High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Indicator – as of close
4/04/11
click to enlarge http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/6/saupload_4_5_11_hpmr.png
Disclosure: I am
short IWM, SPY.'
Ryan:
Debt on Track to Hit 800 Percent of GDP CNSNews.com | Ryan
said House Republicans’ FY2012 budget would save Medicare and help the United
States avoid a debt crisis.
National / World
Flood
of phishing may follow breach (Washington Post) [ Well, I don't know about
the breach, but going fishing in May sounds like a good idea … even April ...
April
Is a Good Time to Sell [ I quite agree … overvalued to the hilt in this new
manipulated bubble … at the least a
'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' ] Adler 'Both banks and foreign central
banks [FCB] have normal buying cycles, and last
week’s evidence suggests that both are just past the peak of those cycles.
In addition, because of Japan’s predicament, FCB buying is for the foreseeable
future, likely to be well below the necessary levels to keep levitating stocks.
Add to that, the loss of the 2 month long, $25 billion weekly stipend from the
Treasury on March 24, and we have the conditions for a rough patch.
With less help from the Treasury, the banks, and FCBs, the Fed would have its
hands full keeping all its balls in the air. Some would be likely to hit the
ground, but not this month. That’s because of the light Treasury supply that I
covered in
the Treasury update. That makes the job much easier this month, even
without the banks and the FCBs.
This week is one of those easy weeks, with lots of Fed pumping and no new
Treasury supply. That should be relentlessly bullish, but you sure wouldn’t
know that from Monday’s action. There’s tremendous drag behind the scenes that
is preventing the Fed’s pumping from having as much effect is it would
otherwise.
The evidence shows that banks are again out of the Treasury buying game. It
also shows that they lost money in the first quarter, which is insane
considering that their cost of funds is zero. It’s an indication of just how
dire the circumstances are. Banks continue to accumulate cash at a frantic rate
in their accounts at the Fed. The last time reserves rose this fast was in the
midst of the crisis in 2008.
Although the banks did buy some Treasuries in mid-March, they have again
stopped buying, and have reduced their holdings, opting to hold cash at the Fed
instead. The banks are pulling cash out of the system and depositing it in
their reserve accounts even faster than the Fed is printing it, lately 60%
faster. We have to wonder what has them so spooked.
At the same time, FCB purchases of Treasuries are also backsliding, and are
well below the threshold where they need to be to keep the markets stable.
These elements essentially neutralize the Fed’s pumping ...
In the meantime I would not wait to "sell in May and go away." April
looks like a good time to scale out of all equity longs, including in
particular broad based ETFs, like SPY (SPY), DIA (DIA), QQQ (QQQ), and IWM (IWM). Aggressive traders and
hedgers can use strength to establish short positions probably around mid-month
and after ...'
Top
3 Reasons were Flat While Gold Set Another Record [ I truly can see decreasing the apple
weighting, and increasing the oracle (open office, etc.), google (ubiquitous)
weighting, but increasing dyingosaur microsoft weighting … I don't think so …
something's gone awry here that smacks of desperation and an attempt to
circumvent the visual effects on the nasdaq of a post-jobs apple, viz.,
over-priced apple sauce. Isn't that just like the frauds on wall street … to
pad the nasdaq bubble based on a 1-stock story, and manipulate when that 1-stock
story falls to earth! ] Wall Street Cheat Sheet 'On Tuesday April 5, 2011,
Markets closed flat on Wall Street: DJI -0.05% SP500 -0.02% Nasdaq +0.07% Gold
+1.37% Oil -0.45% . Markets went nowhere today … again. Today’s story was Gold
(NYSE:GLD)
setting new record highs. (See “Gold
Bugs, Unite!“)
Today’s markets were flat because:
1) The US Services sector continues to expand. Although the ISM
Non-Manufacturing Index came in below Wall Street expectation, 16 out of 17
sectors expanded. Check Out: Chart
of the Day: US Services Sector Breathes, But Still Expanding.
2) The Nasdaq 100 (NASDAQ:QQQ)
is rebalancing. It was bad news for Nasdaq OMX Group’s (NASDAQ:NDAQ)
former love Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Apple
currently comprises 20.49% of the index, but will drop to 12.33%.
However, other tech heavy-weights are cheering the move. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
is increases its weighting to 8.3% from 3.41%, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)
increases to 4.2% from 1.75%, Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL)
increases to 6.68% from 3.38%, and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)
increases to 5.8%. That’s some nice wind on the back of new
CEO Larry Page.
3) Bonus: Chipotle (NYSE:CMG)
sets a new 52-week high. We recommended Chipotle to our Wall
St. Cheat Sheet Investment Newsletter subscribers when it was trading at
$140. Today it hit $280....'
April
Is a Good Time to Sell [ I quite agree … overvalued to the hilt in this new
manipulated bubble … at the least a
'sell in May and go away', but 'don't be mentally ill, sell in April!' ] Adler 'Both banks and foreign central
banks [FCB] have normal buying cycles, and last
week’s evidence suggests that both are just past the peak of those cycles.
In addition, because of Japan’s predicament, FCB buying is for the foreseeable
future, likely to be well below the necessary levels to keep levitating stocks.
Add to that, the loss of the 2 month long, $25 billion weekly stipend from the
Treasury on March 24, and we have the conditions for a rough patch.
With less help from the Treasury, the banks, and FCBs, the Fed would have its
hands full keeping all its balls in the air. Some would be likely to hit the
ground, but not this month. That’s because of the light Treasury supply that I
covered in
the Treasury update. That makes the job much easier this month, even without
the banks and the FCBs.
This week is one of those easy weeks, with lots of Fed pumping and no new
Treasury supply. That should be relentlessly bullish, but you sure wouldn’t
know that from Monday’s action. There’s tremendous drag behind the scenes that is
preventing the Fed’s pumping from having as much effect is it would otherwise.
The evidence shows that banks are again out of the Treasury buying game. It
also shows that they lost money in the first quarter, which is insane
considering that their cost of funds is zero. It’s an indication of just how
dire the circumstances are. Banks continue to accumulate cash at a frantic rate
in their accounts at the Fed. The last time reserves rose this fast was in the
midst of the crisis in 2008.
Although the banks did buy some Treasuries in mid-March, they have again
stopped buying, and have reduced their holdings, opting to hold cash at the Fed
instead. The banks are pulling cash out of the system and depositing it in
their reserve accounts even faster than the Fed is printing it, lately 60%
faster. We have to wonder what has them so spooked.
At the same time, FCB purchases of Treasuries are also backsliding, and are
well below the threshold where they need to be to keep the markets stable.
These elements essentially neutralize the Fed’s pumping. It may not be enough
to send the markets lower, and in the absence of new Treasury supply, Fed
buying should be enough to keep the field tilted in favor of higher prices.
April’s bias should be to the upside, but the background drag will be there.
Things will get tougher in May when Treasury supply increases, and really tough
this summer when the Fed presumably will stop pumping. The question at that
point is to what extent the banks and FCBs will be on the upside of their
buying cycle, and will that alone be enough to prevent a selloff.
In the meantime I would not wait to "sell in May and go away." April
looks like a good time to scale out of all equity longs, including in
particular broad based ETFs, like SPY (SPY), DIA (DIA), QQQ (QQQ), and IWM (IWM). Aggressive traders and
hedgers can use strength to establish short positions probably around mid-month
and after ...'
Top
3 Reasons were Flat While Gold Set Another Record [ I truly can see decreasing the apple
weighting, and increasing the oracle (open office, etc.), google (ubiquitous)
weighting, but increasing dyingosaur microsoft weighting … I don't think so …
something's gone awry here that smacks of desperation and an attempt to
circumvent the visual effects on the nasdaq of a post-jobs apple, viz., over-priced
apple sauce. Isn't that just like the frauds on wall street … to pad the nasdaq
bubble based on a 1-stock story, and manipulate when that 1-stock story falls
to earth! ] Wall Street Cheat Sheet 'On Tuesday April 5, 2011, Markets closed
flat on Wall Street: DJI -0.05% SP500 -0.02% Nasdaq +0.07% Gold +1.37% Oil
-0.45% . Markets went nowhere today … again. Today’s story was Gold (NYSE:GLD)
setting new record highs. (See “Gold
Bugs, Unite!“)
Today’s markets were flat because:
1) The US Services sector continues to expand. Although the ISM
Non-Manufacturing Index came in below Wall Street expectation, 16 out of 17
sectors expanded. Check Out: Chart
of the Day: US Services Sector Breathes, But Still Expanding.
2) The Nasdaq 100 (NASDAQ:QQQ)
is rebalancing. It was bad news for Nasdaq OMX Group’s (NASDAQ:NDAQ)
former love Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Apple
currently comprises 20.49% of the index, but will drop to 12.33%.
However, other tech heavy-weights are cheering the move. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
is increases its weighting to 8.3% from 3.41%, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)
increases to 4.2% from 1.75%, Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL)
increases to 6.68% from 3.38%, and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)
increases to 5.8%. That’s some nice wind on the back of new
CEO Larry Page.
3) Bonus: Chipotle (NYSE:CMG)
sets a new 52-week high. We recommended Chipotle to our Wall
St. Cheat Sheet Investment Newsletter subscribers when it was trading at
$140. Today it hit $280....'
[video]
Weisberg: Market Priced for Earnings Perfection [ I'd say far more than
perfection as in contrived, fraudulent overbought bubble! ]
Monetary
and Fiscal Policy Uncertainty: Dave's Daily ' Fed minutes revealed what
most thought despite recent signs of improvement in the US economy; it didn't
need to change its plan to boost the economy by buying $600 billion worth of
bonds. In fact some thought QE2 should continue past the scheduled June
expiration. Therefore POMO
continues and Wednesday the Fed bought another $7.5 billion from their pals on
Wall Street.
Separately, a government shutdown looms, which troubles some but not me
particularly. There's more politics and posturing than leadership in
Washington, that's for sure.
There was more fun when Michael Steinhardt of trading
fame and now chairman of Wisdom Tree went off the reservation blasting Buffett
and phony inflation data. The CNBC panel was flummoxed.
Stocks
did little overall despite the long delayed reweighting of the NASDAQ affecting
Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and Cisco (CSCO). Given the Fed's unwillingness
to deal with obvious inflation in commodity markets, precious metals once again
were higher being the featured sector Wednesday.
Volume remains anemic while breadth per the WSJ was flat...'
Retail,
ISM, Fed Reports Lead Tuesday's Economic Calendar [ Watch for the fake data
/ reports as their desperation grows! ]
A
Weak SOX Can Trump a Dow Theory Buy Signal
Suttmeier 'We are now operating under a Dow
Theory Buy Signal as the Dow
Industrial Average closed at 12,400.03 on Monday above its February 18 high at
12,391.29. Be aware that the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) is a drag
in the opposite direction being down 9.5% from its February high. The Dow
Industrials is up 0.1%, Dow Transports is up 1.4%, as is the Russell 2000
versus February highs. The SOX thus questions the sustainability of the Dow
Theory Buy.
Stocks Remain Overvalued Fundamentally – We are operating under a ValuEngine
Valuation Watch with more than 60% of all stocks
overvalued. At Friday’s close 61.1% of all stocks were overvalued. In addition
all 16 sectors are overvalued with eight by double-digit percentages. A
ValuEngine Valuation Warning occurs when more than 65% of all stocks
are overvalued. This last occurred at the mid-February highs.
10-Year Note – (3.431) The 10-Year yield is back below its 50-day simple moving
average at 3.466, which favors
the flight to quality scenario. Daily, annual and quarterly value levels are
3.537, 3.796 and 4.016 with weekly and monthly risky levels at 3.275 and
3.181...'
Wages
not keeping pace with prices (Washington Post) [ Yes , there is a substantial cost to
'no-recession, helicopter ben' b. s. bernanke's attempt at new age alchemy in trying to spin worthless currency /
paper securities / toxic assets into gold for the sake of fraudulent wall
street only; which of course, not only does not work, but invariably ends quite
badly. The more recent your trip to the grocery store, gas station, etc., the
more pronounced the evidence. There is
no modern day alchemy that 'spins more paper into gold'. That value has to come
from some place; viz., you! Chemist
charged with insider trading (Washington Post) [ This
remains incredulous to me. Everyone but the big boys / frauds! Not just
corruption, but bad time /resource management. The
frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined,
and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless,
hopeless budget scenario). Drop
in home prices raises fear of double dip (Washington Post) [ Fear of double dip?
We're in a continuing dip that never
really ended with obfuscations of
reality including more insurmountable debt and fed-based manipulations (Dave
explains infra) Case-Shiller
Chairman: Here’s Why the Housing Market Recession is Not Over Wall St Cheat Sheet 'Welcome to 2003! The
S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index 10-City
Composite was down 2% and the 20-City Composite fell 3.1% in January on a
year-over-year basis. On a monthly basis, the 10-City Composite was down 0.9%
and the 20-City Composite fell 1.0% in January versus December 2010.San
Diego and Washington D.C. were the only two markets to record
positive year-over-year changes. However, San Diego was up a scant 0.1%,
while Washington DC posted a healthier +3.6% annual growth rate. The same
11 cities that had posted recent index level lows in December 2010, posted
new lows in January.
David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard &
Poor’s commented:
“Keeping with the
trends set in late 2010, January brings us weakening home prices with no real
hope in sight for the near future. With this month’s data, we find
the same 11 MSAs posting new recent index lows. The 10-City and 20-City
Composites continue to decline month-over-month and have posted monthly
declines for six consecutive months now.These data confirm what we have
seen with recent housing starts and sales reports. The housing
market recession is not yet over, and none of the statistics are
indicating any form of sustained recovery . At most, we have seen all
statistics bounce along their troughs; at worst, the feared double-dip
recession may be materializing. ..., but both series have moved closer to
a confirmed double-dip for six consecutive months. At this point we are
not too far off, and that is what many analysts are seeing with sales,
starts and inventory data too...' M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this
low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start
cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell
bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events
going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial
institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay
dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order
on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’
] False / fake data /
reports galore … High oil price rally! Come on!
What total b*** s***! Previous rally sparked by upward revision of GDP by the
scandal-scarred commerce department? You can’t believe anything these desperate
self-servers say! This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally on more bad/worse than expected news
(consumer confidence down) provides an especially great opportunity to sell /
take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! Fed
to hold regular news conferences (Washington
Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning
by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street
… you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior
bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and
continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of
efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive. States
target jobless benefits (Washington
Post) Durable goods (leading indicator)
200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February
Durable Goods Orders Disappoint
NEW YORK (TheStreet)
Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows
]
Gold
Settles at Record High Above $1,452 Reuters | Gold prices
rose to settle at a record high above $1,452 ounce Tuesday.
The
foreclosure mess isn’t going away Zachary Roth |
Compelling video of a grandmother being evicted from her home by a SWAT team.
Oil
prices hit all-time high in Britain Mail Online |
Increases the mounting pressure on Bank of England interest rate-setters.
National / World
Typical jersey – I
recall back when, essex county sheriff d'allessio got indicted for innumerable
bribes mob-infested jersey style … Christie
says Essex County executive is wrong to collect pension, full salary
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie said today that Essex County Executive Joseph N.
DiVincenzo Jr. is wrong to collect a pension and a salary for the same position
simultaneously. Christie, in his strongest words yet on the issue, said he
called DiVincenzo to express his displeasure. "I made this really …
California's got their Bell's rizzo, etc., et als
Libyan
rebels gain backing (Washington Post) [ Well there you go … it's all over
but the shoutin'! … Riiiiight!Libya
is a Continuation of Neocon War to Remake Middle East [ Come on! They're muddling along, debt
ridden, incompetent, declining, failing, almost to a nation, individually and
collectively. Trying to still appear relevant, more important are the nations
absent from their war crimes folly (excepting israel for which these treasury
depleting fiascos in the name of zionism continue down this path of self-defeat
/ self-destruction) ] Secret
Illegal War Of Aggression Has Been Raging In Libya For Weeks Watson
| US and British spies have been coordinating war for oil for some time. Rebels
in ‘tactical’ retreat as leaders meet
(WP) [ Tactical … riiiiight!
Well, that sounds like a plan … right out of the manuals on trench
warfare from WWI … works every time … you know, those manual tactics … meanwhile,
back at the other american induced wartime disasters ... ] Italy became the third country to recognize
the opposition as the legitimate government...
Wages
not keeping pace with prices
(Washington Post) [ Yes , there
is a substantial cost to 'no-recession, helicopter ben' b. s. bernanke's attempt at new age alchemy in trying to spin
worthless currency / paper securities / toxic assets into gold for the sake of
fraudulent wall street only; which of course, not only does not work, but
invariably ends quite badly. The more recent your trip to the grocery store,
gas station, etc., the more pronounced the evidence. There is no modern day alchemy that 'spins more paper into gold'.
That value has to come from some place; viz., you! M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this
low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start
cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell
bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events
going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial
institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay
dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order
on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you / ' ...The Fed has injected $500 billion
(another $7B in POMO Wednesday) to the financial system
since January 2011 and that wave of liquidity is overwhelming most thoughtful
analysis... Sure it's the end of the quarter and a jam-job to close things out
puts a smile on investors' faces and bonuses in portfolio managers' pockets.
Painting the tape and window dressing is against the law … ’
19
Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Is At The Heart Of Our Economic Problems Most Americans don't understand what the Fed
Reserve is or why it is at the heart of our economic problems...most of them
still blame either the Democrats or Republicans for inflation, for the housing
crash, for our rampant unemployment and for the national debt. ] ]
Inflation is back, with higher prices for food and fuel, and what hurts
is paychecks are falling behind.
Paul
B. Farrell: Super-Rich CEOs are killing your retirement SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — 'Headlines race across the web: “Jamie Dimon Worries That
Financial Regulation Will Doom Banks, Forever.” Doom? Forever? Settle down
Dimon, this sounds like an over-the-top B-movie promo for “Vampire Chronicles.”
...
Yes, the end will be swift. Why? Few can take the warnings of geniuses
like evolutionary anthropologist Jared Diamond. In “Collapse: How Societies
Choose to Fail or Succeed,” Diamond warns that societies fail because they’re
unprepared, in denial till it’s too late: “Civilizations share a sharp curve of
decline. Indeed, a society’s demise may begin only a decade or two after it
reaches its peak population, wealth and power.” Just two decades. America hit
its peak in 2000, with Bush’s election. Our two-decade reprieve will soon be
up.
...
And again, the warnings are everywhere. Again ignored. Tragic figures
like Dimon, Bernanke, Geithner as well as Bachus, Bachman, Palin, Trump, Koch
Brothers and even Obama have that blind spot. They simply cannot hear any
warnings … won’t till it’s too late. '
Milbank:
Robots in Congress? Yes, we replicant! (Washington Post) [ Wow!
Mr. Milbank was apparently in quite an artsy mood when writing this article, so
replete with latent meaning. Yet, when
I think of replicants, I tend to think of the greater brilliance and beauty,
viz., ie., Rutger Hauer and Sean Young / Darryl Hannah respectively in the
spectacular classic, 'Blade Runner' by Ridley Scott; and hence, Mr. Milbank
slights their memory unfairly. Moreover, when I think of henry waxman, I can't help but picture some
hapless creature of the woodlands, ie., hedgehog, groundhog, etc., who gets
plenty of face-time (big mistake ... doesn't he look like such a creature,
personified?) but few results ($360 tons of hundreds flown into Iraq, etc.). He
could have said biden's short-circuited (that previous lobotomy), harry's (milk-)toast,
boxer (the california disaster), schumer a mob-friendly zionist (that FBI Agent
Taus Affidavit), and pelosi correctly described as obsolete, disfunctional,
incompetent, but beloved? … I don't think so, and I'm constrained to take issue
with that. McConnel? I really seldom watch/listen to them but I guess he's good
for Barney Fife or one of the original Hatfields / McCoys. Yes, they are all
that … bad, and worse. It's good to see Mr. Milbank giving them a well-deserved
shot across their bow … but he should keep in mind that robots with human flesh
would be considered cyborgs … please don't insult the robots, they would say.
The robots indeed take umbrage! ]
Drudgereport: PAPER:
NEW THREATS AT NUKE PLANT
Libyan
Rebels: 'NATO Is Now Our Problem'...
...asset
freeze on Gaddafi regime 'hurting opposition'
Europe
feels strain as US alters Libya policy...
Air
Force spending $4 million a day on war...
NATO
running short on of jets...
NUCLEAR
SUSHI...
India
bans Japan food imports...
Radiation monitor says
levels 'immeasurable'...
FACEBOOK
FRIENDS OBAMA RE-ELECTION!
ZUCKERBERG LIKES...
FLASHBACK:
Gibbs seeks million-dollar job at company...
LIBYA:
GADDAFI MUST STAY BUT COUNTRY READY TO DISCUSS 'REFORM'...
READY
TO HOLD ELECTIONS... MORE...
DEFIANT:
Gaddafi salutes supporters at compound...
US
pulls out warplanes...
GOP
BUDGET: CUT $5.8 TRILLION
FEDS
SPEND 8X REVENUE...
White
House moving forward with govt shutdown plans...
858
SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHAN WAR UNDER OBAMA...
NATO FORCES
ACCIDENTALLY KILL 13 REBELS
CRACK FOUND IN
NUKE REACTOR PIT...
Leaking
directly into Pacific Ocean...
Struggle
is on to seal it...
Japanese nuke
crew faces '100-year battle'...
Petraeus
Warns Quran Burning Endangers War Effort...
Protests
Rage In Afghanistan...
JAPAN
TRIES 'SHREDDED NEWSPAPER' TO STOP NUKE LEAK (Well, there you go … a nostalgic throwback to yesteryear … paper maché
… who woulda' thunk it … or remembered it … riiiiight … sounds like a plan!)
HORROR:
Remains From 3 More Victims In NY Serial Killer Case...
Duke
lacrosse accuser arrested in boyfriend's stabbing...
Ahmadinejad
Predicts Embarrassing End for Obama...
These
policies like wars of aggression, illegal surveillance of Americans, torture of
detainees indefinitely held without formal charges, unfair “free trade”
agreements, and bank bailouts rightfully enraged many progressives during the
Bush years. Yet, not only have these policies accelerated under Obama,
even more of the draconian playbook is unfolding.
After 8 years of Bush’s reign that ended with a
record low presidential approval rating in the low 20s, Obama’s promise of
hope and change inspired many beyond mainline progressives. His campaign
speeches were so powerful that they landed him the Nobel Peace Prize without
having done anything for world peace except to offer the idea in order to get
elected. As a Constitutional law professor and attorney, Obama appeared
to have a greater understanding of rights and the balance of power than did
flunky Bush.
Although
policies being implemented under Obama’s leadership exhibit the
continuation of Bush’s tyrannical agenda, his stunning betrayal of populist and
Constitutional principles in support of these actions makes him the ultimate
hypocrite. Additionally, because Obama is a much more influential orator
than Bush, his service to the puppet masters is far more dangerous to the
American people he’s supposed to serve.
There
have been many articles written about Obama’s unkept promises and outright lies,
but here are 10 actions that prove Obama is just as bad if not worse than Bush:
1) Bank/Corporate Bailouts: Although the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), otherwise known as
the bankster bailout, occurred on Bush’s watch, Obama fully supported it as necessary.
Obama then followed up this massive wealth grab with a gargantuan
stimulus bill which has basically been absorbed by the financial crisis as
well. All said, Bloomberg
and others reported the taxpayer guarantees for Wall Street are
upwards of $23 trillion. Additionally, the best part of Obama’s cabinet and
appointed czars are directly connected
to big banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. Furthermore, Obama and
Democratic leaders gave the Federal Reserve even more
regulatory power over the economy. The Administration hails the Financial
Reform bill as a big political accomplishment, but the bill never addressed the
three major problems: doesn’t break
up or reduce the size of too-big-to-fail banks, doesn’t remove
the massive government guarantees to the giant banks, and it won’t
even increase
liquidity requirements to prevent future meltdowns. The inmates are
too clearly running Obama’s asylum.
2) Betrayal of the Poor:
Bush never pretended to give a damn about the poor and the systematic
mechanisms that keep them poor; openly calling the “haves and have mores” his
“base.” But Obama has been portrayed as different, mainly because the
Democratic party is viewed as more empathetic to the poor. Obama promised
affordable healthcare, to create new jobs, and to increase access to a college
education. However, the mandated healthcare bill has proven to actually hurt
the poor, the “jobs”
bill HIRE was nothing but a smokescreen to pass capital controls, and
college loans are increasingly worse than useless since record numbers of
students can’t find work to pay them off. So far he only seems to be
helping the poor by extending food stamps to a record
number of needy Americans — which is currently on the spending cut chopping
block by the way. Obama also extended Bush’s tax
cuts to the wealthiest Americans while the poor suffer the dramatic effects
of inflation and the approaching austerity cuts demanded to prevent a
government shutdown.
3) Expansion of Free Trade: Obama excoriated NAFTA, GATT and other so-called “Free Trade”
agreements that were put in place under Clinton and Bush (with CAFTA). One of
Obama’s campaign
mailers to Ohioans read “one million jobs have been lost because of NAFTA,
including nearly 50,000 jobs here in Ohio.” And Obama told unions that
“he has always opposed NAFTA, and said the trade deal should be amended and
renegotiated.” It is abundantly clear that free trade agreements have not
done well for American manufacturing and its workers (just like Obama told us
during his campaign). These free
trade agreements are designed to only help the multinational corporations
who wrote them, and who Obama now works for. In contrast to being “opposed”
to such agreements, the government moves forward with many new similar
agreements.
4) Escalating Wars of Aggression: Whoever thought it couldn’t get worse than Bush in regards to wars of
aggression — especially by a Nobel Peace Prize recipient — have been proven
dead wrong. Obama has now unilaterally attacked
more countries than Bush, notably bombing inside Pakistan, Yemen and now
Libya without Congressional approval. Obama is worse than war-mongering Neocons
because he moved the war bar from requiring a real or manufactured threat to
justify American military intervention, to vague humanitarian justifications.
In other words, if a secular dictator is stamping out a handful of jihadists
that threaten his regime, we will now bomb the dictator and support
the jihadists when it serves corporate interests. By all counts Obama
is serving the same military/oil masters no matter what labels or excuses
are given. It is truly a hideous display to watch progressives support
Obama’s wars as if they’re more righteous than Bush’s.
5)Internet Rights Eroding: The open and free Internet
is under full assault under Obama’s leadership. It has become
obvious that there has never been much in the way of Internet privacy,
especially since the Patriot Act went into full effect. But now, free access to
information via the Internet is the target of legislation such as The Protecting
Cybersecurity as a National Asset Act, aka the “Internet Kill
Switch” bill, and the Combating Online
Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), aka the domain
“Blacklist” bill. The free Internet is also being threatened by
market-based “net neutrality” agreements, civil lawsuits, technical censorship
via search engines, and yes, blogging taxes too.
6) Finally, the DHS
has been arbitrarily seizing domain names, which is clearly
unconstitutional. Given that Obama is completely in bed with Google and
others in the corporate information cartel, you can
bet he will show his support for these endeavors even if only by remaining
silent as they are debated then implemented.
7) Free Speech Restrictions: Bush mainly used fear, intimidation, access
and fake
reporters to control the establishment message. He and the
media cartel acted in concert to sell gigantic lies to the public. Now,
as more people replace their television service with the Internet, “news” has
been more difficult for the establishment to control. As the global
awakening takes place, the crackdown on free speech intensifies under Obama.
The crackdown has been most obvious on the Internet (see next section)
and on peaceful
protesters. In a comically hypocritical moment that
exemplifies how tyrannical this administration has become, Hillary Clinton was
giving a speech about supporting the right of peaceful protesters while her security
thugs violently removed a “veteran for peace” from the audience for
standing in silent protest. Additionally, there was an absolute police
state put in place during the 2009 G20 meeting in Pittsburgh to shut down
peaceful protests. Finally, we know what direction the
current Administration is headed in terms of free speech, given the recent
White Papers revealing their desire to “outlaw” or
“tax” conspiracy theories, and to make it a felony offense to
share copyrighted information even when no money is involved.
Torture and Sport Killing: Bush
accepted some blame for the Abu Ghraib torture debacle. Rightly so, as it
was his Administration that set forth more enhanced interrogation
permissions down the chain of command that ultimately resulted in such
disgusting behavior. Obama used the notion of closing Guantanamo prison
to score political points and to appear as “anti-torture.” Not only does
Guantanamo remain open two years into his presidency, the detainees have less
rights than they did under Bush. Additionally, Obama has allowed the
torture of American
soldier Bradley Manning simply for being a suspected whistleblower.
If he allows this type of treatment to an American citizen, we can only
imagine the tactics that are still being used against enemy detainees. If
it’s fair to blame Bush for Abu Ghraib, then it seems fair to blame Obama for
allowing an environment where the U.S. military
is engaged in sport killing of innocent civilians — which also seems to
negate his calls for humanitarian purity in other nations.
8) Illegal Domestic Surveillance: It seems the monster
surveillance-industrial complex that was kicked off under Bush remains in full
swing under Obama. Obama voted for the Bush/Cheney FISA-telecom immunity
after vowing to support a filibuster of it while he was a Senator. Glenn
Greenwald reported:
“So candidate Obama unambiguously vowed to his supporters that he would work to
ensure ‘full accountability’ for ‘past offenses’ in surveillance lawbreaking.
President Obama, however, has now become the prime impediment to
precisely that accountability, repeatedly engaging in extraordinary legal
maneuvers to ensure that ‘past offenses’ — both in the surveillance and
torture/rendition realm — remain secret and forever immunized from judicial
review.” And Carol
Rose added, “The link between secrecy and surveillance is critical: in
effect, our government is increasing its power to watch its citizens, while
diminishing the power of citizens to watch their government – the very
antithesis of democracy.” It’s telling how out of control illegal
surveillance has become when private
foreign companies are hired to spy on American environmental activists.
This is in addition to the TSA’s roll-out of naked body scanners and
intrusive pat-downs selectively enforced at airports and fiercely defended by
Obama’s DHS.
9) Rule of Law is Dead: The
Rule of Law is an
ancient concept that means a society is governed by rational, objective written
laws, as opposed to the personal whim or arbitrariness of some king. Under this
pretext, no one is above the law, not even kings. Yet, we have seen this
concept steadily erode from reality over many decades, but not so blatant as
under George W. Bush whose team permanently subverted the rules in favor of the
elite. Under Bush and now Obama, the corporate elite clearly get away with
massive crimes against humanity and overwhelming fraud, while the little people
are still routinely punished for all minor offenses. With not even a hint
of punishment, banks can openly
loot and defraud the public, the government can spy on Americans, the TSA
can grope our private parts, while large corporations continue to poison us and
the environment with impunity. The Feds, under Obama, have even raided legal
medical marijuana dispensaries and private
organic cooperatives. In addition, Obama signed an Executive
Order to indefinitely detain “terror” suspects even after acquittal —
while other lawmakers
seek to remove Miranda Rights. Who is prosecuting these crimes and
injustices? When the criminal corporations with their government partners
continue to run the system, there will be no rule of law, or justice.
10) Obamacare Fascism: Even many progressives
view Obamacare as a purely fascist policy. When a progressive tries to
defend Obamacare these days, the best argument they can give is “at least Obama
tried to fix the problem.” It’s their way of subtly deflecting blame to Bush
for ignoring it because he was too busy “smokin’ turrurists outta their holes”.
Healthcare reform was meant to increase competition and affordable
coverage for all Americans. Yet, the private insurance monopolies remain and
citizens are mandated to buy from them under penalty of jail, while 1000
of the most connected corporations are exempt from the law.
Furthermore, the FDA
remains under the full control of Big Pharma/Chemical giants and the giveaways
to the drug companies have only increased. Finally, when there are
huge profits involved in deciding if people live or die, and budgetary
rationing of services, you will always have “death panels.” So, yes, the
corporate government healthcare merger is complete with for-profit “death
panels.” Folks, if you want to know what the modern-day definition of fascism
is, you just read it.
We
can sense the hate mail is coming from die-hard “team blue” fans here, but
America doesn’t stand a chance without an honest assessment of what she
represents and where she is heading under the policies outlined above.
The Bush-Obama evolution is as blatant as it gets that the current two-party
system has morphed into one that would more properly be labeled The Corporatist
Party. We might do better to look beyond the two teams that so many root
for, and realize that there is one central clubhouse from which they both
operate.'
Paul
B. Farrell: Super-Rich CEOs are killing your retirement Farrell, MarketWatch SAN LUIS
OBISPO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — 'Headlines race across the web: “Jamie Dimon
Worries That Financial Regulation Will Doom Banks, Forever.” Doom? Forever? Settle
down Dimon, this sounds like an over-the-top B-movie promo for “Vampire
Chronicles.”
Suddenly the boss of $2 trillion J. P. Morgan Chase is our newest “Dr.
Doom.” Last week he was preaching his mantra to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
choir, warning that financial reforms would be a “nail in the coffin for big
American banks.” Small investors hurt by low rates
Mark Whitehouse explains how while low interest rates have meant big
profits for banks, they are hurting small investors, including seniors who are
seeing their cash earn minimal interest.
Nail in the coffin? Yes, and that’s exactly what the American public
wants. Stuff Wall Street’s Vampire Squids back in their coffins, nail the lids
shut, bury them forever.
Seriously, nationalize our incompetent Super-Rich Banks. We made a
historic mistake not doing it in 2008. Should have let the vampires go
bankrupt, reinstated Glass-Steagall. Instead we sat passively letting our
double-dealing Treasury Secretary, former Goldman boss Hank Paulson, protect his
Wall Street cronies as he conned Congress and taxpayers into making the worst
economic blunder in American history, bailing out Wall Street’s
“too-greedy-to-fail” banks.
Warning: Soon our Super-Rich Vampires will sink the economy deeper than
2008. Worse, they even believe we’ll bail them out again. We blinked in 2008,
so they’ll try sucking out more bail-out blood next time.
The scene’s pathetic: Here’s one of America’s Super-Rich CEOs, a guy
worth $260 million, coming across like a crybaby, whining because a
tough-as-nails gal like Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren and her Consumer
Financial Agency just might take away his toys for being a bad boy … might try
to limit his ability to rip off cardholders … might limit his high-risk
gambling with depositors’ cash, limit him playing in the $700 trillion global
derivatives casino … might force his bank to put up more reserves to prevent
the next meltdown … might even awaken his lost moral consciousness and get him
to think about the public welfare instead of the tens of millions he makes
squeezing the public.
But will Wall Street have an epiphany? Change? Never. No, won’t happen.
Why? America’s Super-Rich Vampire CEOs are already doomed, forever. Our
too-greedy-to-fail banks are back to their old pre-2008 tricks, bankrolling a
billion dollar “kill reform” drive. J. P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs,
Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley have invested megabucks in
lobbyists and politicians to water down, defund and effectively kill Warren’s
CFA, the SEC, Dodd-Frank and every other attempt to protect the public.
These guys love running the Fed and Treasury as their own little piggy
banks. As Spencer Bachus, the GOP chairman of the House Financial Services
committee put it, government regulators “exist to serve banks.”
So, unfortunately, for a while you will have to listen to Dimon’s
incessant whining as he keeps replaying his overly dramatic Dr. Doom story.
Until Wall Street pounds all their nails in the coffin of financial reform,
while resurrecting their self-destructive Reaganomics vampire that sank its
fangs and triggered the 2008 meltdown.
But watch out Wall Street: Next time, American taxpayers won’t support
bailouts and trillions more debt. We will sink into the Great Depression 2 and
a new American Revolution next time. No bailout, we’ll just nationalize all
banks.
Then, poor little Jamie and his Super-Rich buddies will lose their jobs,
having destroyed American capitalism. Unfortunately, the great irony is that
these insatiable greedy, incompetent CEOs will personally survive well after
the collapse, living off the millions they’ve stashed away while sabotaging
America with their bankrupt Reaganomics ideas.
Dimon really loves his new role as a Dr. Doom. Plays a tragic drama
queen very well. That “nail in the coffin” speech fits perfectly with the
Chamber’s kill-reform strategies.
Some may say Wall Street’s short-term thinking CEOs are too myopic to be
on the same stage as our long-term thinking Dr. Dooms. But you decide: Here’s a
criteria from Barron’s, offered by legendary money manager Jeremy Grantham,
referring to the 2008 crash: “Why is it that several dozen people saw this
crisis coming for years.” Several dozen Over four years. But “the bosses of
Merrill Lynch and Citi and even Treasury Secretary Paulson and Fed Chairman
Bernanke, none of them seemed to see it coming.”
Why? Grantham’s answer is simple: Wall Street and Washington’s leaders
are “management types who focus on what they are doing this quarter or this
annual budget.” Their myopia “guarantees that every time we get an outlying,
obscure event that has never happened before in history, they are always going
to miss it.”
Yes, and they’ll miss the next crash. Guaranteed. Here’s what other
long-term thinking Dr. Dooms predict:
In “This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly”
economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff warn that as economies “improve
there will always be a temptation to stretch the limits. … A financial system
can collapse under the pressure of greed, politics and profits ... Technology
has changed ... but the ability of governments and investors to delude
themselves … seems to have remained a constant.”
In the 400-year history of the stock market “there has been a long
succession of financial bubbles,” says financial historian Niall Ferguson. The
culprit? The Fed: “Without easy credit creation a true bubble cannot occur.
That is why so many bubbles have their origins in the sins of omission and
commission of central banks.” And with the rate near zero, Bernanke is becoming
the biggest bubble-blower in American history.
Savvy Hong Kong economist Marc Faber says “the average life span of the
world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years … Once a society becomes
successful it becomes arrogant, righteous, overconfident, corrupt, and decadent
... overspends ... costly wars ... wealth inequity and social tensions
increase; and society enters a secular decline.”
Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz warned that unless Wall Street’s
incentive system is drastically reformed, “the financial sector will only try
to circumvent whatever new regulations we put in place. We will simply have a
short respite before the next crisis.”
Remember a decade ago in “Irrational Exuberance” Yale’s Robert Shiller
predicted the dot-com crash. More recently he warned: “Bubbles are primarily a
social phenomena. Until we understand and address the psychology that fuels
them, they’re going to keep forming. We recently lived through two epidemics of
excessive financial optimism, we are close to a third episode.” And everything
since 2008 guaranteed the “third episode.”
Former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson waned: “We’re running out of
time … to prevent a true depression … the financial industry has effectively
captured our government” and is “blocking essential reform,” and unless we
break Wall Street’s “stranglehold” we will be unable prevent another Great
Depression. Failure to reform Wall Street guarantees a depression.
Unfortunately, Dimon just doesn’t get it.
When Obama reappointed Bernanke, “Black Swan’s” Nicholas Taleb warned
that Bernanke was an economist who “doesn’t even know he doesn’t understand how
things work.” Now the Fed’s Greenspan clone is feeding the GOP’s
self-destructive Reaganomics ideology, blindly focused on saving a dying
banking system by flooding the world with inflated dollars guaranteed to
trigger another meltdown.
Hedge funds make fortunes betting on the utter stupidity of Washington
politicians and Wall Street CEOs gambling with the Fed’s self-destructive
cheap-money policies. In fact, AR Magazine just reported that the top hedge
fund manager made $4.9 billion shorting our clueless leaders, after making $3.4
billion in 2008, the year of the crash.
In George Soros’s “New Paradigm:” America’s 25-year “superboom … led to
massive deregulation ... blindly chasing free markets ... unleashed excessive greed
... created the dot-com and credit meltdowns” and a “shadow banking system” of
derivatives. “The system is broken … the end of an era of credit expansion
based on the dollar as the international reserve currency.” Warns Soros: “We’re
now in a period of wealth destruction.”
Barton Biggs 2008 bestseller, “Wealth, War and Wisdom” warns us to
prepare for a “breakdown of civilization … Your safe haven must be
self-sufficient and capable of growing some kind of food ... well-stocked with
seed, fertilizer, canned food, wine, medicine, clothes, etc. … a few rounds
over the approaching brigands’ heads would probably be a compelling persuader
that there are easier farms to pillage.” Biggs is no anarchist militiaman; he’s
a former Morgan Stanley research guru, now a top hedge fund manager.
Yes, the end will be swift. Why? Few can take the warnings of geniuses
like evolutionary anthropologist Jared Diamond. In “Collapse: How Societies
Choose to Fail or Succeed,” Diamond warns that societies fail because they’re
unprepared, in denial till it’s too late: “Civilizations share a sharp curve of
decline. Indeed, a society’s demise may begin only a decade or two after it
reaches its peak population, wealth and power.” Just two decades. America hit
its peak in 2000, with Bush’s election. Our two-decade reprieve will soon be
up.
Obvious warnings were everywhere long before the 2008 meltdown. But a
tragic Reaganomics dogma created a blind spot in Greenspan, Bernanke and
Paulson. Today that blind spot is even stronger with a new crop of Reaganomics
ideologues.
And again, the warnings are everywhere. Again ignored. Tragic figures
like Dimon, Bernanke, Geithner as well as Bachus, Bachman, Palin, Trump, Koch
Brothers and even Obama have that blind spot. They simply cannot hear any
warnings … won’t till it’s too late. '
A
Stark Peak Profits Warning from Capital & Crisis's Chris Mayer Cooper
'Rising star of the US financial newsletter world, Chris Mayer, has a stark
warning for readers in his latest issue of Capital & Crisis (click here). Profit
margins in the US have reached unprecedented levels and can now only fall as
commodity price inflation hits home.
One of the vulnerabilities in today’s market is that profit margins are
near peaks’, he says. ‘Investors tend to like companies with fat profit
margins, but high profit margins are like honey pots that attract competitors.
They are rarely sustainable for long.
Top ten crisis
If you take a list of the top 10 technology stocks in the US Nasdaq
market, the average net profit margin is around 25 per cent, and similar high
profit margins are also seen across the S&P 500 stocks. The boost to profit
margins has come from cost cutting in the downturn, mainly in the form of job
cuts that do nothing to boost domestic consumer demand.
Today, though, I doubt many of these firms have much more to cut,’
suggests Mayer. ‘Instead, the focus is now growing sales and taking business
from competitors or defending an existing business. The focus, too, is how to
deal with rising raw material costs. All of these put enormous pressure on
margins. We should expect to see them fall.
That of course is the contrarian view. It is not what the bulls of Wall
Street are saying. They see a recovery in the US economy that is raising all
boats.
If the Wall Street consensus is again wrong, then the reverse will be
true and all boats will sink. Mr Meyer is stock picking to locate the boats
that will stay afloat, so at least he is thinking in the right direction. But
the tendency always is for the good to get cast down with the bad, particularly
if the numbers are overwhelming.
Naturally, this situation is most dangerous when company profits have
recovered sharply and the domestic economy is still in the dumps. And what do
US auto and house sales figures quite clearly show us? (click
here). The domestic US economy is still in a depression with activity well
down on the boom years.
Domestic depression
Now if domestic demand is not rising, and indeed consumer personal
disposable income is falling (click
here), then what prospects are there for pushing up company revenues to
keep profits surging ahead? You have to look to exports and repatriation of
multinational income.
Yes but does the world not have a few worries of its own right now? To
briefly summize: Japan just had its worst earthquake in history and nuclear
reactors are leaking plutonium; the UK is facing three years of austerity; the
eurozone has a massive debt crisis and the Middle East and North Africa are in
a state of revolution, civil war and protest that have pushed oil prices to a
two-year high.
Will Asian sales hold up under these circumstances? Or will stocks sell
off and the dollar rally, making US exports uncompetitive again? This peak
profits warning is very well timed.'
Irwin
Kellner: Don’t believe everything you hear Kellner, MarketWatch
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. (MarketWatch) — 'Don’t believe everything you hear —
especially when politics is involved.
These days, it amazes me how many canards pass for the truth. I can only
assume that the purveyors of these misleading bits of information must figure
that if something is repeated often enough, people will take it as correct. ..
While there no doubt are many examples, I give you five that are
particularly egregious. I will list them below in no particular order, and then
tell you why each of these is incorrect:
— the longer the government pays jobless benefits, the higher
unemployment will be;
— rising prices are no problem because “core” inflation is low;
— cutting government spending creates jobs;
— entitlements are fair game for budget cutters;
— Social Security is a key reason for Washington’s budget deficit.
A close look will reveal just how absurd these statements really are.
And by the way, neither political party has a lock on this craziness; this kind
of convoluted thinking can be found among Democrats as well as Republicans.
The first item assumes that people are lazy; they would rather be on the
dole than work. This is ridiculous for two reasons. First, these days there are
more than five applicants for every job. Second, the median weekly jobless
benefit is $300 — barely above the poverty level for one person and far below
the median weekly pay of $740, which, itself, won’t buy much in most parts of
the country.
Next is the belief that excluding food and energy is the best way to
measure inflation. This is misleading since (a) we all consume food and energy
every day; (b) because of this, these items have a major influence on our
attitudes towards inflation and (c) in the case of energy, many firms are
tacking on surcharges to the goods they make and/or deliver, so higher energy
prices are showing up elsewhere as well.
Meet the Most Tax Efficient Man in America
Doug Stives earns less than 75 percent of his former salary but takes
home almost 90 percent as much. How? He claims every tax deduction he can.
Kelsey Hubbard talks with the CPA turned professor about using the tax code to
get more with less.
The third item could literally be ripped from today’s headlines. It is
Herbert Hoover economics reincarnated — the notion that fiscal probity is the
key to economic happiness. By tightening its belt and reducing its deficit, the
story goes, the government will help the economy grow and create jobs by
boosting business confidence. No mention is made of the decline in buying power
and rise in joblessness that will occur first, which makes me wonder why this
would prompt a rise in hiring by the private sector.
Those who subscribe to the fourth item forget the definition of the word
“entitlement.” Webster’s Dictionary says that an entitlement is “a right
granted by law or contract, especially to financial benefits from the
government.” To some people, however, an entitlement is a derisive term, a
promise to be broken. But breaking this particular promise would also break the
law. The FICA Act of 1935 states specifically that revenues raised under that
act can be used only to pay Social Security benefits. Over the years the
provisions of this act have been reinforced a number of times.
Why all the interest in Social Security? Because it is a cash cow, with
assets totaling well over $2 trillion — more than three times the amount needed
to cover this year’s payments to beneficiaries. In plain English, the System
has a surfeit of funds and is in no way responsible for today’s budget
deficits. To put it another way, Social Security has been around for over 75
years, whereas today’s slug of red ink is only a few years old. Washington’s
humongous deficits are clearly the result of too much spending (two wars,
massive bailouts and the huge stimulus package) combined with insufficient
revenues (tax cuts and the Great Recession).
So the next time you hear a politician tell you something that does not
sound quite right — chances are it isn’t.
Irwin Kellner is MarketWatch's chief economist. '
Putting
a Damper on the Big March Job Report Celebration Baker
'Okay, this celebration around the jobs report is really getting out of
hand. Both the Post
and Times
had front page pieces touting the good news. The Post gets the award for being
the more breathless of the two:
The jobs numbers come amid other promising signs that the recovery is
building momentum. The stock market wrapped up the first quarter this week with
a 6.4 percent gain in the Dow Jones industrial average and continued to tack
upward Friday, adding another 0.5 percent. Investors were pleased that the job
growth was continuing — but not so fast that the Federal Reserve might want to
apply the brakes by raising interest rates anytime soon.
Also contributing to the buoyant markets were reports from automakers
Friday showing that auto sales rose in March. Sales of new vehicles were up 11
percent over a year before at General
Motors, 16 percent at Ford
and 23 percent at Honda.
A separate report Friday also showed continued strong growth in the
manufacturing sector, with the Institute for Supply Management’s index of activity
at the nation’s factories edging down to 61.2 from 61.4. Numbers above 50
indicate expansion.
First off, no one should include the stock market as indicator of the
economy's well-being. Rich people are happy -- that's nice -- it has little to
do with the economy. The car buying is positive, but with so many of the cars
now imported or largely comprised of imported parts the impact of this surge in
sales is much less than would have been the case 30 years ago. The drop in the
Institute for Supply Management's index suggests that manufacturing is likely
to make a marginally smaller contribution to growth in the months ahead, not
good news. (The Bureau of Labor Statistics employment diffusion index
for manufacturing, a measure of the percent of sectors that expect to add
workers, fell from 66.0 in February to 63.0 in January, it had been 73.5 in
January.)
As noted above, 216,000 jobs is not especially impressive, especially
given the depth of the hole that our economic policymakers put us in. In only
15 of the 52 months from February 1996 to May of 2000 did the economy create
fewer than 216,000 jobs. In most cases the weakness was caused by bad weather.
And this was at a time when the working age population was more than 10 percent
less than today.
It is also striking that neither paper seems to have mentioned the
Commerce Department's report
on construction in February, which showed a 1.4 percent decline in
February, following even larger declines in December and January. (The big news
in this report was the 2.6 percent downward revision to the data originally
reported for January.) Much of the story here is in non-residential construction
as the building boom that resulted from the bubble in that sector is leading to
a bust. The largest declines are in manufacturing construction where bio-fuel
subsidies had led to a boom in ethanol plants in 2009-2010.
Anyhow, construction is certain to be a big drag on growth in the first
quarter. It should knock at least a percentage point off GDP growth for the
quarter. I am forecasting many surprised economists and reporters.
I have one more point skunk to toss over at the celebrators. Here is the
path of the employment to population ratio (EPOP) over the downturn. Note that
we have only risen slightly from the low hit in December of 2009 and the EPOP
is actually a hair lower today than it was a year ago. The drop in the
unemployment rate over this period was entirely due to people leaving the labor
force. Now is that good news or what?(chart)...'
Markets
Treading Water: Dave's Daily 'Bulls
had a barely perceptible pulse Monday. Volume was incredibly light as traders
were unmoved to do much of anything other than keep things stable. Tech
underperformed weighed down by Apple(AAPL_) and Semis most of the
day. But, as this is written, breaking news indicates Texas Instruments(TXN_) will buy National
Semiconductor(NSM_)
for $6.5 billion so corporations armed with liquidity can keep markets alive
with M&A activity. Away from the late headline regarding TXN/NSM, little
changed in markets overall. Again, volume was light and breadth overall per the
WSJ was moderately positive adding to short-term overbought conditions...'
Weekly
Indicators: Economy Slowing Due to Choke Collar of High Oil Prices Stewart 'Last week's headline numbers were
the 216,000 jobs added in March and the continued decline in the unemployment
rate to 8.8%. As usual, I'll have more to say in the coming week, including at
least one finding that contradicts the conventional wisdom. For now, we can
just note that it was a good number - just not good enough for all the ground
we have to make up.
Other monthly numbers continued to show an economy that is slowing due
to the choke collar of high Oil prices. The manufacturing workweek declined
(-.1), as did new factory orders. There are two more of the 10 leading
indicators that have turned down. Residential and non-residential spending also
declined. New cars sold in March also declined slightly from February, although
at 13.1 million vehicles, this is still the second best showing in over two
years. On the plus side, manufacturing as measured by the Chicago PMI and the
ISM continued on a tear. BUT the leading components of that index - new orders
and vendor deliveries - declined. Vendor deliveries declined sharply - the
third of the 10 leading indicators to show a decline this week.
Did I mention that Oil was like a choke collar constricting economic growth?
Turning now to the high-frequency weekly indicators:
The BLS reported that Initial jobless claims last week were 388,000. The 4 week
average is 394,250. This is the sixth week in a row that this number has been
initially reported below 400,000. On the other hand, this series has not made a
new low in the last month. Will the downward momentum continue or has it
stalled?
On the other hand, Oil was
trading at about $107.94 a barrel Friday, the fourth full week it has been
above $100. It remains at a level above 4% of GDP. I believe we have started to
see the economic damage from that shock. Gas at the pump increased to $3.60 a
gallon. Gasoline usage at 8866 M gallons was 2% lower than last year. As I
expected, this YoY comparison is deteriorating and has now turned negative.
Railfax was up 3.5% YoY. Baseline
traffic for the second week is no higher than last year's levels, and both
cyclical and intermodal traffic are only slightly higher. Waste materials
continued below last year's levels (this may be fallout from municipal funding
cuts for recycling). Shipments of motor vehicles remained the bright spot,
continuing to improve YoY. With the exception of motor vehicles, rail freight
is now also signalling a significant slowdown (but not an outright reversal).
The Mortgage
Bankers' Association reported a decrease of 1.7% in seasonally adjusted
mortgage applications last week. This series has meandered generally in a flat
range since last June. Refinancing decreased 10.1%, and remains near its lows
since last July. The silver lining is that neither series has hit a new low in
almost 9 months.
The American
Staffing Association Index remained at 91 for yet another week. This series
has stalled at the 90-91 level for 7 weeks. It is signalling stagnation, not
growth, and is stalled relative to its pre-recession peak.
The ICSC
reported that same store sales for the week of March 26 rose 2.6% YoY, and
increased 0.2% week over week. Shoppertrak
reported a 4.3% YoY gain for the week ending March 19, and a WoW gain of 0.5%.
Unlike almost every other series, these two series' YoY comparisons have been
remaining steady or improving over the last month.
Weekly BAA commercial bond rates increased.02% to 6.00%. This
compares with a 09% increase in the yields of 10 year Treasuries to 3.38%. Both
series are down from recent highs.
Adjusting +1.07% due to the recent tax compromise, the Daily Treasury Statement
showed that for all of March 2011, $163.8 B was collected vs. $164.9 B a year
ago, for a loss of -1.1 B YoY. This is the first month with an outright YoY
decline compared with last year. For the last 20 days, $136.6 B was collected
vs. $128,4 B a year ago, for a gain of $8.2B, or +6.4%. I suggest using this
series with extra caution, because the adjustment for the withholding tax
compromise is only a best guess, and may be significantly incorrect.
M1 was up 1.3% w/w, down -0.4% M/M, and up a strong 9.9% YoY, so Real
M1 is up 7.7%. M2 was unchanged w/w, up 0.2% M/M and up 4.3% YoY, so Real
M2 is up 2.1%. Although Real M1 is still strongly in the "green
zone" where it has been since before the end of the "great
recession," Real M2 has been fading back into the "yellow zone"
below 2.5%. Additionally, the weak +0.2% M/M reading means that, depending on
inflation, it could become yet another of the 10 components of the LEI to go negative
in March.
Last week I noted that the LEI may have a negative month in March. Consumer
confidence, durable goods, and (Feb.) housing permits were all down strongly.
This week ISM vendor supplies, the manufacturing workweek, and new factory
orders also turned down. As noted just above, M2 could also be a negative. Only
the bond spread yield, the stock market, and initial unemployment claims look
like positives. In sum, that's 6 components down, 1 neutral (possibly
negative), and only 3 positive. (OTOH, ECRI's growth indicator continues to be
positive).
Did I mention that OIl was like a choke collar constricting economic growth?'
Barack
Obama: Losing $84 billion big success Washington Times |
Barack Obama has some ‘splaining to do about taxpayers’ profitable “investment”
in General Motors.
National / World
Radiation
Found In San Francisco, CA Tap Water – 18,100% Above Drinking Water Limit Alexander
Higgins | The federal drinking water limit for Iodine-131 is 3
Picocuries per liter.
Drudgereport: LIBYA:
GADDAFI MUST STAY BUT COUNTRY READY TO DISCUSS 'REFORM'...
READY
TO HOLD ELECTIONS... MORE...
DEFIANT:
Gaddafi salutes supporters at compound...
US
pulls out warplanes...
GOP
BUDGET: CUT $5.8 TRILLION
FEDS
SPEND 8X REVENUE...
White
House moving forward with govt shutdown plans...
858
SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHAN WAR UNDER OBAMA...
NATO FORCES
ACCIDENTALLY KILL 13 REBELS
CRACK FOUND IN
NUKE REACTOR PIT...
Leaking
directly into Pacific Ocean...
Struggle
is on to seal it...
Japanese nuke
crew faces '100-year battle'...
Petraeus
Warns Quran Burning Endangers War Effort...
Protests
Rage In Afghanistan...
JAPAN
TRIES 'SHREDDED NEWSPAPER' TO STOP NUKE LEAK (Well, there you go … a
nostalgic throwback to yesteryear … paper maché … who woulda' thunk it … or
remembered it … riiiiight … sounds like a plan!)
HORROR:
Remains From 3 More Victims In NY Serial Killer Case...
Duke
lacrosse accuser arrested in boyfriend's stabbing...
Ahmadinejad
Predicts Embarrassing End for Obama...
Radioactive
water in Japan plant leaks into sea (Washington Post) [ I gotta say, and
I’m not happy to say it; but the way they’re puttin’ out the info is starting
to sound like a page out of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s
propaganda playbook. I’m not much of a fisheater, but even if I was, I would be
taking no chances with this. Too much money changin’ hands both ways to trust
what they say, based upon the kind / quality of reporting / updating thus far. Fukushima
Plant Operators Again Ordered To “Review” Radiation Readings Steve
Watson | Findings have raised fears that underground waterways and drinking
water supplies could become contaminated.
‘US
orders media silence over Bahrain’ Press TV | President of
Bahrain’s Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab says the US media have been
ordered not to cover news on the government’s brutal crackdown on Bahraini
people.
Cover
Up: Fukushima Plant Operators Again Ordered To “Review” “Suspiciously High”
Radiation Readings The operators of the crippled nuclear power plant at
Fukushima have once again been ordered to “review” and retract their radiation
findings where appropriate because Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
says they are too high.] Authorities discover radioactive water from the
damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant flowing into the sea from a crack
in the No. 2 reactor, adding to mounting problems facing emergency repair
workers.
What’s
your take on U.S.’s employment situation? (Washington Post) [ I don't believe a word they say; nor does
Denninger ... More
Americans work for the government than in manufacturing, farming, fishing,
forestry, mining and utilities combined
Employment
Report: Clear Trend Change Absence
Denninger 'From the Bureau Of Lies
And Scams (BLS): '...
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1415
(Chart)
How about the workweek and salaries?
In March, average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
was unchanged at 34.3 hours in March. The manufacturing
workweek for all employees edged down by 0.1 hour to 40.5
hours, while factory overtime was unchanged at 3.3 hours. .. average hourly
earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls were unchanged at
$22.87. ..
No help here. No increase in hours worked and no hourly earnings
improvement either. For production and non-supervisory workers (those where
price increases really hurt) they saw a bit of a decline. This
is quite-bad news; note that the average annual wage for these
workers is $38,600 pre-tax. That's materially under the average worker's income
used in the BLS CPI tables, and it is those who have incomes under the median
that experience the worst of income allocation shifts into non-discretionary
purchases such as food, energy and medical..(bad).. given the price
inflation that is clearly-evident in the PPI since August. These price
increases are now going to start showing up on the store shelf
over the next couple of months. We should also see the impact of these PPI
changes being emitted from the rear end of the economy (that is, the business
end that hurts you, the consumer) in the 1st quarter earnings reports beginning
in earnest on the 11th.
Let's go look at our numbers and see if there's a "there"
there.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1417
(Chart)
That's small improvement. I guess you can say it's not another
turn-down.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1416
(Chart)
The number of employed ticked up a bit. That's positive. But it did last
year too, only to flag off as we got into the summer.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1419
(Chart)
"Not in labor force", annualized, isn't any good. Yes, the
monthly number looks good, but there are seasonal effects. .. - we're losing
participation. Permanently.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1418
(Chart)
..
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1420
(Chart)
..Positive change? Where? This is the root of the problem -
participation, as a percentage of the workforce, continues to decline. This
in turn means that the budgetary pressures will not come off. ..
What this all boils down to is that job growth is insufficient to
support the economy on its own. Yet the ability to keep writing hot checks to
the tune of $1.7 trillion a year or more to support a fake "recovery"
is not infinite...
Jobs report better than
expected … April fools … you got to be to believe anything they say, desperate
as they are [ Drudgereport: GALLUP:
Unemployment at 10.0%; underemployment 19.3%... Who do you believe? ] … particularly that huge fudge factor; viz.,
that ubiquitous 'stopped looking' category … granted there are some
'window-dressing' jobs created at huge uneconomic cost with the reality going
something like this: government give contract to company that will cover the
costs of the domestic jobs created using funds they don't really have
(borrowed, one way or another, and piled on to the already insurmountable debt
of a nation that is already defacto bankrupt), to produce goods which could be
produced better and cheaper elsewhere (there isn't anything that can't be
produced outside this country better, more efficiently, and cheaper). This is
doubly inflationary since, first, the goods are uneconomically more costly, and
second, whether borrowed or printed, the increased paper and lesser real value
thereof is also inflationary. That said, I don't even believe their headline
number and the unemployment rate they give is irrelevant and wholly inaccurate
(that 'stopped looking fudge factor', etc.). Then there is the b*** s***
concerning treasury turning a profit on the (ongoing fed / pomo / wall street)
bailouts that taxpayers have and will continue to pay for in higher prices from
oil to grains to other commodities to fewer jobs, now and in the future. There
is no modern day alchemy that 'spins more paper into gold'. That value has to
come from some place; viz., you! Light
Volume Rally Continues: Dave's Daily ' ...The Fed has injected $500 billion
(another $7B in POMO Wednesday) to the financial system since January
2011 and that wave of liquidity is overwhelming most thoughtful analysis... Sure it's the end of the quarter and a jam-job to
close things out puts a smile on investors' faces and bonuses in portfolio
managers' pockets. Painting the tape and window dressing is against the law …
ADP data has misled before but Wall Street is awash with cash from on high and
finds little other place to invest beyond stocks...' M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this
low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start
cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell
bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events
going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial
institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay
dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order
on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you’ … 19
Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Is At The Heart Of Our Economic Problems Most Americans don't understand what the Fed
Reserve is or why it is at the heart of our economic problems. When Americans
get into discussions about the economy, most of them still blame either the
Democrats or Republicans for inflation, for the housing crash, for our rampant
unemployment and for the national debt. The
Economic Collapse]
Employment
Report: Clear Trend Change Absence
Denninger 'From the Bureau Of Lies
And Scams (BLS):
Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000 in March, and the unemployment rate was little
changed at 8.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job
gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, leisure and
hospitality, and mining. Employment in manufacturing continued to trend up.
Yeah, ok.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1415
(Click to enlarge)
How about the workweek and salaries?
In March, average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
was unchanged at 34.3 hours in March. The manufacturing
workweek for all employees edged down by 0.1 hour to 40.5
hours, while factory overtime was unchanged at 3.3 hours. The average workweek
for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls
increased by 0.1 hour to 33.6 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.) The average
hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls were unchanged at
$22.87. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 1.7
percent. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
nonsupervisory employees edged down by 2 cents over the month to $19.30.
(See tables B-3 and B-8.)
No help here. No increase in hours worked and no hourly earnings
improvement either. For production and non-supervisory workers (those where
price increases really hurt) they saw a bit of a decline. This
is quite-bad news; note that the average annual wage for these
workers is $38,600 pre-tax. That's materially under the average worker's income
used in the BLS CPI tables, and it is those who have incomes under the median
that experience the worst of income allocation shifts into non-discretionary
purchases such as food, energy and medical.
This just plain sucks given the price inflation that is
clearly-evident in the PPI since August. These price increases are now
going to start showing up on the store shelf over the next couple of
months. We should also see the impact of these PPI changes being emitted from
the rear end of the economy (that is, the business end that hurts you, the
consumer) in the 1st quarter earnings reports beginning in earnest on the 11th.
Let's go look at our numbers and see if there's a "there"
there.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1417
(Click to enlarge)
That's small improvement. I guess you can say it's not another
turn-down.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1416
(Click to enlarge)
The number of employed ticked up a bit. That's positive. But it did last
year too, only to flag off as we got into the summer.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1419
(Click to enlarge)
"Not in labor force", annualized, isn't any good. Yes, the
monthly number looks good, but there are seasonal effects. On an annualized
basis we're still above the zero line - then again, we have been like ... well
... forever. This is a problem and to a material degree reflects the underlying
problem we have with labor in this country - we're losing participation.
Permanently.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1418
(Click to enlarge)
Here's the grand-daddy number. It's following the seasonal pattern; let's
see if it peaks in May. More-importantly, let's see if it puts in a lower high
to go with the lower low.
That would be bad, and until the pattern changes, it's what you have to
expect.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?get_gallerynr=1420
(Click to enlarge)
Nowhere is this more-evident than in this chart. Positive change? Where?
This is the root of the problem - participation, as a percentage of the
workforce, continues to decline. This in turn means that the budgetary
pressures will not come off. And that, in turn, is very bad from an
intermediate and longer-term stability perspective.
What this all boils down to is that job growth is insufficient to
support the economy on its own. Yet the ability to keep writing hot checks to
the tune of $1.7 trillion a year or more to support a fake "recovery"
is not infinite.
The wall is clearly visible through the fog at this point. Why
do we still have our monetary and fiscal foot mashed on the accelerator?'
Higher
Oil Slows Stock Rally: Dave's Daily 'No matter the market data,
how can I let April Fool's Day pass without some humorous image? But, more
somberly, today marks the second anniversary of ETF Digest pal Greg Newton's
(Naked Shorts Blog) sudden death. So, I'm not going to complain about the
10" of snow. Markets were sharply higher after a mildly better than
expected employment report. Many feel the economy has definitely turned the
corner and that bodes well for stocks.
The dollar rallied sharply early but then fell hard later in the day perhaps
coinciding with Fed Governor's Dudley's remarks that QE will remain on track.
(The Fed just can't find the "off" switch and behave like they're
addicted to crack.) But, as Friday wore on, it became clear that oil prices
would not be contained. Two reasons dominated: first, DUD-ley's comments and
second, events in Libya aren't moving the coalition's way. As to the latter,
what does this mean? Failure? Or, an enhanced presence? It sure presented
an inconvenient speed bump for bulls Friday despite gains. How will consumers
react to higher gas and energy prices? Not well one would think, but that's
just too logical. Short-term equity markets have become rapidly overbought.
DUD-ley's comments allow bulls to believe more, not less, liquidity is coming
their way. As markets hit previous highs, along with oil, sellers entered
markets to take profits. Volume is still ultra-light but breadth per the WSJ
remains positive. '
Short-Term,
High-Probability Mean-Reversion: Several ETFs Hit Short-Term Extremes Crowder 'Several of the ETFs I follow in the
High-Probability, Mean Reversion strategy have hit a short-term “very
overbought” extreme. Typically, when this type of event occurs a short-term
reprieve (1-3 days) is right around the corner.Unemployment numbers are out
before the bell today so I expect to see a pop at the open. If the market opens
higher today I expect to make a trade in the strategy, so subscribers stay
tuned.I currently have a trade on, so of course, a move lower at the open would
not upset me either. I expect today will be a very interesting day. Short-Term
High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Indicator – as of close 3/31/11
[overbought chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/4/1/saupload_3_31_11_hpmr.png ]
Disclosure: I am
short SPY.'
For Soda Aficionados Minyanville http://www.albertpeia.com/regionalsodas.htm
The Treasury
Auction Shell Game Peter Schiff | Very few people have the
patience to sift through Treasury Department bond auctions data.
GE
to Try to Avoid Liability in Japan Nuke Crisis Reuters |
The Japan’s nuke crisis has created a PR headache for General Electric, but the
company so far has escaped any legal fallout.
Foreign
Banks Tapped Fed’s Lifeline Most as Bernanke Kept Borrowers Secret Bloomberg
| The biggest borrowers from the 97-year-old discount window as the program
reached its crisis-era peak were foreign banks.
National / World
‘US
orders media silence over Bahrain’ Press TV | President of
Bahrain’s Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab says the US media have been
ordered not to cover news on the government’s brutal crackdown on Bahraini
people.
Drudgereport: GALLUP:
Unemployment at 10.0%; underemployment 19.3%...
WSJ:
More Americans work for gov't than manufacturing, farming, fishing, forestry,
mining, utilities -- combined...
OIL SOARS...
Highest
March price on record...
OBAMA'S
LIMO EXEMPT FROM NEW 'GREEN' POLICY
Government
losses in GM far higher than claimed...
Bosses at
bailed-out FANNIE, FREDDIE were paid millions...
Probes
Find 'Unprecedented' Political Review of FOIA Requests by Big Sis...
Issa: 'Nixonian'...
Federal
Agents Told to Reduce Border Arrests, AZ Sheriff Says...
1st
Grade Teacher Suspended for Facebook Rant About Students...
...Felt Like 'Warden' Supervising Future Criminals [ That's because that's what
they are … and inherently so … just because they look like wobama, holder,
michelle/wobama's belle, etc., doesn't change reality she has a right to
discuss in First Amendment Terms, particularly. Paterson
Teacher Suspended After Allegedly Calling Students 'Future Criminals ... Some comments:
I went to public school. Fortunately we had no blacks
at all. They're just disgusting animals. People are tired of making up excuses
for them. Look at sub-saharan africa, or any inner city. Always the same story
with them. In evolutionary terms, 'they're the ones that got left behind'.
(see, ie., http://albertpeia.com/anthroindex1.htm ).
Al Peia
Babba Booey
It’s a pretty funny story until you realize that the teacher is not only
being honest but sadly correct as well.
The New generation of savages to come
April 1, 2011 at 10:48 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
cochino
After all, three generations of imbeciles are enough!
April 1, 2011 at 10:04 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
ANSWER
Teachers in that environment have classrooms consisting of 25 to 30
children. These children come to school with little to no sleep, poor
nutrition, poor hygiene and zero guidance at home. In addition they don’t act
like 6 and 7 year olds. They demonstrate very poor focus and attention to take
direction. It is almost impossible to teach with these issues. Day after day
teachers in most of these inner city school districts try. But in most cases
the teacher can’t break this viscous cycle of ignorance. Mandatory birth
control is the only answer. Parents need to be held accountable. Teachers in
these environments all deserve to be paid at the highest scale! They deserve
it.
April 1, 2011 at 9:47 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Word of Wisdom
There is no such thing as a bad student….only bad teachers.
April 1, 2011 at 9:41 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
princeton1991
You’re an idiot and a likley dropout. Go back to school! — and I hate
teachers more than you know so don’t blame me on you’re idiocy.
April 1, 2011 at 10:00 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Mike
Leave the children of slackers in the public school system. Listen to
this. My niece was doing her student teaching in Beachwood Ohio Public schools
with 9th graders. After lunch the princes and princesses came back to class
yelling and “fing” everyone and everything in sight. So she made them go back
to the hall and come back quietly and ready to learn.
Her reward for this was 1 hour of counseling, not for the class but for her!
This junior high has 4 full time shrinks on site to help manage the teachers
and kids. All that public school administrators want to to be sure no one makes
any waves. What a joke.
Not wanting any part of the public school system, she got her Phd and has been
teaching at a private college in Savana
April 1, 2011 at 9:36 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Dewey
My niece teaches HS in Queens NY and says mainly the students
show up to meet each other ,not to study ,
Many of these kids will never be in the standard work ethics we
older folks grew up with ,they won’t work as they expect to start
at the top. Sad but this teacher’s comments are not far from what
my niece feels.
April 1, 2011 at 9:34 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
1608
She did her job.
Now the students know to judge a book by it’s cover.
April 1, 2011 at 9:28 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Sick of whining
It’s her business what she posts on Facebook – maybe she should have
marked it private and kept the comments amongst a select few. I can understand
what she is saying – go to the mall and watch how kids act around their parents
– heck, watch how the parents act. Instead of the parents crying about it they
need to step up and parent instead of having the state/county raise their
children. And yeah, some of those kids will grow up and be criminals. We have
no EXPECTATIONS of proper behavior – we ACCEPT antisocial behavior everyday
from children. Then when we can’t control the kids we dope ‘em up on ritalin
and other drugs then sit ‘em in front of MTV, and Jerry Springer for their role
models. Then we sit wondering what went wrong.
April 1, 2011 at 8:43 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Sick of whining
Did anyone bother to ask why she felt that way?
April 1, 2011 at 8:48 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
loombergisafascist
people in this country despise the truth. i will bet dollars to donuts
that everything she has said about her so called students are true. if she is
seeeing this behaviour now in 1st grade can you imagine what these kids will be
like in 10 years. its like the kid in staten island who was harrassing the
muslim kid. he was a terror and nobody does anything. he was already running
around with scissors and cut some other poor girls hair. these teachers spend 6
hours a day with these kids and i believe everything she says. to bad the
parents dont take heed instead of just critizing her and acting all insulted.
April 1, 2011 at 8:09 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
mell
She and all academic teachers in America should walk out and set up
their own small private schools. Capitalism and Freedom !!!!!!!! No more social
promotion and grade fixing for lazy Americans!
April 1, 2011 at 8:03 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Richard Allen
What is wrong with everyone….she knows what the truth is…she was warning
everyone before it got bad
We need to praise this teacher and give her a PAY RAISE…..
April 1, 2011 at 8:00 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
joey gallows
boohoo someones feelings were hurt
next thing is a lawsuit
the kids say worse things to each other every day
April 1, 2011 at 6:14 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
UJU
A school teacher can only do so much! Parents should rise up to their
duties
April 1, 2011 at 5:45 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Robert
Seek the truth, but don’t speak the truth ! The teacher can tell by the
character of her students how they will be in later life! Paterson is a ghetto
city and thats all one needs to know.
April 1, 2011 at 5:40 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
kds
When I was growing up I had nothing but respect for any and all adults
specially teachers. Nowadays, my 9 year old neighbor is so disrespectful I wonder
what she’ll become as a young adult. The worse part is her parents excuse her
behavior with “she’s only nine”. I bet she behaves the same way in school by
what I hear from other adults in the complex where we live.
April 1, 2011 at 5:18 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
2luv
why is it that people NEED to POST EVERYTHING IN FACEBOOK!!!
April 1, 2011 at 5:33 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Michael Allen Powers
Mr. Johnson wonders why people are offended by the “truth”. (Fox’s
definition of the word, obviously). I think he’s cranky because the kids won’t
stay off his lawn.
I have teaching credentials, but I don’t teach. Why? Because I suck at
it. (I have nothing but respect for those who can.) I learned this early on,
and, to keep from doing a disservice to any prospective students, chose another
path, just as this teacher should have done.
April 1, 2011 at 5:01 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
mike felter
i was thinking at first she can speak her mind she’s free but after some
more thinking i agree rise the bar ,, i grow up in newark. was going the wrong
way and some good people helped me,, and my great wife,,she stayed by me.. send
the teacher back to school
April 1, 2011 at 5:00 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
story
There are expectations of educators to educate and not only academics
but also morals and ethics. Her statement takes away from these children the
chance they deserve to excel they are only 6 and 7 years old and will gravitate
towards attitudes taught to them. This teacher is not prepared and should not
be allowed to enter the class room again it is not the place for her she does
not have the love or tolerance to deal with children of that age. Children of
that age are curious and yes some of them are coming from homes where seeing is
believing the thing that happen there and if that is the case let school be the
heaven where they learn to be better people, gain knowledge and in the process
get a little love.
April 1, 2011 at 4:57 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Paterson
Teachers in that environment have classrooms consisting of 25 to 30
children. These children come to school with little to no sleep, poor
nutrition, poor hygiene and zero guidance at home. In addition they don’t act
like 6 and 7 year olds. They demonstrate very poor focus and attention to take
direction. It is almost impossible to teach with these issues. Day after day
teachers in most of these inner city school districts try. But in most cases
the teacher can’t break this viscous cycle of ignorance. Mandatory birth
control is the only answer.
April 1, 2011 at 9:29 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Kar
Everyone is entitled to thier opinions, truth be told or not. As an
educator, you should know better then to ever post work related stuff. And
never ever be facebook friends with parents & students! Lesson be learned!
April 1, 2011 at 4:53 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Daniel Barbier
Please! And then if the kid does become a criminal then the educational
system gets “blamed” for not intervening while again the parents receieve no
responsibility in the outcome of their child’s behavior
April 1, 2011 at 4:39 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
Shelli Lipton
Teachers who think they are there as police need to be in a different
profession. It’s good that this teacher was fired.
April 1, 2011 at 4:33 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
James W Johnson
So why are people so offended by the truth and facts?
April 1, 2011 at 4:33 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
James W Johnson
Why does the truth offend so many people?
April 1, 2011 at 4:32 pm | Reply
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Mari
i would say the teacher should be suspended more for her stupidity in
posting to facebook than anything else. And she obviously was ill-prepared for
the reality of the challenging job of teaching. I have no doubt she found her
students unruly and undisciplined – they do live in an area where parenting
skills seem to me at a minimium, but is also a challenge for those who DO try
to be attentive to their children. She is to blame for thoughtlessness less
than for her thoughts, but the education system, including hers at teacher’s
college, are also partly responsible.
April 1, 2011 at 4:23 pm | Reply
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Paterson
Teachers in that environment have classrooms consisting of 25 to 30
children. These children come to school with little to no sleep, poor
nutrition, poor hygiene and zero guidance at home. In addition they don’t act
like 6 and 7 year olds. They demonstrate very poor focus and attention to take
direction. It is almost impossible to teach with these issues. Day after day
teachers in most of these inner city school districts try. But in most cases
the teacher can’t break this viscous cycle of ignorance. Mandatory birth
control is the only answer. Have some compassion for the teacher.
April 1, 2011 at 9:33 pm | Reply
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J
Bulls_it! Obviously there’s a reason why she said it. Paterson NJ, is a
gang infested slum with low function parents who are too busy smoking weed to
help their children with their homework. Some, are future criminals. Look at
their parents. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
April 1, 2011 at 4:01 pm | Reply
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J
You ignorant bigot, I grew up in Paterson NJ…. I graduated with honors
from Penn State, I am getting my M.A at an international program…. after
working as a political adviser.. and well be surely making a lot more money
then you will ever be…..
April 1, 2011 at 4:31 pm | Reply
| Report
comment
James W Johnson
Democratis advisor no doubt.He made your point and you can’t even see
that!
April 1, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Cisco
“.. and well be surely making a lot more money then you will ever be…”
Return to Penn State and ask for a refund. English composition isn’t
your best game.
April 1, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Penn State Genius read this...
Teachers in that environment have classrooms consisting of 25 to 30
children. These children come to school with little to no sleep, poor nutrition,
poor hygiene and zero guidance at home. In addition they don’t act like 6 and 7
year olds. They demonstrate very poor focus and attention to take direction. It
is almost impossible to teach with these issues. Day after day teachers in most
of these inner city school districts try. But in most cases the teacher can’t
break this viscous cycle of ignorance. Mandatory birth control is the only
answer. I hope this educates the Penn State ignoramus ignoramus..
April 1, 2011 at 9:38 pm
teacher
i know as an educator the children will rise to your expectations. I set
the bar very high and they do very well and i see other teachers with this
teachers mentality of how they are no good and thats what they get. When will
society realize that we need to raise the bar and make them responsible and
they will rise to the occasion. Try it! It works!
April 1, 2011 at 3:54 pm | Reply
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comment
joe k
And I thought the truth would make you free.
April 1, 2011 at 3:43 pm | Reply
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comment
anna
i thought its Arbeit macht frei (work would make you free)
April 1, 2011 at 4:39 pm | Reply
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comment
US set to give
arms to Libyans SMH |
Are
US Soldiers Using Rape, Murder, And Bombing Of Children As War Strategy? Mary Lynn Cramer Countercurrents.org 3-30-11 ...
With the reports of
rape of women by US troops in Iraq (not to mention the alarmingly high rate of
rape of women soldiers within the US military); the bombing of civilian wedding
parties, children at play, and innocent villagers in their homes in Pakistan
and Afghanistan, why is it that Amy has not headlined that “Murder And Rape Are
Being Used By Obama And US Soldiers As Weapons of War”? (And who arrested those
accused Libyan soldiers in Tripoli so quickly? It takes forever to get charges
brought against American troops and contractors accused of rape, torture and
murder in US occupied countries; and even then they most often go free.) ..
This is a video of
several testimonies repeating the same lie about Iraqi soldiers killing babies
in incubators as they fled Kuwait in 1990.
” A key event in
generating momentum for the first U.S. War on Iraq, “Operation Desert Storm”
was a fraudulent report of the murder of Kuwaiti babies by Iraqi soldiers...The
girl relayed a shocking story while sobbing:
'… I saw the Iraqi
soldiers come into the hospital with guns, and go into the room where . . .
babies were in incubators. They took the babies out of the incubators, took the
incubators, and left the babies on the cold floor to die.
The massacre never
occurred. The girl was actually the daughter of a Kuwaiti emir, and had been
coached by the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton to give persuasive false
testimony.” ( How PR Sold the War in the Persian Gulf , by Stauber and
Rampton) http://911review.com/precedent/decade/incubators.html
...'
At least 40 civilians dead in Tripoli strikes: Vatican official Reuters
J. P. Morgan
Wants $5 ATM Charge CNBC.com |
Poll: Obama’s
approval hits new low Politico | Half of the registered
voters surveyed for the poll think that the president does not deserve a second
term in office.
Why
your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad)
European
Central Bank Set to Raise Interest Rates Before Fed Reuters
|
OPEC Could
Reap $1 Trillion This Year National Journal |
Fragile
Budget Talks Resume as Parties Trade ‘Extreme’ Label Fox |
·
A judgment had been
entered in my favor in the case, United States District Court Case
#3:93cv02065(AWT)(USDCJ Alvin Thompson), worth approximately now in excess of
$300,000 remains unaccounted for and which could be used for payment to
creditors, Los Angeles, etc..
·
Counsel Robert
Sullivan on my behalf documented by way of certification upon investigation
that Alan Shiff, USBCJ, had falsely stated a dismissal upon which false statement
he predicated a retaliatory and spurious contempt proceeding against me causing
substantial damage, and for which he sought Judicial Notice of those and
related proceedings as did I in some of my filings.
·
The Order of
Dismissal With Prejudice by Alan Shiff, USBCJ, owing to Defendant Coan’s
failure to file anything whatsoever by the court’s deadline causing creditors
and me substantial damages: [ Shiff Order of Dismissal With Prejudice on
Coan’s Failure to File Page 1 Page 2 ]
Harry
Dent Warns Major Crash Is Coming!
Harry Dent, Jr. Economy will be in a
Depression by 2011
The worst of this next depression is likely to hit between mid-2010 and
mid-2013, especially around early 2011, but if the banking system continues to
implode a deep downturn or depression could begin sometime in 2009 instead of
2010.
Dow will Fall to 3,800 – 4,500 by 2012
Nasdaq will Fall Below 1,100, its 2002 low, by late 2010 or mid-2012 at the
latest.
Inflation will Increase until mid- 2010 and then turn to Deflation
Interest Rates will Increase
U.S. Dollar will Decline
Housing will Decline by 40 – 60% from Today’s Levels
Greatest Economic and Banking Crisis since the 1930s will Occur Between 2010
and 2012). ]
Are
US Soldiers Using Rape, Murder, And Bombing Of Children As War Strategy? Mary
Lynn Cramer | She was also seen pulling a battered and empty incubator
behind her, yelling that Gaddafi forces had broken into the hospital maternity
ward. Mary Lynn Cramer Countercurrents.org March 30, 2011 Amy Goodman’s Take on One Reported Rape Case in Tripoli, Libya:
“Pro-Gaddafi Forces Accused of Using Rape as War Strategy”
“Some doctors in Libya have accused pro-Gaddafi fighters of using rape
as a weapon of war. On Sunday, five men were arrested for raping and torturing
a Libyan woman. The international press learned of the incident when the woman,
Eman al-Obeidi, burst into a hotel full of foreign journalists in Tripoli. She
was quickly detained by Libyan security officers. (http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/28/headlines
)
She was also seen pulling a battered and empty incubator behind her,
yelling that Gaddafi forces had broken into the hospital maternity ward, pulled
babies out of the incubators and thrown them on the ground, and stamped them to
death…oh, sorry, that was another dramatized lie told to the US Congress to
justify another grossly destructive invasion and slaughter of thousands by US
air power in the Middle East.*
The doctors commenting on this single incident in Tripoli were no doubt
the same romantic, pure and idealistic, pro-democracy “rebels” adored by
DemocracyNow in their overtly sympathetic interviews with these courageous, US
armed, financed, and supported fighters with radical Islamist, Al Qaeda, and
CIA operative backgrounds….but why should we care who they are or where they
come from or how they are armed? And Democracy Now will the the very last to do
any serious questioning of this issue.)
With the reports of rape of women by US troops in Iraq (not to mention
the alarmingly high rate of rape of women soldiers within the US military); the
bombing of civilian wedding parties, children at play, and innocent villagers
in their homes in Pakistan and Afghanistan, why is it that Amy has not
headlined that “Murder And Rape Are Being Used By Obama And US Soldiers As
Weapons of War”? (And who arrested those accused Libyan soldiers in Tripoli so
quickly? It takes forever to get charges brought against American troops and
contractors accused of rape, torture and murder in US occupied countries; and
even then they most often go free.)
If you find my commentary more offensive than Democracy Now’s lack of
responsible, investigative journalism and Amy’s blatantly biased propaganda
regarding Libya, that may be indicative of just of how little integrity is left
in the so-called American Left.
This is a video of several testimonies repeating the same lie about
Iraqi soldiers killing babies in incubators as they fled Kuwait in 1990.
” A key event in generating momentum for the first U.S. War on Iraq,
“Operation Desert Storm” was a fraudulent report of the murder of Kuwaiti
babies by Iraqi soldiers. On October 10, 1990, the U.S. Congressional Human
Rights Caucus held a hearing on the subject of Iraqi human rights violations.
The centerpiece of the event was the emotional testimony of a 15-year-old
Kuwaiti girl, known only by her first name, Nayirah. Her full name was
supposedly being kept secret to protect her from Iraqi reprisals. The girl
relayed a shocking story while sobbing:
I volunteered at the al-Addan hospital. While I was there, I saw the
Iraqi soldiers come into the hospital with guns, and go into the room where . .
. babies were in incubators. They took the babies out of the incubators, took
the incubators, and left the babies on the cold floor to die.
The massacre never occurred. The girl was actually the daughter of a
Kuwaiti emir, and had been coached by the public relations firm Hill and
Knowlton to give persuasive false testimony.” ( How PR Sold the War in the
Persian Gulf , by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton) http://911review.com/precedent/decade/incubators.html
...'
] A call by lawmakers for a careful review
of AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile is really more code language for
something else, analysts say.
Rank |
|
||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche ‘.. I highly recommend it to
anyone... It will certainly infuriate you...excellent job of showing how Wall
Street and government have become overrun by deregulation and sheer greed. A
combination of flawed economic theory and greed have combined to create the
beast that we now call a “functioning” economy. The worst part of it all is
that President Obama, who vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of
it and in fact continues most of the policies that helped get us here in the
first place’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson
wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the
(many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand
that not one high level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite
‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator / experts recommend
getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( what do holder and wobama have in
common … wall street money? … a
proclivity for jive-talking / b*** s*** ?...all/some of the above … or is it
something else ... a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... ‘In
emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice official who quit over the
handling of a voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party
accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in the civil rights
division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and white victims ' Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown.
’Inside Job’ New Documentary
Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To Steal Our Money
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv
'There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one:
the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good
economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects
that must be foreseen… the bad economist pursues a small present good that
will be followed by a great evil to come, while the good economist pursues a
great good to come, at the risk of a small present evil.
Light
Volume Rally Continues: Dave's Daily ' It may be it's the stupid person that fights this trend reversal.
The Fed has injected $500 billion (another $7B in POMO
Wednesday) to the financial system since January 2011 and that wave of
liquidity is overwhelming most thoughtful analysis. So, give it up to the
beard! Sure it's the end of the quarter and a jam-job to close things out
puts a smile on investors' faces and bonuses in portfolio managers' pockets.
Painting the tape and window dressing is against the law but show me someone
who's been caught. ADP data indicated job growth for Thursday's Jobless Claims
data and Friday's all important Unemployment report. ADP data has misled before
but Wall Street is awash with cash from on high and finds little other place to
invest
beyond stocks. Bull's are betting on a good report to close out the week, and
if not, they're just April Fools. Only a hardy few are pumping this market
higher as volume remains ultra-light. Of course, volume data isn't on your
monthly brokerage
statement since that would only confuse you, right? No, TPTB just wants you to
see higher prices to boost your confidence...' Chemist
charged with insider trading (Washington Post) [ This remains incredulous
to me. Everyone but the big boys / frauds! Not just corruption, but bad time
/resource management. The frauds on wall
street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement
imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget
scenario). Drop
in home prices raises fear of double dip (Washington Post) [ Fear of double dip?
We're in a continuing dip that never
really ended with obfuscations of
reality including more insurmountable debt and fed-based manipulations (Dave
explains infra) Case-Shiller
Chairman: Here’s Why the Housing Market Recession is Not Over Wall St Cheat Sheet 'Welcome to 2003! The
S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index 10-City
Composite was down 2% and the 20-City Composite fell 3.1% in January on a
year-over-year basis. On a monthly basis, the 10-City Composite was down 0.9%
and the 20-City Composite fell 1.0% in January versus December 2010.San
Diego and Washington D.C. were the only two markets to record
positive year-over-year changes. However, San Diego was up a scant 0.1%,
while Washington DC posted a healthier +3.6% annual growth rate. The same
11 cities that had posted recent index level lows in December 2010, posted
new lows in January.
David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard &
Poor’s commented:
“Keeping with the
trends set in late 2010, January brings us weakening home prices with no real
hope in sight for the near future. With this month’s data, we find
the same 11 MSAs posting new recent index lows. The 10-City and 20-City
Composites continue to decline month-over-month and have posted monthly
declines for six consecutive months now.These data confirm what we have
seen with recent housing starts and sales reports. The housing
market recession is not yet over, and none of the statistics are
indicating any form of sustained recovery . At most, we have seen all
statistics bounce along their troughs; at worst, the feared double-dip
recession may be materializing. ..., but both series have moved closer to
a confirmed double-dip for six consecutive months. At this point we are
not too far off, and that is what many analysts are seeing with sales, starts
and inventory data too...' M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this
low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start
cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell
bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary
Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is
taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going
on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to
see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making
the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire
process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’
] False / fake data /
reports galore … High oil price rally! Come on!
What total b*** s***! Previous rally sparked by upward revision of GDP by the
scandal-scarred commerce department? You can’t believe anything these desperate
self-servers say! This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally on more bad/worse than expected news
(consumer confidence down) provides an especially great opportunity to sell /
take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! Fed
to hold regular news conferences (Washington
Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning
by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street
… you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior
bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and
continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of
efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive. States
target jobless benefits (Washington
Post) Durable goods (leading indicator)
200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February
Durable Goods Orders Disappoint
NEW YORK (TheStreet)
Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Looking
Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows
] The government charged a
chemist at the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday with insider trading.
This
Fed Governor ADMITS the Federal Reserve is Anti-Capitalistic [ No surprise here … the fed has literally
destroyed the american free enterpise, capitalist system in favor of the frauds
on wall street to the detriment of this and many other nations. ] Wall St Cheat Sheet On Wednesday March 30, 2011, 12:23 pm EDT
'There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one:
the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good
economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects
that must be foreseen… the bad economist pursues a small present good that
will be followed by a great evil to come, while the good economist pursues a
great good to come, at the risk of a small present evil.
–Frederic
Bastiat (1801-1850)
Nothing defined Alan
Greenspan’s tenure as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank more than his
wholehearted embrace of capitalism . With early roots in his 30-year
association with the novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand , that faith grew into
an unconstrained confidence in the free market and deregulation to steer the
economy and ward off crises.
According to a current Fed governor, however, both Greenspan’s Fed and
the Fed today have not been the stalwarts of capitalism that the Maestro
believed them to be.
On March 7th, I had the great pleasure of listening to Thomas Hoenig
speak at the Colorado CFA Society forecast dinner. Hoenig, the only
member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors who I respect, is the board’s
lone rational dissenting voice.
After his speech, a lengthy Q&A, and a short conversation with him,
I left the event even more impressed with him.
Hoeing was equally critical of both the Fed’s zero-interest rate policy
and of QE2 . He said these policies encourage speculation and don’t allow
for price discovery, and consequently they lead to imbalances, unintended
consequences, and misallocation of resources.
He said it is important to judge QE2’s success over the right time
frame, one long enough to encompass not just its stimulative benefits but also
its consequences. (In other words, there is a good reason why we don’t
judge steroids solely based on what they do for an athlete’s
performance during the race, ignoring the strokes and other health
problems they often cause after the race).
Throughout his speech, Hoenig warned that there are no shortcuts to
greatness in monetary policy. The Fed’s intervention in the economy will have
unintended consequences, and it is impossible to know where they’ll show
up. For example, Hoenig recalled that the Fed lowered the interest rate
to 1% in 2003 and, though the economy was improving, kept rates low levels for
over a year in order to bring unemployment below 6.5%. The asset bubble
that deflated in the financial crisis (NYSE:XLF)
resulted, and today
unemployment is 10%.
Hoenig’s comments are extremely important. I too believe that the Fed’s
actions in 2003 played a very large role in the subsequent real estate bubble (NYSE:IYR),
financial crisis, and today’s high unemployment, but this was the first time
I’ve heard such an admission come directly from a Fed governor. To the
contrary, Greenspan has been outspoken in denying the role he and the Fed
played in the crisis.
Hoeing said he questions whether quantitative easing , which failed in
Japan (NYSE:EWJ),
will work in the US (NYSE:SPY).
He bluntly stated that too-big-to-fail financial institutions like Citigroup (NYSE:C),
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC),
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM),
and others should be broken up. (I argued that point in this article.)
Commercial banks are in charge of our domestic and international payments
system, but their access to FDIC insurance and the Fed’s discount window (use
of which swelled from $900 million to $3 trillion over the last two years),
constitutes “an enormous protection” to the financial sector, encouraging
risk-taking through an implicit guarantee in the event of a crisis or failure.
Smaller institutions that don’t have access to the Fed’s fund window
have to compete in that space, and they start behaving and taking risks as if
they have access to the window. The walls between commercial and
investment banks have been demolished, Hoenig argued, and the two functions
within banks (NYSE:XLF)
are now joined at the hip. In the wake of this crisis, Hoeing said we did
the same things we did after previous crises: added supervision and regulation
and raised capital requirements. But history suggests that as time goes by
we’ll forget about the crisis and history will repeat itself, he said – unless
we break up too-big-to-fail institutions.
It is a fundamental tenant of American capitalism that central planning
of economies doesn’t work in the long term, whether in Soviet Union
historically or in China (NYSE:FXI)
today. But I often wonder: How is the Fed’s Board of Governors – the proverbial
12 guys in a room – any different than the 24 guys in a room who make up the
Chinese politburo? The non-democratic Chinese may have a few more levers to
push – an ability to force banks to lend, for example – but short of that, how
is the Fed’s micromanagement of interest rates any different from China’s?
After Hoenig came off the stage, I posed the question to Hoenig, and I asked
him point-blank whether the Federal Reserve is an anti-capitalistic entity.
To my shock, Hoenig agreed with me: The Fed is
anti-capitalistic.
I went further. In the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, to prevent
the freezing up of the US financial system and possible bank runs, the Fed put
in place QE1 – it purchased over a trillion dollars of mortgage and agency
debt. Like J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM)
in the pre-Fed era, the Fed was the lender of last resort. But QE2 is
drastically different from QE1, because the banking system is far from choking,
and now the Fed’s goal is to lower unemployment and grow the economy at a
higher rate (here is my article
on QE2).
I asked Hoenig if he thinks the Fed should stick to its mission as
lender of last resort, as it was during QE1, letting the free market set
interest rates. He looked at me with an expression that implied he
couldn’t have said it better himself and agreed.
I am very familiar with confirmation bias, our desire to seek out people
with whom we agree. But Hoenig is not your usual person; he is member of
the Federal Reserve Board of Governors , and he disagrees with almost
everything that institution does.
Hoeing’s courage and principled vision elevate him to the status of a
“good economist,” as defined by Frederic Bastiat over 150 years ago.
Let’s hope that his voice, in a room full of bad economists, does not fall
entirely on deaf ears.
Vitaliy N. Katsenelson, CFA, is a portfolio manager/director of research
at Investment
Management Associates in Denver, Colo. He is the author of The
Little Book of Sideways Markets. You can read more at his blog Contrarian
Edge.
Don’t Miss: Exclusive
Interview: How to Succeed in Sideways Markets – with Vitaliy Katsenelson.'
Caught
On Tape: Fed Admits It is Private Knox Harrington
| The Federal Reserve banking cartel is in fact a PRIVATE entity, and NOT
Federal at all. 19
Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Is At The Heart Of Our Economic Problems Most Americans do not understand what the
Federal Reserve is or why it is at the heart of our economic problems. When
Americans get into discussions about the economy, most of them still blame
either the Democrats or the Republicans for inflation, for the housing crash,
for our rampant unemployment and for the national debt. The
Economic Collapse
March 30, 2011
Most Americans do not understand what the Federal Reserve is or why it
is at the heart of our economic problems. When Americans get into
discussions about the economy, most of them still blame either the Democrats or
the Republicans for inflation, for the housing crash, for our rampant
unemployment and for the national debt. But the truth is that the
institution with the most power over our economic system is the Federal
Reserve. So exactly what is the Federal Reserve? Most people would
say that it is an agency of the federal government. But that is
absolutely not true. In fact, the Federal Reserve itself has argued in
court that it is not an agency of the federal government. Rather, the
Federal Reserve is a privately-owned banking cartel that has been given a
perpetual monopoly over our monetary system by the U.S. Congress. This
privately-owned central bank has been destroying the value of the U.S. dollar
for decades, it has run our economy into the ground and it has driven the U.S.
government to the brink of bankruptcy. The Federal Reserve operates in
great secrecy, it has never been subjected to a comprehensive audit and it is
not accountable to the American people. Yet the decisions that the
Federal Reserve makes have a dramatic impact on the lives of every single American
citizen.
If you really want to understand what is causing our economic problems,
it is absolutely crucial that you understand exactly what the Federal Reserve
system is and how it is systematically destroying our economy. Once you
understand the truth about the Federal Reserve, you will view economic issues a
whole lot differently.
The following are 19 reasons why the Federal Reserve is at the very
heart of our economic problems….
#1 The Federal Reserve system is a debt-based financial system.
The way our system is designed, normally no money comes into existence
without more debt being created.
But this creates a huge problem, because when a new dollar is created,
the interest owed to the banking system on that dollar is not also created at
the same time.
Therefore, the amount money that is created is not equal to the larger
amount of debt that is also created.
This is a Ponzi scheme that is designed to drain wealth from the
American people and transfer it to the banking system.
Today, the amount of debt in our economic system is far, far, far
greater than the total amount of money.
The only way to keep the game going is to create even more money which
creates even more debt.
#2 The Federal Reserve and the bankers have a monopoly on the creation
of this debt-based money.
In the United States today, the only people that can create money are
the bankers.
You cannot create money.
You would go to jail if you tried.
Even the U.S. government cannot create money.
Although the U.S. Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to
create money, the U.S. Congress has given that power to the Federal Reserve and
to the banking system.
This gives them an enormous amount of power.
So how does money creation actually work?
Most Americans don’t understand this.
As I
have written about previously, the way our system is designed is that all
money is supposed to originally come into existence as government debt….
When the government wants more money, the U.S. government swaps U.S.
Treasury bonds for “Federal Reserve notes”, thus creating more government
debt. Usually the money isn’t even printed up – most of the time it is
just electronically credited to the government. The Federal Reserve
creates these “Federal Reserve notes” out of thin air. These Federal
Reserve notes are backed by nothing and have no intrinsic value of their own.
The Federal Reserve then sells these U.S. Treasury bonds to investors,
other nations (such as China) or sometimes they “sell” them back to
themselves. In fact, the Federal Reserve has been gobbling up a whole lot
of U.S. Treasuries lately. Some refer to this as “monetizing the debt”,
but that is not quite an accurate statement.
When the Federal Reserve creates money this way, it does not also create
the money to pay the interest on the debt that has been created.
Eventually this puts pressure on the U.S. government to borrow even more money
to keep the game going. So what this creates is a spiral where the U.S.
government must keep borrowing increasingly larger amounts of money, where the
money supply is endlessly expanding and where the value of the U.S. dollar is
destined to continue going down forever.
Once “Federal Reserve Notes” are in circulation, there is another way
that money is created.
It is called “fractional reserve lending”.
Once you or I deposit money into a bank, the bank is only required to
keep a very small amount of it actually in the bank. The rest of it the
bank can loan out to others (at interest of course). This process can be
repeated over and over and over, creating more money and an even larger amount
of debt.
But the important part to take away from all this is that normally money
is only created when debt is created, and the amount of debt to be paid back is
always larger than the amount of money created.
This entire system is designed to drain our wealth and to put it into
the hands of the bankers.
#3 The power of money creation and debt creation is in the hands of
private individuals – not the government.
The Federal Reserve claims that it is an “entity within
the government, having both public purposes and private aspects.”
That sounds so reasonable, but the truth is that the Federal Reserve is
a legalized banking cartel that is privately-owned.
In fact, the Federal Reserve is about as “federal” as Federal Express
is.
In defending itself against a Bloomberg request for information
under the Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Reserve objected by declaring
that it was “not
an agency” of the U.S. government and therefore it was not subject to the
Freedom of Information Act. It is kind of funny how Fed officials are
always talking about how important their “independence” is, but whenever anyone
starts criticizing them for being private they start stressing their ties with
the government.
So who owns the Federal Reserve?
As
the Federal Reserve’s own website describes, it is the member banks that
own it….
The twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, which were established by
Congress as the operating arms of the nation’s central banking system, are
organized much like private corporations–possibly leading to some confusion
about “ownership.” For example, the Reserve Banks issue shares of stock to
member banks. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning
stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and
ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in
the System. The stock may not be sold, traded, or pledged as security for a
loan; dividends are, by law, 6 percent per year.
In particular, as we will see below, the banks of the New York Federal
Reserve have the most influence over the system.
So who owns the member banks?
Well, when you trace the ownership of the member banks to the very top
you find that the international banking elite are very strongly represented.
#4 The Federal Reserve itself is not much of a profit-making
institution. Rather, it is a tool that enables others to make obscene
amounts of money.
There are many that think of the Federal Reserve as an evil
profit-making machine. But the truth is that the Fed doesn’t make that
much money. Rather, the system was set up so that others could make an
obscene amount of money from U.S. government debt.
Many of those opposed to the Federal Reserve point to the record $80.9
billion in profits that the Federal Reserve made last year as evidence that
they are robbing the American people blind. But then those defending the
Federal Reserve will point out that the Fed returned $78.4 billion to the U.S.
Treasury.
In the end, those numbers are not nearly as important as the hundreds of
billions of dollars in interest that are made off of U.S. government debt each
year.
If the U.S. government had been issuing debt-free money all this time,
the U.S. government would likely not be spending one penny on interest
payments. Instead, the U.S. government spent over 413
billion dollars on interest on the national debt during fiscal 2010.
This is money that belonged to U.S. taxpayers that was transferred to the U.S.
government which in turn was transferred to wealthy international bankers and
other foreign governments.
This is where the magic of the Federal Reserve system is. It is in
getting the U.S. government enslaved to debt and using that debt to transfer
hundreds of billions of dollars of our wealth into the hands of others.
As interest rates go up, this phenomenon is going to become even more
brutal. Right now it is being projected that the U.S. government will be
paying900
billion dollars just in interest on the national debt by the year 2019.
As you fill out your tax return this year, just keep in mind that vast
quantities of our money is going to pay interest on debt that the U.S.
government never needed to become enslaved to.
There are some very happy people out there that are becoming fabulously
wealthy at our expense.
What a system, eh?
#5 The Federal Reserve is a perpetual debt machine.
As mentioned above, the U.S. government is enslaved to debt.
So how did it get enslaved?
Well, instead of printing up and spending the money that it needs, the
U.S. government borrows it through the Federal Reserve system at interest.
In fact, as noted above, the U.S. government cannot create a single new
dollar without borrowing it.
But each new dollar that the U.S. government borrows creates more than a
dollar of new debt.
As a result, the government eventually has to collect more in taxes than
what it has borrowed.
This phenomenon creates an endless debt spiral.
And is that not what we have in the United States today? In fact,
you see this in almost every nation on earth where a similar central banking
system has been established.
Did you know that the U.S. national debt is more than 5,000 times larger
than it was 100 years ago?
That’s right – back in 1910, prior to the passage of the Federal Reserve
Act, the national debt was only about $2.6
billion.
The only way that the U.S. government can inject more money into the
economy is by going into more debt. But when new government debt is
created, the amount of money to pay the interest on that debt is not also
created. In this way, it was intended by the international bankers that
U.S. government debt would expand indefinitely and the U.S. money supply would
also expand indefinitely. In the process, the international bankers would
become insanely wealthy by lending money to the U.S. government.
However, things did not have to turn out this way.
If
the Federal Reserve had never been created, and the U.S. government had
been issuing debt-free currency all this time, it is entirely conceivable that
we would have absolutely no federal government debt at this point.
Unfortunately, we are now trapped in a debt-based system.
The U.S. national debt simply cannot ever be paid off. U.S.
government debt has been mathematically designed to expand forever. It is
a trap from which there is no escape.
Sadly, we have now gotten to a terminal phase of the debt spiral.
The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that U.S. government debt
held by the public will reach a staggering 716 percent of GDP
by the year 2080. Remember when I used the term “debt spiral”
earlier? This is what a debt spiral looks like….
[chart]
#6 The Federal Reserve system is designed to cause inflation.
As U.S. government debt expands at an exponential pace, it inevitably
causes inflation.
Most Americans believe that inflation is a fact of life, but the truth
is that the United States has only had a major, ongoing problem with
inflation since
the Federal Reserve was created back in 1913.
Sadly, the U.S. dollar has lost well over 95 percent of its value since
the Federal Reserve was created.
If the Federal Reserve did not exist, it is theoretically conceivable
that we could have an economy with little to no inflation. Of course that
would greatly depend on the discipline of our government officials (which is
not very great at this point), but the sad truth is that our current system is
always going to produce inflation. In fact, the Federal Reserve system
was originally designed to be inflationary. Just check out the inflation
chart posted below. The U.S. never had massive problems with inflation
before the Fed was created, but now it is just wildly out of control….
#7 The Federal Reserve has decided to play bizarre games with our money
supply.
In a desperate attempt to revive the dying U.S. economy, the Federal
Reserve has resorted to chucking gigantic quantities of cash into the financial
system.
[chart]
Remember how earlier I explained that normally whenever new money is
created that more debt is created?
Well, lately the Fed has been resorting to a trick called “quantitative
easing”. What “quantitative easing” means is that the Federal Reserve
zaps massive amounts of money into existence out of thin air and starts
spending it on anything that it wants to buy. Lately, this has primarily
been done to buy up U.S. government debt.
But isn’t that “monetizing the debt”?
Of course it is, and it is a blatant Ponzi scheme.
However, what is even more alarming is what this is doing to our money
supply.
Just look at what has happened to our monetary base since about
mid-2008….
[chart]
Does anyone in their right mind believe that this is not going to cause
horrible inflation?
Right now most of the new cash is tied up in the financial system, but
once it gets out into the regular economy watch out!
#8 The Federal Reserve is undemocratic.
In
a previous article, I asked the following question:
“So what makes the central economic planning that the Federal Reserve
does different from the central economic planning that communist China does?”
In both cases, a bunch of unelected elitists run the economy and make
important economic decisions for the rest of us.
So what really is the difference?
#9 The Federal Reserve runs the U.S. economy.
Most Americans want to blame Obama or Bush or the U.S. Congress for the
state of the economy.
But the truth is that it is the Federal Reserve that sets interest
rates, it is the Federal Reserve that determines the money supply, it is the
Federal Reserve that sets the “target rate” of inflation, it is the Federal
Reserve that determines if unemployment is too high or too low and it is the
Federal Reserve that watches over all of our banks.
Yes, Obama, Bush and the U.S. Congress all have things to answer for as
well.
But none of them have the direct power over the economy that the Federal
Reserve does.
#10 The Federal Reserve favors the big banks.
Not all financial institutions are treated equally by the Fed.
The truth is that the big banks (particularly those on Wall Street) are
treated with great favor by the Federal Reserve.
If the Federal Reserve did not exist, the big Wall Street banks would
not have such an overwhelming advantage. Most Americans simply have no
idea that over the last several years the Federal Reserve has been giving
gigantic piles of nearly interest-free money to the big Wall Street banks which
they turned right around and started lending to the federal government at
a much higher rate of return. I don’t know about you, but if I was
allowed to do that I could make a whole bunch of money very quickly. In
fact, it has come out that the Federal Reserve made over $9
trillion in overnight loans to major banks, large financial institutions
and other “friends” during the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009.
Wouldn’t you like to be able to zap trillions of dollars into existence
and loan it out to your friends at very favorable terms?
Sadly, most of the “help” from the Federal Reserve always seems to go to
the big boys.
When “small enough to fail” banks need assistance, they are usually told
to go sell themselves to one of the big banks.
#11 The worse the debt problems caused by the Federal Reserve become,
the more money the IRS needs to collect from the rest of us.
If the U.S. government could issue debt-free money, it is conceivable that
we would not even need the IRS. You doubt this? Well, the truth is
that the United States did just fine for well over a hundred years without a
national income tax. But about the same time the Federal Reserve was
created a national income tax was instituted as well. The whole idea was
that the wealth of the American people would be transferred to the U.S.
government by force and then transferred into the hands of the ultra-wealthy in
the form of interest payments.
If the Federal Reserve was shut down, it is entirely possible that we
would be able to shut down the IRS as well.
But the only way that the current system works is if massive amounts of
wealth continue to be drained from the American people.
#12 The Federal Reserve creates artificial financial bubbles.
When you look back over the last several decades, you will find
financial bubble after financial bubble.
So who created all of those bubbles?
It was the Federal Reserve.
The ridiculous policies of Greenspan and Bernanke have wrought disaster
after disaster and yet most of our politicians still will not even consider
major changes to the Federal Reserve.
#13 The Federal Reserve is anti-free market.
In a true free market system, the marketplace would determine what
interest rates are.
In a true free market system, the marketplace would determine which
financial institutions survive.
In a true free market system, artificial financial bubbles would be far
less likely.
But we don’t have a true free market system.
#14 The Federal Reserve tells the rest of the our banks what to do.
Most Americans don’t understand just how much power the Federal Reserve
actually has over our local banks.
For example, just last year Federal Reserve officials walked into one
bank in Oklahoma and demanded that they take down all
the Bible verses and all the Christmas buttons that the bank had been
displaying.
#15 The people currently running the Federal Reserve pretty much have no
idea what they are doing.
In case anyone has not noticed, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke
hasa
very long track record of incompetence. Nearly every major judgment
that he has made since taking over that position has been dead wrong.
If one of us could go down the street and appoint the manager of the
local Dairy Queen as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, it is very doubtful
that person would do a worse job than Bernanke has done.
#16 Even though the Federal Reserve has such extraordinary power over
the financial system, the American people are not permitted to examine their
books.
The Federal Reserve claims that they are regularly audited, but when
some members of Congress attempted to push through a true comprehensive audit
of the Fed last year Federal Reserve officials threw a hissy fit.
The truth is that the Federal Reserve has never undergone a true
comprehensive audit since it was created back in 1913.
Whenever the subject of an audit comes up, Bernanke and others at the
Fed keep repeating the mantra of how important “the independence of the Federal
Reserve” is.
Sadly, Ron Paul’s proposal to audit the Federal Reserve last year,
which had previously been co-sponsored by 320 members of the U.S.
House of Representatives, ultimately
failed by a vote of 229-198.
Instead, a very, very limited examination of Fed transactions that
occurred during the recent financial crisis was approved.
So what did that limited examination reveal?
Well, the Federal Reserve was forced to reveal the details of 21,000
transactions stretching from December 2007 to July 2010 that combined were
worth trillions of dollars. It turns out that the Federal Reserve was
just handing out gigantic
piles of nearly interest-free cash to their friends at the largest banks,
financial institutions and corporations all over the globe.
Many members of Congress were absolutely stunned by these revelations.
So what would a more comprehensive audit reveal?
#17 The Federal Reserve has way too much power.
If the Federal Reserve did not exist, we would not have an unelected,
unaccountable “fourth branch of government” running around that has gotten
completely and totally out of control. Even some members of Congress are
now openly complaining about how much power the Fed has. For example, Ron
Paul told MSNBC last year that he believes that the Federal Reserve is
now more
powerful than Congress…..
“The regulations should be on the Federal Reserve. We should have
transparency of the Federal Reserve. They can create trillions of dollars to
bail out their friends, and we don’t even have any transparency of this. They’re
more powerful than the Congress.”
#18 The Federal Reserve is dominated by Wall Street and the New York
banks.
The New York representative is the only permanent member of the Federal
Open Market Committee, while other regional banks rotate in 2 and 3 year intervals.
The former head of the New York Fed, Timothy Geithner, is now
U.S. Treasury Secretary. The truth is that the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York has always been the most important of the regional Fed banks
by far, and in turn the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has always been
dominated by Wall Street and the major New York banks.
The cold, hard reality of the matter is that the Federal Reserve is just
another one of the tools that the Wall Street banking elite use to dominate all
the rest of us.
#19 The Federal Reserve has brought us to the brink of economic
collapse.
If the Federal Reserve had never been created, the American people would
not be so enslaved to debt. At the very core of our economic problems is
debt. American consumers are swamped with debt, state and local
governments are facing horrific debt problems from coast to coast and the
federal government has piled up the biggest mountain of debt in the history of
the world.
We are living in an absolutely massive debt bubble, and when it bursts
the world is going to experience financial chaos like it has never seen before.
Things did not have to turn out this way. We did not have to adopt
a debt-based financial system. We did not have to allow the bankers to
enslave us with debt.
But that is what happened.
Sadly, most Americans and the vast majority of our politicians are still
clueless about these issues.
In 1922, Henry
Ford wrote the following….
“The people must be helped to think naturally about money. They must be
told what it is, and what makes it money, and what are the possible tricks of
the present system which put nations and peoples under control of the few.”
Hopefully this article will help people understand our debt-based
financial system a little bit better.
Until we fundamentally change our system, many of the economic and
financial problems we are currently experiencing will never go away.
Thankfully, it does appear that some Americans are waking up.
According to a
recent Bloomberg National Poll, the number of Americans that would like to
see the Federal Reserve held more accountable or even completely abolished is
increasing….
Asked if the central bank should be more accountable to Congress, left
independent or abolished entirely, 39 percent said it should be held more
accountable and 16 percent that it should be abolished. Only 37 percent favor
the status quo.
Those are very exciting numbers.
Hopefully we can awaken many more Americans to the dangers of a
debt-based economy.
In the book of Proverbs, it tells us the following….
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Well, by allowing ourselves to become enslaved to debt, we have become
the servants of the international banking system.
Not only that, we have also sold our children and our grandchildren into
perpetual debt
slavery.
Thomas Jefferson tried to warn us about this.
He believed that when the government borrows money in one generation
which must be paid back by future generations it is equivalent to
stealing….
And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more
dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be
paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a
large scale.
In fact, Thomas Jefferson said that if he could add one more amendment
to the U.S. Constitution it would be a ban on all
government borrowing….
I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our
Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of
the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its
Constitution; I mean an additional article, taking from the federal government
the power of borrowing.
Where would we be today if we had listened to Thomas Jefferson?
The amount of government debt that we have racked up is a great
evil. We have stolen the future away from our children and our
grandchildren. We have put them in a position where they will spend the
rest of their lives paying off our debts to the bankers.
We owe it to future generations to fix the problems that we have
created.
That is why so many of us believe that it is time for the U.S. Congress
to shut down the Federal Reserve. Our current financial system is a
complete and utter failure and we need to start over.'
The
American Dream March 30, 2011 'Most American families are really struggling
in this economy and they see most of the families around them really struggling,
but they don’t have any hard numbers to back up the feelings of economic
despair that they are experiencing. Well, below you will find 22
statistics that prove that American families are broke and getting
broker. Today, the financial condition of most middle class families is
rapidly deteriorating. The number of good jobs is declining, incomes are
down, debt loads are up and bankruptcies and foreclosures just continue to
increase. If you step back and really examine the statistics, it becomes
really hard to deny that American families are getting poorer. Well, the
wealthiest 5 percent are still thriving, but everyone else is really having a
tough time. The truth is that a large percentage of the U.S. middle class
is slowly but surely going broke. Unfortunately, this is being caused by
long-term economic trends that simply are not going to be fixed overnight.
Most Americans had just assumed that the United States would always have
a dominant, prosperous economy. But in the world we live in today there
are no guarantees.
The era when almost anyone could find a good job is over. Millions
of good jobs have already left the United States, and vast numbers of legal and
illegal workers have been shipped in to the country to compete for the jobs
that are still here.
There are millions of Americans that would give just about anything for
a good job right about now. But the good jobs are very few and far
between at this point.
Every day there is more depressing news. For example, a recent job
fair in Massachusetts was shut down because
of a lack of jobs.
In fact, with jobs so scarce these days, more Americans than ever are
willing to work for free.
This is not just a “recession” or an “economic downturn”. The U.S.
economy is fundamentally changing for the worse. Millions of American
families are already experiencing economic despair and millions more will be
experiencing it very soon.
The following are 22 jaw dropping statistics about the financial
condition of American families….
#1 In 2010, one
out of every eight American families had at least one family member that
was unemployed. In fact, the figure for 2010 was the highest it has been
since the U.S. Labor Department began keeping track of this statistic back in
1994.
#2 According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, more
than 8 million Americansare working part-time jobs because they can’t get
full-time jobs.
#3 There are now more
than 6 million Americans that the government sayshave
given up looking for work completely.
#4 After accounting
for inflation, the average income for an American family has
fallen 5 percent since the year 2000.
#5 According to the
New York Times, as of 2009 the wealthiest 5 percent of all Americans had 63.5
percent of all the wealth in America. Meanwhile, the bottom 80
percent had just 12.8 percent of all the wealth.
#6 During this most
recent economic downturn, employee compensation in the United States has been
the lowest that it has been relative to gross domestic product in over
50 years.
#7 According to the
Federal Reserve, between 2007 and 2009 median household net worth in the United
States fell by
23 percent.
#8 The Federal
Reserve also says that median household debt in the United States has
risen to
$75,600.
#9 Total U.S. credit
card debt is more
than 8 times larger than it was just 30 years ago.
#10 Today, 46%
of all Americans carry a credit card balance from month to month.
#11 Of U.S.
households that have credit card debt, the average amount owed on credit
cards is
$15,788.
#12 Americans now
owe more
than $887 billion on student loans, which is even more than they owe on
credit cards.
#13 A
staggering 25 percent of all American adults now
have a credit score below 599.
#14 When you adjust
wages for inflation, middle class workers in the United States make less money
today than they did
back in 1971.
#15 American workers
that are unemployed are
nearly twice as likely to have been told by a doctor or a nurse that they
suffer from depression.
#16 In 2010, for the
first time ever more
than a million U.S. families lost their homes to foreclosure, and that
number is expected to go even higher in 2011.
#17 According to RealtyTrac, one
out of every 45 U.S. households was hit with a foreclosure filing in 2010.
#18 U.S. home values
have fallen an
astounding 6.3 trillion dollars since the peak of the real estate
market. Most of that pain has been felt by ordinary American families.
#19 Approximately
half of all American workers make
$25,000 a year or less.
#20 According to a
survey released very close to the end of 2010, 55
percentof all Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck.
#21 1.5 million
Americans filed for bankruptcy in 2010. That represented the fourth
yearly increase in bankruptcy filings in a row.
#22 As 2007 began,
only about 26 million Americans were on food stamps, but today over 44 million Americans are
on food stamps which is an all-time record high.'
Drudgereport:
Obama
2002: Toppling a Brutal Dictator Is 'A Dumb War'...
OBAMA POLL HITS NEW
LOW...
EPA
Says Radiation Found in U.S. Milk...
Inflation
worries push consumer confidence lower...
Home
prices STILL falling in cities...
13%
of all U.S. homes are vacant...
REBELS ON THE RUN
OBAMA
DEFENDS...
'World
Conscience'...
New
Committee to Set Libya's 'Political Direction'...
U.S.
says rebels may sell oil?
Brits
fear becoming another Iraq...
Gadhafi
tells West to halt 'barbaric genocide'...
Camp
Lejeune Marines sent to Libya...
Clinton,
Hague meet senior 'rebel' figure...
Intelligence
shows 'flickers' of al Qaeda...
MAG:
NEW 'KILL TEAM' PHOTOS RELEASED...
REPORT:
U.S. soldiers hacked off part of dead man's skull?
HORROR: Cut off 15-year-old boy's finger and kept as trophy...[We all knew the
u.s. Military was recruiting / is now composed of felons, war criminals, etc.;
but clearly, these are the blatant signs of serial killers – then that 360 tons
of $100 bills still missing in Iraq, etc., serial thieves, particularly at the
top down.)...
VIDEO:
Two on motorcycle gunned down...***WARNING: GRAPHIC***
PHOTOS...
500,000
MARCH IN LONDON TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS...
Turns
violent; Anarchists blitz the Ritz...
ANARCHY
IN THE UK
NOT
DAYS, NOT WEEKS -- LIBYA OP TO LAST MONTHS...
NATO
likely to expand mission...
Energized
Muslim Brotherhood eyes a prize...
Unrest in Syria, Jordan Poses New
Test...
Clinton:
U.S. won't intervene...
REPORTER CONFINED IN
CLOSET DURING BIDEN'S FLA FUNDRAISER...
'Extremely
inappropriate'...
OBAMA
DEFENDS...
'America
has played a unique role as an anchor of global security'...
NOT
IN OVAL OFFICE...
NETS
BALKED AT PRIMETIME ADDRESS...
HILLARY
OFF TO LONDON TOWN...
WAR
COST: $600 MILLION, IN 6 DAYS...
Radiation
levels at nuclear plant reach new highs...
100,000X
NORMAL...
Radioactive
Water Extends One Mile Into Ocean...
Trace
Amounts Found in Florida...
At
the gates of stricken Fukushima nuke plant...
Radiation
levels highest since crisis began...
'Bad Readings' Plague Effort...
Concern grows over
sea contamination...
Tokyo blackouts to
resume Monday...
Radioactivity
detected in China...
And
Nevada... And SC, Fla...
And
Mass...
Gaps
in US radiation monitoring system revealed...
Four of EPA's 11
Sensors in CA Were Down...
Obama
says he didn't know of fed op smuggling guns into Mexico...
SOROS
GROUP PLOTS 'GUERILLA WAR', 'SABOTAGE' ON FOXNEWS...
AL
QAEDA FIGHTERS JOIN LIBYAN REBELS...
'Al
Qaeda snatched missiles'...
Boehner:
Obama needs to 'provide clarity' on military objective...
U.S.
officials assisted visit by Gadhafi son just before uprising...
Despite
airstrikes, Tripoli residents live in terror...
British
Minister Warns of Another Lockerbie...
'Black
Swan' double claims Portman did only 5% of dance shots...'The ballerina who served as a dancing
double for Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winnning role in Black Swan tells EW she has been the victim of a “cover-up” to
mislead the public about how much dancing Portman actually did in the film. “Of
the full body shots, I would say 5 percent are Natalie,” says Sarah Lane, 27,
an American Ballet Theatre soloist who performed many of the film’s complicated
dance sequences, allowing Portman’s face to be digitally grafted onto her body.
“All the other shots are me.”
Lane’s claim follows a March 23 L.A.
Times article in which Portman’s fiancé and Black
Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied said Lane’s work in the film was far
less significant. “There are articles now talking about her dance double
[American Ballet Theatre dancer Sarah Lane] that are making it sound like
[Lane] did a lot of the work, but really, she just did the footwork, and the
fouettés, and one diagonal [phrase] in the studio,” he said. “Honestly, 85
percent of that movie is Natalie.”
Lane disagrees. “The shots that are just her face with arms,
those shots are definitely Natalie,” she says. “But that doesn’t show the
actual dancing.” Lane admits that she was never promised a particular title for
her six weeks of work on the film, though she was disappointed to see that she
is credited only as as “Hand Model,” “Stunt Double,” and “Lady in the Lane” (a
brief walk-on role).
Lane also
says that Black Swan producer Ari Handel specifically told her not to
talk about her work to the press, even though she claims there was no such
stipulation in her contract. “They wanted to create this idea in people’s minds
that Natalie was some kind of prodigy or so gifted in dance and really worked
so hard to make herself a ballerina in a year and a half for the movie,
basically because of the Oscar,” says Lane. “It is demeaning to the profession
and not just to me. I’ve been doing this for 22 years…. Can you become a
concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you’re a movie star?”...'
San Diego and Washington D.C. were the only two markets to record
positive year-over-year changes. However, San Diego was up a scant 0.1%,
while Washington DC posted a healthier +3.6% annual growth rate. The same
11 cities that had posted recent index level lows in December 2010, posted
new lows in January.
David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard &
Poor’s commented:
“Keeping with the trends set in late 2010, January brings us weakening
home prices with no real hope in sight for the near future. With this
month’s data, we find the same 11 MSAs posting new recent index lows. The
10-City and 20-City Composites continue to decline month-over-month and have
posted monthly declines for six consecutive months now.
...
Lane disagrees. “The shots that are just her face with arms,
those shots are definitely Natalie,”..But that doesn’t show the actual
dancing.” ..
Drudgereport:
MOODY'S
THREATENS TO DOWNGRADE BRITAIN'S DEBT...
STUDY: US Finances Rank Near Worst in
World...
Libya
Mission 'clouded by confusion'...
White
House: Days, not weeks...
France:
Weeks, not days...
Dem
Rep: Obama told me US would be 'in and out'...
Beware
the Fed Driven Market Parnell ' A review of the headlines heading into trading
on March 23, 2011 was notable:
* Portugal braces for government collapse over austerity vote
* Ireland’s 10-year bond yield hits record at over 10%
* Bombing in Israel bus station
* Yemen’s pro-U.S. leader in talks on exit
* U.S. new home sales lowest on record, prices fall to December 2003
levels
* Federal Reserve rejects Bank of America dividend raise
Investment markets do not like uncertainty. And on
any normal trading day, simply one of these headlines alone might provide
justification for stock investors to take pause and reevaluate risk
exposures...'
U.S.
Consumer Sentiment Fell More Than Forecast in March Bloomberg
2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There
are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial
markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just
as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis
there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The price of oil is
soaring, the U.S. housing market is experiencing huge problems, the cost of
living in America recently hit a new record high and each week the globe seems
to become even more unstable. How much pounding can our fragile economic
system take before it completely collapses? As the price of oil goes even
higher, it is going to cause economic growth to slow down and it is going to
cause the prices of the things that we all buy at the stores to go up at the
same time. It is very likely that we are entering a period of
“stagflation” similar to what we experienced in the 1970s. This is going
to cause a huge amount of money trouble for millions of American
families. Already there are vast numbers of American families that are
barely making it every month. Tens of millions of Americans are already
receiving government assistance. So what is going to happen when the next
financial crash happens and we experience yet another major economic downturn?
The truth is that the financial system was never “fixed” after the crash
of 2008. If anything, it is more vulnerable today than it was back
then. Even as you read this, major imbalances are building up in the
global financial system, and at some point a “tipping point” will be reached.
Once that tipping point is reached, it will not be too long before the
U.S. economy experiences the next wave of economic problems. Perhaps we
will be fortunate and it will not be as bad as the 2008 crash. Perhaps
this next wave will be even worse than 2008 was. Only time will tell.
But all of the warning signs are there. The following are 15
indications that bad times are about to hit the U.S. economy….
#1 The price of
gasoline is about to cross the psychologically-important $4 a gallon threshold
in some areas of the United States. For example, the average price of
gasoline is now $3.977
in San Diego County and it is $3.955
in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
#2 The price of oil
moved up close to the $105 mark by the end of the day today, and that means
that more gasoline price increases are likely on the horizon for American
consumers.
#3 In February, food
prices in the United States rose at the fastest rate in
36 years.
#4 According to the U.S.
Labor Department, the cost of living in the United States hit a
brand new all-time record high in the month of February.
#5 According to the
National Association of Realtors, sales of previously existing homes in the
United States dropped a
stunning 9.6 percent in February. The National Association of
Realtors also has announced that the median home price is the lowest it has
been in 9
years.
#6 The U.S. is
already in the midst of a real
estate crash that never seems to end, but many are warning that it is about
to get even worse. For example, prominent housing analyst Gary Shilling
is warning that U.S. housing prices are likely to drop another
20 percent.
#7 According to the
Mortgage Bankers Association, at
least 8 million Americans are at least one month behind on their mortgage
payments at this point.
#8 According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new building permits declined 20.5 percent in
February on a year over year basis. According to John Carney of CNBC, a
huge decline in building permits is usually an indication that a recession is
coming….
All nine recessions since 1959 have seen a year over year decline in
building permits. In eight of the last nine the annual rate of change hit
negative 20 percent or lower, and the economy went into a recession.
#9 31
percent of the homeowners that responded to a recent Rasmussen Reports
survey indicated that they are “underwater” on their mortgages.
#10 Millions of
American families are drowning in debt and debt collectors are becoming
increasingly aggressive. According to a new Federal Trade Commission
report, consumer complaints about debt collectors rose by
17 percent last year.
#11 Meredith Whitney
is warning that even though it may take longer than she originally projected,
we are still going to see a wave of municipal bond defaultsworth
hundreds of billions of dollars.
#12 The war in Libya
is putting upward pressure on the price of oil, it is yet another drain on U.S.
government finances, and it is raising tensions across the globe.
Vladimir Putin has called the NATO operation in Libya a “crusade” and
China is
calling for an immediate cease-fire. Financial markets do not like
instability of this nature.
#13 The rest of the
Middle East is melting down as well. More
than 40 demonstrators have been killed in Yemen and the president of that
country has declared a state of emergency. Government buildings are still
being set on fire in Egypt. Ivory Coast is in the midst of a full-blown
revolution, and there are ongoing protests in about a dozen other nations
across North Africa and the Middle East. This is really bad for global
economic stability.
#14 The damage from
the tsunami in Japan continues to affect more American Workers. GM has
just announced that they are going to temporarily
lay off workers at a Buffalo engine plant due to a shortage of parts from
Japan. When supply chains are going to get fully back to normal is
anyone’s guess. GM has also temporarily shut down a facility in
Shreveport, Louisiana due to supply problems.
#15 There continue to
be indications that the amount of radiation being released by the damaged
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants is much higher than we have been led to
believe. The following is an excerpt from a recent report by
NHK World….
“Japan’s science ministry says radiation exceeding 400 times the normal
level was detected in soil about 40 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant. The ministry surveyed radioactive substances in
soil about 5 centimeters below the surface at roadsides on Monday. The ministry
found 43,000 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 per kilogram of soil, and
4,700 becquerels of radioactive cesium-137 per kilogram about 40 kilometers
west-northwest of the plant. Gunma University Professor Keigo Endo says
radiation released by the iodine is 430 times the level normally detected in
soil in Japan and that released by the cesium is 47 times the norm.”
400 times the normal level amount of radiation 40 kilometers from the
plant?
That is something that should be taken very seriously.
Sadly, radiation levels continue to rise throughout northern and central
Japan. If a significant amount of people have to be evacuated from Tokyo
at some point that is going to be absolutely devastating for the global
economy.
So what should Americans be doing? How can middle class families
weather the storm that is coming?
Well, one thing that can be done is to start saving
money and not spending it on frivolous things like new cars and
international vacations. Many Americans did not learn the lessons of 2008
and they are running around blowing money as if the good times will never come
to an end.
Also, now is a good time to get out of debt. Millions of American
families are literally drowning in
debt, and when the next financial crash comes it is the families that are
overextended that will be the most financially vulnerable.
When you see a storm coming, the prudent thing to do is to make
preparations. Most people believe what they want to believe, but anyone
that cannot see the economic storm clouds on the horizon at this point has got
to be pretty clueless.
Our entire economic system is slowly failing. Hopefully the folks running
things will be able to hold the economy together for a while longer, but when
you stop and think about who we have in charge, there are not many reasons to
be optimistic.
Unemployment numbers
from the labored labor department? The ‘expiration / stopped looking,
everyone’, at best. How can anyone believe anything the pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt u.s. government says. Durable goods (leading indicator) 200%
worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February
Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW
YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally provides an especially great
opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse
to come! The frauds on wall street et
als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed
(this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario). M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If
you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing
can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies
allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the
proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy
back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer
money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on
little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to
see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making
the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire
process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many important global stock markets, including
China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, have been in fairly significant corrections
since November, down between 12% and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising
inflation and the resulting monetary tightening by their central banks to
combat the inflationary pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of
a more serious correction? The events and reports this week did provide more
evidence that the stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for
the economy, and therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at
least limit the market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more
downside risk? It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may
develop over the next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows New
homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington
Post) [ If it only was just the new
homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and
not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than
expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record
low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt
crisis.' Select
Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home
Sales which were down nearly 17%
causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ]
Fears
grow of humanitarian crisis in Libya
(Washington Post) [ Ya
think? Based on … that familiar template we now know as Iraq, Afghanistan,
etc., and let's not leave out the beneficiary of all such 'preoccupation';
viz., pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america … Money
Trouble Ahead: 15 Indications That Bad Times Are About To Hit The U.S. Economy 2011
is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds
of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are
weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there
were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are
also huge flashing warning signs now. The
American Dream
March 23, 2011 2011 is
shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of
indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are weathering
all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there were huge
flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge
flashing warning signs now. The price of oil is soaring, the U.S. housing
market is experiencing huge problems, the cost of living in America recently
hit a new record high and each week the globe seems to become even more
unstable. How much pounding can our fragile economic system take before
it completely collapses? As the price of oil goes even higher, it is
going to cause economic growth to slow down and it is going to cause the prices
of the things that we all buy at the stores to go up at the same time. It
is very likely that we are entering a period of “stagflation” similar to what
we experienced in the 1970s. This is going to cause a huge amount of
money trouble for millions of American families. Already there are vast
numbers of American families that are barely making it every month. Tens
of millions of Americans are already receiving government assistance. So
what is going to happen when the next financial crash happens and we experience
yet another major economic downturn?
New
homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington
Post) [ If it only was just the new
homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and
not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than
expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record
low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt
crisis.' Select
Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home
Sales which were down nearly 17%
causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ] 'As you must
know, many major indices are price weighted and the DJIA takes the lead in this
regard. Six of the highest priced stocks Wednesday (IBM, BA, CAT, DVX, MMM &
UTX) provided most of the gains. Stocks were lower most of the morning, but
volume seemed light, offering an opportunity for buyers to push prices higher.
The theme for bulls was reconstruction in Japan even though EWJ (iShares Japan
ETF) finished the day slightly lower. ETFs like XLB (SPDR Materials Sector
ETF), SLX (Van Eck Steel ETF) and XME (SPDR Metals & Miners) have the
"stuff" needed for reconstruction. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd ("I
want me some more me!") Blankfein was on the witness stand today. He confirmed
director Rajat Gupta violated "confidentiality" by tipping off hedge
fund trader Raj Rajaratnam regarding Buffett's
investment in his company. Also in the financial sector, the Fed announced it
would not permit BAC to payout a dividend post the recent
("covered-up") bank stress tests. This rightly drove shares of many
financial companies lower. Further, it should drive taxpayer's nuts that a Fed
"gag order" restricting disclosure of stress test results exists.
This is taxpayer money after all. Meanwhile, speaking of the Fed we had two
days of POMO resulting in $15 billion in fire power for trading
desks of Primary Dealers including GS. The poor ADBE outlook lingered over tech
but traders always seem to find a way to discard bad news and
shift focus elsewhere. Of course, this can only be done so long. Economic data
focused on New Home
Sales which were down nearly 17%
causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! Energy markets were
higher despite higher inventories. OPEC spokesmen stated Tuesday they're
comfortable at $120. How about you? Gold and silver hit fresh highs, while the
euro dropped on Portugal, base metals rallied and bonds were slightly lower.
Volume was once again light while breadth per the WSJ was unremarkable...'
]
Sec.
Gates reassures Egypt over war in Libya (Washington Post) [ Well, there
you go. If Gates says it; well, it must be true … riiiiight! Gates’s
message (Washington
Post) [ Which one? And I don't mean
which gates. I mean which message? It's hard to keep up, especially if you have
a good memory and remember what the meaning of the word 'is', is. Candor? CIA
man gates? Are you just funnin' with us? Come on! Wake up! Oh wait … here's an
incisive statement you can take to the bank … Uncertain
outlook for Middle East: Gates [Sounds like a plan!] (Reuters) Overseas
official trips amidst crises
(Washington Post) [ It’s
really quite incredible indeed. It was the espn basketball brackets that got me
… so stereotypical … I mean what are they thinking, or not. Riiiight! Not!
Well, gates is gone and as a cia man, what he says means absolutely nothing …
they kind of pride themselves on that … On the receiving end you gotta think
they’re already checking air force one’s return trip schedule hoping to ‘hold
out’ and escape potential invasion themselves … After all, what nation in the
world can or does trust desperate, meaningfully lawless, pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america … oh yeah, maybe fellow war crimes nation israel and
orwellian, me-too old-biddy britain.… Gates's
warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and Africa Christian
Science Monitor - In a
speech to cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Gates's
message was clear: The US military services, as well as the elected and
appointed civilians who send them to war, need better ways of foreseeing and
preparing for ... Gates
Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice
of America Warning Against
Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New
York Times [ Better said, than unsaid;
but, methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and
not shot at the messenger … things could have been different! ] ]As war clouds
gathered over Libya on Friday, the U.S. commander in chief and his defense
secretary were each preparing to leave Washington to visit places far removed
from any military operations.
] The defense secretary is a voice of candor on the
Mideast.
Germans
pull forces out of NATO as Libyan coalition falls apart Mail
Online
‘Libya war could
last 30 years’ Mail Online | Ministers admitted
they have no idea how long military operation against Gaddafi could take.
New
homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad
deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly
over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news,
etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of
record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt
crisis.' Select
Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home
Sales which were down nearly 17%
causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ]
Portugal’s parliament rejects an austerity plan,
pushing the country closer to an international bailout and triggering another
test of Europe’s ability to deal with an ongoing debt crisis.
Related: Graphic:
Europe's financial contagion
3
Reasons to Exit the Market Now
Martchev 'NEW YORK (TheStreet) - A S&P 500 futures
trader once told me: "After a sharp sell-off, the bounce leading to a
first kiss of a 20-day moving average from below is a short sale." But, I
had to ask, "Why?" "That's how it is," he said with a
typical New York City assertiveness and did not elaborate...'
’Inside Job’ New Documentary
Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
] Former general counsel inherited part of a Bernard Madoff
account.
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington Post) [
Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect
from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have
refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*,
gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and
respected my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my
grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby
claim standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience.
). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the
very corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one
form or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas ( 3-4-11 Throw
Clarence Thomas Off the Bench (The Daily Beast) ) , but I do know about alito and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010 (*see
infra)
Steven M. Martinez,
Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District Connecticut.
The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents as filed.
(Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and the
District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the Qui Tam provisions of
the Federal False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent
resolution seek to refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of
the law with which I am not familiar).
The
document in 5 pages under penalty of perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI
office in New Haven is probably the best and most concise summary of the
case RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm .
With regard to the calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices:
There was one call to the LA office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA
office where I personally met with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave
probative evidentiary documents of the money laundering which he confirmed as
indicative of same (he was transferred from said office within approximately a
month of said meeting and his location was not disclosed to me upon inquiry).
The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron Barndollar and we remained in touch
for in excess of a decade until he abruptly retired (our last conversation
prior to his retirement related to the case and parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani
whose father I stated had been an enforcer for the mob to which he registered
disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did – he served 12 years in prison,
aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no, there is no Chinese wall of
separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction to
the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
·
A judgment had been
entered in my favor in the case, United States District Court Case
#3:93cv02065(AWT)(USDCJ Alvin Thompson), worth approximately now in excess of
$300,000 remains unaccounted for and which could be used for payment to
creditors, Los Angeles, etc..
·
Counsel Robert
Sullivan on my behalf documented by way of certification upon investigation
that Alan Shiff, USBCJ, had falsely stated a dismissal upon which false
statement he predicated a retaliatory and spurious contempt proceeding against
me causing substantial damage, and for which he sought Judicial Notice of those
and related proceedings as did I in some of my filings.
·
The Order of
Dismissal With Prejudice by Alan Shiff, USBCJ, owing to Defendant Coan’s
failure to file anything whatsoever by the court’s deadline causing creditors
and me substantial damages: [ Shiff Order of Dismissal With Prejudice on
Coan’s Failure to File Page 1 Page 2 ]
·
Defendant Coan had
filed an action against me to prevent me from suing him which necessitated me
to fly to Connecticut for a hearing before The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny,
Chief Judge, USDC, District of Connecticut, who denied Coan’s requested relief as
to Coan but precluded my action against Shiff (although there is no immunity,
judicial or otherwise, for criminal acts, ie., fraud connected with a case
under Title 11, USC, etc.) . [ transcript
in pertinent part -
crossexamofcoanbypeia.pdf ]
·
Newly appointed
judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump’s sister, was assigned the RICO case
despite the conflict of interest in light of hundreds of thousands of dollars
of illegal (drug) money being laundered through the Trump casinos by the RICO
defendants, and despite my motion to recuse her which motion she heard herself
and denied, and U.S. Trustee Hugh Leonard with whom I met personally refused to
join or file a separate motion to recuse and not long thereafter left said
office for private practice at Cole, Shotz, et als on retainer with the RICO
defendants as his primary client.
·
Probative and
evidentiary documents, affidavits, exhibits, including those turned over to FBI
Agent Jeff Hayes in Long Beach, CA, had been given to Assistant U.S. Attorney
Jonathan Lacey with whom I met personally at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in
Newark, N.J., at which time Samuel Alito was U.S. Attorney, and went over said
documents and their probative value with him. Within approximately a month
thereafter upon inquiry I was told that Jonathon Lacey was no longer with the
office, that the file/documents could not be located, and that there was no
further information available concerning contacting him or his location. I
thereupon delivered by hand, copies of said documents to the office of then
U.S. Attorney Alito, addressed to him, with assurance they would go directly to
him. In addition to being inept [ I looked in on the
one mob case he had brought, bungled, lost (accidently on purpose?) since I was
suing some mob-connected under RICO and the court (I had known / previously met
outside of court the judge Ackerman through a client) was absolute bedlam and a
total joke since incompetent corrupt Alito brought in all 20 mob defendants (rather
than prosecute one or a few to flip them first) who feigning illness had
beds/cots in the courtroom along with their moans during testimony and had the
jury in stitches. As much as I hate the mob, it truly was funny, if not so
tragic.], Alito is also corrupt
(and maybe corrupt because he is inept). After a reasonable (but still rather
short) time I called to determine the status and was told that Alito was no
longer with the Office of the U.S. Attorney, that he was (appointed) a federal
judge, and that neither the documents nor any file or record of same could be
located. Alito did parley the same / cover-up into quid pro quo direct lifetime
appointment to the Court of Appeals, 3rd circuit, despite the
absence of judicial experience or successful tenure as U.S. Attorney (Maryanne
Trump Barry as well). This is the same Sam Alito that now sits on the purported
highest court in the land. The real application of the illegal rule ‘don’t ask,
don’t tell’.
There
is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor creditors, nor I
should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt and illegal
scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the meaningful rules of
law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert
L. Peia
611
E. 5th Street, #404
Los
Angeles, CA 90013
(213)
219-**** (cell phone)
(213)
622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with the line,
computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance greater
non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for contact).
] Group of law
professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances
at political events by several justices.
Why your
local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video on the economic / financial collapse from Stansberry and
Associates is so well researched and
succinctly presented that I’ve archived
same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view,
must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 (
374mb ) Written text of presentation (without
pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm
]
(Washington Post) [Wobama says daffy gaddafi’s time is up, got to go.
The same can be said of wobama et als and his fraudulently failed
presidency. Sheen
On Obama: “A Coward In a Cheap Suit” [ I think Sheen to be too gentle in his criticism of wobama (Some
might reflexively, defensively allege drugs (prescription or otherwise) or any
number of the varied personality disorders so prevalent in america … ‘fuzzy,
California laid back thinking’, ‘whatever’… Who knows? ) But, that said,
wobama’s far worse than just a ‘coward in a cheap suit’. Indeed, Wobama’s a
total fraud having been elected under false pretenses; viz., his total,
unequivocal, and unfulfilled b*** s*** (those campaign promises) ! Moreover,
there has been some persuasive documentation questioning wobama’s citizenship /
birthplace placing his eligibility to even hold the office of president in
question. Drudgereport: UPDATE:
Huckabee claims Obama grew up in Kenya... The
Obama Nation, by Jerome Corsi Rezko
was corrupt, and supported Obama in many campaigns as well as in Obama buying
his home -- and therefore, according to Corsi, Obama is
corrupt by ...www.ontheissues.org/Obama_Nation.htm ] Amidst the controversy of his wild
interview on the Alex Jones Show yesterday, actor Charlie Sheen wasted little
time in confronting President Barack Obama on his failure to answer Sheen’s
twenty questions concerning 9/11, calling Obama, “a coward in a cheap
suit.” A
Government Shut-down Imperils the Power of Congress Paul Craig
Roberts | Congress could try to protect its loss of the power of the
purse by impeaching Obama.
Drudgereport: WOBAMA
'IMPEACHMENT' WARNING... ...to
announce exploratory committee 'in 10 days' Globalist
Shill Barack Obama Asks Business Leaders For Job Creation Ideas Even As He
Ships More Of Our Jobs Overseas As Part Of The New One World Economy The
other day, Barack Obama summoned a group of business and labor leaders to the
White House and “challenged” them to come up with some great ideas for creating
more jobs inside the United States. Public
confidence in Obama reaches new low
(Washington Post). Six in 10 Americans lack faith in Obama and hold
lower esteem for members of Congress, according to the latest Washington
Post-ABC News poll. Such stats as this tend to typify scenarios as this where
you break every significant campaign
promise that got you elected, from endless war (ie., Afghanistan, etc.) to not
prosecuting the frauds on wall street, and the growing realization of
‘typical’: Public
confidence in Obama reaches new low
(Washington Post) Six in 10 Americans lack faith in Obama and hold lower
esteem for members of Congress, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC
News poll. Such stats as this tend to typify scenarios as this where you break
every significant campaign promise that
got you elected, from endless war (ie., Afghanistan, etc.) to not prosecuting
the frauds on wall street, and the growing realization of ‘typical’:
‘The Obama
Deception’ Censored A viral You
Tube upload of one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama
Deception’ has been censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate
the movie’s title to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Ellen Bente Oliver
‘Salary
of House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500. Salary of
Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400. Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000.
Maybe our elected officials should make an average salary too...It's a time of
sacrifice after all...Pass along, post on your own page if you agree…’
Weigh in on the redesign, and share or recommend the new
washingtonpost.com.
You got to know I like the Post; and, it is your paper; and, it hasn't
been particularly good for my posting; and, you know I still like The
Washington Post; and, it is your paper; but, let me euphemistically say, you
did not help yourself with the changes (except as I surmise as a possible means
by which you conserve server / disk space).
Select
Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home
Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to
rally. I kid you not! ...' ] 'As you must know, many major indices are price
weighted and the DJIA takes the lead in this regard. Six of the highest priced
stocks Wednesday (IBM, BA, CAT, DVX, MMM & UTX) provided most of the gains.
Stocks were lower most of the morning, but volume seemed light, offering an
opportunity for buyers to push prices higher. The theme for bulls was
reconstruction in Japan even though EWJ (iShares Japan ETF) finished the day
slightly lower. ETFs like XLB (SPDR Materials Sector ETF), SLX (Van Eck Steel
ETF) and XME (SPDR Metals & Miners) have the "stuff" needed for
reconstruction. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd ("I want me some more me!")
Blankfein was on the witness stand today. He confirmed director Rajat Gupta
violated "confidentiality" by tipping off hedge
fund trader Raj Rajaratnam regarding Buffett's investment in his
company. Also in the financial sector, the Fed announced it would not permit
BAC to payout a dividend post the recent ("covered-up") bank stress
tests. This rightly drove shares of many financial companies lower. Further, it
should drive taxpayer's nuts that a Fed "gag order" restricting
disclosure of stress test results exists. This is taxpayer money after all.
Meanwhile, speaking of the Fed we had two days of POMO
resulting in $15 billion in fire power for trading desks of Primary Dealers
including GS. The poor ADBE outlook lingered over tech but traders
always seem to find a way to discard bad news and shift focus elsewhere. Of
course, this can only be done so long. Economic data focused on New Home
Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to
rally. I kid you not! Energy markets were higher despite higher inventories.
OPEC spokesmen stated Tuesday they're comfortable at $120. How about you? Gold
and silver hit fresh highs, while the euro dropped on Portugal, base metals
rallied and bonds were slightly lower. Volume was once again light while
breadth per the WSJ was unremarkable...'
3
Reasons to Exit the Market Now
Martchev 'NEW YORK (TheStreet) - A S&P 500 futures trader
once told me: "After a sharp sell-off, the bounce leading to a first kiss
of a 20-day moving average from below is a short sale." But, I had to ask,
"Why?" "That's how it is," he said with a typical New York
City assertiveness and did not elaborate. That very well may be "how it
is" for the unwritten trading rule to look to sell the S&P
500 Index near the 20-day moving average after a sharp sell-off, but I
still personally need to know the "why." Technical trading
has value, but simply looking at charts is not enough for me. So, I decided to
come up with some reasons behind why you should sell this particular rally.
Oil is above $100 per barrel as the bombardment of Libya has started. A
missile already hit the Gaddafi residential compound -- "even though he is
not a specific target" -- which, if successful, would have likely
shortened the operation and brought a quicker resolution to the situation.
(Click here
for a related InvestorPlace.com article on investing
in 3 dangerous places.) While Gaddafi has halted his attack on Benghazi after
jet fighters attacked his troops directly, there is still plenty of fighting
elsewhere. It looks to me that the rebels will use the situation to regroup and
mount an offensive. In this situation, no foreign oil workers will return to
the country anytime soon, causing Libya to further cut oil production. In
addition, the situation in Yemen and Bahrain, both of which border Saudi
Arabia, is rapidly deteriorating. In this scenario, I recommend taking a look
at the U.S. Oil Fund(USO_)
(NYSE: USO). This ETF has pulled back along with the front-month futures it
tracks. Oil is likely headed higher in the short term, as all the factors that
caused it to go to $107 have deteriorated notably while the price is below that
level as of the time of this writing. There are liquid April, May and June
options on the USO that offer numerous strategies to play the upside. Naked
calls are the most risky, while any relevant option spreads will limit your
risk and your rewards. (Smart traders try to minimize risk; greedy ones try to
maximize the reward.)'
2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There
are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial
markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just
as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis
there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The price of oil is
soaring, the U.S. housing market is experiencing huge problems, the cost of
living in America recently hit a new record high and each week the globe seems
to become even more unstable. How much pounding can our fragile economic
system take before it completely collapses? As the price of oil goes even
higher, it is going to cause economic growth to slow down and it is going to
cause the prices of the things that we all buy at the stores to go up at the
same time. It is very likely that we are entering a period of
“stagflation” similar to what we experienced in the 1970s. This is going
to cause a huge amount of money trouble for millions of American
families. Already there are vast numbers of American families that are
barely making it every month. Tens of millions of Americans are already
receiving government assistance. So what is going to happen when the next
financial crash happens and we experience yet another major economic downturn?
The truth is that the financial system was never “fixed” after the crash
of 2008. If anything, it is more vulnerable today than it was back
then. Even as you read this, major imbalances are building up in the
global financial system, and at some point a “tipping point” will be reached.
Once that tipping point is reached, it will not be too long before the
U.S. economy experiences the next wave of economic problems. Perhaps we
will be fortunate and it will not be as bad as the 2008 crash. Perhaps
this next wave will be even worse than 2008 was. Only time will tell.
But all of the warning signs are there. The following are 15
indications that bad times are about to hit the U.S. economy….
#1 The price of
gasoline is about to cross the psychologically-important $4 a gallon threshold
in some areas of the United States. For example, the average price of
gasoline is now $3.977
in San Diego County and it is $3.955
in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
#2 The price of oil
moved up close to the $105 mark by the end of the day today, and that means
that more gasoline price increases are likely on the horizon for American
consumers.
#3 In February, food
prices in the United States rose at the fastest rate in
36 years.
#4 According to the
U.S. Labor Department, the cost of living in the United States hit a
brand new all-time record high in the month of February.
#5 According to the
National Association of Realtors, sales of previously existing homes in the
United States dropped a
stunning 9.6 percent in February. The National Association of
Realtors also has announced that the median home price is the lowest it has
been in 9
years.
#6 The U.S. is
already in the midst of a real
estate crash that never seems to end, but many are warning that it is about
to get even worse. For example, prominent housing analyst Gary Shilling
is warning that U.S. housing prices are likely to drop another
20 percent.
#7 According to the
Mortgage Bankers Association, at
least 8 million Americans are at least one month behind on their mortgage
payments at this point.
#8 According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new building permits declined 20.5 percent in
February on a year over year basis. According to John Carney of CNBC, a
huge decline in building permits is usually an indication that a recession is
coming….
All nine recessions since 1959 have seen a year over year decline in
building permits. In eight of the last nine the annual rate of change hit
negative 20 percent or lower, and the economy went into a recession.
#9 31
percent of the homeowners that responded to a recent Rasmussen Reports
survey indicated that they are “underwater” on their mortgages.
#10 Millions of
American families are drowning in debt and debt collectors are becoming
increasingly aggressive. According to a new Federal Trade Commission
report, consumer complaints about debt collectors rose by
17 percent last year.
#11 Meredith Whitney
is warning that even though it may take longer than she originally projected,
we are still going to see a wave of municipal bond defaultsworth
hundreds of billions of dollars.
#12 The war in Libya
is putting upward pressure on the price of oil, it is yet another drain on U.S.
government finances, and it is raising tensions across the globe.
Vladimir Putin has called the NATO operation in Libya a “crusade” and
China is
calling for an immediate cease-fire. Financial markets do not like
instability of this nature.
#13 The rest of the
Middle East is melting down as well. More
than 40 demonstrators have been killed in Yemen and the president of that
country has declared a state of emergency. Government buildings are still
being set on fire in Egypt. Ivory Coast is in the midst of a full-blown
revolution, and there are ongoing protests in about a dozen other nations across
North Africa and the Middle East. This is really bad for global economic
stability.
#14 The damage from
the tsunami in Japan continues to affect more American Workers. GM has
just announced that they are going to temporarily
lay off workers at a Buffalo engine plant due to a shortage of parts from
Japan. When supply chains are going to get fully back to normal is
anyone’s guess. GM has also temporarily shut down a facility in
Shreveport, Louisiana due to supply problems.
#15 There continue to
be indications that the amount of radiation being released by the damaged
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants is much higher than we have been led to
believe. The following is an excerpt from a recent report by
NHK World….
“Japan’s science ministry says radiation exceeding 400 times the normal
level was detected in soil about 40 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant. The ministry surveyed radioactive substances in soil about
5 centimeters below the surface at roadsides on Monday. The ministry found
43,000 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 per kilogram of soil, and 4,700
becquerels of radioactive cesium-137 per kilogram about 40 kilometers
west-northwest of the plant. Gunma University Professor Keigo Endo says
radiation released by the iodine is 430 times the level normally detected in
soil in Japan and that released by the cesium is 47 times the norm.”
400 times the normal level amount of radiation 40 kilometers from the
plant?
That is something that should be taken very seriously.
Sadly, radiation levels continue to rise throughout northern and central
Japan. If a significant amount of people have to be evacuated from Tokyo
at some point that is going to be absolutely devastating for the global
economy.
So what should Americans be doing? How can middle class families
weather the storm that is coming?
Well, one thing that can be done is to start saving
money and not spending it on frivolous things like new cars and
international vacations. Many Americans did not learn the lessons of 2008
and they are running around blowing money as if the good times will never come
to an end.
Also, now is a good time to get out of debt. Millions of American
families are literally drowning in
debt, and when the next financial crash comes it is the families that are
overextended that will be the most financially vulnerable.
When you see a storm coming, the prudent thing to do is to make
preparations. Most people believe what they want to believe, but anyone
that cannot see the economic storm clouds on the horizon at this point has got
to be pretty clueless.
Our entire economic system is slowly failing. Hopefully the folks
running things will be able to hold the economy together for a while longer,
but when you stop and think about who we have in charge, there are not many
reasons to be optimistic.
U.S.
appears closer to turning over command(Washington
Post) [ I can't precisely pinpoint
exactly when, but at some point, if not for the real tragedy and horrific
consequences, national / world events and particularly pervasively corrupt /
defacto bankrupt america's lead role in them became a comedy of errors, at
best. Working
to maintain Arab support
(Washington Post) [ Sounds like
a plan! … Riiiiight! … I just had to say this here … Doesn't gaddaffy (who
forgot to duck) bear a striking resemblance (now, not when he was younger) to
David Patterson, former governor of new york (no slight to David Patterson …
you've got to be at least a little blind to take an oath upholding law in
corrupt, fraudulent, sinkholes new york / mob infested jersey, and america,
generally. Mob's man cuomo? What's up with that (as per SNL's Thompson's bit)?
Or is it just SNL's Fred Armisen's impression of both that leads me to such a
conclusion. But this should help: US
Army ‘kill team’ in Afghanistan posed for photos of murdered civilians infowars.com Commanders in
Afghanistan are bracing themselves for possible riots and public fury triggered
by the publication of “trophy” photographs of US soldiers posing with the dead
bodies of defenseless Afghan civilians they killed … Russia
“Regrets Armed Action” Killing 48 in Libya Kurt Nimmo | In a statement issued today, Russian Foreign
Ministry spokesman Alexander
Lukashevich said 64 civilians were reported to have been killed and 150
wounded in air strikes on Libya. Lukashevich called on Britain, France and the
United States Sunday to stop air strikes on non-military targets.
[I have been under
constant barrage / hack / intrusions which has my antivirus working overtime
and flashing savesfrom a multitude of threats. I think this particular thrust
by what I reasonably suspect to be paranoid american / israeli criminals /
lunatics was probably affected particularly by that blazing full ‘supermoon’,
but continues when for now just limited moments I’m logged into windows xp,
literally a virus magnet/so-called op system. I thereupon downloaded and
installed linux / unbuntu 10.10 (most recent) which also makes available an
‘installer’ (separate download, both free from their official website-I will
provide the link I used next session http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download ) that facilitates essentially a dual
boot (you may choose your operating system for the session – windows or
linux/ubuntu). Works like a charm and I strongly recommend it. Microsoft’s a
dyingosaur american monopoly company which is an american tale and story of
america as a pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, dying / declining nation.]
[I have been under constant barrage / hack / intrusions
which has my antivirus working overtime and flashing savesfrom a multitude of
threats. I think this particular thrust by what I reasonably suspect to be
paranoid american / israeli criminals / lunatics was probably affected
particularly by that blazing full ‘supermoon’, but continues when for now just
limited moments I’m logged into windows xp, literally a virus magnet/so-called
op system. I thereupon downloaded and installed linux / unbuntu 10.10 (most
recent) which also makes available an ‘installer’ (separate download, both free
from their official website-I will provide the link I used next session) that
facilitates essentially a dual boot (you may choose your operating system for the
session – windows or linux/ubuntu). Works like a charm and I strongly recommend
it. Microsoft’s a dyingosaur american monopoly company which is an american
tale and story of america as a pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, dying /
declining nation.]
I was somewhat nonplussed by the suckers’ market bounce those few days
but there was also that ‘shock and awe’ Libyan thing; and then, ‘Eureka!’ …
there it was, staring down for all to see … a blazing full moon. Yes, they have
such affects on lunatics as in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america et
als; but particularly on wall street, and it certainly doesn’t take much to
push the frauds on wall street over the edge and into their predisposed
fraudulent madness. In fact, you could say, ‘it’s in their genes’. This is the
grim economic reality
[ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s short-covering / suckers’ rally provides an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12%
and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting
monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary
pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious
correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the
stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and
therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the
market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk?
It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the
next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows
Global
Meltdown? [ Looks like … feels like … seems like … Yes, it is! A global
meltdown! ] Nyaradi ‘Global
meltdown. Scary words, indeed. However, as we look around our world, it certainly
does appear that a global meltdown is in progress…’
4
Phases of a Bear Market Meshkati NEW YORK (TheStreet)
-- 'Almost exactly one month ago, I described the 4 phases of a bull market
cycle. My reason for writing the article was
to warn market participants of the impending disaster that tends to strike
right around the time a certain class of investor (termed "phase 4"
investors) becomes involved in the financial markets...'
Deal
to combine AT&T, T-Mobile raises questions (AP) [Questions? Is that all? att / sbc is a horribly managed
company that can't even do the simplest things well; ie., land lines and dsl
thereby, my direct experience. We've seen this all before. When they can't do,
they go monopoly bigger with disasterous results. This is an old story with a
familiar ending. AP - AT&T's surprise announcement that it
plans to acquire T-Mobile USA will force federal regulators to confront a
difficult antitrust question: Can American consumers get good wireless service
at a ...
M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If
you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing
can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies
allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds.
POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy
back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer
money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on
little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to
see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making
the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire
process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you...'
Japanese
Meltdown Will Inhibit U.S. Recovery Hansen
[I have been under constant barrage / hack /
intrusions which has my antivirus working overtime and flashing saves from a
multitude of threats. I think this particular thrust by what I reasonably
suspect to be paranoid american / israeli criminals / lunatics is probably
affected particularly by this blazing full ‘supermoon’. I thereupon downloaded
and installed linux / ubuntu 10.10 (most recent) which also makes available an
‘installer’ (separate download) that facilitates essentially a dual boot (you
may choose your operating system for the session – windows or linux/ubuntu –
linux/ubuntu comes loaded with very functional software; ie., open office
suite, firefox web browser, etc.). Works like a charm and I strongly recommend
it. Microsoft’s a dyingosaur american monopoly company which is an american
tale and story of america as a pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, dying /
declining nation.]
[I have
been under constant barrage / hack / intrusions which has my antivirus working
overtime and flashing saves from a multitude of threats. I think this
particular thrust by what I reasonably suspect to be paranoid american /
israeli criminals / lunatics is probably affected particularly by this blazing
full ‘supermoon’. I thereupon downloaded and installed linux / ubuntu 10.10
(most recent) which also makes available an ‘installer’ (separate download)
that facilitates essentially a dual boot (you may choose your operating system
for the session – windows or linux/ubuntu – linux/ubuntu comes loaded with very
functional software; ie., open office suite, firefox web browser, etc.). Works
like a charm and I strongly recommend it. Microsoft’s a dyingosaur american
monopoly company which is an american tale and story of america as a pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt, dying / declining nation.]
I was somewhat
nonplussed by the suckers’ market bounce these past two (now three) days, and
then, ‘Eureka!’ … there it was, staring down for all to see … a blazing full
moon. Yes, they have such affects on lunatics as on wall street and it
certainly doesn’t take much to push the frauds on wall street over the edge and
into their predisposed fraudulent madness. In fact, you could say, ‘it’s in
their genes’. This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s short-covering / suckers’ rally provides an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! M&A,
Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If
you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing
can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies
allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the
proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy
back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer
money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on
little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to
see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making
the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire
process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12%
and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting
monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary
pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious
correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the
stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and
therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the
market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk?
It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the
next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows
Global
Meltdown? [ Looks like … feels like … seems like … Yes, it is! A global
meltdown! ] Nyaradi ‘Global
meltdown. Scary words, indeed. However, as we look around our world, it
certainly does appear that a global meltdown is in progress.At Wall Street
Sector Selector, we are nearly fully positioned on the “short” side of global
markets and so were fortunate to have had a pleasant day, unlike so many
investors and citizens of our small world. I sincerely hope and pray that many
pleasant days lie ahead for the people of Japan, Bahrain and Libya.Of course,
the big news is in Japan, where the struggle to contain the potential of
nuclear meltdown goes on after the tsunami and earthquake. I can’t add much to
this discussion other than to say that from a human standpoint, we need to do
what we can to help our allies in their time of need.I travel often to Japan
and this is a modern Western country now without power and water and basic
essentials for many days, and to fully understand this unthinkable tragedy,
just try to imagine a 30 foot wall of water coming through your neighborhood,
entire neighborhoods and towns disappearing, followed by the threat of nuclear
catastrophe and no water and power for days on end during these cold early
spring nights.Aside from the human catastrophe, the economic toll of this event
will be felt for years. Some analysts estimate that Japan will have to import
an additional 200,000 barrels of oil per day to make up for the lost output of
the damaged nuclear plants, while insurance and GDP losses are only guestimates
at this early hour but will be surely significant. Across the globe, unrest
continues in the Middle East as Bahrain is under martial law, the Libyan
government continues to quell the revolution (while the United Nations dithers)
and Portugal’s credit rating is downgraded and totters again on the edge of
financial collapse. At home, Congress continues putting band aids on our
national budget deficit while home sales plunge to new lows…’
4
Phases of a Bear Market Meshkati NEW YORK (TheStreet)
-- 'Almost exactly one month ago, I described the 4 phases of a bull market
cycle. My reason for writing the article
was to warn market participants of the impending disaster that tends to strike
right around the time a certain class of investor (termed "phase 4"
investors) becomes involved in the financial markets...'
Deal
to combine AT&T, T-Mobile raises questions (AP) [Questions? Is that all? att / sbc is a horribly managed
company that can't even do the simplest things well; ie., land lines and dsl
thereby, my direct experience. We've seen this all before. When they can't do,
they go monopoly bigger with disasterous results. This is an old story with a
familiar ending. AP - AT&T's surprise announcement that it
plans to acquire T-Mobile USA will force federal regulators to confront a
difficult antitrust question: Can American consumers get good wireless service
at a ...
I was somewhat
nonplussed by the suckers’ market bounce these past two days, and then,
‘Eureka!’ … there it was, staring down for all to see … a blazing full moon.
Yes, they have such affects on lunatics as on wall street and it certainly
doesn’t take much to push the frauds on wall street over the edge and into
their predisposed fraudulent madness. In fact, you could say, ‘it’s in their
genes’. This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s short-covering / suckers’ rally provides an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12%
and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting
monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary
pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious
correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the
stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and
therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the
market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk?
It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the
next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows
Helen Thomas is not sorry, nor were the comments that
ended her career accidental.
“I knew exactly what I was doing – I was going for
broke,” she told Playboy in the magazine’s April interview. “I had reached the
point of no return. You finally get fed up … I finally wanted to speak the
truth.”
Thomas, of course, left
her perch as the dean of the White House press corps last year after
telling a rabbi and blogger that Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine”
and “go home” to “Poland, Germany and America and everywhere else.” Her family
is Lebanese and she grew up in the Detroit area, home to one of the country’s
densest populations of Arab Americans.
She spoke to Playboy
at length about the situation in Palestine, her feelings on American support of
Israel, and her take on Jews.
But her most controversial comments echoed ones she’s
made before about the influence of Jews in American life, which have
contributed to her name being stripped
from journalism awards.
"[The Jews are] using their power, and they have
power in every direction,” she told Playboy. “Power over the White House, power
over Congress … Everybody is in the pocket of the Israeli lobbies, which are
funded by wealthy supporters, including those from Hollywood. Same thing with
the financial markets. There's total control … It isn't the 2 percent. It's
real power when you own the White House, when you own these other places in
terms of your political persuasion. Of course they have power. [To the
interviewer] You don't deny that. You're Jewish, aren't you?"
She also had some controversial views about
memorializing the Holocaust.
"There's nothing wrong with remembering it, but why do we have to constantly remember?" she said. "We're not at fault. I mean, if they're going to put a Holocaust museum in every city in Germany, that's fine with me. But we didn't do this to the Jews. Why do we have to keep paying the price and why do they keep oppressing the Palestinians? Do the Jews ever look at themselves? Why are they always right? Because they have been oppressed throughout history, I know. And they have this persecution. That's true, but they shouldn't use that to dominate."
This is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s short-covering / suckers’ rally provides an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12%
and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting
monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary
pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious
correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the
stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and
therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the
market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk?
It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the
next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows
This is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone and today’s short-covering / suckers’ rally provides an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since
there's much worse to come! Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12% and
17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting monetary
tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary pressures...So was
this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious correction? The events and
reports this week did provide more evidence that the stock market may be ahead
of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and therefore corporate
earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the market’s upside
potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk? It might be wise
to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the next few days during
the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows
Global
Meltdown? [ Looks like … feels like … seems like … Yes, it is! A global
meltdown! ] Nyaradi ‘Global
meltdown.Scary words, indeed. However, as we look around our world, it
certainly does appear that a global meltdown is in progress.At Wall Street
Sector Selector, we are nearly fully positioned on the “short” side of global
markets and so were fortunate to have had a pleasant day, unlike so many
investors and citizens of our small world. I sincerely hope and pray that many
pleasant days lie ahead for the people of Japan, Bahrain and Libya.Of course,
the big news is in Japan, where the struggle to contain the potential of
nuclear meltdown goes on after the tsunami and earthquake. I can’t add much to
this discussion other than to say that from a human standpoint, we need to do
what we can to help our allies in their time of need.I travel often to Japan
and this is a modern Western country now without power and water and basic
essentials for many days, and to fully understand this unthinkable tragedy,
just try to imagine a 30 foot wall of water coming through your neighborhood,
entire neighborhoods and towns disappearing, followed by the threat of nuclear
catastrophe and no water and power for days on end during these cold early
spring nights.Aside from the human catastrophe, the economic toll of this event
will be felt for years. Some analysts estimate that Japan will have to import
an additional 200,000 barrels of oil per day to make up for the lost output of
the damaged nuclear plants, while insurance and GDP losses are only guestimates
at this early hour but will be surely significant.Across the globe, unrest
continues in the Middle East as Bahrain is under martial law, the Libyan
government continues to quell the revolution (while the United Nations dithers)
and Portugal’s credit rating is downgraded and totters again on the edge of
financial collapse. At home, Congress continues putting band aids on our
national budget deficit while home sales plunge to new lows…’
(Washington Post) [ Comments COMMENTS ARE CLOSED WHILE WE UPGRADE OUR SYSTEMS ]
Dana Milbank In state
legislatures, Tea Partyers take democracy to absurd lengths. (Washington Post)
[ I love to pick on Mr. Milbank … we’re so … ‘opposite’.
‘Louis Brandeis’? As they say on Saturday Night Live, ‘What’s up with that,
what’s up with that’. I concede he was a brilliant jurist (my personal favorite
was Holmes, especially Holmes’ discussion of the law as providing
foreseeability of consequences to actions, ie., threatening to do what one
legally can do which enables the other party to avoid such consequences, etc..
– Boy, did he get that wrong with pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt ‘modern
america’ where meaningfully lawlessness reigns supreme (see, ie., RICO case [ http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
] ). Yet Brandeis’ powers of foresight were sorely lacking [ Upon completion of
his first semester exams he was packing his bags to leave (I think harvard)
certain he had failed out. In fact, he ‘aced’ them all. (I can empathize with
that feeling which unlike anytime after a test I felt after the 3 day bar exam.
I felt drained and ‘certain’ I had failed. In fact, I scored so high on the
multi-state that my ‘jersey part’ of the exam became irrelevant (how prescient
a circumstance). ] Laboratory?... I don’t think so … unless you’re talking of
that of Dr. Frankenstein himself.
2chambers:
McConnell, McCain draw the line (Washington Post) [ mccain
recently said that if he had been elected president, defacto bankrupt america
would be fighting 3 wars. Talk about a race to the ‘bottom’. Earth to mccain …
that’s why you weren’t elected (mccain’s a loser, from wrestler, to downed
pilot, to songbird pow, to keating 5 man who should have gone to jail, etc.;
although wobama the b (for b*** s***), despite promises to the contrary, has
been no better; viz., maybe 2 and a half wars despite the nation’s defacto
bankruptcy. Never trust a *********** Go ahead, fill it in … whatever comes to mind … don’t
feel guilty, his presidency’s done! Obama Laments He’s Not President Of Communist China [
Time to relieve wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) of his burden by impeaching /
removing him from office without delay! He may not have been the first black
president (Clinton is generally considered the first black president by blacks
and whites alike, a moniker Clinton accepted and wore proudly – that 18% vote),
but he is certainly the last!
Drudgereport: City Lowers Police Testing
Standards Because Not Enough Blacks Passed... Under pressure from Obama
administration... Illinois mayor says Obama
still owes city $55,457...
Obama to party with
Washington reporters... Golf in the afternoon... ] Weekly
Standard | “Mr. Obama has
told people that it would be so much easier to be the president of China.” Dave’s Daily: ‘…Where is the president? This has been a universal question raised by
both right and left. Obama appeared on ESPN to go over his NCAA basketball
bracket, is hosting a $30K a plate fund raiser in Harlem and heads this weekend
to Rio. The president's disconnect is beyond belief and his ears have turned to
tin…’ Obama Plays While Japan Begs for Help [ ‘Wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) is a
typical ‘***************’ … Go ahead, fill it in … whatever comes to mind …
don’t feel guilty, he’s already a failed president who should be impeached /
removed from office without delay and a total incompetent and fraud. ] Watson/Jones | With the world on fire, the President goes AWOL
again … ’ Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche ‘I finally got around to seeing
the movie Inside Job, the story behind the credit crisis and winner of the
Academy Award for best documentary. It’s very good and I highly recommend it to
anyone who hasn’t seen it. It will certainly infuriate you. The movie doesn’t
place nearly enough blame on homeowners, but all in all it does an excellent
job of showing how Wall Street and government have become overrun by
deregulation and sheer greed. A combination of flawed economic theory and greed
have combined to create the beast that we now call a “functioning” economy. The
worst part of it all is that President Obama, who vowed change, has done almost
nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues most of the policies that helped
get us here in the first place. ]
Is
the Bear Market Back? [ The bear market never left … This has been a manipulated bubble-bull
cycle in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and hence, is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you can since there's
much worse to come! ] Michaud ‘Financial Markets at Critical
Junctures’ (see infra)
U.S.
Stocks in Red, Though Markets Cut Early Losses Amid Fed Optimism [ Fed optimism? You mean ‘fed b*** s*** ‘!
Yes, we’re spoon fed ‘fed b*** s*** ‘.
The same ‘no-recession’ b*** s*** that wall street frauds are made of
and thrive on. What do you expect them to say? After all, it’s the fed’s
incompetence, complicity and wall street’s greed, fraud! ]
Midnight Trader (see infra)
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
] Former general counsel inherited part of a Bernard Madoff
account.
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington Post) [
Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect
from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have
refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*,
gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and
respected my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my
grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby
claim standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience.
). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the
very corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one
form or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas ( 3-4-11 Throw Clarence Thomas Off the Bench (The Daily Beast) ) , but I do know about alito and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010
(*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
] Group of law
professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances
at political events by several justices.
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video on the economic / financial collapse from Stansberry and
Associates is so well researched and
succinctly presented that I’ve archived
same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view,
must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 (
374mb ) Written text of presentation (without
pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm
]
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Ellen Bente Oliver ‘Salary of
House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500. Salary of
Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400. Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000.
Maybe our elected officials should make an average salary too...It's a time of
sacrifice after all...Pass along, post on your own page if you agree…’
Hidden workforce
hinders recovery (Washington
Post) [ Come on! Get real! They’ll never give up that ‘fudge factor’ that gives
them cover for their prevarication and continued wall street churn and earn
bubble fraud. ] The biggest challenge to the nation’s economic recovery is
Americans who have stopped looking for new jobs.
(Washington Post) [ Comments COMMENTS ARE CLOSED WHILE WE UPGRADE OUR SYSTEMS ]
Marc
Faber On The Japanese Disaster, On A 20% Market Correction And On QE18 Marc
Faber appeared earlier on CNBC in response to a plunging market, and gave his
latest updated outlook on QE3… and 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (not to mention 18). Tyler Durden Zero
Hedge March 15, 2011 ‘Marc Faber appeared earlier on CNBC in response to a
plunging market, and gave his latest updated outlook on QE3… and 4, 5, 6, 7 and
8 (not to mention 18). “We may drop 10 to 15 percent. Then QE 2 will
come, (then) QE 4, QE 5, QE 6, QE 7—whatever you want. The money printer will
continue to print, that I’m sure. .. I meant to say QE 18.” …
Is
the Bear Market Back? [ The bear market never left … This has been a manipulated bubble-bull
cycle in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and hence, is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you can since there's
much worse to come! ] Michaud ‘Financial Markets at Critical
Junctures’ (see infra)
U.S.
Stocks in Red, Though Markets Cut Early Losses Amid Fed Optimism [ Fed optimism? You mean ‘fed b*** s*** ‘!
Yes, we’re spoon fed ‘fed b*** s*** ‘.
The same ‘no-recession’ b*** s*** that wall street frauds are made of
and thrive on. What do you expect them to say? After all, it’s the fed’s
incompetence, complicity and wall street’s greed, fraud! ]
Midnight Trader (see infra)
Ellen Bente Oliver ‘Salary of
House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500. Salary of
Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400. Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000.
Maybe our elected officials should make an average salary too...It's a time of
sacrifice after all...Pass along, post on your own page if you agree…’
Hidden workforce
hinders recovery (Washington Post) [ Come on! Get real! They’ll never
give up that ‘fudge factor’ that gives them cover for their prevarication and
continued wall street churn and earn bubble fraud. ] The biggest challenge
to the nation’s economic recovery is Americans who have stopped looking for new
jobs.
Poll:
Support for Afghan war waning (Washington Post) [ Waning? When have these
nation-bankrupting, perpetual war policies been other than ‘waning’, except
among the zionists, neocons, war criminals, military industrial complex, war
profiteers, etc.. It was opposition to these perpetual war policies that got
‘wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) elected, only to be revealed for the blatant
liar / fraud that he truly is. ]
Ellen Bente Oliver ‘Salary of
House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500. Salary of
Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400. Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000.
Maybe our elected officials should make an average salary too...It's a time of
sacrifice after all...Pass along, post on your own page if you agree…’
Store
shelves empty even outside disaster zone as panic buying grips Japan (Washington Post) [ I think the term
‘panic-buying’ with its connotation of
‘overreaction’ is a misnomer and misapplied to this unprecedented
catastrophe. I further believe that the magnitude of the fallout, literally and
figuratively, economically and otherwise, cannot be overstated in being far
more dire in negatively impacting already dour global economic prospects. ]
TOKYO - Canned goods, batteries, bread and bottled water have vanished from
store shelves and long lines of cars circle gas stations, as Japan grapples
with a new risk set off by last week's earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear
crisis: panic-buying.
Controversey Over
Bonuses (Washington Post) : I
think an appropriate bonus for anyone on capital hill is an all-expenses-paid
trip to ………… JAIL! Fed
meets as risks widen; policymakers aim to guard against inflation while
fostering growth (Washington Post) [ Come on! Let’s not kid each other! The
fed’s failed on both counts, continuing the policies of failure ushered in by
the senile greenspun… This is the grim economic
reality http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm . This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while
you can since there's much worse to come! … Who,
Besides Ben Bernanke, Wants to Buy (u.s.) Bonds? Well, PIMCO just voted
with their feet (they’re out of them) … Japansunami will preclude same (note:
despite the dire implications for defacto bankrupt america owing to their
costly reconstruction preoccupation … market suckers’ rally into the close and
off the lows to keep investors suckered … you can do such things, especially
into the close, with those computerized high frequency trade programs which are
great for generating commissions from the old ‘in-out, in-out’, and then some …
these days like last crash / crisis are made for such frauds.) … don’t go
looking to china to take more baths, especially with that recent trade deficit
of theirs. The answer is no-one! And, one can begin to see the fed’s reluctance
to alow proper scrutiny of their books ( technically ‘insolvent’ but printing
ever more worthless paper); beyond their complicity in the massive wall street
frauds cashed out with their help, there’s the worthless ‘paper on paper’
debacle just around the corner. ]
WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve meets Tuesday at a time of widening economic
risks: higher oil and food prices; unemployment near 9 percent; crises in the
Middle East and Japan.
Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12%
and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting
monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary
pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious
correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the
stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and
therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the
market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk?
It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the
next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’
BOB
PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New
Lows Blodget ‘Investors have gotten wildly bullish of late, as the bull
market that started in early 2009 keeps driving stocks to new highs. But the
pigs are about to get slaughtered, says Bob Prechter, president of Elliott Wave International and
editor of the Elliott Wave Theorist. Prechter still thinks the new bull market
is just a cyclical "retracement" of some of the bear market losses
that we've had since the market crashed in 2008. Prechter expected this
retracement to drive stocks 50% above the market lows, but stocks have since
soared 30% higher than than he expected. So when the day of reckoning
comes, Prechter thinks, it will be even more startling. And Prechter
still thinks that stocks will eventually crash to new bear-market lows (read:
below 6,800 on the DOW). What makes Prechter think this day of reckoning may
come sooner rather than later? Sentiment indicators and
other technical analysis. Investor bullishness has
now gotten so extreme, Prechter says, that it has exceeded the levels in 2008
before the market crashed. Investors could still get even more bullish,
of course, but eventually they'll pay for this optimism. And Prechter's not just bearish on stocks: He thinks oil,
silver, and other commodities are absurdly overvalued, too. The only
thing he's bullish on is the dollar. And lest he be dismissed as a perma-bear,
Bob Prechter is quick to add that he hopes there will come a day when he can
come on the show and tell everyone that stocks are finally so crushed and hated
that it's a historic opportunity to buy them. When will that be? Stay tuned...’
The
Case for a Bear Market for Stocks Suttmeier ‘In making a bearish call on
the U.S. stock market, I base it on both fundamental and technical factors. The
fundamentals show that stocks are overvalued and we have had three ValuEngine
Valuation Warnings so far this year. The January warning was ignored by the
market but so far stocks peaked with the warning issued on February 18 and
re-iterated on March 3. During this period we have seen many days where all 16
sectors have been overvalued, with eight to 11 by double-digit percentages. Today
63.8% of all stocks are overvalued, and all 16 sectors are overvalued, 11 by
double-digit percentages…’
Utilities Are Warning the Correction Is Here Gayed ‘The utilities sector (IDU) may not be the most
fascinating sector of the market to watch, but in many ways can be one of the
most important. Legendary technical analyst Edson Gould, known for being one of
the best market timers of all time, believed that the performance of utilities
was an early indicator for broad market movements. He noted often times that
when utilities performed exceptionally well, within a short period of time, markets
would experience a period of volatility and declining prices…’
Is
the Bear Market Back? [ The bear market never left … This has been a manipulated bubble-bull
cycle in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and hence, is an
especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you can since there's
much worse to come! ]
Michaud ‘Financial Markets at Critical Junctures
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
] Former general counsel inherited part of a Bernard Madoff
account.
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington Post) [
Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect
from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have
refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*,
gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and respected
my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my grandfather/Lake
Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby claim
standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience. ). How
‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the very
corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one form
or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas ( 3-4-11 Throw Clarence Thomas Off the Bench (The Daily Beast) ) , but I do know about alito and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010
(*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in need
of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations of
law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption is
pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently with
the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action which
was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention of the
Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
] Group of law
professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances
at political events by several justices.
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view,
must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 (
374mb ) Written text of presentation (without
pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm
]
Disaster
in Japan threatens recession recovery (Washington Post) [ Recovery? …
Dreamin’ … and, we’re way past the ‘straw broke the camel’s back’ … we’re
really talkin’ about final nails in the coffin … This is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while
you can since there's much worse to come!
What
Can the Great Depression Teach Us About Our Great Recession? Chartprophet
‘Is the massive market rally of the past two years just a temporary recovery
that has tricked many investors to jump back into stocks right before the next
plunge? And how can the Great Depression reveal what may happen to the markets this
year, almost 80 years later?As we enter the third year of what has been a very
impressive "bull" market, many are left wondering whether this
incredible run of as much as 100 percent on the S&P 500 can continue - and
for how long. Yet while the economy seems to have rebounded very strongly off
of its early 2009 lows, accompanied by improving fundamentals, increased
company earnings, and a more optimistic consumer, many investors fail to at
least consider the thought that this entire "recovery" could, in
fact, be just an extreme overreaction to the 2008 market crash. In other words,
the huge rally we have seen in the global stock markets since early 2009 could
be just a temporary recovery and pause before the next - and possibly worse -
market decline.
It was less
than a year ago that the fear of an economic "double dip" - a plunge
back down to recession - intensely gripped the markets. The "flash
crash", BP
oil spill, European troubles, high unemployment, and potential derailment of
the economy all posed a severe threat to the viability of our recovery. Yet
while many parts of the economy seem to have been improving, there are still so
many issues surfacing daily that most of the world is basically ignoring. I am
not saying that all these issues are guaranteed to pull us back into recession,
but with such a huge rebound in stocks accompanied by so many potential
derailers, it may not be so far-fetched to at least consider the possibilities
of the tremendous upcoming turmoil.
The issues
now: huge government debt, credit crisis, European troubles, high insider
selling, Middle East turmoil, surging oil prices that threaten to hurt the
economy, soaring commodity prices, surfacing inflation, uncertainty about the
Fed's QE2 and QE3, billions of dollars of toxic assets on the balance sheets of
many banks, emerging market weakness since the end of 2010, real estate bubbles
from China to Singapore, rationalization of fundamentals and a strong
complacency that things will continue to be just as positive as they have been,
a very slowly-improving unemployment picture, and perhaps one of the most
telling points - the average investor is finally getting back in, and maybe
right at the end of the rally.
So why should
investors at least consider the possibility of a "double dip"? What
are the potential scenarios if this tremendous market rally was, in fact, a
"fool's rally"? And what can the Great Depression teach us about our
current situation?
First, we
must understand what a "fool's rally" is:
Otherwise
known as a "Dead Dog Bounce," the fool's rally is a corrective bounce
or temporary rebound that follows a severe decline in an individual stock or
broader market. Following a severe decline, stocks and markets can sometimes
see sharp bounces off of the lows as a rapid overreaction to the downside is
followed by an overreactive bounce to the upside. In other words, a market
crashes quickly and sharply but rebounds temporarily as much of the bad news
takes some time to fully sink in.
This
phenomenon is has been termed the "Dead Dog Bounce," based on the
statement that "even a dead dog will bounce" if dropped from high
enough. Here's an image of what this looks like:
[picture]
The Dead Dog Bounce is just a temporary recovery, however. The scenario is as
follows: 1) the market drops sharply; 2) after an extreme downturn, the market
recovers as some investors buy up what they consider to be "value";
3) the market cannot make it all the way back up to where it started its down
move, however, because the economy is nowhere near as healthy as it was; 4) the
investors who have pulled their money out of the stock market or who have
missed the recovery now jump back in, thinking the market is going back up; 5)
since this has been a dead dog bounce, and therefore just a corrective rebound
before the dead dog falls back down, many investors were tricked into thinking
the recovery was underway - but the market enters the next phase of decline or
recession. A double dip takes place.
Think of a
tennis ball dropped from the top of a building: as it drops, it gains momentum,
hits the ground, and bounces up - but the bounce can not be as high as its
original point. And following that bounce, it will ultimately be pulled back
down by gravity. So too the Dead Dog Bounce - the market drops from above,
falls sharply, hits the "ground," bounces back up (but not as high),
and ultimately falls back down.
I bring the
Great Depression up because it is one of the best examples of a Dead Dog
Bounce. We often think of the Crash of 1929 as the biggest event of the Great
Depression, and perhaps also consider it to be the biggest drop in the market.
But that actually wasn't the case.
Here's
how the Dead Dog Bounce played out in the Great Depression:
click to
enlarge
[chart]
Following 17 years of sideways movement beginning, the market finally embarked
on an uptrend from 1921 to the ultimate peak of 1929.
Compare the
above chart to what we have recently seen in our market:
[chart]
Like the Dow from 1904 to 1921, the Dow of 1960 to 1983 was also stuck in a
long sideways trend. It eventually broke out above the 1,000 level in 1983 and
began one of the greatest bull markets we have ever seen. Like the 1929 top
before the Great Depression, the 2007 peak marked the top before the Great
Recession we find ourselves in. The two charts above look eerily similar, and
make dismissing the relationship between the Great Depression and Great
Recession almost a fool's move.
Now take a
look at the 1929 stock market crash:
[chart]
After reaching a peak of 380+, the Dow tumbled to under 200 as the Crash of
1929 sent markets into a free-fall. Following the Crash, a Dead Dog Bounce took
place - raising the market approximately 50 percent.
Compare the
1929-1930 Crash-Dead Dog Bounce scenario with what we have just seen:
[chart]
After a bull market from 2003 to the end of 2007, the Dow reached a peak of
over 14,000. As the housing market collapsed, so did the stock market - sending
the Dow below 6,500. As in the Dow of 1929-1930, a potential Dead Dog Bounce
has followed since 2009 and continues until today.
The question
remains - what followed the Dead Dog Bounce of 1929-1930, and will our market
follow the same course?
Here's how it
played out in 1930:
[chart]
The Crash of 1929 was almost negligible in comparison to the Great Depression
that followed. The Crash sent the Dow tumbling from 380 to 200, and was
followed by a Dead Dog Bounce which recovered over 50 percent of the Crash; but
the real damage was done beginning in April 1930 and lasting until late 1932 -
where the Dow toppled from nearly 300 to less than 50 - a loss of over 83
percent.
The Dead Dog
Bounce in 1929 and 1930 was just a corrective overreaction to the steep plunge
that the Crash of 1929 brought to the market. But as we can see, the Crash and
the ensuing bounce were nothing compared to the huge drop that followed and
carried through until the end of the Great Depression.
We now find
ourselves in perhaps a similar situation - a market that saw a very impressive
bull run for years, and reached a lofty top followed by a severe downturn in
2008 and early 2009. It has since shown signs of improving, and many investors
and economists are optimistic for the future - thinking the worst is behind us.
But with so many negative and potentially devastating issues constantly
surfacing, are we just in the middle of a Dead Dog Bounce before reality sets
in and the market plunges back down into recession? I do not yet know the
answer to that question. But with the very strong similarities between our
market and that of the Great Depression, it would be very wise to at least pay
attention.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.’
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Stocks
sink amid new economic concerns (Washington Post) [New economic concerns? I don’t think so! The
economic concerns certainly aren’t new: This is the grim economic
reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on
b*** s*** alone is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while
you can since there's much worse to come!But that
money/prosperity’s truly down the crapper and into the hands of the ‘perps and
friends’ … World's
richest are almost $1 trillion richer ( And the other 95% trillions
poorer.) … There’s never been a mystery here … just a massive fraud that
despite the rhetoric has been purposefully overlooked and unprosecuted … : “The
Financial Industry Has Become So Politically Powerful That It Is Able To
Inhibit the Normal Process of Justice And Law Enforcement” The economy
cannot stabilize unless fraud is prosecuted. But the folks in D.C. seem
determined to turn a blind eye to Wall Street shenanigans, and is now moving to
defund the enforcement agencies like the SEC and CFTC. Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — ‘Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich…’ Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche ‘I finally got around to seeing
the movie Inside Job, the story behind the credit crisis and winner of the Academy
Award for best documentary. It’s very good and I highly recommend it to anyone
who hasn’t seen it. It will certainly infuriate you. The movie doesn’t place
nearly enough blame on homeowners, but all in all it does an excellent job of
showing how Wall Street and government have become overrun by deregulation and
sheer greed. A combination of flawed economic theory and greed have combined to
create the beast that we now call a “functioning” economy. The worst part of it
all is that President Obama, who vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix
any of it and in fact continues most of the policies that helped get us here in
the first place. …’ ‘INSIDE JOB’
Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in
the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in
hand that not one high level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite
‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator / experts recommend
getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder and wobama have in
common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for jive-talking /
b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it something else
…… here’s a hint - UPDATE: MORE CLAIMS OF RACE
BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE
FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
]
Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many
important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong,
have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12%
and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting
monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary
pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious
correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the
stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and
therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the
market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk?
It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the
next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’
Taxpayers
caught in middle of Fannie lawsuit (Washington
Post) What could be worse than taxpayers paying more than $100 million to
defend a shareholder-owned company and its former executives in a private
lawsuit? [ What could be worse? Not prosecuting the massive wall street
frauds in the trillions with jail, fines, and disgorgement the goal.…. Top
Economists: Trust is Necessary for a Stable Economy … But Trust Won’t Be
Restored Until We Prosecute Wall Street Fraud Most policy makers still
don’t understand the urgent need to restore trust in our financial system, or
the need to prosecute Wall Street executives for fraud and other criminal
wrongdoing ….. 'Gang
of 6' takes deficit fight to public (Washington Post) [ Riiiight! I like that term, gang, as applied
to capital hill. Indeed, without exaggeration or sarcasm I posit the realistic
existence of government mob, relative to other mob designations as ie., mafia,
irish mob, jewish mob, etc., based not on what they say they do but on what
they actually do. That now corrupted supreme court of old’s test for obscenity;
viz., ‘you know it when you see it’. And, haven’t we been seeing it for quite
some time now; the corruption, the corruptibility, the lobbyists, the military
industrial complex, the look the other way for the massive frauds on wall
street, the bribes in one form or another before or after the fact? The ‘gangs’
should be shouldering the burden first, then come asking those who foolishly
trusted them. Why
Social Security is welfare (Washington
Post) [ What does it matter what you call it? Part of america’s defacto
bankruptcy? Most assuredly (I haven’t even looked at the Bloomberg propaganda
piece which by its very title is an insult to intelligence; after all, we all
know they can continue to print evermore worthless fiat currency which in
reality does not change the ultimate reality of america’s defacto bankruptcy
but merely exacerbates while forestalling a realistic assessment of the
magnitude of the crisis. The fact is that there are others, culpable in
creating this crisis who should be shouldering the burden first; ie., frauds on
wall street via prosecution, fines, disgorgement; Ellen Bente Oliver
‘Salary
of House/Senate...$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500. Salary of
Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400. Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000.
Maybe our elected officials should make an average salary too...It's a time of
sacrifice after all...Pass along, post on your own page if you agree…’ ; SEC
on the hot seat (Washington Post) [ Oooooh! The capital hill hot seat …
shilling for no more than a grilling. House
Republicans press SEC on official's ties to Madoff (Washington Post) [ The
ultimate subterfuge. Mr. small potatoes madoff the focus of so much influence …
yet he’s in jail … and the only one … Boy, did mary shapiro become total b***
s*** fast … the current shibboleth of
capital hill / all 3 branches of pervasively corrupt u.s. government …
joining the others: “The
Financial Industry Has Become So Politically Powerful That It Is Able To
Inhibit the Normal Process of Justice And Law Enforcement” The economy
cannot stabilize unless fraud is prosecuted. But the folks in D.C. seem
determined to turn a blind eye to Wall Street shenanigans, and is now moving to
defund the enforcement agencies like the SEC and CFTC. Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — ‘Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich…’ Financialization
and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche ‘I finally got around to seeing
the movie Inside Job, the story behind the credit crisis and winner of the
Academy Award for best documentary. It’s very good and I highly recommend it to
anyone who hasn’t seen it. It will certainly infuriate you. The movie doesn’t
place nearly enough blame on homeowners, but all in all it does an excellent
job of showing how Wall Street and government have become overrun by
deregulation and sheer greed. A combination of flawed economic theory and greed
have combined to create the beast that we now call a “functioning” economy. The
worst part of it all is that President Obama, who vowed change, has done almost
nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues most of the policies that helped
get us here in the first place. …’ ‘INSIDE
JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant
fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and declares with
oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been prosecuted …
despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator / experts
recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder and
wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE: MORE CLAIMS OF RACE
BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE
FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Wis.
Senate strips workers' bargaining rights Vote
by Republicans bypasses chamber's missing Democrats (Washington
Post) [ Drudgereport: Drudge is reporting, and I think Charlie Sheen would
agree, that in Wisconsin, the GOP is … duh … winning … and conversely, the dems
/ unions are … duh … losers, trolls, etc… just kidding …
Drudgereport: World's
biggest bond fund dumps all U.S. debt...
WI
GOP pushes through union bill...
'ENOUGH
IS ENOUGH'...
Gov.
Walker applauds...
DEMS
SCRAMBLE BACK...
SHOCK:
82% of US schools 'failing'...
Gasoline
cost to jump $700 for avg household...
Libya
Tanks Move In To Crush Rebel Stronghold...
Carnage
in Rebel City...
FOOTAGE:
Libyan war plane shot down...
Obama,
Cameron discuss plan of action...
Hoyer:
No Balanced Budget for 15-20 Years 'We've Dug Such a Deep Hole'...
FLASHBACK:
Larger Than Entire 2007 Deficit...
Treasury
Draws Down Cash Balance...
FEBRUARY DEFICIT: $223 BILLION
FRESHMAN
DEM. SENATOR: OBAMA HAS 'FAILED TO LEAD'...
Mayors
to Unions: 'Dire fiscal straits' without 'dramatic' changes...
Anger
Brews Over Government Workers' Benefits...
UNREST
IN THE MIDWEST: Now Michigan...
WELFARE
NATION: ONE-THIRD OF ALL WAGES ARE HANDOUTS...
ROMNEY:
Obama Misery Index hits record high...
OPEC
VOWS NEW PUMPING...
OIL HOLDS
NEAR $105...
Roubini:
Will Hit $150...
Sheen:
'I'm really starting to lose my mind'... ‘In what appears to be a 180
degree turn around from his daily proclamations of having “tiger’s blood” and
“Adonis DNA,” Charlie Sheen admitted “I’m really starting to lose my mind” in
the new issue of “Life & Style.” The recently fired “Two and a Half Men”
star also reveals his desperation to regain custody of his two young twin sons,
Bob and Max.
ARTICLE: Charlie Sheen Attacks Jon Cryer.
“She can’t keep them from me,” Sheen says of his estranged
wife, Brooke Mueller. “I won’t let her—I’ll do anything to get them back.”Sheen,
45, who has made four disturbing live web broadcasts from his compound in
Sherman Oaks, CA, admits that even his lawyer, Marty Singer, has expressed
concern about him.
PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen's Long List of Lady Friends.
“My lawyer wants to come over to my house and take the
bullets out of my gun," he told the magazine.A party pal of Charlie’s
tells the magazine, "It's crazy over here at the house—Charlie's losing
it. He's really mad about the show, and dealing with the kids and Brooke is
getting to be too much. Charlie is a ticking time bomb, and we all fear he
could do something drastic like committing suicide or falling back on hard
drugs."
ARTICLE: 'Tiger Blood' Drink Goes On Sale.
Sheen, who appeared on a Beverly Hills rooftop Monday,
brandishing a machete, realizes that his bizarre behavior has many
concerned."I'm really trying to contain myself right now," he said.
ARTICLE: 'Men' Co-Star Is Sheen's Lone Defender.
If that's true, he's not doing a good a job of it, because
Sheen widened his list of targets to include his former "Two and a Half
Men" co-star, Jon Cryer, on Tuesday.Cryer had managed to stay out of the
fray during Sheen's fall from grace at CBS, but his luck ran out.
ARTICLE: Can 'Two and a Half Men' Survive? Just Ask 'Three's
Company.'
"Jon has not called me. He's a turncoat, a traitor, a
troll. Clearly he's a troll," Sheen told E! News. "He issued a
statement. Is it gonna take me calling him a 'traitor, juvenile and scared' for
him to get it?"Cryer has actually not issued an official statement since
Sheen was fired from the hit CBS sitcom “Two-And-A-Half Men” on Monday. But he
may want to issue one now, because Sheen has not stopped ranting about his
enemies since his dismissal, and once you are on his crosshairs, it seems you
never escape.
ARTICLE: Sheen's Kids Could Be Next on Reality Show.
Tuesday night was the latest case in point, as Sheen blasted
his list of hated CBS executives one by one with yet another nonsensical,
barely decipherable scripted screed on Ustream. "A high treason has
occurred. The scales of justice are in a state of radical disarray. Together we
must right this infantile wrong… What happened yesterday was completely and
entirely illegal, unconscionable and to quote my lawyer 'really shi**y shi**y
suck suck'," Sheen, the self-proclaimed “Malibu Messiah,” said before
launching into a strange diatribe in his fourth "Sheen's Korner"
webcast, in which he saved his most savage attacks for producer Chuck Lorre –
calling him everything from a “silly clown,” to “little worm” and “loser.”
Gaddafi forces engage in fierce battle Regime
loyalists in Libya mount assaults to reclaim ground (Washington
Post) [ 41 years in power … Hey, when interviewed by Charlie Sheen on SNL he
seemed rather spry …
Sheen's-Korner, Ustream.TV
You're either in Sheen's-Korner or you're with the trolls... [and the big question is which trolls … the
pat_trolls, the con_trolls, the troll_eys, the troll_ups, etc.? ] http://www.ustream.tv/charliesheen Archived Web Site File: http://www.albertpeia.com/Sheen's-Korner,Ustream.TVYou'reeitherinSheen's-Korneroryou'rewiththetrolls.flv (448mb)
(for whatever reason, this file did not open properly in my somewhat
older player and I didn’t have time to download another to determine if the
problem is with the viewer or the file, but will, and will indicate the result
here. )
Here’s SNL’s take on the Sheen webcast
[ This was the first time I’d seen Miley Cyrus in anything and I must
say she is truly a star, albeit a very precocious one; this SNL was absolutely
hilarious across the board! ]
http://www.saturday-night-live.com
Part of the webcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIx4_t26AAs
With neither side able to muster overwhelming
force, the result appeared to be a bloody stalemate, with the death tolls
rising in both east and west.Intense international deliberations come as troops
loyal to Gaddafi continue to besiege the rebel-held city of Zawiyah, 27 miles
west of Tripoli.] The vote comes after a maneuver by GOP members that split the
proposal to curtail union rights from legislation requiring a quorum.
Gaddafi forces engage in fierce battle Regime
loyalists in Libya mount assaults to reclaim ground (Washington
Post) [ 41 years in power … Hey, when interviewed by Charlie Sheen on SNL he
seemed rather spry …
Sheen's-Korner, Ustream.TV
You're either in Sheen's-Korner or you're with the trolls... [and the big question is which trolls … the
pat_trolls, the con_trolls, the troll_eys, the troll_ups, etc.? ] http://www.ustream.tv/charliesheen Archived Web Site File: http://www.albertpeia.com/Sheen's-Korner,Ustream.TVYou'reeitherinSheen's-Korneroryou'rewiththetrolls.flv (448mb)
(for whatever reason, this file did not open properly in my somewhat
older player and I didn’t have time to download another to determine if the
problem is with the viewer or the file, but will, and will indicate the result
here. )
Here’s SNL’s take on the Sheen webcast
[ This was the first time I’d seen Miley Cyrus in anything and I must
say she is truly a star, albeit a very precocious one; this SNL was absolutely
hilarious across the board! ]
http://www.saturday-night-live.com
Part of the webcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIx4_t26AAs
] With neither side able to muster overwhelming force, the result appeared to be a bloody stalemate, with the death tolls rising in both east and west.
Obama creates indefinite detention system for
prisoners at Guantanamo Bay (Washington
Post) [ Sounds more like fellow failed president/war criminal dumbya bush every
day. Meanwhile, back at the
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt american credit farm (totalitarian
communist china): New
restrictions on foreign journalists Under rules announced after foreign journalists
were physically harassed by security officers, foreign journalists must have
government permission to interview anyone in a public area.]
Gates
successor a quandary for Obama(Washington Post) [ Quandary? For ‘wobama the b’ (for b*** s***)? I don’t
think so! Like wobama, he or she must speak out of both sides of his/her mouth,
be particularly adept at lying (cia-speak), and believe in absolutely nothing
(no core values/beliefs). Gates says killing of Afghan boys a "setback" (Reuters)
[Ah, yes, riiiiight! … that’s what it is, alright…just a setback…I see. ] Gates: US
military to stay in Afghanistan US
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is on a surprise visit to Afghanistan, says
the American military should stay in the conflict-riddled country despite the
rising human costs. Violent
spring looming in Afghanistan (Washington Post) [ See … something to look
forward to … must be that good news that keeps getting pushed back … and spring
no less … everything bombing blooming or in war criminal american-speak …
‘booming’ … but not the defacto bankrupt american economy for which a crash is
‘looming’. Could somebody help me out with a translation of gates’ speech a
west point … I must be missing something … Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m sorry that Kelly
lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the nations
unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ]
] American military officials
expect that the Taliban will mount a campaign to regain ground lost to U.S.
troops last year and use suicide bombing teams to strike at those associated
with the Afghan government or coalition forces. ]
Fed Has Convinced Consumers to Re-Leverage [ Sounds
like a plan! … albeit a failed plan ala greenspan … this encore courtesy of ‘’no-recession helicopter ben shalom
bernanke’ … anything for that irrationally exuberant feeling on wall street ….
Bubbles, bubbles, everywhere, but not a bloke to blink. ] Roche ‘Despite
lopsided balance sheets and near record levels of household debt the Fed
appears to have succeeded in convincing American households that it is wise to
begin re-leveraging. The Fed’s latest consumer credit report showed broad
improvement in consumer credit trends (via Econoday):
"Consumer credit outstanding in December rose
$6.1 billion showing, for the first time in the recovery, gains for both
revolving and non-revolving credit. Revolving credit, up $2.3 billion, rose for
the first time in 27 months. Non-revolving credit, reflecting strength in
vehicle sales, extended its run of strength with a gain of $3.8 billion.
Looking ahead to January’s number, there may be some modest help from motor
vehicle sales which edged up 0.6 percent for the month but the amount boosting
consumer credit will depend in part on the share split of sales to consumers
and to businesses."
(Click to enlarge)
As I’ve previously mentioned, this is great news for
the near-term economic outlook. A re-leveraging consumer means more spending,
higher corporate revenues, etc. My hope was that a 10% deficit would result in
consumers continuing to de-leverage, however, that looks like wishful thinking.
Instead, the combination of easy money and no loser capitalism appears to be
setting the foundation for another debt binge. At a level of 115% of
debt:income, this trend is clearly unsustainable, however, the American public
appears intent on sustaining its fiscal imprudence. In short, enjoy the growth,
however, once the deficit shrinks or another asset bubble pops the air is going
to come out of the debt bubble once again and the upside down U.S. consumer
will again be exposed as the imprudent consumer that he/she is...’
Sheen's-Korner, Ustream.TV
You're either in Sheen's-Korner or you're with the trolls... [and the big question is which trolls … the
pat_trolls, the con_trolls, the troll_eys, the troll_ups, etc.? ] http://www.ustream.tv/charliesheen Archived Web Site File: http://www.albertpeia.com/Sheen's-Korner,Ustream.TVYou'reeitherinSheen's-Korneroryou'rewiththetrolls.flv (448mb)
(for whatever reason, this file did not open properly in my somewhat
older player and I didn’t have time to download another to determine if the
problem is with the viewer or the file, but will, and will indicate the result
here. )
Here’s SNL’s take on the Sheen webcast
[ This was the first time I’d seen Miley Cyrus in anything and I must
say she is truly a star, albeit a very precocious one; this SNL was absolutely
hilarious across the board! ]
http://www.saturday-night-live.com
Part of the webcast: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIx4_t26AAs
Milbank:
The
subpar lender crisis (Washington
Post) [ It truly is difficult for me to imagine Mr. Milbank as a business
reporter; although, … wall street journal … could fit. I had occasion to know a
successful wall street executive, chairman, institutional brokerage /
investment banking firm, who referred to the wall street journal as ‘total b***
s***’. I don’t think Mr. Milbank needs to refer to an ad hoc experience which
we know and can reasonably infer to be ubiquitous in kind and that they’re all
a bunch of typical american crooks (he wasn’t … but he was an old school risk
seeker long since out of the game). Academy Award winner Ferguson is way ahead:
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE: MORE CLAIMS OF RACE
BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE
FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Private
hiring spurs drop in jobless rate (Washington Post) [ This is a tab yet to be paid
(taxpayer / treasury / public) and the costs in money the nation doen’t have
for the political obfuscation will far outway the benefits. (Gallup
Reports Underemployment Surges To 19.9%, February “Jobs Situation
Deteriorates”: As Bad As 2010 On one hand we have the Department of Truth
about to tell tomorrow that NFP based on various seasonal and birth death
adjustments increased by 250,000… Santelli: 'Good' Jobs Report
Has Dark Side... … Denninger ‘ … Summary: The report did not show any material amount of
acceleration; it is, for all intents and purposes, flat. The Household Survey
showed some people going back to work, but in terms of percentage of the
working-age population the needle did not move to any material degree. The
problem continues to be people we don't count as unemployed but in fact are,
and as such the statistical gerrymandering of the results will give both the
left and right something to spin, but in point of fact there's no evidence of
an economy that is recovering it's ability to generate both private income and
tax revenues.’ … ‘ Mason’…Over the past four weeks, the Treasury’s General
Account has dropped by almost $70 billion. Thus, between this account and the
Treasury’s Supplementary Financing Account the Fed has injected almost $170
billion reserves into the banking system in February …’ Gerald
Celente: “There is no recovery — it’s a coverup!” Sic Semper Tyrannis | Celente argues the oil prices have been going up
before the recent chaos in the Middle East. ‘…One other point brought out by
Gerald Celente is the fact that the current puppet regime in the White House is
“cooking the books” on the unemployment numbers and current inflation rates.
They are making their own rules on how to determine inflation rates by leaving
out essential information such as food and fuel prices. The same is being done
with White House unemployment numbers by simply leaving out those who have
given up looking for jobs, as well as other deceptive “carnie” tricks (in
reference to White House spokesperson Carnie) in which he compares the
administration to a traveling carnival act.
In closing,
Celente states:
“… There is no recovery, it’s a coverup. It’s only being
boosted by these low interest rates, which again, when inflation skyrockets-
they’re gonna have to raise them …‘
]
Delusional
for 2012Will: Huckabee and Gingrich are diminishing the GOP.
(Washington Post) [ That’s only if you take them seriously; and, you can’t take
neocons seriously. You know the type … the pro-zionist bush me-toos … and don’t
forget … what could be more diminishing than having failed president ‘wobama
the b’ (for b*** s***) as their putative head. Perma war types all, the
pervasively corrupt america is defacto bankrupt. Drudgereport: Delaware voters say no to
Lobotomy Joe ….. Biden (the self-proclaimed zionist) -- for name of school...
'Wobama’s Where's Waldo?'
Presidency...
All Former U.S. Presidents To
Get Together For TV Special Honoring George H.W. Bush…(How totally pathetic
they are! How embarrassing for NBC!) ... [ Wake up! http://albertpeia.com/bushcrimes.htm ]
Gingrich to announce
exploratory committee 'in 10 days' [ Neo-con Dreamin’! I mean, come on … are
memories so short they don’t recall him being a total hypocrite, zionist
shill, and part of the problem though
to his credit, he’s not a mobster and complete joke as is trump! ]
CHICAGOLAND: Lawmaker
Suggests BOEING'S Contract Win A Result Of Dirty Politics... [ The contract’s with money the nation doen’t really
have anyway; and, the value of the money paid will be worth substantially less
by completion; and, no surprise … Chicago hasn’t changed much from the days of
capone and is rivaled in terms of corruption by such states as jersey, new
york, etc.. ] ‘…“I’m disappointed but not surprised,”
Republican Sen. Richard Shelby said. “Only Chicago politics could tip the scales
in favor of Boeing’s inferior plane. EADS clearly offers the more capable
aircraft.”…’
Rep. Rangel Causes Stir In Courtroom;
Reprimanded By Judge...NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Congressman
Charles Rangel caused a stir in court Friday
while trying to lend his support for bail of Afrika Owes.Owes, 17, had been a
student at the prestigious Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Prosecutors say
she was also a member of a drug gang that terrorized 137th Street in
Harlem.Owes was one of fourteen
suspected “137th Street Crew” gang members arrested last month.
Prosecutors said the gang used shootings, beatings and robberies to protect
their turf and gain street status on a stretch of West 137th Street. The gang
allegedly openly dealt crack in apartment lobbies, near Harlem Hospital and
near the Abyssinian Baptist
Church. Congressman
Charles Rangel argues for Owes getting bail to Juliet Papa of 1010 WINS
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m sorry that Kelly
lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the nations
unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ]
Bernanke:
Fed will respond if oil prices trigger inflation (Washington Post) [ If?
Come on … don’t make me laugh! … Inflation
Is Here – Just Open Up Your Eyes And Look At These 5 Financial Charts! (see infra) Despite what Federal Reserve
Chairman Ben Bernanke says, rampant inflation is officially here. The federal
government is constantly monkeying with the numbers to keep the “official” rate
of inflation below 2 percent, but it is becoming very difficult to deny that
the cost of almost everything is really going up these days. … Merk ‘…While we believe food inflation
will be with us for quite some time and may contribute to an unstable world
possibly for years to come, the Federal Reserve appears to be firmly in the
camp of heavily discounting food inflation. The European Central Bank (ECB), in
contrast, has historically taken commodity inflation more seriously than the
Fed – ECB President Trichet talks about his concern over "second round
effects," i.e., commodity inflation stirring inflation throughout the
value chain.
The relevance of all this is that in the U.S. it’s
business as usual as far as monetary policy is concerned. According to Fed
Chair Bernanke, the U.S. economy must grow at a rate of at least 2.5% per annum
just to keep unemployment stable, however, he has made it clear that he will
pursue policies to boost growth above that level. With oil prices soaring, he
is facing yet another headwind. Rather than mopping up the liquidity that, in our
assessment, has contributed to global commodity inflation, he may be tempted to
keep the printing press in high gear to promote economic growth.
It doesn’t really matter whether we think there is a
crisis. What matters is that the Fed doesn’t think its policies are
contributing to global instability and continues on its expansionary path…’
House
Republicans press SEC on official's ties to Madoff (Washington Post) [ The
ultimate subterfuge. Mr. small potatoes madoff the focus of so much influence …
yet he’s in jail … and the only one … Boy, did mary shapiro become total b***
s*** fast … the current shibboleth of
capital hill / all 3 branches of pervasively corrupt u.s. government … joining
the others: “The
Financial Industry Has Become So Politically Powerful That It Is Able To
Inhibit the Normal Process of Justice And Law Enforcement” The economy
cannot stabilize unless fraud is prosecuted. But the folks in D.C. seem
determined to turn a blind eye to Wall Street shenanigans, and is now moving to
defund the enforcement agencies like the SEC and CFTC. Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — ‘Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich…’
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL
RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
FADE:
OSCAR RATINGS DOWN 10% ...
Injury
Added to Insult... [ In terms of production value (rich in
content in every way), I believe this to be as good and in my view better than
ever as award ceremonies can be without the inimitable Bob Hope. I believe any
falloff can be directly attributable to last year the academy’s egregious
misstep in over-looking ‘Avatar’ / Cameron presaging a similar fate concerning
my clear choice of ‘Inception’ / Nolan ( Truth be told, I’ve yet to see ‘The
King’s Speech’ failing to muster any enthusiasm for seeing a film centered
around a ‘so-called royal’ trying to over-come a speech impediment, albeit a
minor one, regardless of circumstances; viz., stuttering, though I would
concede that it was probably well done. We all know of the problems attendant
to english royal inbreeding…ho hum… I did find ‘The Black Swan’ superb but
attribute same to my own bias and fascination with viewing female ballet dancing). Bob Hope: Academy Awards, ‘passover’ … very
funny! ]
CIVIL
WAR WEEKEND
Armed
pro-Gaddafi gangs roll in Tripoli...
...Shooting
from ambulances...
GRAFFITI
AND BARRICADES...
Gaddafi
vows to crush protesters...
Egypt
protesters dispersed by force...
Al
Qaeda calls for revolt against Arab rulers...
Obama
to Gaddafi: Leave now...
UN
Security Council passes votes to sanction...
Gas
prices surge 17 cents in a week...
Motorist
Calls Police Over Rising Prices...
OBAMA:
CAN WE DRILL NOW?
LONDON
DRIVERS PAYING $9 A GALLON...
Spain
reduces motorway speed limit to save oil...
WOBAMA
'IMPEACHMENT' WARNING... ...to
announce exploratory committee 'in 10 days'
WEST MOVES MILITARY ASSETS AROUND LIBYA
CharlieSheen
Publicist Runs For Hills...
Actor
set to sue CBS for $320M, 'mental anguish'...
The
Legal Letter...
THE
'TODAY' INTERVIEW...
NY
MAG: Madoff on Madoff: The Jailhouse Tapes...
Government
a Ponzi scheme...
CIVIL
WAR WEEKEND...
Anti-Gaddafi
forces widen control...
Take
town 30 miles from Tripoli...
Security
forces defect...
Armed
pro-gangs roll in capital...
...shooting
from ambulances
STUDY:
World's sixth 'mass extinction' may be underway…[Much, much too optimistic
relative to reality] ...
ISRAELI'S
YOUTUBE SPOOF OF GADHAFI CATCHES ON IN ARAB WORLD...
Police
station, state office burning in Oman town...
Tunisia
prime minister resigns...
Gingrich
to announce exploratory committee 'in 10 days' [ Neo-con Dreamin’! I mean, come
on … are memories so short they don’t recall him being a total hypocrite,
zionist shill, and part of the problem
though to his credit, he’s not a mobster and complete joke as is trump! ]
CHICAGOLAND:
Lawmaker Suggests BOEING'S Contract Win A Result Of Dirty Politics... [ The contract’s with money the nation doen’t really
have anyway; and, the value of the money paid will be worth substantially less
by completion; and, no surprise … Chicago hasn’t changed much from the days of
capone and is rivaled in terms of corruption by such states as jersey, new
york, etc.. ] ‘…“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” Republican
Sen. Richard Shelby said. “Only Chicago politics could tip the scales in favor
of Boeing’s inferior plane. EADS clearly offers the more capable aircraft.”…’
Rep.
Rangel Causes Stir In Courtroom; Reprimanded By Judge...NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Congressman
Charles Rangel caused a stir in court Friday
while trying to lend his support for bail of Afrika Owes.Owes, 17, had been a
student at the prestigious Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Prosecutors say
she was also a member of a drug gang that terrorized 137th Street in
Harlem.Owes was one of fourteen
suspected “137th Street Crew” gang members arrested last month.
Prosecutors said the gang used shootings, beatings and robberies to protect
their turf and gain street status on a stretch of West 137th Street. The gang
allegedly openly dealt crack in apartment lobbies, near Harlem Hospital and
near the Abyssinian Baptist
Church. Congressman Charles Rangel argues for Owes getting bail to
Juliet Papa of 1010 WINS
Violent
spring looming in Afghanistan (Washington Post) [ See … something to look
forward to … must be that good news that keeps getting pushed back … and spring
no less … everything bombing blooming or in war criminal american-speak …
‘booming’ … but not the defacto bankrupt american economy for which a crash is
‘looming’. Could somebody help me out with a translation of gates’ speech a
west point … I must be missing something … Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m sorry that Kelly
lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the nations
unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot at
the messenger … things could have been different! ]
] American military officials
expect that the Taliban will mount a campaign to regain ground lost to U.S.
troops last year and use suicide bombing teams to strike at those associated
with the Afghan government or coalition forces.
U.S. prepares for possible rise of new
Islamist regimes Revolutions
may bring a more religious cast to Mideast politics (Washington
Post) [ Oh riiiiight! Pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, the
‘johnny on the spot’ when it comes to being ahead of the events / curve … and
they’re so interested in democratization … as in Saudi Arabia, etc… Egypt,
Serbia, Georgia… The History of US Sponsored “Democratization” There is a
Russian proverb: only a fool learns from his own mistakes. As Georgia’s foreign
minister visits his Egyptian counterpart, there are lessons for Egypt in
similar revolutions in eastern Europe and the ex-Soviet Union. ] Recent
developments have alarmed some who fear that the governments taking shape will
inevitably undercut democratic reforms.
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Bernanke:
Fed will respond if oil prices trigger inflation (Washington Post) [ If?
Come on … don’t make me laugh! … Inflation
Is Here – Just Open Up Your Eyes And Look At These 5 Financial Charts! (see infra) Despite what Federal Reserve
Chairman Ben Bernanke says, rampant inflation is officially here. The federal
government is constantly monkeying with the numbers to keep the “official” rate
of inflation below 2 percent, but it is becoming very difficult to deny that
the cost of almost everything is really going up these days. … Merk ‘…While we believe food inflation
will be with us for quite some time and may contribute to an unstable world
possibly for years to come, the Federal Reserve appears to be firmly in the
camp of heavily discounting food inflation. The European Central Bank (ECB), in
contrast, has historically taken commodity inflation more seriously than the
Fed – ECB President Trichet talks about his concern over "second round
effects," i.e., commodity inflation stirring inflation throughout the
value chain.
The relevance of all this is that in the U.S. it’s
business as usual as far as monetary policy is concerned. According to Fed
Chair Bernanke, the U.S. economy must grow at a rate of at least 2.5% per annum
just to keep unemployment stable, however, he has made it clear that he will
pursue policies to boost growth above that level. With oil prices soaring, he
is facing yet another headwind. Rather than mopping up the liquidity that, in
our assessment, has contributed to global commodity inflation, he may be
tempted to keep the printing press in high gear to promote economic growth.
It doesn’t really matter whether we think there is a
crisis. What matters is that the Fed doesn’t think its policies are
contributing to global instability and continues on its expansionary path…’
Gerald
Celente: “There is no recovery — it’s a coverup!” Sic Semper
Tyrannis | Celente argues the oil prices have been going up before the
recent chaos in the Middle East. ‘…One other point brought out by Gerald
Celente is the fact that the current puppet regime in the White House is
“cooking the books” on the unemployment numbers and current inflation rates.
They are making their own rules on how to determine inflation rates by leaving
out essential information such as food and fuel prices. The same is being done
with White House unemployment numbers by simply leaving out those who have
given up looking for jobs, as well as other deceptive “carnie” tricks (in
reference to White House spokesperson Carnie) in which he compares the
administration to a traveling carnival act.
In closing,
Celente states:
“… There is no recovery, it’s a coverup. It’s only
being boosted by these low interest rates, which again, when inflation
skyrockets- they’re gonna have to raise them …‘
House
Republicans press SEC on official's ties to Madoff (Washington Post) [ The
ultimate subterfuge. Mr. small potatoes madoff the focus of so much influence …
yet he’s in jail … and the only one … Boy, did mary shapiro become total b***
s*** fast … the current shibboleth of
capital hill / all 3 branches of pervasively corrupt u.s. government …
joining the others: “The
Financial Industry Has Become So Politically Powerful That It Is Able To
Inhibit the Normal Process of Justice And Law Enforcement” The economy
cannot stabilize unless fraud is prosecuted. But the folks in D.C. seem
determined to turn a blind eye to Wall Street shenanigans, and is now moving to
defund the enforcement agencies like the SEC and CFTC. Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — ‘Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich…’
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL
RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Christian minorities minister assassinated
(Washington Post) [ Christians, Christianity lumped together with war
criminals, zionists, invaders, plunderers, murderers, etc.. No surprise here.
Winning hearts and minds? I don’t think so … Blowback? Most assuredly: 2 U.S. airmen killed, 2 hurt in
shooting near Frankfurt airport (Post, March
2, 2011); Most U.S. aid to Pakistan
hasn't gotten there yet (Post, March 2, 2011); Clinton: U.S. losing global
public-relations battle - to 'Baywatch' and wrestling (Post, March
2, 2011 Well, I don’t know about baywatch and wrestling, but reality beyond
false propaganda will do it every time) ] Shahbaz
Bhatti is gunned down in the second killing this year of a liberal, senior
government official who had spoken out against the nation's stringent blasphemy
laws.Karzai
condemns deadly NATO airstrike (Washington Post) [ Well, for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, it’s just another of many war crimes. They
just role out the propaganda machine that no one is buying anymore. Yet, can
you believe your eyes and ears here: Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ] A NATO airstrike that Afghan officials
said killed nine children collecting firewood in eastern Afghanistan beccomes
the latest irritant in the tense relationship between President Hamid Karzai
and the international force in the country.
Government
cracks down on employment scams
(Washington Post) [ Yet leave the
biggest, most deleterious scam / fraud unprosecuted. What total b*** s***! House
Republicans press SEC on official's ties to Madoff (Washington Post) [ The
ultimate subterfuge. Mr. small potatoes madoff the focus of so much influence …
yet he’s in jail … and the only one … Boy, did mary shapiro become total b***
s*** fast … the current shibboleth of
capital hill / all 3 branches of pervasively corrupt u.s. government …
joining the others: “The
Financial Industry Has Become So Politically Powerful That It Is Able To
Inhibit the Normal Process of Justice And Law Enforcement” The economy
cannot stabilize unless fraud is prosecuted. But the folks in D.C. seem
determined to turn a blind eye to Wall Street shenanigans, and is now moving to
defund the enforcement agencies like the SEC and CFTC. Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — ‘Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich…’
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL
RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Oil
soars to more than $100 a barrel on Libyan unrest (Washington Post) [ When
you factor in reality, the worst is yet to come … Gerald
Celente: “There is no recovery — it’s a coverup!” Sic Semper
Tyrannis | Celente argues the oil prices have been going up before the
recent chaos in the Middle East. ‘…One other point brought out by Gerald
Celente is the fact that the current puppet regime in the White House is
“cooking the books” on the unemployment numbers and current inflation rates.
They are making their own rules on how to determine inflation rates by leaving
out essential information such as food and fuel prices. The same is being done
with White House unemployment numbers by simply leaving out those who have
given up looking for jobs, as well as other deceptive “carnie” tricks (in
reference to White House spokesperson Carnie) in which he compares the
administration to a traveling carnival act.
In closing, Celente
states:
“… There is no recovery, it’s a coverup. It’s only
being boosted by these low interest rates, which again, when inflation
skyrockets- they’re gonna have to raise them …‘
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m sorry that Kelly
lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the nations
unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ]
Locked
in standoff, Gaddafi foes debate foreign airstrikes Opposition leaders consider
requesting foreign intervention (Washington Post) [
Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times ( Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! )
DÉJÀ
VU ALL OVER AGAIN? WHERE’S YOGI WHEN YOU NEED HIM TO EXPLAIN THIS INSANITY:
Chavez:
U.S. distorting situation in Libya ‘to justify an invasion’ CNN | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claims U.S.
criticism of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has a clear aim: military invasion.
US tightens
military grip on Gaddafi The Guardian | The west is edging towards a possible military confrontation with
Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
Obama
Encircles US War Machine Around Libya Paul Joseph Watson | Administration readies to exploit humanitarian
crisis to control Africa’s largest oil producer.
Most
Americans Strongly Oppose U.S. Military Action in Libya According to
Rasmussen, a large majority of Americans agree with the common sense of George
Washington. During his farewell address, the first president of the United
States said the nation should beware of foreign entanglements. ] Issue takes on increasing urgency amid
realization that rebels cannot continue to match the weaponry and firepower of
forces loyal to Gaddafi.
[ (2-26-11
et seq.) Let me state for the record here that my computer has been under
constant viral, hack attack, paralleling prior such foolish, paranoid actions
and let me reiterate: They will be sorry and I won’t forget it! ]
Bernanke
Cautious on Economic Growth as Oil Prices Rise [ In pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america it’s come to be known all too familiarly as ‘defending
the indefensible’. ] New York
Times | Fed chief again defended the Fed’s large and unprecedented
stimulus program.
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL
RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable
for the meltdown. ) (see this
film, I strongly recommend the complete documentary – the following is a
preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington Post) [
Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect
from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have
refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*,
gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and
respected my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my grandfather/Lake
Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby claim
standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience. ). How
‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the very
corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one form
or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas, but I do know about alito
and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010
(*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
] Group of law
professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances
at political events by several justices.
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view,
must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 (
374mb ) Written text of presentation (without
pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm
]
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m sorry that Kelly
lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the nations
unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ]
Bernanke:
Fed will respond if oil prices trigger inflation (Washington Post) [ If?
Come on … don’t make me laugh! … Merk ‘…While we believe food inflation will be
with us for quite some time and may contribute to an unstable world possibly
for years to come, the Federal Reserve appears to be firmly in the camp of
heavily discounting food inflation. The European Central Bank (ECB), in
contrast, has historically taken commodity inflation more seriously than the Fed
– ECB President Trichet talks about his concern over "second round
effects," i.e., commodity inflation stirring inflation throughout the
value chain.
The relevance of all this is that in the U.S. it’s
business as usual as far as monetary policy is concerned. According to Fed
Chair Bernanke, the U.S. economy must grow at a rate of at least 2.5% per annum
just to keep unemployment stable, however, he has made it clear that he will
pursue policies to boost growth above that level. With oil prices soaring, he
is facing yet another headwind. Rather than mopping up the liquidity that, in
our assessment, has contributed to global commodity inflation, he may be
tempted to keep the printing press in high gear to promote economic growth.
It doesn’t really matter whether we think there is a
crisis. What matters is that the Fed doesn’t think its policies are
contributing to global instability and continues on its expansionary path.
After all, the banks continue to sit on their money and as such, the economy is
certainly not in overdrive. With the exception of social instability spreading
globally, the Fed may be very much on course:
In contrast, the rest of the world is taking steps to
stem inflationary pressures. Russia is the latest country to raise interest
rates, following countries ranging from Sweden to Norway, Canada to Australia
and Korea to China. In the Eurozone, the pairing down of some emergency
facilities (leading to a draining of liquidity; a form of monetary tightening)
and recent hawkish talk suggest interest rates may be raised later this year.
This discussion should clarify that it is perfectly
possible for the world to be in turmoil without the U.S. dollar being a
beneficiary. The focus of this analysis was the perceived status of the U.S.
dollar as a safe haven, as well as implications of food inflation; a small, but
important sliver affecting the U.S. dollar.’
House
Republicans press SEC on official's ties to Madoff (Washington Post) [ The
ultimate subterfuge. Mr. small potatoes madoff the focus of so much influence …
yet he’s in jail … and the only one … Boy, did mary shapiro become total b***
s*** fast … the current shibboleth of
capital hill / all 3 branches of pervasively corrupt u.s. government …
joining the others: “The
Financial Industry Has Become So Politically Powerful That It Is Able To
Inhibit the Normal Process of Justice And Law Enforcement” The economy
cannot stabilize unless fraud is prosecuted. But the folks in D.C. seem
determined to turn a blind eye to Wall Street shenanigans, and is now moving to
defund the enforcement agencies like the SEC and CFTC. Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — ‘Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich…’
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE: MORE CLAIMS OF RACE
BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE
FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and
white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has
promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the
complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Locked
in standoff, Gaddafi foes debate foreign airstrikes Opposition
leaders consider requesting foreign intervention (Washington Post) [
Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times ( Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! )
DÉJÀ
VU ALL OVER AGAIN? WHERE’S YOGI WHEN YOU NEED HIM TO EXPLAIN THIS INSANITY:
Chavez:
U.S. distorting situation in Libya ‘to justify an invasion’ CNN | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claims U.S.
criticism of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has a clear aim: military invasion.
US tightens
military grip on Gaddafi The Guardian | The west is edging towards a possible military confrontation with
Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.
Obama
Encircles US War Machine Around Libya Paul Joseph Watson | Administration readies to exploit humanitarian
crisis to control Africa’s largest oil producer.
Most
Americans Strongly Oppose U.S. Military Action in Libya According to
Rasmussen, a large majority of Americans agree with the common sense of George
Washington. During his farewell address, the first president of the United
States said the nation should beware of foreign entanglements. ] Issue takes on increasing urgency amid
realization that rebels cannot continue to match the weaponry and firepower of
forces loyal to Gaddafi.
[ (2-26-11)
Let me state for the record here that my computer has been under constant
viral, hack attack, paralleling prior such foolish, paranoid actions and let me
reiterate: They will be sorry and I won’t forget it! ]
Will
‘Chindia’ Rule the World in 2050, or America After All? [ I include this
only because it’s by Evans-Pritchard in light of his prior forthrightness in
reporting what he saw (clinton years, financial crisis pre-blowout, etc.). But
Citigroup and HSBC? Hardly the pictures of Nostradamus gone corporate given
their track records. Even Evans-Pritchard is out of his league here since 2050
is so optimistically close to the end (remember, decades at best), that such
really matters very little. Disclosure: I haven’t and don’t need to read the
article. ] Ambrose
Evans-Pritchard | Citigroup
and HSBC have come up with radically different pictures of what the world will
look like in 2050.
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington Post) [
Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect
from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have
refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*,
gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and
respected my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my
grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby
claim standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience.
). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the
very corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one
form or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas, but I do know about
alito and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010
(*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder named
‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act is a
criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages and
attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims probably
owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in need of such
assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations of law which
have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption is pervasive).
A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently with the subject
action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action which was
illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention of the
Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [ ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
] Group of law
professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances
at political events by several justices.
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view,
must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 (
374mb ) Written text of presentation (without
pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm
]
U.S.
freezes $30 billion in Libya government assets (Washington
Post) [ The lesson for the Libyan people based upon pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt war crimes nation america’s desperation is … you better watch
that Libyan money closely; after all, look what’s happened to american money in
american hands … totally plundered by the opportunist few! ] Action taken by executive order is largest
blocking under any U.S. sanctions program ever; Clinton announces efforts to
stem humanitarian crisis.
[ (2-26-11)
Let me state for the record here that my computer has been under constant
viral, hack attack, paralleling prior such foolish, paranoid actions and let me
reiterate: They will be sorry and I won’t forget it! ]
‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted
massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and
declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been
prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator /
experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder
and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for
jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it
something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE:
MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL
RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice
official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the
New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in
the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and white
victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases
against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable
for the meltdown. ) (see this
film, I strongly recommend the complete documentary – the following is a
preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related
[Here’s an archived version
’Inside
Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To
Steal Our Money
Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]
http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]
Wobama says daffy
gaddafi’s time is up, got to go. The same can be said of wobama et als and his
fraudulently failed presidency. Sheen On
Obama: “A Coward In a Cheap Suit” [ I think Sheen to be too gentle in his criticism of wobama (Some
might reflexively, defensively allege drugs (prescription or otherwise) or any
number of the varied personality disorders so prevalent in america … ‘fuzzy, California
laid back thinking’, ‘whatever’… Who knows? ) But, that said, wobama’s far
worse than just a ‘coward in a cheap suit’. Indeed, Wobama’s a total fraud
having been elected under false pretenses; viz., his total, unequivocal, and
unfulfilled b*** s*** (those campaign promises) ! Moreover, there has been some
persuasive documentation questioning wobama’s citizenship / birthplace placing
his eligibility to even hold the office of president in question. ] Amidst the
controversy of his wild interview on the Alex Jones Show yesterday, actor
Charlie Sheen wasted little time in confronting President Barack Obama on his
failure to answer Sheen’s twenty questions concerning 9/11, calling Obama, “a
coward in a cheap suit.” A Government Shut-down Imperils the Power of Congress Paul Craig Roberts | Congress could try to protect its loss of the
power of the purse by impeaching Obama.
Drudgereport: WOBAMA
'IMPEACHMENT' WARNING... ...to
announce exploratory committee 'in 10 days' Globalist Shill
Barack Obama Asks Business Leaders For Job Creation Ideas Even As He Ships More
Of Our Jobs Overseas As Part Of The New One World Economy The other day,
Barack Obama summoned a group of business and labor leaders to the White House
and “challenged” them to come up with some great ideas for creating more jobs
inside the United States.
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington Post) [
Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect
from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have
refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*,
gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and
respected my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my
grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby
claim standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience.
). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the
very corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one
form or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas, but I do know about
alito and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010
(*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in need
of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations of
law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption is
pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently with
the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action which
was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention of the
Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
] Group of law
professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances
at political events by several justices.
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view,
must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 ( 374mb )
Written text of presentation (without pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm
]
‘The Chicago PMI
for February climbed to a 20-year high of 71.2. It had only ben expected to
come in at 67.5 after a 68.8 reading in January’. [ Come on! Does anyone
take anything coming out chicago capone-land seriously…maybe is the answer if
you’re a fool. ]
Market Crash 2011: It Will Hit by Christmas Farrell,
MarketWatch SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.
(MarketWatch) — Politicians lie. Bankers lie. Yes, they’re liars. But they’re
not bad, it’s in their genes, inherited. Their brains are wired that way, warn
scientists. Like addicts, they can’t help themselves. They want to sell stuff,
get rich.
We want to
believe they’re telling us the truth. Silly, huh? Both trapped in this eternal
“dance of death” controlled by programs hidden deep in our brains, telling us
what to do, telling us to ignore facts to the contrary — till it’s too late,
till a new crisis crushes all of us.
Joe Bel Bruno explains why stocks climbed to
21/2-year highs and extended their winning streak to a third consecutive week.
Psychology offers us a powerful lesson: Our
collective brain is destined to trigger a crash before Christmas 2011. Why?
We’re gullible, keep searching for a truth-teller in a world of liars. And
they’re so clever, we let them manipulate us into acting against our best
interests.
In fact, behavioral science tells us that bankers and
politicians are lying to us 93% of the time. It’s 13 times more likely Wall
Street is telling you a lie than the truth. That’s why they win. Why we lose.
Because our brains are preprogrammed to cooperate in their con game. Yes, we
believe most of their lies.
One of America’s leading behavioral finance gurus,
University of Chicago Prof. Richard Thaler, explains: “Think of the human brain
as a personal computer with a very slow processor and a memory system that is
small and unreliable.” Thaler even admits: “The PC I carry between my ears has
more disk failures than I care to think about.” Easy to manipulate.
Thaler’s a quant, speaks mostly in cryptic
algorithmics. So if you really want to know how Wall Street’s con game works on
you, Barry Ritholtz, the financial genius behind “Bailout Nation,” recently
summarized it in the Washington Post: “Humans make all the same mistakes, over
and over again. It’s how we are wired, the net result of evolution. That
flight-or-fight response might have helped your ancestors deal with hungry
saber-toothed tigers and territorial Cro Magnons, but it drives investors to
make costly emotional decisions.”
Humans have something “akin to brain damage,” says
Ritholtz. “To neurophysiologists, who research cognitive functions, the
emotionally driven appear to suffer from cognitive deficits that mimic certain
types of brain injuries. … Anyone with an intense emotional interest in a
subject loses the ability to observe it objectively: You selectively perceive
events. You ignore data and facts that disagree with your main philosophy. Even
your memory works to fool you, as you selectively retain what you believe in,
and subtly mask any memories that might conflict.”
Worse,
there’s no cure.
Examples: USA Today headline: “Average Bull is 3.8
years: We’re not at 2 yet.” More upside. Wall Street loves it. The Wall Street
Journal: “Stock recovery in high gear … S&P500 now speeding toward its next
landmark,” double its March 2009 bottom.
Other lies: Inflation and rate rises won’t push China
and America over the edge into a new bear recession. That one’s real popular in
Wall Street’s echo chamber. Wall Street also cheers every time cable pundits
and journalists repeat their favorite statistic: That stocks rally in the third
year of a presidency, often more than 20%. Yes, Wall Street loves those 93%
lies.
Biggest lie? Wharton’s perennial bull, Jeremy Siegel,
of “Stocks for the Long Run” fame, recently told a TD Ameritrade Institutional
Conference, “There’s nothing but upside to come …the next several years are
going to be good for stocks.”
Yes, one of Wall Street’s favorite co-conspirators is
hypnotizing thousands of our best money managers and advisers into believing
the lie that this bull market will roar indefinitely. Worse, they’ll use that
message to sell naive investors on buying whatever junk Wall Street is selling.
Get the picture? A little conspiracy begins in your
head, a conspiracy between your gullible brain and Wall Street’s con men
selling hype, hoopla and happy-talk. Listen and you’ll lose. Warning: This
little conspiracy is a retirement killer. Remember: It’s odds-on you’re being
lied to. So for a few moments, listen to some highly respected contrarians.
They’re short-selling this conspiracy, betting that 2011 will hit headwinds
before Christmas, turn a cyclical bull rally into a cyclical bear market.
Remember, we can’t help it. Our brains are defective,
biased, manipulated by unseen forces 93% of the time. So blame all the lies,
lying and liars on our brain wiring. A perfect excuse. Sure, political dogma
and insatiable greed factor into our bizarre mental equations. But your brain
is as susceptible to the “great con” as Ben Bernanke, Henry Paulson, Bernie
Madoff.
Go back a few years: The subprime credit meltdown was
widely predicted years in advance. For example, back in 2007, the IMF’s Chief
Economist, Raghuram Rajan, “delivered a stark warning to the world’s top
bankers: Financial markets were headed for doom. They laughed it off,” said the
Toronto Star. Both Alan Greenspan and Larry Summers were there.
In April 2007, Jeremy Grantham, whose firm manages
$107 billion, also warned investors: “The First Truly Global Bubble: From
Indian antiquities to modern Chinese art; from land in Panama to Mayfair; from
forestry, infrastructure, and the junkiest bonds to mundane blue chips; it’s
bubble time. … Everyone, everywhere is reinforcing one another. … Bursting of
the bubble will be across all countries and all assets … no similar global
event has occurred before.”
We knew a crash was coming, Wall Street laughed.
Call it denial, or lying, or just a brain defect,
late that summer as the meltdown spread like wildfire, shutting down the
economy, our manipulative Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, a former Goldman
Sachs CEO, told Fortune “this is far and away the strongest global economy I’ve
seen in my business lifetime.” And Fed boss Bernanke was telling us the
subprime crisis was “contained.” Alan Greenspan agreed. He was on tour, making
millions hustling his new book of excuses, delusions and lies, “The Age of
Turbulence.”
Today, just three years later, the market’s just a
shade above its 2000 peak. Adjusted for inflation, Wall Street stocks have lost
roughly 20% of your retirement money the past decade. Get it? Wall Street’s a
big loser the past decade. And they’ll lose another 20% by 2020. Why? Because
93% of what comes from Wall Street is suspect, can’t be trusted.
At the beginning of 2011 USA Today reported a
contrarian forecast. Ned Davis Research says the S&P 500 will make a run at
the 2007 high of 1,565, but hit a “midyear peak.” Then it will crash as
interest rates rise. Davis concludes: “The midyear peak could mark the end of
the cyclical bull market that began in March 2009 and the start of a new
cyclical bear market.”
Warning, even though your brain doesn’t want to hear
it, there is a high probability a new cyclical bear market will begin this
summer … and overshadow the 2012 elections.
The Journal’s also warning: “Inflation jitters spread
through emerging markets, prompting China’s central bank to raise interest rate
for the third time in four months amid worries that a drought threatening the
country’s wheat crop will put further pressure on global food prices.”
Wake up America: With commodity prices rising
rapidly, all the bizarre rationalizations Wall Street uses to keep Bernanke’s
interest rates low are rapidly vaporizing. Yes, Ned Davis’ prediction of a bear
will soon be a painful reality.
Grantham also sees inflation and rising interest
rates killing the lies, popping the bubble and ending the rally: “As a simple
rule, the market will tend to rise as long as short rates are kept low. This
seems likely to be the case for eight more months and, therefore, we have to be
prepared for the market to rise and to have a risky bias.”
With $107 billion at stake Grantham better be
concerned. He predicted the 2008 meltdown, now sees a repeat dead ahead: “Be
prepared for a strong market and continued outperformance of everything risky,
but be aware that you are living on borrowed time as a bull.”
Yes, the bubble will pop this year says Grantham: “If
the S&P rises to 1,500, it would officially be the latest in the series of
true bubbles. All of the famous bubbles broke, but only after short rates had
started to rise.”
So keep a close watch on those two tipping points in
your planning, interest rates breaking to the upside and the S&P closing
near 1,500. When inflation pushes interest rates up they’ll choke off this bull
market. If you’re active, better stop chasing higher returns, especially
emerging markets.
Bottom line: In what sounds like a direct shot at
super-bull Jeremy Siegel, Grantham says that GMO’s research warns that “the
market is worth about 910 on the S&P 500, substantially less than current
levels” just above 1,300.
Then Grantham throws his fast ball right down the
middle: “The speed with which you should pull back from the market as it
advances into dangerously overpriced territory this year is more of an art than
a science, but by October 1 you should probably be thinking much more
conservatively.”
Translation: Get the heck out of Wall Street’s stock market casino soon, maybe as early as July 4th, and definitely get out by Christmas, because soon all the lies, lying and liars will stop working. ‘
Congress
on course to avert shutdown (Washington Post) [ And just when we thought there was hope … for the
nation … the world … How ‘bout a
massive furlough program for congress, the judiciary, and the executive
branch (except law enforcement). After all, if all of the foregoing along with
the likes of pseudo gov’t / connected fraudulent wall street, etc., are not to
blame for the debacle we now call america, then who is? They are, period,
exclamation point. Massive firings would also do quite satisfactorily! ]
Chinese
authorities block Web site, terms (Washington Post) [ It is bad enough that
China is essentially a totalitarian communist nation, disingenuously relying
upon capitalism for its stellar growth. In light of such and China’s
preoccupation with censorship, it is also clear that it’s not so much China’s
rise as it is pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america’s demise. In other
words, they’re ‘limited’ (by such). But make no mistake, pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt america goes to great lengths in suppressing information,
truth in favor of what’s spewed out by their propaganda machine which is
nonpareil; and then there’s the perpetual illegal wars. ] Chinese authorities continued to tighten
controls on Internet use Friday in the face of murky calls for "jasmine
rallies" to emulate the anti-government protests convulsing the Middle
East and North Africa.
Feb.
23 (Bloomberg) -- Our country is bankrupt. It’s not bankrupt in 30 years or
five years. It’s bankrupt today.
Want proof? Look at President Barack Obama’s 2010
budget. It showed a massive fiscal gap over the next 75 years, the closure of
which requires immediate tax increases, spending cuts, or some combination
totaling 8 percent of gross domestic product. To put 8 percent of GDP in
perspective, this year’s employee and employer payroll taxes for Social
Security and Medicare will amount to just 5 percent of GDP.
Actually, the picture is much worse. Nothing in
economics says we should look out just 75 years when considering the
present-value difference between future spending and future taxes. Over the
full long-term, we need an extra 12 percent, not 8 percent, of GDP annually.
Seventy-five years seems like a long enough time to
plan. It’s not. Had the Greenspan Commission, which “fixed” Social Security
back in 1983, focused on the true long term we wouldn’t be sitting here now
with Social Security 26 percent underfunded. The Social Security trustees, at
least, have learned a lesson. The 26 percent figure is based on their infinite
horizon fiscal- gap calculation.
But the real reason we can’t look out just 75 years
is that the government’s cash flows (the difference between its annual taxes
and non-interest spending) over any period of time, including the next 75
years, aren’t well defined. This reflects economics’ labeling problem. If you
use different words to describe the receipts taken in and paid out each year by
the government, you produce entirely different cash flows and an entirely different
fiscal gap measured over any finite horizon.
Matter of Language
It’s only the value of the infinite horizon fiscal
gap that is unaffected by the choice of labels of language. Take this year’s
payroll tax contributions. Let’s call these transfers from workers to Uncle Sam
“borrowing” by the government, rather than “payroll taxes,” since the money
will be paid back as future benefits. If the future payback isn’t in full
(equal to principal plus interest), we can call the difference a “retirement
tax.” Presto! With this change of words, our 2011 deficit of about 10 percent
of GDP is boosted another five points to 15 percent.
With one set of words, taxes are higher now and lower
latter. With the other set of words, the opposite is true. But neither set of
labels makes more economic sense than the other or changes what the government
takes, on balance, from any person or business in any given year.
This is no surprise. The math of economics rules out
an absolute measure of the deficit, just like the math of physics rules out an
absolute measure of time.
Bottom Line
The bottom line, then, is that we need to look at the
infinite-horizon fiscal gap not just for Social Security, but for the entire
federal government. That analysis, based on the Congressional Budget Office’s
long-term alternative fiscal scenario, shows an unfathomable fiscal gap of $202
trillion. And covering this gap requires coming up with the aforementioned 12
percent of GDP, forever.
If this gives you the willies, there’s a ready
narcotic -- the president’s 2012 budget, which shows that most of our long-
term fiscal problem has miraculously disappeared; the fiscal gap isn’t 12
percent of annual GDP. Nor is it 8 percent. It’s now 1.8 percent.
This fantastic improvement in our finances is due, we’re
told, primarily to the Independent Payment Advisory Board. This board, to be
established in 2014 (after the next election, of course) is charged with
recommending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid providers when their costs grow too
fast.
Repealing Cuts
We’ve had laws mandating such cuts for years, and
they are routinely repealed. Indeed, President Obama signed the latest such
repeal last June. But rather than laugh out loud at this cost-control
mechanism, the Medicare trustees, three-quarters of whom were appointed by the
president, assume in their 2010 report that these cuts will be made -- to the
dollar. And the 2012 budget cites the report’s fictional forecast as its
authoritative source.
No one takes the 2010 Medicare trustee report’s
long-run projections seriously, least of all Richard Foster, Medicare’s chief
actuary. Foster added this statement to the end of the report: “The financial
projections shown in this report for Medicare do not represent a reasonable
expectation…in either the short range…or the long range.”
This isn’t the first administration to conceal our
long- term fiscal problem. Back in 1993, Alice Rivlin, then deputy director of
the Office of Management and Budget, asked me and economists Alan Auerbach and
Jagadeesh Gokhale to prepare a long-term fiscal gap/generational accounting for
inclusion in President Bill Clinton’s 1994 budget.
Politics Triumphs
We worked for months on the analysis, but two days
before the budget’s release, the study was excised from the budget. We were
shocked, but, in retrospect, the politics are clear. The Clinton administration
wanted to claim it was fiscally prudent and the study, which showed unofficial
debt growing at enormous rates, showed the opposite.
The fiscal gap’s next near appearance in a
president’s budget was in 2003. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill commissioned
Gokhale and Kent Smetters to do the study. It showed a massive $45 trillion
fiscal gap -- not a great basis for pushing tax cuts or introducing the
prescription-drug benefit for seniors, known as Medicare Part D. O’Neill was
ousted on Dec. 6, 2002, and a couple of days later the fiscal-gap study was
discarded.
I’m not sure whether censoring the fiscal gap is more
dishonorable than fudging it. What I do know is that we can’t assume our
problems away and that I expected far better of this president when I voted for
him.
--Editors:
James Greiff, Steven Gittelson’
Libyan
ruler clings to power as violence escalates (Washington Post) [ Clings? … As in a tight sweater …
or maybe a straight jacket. Wow! Talk about delusional. ] Regime
opens fire on protesters; Gaddafi calls supporters to arms (Washington Post) [ Pressure
mounts on Gaddafi (Washington Post) [ That he was always a caricature of
sorts, there is no question. That he’s totally burned out, there’s also no
doubt; though they might argue in his defense that so was failed president
dumbya bush … a point well taken … but look at the consequential pathetic state
of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america … with the unlit torch passed
to failed president wobama the b (for b*** s***) who pretends, or maybe in his
alternate and fake reality just believes it’s lit. That he’s done, also fait
accomplis, after 41 years … who cares. That he’s insane … now that’s quite
another thing with greater worldwide implications, so, daffy… gadaffy…
duck! Gaddafi vows to maintain hold on power Libyan
strongman says he'll fight 'until the last drop of my blood' (Washington Post) [ His latter wish is the
world’s command. ‘Something there is that doesn’t love a dictator, that wants
them down’ … (Excuse me … I was thinking of walls and ‘Mending Wall’, Robert Frost http://albertpeia.com/RobertFrost.htm ). Libya
Internet Shut Down Amid Protests, Per Multiple Reports [ Once again, as in Egypt, this, the
internet, inherently global in nature is the lynchpin, tampering with or
stifling same marking the end of any regime. Let this be a warning; viz., you
cannot put the genie back in the bottle! 41 years? Gadaffy duck should duck
‘cause he’s done. I mean, look at him, he’s the singular equivalent of the
multiple bushes. He’s totally burnt out (as much or more so than dumbya bush or
mubarack) and quite done! ] Reports have emerged late Friday that Libya appears
to have shut down its Internet due to widespread protests, less than a month
after Egypt did the same. ] With rebels
apparently controlling much of the eastern half of the country, the violence
engulfing Libya is already the worst in more than a month of unrest that has
toppled other regimes. ]
He remains defiant even as high-level defections continue to weaken his
government and rebels reportedly seize control of key swaths of nation. American
evacuees describe 'long ordeal' on ferry (Washington Post) [ I’ve included
this headline here, not for the article’s content but rather for the statement
of one of said evacuees on network television news that he was told by the u.s.
embassy that they’d have to fend for themselves and that they’re on their own.
That is an important aspect of the fact-filled video presentation by Stansberry
and Associates, infra, except that that will be the almost unimaginable
position of the u.s. government when the almost unimaginable but inevitable
happens here in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america. Don’t forget,
they and their’s have plundered this nation, its treasury, people and have use
each branch of this government to do so. I’ve experienced this first-hand in
having to ‘fend for myself’ in what should have been a simple RICO case owing
to the venality of those self-interested in the process (bribes, cover-up of
crimes, etc. http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ) …..
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR The instant video from Stansberry and
Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived
same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which not only do I believe to be correct, but are
supported by the unequivocal documented facts. This is a must-view, must-see
that I strongly recommend! The
complete url ( 146 mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) : http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ]
Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video from Stansberry and
Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived
same on my website;
also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views
I’ve presented on my site which not only do I believe to be correct, but are
supported by the unequivocal documented facts. This is a must-view, must-see
that I strongly recommend! The
complete url ( 146 mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) : http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ]
21
Signs That The Once Great U.S. Economy Is Being Gutted, Neutered, Defanged,
Declawed And Deindustrialized Once upon a time… The Economic Collapse Feb 12, 2011 ‘Once upon a time, the United
States was the greatest industrial powerhouse that the world has ever
seen. Our immense economic machinery was the envy of the rest of the
globe and it provided the foundation for the largest and most vibrant middle
class in the history of the world. But now the once great U.S. economic
machine is being dismantled piece by piece. The U.S. economy is being
gutted, neutered, defanged, declawed and deindustrialized and very few of our
leaders even seem to care. It was the United States that once showed the
rest of the world how to mass produce televisions and automobiles and airplanes
and computers, but now our industrial base is being ripped to shreds.
Tens of thousands of our factories and millions of our jobs have been shipped
overseas. Many of our proudest manufacturing cities have been transformed
into “post-industrial” hellholes that nobody wants to live in anymore.
Meanwhile,
wave after wave of shiny new factories is going up in nations such as China,
India and Brazil. This is great for those countries, but for the millions
of American workers that desperately needed the jobs that have been sent
overseas it is not so great.
This is the
legacy of globalism. Multinational corporations now have the choice
whether to hire U.S. workers or to hire workers in countries where it is legal
to pay slave labor wages. The “great sucking sound” that Ross Perot
warned us about so long ago is actually happening, and it has left tens of
millions of Americans without good jobs.
So what is to
become of a nation that consumes more than it ever has and yet continues to
produce less and less?
Well, the
greatest debt binge in the history of the world has enabled us to maintain (and
even increase) our standard of living for several decades, but all of that debt
is starting to really catch up with us.
The American
people seem to be very confused about what is happening to us because most of
them thought that the party was going to last forever. In fact, most of
them still seem convinced that our brightest economic days are still ahead.
After all,
every time we have had a “recession” in the past things have always turned
around and we have gone on to even greater things, right?
Well, what
most Americans simply fail to understand is that we are like a car that is having
its insides ripped right out. Our industrial base is being gutted right
in front of our eyes.
Most Americans
don’t think much about our “trade deficit”, but it is absolutely central to
what is happening to our economy. Every year, we buy far, far more from
the rest of the world than they buy from us.
In 2010, the
U.S. trade deficit was just a whisker under $500 billion. This is money
that we could have all spent inside the United States that would have supported
thousands of American factories and millions of American jobs.
Instead, we
sent all of those hundreds of billions of dollars overseas in exchange for a
big pile of stuff that we greedily consumed. Most of that stuff we
probably didn’t need anyway.
Since we spent
almost $500 billion more with the rest of the world than they spent with us, at
the end of the year the rest of the world was $500 billion wealthier and the
American people were collectively $500 billion poorer.
That means
that the collective “economic pie” that we are all dividing up is now $500
billion smaller.
Are you
starting to understand why times suddenly seem so “hard” in the United States?
Meanwhile,
jobs and businesses continue to fly out of the United States at a blinding
pace.
This is a
national crisis.
We simply
cannot expect to continue to have a “great economy” if we allow our economy to
be deindustrialized.
A nation that
consumes far more than it produces is not going to be wealthy for long.
The following
are 21 signs that the once great U.S. economy is being gutted, neutered,
defanged, declawed and deindustrialized….
#1 The U.S. trade deficit with the rest of the world
rose to 497.8
billion dollars in 2010. That represented a 32.8% increase from 2009.
#2 The U.S. trade deficit with China rose to an
all-time record of 273.1
billion dollars in 2010. This is the largest trade deficit that one
nation has had with another nation in the history of the world.
#3 The U.S. trade deficit with China in 2010 was 27 times
larger than it was back in 1990.
#4 In the years since 1975, the United States had run a
total trade deficit of
7.5 trillion dollars with the rest of the world.
#5 The United States spends more
than 4 dollars on goods and services from China for every one dollar that
China spends on goods and services from the United States.
#6 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28 percent of all U.S. economic
output. In 2008, it represented only 11.5 percent and it continues to
fall.
#7 The number of net jobs gained by the U.S. economy
during this past decade was smaller than during any other
decade since World War 2.
#8 The Bureau of Labor Statistics originally predicted
that the U.S. economy would create approximately 22 million jobs during the
decade of the 2000s, but it turns out that the U.S. economy only produced about 7 million jobsduring
that time period.
#9 Japan now manufactures about 5 million more automobiles
than the United States does.
#10 China has now become the world’s largest
exporter of high technology products.
#11 Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer
industry is actually lower in 2010 than
it was in 1975.
#12 The United States now has 10 percent fewer “middle class jobs” than it did
just ten years ago.
#13 According to Tax Notes,
between 1999 and 2008 employment at the foreign affiliates of U.S.
parent companies increased an astounding 30 percent to 10.1 million.
During that exact same time period, U.S. employment at American multinational corporations declined
8 percent to 21.1 million.
#14 Back in 1970, 25 percent of all jobs in the United
States were manufacturing jobs. Today, only 9 percent of the jobs in the
United States are manufacturing jobs.
#15 Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of
the world’s high-tech export market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years
later, the United States had less than 15 percent and China’s share had soared to 20 percent.
#16 The number of Americans that have become so
discouraged that they have given up searching for work completely now
stands at an all-time high.
#17 Half of all American workers now earn $505 or less per week.
#18 The United States has lost a staggering 32 percent
of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#19 Since 2001, over 42,000 U.S. factories have closed
down for good.
#20 In 2008, 1.2 billion cellphones were sold
worldwide. So how many of them were manufactured inside the United
States? Zero.
#21 Ten years ago, the “employment rate” in the United
States was about 64%. Since then it
has been constantly declining and now the “employment rate” in the United
States is only about 58%. So where
did all of those jobs go?
The world is
changing.
We are
bleeding national wealth at a pace that is almost unimaginable.
We are
literally being drained dry.
Did you
know that
China now has the world’s fastest train and the world’s largest high-speed
rail network?
They were able
to afford those things with all of the money that we have been sending them.
How do you
think all of those oil barons in the Middle East became so wealthy and could
build such opulent palaces?
They got rich
off of all the money that we have been sending them.
Meanwhile,
once great U.S. cities such as Detroit, Michigan now look like war zones.
Back in 1985,
the U.S. trade deficit with China was about 6 million dollars for the entire
year.
As mentioned
above, the U.S. trade deficit with China for 2010 was over 273billion
dollars.
What a
difference 25 years can make, eh?
What do you
find when you go into a Wal-Mart, a Target or a dollar store today?
You find row
after row after row of stuff made in China and in other far away countries.
It can be more
than a bit difficult to find things that are actually made inside the United
States anymore. In fact, there are quite a few industries that have
completely and totally left the United States. For certain product
categories it is now literally impossible to buy something made in America.
So what are we
going to do with our tens of millions of blue collar workers?
Should we just
tell them that their jobs are not ever coming back so they better learn phrases
such as “Welcome to Wal-Mart” and “Would you like fries with that”?
For quite a
few years, the gigantic debt bubble that we were living in kind of insulated us
from feeling the effects of the deindustrialization of America.
But now the
pain is starting to kick in.
It has now
become soul-crushingly
difficult to find a job in America today.
According
to Gallup, the U.S. unemployment rate is currently 10.1% and when you throw
in “underemployed” workers that figure rises to 19.6%.
Competition
for jobs has become incredibly fierce and it is going to stay that way.
The great U.S.
economic machine is being ripped apart and dismantled right in full view of us
all.
This is not a
“conservative” issue or a “liberal” issue. This is an American issue.
The United
States is rapidly being turned into a “post-industrial” wasteland.
It is time to
wake up America.’
This is
that unmentionable reality as I alluded to earlier on close scrutiny of the
data, ‘that stock prices have been manipulated to the upside beyond any and all
rational basis‘ and as I previously wrote: Perception vs. Reality: Four Reasons to Remain Cautious on U.S.
Equities [ Hey, Abbott … That’s Lou
Costello calling him from the other side … Wake up! … Just kidding … but I’m
not kidding when I say that contrary to Abbott’s view, infra, if you’re not a
successful market timer you should rethink your position as an equity investor.
Moreover, in contradistinction to Mr. Abbott’s implication, if you’re not a
successful speculator (there are very few), you should rethink your position as
a short seller: reason…, you could be wiped out, lose more than your principal,
forced to cover (that’s why
the same is considered a contrary market indicator, particularly in these
manipulated, contrived markets). When I did my MBA thesis (1977, NYU, GBA,
Eve.Prog., Finance), a review of the data revealed even then (and much more so
now with computer programmed market manipulation) that the market remained
biased / propped up (artificially, especially now with computerized
manipulation) to the upside for far longer periods of time than for the
downside which meant that dollar-cost averaging (through regular, periodic
investment, for example), meant you were accumulating shares at higher prices
generally for longer periods of time skewing the average cost to the upside
(dollar-cost-averaging in declining markets was ok if analysis / forecast saw
resurgence based on fundamentals - now absent – which is timing, as even senile
wall street / gov’t shill Buffet would attest, that ‘greedy when others are
fearful thing’). Abbott discusses perception which is the psychological factor
involved in security evaluation / analysis; but investors need not and should
become nuts themselves, particularly when as now, the inmates are running the
asylum. ] Abbott ‘Perception determines
short-term market movements. The difference between perception and reality
determines the direction of major market trends. Though I generally try to
avoid making macro prognostications, I believe bottom-up analysis can be
informative about the current level of stock prices. I want to share what my
recent work tells me about where stocks are (and where they might be headed). I
will outline some various nuggets of collective wisdom that are taken for
granted right now by stock bulls, and I will attempt to demonstrate how reality
is likely to differ from these perceptions.
First, a
disclaimer. This is not a market timing call. At all times, I stay away from
market timing predictions. I think that's a loser's game in the long run. Even
if I'm correct about the discrepancies between the following perceptions and
realities, there's no saying when people will change their minds or shift their
focuses. That said, let's dive in.
Perception
vs. Reality #1
Perception: Low Interest Rates, Questionable Bond Outlook Means Stocks are
Attractive
Reality: Interest Rates Are Being Artificially and Deliberately Manipulated
It's no secret
that the Federal Reserve's low interest rate policy and quantitative easing
efforts have held interest rates very low for very long. However, when people
talk about stock market implications of bond yields, they rarely mention the
fact that bond yields are artificially low. In an unmanipulated
market, bond prices and stock valuations should be related, but I regard that
connection as highly dubious right now. Investors who say that stocks deserve
higher multiples (lower earnings yields) because bond yields are so low may
well be setting themselves up for disappointing returns/frustrating losses when
bond prices normalize. Again, this isn't a market timing call, and yields may
remain low for quite some time. But, eventually this discrepancy will correct
itself, and stock performance is likely to suffer at that time.
Perception
vs. Reality #2
Perception: Earnings Growth Has Been Strong and Will Remain That Way
Reality: Top-Line Growth Will Have to Pick Up; Cost-Cutting has Run Its
Course
Earnings growth
has certainly been robust, but much of the strength has come from companies
running lean cost structures and wringing as much efficiency as possible out of
their employees and their assets. Though the recession has ended, the economy
is not yet healthy enough to fuel strong sales growth. Companies can only boost
profits by cutting costs and increasing productivity for so long. Therefore, top-line
growth will have to play a larger role going forward than it has over the past
4-6 quarters. Whether or not economic growth is strong enough to drive revenue
increases is unsure, but the current level of stock prices undoubtedly assumes
it is. Any stagnation of the recovery and concomitant sluggish sales will
likely hit stock prices.
Perception
vs. Reality #3
Perception: European Debt Crisis Drives Short-Term Volatility, but It's Not
a Long-Term Concern
Reality: Crisis May Be a Harbinger of What's to Come in the U.S. if States,
the Feds Don't Improve Balance Sheets
So far, turmoil
in Greece and Ireland has served only as a temporary headwind to U.S. stocks.
In keeping with the investment world's increasingly short-term focus, people
seem more concerned with what fiscal crises in Europe mean for U.S. stocks over
the coming days and months than with what they might mean down the road. I
believe that this interpretation misses the mark. Since the U.S. fiscal
situtation is generally considered to be stronger than that in many European
countries, U.S. federal and municipal debt issuance has been relatively smooth,
and interest rates have only risen modestly. If the U.S. doesn't get serious
about its fiscal woes, eventually the crisis will arrive on American shores.
There's no way of telling when this might happen, but the current level of
stock prices seems to imply that it never will.
Here's the
problem with that. To fix the federal balance sheet and/or to improve state and
municipal balance sheets, legislators will have to raise taxes and/or cut
spending. Tax hikes and spending cuts both reduce consumer spending. This hurts
growth. There's no way around this. Stocks can certainly continue to rise for
some time, but austerity will be bearish if/when it comes. If it doesn't come,
we're in for a much bigger crisis some time down the road.
Perception
vs. Reality #4
Perception: Everywhere You Look, You See Good Companies at Cheap Prices
Reality: It's Hard to Find Genuine Bargains, but There are Intriguing Short
Prospects Everywhere
There is no
shortage of stock market commentators who claim that they see bargains
everywhere they look. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places, but I've
been having a difficult and increasingly impossible time finding good companies
at reasonable prices. I use similar criteria to assess long and short
investments, and I find intriguing shorts in lots of sectors right now. This
tells me that valuations are stretched. Certainly they can become more so
before we get a selloff, but every day that stocks rally, they get more
expensive.
I've written on Seeking
Alpha about a number of stocks which I regard as expensive (CRM, OPEN, GMCR), and take my word for it:
there are plenty more than these whose shares I do not want to own at present
levels. A few weeks ago, I also mused about the Facebook-Goldman deal and
argued that this valuation is indicative of excessive investor enthusiasm.
Bargains are hard to find, and as valuations go up, so does positive sentiment.
While this is not a prediction of an impending correction or bear market, it is
a message of caution for people who think stocks are cheap right now.
All that said, I always try to consider both sides of any investment issue, and there are some reasons for optimism. Job growth has shown signs of improvement, and some economic data have been increasingly (though not uniformly) positive. The Federal Reserve remains accommodative, and I'm skeptical about whether or not there is political will for austerity. For these reasons, stocks could continue onward and upward. That said, I see too many reasons for caution, and investors are turning a blind eye to these concerns as their complacency rises.’
12
Economic Collapse Scenarios That We Could Potentially See In 2011 What
could cause an economic collapse in 2011? Well, unfortunately there are quite a
few “nightmare scenarios” that could plunge the entire globe into another
massive financial crisis.
The Economic Collapse Jan
20, 2011 ‘What could cause an economic collapse in 2011? Well, unfortunately
there are quite a few “nightmare scenarios” that could plunge the entire globe
into another massive financial crisis. The United States, Japan and most
of the nations in Europe are absolutely drowning in debt. The Federal
Reserve continues to play reckless games with the U.S. dollar. The price
of oil is skyrocketing and the global price of food just hit a new record
high. Food riots are already breaking out all over the world.
Meanwhile, the rampant fraud and corruption going on in world financial markets
is starting to be exposed and the whole house of cards could come crashing down
at any time. Most Americans have no idea that a horrific economic
collapse could happen at literally any time. There is no way that all of
this debt and all of this financial corruption is sustainable. At some
point we are going to reach a moment of “total system failure”.
So will it be
soon? Let’s hope not. Let’s certainly hope that it does not happen
in 2011. Many of us need more time to prepare. Most of our families
and friends need more time to prepare. Once this thing implodes there
isn’t going to be an opportunity to have a “do over”. We simply will not
be able to put the toothpaste back into the tube again.
So we had all
better be getting prepared for hard times. The following are 12 economic
collapse scenarios that we could potentially see in 2011….
#1 U.S. debt could become a massive crisis at any
moment. China is saying all of the right things at the moment, but many
analysts are openly worried about what could happen if China suddenly
decides to start dumping all of the U.S. debt that they have
accumulated. Right now about the only thing keeping U.S. government
finances going is the ability to borrow gigantic amounts of money at extremely
low interest rates. If anything upsets that paradigm, it could
potentially have enormous consequences for the entire world financial system.
#2 Speaking of threats to the global financial system,
it turns out that “quantitative easing 2″ has had the exact opposite
effect that Ben Bernanke planned for it to have. Bernanke insisted that
the main goal of QE2 was to lower interest rates, but instead all it has done
is cause interest rates to go up substantially.
If Bernanke this incompetent or is he trying to mess everything up on purpose?
#3 The debt bubble that the entire global economy is
based on could burst at any time and throw the whole planet into chaos. According
to a new report from the World Economic Forum, the total amount of credit
in the world increased from $57 trillion in 2000 to $109 trillion in
2009. The WEF says that now the world is going to need another $100
trillion in credit to support projected “economic growth” over the next
decade. So is this how the new “global economy” works? We just keep
doubling the total amount of debt every decade?
#4 As the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve
continue to pump massive amounts of new dollars into the system, the floor
could fall out from underneath the U.S. dollar at any time. The truth is
that we are already starting to see inflation really accelerate and everyone
pretty much acknowledges that official U.S. governments figures for inflation
are an absolute joke. According
to one new study, the cost of college tuition has risen 286% over the last
20 years, and the cost of “hospital, nursing-home and adult-day-care services”
rose 269% during those same two decades. All of this happened during a
period of supposedly “low” inflation. So what are price increases going
to look like when we actually have “high” inflation?
#5 One of the primary drivers of global inflation
during 2011 could be the price of oil. A large number of economists are
now projecting that the price of oil could surge well
past $100 dollars a barrel in 2011. If that happens, it is going to
put significant pressure on the price of almost everything else in the entire
global economy. In fact, as
I have explained previously, the higher the price of oil goes, the faster
the U.S. economy will decline.
#6 Food inflation is already so bad in some areas of
the globe that it is setting off massive food riots
in nations such as Tunisia and Algeria. In fact, there have been reports
of people setting themselves on fire all
over the Middle East as a way to draw attention to how desperate they
are. So what is going to happen if global food prices go up another 10 or
20 percent and food riots spread literally all over the globe during 2011?
#7 There are persistent
rumors that simply will
not go away of massive physical gold and silver shortages. Demand for
precious metals has never been higher. So what is going to happen when
many investors begin to absolutely insist on physical delivery of their
precious metals? What is going to happen when the fact that far, far, far
more “paper gold” and “paper silver” has been sold than has ever actually
physically existed in the history of the planet starts to come out? What
would that do to the price of gold and silver?
#8 The U.S. housing industry could plunge the U.S.
economy into another recession at any time. The real estate market is
absolutely flooded with homes and virtually nobody is buying. This
massive oversupply of homes means that the construction of new homes has fallen
off a cliff. In 2010, only
703,000 single family, multi-family and manufactured homes were
completed. This was a new record low, and it was down 17% from the
previous all-time record which had just been set in 2009.
#9 A combination of extreme weather and disease could
make this an absolutely brutal year for U.S. farmers. This winter we have
already seen thousands of new cold weather and snowfall records set across the
United States. Now there is some very disturbing news emerging out of
Florida of an “incurable
bacteria” that is ravaging citrus crops all over Florida. Is there a
reason why so many bad things are happening all of a sudden?
#10 The municipal bond crisis could go “supernova” at
any time. Already, investors are bailing out of bonds at a frightening
pace. State and local government debt is now sitting at an all-time high
of 22
percent of U.S. GDP. According to Meredith Whitney, the municipal
bond crisis that we are facing is a gigantic threat to our financial system….
“It has
tentacles as wide as anything I’ve seen. I think next to housing this is the
single most important issue in the United States and certainly the largest
threat to the U.S. economy.”
Former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan is convinced
that things are so bad that literally 90% of our states and cities could go
bankrupt over the next five years….
#11 Of course on top of everything else, the quadrillion
dollar derivatives bubble could burst at any time. Right now we are
watching the greatest financial
casino in the history of the globe spin around and around and around and
everyone is hoping that at some point it doesn’t stop. Today, most money
on Wall Street is not made by investing in good business ideas. Rather,
most money on Wall Street is now made by making the best bets.
Unfortunately, at some point the casino is going to come crashing down and the
game will be over.
#12 The biggest wildcard of all is war. The Korean
peninsula came closer to war in 2010 than it had in decades. The Middle
East could literally explode at any time. We live in a world where a
single weapon can take out an entire city in an instant. All it would
take is a mid-size war or a couple of weapons of mass destruction to throw the
entire global economy into absolute turmoil.
Once again,
let us hope that none of these economic collapse scenarios happens in 2011.
However, we
have got to realize that we can’t keep dodging these bullets forever.
As bad as 2010
was, the truth is that it went about as good as any of us could have
hoped. Things are still pretty stable and times are still pretty good
right now.
But instead of
using these times to “party”, we should be using them to prepare.
A really, really vicious economic storm is coming and it is going to be a complete and total nightmare. Get ready, hold on tight, and say your prayers.’
In a column
last week, Myerson points out that the devastation of The Great Recession has
fallen disproportionately on the blue collar population, those without a
college degree. And he traces the rolling over of median family income in this
century, not just in the downturn, but since the turn of the century. Even at
the peak, in 2007, median family income was less than in 2000.
What Meyerson
doesn't point out is that average incomes have faired better in the 21st
century and in all of the past 50 years. In fact, average family income has
risen more than 2.5 times as much and median income over the last 30 years. Why
is this important? Because the more there is a fat tail of ever higher incomes
for a few, the greater the difference between average and median income
becomes.
Myerson says:
The great sociologist William
Julius Wilson has long argued that the key to the
unraveling of the lives of the African American poor was the decline in the
number of "marriageable males" as work disappeared from the inner
city. Much the same could now be said of working-class whites in neighborhoods
that may not look like the ghettos of Cleveland or Detroit but in which
productive economic activity is increasingly hard to find.
This grim new reality has yet to inform our debate
over how to come back from this mega-recession. Those who believe our downturn
is cyclical argue that job-creating public spending can restore us to
prosperity, while those who believe it's structural - that we have too many
carpenters, say, and not enough nurses - believe that we should leave things be
while American workers acquire new skills and enter different lines of work. But
there's a third way to look at the recession: that it's institutional, that
it's the consequence of the decisions by leading banks and corporations to stop
investing in the job-creating enterprises that were the key to broadly shared
prosperity.
Since Meyerson has chosen income disparity as a
cornerstone of his argument, let's look at how incomes have grown over the last
50 years. These are shown in the following graph, not adjusted for inflation.
click to enlarge images [chart]
Real median income and average income seem to grow
similarly in the 1950s and 1960s, the growth of average income starts to pull
away in the mid-1960s and appears to continue to gain gound for the the next
40+ years. The more average income deviates from median income the more money
is found in the high income tail on the distribution curve. This is often
called a "fat tail", which is very appropriate in this discussion because
that is where the fat cats are. The fat tail has not gotten so because ten
times as many people equaled the incomes of the former fat cats, but more
because a few fat cats have received 10 times the income. This is exemplified
by the often quoted statistic that average CEO salaries were 40x average worker
pay 50 years ago and today are more like 400x.
The change income distribution that seems to be
appearing in the above graph becomes more apparent in the following graph where
real income gains are shown for the last six decades starting with the ten
years from 1949 - 1959 (the 1950s) and ending with 1999 - 2009 (the 2000s). [chart]
The 1950s and 60s were real boom years. Starting with
the 1970s a lower level of income growth was established, but even that lower
level could not be maintained in the 2000s.
After the 1950s every decade has seen average real
income grow more than the median. The fat tail has gotten fatter over the past
half century in every decade, without exception. Yes the average did decline in
the 2000s, but the median declined 76% more!
The most dramatic pattern of change is evident when
the data is divided into two halves: 1949 to 1979 and 1979 - 2009. This is done
in the following graph: [chart]
For thirty years after World War II the wealth of the
country increased in a balanced manner. The average income containing the
greater contribution from the top earners of the day, grew at a rate very
similar to the income growth of the broader population, represented by the
median.
Yes there were "fat cats" and they had
significantly larger incomes than the bulk of the population. And these top
incomes grew over those three decades, but at almost the same rate as the
majority of the populace.
Then something happened. From 1979-2009 it appears
that the American pie suddenly got smaller. In the later three decades the real
median income growth was less than 10% of the rate seen from 1949 to 1979. And
as the pie got smaller, the fat cats took a much larger share. The average
income grew at a rate 254% that of the median income. You might say that, as
the cow gave less milk, the top of the economic ladder skimmed more and more
cream off the top.
Meyerson identifies the force majuere to be
corporate America:
Our multinational companies still invest, of course -
just not at home. A study by the Business
Roundtable and the U.S. Council Foundation found that the
share of the profits of U.S.-based multinationals that came from their foreign
affiliates had increased from 17 percent in 1977 and 27 percent in 1994 to 48.6
percent in 2006. As the companies' revenue from abroad has increased, their
dependence on American consumers has diminished. The equilibrium among
production, wages and purchasing power - the equilibrium that Henry Ford
famously recognized when he upped his workers' pay to an unheard-of $5 a day in
1913 so they could afford to buy the cars they made, the equilibrium that
became the model for 20th-century American capitalism - has been shattered. Making
and selling their goods abroad, U.S. multinationals can slash their workforces
and reduce their wages at home while retaining their revenue and increasing
their profits. And that's exactly what they've done.
Meyerson doesn't get into some of the other areas
that might be brought to bear on the current condition of the American economy:
Part of the problem is that Americans have fallen
into the way of the easiest path, where, either by credit card or by making
quick trades, the desires of the moment are satisfied with no seemingly current
cost.
It seems that few want to think about the needs of
tomorrow. This is true starting with the masses who kiss off the idea of
working hard in school to prepare for what they will need 20 years down the
road. This is also true of the "capitalist" who finds that skimming a
few percent off each of many deals a year to get quick, large quarterly returns
is much easier than investing and building something that will will make much
larger returns extending over decades and producing things of real economic
utility.
There are a number of things that Meyerson does not
address, but if you want to hit one nail at a time, I think he has picked the
baddest nail in the plank. He finishes his column thusly:
Our economic woes, then, are not simply cyclical or
structural. They are also - chiefly - institutional, the consequence of U.S.
corporate behavior that has plunged us into a downward cycle of
underinvestment, underemployment and under-consumption. Our solutions must be
similarly institutional, requiring, for starters, the seating of public and
worker representatives on corporate boards. Short of that, there will be no
real prospects for reversing America's downward mobility.
If we were to address all the other issues I
mentioned previously and did not address the institutional problem Meterson has
identified, we would not ultimately solve our economic puzzle.’
20
Shocking New Economic Records That Were Set In 2010 2010 was quite a year,
wasn’t it? 2010 will be remembered for a lot of things, but for those living in
the United States, one of the main things that last year will be remembered for
is economic decline…The Economic
Collapse Jan 14, 2011 ‘2010 was
quite a year, wasn’t it? 2010 will be remembered for a lot of things, but
for those living in the United States, one of the main things that last year
will be remembered for is economic decline. The number of foreclosure
filings set a new record, the number of home repossessions set a new record,
the number of bankruptcies went up again, the number of Americans that became
so discouraged that they simply quit looking for work reached a new all-time
high and the number of Americans on food stamps kept setting a brand new record
every single month. Meanwhile, U.S. government debt reached record highs,
state government debt reached record highs and local government debt reached
record highs. What a mess! In fact, even many of the “good”
economic records that were set during 2010 were indications of underlying economic
weakness. For example, the price of gold set an all-time record during
2010, but one of the primary reasons for the increase in the price of gold was
that the U.S. dollar was rapidly losing value. Most Americans had been
hoping that 2010 would be the beginning of better times, but unfortunately
economic conditions just kept getting worse.
So will things
improve in 2011? That would be nice, but at this point there are not a
whole lot of reasons to be optimistic about the economy. The truth is
that we are trapped in a period of long-term economic decline and we are now
paying the price for decades of horrible decisions.
Amazingly,
many of our politicians and many in the mainstream media have declared that
“the recession is over” and that the U.S. economy is steadily improving now.
Well, if
anyone tries to tell you that the economy got better in 2010, just show them
the statistics below. That should shut them up for a while.
The following
are 20 new economic records that were set during 2010….
#1 An all-time record of 2.87
million U.S. households received a foreclosure filing in 2010.
#2 The number of homes that were actually repossessed reached
the 1 million mark for the first time ever during 2010.
#3 The price of gold moved above $1400 an ounce for the
first time ever during 2010.
#4 According to the American Bankruptcy Institute,
approximately 1.53
million consumer bankruptcy petitions were filed in 2010, which was up 9
percent from 1.41 million in 2009. This was the highest number of personal
bankruptcies we have seen since the U.S. Congress substantially tightened U.S.
bankruptcy law several years ago.
#5 At one point during 2010, the average time needed to
find a job in the United States had risen to an all-time record of 35.2 weeks.
#6 Back in 1970, 25 percent of all jobs in the United
States were manufacturing jobs. Today, only 9 percent of the jobs in the
United States are manufacturing jobs, which is believed to be a new record low.
#7 The number of Americans working part-time jobs “for
economic reasons” was the highest it has been in at least five decades
during 2010.
#8 The number of American workers that are so
discouraged that they have given up searching for work reached an all-time high near the end of 2010.
#9 Government spending continues to set new all-time
records. In fact, at the moment the U.S. government is spending
approximately 6.85 million
dollars every single minute.
#10 The number of Americans on food stamps surpassed
43 million by the end of 2010. This was a new all-time record, and
government officials fully expect the number of Americans enrolled in the
program to continue to increase throughout 2011.
#11 The number of Americans on Medicaid surpassed 50
million for the first time ever in 2010.
#12 The U.S. Census Bureau originally announced that
43.6 million Americans are now living in poverty and according to them that was
the highest number of Americans living in poverty that they had ever
recorded in 51 years of
record-keeping. But now the Census Bureau says that they
miscalculated and that the real number of poor Americans is actually 47.8 million.
#13 According to the FDIC, 157
banks failed during 2010. That was the highest number of bank
failures that the United States has experienced in any single year during the
past decade.
#14 The Federal Reserve brought in a record $80.9 billion in profits during
2010. They returned $78.4 billion of that to the U.S. Treasury, but the
real story is that thanks to the Federal Reserve’s continual debasement of our
currency, the U.S. dollar was
worth less in 2010 than it ever had been before.
#15 It is projected that the major financial firms on
Wall Street will pay out an all-time record of $144 billion in compensation for
2010.
#16 Americans now owe more than $881 billion on student loans,
which is a new all-time record.
#17 In July, sales of new homes in the United
States declined to the lowest level
ever recorded.
#18 According to Zillow, U.S. housing prices have now
declined a
whopping 26 percent since their peak in June 2006. Amazingly, this is
even farther than house prices fell during the Great Depression. From
1928 to 1933, U.S. housing prices only fell 25.9 percent.
#19 State and local government debt reached at an
all-time record of 22 percent of U.S. GDP during 2010.
#20 The U.S. national debt has surpassed the 14 trillion
dollar mark for the first time ever and it is being projected that it will
soar well past 15 trillion during 2011.
There are some
people that have a hard time really grasping what statistics actually
mean. For people like that, often pictures and charts are much more
effective. Well, that is one reason I like to include pictures and graphs
in many of my articles, and below I have posted my favorite chart from this
past year. It shows the growth of the U.S. national debt from 1940 until
today. I honestly don’t know how anyone can look at this chart and still
be convinced that our nation is not headed for a complete financial meltdown….[chart]
14 Eye Opening Statistics Which Reveal Just How
Dramatically The U.S. Economy Has Collapsed Since 2007 Most
Americans have become so accustomed to the “new normal” of continual economic
decline that they don’t even remember how good things were just a few short
years ago. ‘The Economic Collapse Jan 10, 2011
’Most Americans have become so accustomed to the “new normal” of continual
economic decline that they don’t even remember how good things were just a few
short years ago. Back in 2007, unemployment was very low, good jobs were
much easier to get, far fewer Americans were living in poverty or enrolled in
welfare programs and government finances were in much better shape. Of
course most of this prosperity was fueled by massive amounts of debt, but at
least times were better. Unfortunately, things have really deteriorated
over the last several years. Since 2007, unemployment has skyrocketed,
foreclosures have set new all-time records, personal bankruptcies have soared
and U.S. government debt has gotten completely and totally out of
control. Poll after poll has shown that Americans are now far less
optimistic about the future than they were in 2007. It is almost as if
the past few years have literally sucked the hope out of millions upon millions
of Americans.
Sadly,
our economic situation is continually getting worse. Every month the
United States loses more factories. Every month the United States loses
more jobs. Every month the collective wealth of U.S. citizens continues
to decline. Every month the federal government goes into even more
debt. Every month state and local governments go into even more debt.
Unfortunately,
things are going to get even worse in the years ahead. Right now we look
back on 2005, 2006 and 2007 as “good times”, but in a few years we will look
back on 2010 and 2011 as “good times”.
We
are in the midst of a long-term economic decline, and the very bad economic
choices that we have been making as a nation for decades are now starting to
really catch up with us.
So
as horrible as you may think that things are now, just keep in mind that things
are going to continue to deteriorate in the years ahead.
But
for the moment, let us remember how far we have fallen over the past few
years. The following are 14 eye opening statistics which reveal just how
dramatically the U.S. economy has collapsed since 2007….
#1
In November 2007, the official U.S. unemployment rate was just 4.7
percent. Today, the official U.S. unemployment rate is 9.4 percent.
#2
In November 2007, 18.8% of unemployed Americans had been out of work for 27
weeks or longer. Today that percentage is up to 41.9%.
#3
As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million Americans that had been
unemployed for half a year or longer. Today, there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or
longer.
#4
Nearly 10 million Americans now receive unemployment insurance, whichis
almost four times as many as were receiving it back
in 2007.
#5
More than half of the U.S. labor force (55 percent) has “suffered a spell of
unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary
part-time workers” since the “recession” began in December 2007.
#6
According to one analysis, the United States has lost a total of approximately
10.5 million jobs since 2007.
#7
As 2007 began, only 26 million Americans were on food stamps. Today, an
all-time record of 43.2 million Americans are enrolled in the
food stamp program.
#8
In 2007, the U.S. government held a total of $725 billion in mortgage
debt. As of the middle of 2010, the U.S. government held a total of $5.148 trillion in mortgage debt.
#9
In the year prior to the “official” beginning of the most recent recession in
2007, the IRS filed just 684,000 tax liens against U.S. taxpayers. During
2010, the IRS filed over a million tax liens against U.S.
taxpayers.
#10
From the year 2000 through the year 2007, there were 27 bank failures in the
United States. From 2008 through 2010, there were 314 bank failures in the United States.
#11
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number
of U.S. families with children living in homeless sheltersincreased from 131,000 to 170,000 between 2007
and 2009.
#12
In 2007, one poll found that 43 percent of Americans were living “paycheck to
paycheck”. Sadly, according to a survey released very close to the end of
2010, approximately 55 percent
of all Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck.
#13
In 2007, the “official” federal budget deficit was just 161 billion
dollars. In 2010, the “official” federal budget deficit was approximately 1.3 trillion dollars.
#14
As 2007 began, the U.S. national debt was just under 8.7 trillion
dollars. Today, the U.S. national debt has just surpassed 14 trillion dollars and it
continues to soar into the stratosphere.
So
is there any hope that we can turn all of this around?
Unfortunately,
the massive amount of debt that we have piled up as a society over the last
several decades has made that impossible.
If
you add up all forms of debt (government debt, business debt, individual debt),
it comes to approximately 360 percent of GDP. It is the biggest debt
bubble in the history of the world.
If
the federal government and our state governments stop borrowing and spending so
much money, our economy would collapse. But if they keep borrowing and
spending so much money they will continually make the eventual economic
collapse even worse.
We
are in the terminal stages of the most horrific debt spiral the world has ever
seen, and when the debt spiral gets stopped the house of cards is going to
finally come down for good.
So
enjoy these times while you still have them. Yes, today is not nearly as
prosperous as 2007 was, but today is most definitely a whole lot better than
2015 or 2020 is going to be.
Sadly,
we could have avoided this financial disaster completely if only we had
listened more carefully to those that founded this nation. Once upon a
time, Thomas Jefferson said
the following….
I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its Constitution; I mean an additional article, taking from the federal government the power of borrowing.’
The Economic Collapse
Dec 17, 2010
The financial
collapse that so many of us have been anticipating is seemingly closer then
ever. Over the past several weeks, there have been a host of ominous
signs for the U.S. economy. Yields on U.S. Treasuries have moved up
rapidly and Moody’s is publicly warning that it may have to cut the rating on
U.S. government debt soon. Mortgage rates are also moving up
aggressively. The euro and the U.S. dollar both look incredibly
shaky. Jobs continue to be shipped out of the United States at a
blistering pace as our politicians stand by and do nothing. Confidence in
U.S. government debt around the globe continues to decline. State and
local governments that are drowning in debt across the United States are
savagely cutting back on even essential social services and are coming up with
increasingly “creative” ways of getting more money out of all of us.
Meanwhile, tremor after tremor continues to strike the world financial
system. So does this mean that we have almost reached a tipping
point? Is the world on the verge of a major financial collapse?
Let’s hope
not, but with each passing week the financial news just seems to get eve
worse. Not only is U.S. government debt spinning wildly toward a breaking
point, but many U.S. states (such as California) are in such horrific financial
condition that they are beginning to resemble banana republics.
But it is not
just the United States that is in trouble. Nightmarish debt problems in
Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and several other European
nations threaten to crash the euro at any time. In fact, many economists
are now openly debating which will collapse first – the euro or the U.S.
dollar.
Sadly, this is
the inevitable result of constructing a global financial system on debt.
All debt bubbles eventually collapse. Currently we are living in the
biggest debt bubble in the history of the world, and when this one bursts it is
going to be a disaster of truly historic proportions.
So will we
reach a tipping point soon? Well, the following are 25 signs that the
financial collapse is rapidly getting closer….
#1 The official U.S. unemployment rate has not been
beneath 9 percent since
April 2009.
#2 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are
currently 6.3
million vacant homes in the United States that are either for sale or for
rent.
#3 It is being projected that the U.S. trade deficit
with China could hit 270 billion dollars
for the entire year of 2010.
#4 Back in 2000, 7.2 percent of blue collar workers
were either unemployed or underemployed. Today that figure is up
to 19.5 percent.
#5 The Chinese government has accumulated approximately
$2.65 trillion in
total foreign exchange reserves. They have drained this wealth from the
economies of other nations (such as the United States) and instead of
reinvesting all of it they are just sitting on much of it. This is
creating tremendous imbalances in the global economy.
#6 Since the year 2000, we have lost 10% of our middle class jobs. In the
year 2000 there were approximately 72 million middle class jobs in the United
States but today there are only about 65 million middle class jobs.
#7 The United States now employs about the same number
of people in manufacturing as
it did back in 1940. Considering the fact that we had 132 million
people living in this country in 1940 and that we have well over 300 million
people living in this country today, that is a very sobering statistic.
#8 According to CoreLogic, U.S. housing prices have now
declined for
three months in a row.
#9 The average rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage soared
11 basis points just this past week. As mortgage rates continue to
push higher it is going to make it even more difficult for American families to
afford homes.
#10 22.5 percent of all residential mortgages in the
United States were in negative equity as of the end of the third quarter
of 2010.
#11 The U.S. monetary base has
more than doubled since the beginning of the most recent recession.
#12 U.S. Treasury yields have been rising steadily
during the 4th quarter of 2010 and
recently hit a six-month high.
#13 Incoming governor Jerry Brown is scrambling to find
$29 billion more to cut from the California state budget. The
following quote from Brown about the desperate condition of California
state finances is not going to do much to inspire confidence in California’s
financial situation around the globe….
“We’ve been living in fantasy land. It is much worse
than I thought. I’m shocked.”
#14
24.3
percent of the residents of El Centro, California are currently unemployed.
#15
The average home in Merced, California has declined in value by
63 percent over the past four years.
#16
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has come up with a new way to save money. He
wants to cut 20
percent of Detroit off from essential social services such as road repairs,
police patrols, functioning street lights and garbage collection.
#17
The second most dangerous city in the United States – Camden, New Jersey – is
about to lay off about
half its police in a desperate attempt to save money.
#18
In 2010, 55
percent of Americans between the ages of 60 and 64 were in the labor
market. Ten years ago, that number was just 47 percent. More older
Americans than ever find that they have to keep working just to survive.
#19
Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of the world’s high-tech export
market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years later, the United States had
less than 15 percent and China’s share had soared to 20 percent.
#20
The U.S. government budget deficit increased to a whopping $150.4 billion last
month, which represented the biggest November budget deficit on record.
#21
The U.S. government is somehow going to have to roll over existing debt and
finance new debt that
is equivalent to 27.8 percent of GDP in 2011.
#22
The United States had been the leading consumer of energy on the globe for
about 100 years, but this past summer China took over the number one spot.
#23
According to an absolutely stunning new poll, 40 percent of all U.S. doctors plan to bail out of the
profession over the next three years.
#24
As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million Americans that had been
unemployed for half a year or longer. Today, there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.
#25
All over the United States, local governments have begun instituting “police
response fees”. For example, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come up
with a plan under which a
fee of $365 would be charged if police are called to respond to an
automobile accident where no injuries are involved. If there are injuries
as a result of the crash that is going to cost extra.
As you examine
the long-term trends, you quickly come to realize that the U.S. is trapped in
an endless spiral of debt, the middle class is being wiped out, the U.S. dollar
is being destroyed and America is rapidly becoming a post-industrial wasteland.
Posted below
are 16 nightmarish economic trends to watch carefully in 2011. It is
becoming exceedingly apparent that unless something is done rapidly we are
heading for an economic collapse of unprecedented magnitude….
#1 Do you want to see something scary? Just check
out the chart below. Since the beginning of the economic downturn, the
U.S. monetary base has more than doubled. But don’t worry – Federal
Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has promised us that this could never cause
inflation. In fact, Bernanke says that we need to inject even more
dollars into the economy. So if you are alarmed by the chart below, you
are just being irrational according to Bernanke….
#2 Thousands of our factories, millions of our jobs and
hundreds of billions of dollars of our national wealth continue to be shipped
overseas. In 1985, the U.S. trade deficit with China was 6 million dollars
for the entire year. In the month of August
alone, the U.S. trade deficit with China was over 28 billion
dollars. Nobel economist Robert W. Fogel of the University of Chicago
is projecting that the Chinese economy will be three times larger than the U.S. economy by the
year 2040 if current trends continue.
#3 The United States is rapidly becoming a
post-industrial wasteland. Back in 1959, manufacturing represented 28
percent of all U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented only
11.5 percent and it continues to fall. Sadly, the truth is that America
is being deindustrialized. As of the end of 2009, less
than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time that
less than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.
#4 The number of Americans that have been out of work
for an extended period of time has absolutely exploded over the last few
years. As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million Americans that had
been unemployed for half a year or longer. Today, there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.
#5 The middle class continues to be squeezed out of
existence. According to a poll
taken in 2009, 61 percent of Americans ”always or usually” live
paycheck to paycheck. That was up substantially from 49 percent
in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
#6 The number of Americans living in poverty is
absolutely skyrocketing. 42.9 million Americans are now on food
stamps, and one out of every six Americans is now enrolled
in at least one anti-poverty program run by the federal government.
Unfortunately, many of those that have been hardest hit by this economic
downturn have been children. According to one new study, approximately
21 percent of all children in the United States are
living below the poverty line in 2010 - the highest rate in 20 years.
#7 Many American families have been pushed beyond the
breaking point during this economic downturn. Over 1.4 million Americans
filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a
32 percent increase over 2008. The final number for 2010 is expected
to be even higher.
#8 The U.S. real estate market continues to
stagnate. During
the third quarter of 2010, 67 percent of mortgages in Nevada were
“underwater”, 49 percent of mortgages in Arizona were “underwater” and 46
percent of mortgages in Florida were “underwater”. So what happens if
home prices go down even more?
#9 More elderly Americans than ever are being forced to
put off retirement and continue working. In 2010, 55
percent of Americans between the ages of 60 and 64 were in the labor
market. Ten years ago, that number was just 47 percent.
Unfortunately, it looks like this problem will only get worse in the years
ahead. In America today, approximately half of all workers have
less than $2000 saved up for retirement.
#10 In the United States today, there are simply far too
many retirees and not nearly enough workers to support them. Back in 1950
each retiree’s Social Security benefit was paid for by 16
workers. Today, each retiree’s Social Security benefit is paid for
by approximately 3.3 workers. By 2025 it is projected that
there will be approximately two workers for each retiree.
#11 Financial assets continue to become concentrated in
fewer and fewer hands. For example, the “big four” U.S.
banks (Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells
Fargo) had approximately 22 percent of all deposits in FDIC-insured institutions
back in 2000. As of the middle of 2009 that figure was up to 39 percent.
#12 The Federal Reserve has been destroying the value of
the U.S. dollar for decades. Since the Federal Reserve was created in
1913, the U.S. dollar has lost over 95 percent of its purchasing power.
An item that cost $20.00 in 1970 would cost you $112.35 today. An item
that cost $20.00 in 1913 would cost you $440.33 today.
#13 Commodity prices continue to soar into the
stratosphere. Ten years ago, the price of a barrel of oil hovered around 20 to 30
dollars most of the time. Today, the price of oil is rapidly closing
in on 100 dollars a barrel and there are now fears that it could soon go much
higher than that.
#14 Federal government spending is completely and totally
out of control. The U.S. government budget deficit increased to a
whopping $150.4 billion last month, which represented the biggest November deficit on record. But our
politicians can’t seem to break their addiction to debt. In fact,
Democrats are trying to ram through a
1,924 page, 1.1 trillion dollar spending bill in the final days of the
lame-duck session of Congress before the Republicans take control of the House
of Representatives next year.
#15 The U.S. national debt is rapidly closing in on 14 trillion dollars. It is more
than 13 times larger than it was just 30 short years ago. According to an
official U.S. Treasury Department report to Congress, the U.S. national
debt is projected to climb
to an estimated $19.6 trillion by 2015.
#16 Unfortunately, the official government numbers
grossly understate the horrific nature of the crisis we are facing. John
Williams of Shadow Government Statistics has calculated that if the federal
government would have used GAAP accounting standards to measure the federal
budget deficit for 2009, it would have been approximately 8.8
trillion dollars. Not only that, but John Williams now says that U.S.
government debt is
so wildly out of control that it is mathematically impossible for us to
“grow” our way out of it….
The government’s finances not only are out of
control, but the actual deficit is not containable. Put into perspective,
if the government were to raise taxes so as to seize 100% of all wages,
salaries and corporate profits, it still would be showing an annual deficit
using GAAP accounting on a consistent basis. In like manner, given
current revenues, if it stopped spending every penny (including defense and
homeland security) other than for Social Security and Medicare obligations, the
government still would be showing an annual deficit. Further, the U.S. has
no potential way to grow out of this shortfall.
The more one examines the U.S. economic situation,
the more depressing it becomes. The U.S. financial system is trapped
inside a horrific debt spiral and we are headed straight for economic
oblivion.
If our leaders attempt to interrupt the debt spiral
it will plunge our economy into a depression. If our leaders attempt to
keep the debt spiral going for several more years it will just make the
eventual crash even worse. Either way, we are headed for a financial
implosion that will be truly historic.
The debt-fueled good times that we have been enjoying
for the last several decades are rapidly coming to an end. Unfortunately
for the tens of millions of Americans that are already suffering, our economic
problems are only going to get worse in the years ahead.’
The following
are 25 unemployment statistics that are almost too depressing to read….
#1 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
U.S. unemployment rate for November was 9.8
percent. This was up from 9.6 percent in October, and it continues a
trend of depressingly high unemployment rates. The official unemployment
number has been at 9.5 percent or higher for well over a year at this point.
#2 In November 2006, the “official” U.S. unemployment
rate was just 4.5
percent.
#3 Most economists had been expecting the U.S. economy
to add about 150,000 jobs in November. Instead, it
only added 39,000.
#4 In the United States today, there are over 15
million people who are “officially” considered to be unemployed for
statistical purposes. But everyone knows that the “real” number is even
much larger than that.
#5 As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million
Americans that had been unemployed for half a year or longer. Today,
there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.
#6 The number of “persons not in the labor force” in
the United States recently
set another new all-time record.
#7 It now takes the average unemployed American over
33 weeks to find a job.
#8 When you throw in “discouraged workers” and
“underemployed workers”, the “real” unemployment rate in the state of
California is
actually about 22 percent.
#9 In America today there are not nearly enough jobs
for everyone. In fact, there are now approximately
5 unemployed Americans for every single job opening.
#10 According
to The New York Times, Americans that have been unemployed for five weeks
or less are three times more likely to find a new job in the coming month than
Americans that have been unemployed for over a year.
#11 The U.S. economy would need to create 235,120
new jobs a month to get the unemployment rate down to pre-recession levels
by 2016. Does anyone think that there is even a prayer that is going to
happen?
#12 There are 9
million Americans that are working part-time for “economic reasons”.
In other words, those Americans would gladly take full-time jobs if they could
get them, but all they have been able to find is part-time work.
#13 In 2009, total wages, median wages, and average
wages all
declined in the United States.
#14 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million
Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time that less
than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.
#15 The United States has lost at least 7.5
million jobs since the recession began.
#16 Today, only
about 40 percent of Ford Motor Company’s 178,000 workers are employed
in North America, and a big percentage of those jobs are in Canada and
Mexico.
#17 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28
percent of U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented 11.5
percent.
#18 Earlier this year, one poll found that 28% of all American households had at least one member that
was looking for a full-time job.
#19 In the United States today, over
18,000 parking lot attendants have college degrees.
#20 The United States has lost a staggering
32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#21 As the employment situation continues to stagnate,
millions of American families have decided to cut back on things such as
insurance coverage. For example, the percentage of American households
that have life insurance coverage is at its lowest level in
50 years.
#22 Unless Congress acts, and there is no indication
that is going to happen, approximately 2 million Americans will stop receiving unemployment checks over the next
couple of months.
#23 A poll that was released by the Pew Research Center
back in June discovered that an
astounding 55 percent of the U.S. labor force has
experienced either unemployment, a pay decrease, a reduction in hours
or an involuntary move to part-time work since the economic downturn
began.
#24 According to Richard McCormack, the United States
has lost over
42,000 factories (and counting) since 2001.
#25 In the United States today, 317,000
waiters and waitresses have college degrees.
But this is
what we get for creating the biggest debt
bubble in the history of the world. For decades we have been digging
a deeper hole for ourselves by going into increasingly larger amounts of
debt. In America today, our entire economy is based on debt. Even
our money
is debt. We were fools if we ever thought this could go on forever.
Just think about it. Have you ever gone out and run up a bunch of
debt? It can be a lot of fun sitting behind the wheel of a new car,
running your credit cards up to the limit and buying a beautiful big house that
you cannot afford. But in the end what happens? It always catches up with you.
Well, our collective debt is starting to catch up with us. There is a sea
of red ink on every level of American society. It is only a matter of
time before it destroys our economy. IF YOU THINK THAT
THINGS ARE BAD NOW, JUST WAIT. THINGS ARE GOING TO GET A WHOLE LOT
WORSE. A HORRIFIC ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IS COMING, AND IT IS GOING TO BE
VERY, VERY PAINFUL.’
17 Things Worrying
Investors Lloyd's Wall of Worry
Worry Count: 17
CHINA: 1,330,044,605 people can’t be wrong.
The PIIGS: Fasten your seatbelts. It’s gonna be a long, bumpy, expensive,
weird, (insert your own adjective here) freak show of a ride.
CALIFORNIA AND THE OTHER 49 STATES: Not yet as dire as “The PIIGS”. Might I
suggest the classier moniker of “The Prosciuttos” for the American basket-case
states?
QE II: Gobble?
U.S. ECONOMY: The “Punky Brewster” of the global economic landscape.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Only thing worse than losing your job, losing your unemployment
check. At least there’s the holiday season to cheer everyone up (read: heavy
sarcasm).
TAXES: Praying to the Financial Market Gods that we don’t have another
TARP-like vote fiasco.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PART II: Still two years before the Pres. election and the
peanut gallery is already pleading for a Hail Mary Pass to get them back in the
game.
HFT: Instead of beating up these liquidity supplying traders, let’s honor them
with their very own stock exchange. But wait -- with no retail
saps to pick-off they will never get that Day 1 opening bell tick. Perfect.
XMAS 2010: As my professor friend Nick says, “Nowadays Americans are dining off
of two menus – The Million Dollar and the $0.99 Cent.” And both
are pissed about it.
CURRENCIES: Poor Mr. Greenback. Does someone need a hug?
HOUSING CRISIS: Price Stabilization – Are we there yet? Just a little bit more.
Are we there yet? Just a little bit more. Are we there yet? Just a little bit
more….
INFLATION/DEFLATION: Fed Chief Ben B. comes out swinging from his heels in
defense of inflation promotion. Don’t punch yourself out as this one is likely
to go the distance.
COMMODITIES: Corrected but still sky high; fortunately these prices are only
affecting core, basic, life-sustaining necessities and sparing our electronic
gadgets and plus-sized SUVs. Whew!
INSIDER TRADING: Another black eye for Hedge Funds. I estimate that makes black
eye number 6,597.
INTEREST RATES: South Korea and China slowly turning up the dial to “11”. On
the other hand the U.S. has removed the dial altogether. This never ends well….
NORTH KOREA: Here we go again. (and now Egypt, etc.)
Consumer confidence down, LiveLeak.com - Loonie closes above U.S. dollar … dollar for first time closes below parity on Canadian
loonie … hey, hey, hey … 'Huge' stock decline — but not yet MarketWatch
- Commentary: Adens … ‘mega trend’ looks grim … The
Adens expect a hyperinflationary collapse … ‘ Oh come
on! Manipulated dollar decline with inflated earnings, stock prices thereby,
etc., … we’ve seen this all before … the last few crashes … Jobless
rate jumps to 9.8% as hiring slows (Washington Post) [ The reality is not a mystery! The nation’s
been thrown under the bus for the greater good (wealth) of the very few (frauds
on wall street, etc.); wall street giving out record bonuses from their accomplished
fraud (with no-recession b.s. bernanke help) of $144 BILLION: Come on! This is
gettin’ even more downright ridiculous (if that’s even possible)! Pending home
foreclosure / distress sales up, oil prices (and oil stocks) up, debased dollar
down, plus a little familiar ‘better than expected’ thrown in along with
prospects of a ‘no-recession bernanke’ market-frothing bull session on 60
minutes and, voila, suckers’ rally into the close to keep the suckers suckered!
What’s good for the frauds on wall street is bad for just about everyone else
which includes the vast majority of people and businesses, domestically and
globally, as current dollar manipulation / debasement ultimately results in
higher costs and loss of purchasing power (ie., oil, etc.). Clearly, this is
one of those fraudulent wealth transfers to the frauds on wall street et als
which will ultimately be paid for by those who least are in a position to
afford it, courtesy of the ever more worthless Weimar dollar, etc., inflating
earnings, eps, lowering p/e multiples, etc., see infra. This is an especially
great time to sell / take profits while you can since there's much worse to
come! Previous: Rosy numbers on consumer sentiment, unemployment (far better
than private forecasts) from the government prior to the holiday so-called
‘shop till you drop’? How can anyone believe anything they say? Najerian
interviewed by Motek chimes in with the reason for good retail cheer; viz.,
people have stopped paying their mortgages and are using the funds to purchase
retail goods; while Davidowitz adds that with record numbers of americans on
food stamps, real unemployment at 17+, and wall street giving out record
bonuses from their accomplished fraud (with no-recession b.s. bernanke help) of
$144 BILLION … the high end stores /
jewelers will do well … daaaaah! And, with insiders
and wall street frauds selling into the bubble as preceded last crash, this is
an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits! Suckers’ rally on light volume, full moon, and government
complicity (false data / reports) to keep suckers suckered (easy for the wall
street frauds to do with just a mouse click / push of the button – and, they
know all those technical trade lines that are easy to program in this current
phase of the scam/fraud with the debased dollar). Keep in mind, the totally
mindless blather from the ‘cottage industries’ of and fraudulent wall street
itself in talking up lower P/E multiples when the same is a direct result of
the debasement of the dollar and the consequent manipulation / translation (not
real, see Davis, infra) which preceded the financial crisis / last crash.
Unemployment, trade, deficit, etc., numbers continue decidedly worse than
expected along with other negative data (and in the ‘wrong direction’, that
spin accorded ‘down but not as bad as before’ b*** s*** ) yet the market has
rallied like no tomorrow with used home foreclosure / distressed sales, though
abated owing to ‘foreclosuregate’, the other ‘heralded’ good news. Moreover, the dumbo lemmings of Europe have
jumped on the fraudulent defacto bankrupt american crazy train propelled to the
precipice also as if no tomorrow. This is about keeping the suckers sucked in
with the help of a market-frothing pre-election debased dollar for favorable
currency translation and paper (but not real when measured in, ie., gold, etc.)
profits which preceded the last crisis, inflating a bubble as in the last
crisis to facilitate the churn-and-earn, particularly with computerized (and
high frequency) trades and which commissions they’ll get again on the way down.
There is nothing to support these overbought stock prices, fundamentally or otherwise.
These are desperate criminals ‘at work’. Even wall street shill, the senile
Buffett is saying we’re still in a recession (depression) [ Davis: ‘… all profits are inflated by 10% (from
falling, debased dollar) and that 10% is the E that gets divided from the P and
gives us a much better price/multiple to hang our hats on and that gets
investors to BUYBUYBUY …’ The bull market that never was / were beyond wall
street b.s. when measured in gold ] This is a great
opportunity to sell / take profits (these lower dollar, hyperinflationary
currency manipulations / translations to froth paper stocks will end quite
badly as in last crash)! This
is a global depression. This is a secular bear market in a global depression.
The past up moves were manipulated bull (s***) cycles (at best) in a secular
bear market. This has been a typically manipulated bubble as has preceded the
prior crashes with great regularity that the wall street frauds and insiders
commission and sell into. This is a typical wall street ‘programmed
computerized high-frequency churn and earn pass the hot potato scam / fraud as
in prior crashes ( widely reported, high-frequency trading routinely
accounts for more than 50% of daily U.S. equity trading volume and regularly
approaches 70%. )’. This national decline, economic and otherwise, will not end
until justice is served and the wall street frauds et als are criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed.The Stock Market's
Long Decline Has Begun Smith ]
U.S.
Warship Tracking Yacht Hijacked by Somali Pirates... [ I realize
there are ‘laws of the sea’ / codified bodies of law within that broad yet very
specific category called ‘maritime law’, none of which I know nor care to know
(I’ll content myself to knowing and seeing to the enforcement of american law
as pertains to me; viz., RICO http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
. I do know that these somali
pirates need killin’ and I further believe that open season on them including
using their boats in the water for target practice makes sense and certainly is
morally justified. I’m tired of hearing about those little weasels … you know,
‘the skinnies’. ]
Some now question U.S. deal that brought
Gaddafi back into diplomatic fold (Washington Post) [ Oh, come on!
At this point in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s intractable
decline, naivity becomes no one! …Money, oil, arms change hands and no one’s
the wiser … and those few are again substantially richer … it’s the fatally
tragic ‘american tale’… Arms
deals still made amid Middle East crackdowns (Washington Post) You bet your
bippy … a raison d’etre, so to speak. ]ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - As
Libya's Moammar Gaddafi ordered attacks on his own people this week, thousands
of arms sellers from the United States and other countries hawked their
aircraft, riot gear and rifles to Middle Eastern buyers at the Persian Gulf's
preeminent arms show.
Julian
Assange must be extradited to Sweden (Washington Post) [ Julian
Assange to be extradited to Sweden Infowars.com [ No surprise here. As I’ve previously written, I’m
against the censorship since one always, in the final analysis, must discern
truth from falsehood, information from disinformation, reality from propaganda.
In truth, I found it somewhat shocking and more than surprising that of all
places ‘to escape to’, Assange chose Orwellian england, puppet to the u.s. and
guarantor of servility to u.s./zionist interests, such is their own desperate
circumstances. What was he thinking? ]
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden to face
allegations of rape and sexual assault. Assange will appeal, his legal team
confirmed. If this is unsuccessful, he will be extradited to Sweden in 10
days. ] LONDON - Britain will honor
Sweden's request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face
sex-crime allegations, a British judge ruled Thursday.
Oil
prices on the rise (Washington Post) [ And except when and for fraudulent /
false / manipulated data, everything else down, dirty, and dismal: AP Business
Highlights: February 24, 2011, ‘New-home
sales in January drop 12.6 pct WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sales of new homes fell
significantly in January, a dismal sign after the worst year for that sector in
nearly a half-century.New-home sales dropped to a seasonally adjusted rate of
284,000 homes last month, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That's down
from 325,000 in December and less than half the 600,000-a-year pace that
economists view as healthy…’
(Washington Post) New-home
sales fell more than forecast / FHFA:
Home prices fell in fourth quarter
Pro-government
forces, rebels engage in battles for territory (Washington Post) [
The big story here, lost on mainstream media, was the manipulated stock / oil
price fraud based upon false rumor of
daffy gaddafi not ducking and having been shot. Remember: there’s no
place for reality in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america and on
fraudulent wall street particularly. STOCKS
MAKE HUGE TURNAROUND ON STUNNING COLLAPSE IN OIL: BASED SOLELY ON NOW KNOWN TO
BE FALSE TWITTER RUMOR! [ Don’t be
surprised if the frauds on wall street initiated the rumors; their fraudulent
manipulations have included far worse … put them in jail where they belong,
with fines, disgorgement! ( ‘…an apparently Twitter-borne rumor started making the rounds
that Qaddafi had been shot! There was no basis for it, but oil simply
collapsed…’ ) ] , On Thursday February 24,
2011 Thank Twitter-borne rumors of Qaddafi's death for the fact that
markets totally didn't get crushed today…’ ] Militiamen, mercenaries hit cities
near capital while protesters seized air force base; U.S., other Western powers
consider responses to situation. Gaddafi
loyalists launch counterattacks ]
Crude prices broke through the $100-a-barrel threshold as violence in
Libya continued to shake markets.
Feb.
23 (Bloomberg) -- Our country is bankrupt. It’s not bankrupt in 30 years or
five years. It’s bankrupt today.
Want proof? Look at President Barack Obama’s 2010
budget. It showed a massive fiscal gap over the next 75 years, the closure of
which requires immediate tax increases, spending cuts, or some combination
totaling 8 percent of gross domestic product. To put 8 percent of GDP in perspective,
this year’s employee and employer payroll taxes for Social Security and
Medicare will amount to just 5 percent of GDP.
Actually, the picture is much worse. Nothing in
economics says we should look out just 75 years when considering the
present-value difference between future spending and future taxes. Over the
full long-term, we need an extra 12 percent, not 8 percent, of GDP annually.
Seventy-five years seems like a long enough time to
plan. It’s not. Had the Greenspan Commission, which “fixed” Social Security
back in 1983, focused on the true long term we wouldn’t be sitting here now
with Social Security 26 percent underfunded. The Social Security trustees, at
least, have learned a lesson. The 26 percent figure is based on their infinite
horizon fiscal- gap calculation.
But the real reason we can’t look out just 75 years
is that the government’s cash flows (the difference between its annual taxes
and non-interest spending) over any period of time, including the next 75
years, aren’t well defined. This reflects economics’ labeling problem. If you
use different words to describe the receipts taken in and paid out each year by
the government, you produce entirely different cash flows and an entirely
different fiscal gap measured over any finite horizon.
Matter of Language
It’s only the value of the infinite horizon fiscal
gap that is unaffected by the choice of labels of language. Take this year’s
payroll tax contributions. Let’s call these transfers from workers to Uncle Sam
“borrowing” by the government, rather than “payroll taxes,” since the money
will be paid back as future benefits. If the future payback isn’t in full
(equal to principal plus interest), we can call the difference a “retirement
tax.” Presto! With this change of words, our 2011 deficit of about 10 percent
of GDP is boosted another five points to 15 percent.
With one set of words, taxes are higher now and lower
latter. With the other set of words, the opposite is true. But neither set of
labels makes more economic sense than the other or changes what the government
takes, on balance, from any person or business in any given year.
This is no surprise. The math of economics rules out
an absolute measure of the deficit, just like the math of physics rules out an
absolute measure of time.
Bottom Line
The bottom line, then, is that we need to look at the
infinite-horizon fiscal gap not just for Social Security, but for the entire
federal government. That analysis, based on the Congressional Budget Office’s
long-term alternative fiscal scenario, shows an unfathomable fiscal gap of $202
trillion. And covering this gap requires coming up with the aforementioned 12
percent of GDP, forever.
If this gives you the willies, there’s a ready
narcotic -- the president’s 2012 budget, which shows that most of our long-
term fiscal problem has miraculously disappeared; the fiscal gap isn’t 12
percent of annual GDP. Nor is it 8 percent. It’s now 1.8 percent.
This fantastic improvement in our finances is due,
we’re told, primarily to the Independent Payment Advisory Board. This board, to
be established in 2014 (after the next election, of course) is charged with
recommending cuts to Medicare and Medicaid providers when their costs grow too
fast.
Repealing Cuts
We’ve had laws mandating such cuts for years, and
they are routinely repealed. Indeed, President Obama signed the latest such
repeal last June. But rather than laugh out loud at this cost-control
mechanism, the Medicare trustees, three-quarters of whom were appointed by the
president, assume in their 2010 report that these cuts will be made -- to the
dollar. And the 2012 budget cites the report’s fictional forecast as its
authoritative source.
No one takes the 2010 Medicare trustee report’s
long-run projections seriously, least of all Richard Foster, Medicare’s chief
actuary. Foster added this statement to the end of the report: “The financial
projections shown in this report for Medicare do not represent a reasonable
expectation…in either the short range…or the long range.”
This isn’t the first administration to conceal our
long- term fiscal problem. Back in 1993, Alice Rivlin, then deputy director of
the Office of Management and Budget, asked me and economists Alan Auerbach and
Jagadeesh Gokhale to prepare a long-term fiscal gap/generational accounting for
inclusion in President Bill Clinton’s 1994 budget.
Politics Triumphs
We worked for months on the analysis, but two days
before the budget’s release, the study was excised from the budget. We were
shocked, but, in retrospect, the politics are clear. The Clinton administration
wanted to claim it was fiscally prudent and the study, which showed unofficial
debt growing at enormous rates, showed the opposite.
The fiscal gap’s next near appearance in a
president’s budget was in 2003. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill commissioned
Gokhale and Kent Smetters to do the study. It showed a massive $45 trillion
fiscal gap -- not a great basis for pushing tax cuts or introducing the
prescription-drug benefit for seniors, known as Medicare Part D. O’Neill was
ousted on Dec. 6, 2002, and a couple of days later the fiscal-gap study was
discarded.
I’m not sure whether censoring the fiscal gap is more
dishonorable than fudging it. What I do know is that we can’t assume our
problems away and that I expected far better of this president when I voted for
him.
--Editors:
James Greiff, Steven Gittelson
Pro-government
forces, rebels engage in battles for territory (Washington Post) [ The big story here, lost on
mainstream media, was the manipulated stock / oil price fraud based upon false
rumor of daffy gaddafi not ducking and
having been shot. Remember: there’s no place for reality in pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america and on fraudulent wall street particularly. STOCKS
MAKE HUGE TURNAROUND ON STUNNING COLLAPSE IN OIL: BASED SOLELY ON NOW KNOWN TO
BE FALSE TWITTER RUMOR! [ Don’t be
surprised if the frauds on wall street initiated the rumors; their fraudulent
manipulations have included far worse … put them in jail where they belong,
with fines, disgorgement! ( ‘…an apparently Twitter-borne rumor started making the rounds
that Qaddafi had been shot! There was no basis for it, but oil simply
collapsed…’ ) ] , On Thursday February 24,
2011 Thank Twitter-borne rumors of Qaddafi's death for the fact that
markets totally didn't get crushed today…’ ] Militiamen, mercenaries hit cities
near capital while protesters seized air force base; U.S., other Western powers
consider responses to situation. Gaddafi
loyalists launch counterattacks ]
Crude prices broke through the $100-a-barrel threshold as violence in
Libya continued to shake markets.
STOCKS
MAKE HUGE TURNAROUND ON STUNNING COLLAPSE IN OIL: BASED SOLELY ON NOW KNOWN TO
BE FALSE TWITTER RUMOR! [ Don’t be
surprised if the frauds on wall street initiated the rumors; their fraudulent
manipulations have included far worse … put them in jail where they belong,
with fines, disgorgement! ( ‘…an
apparently Twitter-borne rumor started making the rounds
that Qaddafi had been shot! There was no basis for it, but oil simply
collapsed…’ ) ] , On Thursday February 24,
2011
February
22, 2011: Mohamed A. El-Erian, CEO PIMCO predicts a period of, at best,
stagflation; which of course is bad for stocks (and worse).
That
House You Bought 10 Years Ago Is Worth Exactly The Same Now As It Was Then
Depew ‘The chart below shows the median price for existing homes, which is down
3.7 percent year-over-year to $158,000. Some interesting things to note about
this:
1) While existing home sales increased 2.7 percent, the percent of home sales
which were distressed rose to 37 percent, an incredible amount if you stop to
think about it.
2) Also, 32 percent of the existing home sales transactions were for cash.
3) Oh, and if you were thinking that the housing bubble collapse has exterminated
all speculative activity in the housing market, consider that 23 percent of all
sales went to buyers classified as "investors."
4) Finally, while the inventory of existing homes available declined to a
little less than 8 months' worth at the current pace of sales, if you factor in
the high percentage of distressed sales along with the fact that the National
Realtors' Survey doesn't account for inventory listed by banks and private
agents... well, you can see where this is headed. [chart]’
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington
Post) [ Sounds like a plan! Come on!
Wake up! After all, what can you expect from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and
scalia, colloquial – note that I have refrained from using what some might
consider disparaging terms as w*p*, gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for
the record that I truly loved and respected my grandmother who was 100%
Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with
greek ancestral roots and thereby claim standing/right to posit the criticism
in light of my direct experience. ). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as
to judges, liars, etc., within the very corrupted american illegal system; and,
particularly bribes which in one form or another are rampant . I don’t know
about Thomas, but I do know about alito and ‘jersey … : October 15, 2010 (*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also include
1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein (which
files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder named
‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act is a
criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages and
attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims probably
owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in need of such
assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations of law which
have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption is pervasive).
A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently with the subject
action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action which was
illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention of the
Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
16
miles away, Saudi Arabia's watchful eye looms over Bahrain unrest (Washington Post) [ I’m sure they
are… with a microscope at that. Saudis Worried
Protests Will Hit Home - saudi arabia;
talk about do nothing hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all
the oil reserves of a sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign
corporations say so For the sake of the saudi Arabian people, more
than just protests should come to fruition!
] AFP | Saudi royal warns Arab world uprisings could cause
harm unless they reform. Bahrain authorities launch surprise attack on protesters [There’s the america and saudi Arabia
effect; far less than democratic and far more deadly in the mideast among other
places; talk about hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the
oil reserves of a sovereign nation as the saudis; time for the saudis to go the
way of dictator Mubarak and take the war criminal americans with them. ] Los Angeles Times Tear gas
canisters bombard sleeping protesters in Manama's Pearl Square. At least two
men are reported killed Video: Bahrain
protesters look to emulate Egypt revolt euronews Riot Police Attack Bahrain Protesters Voice
of America ‘Saudi
Arabia sending troops to Bahrain’ Saudi Arabia is sending troops to Bahrain in a move to crack down
on pro-democracy protesters who took to the streets in the capital Manama, a
political analyst says. [SAUDIS TOLD OBAMA 'NOT TO HUMILIATE MUBARAK'
[ Sounds like they’re hearing footsteps…Previous: Egyptian
capital teeters on anarchy Mubarak
asks cabinet to resign as anti-regime protests intensify
(Washington Post) [ Mubarak should have been looking in the mirror as he asked
his cabinet to resign … 30 years is a long time, and coincidentally, time for
him to go. In
Egypt: Access denied (Washington Post) [The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark [I disagree!
Part of the internet didn’t die, but rather the order to so darken the nation
heralded the demise, at 30 years and counting, of the so-called leadership in
the persona of Mubarak. Time for him to go! After all, he’s been in a position,
with Egypt among the only Mideast nations to have signed a peace treaty with
israel, to have stepped up with substantial credibility in taking a strong
position against israeli transgressions, violations of international law / u.n.
resolutions, war crimes, etc., which beyond soft-touch, he failed to do. And,
of all places, he sends his family to Orwellian england; he still loves those
colonial masters … how pathetic. I mean, 30 years … how free-flowing does
anyone think the election process is at this point … and one could ask the same
regarding the entrenched powers that be in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, to be fair. Then there’s saudi arabia; talk about do nothing
hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil reserves of a
sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign corporations say so. The only
Mideast nations showing backbone are Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and, of course
the perennially propaganda painted bad-boy Iran among possibly some of the
smaller emirates, ie., Qatar, etc., (I lack sufficient information regarding
these other nations). ] (AP)
Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests (AP)
- ]
On
Obama's jobs tour, unemployed have little voice (Washington Post) [ This of
course is so true. That wobama’s done there’s no question. Indeed, despite the
rhetoric, separate terms, hasn’t he proven to be, and isn’t wobama just a continuation
of the NWO / NAFTAite regimes that landed the nation here in this foul,
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt position. How different are america’s
entrenched corrupt bureaucracies / ‘leaders’ from the dictators and their
corrupt bureaucracies being deposed today. If only wobama wasn’t the typical,
jive-talikin’ wobama the b (for b*** s***) he is and did what he ran and was
elected on, the outcome for fallen america would have been substantially
better, though still dire, than that which lies ahead.
State
budget woes draw more protests (Washington Post) [ Obama
joins Wisconsin budget battle Democratic
lawmakers flee state in attempt to block anti-union bill (Washington Post) [ Looks like capital hill
can pick up a few pointers from ‘dem dems … fleeing the state, that is … except
in their case it’ll be fleeing the nation-state, or what’s left of same. Drudgereport: Michelle Obama, Daughters Hit
the Slopes on Ski Vacation ...
Vail...
Bidens vacation on Fla Keys...
FLASHBACK: Obama on tough
economy: 'You might put off a vacation'...
'Everyone must sacrifice'...
RASMUSSEN: OBAMA APPROVAL
SLIPS BACK TO 44%...
Gov't shutdown threat looms
over budget fight... DEBT NOW EQUALS ENTIRE
ECONOMY
OBAMA AGENDA IS OVER Obama refers to himself as
'The Gipper'… [ Riiiight! …anything you say wobmama the b for b*** s***… or
maybe the bipper, the chipper, or the yankee clipper (the new joltin’ joe)
…sounds like he’s losing it! ] ...Debunking
the 'Debunking Myths of U.S. Collapse' Post Ridder [ Stated another way, the collapse of the (dis)united
states is at hand. Now, let me state, that doesn’t mean america will disappear
from the face of the earth, but the reality truly is ‘death from a thousand
cuts’. It’s not just China’s rise, but america’s decline and fall with the
concomitant relative rise of other nations, regions. Quite simply, and
historically factual reality has proven, nation-states cannot and have not
survived the multitude of negative, destructive, and self-destructive things
america has done and prosper as a leading nation. From perpetual war, to
pervasive corruption, fraud, criminality across all stratum including
institutions, government of american society, to what I believe as well to be
an evolved genetic bias of inherent criminality/mental illness which is
ill-adapted to the strictures of a more enlightened 21st Century by way of near
instantaneously available information, with truth and factual reality being
america’s greatest enemy. In support of the foregoing I will reiterate reasons,
infra.] Debt
relief for states proposed (Washington Post) [ I’ve heard of the ‘blind leading the blind’, but the ‘bankrupt
borrowing from the bankrupt’ seems to be a nouveau american phenomenon destined
for ‘clichedom’. Previous: Governors
plan painful cuts amid budget crises (Washington Post) [ This truly is a disaster in the making, with
consequences even more dire than the grim outlook set forth by Meridith
Whitney, if that could even be fathomed. It’s really going to be all that bad…see
infra, The Economic Collapse, ‘#10
The municipal bond crisis could go “supernova” at any time. Already,
investors are bailing out of bonds at a frightening pace. State and local
government debt is now sitting at an all-time high of 22
percent of U.S. GDP. According to Meredith Whitney, the municipal
bond crisis that we are facing is a gigantic threat to our financial system….“It has
tentacles as wide as anything I’ve seen. I think next to housing this is the
single most important issue in the United States and certainly the largest
threat to the U.S. economy.” Economist:
United States Worse Off than Greece Dr. Laurence Kotlikoff is an economics
professor at Boston University. He says the Treasury and the government are
fudging the national debt numbers. Kotlikoff says the United States is bankrupt
and we don’t even know it.
Obama:
US needs better math, science education (AP) [Well, one thing we absolutely
know as true is that there’s at least one person in america in need of better
math skills and his name is’ wobama the b’ (for b*** s*** - despite campaign
promises to the contrary he actually ramped up war spending also despite
defacto bankruptcy of the nation – bush, if only it was just his math skills,
ramped of war spending while cutting taxes … to his base, a wobama’s on the
same page – how totally pathetic both of them are / were) … but let’s not kid
ourselves, from capital hill to wall street, etc., math skills are indeed
lacking. ]
Internet tool shows French web surfers 'Jewish-curious' (AFP) - AFP - An Internet tool that flags up popular
search words has spontaneously revealed a deeper trend: French web surfers'
exceeding curiosity about whether their politicians are Jewish. [ To their
credit, at least in France it might matter … to america’s discredit and
self-destruction, it doesn’t even matter … as Buchanan aptly put it ‘capital
hill is occupied israeli territory and just proved it again with the
foolhardy veto of the un resolution
condemning illegal israeli settlements. ]
Gaddafi vows to maintain hold on power Libyan
strongman says he'll fight 'until the last drop of my blood' (Washington Post) [ His latter wish is the
world’s command. ‘Something there is that doesn’t love a dictator, that wants
them down’ … (Excuse me … I was thinking of walls and ‘Mending Wall’, Robert
Frost). Libya
Internet Shut Down Amid Protests, Per Multiple Reports [ Once again, as in Egypt, this, the
internet, inherently global in nature is the lynchpin, tampering with or
stifling same marking the end of any regime. Let this be a warning; viz., you
cannot put the genie back in the bottle! 41 years? Gadaffy duck should duck
‘cause he’s done. I mean, look at him, he’s the singular equivalent of the
multiple bushes. He’s totally burnt out (as much or more so than dumbya bush or
mubarack) and quite done! ] Reports have emerged late Friday that Libya appears
to have shut down its Internet due to widespread protests, less than a month
after Egypt did the same. ] With rebels
apparently controlling much of the eastern half of the country, the violence
engulfing Libya is already the worst in more than a month of unrest that has
toppled other regimes.
I knew
there was something especially (but typically) not right in Friday’s (and
Thursday’s) trade; and, sure enough, it was a full moon Friday as per lunar
calendar (a must in today’s markets owing to the prevalence of lunatics /
criminally insane on wall street).
A
frayed alliance: Obama and unions Wis.
budget impasse deepens (Washington
Post) [ Frayed? How ‘bout flayed, fillet, and souffled … Or, screwed, nude, and
double chewed … Drudgereport: OBAMA BACKS UNION UPROAR
PELOSI
BACKS PROTESTERS: 'I STAND IN SOLIDARITY'...
DEBT
NOW EQUALS ENTIRE ECONOMY
OBAMA
AGENDA IS OVER
Obama
refers to himself as 'The Gipper'… [ Riiiight! …anything you say wobmama the b
for b*** s***… or maybe the bipper, the chipper, or the yankee clipper (the new
joltin’ joe) …sounds like he’s losing it! ] ...
BUDGET
WOES FORCE STATES TO CONSIDER ABOLISHING '12 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES...
STATE
BUDGETS ON THE BRINK: CA, TX, IL, NY, NJ...
WISC
GOV: 'NOT GOING TO BE BULLIED, INTIMIDATED'...
Orders
state troopers to bring Dems to Capitol...
'There
Is Fear For Scott Walker's Safety'...
Dem
Sen: We'll stay away for weeks...
WALKOUT:
Milwaukee Schools closed; teachers call in 'sick'...
REPORT:
Average city teacher compensation tops $100,000...
PAPER:
GET BACK TO WORK!
DNC
playing role in protests...
Jesse
to the Rescue: Jackson rallies protesters...
'A
real Martin Luther King moment'...
Union
Fight Heats Up...
Republicans
vow to cut spending in state capitols...
Protests
Spread to Ohio...
Michigan...
'Coming
To Minnesota'...
Idaho
offical target of threats over education reform plan...
Egypt
in America?
'Day
of Rage' Hits Wisconsin over state unions...
Madison
schools closed; 1,100 teachers call in 'sick'...
Obama:
'Assault on Unions'...
Obama-founded
OFA spearheading effort to defeat bill...
Boehner:
'Suspend these tactics'...
DEMS
FLEE STATE HOUSE
SENATE
DEMOCRATS FOUND -- AT A RESORT IN ILLINOIS!
Gov.
Walker calls on Dems to return, vote...
Protesters,
supporters clash in Ohio over union bill...
Activists
swarm Boehner's Capitol Hill home; Chant 'don't tread on DC'..
Carney:
Stimulus 'Goals Have Been Met'...
GALLUP:
Unemployment hits 10%...
Feds
Borrow Additional $29,660/Household Since Obama Signed Stimulus...
Ratings
Downgrades Loom for Cash-Strapped States...
Hillary Clinton: Israeli Settlements 'Illegitimate'… [We know that
hill … We’ve known that for quite some time along with their illegal nukes, war
crimes, etc…The whole world knows that hill… so don’t just talk about it … DO
SOMETHING! ] ...
Offended
Mubarak refuses calls from Obama...
Ahmadinejad:
Obama can't spell his own name (True … it’s ‘w o b a m a’ with ‘the b for b*** s***’ his surname …
he’s so pathetic and a total caricature / joke!) ...
Egypt's
protests flare despite military warning...
Libya
set for 'day of anger'...
Thousands
of police confront protesters in Yemen...
Riot
police storm Bahrain camp; 2 reported dead...
ABCNEWS
Correspondent Beaten...
100
Egyptians reach Italy amid Arab exodus...
CARTER:
Muslim 'hood nothing 'to be afraid of'...
PAPER:
Senate hearing turns into farce as American ignorance on Egypt revealed...
USA TO REBUKE ISRAEL AT UN
Poll:
Majority of Republicans Doubt Obama's Birthplace...
Agents
Shot in Mexico...
WORRIES
OBAMA OFFICIALS...
ICE
IN VICE...
GAO:
Feds have 'operational control' of 44% of border; just 15% 'air tight'...
DAY
3: 'Watson' the computer creams human 'JEOPARDY!' champs...
REPORT:
Steve Jobs receiving treatment at cancer center... PAPER:
'Reportedly sicker than previously admitted'...
ISSA
MAKES A MOVE: New subpoena seeks records on sweetheart loans...
U.S.
Government Shuts Down 84,000 Websites, ‘By Mistake’
'Kill
Switch' Internet bill alarms privacy experts...
GOP
BLASTS FCC NET RULES...
TSA
agents busted at JFK for stealing $160,000 from bags...
Hillary
Clinton donors indicted...
Man
mugs 96-year-old -- for $5...
France
Wants New Global Finance System; End of Dollar Dominance...
Fannie,
Freddie bailout: $153 billion and counting...
GALLUP:
Unemployment at 10.3%...
Muslim
Bros plan political party...
Present
Two Faces...
Pakistan
Islamists warn of protests if US prisoner freed...
SECSTATE
JR: Sen Kerry arrives in Pakistan, expresses 'regret', 'sorrow'...
GADDAFI
TELLS PALESTINIANS: REVOLT AGAINST ISRAEL
World
Bank: Food prices at 'dangerous levels'...
Gov't
Motors to pay out $189 million in bonuses; some workers to get 50% payoffs..
Deficit
Expected to Jump to $1.65 Trillion...
...'slow
train wreck coming'
BUDGET
BLOWOUT: How big is $3.73 trillion? $12,000 from each American...
ANALYSIS:
$1.5 trillion
tax hike over 10 years...
AIRLINES:
New fees would be $2 billion tax increase on flyers...
Sessions:
Obama failed on budget...
Long
Spending Fight...
Produce
prices to skyrocket with freeze in Mexico, Southwest...
Clothing
Prices to Rise 10% Starting in Spring...
China
Replaced Japan in 2010 as Number 2 Economy...
China
plans Colombian rail link to challenge Panama canal...
The
March On Berlusconi...
Berlusconi
indicted in prostitution probe...
Malware
'Aimed at Iran Hit Five Sites'...
Mubarak
'falls into coma after final speech'...
Egyptian
military orders last protesters out of 'Liberation Square'...
Consolidates
power...
Delivers
ultimatum...
Boy
wrestler forfeits match to female opponent... [ What a homo! Wow! I
feel sorry for those guys she actually beat (20 of them – her record was 20 and
13) … they’ll probably never get over it … nor should they … I have to rethink
my regard for Iowa, Iowa state wrestling now presuming such stalwart
championship teams to be the products of out-of-state imports … as for the guy
who forfeited, he could have easily and gently taken her down (you can easily
do that with a lesser opponent), got her in a double grapevine and grind her in
a certain way into the mat, and when she was in the throws of convulsive
orgasm, she’d unwittingly arch her back, thereby pressing her own shoulder
blades to the mat, thereby pinning herself, thus enabling the homo to say in a
manner of speaking that he was making heterosexual love not war with her ………
how pathetic and preposterous this was … and, let me remind the homo that God
doesn’t care that you wrestle a girl who wants to wrestle! ]
]
House
approves dramatic cuts in federal spending
Vote
sets up showdown with Dems; threat of shutdown looms (Washington
Post) [ As they say on SNL, ‘What’s up with that?’. Come on! Wake up! That
doesn’t even cover the interest on a $14 trillion debt. And, how disingenuous
of the author to write, ‘largest cut of its kind since WWII’… Not in percentage
terms by a long shot! … Timid
Tuesday: Is it Safe? Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are
simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of
global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form
of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh)
is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut
$100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while
continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1%
each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool
all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT
THERE! ‘ ] After all-night debate, House votes
235-189 to approve plan to cut $60 billion in federal funding in what'd be the
largest cut of its kind since WWII.
The following
are 25 unemployment statistics that are almost too depressing to read….
#1 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
U.S. unemployment rate for November was 9.8
percent. This was up from 9.6 percent in October, and it continues a
trend of depressingly high unemployment rates. The official unemployment
number has been at 9.5 percent or higher for well over a year at this point.
#2 In November 2006, the “official” U.S. unemployment
rate was just 4.5
percent.
#3 Most economists had been expecting the U.S. economy
to add about 150,000 jobs in November. Instead, it
only added 39,000.
#4 In the United States today, there are over 15
million people who are “officially” considered to be unemployed for
statistical purposes. But everyone knows that the “real” number is even
much larger than that.
#5 As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million
Americans that had been unemployed for half a year or longer. Today,
there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.
#6 The number of “persons not in the labor force” in
the United States recently
set another new all-time record.
#7 It now takes the average unemployed American over
33 weeks to find a job.
#8 When you throw in “discouraged workers” and
“underemployed workers”, the “real” unemployment rate in the state of
California is
actually about 22 percent.
#9 In America today there are not nearly enough jobs
for everyone. In fact, there are now approximately
5 unemployed Americans for every single job opening.
#10 According
to The New York Times, Americans that have been unemployed for five weeks
or less are three times more likely to find a new job in the coming month than
Americans that have been unemployed for over a year.
#11 The U.S. economy would need to create 235,120
new jobs a month to get the unemployment rate down to pre-recession levels
by 2016. Does anyone think that there is even a prayer that is going to
happen?
#12 There are 9
million Americans that are working part-time for “economic reasons”.
In other words, those Americans would gladly take full-time jobs if they could
get them, but all they have been able to find is part-time work.
#13 In 2009, total wages, median wages, and average
wages all
declined in the United States.
#14 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million
Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time that less
than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.
#15 The United States has lost at least 7.5
million jobs since the recession began.
#16 Today, only
about 40 percent of Ford Motor Company’s 178,000 workers are employed
in North America, and a big percentage of those jobs are in Canada and
Mexico.
#17 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28
percent of U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented 11.5
percent.
#18 Earlier this year, one poll found that 28% of all American households had at least one member that
was looking for a full-time job.
#19 In the United States today, over
18,000 parking lot attendants have college degrees.
#20 The United States has lost a staggering
32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#21 As the employment situation continues to stagnate,
millions of American families have decided to cut back on things such as
insurance coverage. For example, the percentage of American households
that have life insurance coverage is at its lowest level in
50 years.
#22 Unless Congress acts, and there is no indication
that is going to happen, approximately 2 million Americans will stop receiving unemployment checks over the next
couple of months.
#23 A poll that was released by the Pew Research Center
back in June discovered that an
astounding 55 percent of the U.S. labor force has experienced either
unemployment, a pay decrease, a reduction in hours or an involuntary move
to part-time work since the economic downturn began.
#24 According to Richard McCormack, the United States
has lost over
42,000 factories (and counting) since 2001.
#25 In the United States today, 317,000
waiters and waitresses have college degrees.
But this is
what we get for creating the biggest debt
bubble in the history of the world. For decades we have been digging
a deeper hole for ourselves by going into increasingly larger amounts of
debt. In America today, our entire economy is based on debt. Even
our money
is debt. We were fools if we ever thought this could go on forever.
Just think about it. Have you ever gone out and run up a bunch of
debt? It can be a lot of fun sitting behind the wheel of a new car,
running your credit cards up to the limit and buying a beautiful big house that
you cannot afford. But in the end what happens? It always catches up with you.
Well, our collective debt is starting to catch up with us. There is a sea
of red ink on every level of American society. It is only a matter of
time before it destroys our economy. IF YOU THINK THAT
THINGS ARE BAD NOW, JUST WAIT. THINGS ARE GOING TO GET A WHOLE LOT
WORSE. A HORRIFIC ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IS COMING, AND IT IS GOING TO BE
VERY, VERY PAINFUL.’
17 Things Worrying
Investors Lloyd's Wall of Worry
Worry Count: 17
CHINA: 1,330,044,605 people can’t be wrong.
The PIIGS: Fasten your seatbelts. It’s gonna be a long, bumpy, expensive,
weird, (insert your own adjective here) freak show of a ride.
CALIFORNIA AND THE OTHER 49 STATES: Not yet as dire as “The PIIGS”. Might I suggest
the classier moniker of “The Prosciuttos” for the American basket-case states?
QE II: Gobble?
U.S. ECONOMY: The “Punky Brewster” of the global economic landscape.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Only thing worse than losing your job, losing your unemployment
check. At least there’s the holiday season to cheer everyone up (read: heavy
sarcasm).
TAXES: Praying to the Financial Market Gods that we don’t have another
TARP-like vote fiasco.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PART II: Still two years before the Pres. election and the
peanut gallery is already pleading for a Hail Mary Pass to get them back in the
game.
HFT: Instead of beating up these liquidity supplying traders, let’s honor them
with their very own stock exchange. But wait -- with no retail
saps to pick-off they will never get that Day 1 opening bell tick. Perfect.
XMAS 2010: As my professor friend Nick says, “Nowadays Americans are dining off
of two menus – The Million Dollar and the $0.99 Cent.” And both
are pissed about it.
CURRENCIES: Poor Mr. Greenback. Does someone need a hug?
HOUSING CRISIS: Price Stabilization – Are we there yet? Just a little bit more.
Are we there yet? Just a little bit more. Are we there yet? Just a little bit
more….
INFLATION/DEFLATION: Fed Chief Ben B. comes out swinging from his heels in
defense of inflation promotion. Don’t punch yourself out as this one is likely
to go the distance.
COMMODITIES: Corrected but still sky high; fortunately these prices are only
affecting core, basic, life-sustaining necessities and sparing our electronic
gadgets and plus-sized SUVs. Whew!
INSIDER TRADING: Another black eye for Hedge Funds. I estimate that makes black
eye number 6,597.
INTEREST RATES: South Korea and China slowly turning up the dial to “11”. On
the other hand the U.S. has removed the dial altogether. This never ends well….
NORTH KOREA: Here we go again. (and now Egypt, etc.)
Consumer confidence down, LiveLeak.com - Loonie closes above U.S. dollar … dollar for first time closes below parity on Canadian
loonie … hey, hey, hey … 'Huge' stock decline — but not yet MarketWatch
- Commentary: Adens … ‘mega trend’ looks grim … The
Adens expect a hyperinflationary collapse … ‘ Oh come
on! Manipulated dollar decline with inflated earnings, stock prices thereby,
etc., … we’ve seen this all before … the last few crashes … Jobless
rate jumps to 9.8% as hiring slows (Washington Post) [ The reality is not a mystery! The nation’s
been thrown under the bus for the greater good (wealth) of the very few (frauds
on wall street, etc.); wall street giving out record bonuses from their accomplished
fraud (with no-recession b.s. bernanke help) of $144 BILLION: Come on! This is
gettin’ even more downright ridiculous (if that’s even possible)! Pending home
foreclosure / distress sales up, oil prices (and oil stocks) up, debased dollar
down, plus a little familiar ‘better than expected’ thrown in along with
prospects of a ‘no-recession bernanke’ market-frothing bull session on 60
minutes and, voila, suckers’ rally into the close to keep the suckers suckered!
What’s good for the frauds on wall street is bad for just about everyone else
which includes the vast majority of people and businesses, domestically and
globally, as current dollar manipulation / debasement ultimately results in
higher costs and loss of purchasing power (ie., oil, etc.). Clearly, this is
one of those fraudulent wealth transfers to the frauds on wall street et als
which will ultimately be paid for by those who least are in a position to
afford it, courtesy of the ever more worthless Weimar dollar, etc., inflating
earnings, eps, lowering p/e multiples, etc., see infra. This is an especially
great time to sell / take profits while you can since there's much worse to
come! Previous: Rosy numbers on consumer sentiment, unemployment (far better
than private forecasts) from the government prior to the holiday so-called
‘shop till you drop’? How can anyone believe anything they say? Najerian
interviewed by Motek chimes in with the reason for good retail cheer; viz.,
people have stopped paying their mortgages and are using the funds to purchase
retail goods; while Davidowitz adds that with record numbers of americans on
food stamps, real unemployment at 17+, and wall street giving out record
bonuses from their accomplished fraud (with no-recession b.s. bernanke help) of
$144 BILLION … the high end stores /
jewelers will do well … daaaaah! And, with insiders
and wall street frauds selling into the bubble as preceded last crash, this is
an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits! Suckers’ rally on light volume, full moon, and government
complicity (false data / reports) to keep suckers suckered (easy for the wall
street frauds to do with just a mouse click / push of the button – and, they
know all those technical trade lines that are easy to program in this current
phase of the scam/fraud with the debased dollar). Keep in mind, the totally
mindless blather from the ‘cottage industries’ of and fraudulent wall street
itself in talking up lower P/E multiples when the same is a direct result of
the debasement of the dollar and the consequent manipulation / translation (not
real, see Davis, infra) which preceded the financial crisis / last crash.
Unemployment, trade, deficit, etc., numbers continue decidedly worse than
expected along with other negative data (and in the ‘wrong direction’, that
spin accorded ‘down but not as bad as before’ b*** s*** ) yet the market has
rallied like no tomorrow with used home foreclosure / distressed sales, though
abated owing to ‘foreclosuregate’, the other ‘heralded’ good news. Moreover, the dumbo lemmings of Europe have
jumped on the fraudulent defacto bankrupt american crazy train propelled to the
precipice also as if no tomorrow. This is about keeping the suckers sucked in
with the help of a market-frothing pre-election debased dollar for favorable
currency translation and paper (but not real when measured in, ie., gold, etc.)
profits which preceded the last crisis, inflating a bubble as in the last
crisis to facilitate the churn-and-earn, particularly with computerized (and
high frequency) trades and which commissions they’ll get again on the way down.
There is nothing to support these overbought stock prices, fundamentally or
otherwise. These are desperate criminals ‘at work’. Even wall street shill, the
senile Buffett is saying we’re still in a recession (depression) [
Davis: ‘… all profits are inflated
by 10% (from falling, debased dollar) and that 10% is the E that gets divided
from the P and gives us a much better price/multiple to hang our hats on and
that gets investors to BUYBUYBUY …’ The bull market that never was / were beyond wall
street b.s. when measured in gold ] This is a great
opportunity to sell / take profits (these lower dollar, hyperinflationary
currency manipulations / translations to froth paper stocks will end quite
badly as in last crash)! This
is a global depression. This is a secular bear market in a global depression.
The past up moves were manipulated bull (s***) cycles (at best) in a secular
bear market. This has been a typically manipulated bubble as has preceded the
prior crashes with great regularity that the wall street frauds and insiders
commission and sell into. This is a typical wall street ‘programmed
computerized high-frequency churn and earn pass the hot potato scam / fraud as
in prior crashes ( widely reported, high-frequency trading routinely
accounts for more than 50% of daily U.S. equity trading volume and regularly
approaches 70%. )’. This national decline, economic and otherwise, will not end
until justice is served and the wall street frauds et als are criminally
prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed.The Stock Market's
Long Decline Has Begun Smith ]
Sadly, very
little has changed since the world financial system experienced almost a
complete meltdown back in 2008. Global financial markets are still a
whirlpool of debt and speculation. One really bad week could put us right
back where we were prior to the infamous Wall Street bailouts. Very
little in our world is truly stable anymore. As we have seen recently in
Egypt, the globe can literally change almost overnight. All it would take
is for one really bad event to happen and world financial markets would
instantly start imploding.
So when will
the coming economic collapse happen? Nobody knows for sure, but the fact
that the global economy is increasingly becoming less stable as we approach the
year 2012 is making a lot of people very nervous.
The following
are 47 statistics that indicate that economic stress points in 2011 could be
setting the stage for a global economic meltdown in 2012….
#1 According to the United Nations, global food
prices set a new all-time record
during the month of January.
#2 In early February the worst freeze in 60
years wiped out entire crops all across the southwestern U.S. and northern
Mexico. Already, it has been reported that some U.S. supermarkets have
doubled or even tripled prices for certain produce items.
#3 It is being reported that due to the recent horrible
freeze in Mexico cases of tomatoes that would usually cost shop owners between
12 and 15 dollars are now going for up to $40.
#4 One of China’s key agricultural provinces is facing
its worst drought in 200 years.
#5 The Food and Agriculture Organization says that up to
two-thirds of China’s wheat crop could be at risk of failing due to weather
conditions.
#6 Officials in Mexico are estimating that four million
tons of corn have been lost because of the recent freeze. That represents
a full 16 percent of Mexico’s annual corn
harvest.
#7 The price of corn has doubled over the last six months
and it recently hit a new all-time high.
#8 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced
that corn supplies are the tightest that they have been in 15 years.
#9 It appears that Chinese imports of corn will
be about 9 times larger than the
U.S. Department of Agriculture originally projected them to be for 2011.
#10 The price of wheat has more than doubled over
the past year and it hit a 30-month high on Monday.
#11 In the event of a global catastrophe, current global
stockpiles of wheat would only be able to feed the world for 82 days.
#12 According to Forbes, the price
of soybeans is up about 50% since last June.
#13 The price of cotton has more than doubled over
the past year.
#14 The commodity price of orange juice has doubled since 2009.
#15 The price of sugar is the highest it has been in 30 years.
#16 The United Nations is projecting that the global
price of food will increase by
another 30 percent by the end of 2011.
#17 In the U.K., the official rate of inflation is now twice as high as the
target rate of inflation.
#18 Inflation in China is starting to get out of
control. For example, food prices in China rose 10.3 percent during the
month of January.
#19 Almost 14 percent of all credit
card accounts in the United States are currently 90 days or more delinquent.
#20 New home sales in the state of California were
at the lowest level ever
recorded in the month of January.
#21 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the number of job openings in the United States declined for a second straight month
during December.
#22 Average household debt in the United States has now
reached a level of 136% of average household income.
#23 It is estimated that there are about 5 million
homeowners in the United States that are at least two months
behind on their mortgages, and it is being projected that over a million
American families will be booted out of their homes this year alone.
#24 Today, 46% of all Americans carry a
credit card balance from month to month.
#25 700,000 Americans have signed up for a credit card
that has interest rates that go as high as 59.9%.
#26 Americans now owe more than $889 billion on student loans,
which is even more than they owe on credit cards.
#27 The FDIC is “insuring” U.S. bank deposits that total
5.4 trillion dollars with a deposit insurance fund that is currently sitting at
approximately negative 8 billion dollars.
#28 The Social Security trust fund will run a deficit
of 56 billion dollars this
year. Just a couple of years ago government planners were promising that
we would not have any Social Security deficits until at least 2016 or 2017.
#29 When you adjust wages for inflation, middle class
workers in the United States make less money today than they did back in 1971.
#30 4.2 million Americans have
been unemployed for one year or longer at this point.
#31 The number of Americans that have become so discouraged
that they have given up searching for work completely now stands at an all-time high.
#32 According to a recent Gallup poll, 35 percent of Americans
believe that unemployment is currently the most important problem in the United
States. Another 29 percent believe that the economy is currently our
biggest problem.
#33 Gallup also says that 19.6 percent of the workforce in
America is currently either unemployed or underemployed.
#34 The U.S. government says that 504,000 Americans “dropped out of
the labor force” in January.
#35 The Obama administration is projecting that the
federal budget deficit will be 1.65 trillion dollars for
fiscal 2011.
#36 It is estimated that the total U.S. national
debt will be greater
than 100 percent of GDP by the end of this fiscal year.
#37 The U.S. government relies on foreign nations such
as China and Japan to finance 40 percent of all new government debt.
#38 State and local government debt is now sitting at an
all-time high of 22 percent of U.S. GDP.
#39 The Chinese are now hoarding gold like there is no
tomorrow. In fact, Chinese demand for gold has now risen to
approximately 25% of total global production.
#40 According to
a recent report from the World Economic Forum, the world is going to need
another $100 trillion in credit to support projected “economic growth” over the
next decade.
#41 According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, visits to
soup kitchens are up 24 percent over the past
year.
#42 One out of every seven
Americans is now on food stamps.
#43 One out of every six elderly
Americans now lives below the federal poverty line.
#44 During the last school year, almost half of all school children in
the state of Illinois came from families that were considered to be
“low-income”.
#45 According to a survey released very close to the end
of 2010, 55 percentof all Americans are now
living paycheck to paycheck. A major economic downturn could quickly wipe
out millions of families.
#46 Gasoline prices in the United States are now the
highest that they have ever been
in the middle of February.
#47 Faith in our economic system continues to
decline. According to one new report, only 26 percent of
Americans now trust the U.S. financial system.’
Video: Why Isn’t
Wall St. in Jail? [ This truly will prove to be the story of the century
(albeit an abbreviated one and a turning point toward america’s intractable
decline) owing to what will ultimately be the lynch-pin of global economic /
financial collapse ushering in an era of great scarcity in more ways than can
be imagined. The pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt american nation /
government has literally underwritten this massive fraud at the expense of the
vast majorities directly and indirectly, precluded prosecution while
obfuscating the substantial crimes, literally becoming accomplices thereby.
There is absolutely no excuse for what is essentially a defalcation and
abrogation of duty. I was watching a somewhat obscure film recently which
(though elsewhere on this page and site I’ve set forth alarming crime
statistics clearing showing america as number 1 in all categories by wide
margins) which set forth the statistic that america has 85% of the world’s
serial killers (and I’d go further in saying it is likely that america has a
similar lead in war crimes, etc.) ] MSNBC | Cenk Uygur talks
to Matt Taibbi about his latest Rolling Stone article.
.
Bahrain authorities launch surprise attack on protesters [There’s the america and saudi Arabia
effect; far less than democratic and far more deadly in the mideast among other
places; talk about hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the
oil reserves of a sovereign nation as the saudis; time for the saudis to go the
way of dictator Mubarak and take the war criminal americans with them. ] Los Angeles Times Tear gas
canisters bombard sleeping protesters in Manama's Pearl Square. At least two
men are reported killed Video: Bahrain
protesters look to emulate Egypt revolt euronews Riot Police Attack Bahrain Protesters Voice
of America
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal
Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends With
Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino in
mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit
ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions
to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO Case)
]
earned many billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense
was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the
people, all of the time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
WeAreChange Confronts Dick Cheney on 9/11 Standdown Order
Aaron Dykes | Activist group confronts former vice
president Dick Cheney about inconsistencies in 9/11 testimony and actions in
PEOC bunker. ‘Infowars.comFebruary 15,
2010The testimony of Norman
Mineta before the 9/11 Commission leaves compelling questions about former
Vice President Dick Cheney’s actions on the day of 9/11. Then Transportation
Secretary Mineta witnessed Cheney refuse to contradict an apparent standdown
order as an aide warned of something incoming at the Pentagon. Cheney has given
conflicting
reports about what time he entered the PEOC bunker. Mineta later
confirmed his suppressed 9/11 Commission testimony and refuted Cheney’s
account of arriving later.During the CPAC conference, WeAreChange.org confronted Cheney about
these questions, which he refused to address.“Hey Mr. Cheney, what did you
do in the underground bunker on 9/11? Dick Cheney we know what you did on 9/11
with the standdown order. Norman Mineta testified against you on the 9/11
Commission report. What happened on 9/11?”When he was being forced out,
WeAreChange.org founder Luke Rudkowski calmly asked security not to push him;
security backed off after asking him, ‘Are you being polite?’
Luke Rudkowski and James Lane of We Are Change confront Dick Cheney in
Washington D.C. at CPAC 2/10/2011.
WeAreChangeOklahoma – Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney (CPAC 2011)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 3610.01A issued June
1, 2001 on “Aircraft Piracy (Hijacking) and Destruction of Derelict Airborne
Objects (Click each document for a larger image)
Cheney dodged the continuing questions by exiting with his entourage into an
elevator. As a woman started repeating “Thank you Mr. Cheney for all you’ve
done,” Rudkowski interjected that he was a ‘terrorist.’ Certainly, the use of admittedly
elevated terror alerts throughout the Bush administration to stoke the fear
card and score political dominion alone is reason to justify this label. The
implications of what really happened on 9/11, and in relation to Cheney’s
apparent standdown order, is even more compelling. Notably, a change in the
standard operating procedure for the chain of command during the event of a
hijacked aircraft was changed in June 2001, including subjecting NORAD’s
response to DoD approval (SEE BELOW).
The former Vice President’s re-entry into the public limelight, after years of
dealing with heart issues, is what appears to be an attempt to re-brand the
Bush Administration in time to retain neo-con power in the coming GOP
presidential primary field, where tea party politics and candidates like Ron
Paul have obviously taken root with conservative voters in the years of the
Obama administration. This confrontation occurred during the same CPAC
convention where Ron
Paul won the presidential straw poll and Dick Cheney was heckled
and called a “war-monger” during a pep rally where Donald Rumsfeld was given
the “Defender of the Constitution Award.”
From Norman
Mineta’s testimony:
“During the time that the airplane was coming into the Pentagon, there
was a young man who would come in and say to the Vice President…the plane is 50
miles out…the plane is 30 miles out….and when it got down to the plane is 10
miles out, the young man also said to the vice president “do the orders still
stand?” And the Vice President turned and whipped his neck around and said “Of
course the orders still stand, have you heard anything to the contrary!?’
Boehner
draws line on spending bill (Washington Post) [ Lines … riiiiight! … republicans are great ones
for drawing lines … Poppy bush’s line in sand ( everyone who really knows the
real story knows that bush’s cia station chief, april glaspie gave sadam
hussein the green light to invade Kuwait over their dispute concerning Kuwait’s
slant-drilling of Iraqi oil reserves … to contrive the conflict. ), lines of
war-criminal dumbya bush of with us or aggin’ us, etc., but we can thank both
parties in terms of their bi-partisan
contribution to ever-growing unemployment LINES. Yes, unemployment numbers were quite bad this day, but the frauds
on wall street with fed help you’ll ultimately pay for rallied anyway. Jobless
Recovery?: 25 Unemployment Statistics That Are Almost Too Depressing To Read ‘…
Unemployment is up again! That’s right – even though Wall Street is swimming in
cash and the Obama administration is declaring that “the recession is over”,
the U.S. unemployment rate has gone even higher. So are you enjoying the
jobless recovery? Economic
Collapse Blog ‘Guess what? Unemployment is up again! That’s
right – even though Wall Street is swimming in cash and the Obama
administration is declaring that “the recession is over”, the U.S. unemployment
rate has gone even higher ... Times are really, really tough and unfortunately
the long-term outlook is very bleak. We should have compassion on those
who are out of work right now, because soon many of us may join them.The
following are 25 unemployment statistics that are almost too depressing to
read…. See infra for list
Stock Melt-Up Continues to Ignore Warnings [ While I generally warn against
short-selling as an investment strategy for all but the most successful
speculators (there are very, very few), if there ever was a time to try your
luck at same, that time is now! We’re now beyond the absurd in these
overbought, overvalued, contrived, manipulated markets. See also, Dave infra,
‘…Further, the Philly Fed (riiiiight …
that global hub of manufacturing activity) came in much higher than expected
although inside the numbers the prices paid vs prices received disparity was
the greatest since 1979. That wasn't a great time for corporate profits. Even
though there's some "discussion" within the Fed over the
effectiveness of QE operations another heavy dose of POMO
was released to trading desks again
Thursday. …’ Why Isn’t Wall Street
in Jail? Matt Taibbi | Financial crooks brought down the
world’s economy — but the feds are doing more to protect them than to prosecute
them. ( This is not a too big to fail, but a too willing to pay bribes to jail
- reality. This really is beyond the pale, particularly when they trumpet
prosecution of $225 million in medicare frauds while wall street’s continuing
fraud in the trillions remains unprosecuted – there is no excuse whatsoever –
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america is done!). ] Minyanville
‘Suttmeier, chief market strategist at ValuEngine.com: The stock melt-up has the major equity
averages above this week’s pivots putting the focus on the Nasdaq and its
quarterly risky level at 2853. The Dow Transports broke above the potential
double-top. Stocks are ignoring the ValuEngine Valuation Warning and extreme
overbought technical market indicators. The 10-Year yield failed at my weekly
risky level at 3.568 after holding my annual value level at 3.791 last week.
Comex gold is above my annual pivot at $1356.5 and closed above its 50-day
simple moving average at
$1372.2. Nymex crude oil remains below my semiannual pivot at $87.52, but is
now oversold. The euro is above its 50-day simple moving average at 1.3377 with
this week’s risky level at 1.3636.
Imams
wage political battle against U.S. (Washington Post) [ Yeah!
Are not these native Afghans freedom fighters in the highest, truest, and most
noble sense of the term. I mean, pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt
america’s destructive and corrupting influence is unequivocal (including the
resurgent heroin trade that had all been eradicated by the Taliban). This
unlawful incursion is a lose, lose scenario for all parties; and, america’s /
israel’s / nato’s zionist aspirations in the region are among the most
self-destructive, self-defeating policies in world history. ] For the U.S. government, and for the
100,000 American troops fighting in Afghanistan, the messages delivered last
Friday could hardly have been worse.
Clock
is ticking (Washington Post) [ Oh come on! Don’t be a
spoil-sport realist; after all, these are, unlike mubarak, young
pro-saudi-american dictators and still have a bright future of repression /
oppression / suppression ahead of them for the greater good of … status quo? …
nobody really thinks so. Tick-Tock! ] Editorial: In Bahrain, America should press the government to
cease its repression [ Don’t hold your breath. ]. Bahrain authorities launch surprise attack on protesters [There’s the america and saudi Arabia
effect; far less than democratic and far more deadly in the mideast among other
places; talk about hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the
oil reserves of a sovereign nation as the saudis; time for the saudis to go the
way of dictator Mubarak and take the war criminal americans with them. ] Los Angeles Times Tear gas
canisters bombard sleeping protesters in Manama's Pearl Square. At least two
men are reported killed Video: Bahrain
protesters look to emulate Egypt revolt euronews Riot Police Attack Bahrain Protesters Voice
of America
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal
Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends With
Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino in
mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit
ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions
to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO Case)
]
earned many billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense
was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the
people, all of the time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
Sadly, very
little has changed since the world financial system experienced almost a
complete meltdown back in 2008. Global financial markets are still a
whirlpool of debt and speculation. One really bad week could put us right
back where we were prior to the infamous Wall Street bailouts. Very
little in our world is truly stable anymore. As we have seen recently in
Egypt, the globe can literally change almost overnight. All it would take
is for one really bad event to happen and world financial markets would
instantly start imploding.
So when will
the coming economic collapse happen? Nobody knows for sure, but the fact
that the global economy is increasingly becoming less stable as we approach the
year 2012 is making a lot of people very nervous.
The following
are 47 statistics that indicate that economic stress points in 2011 could be
setting the stage for a global economic meltdown in 2012….
#1 According to the United Nations, global food
prices set a new all-time record
during the month of January.
#2 In early February the worst freeze in 60
years wiped out entire crops all across the southwestern U.S. and northern
Mexico. Already, it has been reported that some U.S. supermarkets have
doubled or even tripled prices for certain produce items.
#3 It is being reported that due to the recent horrible
freeze in Mexico cases of tomatoes that would usually cost shop owners between
12 and 15 dollars are now going for up to $40.
#4 One of China’s key agricultural provinces is facing
its worst drought in 200 years.
#5 The Food and Agriculture Organization says that up to
two-thirds of China’s wheat crop could be at risk of failing due to weather
conditions.
#6 Officials in Mexico are estimating that four million
tons of corn have been lost because of the recent freeze. That represents
a full 16 percent of Mexico’s annual corn
harvest.
#7 The price of corn has doubled over the last six months
and it recently hit a new all-time high.
#8 The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced
that corn supplies are the tightest that they have been in 15 years.
#9 It appears that Chinese imports of corn will
be about 9 times larger than the
U.S. Department of Agriculture originally projected them to be for 2011.
#10 The price of wheat has more than doubled over
the past year and it hit a 30-month high on Monday.
#11 In the event of a global catastrophe, current global
stockpiles of wheat would only be able to feed the world for 82 days.
#12 According to Forbes, the price
of soybeans is up about 50% since last June.
#13 The price of cotton has more than doubled over
the past year.
#14 The commodity price of orange juice has doubled since 2009.
#15 The price of sugar is the highest it has been in 30 years.
#16 The United Nations is projecting that the global
price of food will increase by
another 30 percent by the end of 2011.
#17 In the U.K., the official rate of inflation is now twice as high as the
target rate of inflation.
#18 Inflation in China is starting to get out of
control. For example, food prices in China rose 10.3 percent during the
month of January.
#19 Almost 14 percent of all credit card
accounts in the United States are currently 90 days or more delinquent.
#20 New home sales in the state of California were
at the lowest level ever
recorded in the month of January.
#21 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the number of job openings in the United States declined for a second straight month
during December.
#22 Average household debt in the United States has now
reached a level of 136% of average household income.
#23 It is estimated that there are about 5 million homeowners
in the United States that are at least two months
behind on their mortgages, and it is being projected that over a million
American families will be booted out of their homes this year alone.
#24 Today, 46% of all Americans carry a
credit card balance from month to month.
#25 700,000 Americans have signed up for a credit card
that has interest rates that go as high as 59.9%.
#26 Americans now owe more than $889 billion on student loans,
which is even more than they owe on credit cards.
#27 The FDIC is “insuring” U.S. bank deposits that total
5.4 trillion dollars with a deposit insurance fund that is currently sitting at
approximately negative 8 billion dollars.
#28 The Social Security trust fund will run a deficit
of 56 billion dollars this
year. Just a couple of years ago government planners were promising that
we would not have any Social Security deficits until at least 2016 or 2017.
#29 When you adjust wages for inflation, middle class
workers in the United States make less money today than they did back in 1971.
#30 4.2 million Americans have
been unemployed for one year or longer at this point.
#31 The number of Americans that have become so
discouraged that they have given up searching for work completely now
stands at an all-time high.
#32 According to a recent Gallup poll, 35 percent of Americans
believe that unemployment is currently the most important problem in the United
States. Another 29 percent believe that the economy is currently our
biggest problem.
#33 Gallup also says that 19.6 percent of the workforce in
America is currently either unemployed or underemployed.
#34 The U.S. government says that 504,000 Americans “dropped out of
the labor force” in January.
#35 The Obama administration is projecting that the
federal budget deficit will be 1.65 trillion dollars for
fiscal 2011.
#36 It is estimated that the total U.S. national
debt will be greater
than 100 percent of GDP by the end of this fiscal year.
#37 The U.S. government relies on foreign nations such
as China and Japan to finance 40 percent of all new government debt.
#38 State and local government debt is now sitting at an
all-time high of 22 percent of U.S. GDP.
#39 The Chinese are now hoarding gold like there is no
tomorrow. In fact, Chinese demand for gold has now risen to
approximately 25% of total global production.
#40 According to
a recent report from the World Economic Forum, the world is going to need
another $100 trillion in credit to support projected “economic growth” over the
next decade.
#41 According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, visits
to soup kitchens are up 24 percent over the past
year.
#42 One out of every seven
Americans is now on food stamps.
#43 One out of every six elderly
Americans now lives below the federal poverty line.
#44 During the last school year, almost half of all school children in
the state of Illinois came from families that were considered to be
“low-income”.
#45
According to a survey released very close to the end of 2010, 55 percentof all Americans are now
living paycheck to paycheck. A major economic downturn could quickly wipe
out millions of families.
#46
Gasoline prices in the United States are now the highest that they have ever been
in the middle of February.
#47 Faith in our economic system continues to decline. According to one new report, only 26 percent of Americans now trust the U.S. financial system.’
Panetta
outlines plan for bin Laden (Washington Post) [ Yeah, and if panetta’s
grandmother had wheels she’d be a trolley car. I mean, how much more irrelevant
can the cia become, beyond their drug deals, arms deals, among other
self-interested / perpetuating ops / commotions / promotions. In case they
haven’t looked recently, pervasively corrupt america is defacto bankrupt; and
in large part owing to their flawed, self-perpetuating strategies (oh, how they
loved and miss the cold war). Who cares (about Osama bin Laden or his deputy
Ayman al-Zawahiri). Indeed, one way or another, it makes no difference.
Moreover, take a look at the ‘stand-down’ order as discussed infra regarding
‘that pearl harbor event / neo-con wet dream’. They are so pathetic! A parallel
universe? They only wish! ] CIA
Director Leon Panetta told Congress on Wednesday that if Osama bin Laden or his
deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri is captured they will be held by the military and
probably will be sent to Guantanamo Bay. (Reuters)
In
Bahrain, authorities move against protesters Police
use tear gas, clubs and rubber bullets to disperse crowd (Washington Post) [ Bahrain authorities launch surprise attack on protesters [There’s the america and saudi Arabia
effect; far less than democratic and far more deadly in the mideast among other
places; talk about hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the
oil reserves of a sovereign nation as the saudis; time for the saudis to go the
way of dictator Mubarak and take the war criminal americans with them. ] Los Angeles Times Tear gas
canisters bombard sleeping protesters in Manama's Pearl Square. At least two
men are reported killed Video: Bahrain
protesters look to emulate Egypt revolt euronews Riot Police Attack Bahrain Protesters Voice
of America
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal
Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends With
Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino in
mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit
ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions
to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO Case)
]
earned many billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense
was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the
people, all of the time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant part
of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY HECKLED...
'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?'
]
] At least two are killed, while those
involved in the protests say others are critically injured. There is no
official word on deaths or injuries.
Obama
careful in crackdown (Washington Post) [ Sounds like a page out of the
former american-installed shah of Iran’s play-book … The important difference
here is the life and death continued struggle of Iran against the Zionist
israeli / american regimes (look at what the latter regimes do, not what they
say) … Indeed, the great american/israeli hope for Iran, ‘son of shah’ … pshaw!
I have a special affinity for Egypt, a land of great wisdom with the richest of
histories and culture and wisdom of the ages in wisely, at one time, holding
Cats in their highest regard and esteem!
] President Obama cautiously criticized the Iranian government Tuesday
for carrying out a deadly crackdown on street demonstrations, as hard-line
legislators in Tehran called for the execution of several prominent opposition
leaders. (Afp/getty Images)
Americans
climb out of debt, save more (Washington Post) [ There is what is known in
basic economics as the so-called “paradox of thrift’ and the negative portends
for the economy the natural concomitant. There is no getting away from that
age-old economic equation Gross Domestic Product is the sum of all spending on
goods and services in a nation's economy in a year. The formula for GDP is: GDP
= C + I + G + (Ex - Im), where “C” equals spending by consumers, “I” equals
investment by businesses, “G” equals government spending and “(Ex - Im)” equals
net exports, that is, the value of exports minus imports. Net exports may be
negative. Of late, the C component has risen to near 71%, fueled by
unsustainable credit. Private investment owing to a structural shift has lagged
for want of real (profitable domestic)
investment opportunities (the wall street computer-programmed high
frequency churn-and-earn is NOT a component here but rather a net negative
owing to the lesser propensity to consume of the frauds on wall street), and we
all know the direction of government spending. Read more: GDP and the Players Three: All Together Now: C + I + G —
Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/cig/economics/consumption-investment-government.html#ixzz1E79N4H4B . That said, this (saving) is still good
for americans generally since the government has long since all but stopped
concerning themselves with the dire predicament of the vast majority of the
nation and citizens. ] The
recession that just rocked the U.S. economy happened in part because Americans
were borrowing and spending more than they could afford. Now, three years after
the downturn began, families are moving faster than many analysts had expected
to put their finances in order by paying down debt and boosting their savings.
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal
Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends With
Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino in
mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit
ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and handles her own motions
to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in jail ... (see RICO Case)
]
earned many billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense
was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the
people, all of the time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
Drudgereport:
DEBT
NOW EQUALS ENTIRE ECONOMY
OBAMA
AGENDA IS OVER
Obama
refers to himself as 'The Gipper'… [ Riiiight! …anything you say wobmama the b
for b*** s***… or maybe the bipper, the chipper, or the yankee clipper (the new
joltin’ joe) …sounds like he’s losing it! ] ...
France
Wants New Global Finance System; End of Dollar Dominance...
Fannie,
Freddie bailout: $153 billion and counting...
GALLUP:
Unemployment at 10.3%...
Muslim
Bros plan political party...
Present
Two Faces...
Pakistan
Islamists warn of protests if US prisoner freed...
SECSTATE
JR: Sen Kerry arrives in Pakistan, expresses 'regret', 'sorrow'...
GADDAFI
TELLS PALESTINIANS: REVOLT AGAINST ISRAEL
World
Bank: Food prices at 'dangerous levels'...
Gov't
Motors to pay out $189 million in bonuses; some workers to get 50% payoffs..
Deficit
Expected to Jump to $1.65 Trillion...
...'slow
train wreck coming'
BUDGET
BLOWOUT: How big is $3.73 trillion? $12,000 from each American...
ANALYSIS:
$1.5 trillion
tax hike over 10 years...
AIRLINES:
New fees would be $2 billion tax increase on flyers...
Sessions:
Obama failed on budget...
Long
Spending Fight...
Produce
prices to skyrocket with freeze in Mexico, Southwest...
Clothing
Prices to Rise 10% Starting in Spring...
China
Replaced Japan in 2010 as Number 2 Economy...
China
plans Colombian rail link to challenge Panama canal...
The
March On Berlusconi...
Berlusconi
indicted in prostitution probe...
Malware
'Aimed at Iran Hit Five Sites'...
Mubarak
'falls into coma after final speech'...
Egyptian
military orders last protesters out of 'Liberation Square'...
Consolidates
power...
Delivers
ultimatum...
Concerns
over European defense cuts (Washington Post) [ At some point, rationality
must overcome irrationality; if only necessity being the mother of this
new-found invention (rationality). Interestingly, there was a blip on
television news from a NATO rep talking up the technological / military
superiority of NATO relative to Russia (without whose technological prowess
that space station and crew would literally be lost in space). So take that,
literally … and make the cuts (rational). ] European policymakers say the cuts
are necessary given their financial straits, and that training, not sheer
numbers, is what matters in a post-Cold War world.
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal
Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends With
Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino in
mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers defrauded…litigation
has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt federal judge to preside,
coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct appeals, understands drug money
laundering/fraud and handles her own motions to recuse her and like mobster
trump should be in jail ... (see RICO Case)
]
earned many billions of dollars [ at whose expense ], which in a sense
was both a scorecard and acknowledgment of my abilities [ to fool most of the
people, all of the time. ] ." TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their ever
more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies) u.s.
paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg ,
and of course, corrupt legal / judicial processes, etc., Defacto
bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on offensive (defensive a
misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the nations of the world
combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern emerging here [ I
unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed employees, cia, all 3
branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved american
trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense … The pervasively corrupt american
illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their lifetime plush
appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are unheard of in
productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these drags on
society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly bureaucracies. Rules
of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans. Most, including sam
alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug money laundering and
obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit ( also maryanne trump
barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her brother’s casinos in a
civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it for the
money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is great
for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.). [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
Symbolic
reductions (Washington Post) Gerson: Why would the GOP cut funding for bed nets in Africa? [ Well, given the
perilous state of a nation-state in peril; viz., defacto bankrupt america and
the imperiled citizenry therein, one might ask how such was funded in the first
instance… Drudgereport: DEBT NOW EQUALS ENTIRE
ECONOMY
OBAMA AGENDA IS OVER
Obama refers to himself as
'The Gipper'… [ Riiiight! …anything you say wobmama the b for b*** s***… or
maybe the bipper, the chipper, or the yankee clipper (the new joltin’ joe)
…sounds like he’s losing it! ] ...
France Wants New Global
Finance System; End of Dollar Dominance...
Fannie, Freddie bailout: $153
billion and counting...
GALLUP: Unemployment at
10.3%...
GADDAFI TELLS PALESTINIANS:
REVOLT AGAINST ISRAEL
Gov't Motors to pay out $189
million in bonuses; some workers to get 50% payoffs..
Deficit Expected to Jump to
$1.65 Trillion...
...'slow train wreck coming'
BUDGET BLOWOUT: How big is
$3.73 trillion? $12,000 from each American...
ANALYSIS: $1.5 trillion tax hike over 10 years...
AIRLINES: New fees would be
$2 billion tax increase on flyers...
Sessions: Obama failed on
budget...
Long Spending Fight...
Produce prices to skyrocket
with freeze in Mexico, Southwest...
Clothing Prices to Rise 10% Starting in Spring...
China Replaced Japan in 2010
as Number 2 Economy...
China plans Colombian rail
link to challenge Panama canal...
The March On Berlusconi...
Malware 'Aimed at Iran Hit
Five Sites'...
Mubarak 'falls into coma
after final speech'...
Egyptian military orders last
protesters out of 'Liberation Square'...
Consolidates power...
Delivers ultimatum...
Could
the Dow Hit 4,500? [ Short answer: YES! Prechter et als say even far lower
(which I would agree with in real terms, but not in debased dollar terms.) ] Norfolk ‘October 20, 1999: I am at a breakfast briefing run by
a British investment house. Scarfing my bacon bap and croissant, washed down with
the treacly and malodorous coffee that only hotels can provide, I feel quite
the patronised lower-order businessman as I listen to the market overview.
Suddenly, I become uneasy. It's not the stomach registering the high fat food -
nothing like it for dealing with last night's alcohol, I find - it's the
strange disconnection between what the fund reps are telling me and what they
want me to do. They are feeding me dead pig so I will recommend equity
investment to my clients - but they're telling me (with relaxed smiles)
"the American stock market could be as much as 50% too high, and a
correction is overdue", as I reported in a letter to a client the next
day.
We sure get bought cheaply, don't we?
It was around the same time that I attended a monthly broker network meeting in
Worcester, where another fund house recruiting sergeant told us IFA doughboys
how (in 1999) the tech boom was only in its first phase, and a sort of
super-boom was coming next.
That's when I decided (1) to start reminding my people that most of their
pensions and investments had an option to switch to cash within the wrapper -
with the caveat that I had no crystal ball, and (2) to change my own business
and earnings model to survival mode.
The next year, when one of our colleagues at the monthly get-together revealed
that the best asset class for the last 12 months had been cash and asked hands
up who'd seen that coming, I kept my hand down. I didn't want to disappear in a
hail of slightly stale bread rolls.
Today I read in "The Spectator" magazine an
article by Merryn Somerset Webb, editor-in-chief of "Moneyweek".
She points out the inflationary boom in the East and suggests a contrarian play
- invest West (counting Japan as part of the West) - but warns of overvaluation
here, too:
"I refer you to two valuation measures that seek
to tell us where markets will go over ten to 20 years, the cyclically adjusted
price-earnings ratio and the Q ratio of market value to underlying asset value.
According to their biggest fan, the strategist Andrew Smithers, they now tell
us that the US market is around 70 per cent overvalued."
I fear that Smithers is an optimist; or rather, when
he says a market is overvalued, I assume he's using a theoretical fair value as
his point of reference, and ignoring the overshoot effect. 70% overvaluation
implies a 40% (ish) drop; but for a long time I've been watching for a 70%
drop.
Back in October 2008, J. Kyle Bass of Hayman Advisors (.pdf
here) was saying "We think we will see 10-12% unemployment, a 4-5%
decline in GDP, and the equity markets could drop at least 70% from peak to
trough." (I love that reassuringly conservative "at least",
don't you? As Wavy Gravy said at Woodstock, "There is always a little bit
of heaven in a disaster area." Maybe we will all be feeding each other
again, man.)
So I had a go at drawing a picture... in December
2008, I took the Dow at close at the start of each calendar month from late
October 1928 to 80 years later, and divided it by inflation (CPI-U) as
announced for the end of the preceding month (I figured that even official
figures for consumer prices aren't as manipulated as the gold market). Here's
what I got: [chart]
Re-done today to the end of January, here's the same story updated:
[chart]
Read this way, the real peak was at the end of 1999, then the market halved
until monetary inflation from 2003 blew up real estate, then it halved again
until the wonders of QE, and sometime soon the Fed's lungs are going to give
out once more.
Allowing for inflation, a drop of 70% from December 1999 would mean the Dow's
low should be just under 4,500 today. That red dot really doesn't look so
freakishly out of whack in context - not half so much as the Twin Peaks before
it.
Of course, inflation is the joker in the pack. I'm talking about a deflation of
the Dow in real terms; one way that could happen is a phoney boom discounted by
high inflation - like 1973 - 1982, for instance:
[chart]
It took until April 1992 for the real Dow to get back
to what it had been worth in December 1972; but at least it got back. The
dollar lost 70% of its consumer purchasing power over the same period.
Like I said in my last SA article (This
Liquidity Will Soak Us All ), it may be that we're going to wet, no matter
what tree we stand under.
Meantime, I'm buying my own sandwiches.’
GOP's
plan for spending cuts sets Capitol Hill showdown (Washington Post) [
Showdown? How ‘bout hoedown! I mean, give me a break … who’s kidding whom … but
the ‘show’ part fits! Timid
Tuesday: Is it Safe? Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are
simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of
global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form
of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh)
is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut
$100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while
continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1%
each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool
all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT
THERE! ‘ Howard Davidowitz on the Economy:
"Here Are the Numbers ... WE'RE BROKE!" 11-25-10
‘The U.S. economy "is
a complete disaster," Howard Davidowitz declared here in July,
the most recent in a string of dire predictions …
"Here are the numbers...we're broke," Davidowitz declares, noting the
U.S. government goes $5 billion deeper into debt every day and is facing $1
trillion-plus annual deficits for the next decade. "In other words, we're
bankrupt."As with the economy, Davidowitz is unwaveringly consistent
in his views on President Obama, calling him "deranged, dysfunctional and
discredited."Results of the midterm election show "the people of this
country think we are in a catastrophe," he says. "I'm with
them."] Some Republicans express concerns about the steep cuts, but
some cheer the trims as an important political objective -- meeting a campaign
pledge they made last fall to grass-roots activists.
Milbank:
Donald
trumps CPAC | Gibbs
gone (Washington Post) [ That trump is a loser, dressed up and
propped up by and to shill for a declining, fallen nation in the most corrupt
regions of the country (every fallen nation has such), there is no question
…"Over the years I've participated in many battles and have really almost
come out very, very victorious every single time," the Donald said.
(Except for the bankruptc[ies], that is.
[ trump’s never won a battle that wasn’t fixed in advance – jersey
general ] ) "I've beaten many
people and companies, and I've won many wars," he added. (Though he didn't
serve in the military.) "I have fairly [according to mobster rules; ie.,
bribery, money laundering, etc.] but intelligently [ as any other mob boss …
trump is total b*** s***, a fraud, and lightweight … and, despite the façade,
quite insecure … trump’s a total mental case … He truly is the ‘poster-boy’ of
american decline and part of the problem, not the solution! NEWS FLASH:
Direct from Lost Angeles Learning Annex – Presenting mobster t_rump of new
yoke, new joyzey, and now caleefornia mob fame with his continuing message for
the past several years: buy real estate (and watch the values go
down…..riiiiight!).
Bank sues Trump over Chicago tower loan...
Trump casino to miss interest payment...
trump’s fired (from ‘his own
company’)
Gunfire Erupts Inside trump Taj Mahal
Casino, 1 Dead - Second Such Incident In A Year At N.J. Mainstay Ends With
Employee Killed – What else would you you expect from a mobster’s casino in
mob-infested jersey!
Trump luxury resort folds, leaving buyers
defrauded…litigation has commenced…send for sister maryanne, the corrupt
federal judge to preside, coverup, etc., she’s in n.y./n.j./pa 3rd circuit ct appeals, understands drug money laundering/fraud and
handles her own motions to recuse her and like mobster trump should be in
jail ... (see RICO Case)
Egypt's
popular uprising triumphs In
18 days, a revolution topples 30-year regime Hosni Mubarak becomes
the second Arab leader in a month to succumb to his people's potent thirst for
freedom. (Washington Post) [ That 82
year old, 30 year Egyptian potentate, Pharhosni Mubarak was done was never in
question. What comes next is another matter entirely:
Drudgereport: IMF CALLS FOR ALTERNATIVE TO
$$ AS WORLD'S RESERVE
MILITARY
TAKES COMMAND
'Egypt
is Free,' crowds chant...
WIRE:
Military coup was behind Mubarak's exit...
Military
calls for normal business activity to resume...
DAY
18: Mubarak and family flee Cairo for Sharm el-Sheikh...
Swiss
freeze assets...
Obama
learns of resignation watching TV...
Crisis
Puts White House in Disarray...
Director
of National Intelligence: Muslim Brotherhood 'Largely Secular,' 'Has Eschewed
Violence'...
'Weakness'
in USA...
Ahmadinejad:
Egyptian protests herald new Mideast...
AL-JAZEERA
LIVE FEED...
FRANCE 24 LIVE FEED...
Mubarak Hangs Tough...
VP
Urges Protestors to Ignore Media, and Go Home...
AL-JAZEERA
LIVE FEED...
CIA
Panetta Confused: Said Strong likelihood Mubarak would 'step down tonight'...
March
to palace being organized...
REUTERS
LIVE...
ElBaradei
warns Egypt will 'explode'....
Egypt's
govt on the brink..
FLASH
CRASH: APPLE stock loses $10 billion in four minutes...
Jobs'
Health Rumor?
Global
Stock Exchanges Headed for Major Consolidation...
Kyl
becomes fifth senator to step aside...
Fed
Governor Resigns; Bernanke Adviser Questioned Stimulus...
NBC:
Intelligence officials 'scrambling to try to determine exactly what this all
means'...
TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no
uncertain terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who,
unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively
corrupt america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have
noticed the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their lifetime
plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are unheard of
in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these drags on
society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly bureaucracies. Rules
of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans. Most, including sam
alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug money laundering and
obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit ( also maryanne trump
barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her brother’s casinos in a
civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it for the
money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is great
for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.).
[ http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' ]
Mubarak
Steps Down as President, Army Takes Over ABC News | Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak abruptly
stepped down as president, ending his 30-year America’s
Strategic Repression of the ‘Arab Awakening’ A popular backlash against
American-supported dictatorships and repressive regimes has been anticipated
for a number of years, with arch-hawk geopolitical strategist Zbigniew
Brzezinski articulating a broad conception of a ‘Global Political Awakening’
taking place, in which the masses of the world (predominantly the educated,
exploited and impoverished youth of the ‘Third World’) have become acutely
aware of their subjugation, inequality, exploitation and oppression.
One-Way Market Action: Dave's Daily ‘"To the moon"(Alice) might be a better description of
this nonstop bullish action. All week markets were worrying about Egypt. When
things were bad there, markets rallied. When things seemed better, markets
rallied. When Cisco and Credit Suisse posted lousy reports, markets rallied.
When China raised interest rates, markets rallied. Every dip has been bought
and every dip has been buying. All this was taking place while many emerging
markets were breaking down creating some divergence from previously high
inter-market correlations. Things are going so well most reliable technical
indicators are getting steamrolled by what those few trading must believe is a
rosy future. Market rallies have been steady but not spectacularly higher with
daily .50% type moves. But, those add up. Does all this frustrate us?
Partially, since active portfolios exited a
couple of weeks ago but Lazy Portfolios are doing better. Making sense of Mr.
Market has never been an easy proposition. I'm back from attending the annual
Inside ETFs conference in
Florida where I moderated a panel on technical analysis. Most panelists were
bullish but couldn't pin-point why other than "price" analysis.
Friday Mubarak gave up probably needing the extra time to round-up the loot
before he left town for a Club Med in Dubai or some such place. Markets opened
lower on Mubarak's initial determination but then rallied some on his change of
heart Friday…’
T_rump: Ron Paul Has “Zero Chance” Of Beating Obama Paul
Joseph Watson | { Drudgereport: TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE... PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ trump also said america’s become the
laughingstock of the world … true enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed,
that trump even posits the possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a
testament to just how big a laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s become! [ If he was mobster
in chief, mobster and scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag
and offers up an (too little too late – typical lightweight) implausible
solution to keep ‘the juice’ flowing though he’d already be in jail in a
rational, non-declining nation with meaningful laws. All China has to do is
dump (and not prospectively buy) their ever more and declining in value
day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies) u.s. paper / bonds and overnight
the u.s. economy consequently thereby
collapses. [ When you come right down to it, this has been america’s most
significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia
men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have survived with them) by way of
NAFTA as the greatest thing since
sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms condemned and warned against by
Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his opponents, could not be bought, which is
the reason, in pervasively corrupt america, he could never have been elected.
Interestingly, you may have noticed the good (but not great, other than the
spotlight on pervasive bribery including judges, police, politicians, etc.,
being far too light) the film ‘The Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of
late, purporting to be a significant part of american folklore / history /
culture. However, the reality is that in america, and certainly today, the real
story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness
died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win election to the mayoralty of
his then current hometown. He was incorruptible; and hence, in the real
america, unelectable at the least if not also all but unemployable (he and his
are among those few genetic anomalies in america as I’ve previously alluded to.
How far america has fallen from even false perception! Pervasively corrupt,
meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.).
[ http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?' }
NBC:
Intelligence officials 'scrambling to try to determine exactly what this all
means'...
TRUMP
DRAWS CHEERS, BOOS AT CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE...
PONDERING
PRESIDENTIAL RUN... [Don’t make me laugh! … Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [
trump also said america’s become the laughingstock of the world … true
enough … and trump the biggest joke … Indeed, that trump even posits the
possibility of a run when he should be in jail is a testament to just how big a
laughingstock pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s become! [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down
to it, this has been america’s most significant export. Indeed, this
irrevocable structural shift, hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton
couldn’t have survived with them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain
terms condemned and warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his
opponents, could not be bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt
america, he could never have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed
the good (but not great, other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery
including judges, police, politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The
Untouchables’ getting a wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant
part of american folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in
america, and certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The
Touchables’. The reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt,
unable to even win election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He
was incorruptible; and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if
not also all but unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies
in america as I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even
false perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even
fake it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.).
[ http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ] “I would announce, without equivocation, a
25% tax increase on anything purchased from China.” ]
CHENEY
HECKLED... 'DRAFTDOGER!' 'WHERE'S BIN LADEN?'
] Fragile steps to end crisis seen as plans
take shape for a transition process that would allow Mubarak to remain as a
figure head until new elections. ] After decades of repression, democracy
advocates say it could take many months -- if not years -- to lay groundwork
for open and credible elections. ]
Mubarak
cedes some authority but refuses to quit In
latest bid to quell protests, president transfers powers to VP (Washington Post) [Wow! ‘Earlier Thursday,
CIA Director Leon
Panetta told Congress that "there is a strong likelihood that Mubarak
may step down this evening."…’ Talk about being out of the loop and stuck
with ‘foot-in-mouth’ … not that you’d expect more from the CIA … CIA's
dilemma in Egypt (Washington Post)
[ Come on! How does anyone take these ‘muck-ups’ seriously … As a
purported journalist, Mr. Ignatius should know better. What distracts the
agency is self-interest and greed … yes, greed for themselves, theirs, and a
raison d’etre that assures their continued funding (oh how they miss the cold
war, hot ones will have to do) on top of their private so-called ‘black ops’.
They’re wrong or absent without leave (awol) on major events purportedly within
their bailiwick; ie., mideast, israel, ‘wmd’s in Iraq’, 9-11, Egypt, etc.; and,
as well, are fallacious in their policy direction, directives, etc.. I mean,
beyond their nefarious undertakings, they look more and more like Maxwell
Smarts (‘Get Smart’) minus ‘99’ every day. Expanded
Free Trade: Exporting Jobs [ When you come right down to it, this has been
america’s most significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable structural shift,
hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have survived without
them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest
thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms condemned and
warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his opponents, could not be
bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt america, he could never
have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed the good (but not great,
other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery including judges, police,
politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The Untouchables’ getting a
wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant part of american
folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in america, and
certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’. The
reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win
election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He was incorruptible;
and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if not also all but
unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies in america as
I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even false
perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake
it anymore. At CIA, mistakes by officers are often
overlooked (Washington Post) [ Duuuh! I want to know of even one
thing that’s not overlooked concerning those incompetent mental cases at the
cia; from assassinations, to illegal drug dealing, to illegal arms sales, to
corruption, to disinformation, etc., to america’s and the world’s (ie., those
WMD’s in Iraq, etc.) substantial detriment. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
] Egyptian leader's
defiance stuns and angers hundreds of thousands in Cairo who respond with
chants of "revolution, revolution."
Cisco Slump, Mubarak Saga Keep Lid On Stocks [ But guess what? The fraudulent wall street rally point … ‘news
that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down’ … never happened! ] ‘Disappointing earnings projections from Cisco and PepsiCo pressured Wall Street Friday
morning, but news that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down
buoyed markets by midday and the major indexes essentially flat by the closing
bell.The Nasdaq actually ticked positive to gain 1 point to 2,790, despite
Wednesday’s troubling report from Cisco that included a decline in gross
margins along with its better than expected earnings and revenue. (See “Cisco:
Prelude To Profits, Or Layoffs.”)Cisco’s shares slumped 14.2%, but the rest
of the tech sector as fairly resilient. Apple was also in the news, after a sudden plunge in the 1
p.m. hour on little news before recovering to finish with a 1% decline. (See “Did
Someone Have A Fat Finger On Apple Today?”)Egypt jumped back into the
headlines shortly after the open, with speculation that President Hosni Mubarak
would resign. In a speech that began just before the U.S. markets closed,
Mubarak stopped short of confirming his departure, but did say he would
transfer some of his presidential powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman until
a September election.It was a tough day for companies who rang the closing
bells at NYSE and Nasdaq, since all eyes were on Mubarak’s speech that ran past
the end of trading. The S&P 500 added 1 point to 1,322, while the Dow Jones
industrial average broke its eight-day winning streak with an 11-point decline
to 12,229.Aside from Cisco, a weaker-than-anticipated forecast from PepsiCo
also pressured stocks, overshadowing any enthusiasm for the latest snapshot of
the job market. New jobless claims fell to their lowest level since July 2008
last week, according to the Labor Department, dropping to 383,000. The
four-week moving average was down to 415,500.’
Initial
Jobless Claims Drop to 383,000 [ Come on! Who believes anything they say /
report! ]
Cisco Slump, Mubarak Saga Keep Lid On Stocks [ But guess what? The fraudulent wall street rally point … ‘news
that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down’ … never happened! ] ‘Disappointing earnings projections from Cisco and PepsiCo pressured Wall Street Friday
morning, but news that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down
buoyed markets by midday and the major indexes essentially flat by the closing
bell.The Nasdaq actually ticked positive to gain 1 point to 2,790, despite
Wednesday’s troubling report from Cisco that included a decline in gross
margins along with its better than expected earnings and revenue. (See “Cisco:
Prelude To Profits, Or Layoffs.”)Cisco’s shares slumped 14.2%, but the rest
of the tech sector as fairly resilient. Apple was also in the news, after a sudden plunge in the 1
p.m. hour on little news before recovering to finish with a 1% decline. (See “Did
Someone Have A Fat Finger On Apple Today?”)Egypt jumped back into the
headlines shortly after the open, with speculation that President Hosni Mubarak
would resign. In a speech that began just before the U.S. markets closed,
Mubarak stopped short of confirming his departure, but did say he would
transfer some of his presidential powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman until
a September election.It was a tough day for companies who rang the closing
bells at NYSE and Nasdaq, since all eyes were on Mubarak’s speech that ran past
the end of trading. The S&P 500 added 1 point to 1,322, while the Dow Jones
industrial average broke its eight-day winning streak with an 11-point decline
to 12,229.Aside from Cisco, a weaker-than-anticipated forecast from PepsiCo
also pressured stocks, overshadowing any enthusiasm for the latest snapshot of
the job market. New jobless claims fell to their lowest level since July 2008
last week, according to the Labor Department, dropping to 383,000. The
four-week moving average was down to 415,500.’
Initial
Jobless Claims Drop to 383,000 [ Come on! Who believes anything they say /
report! ]
Donald
T_rump Would Impose 25% Tax on China Imports if President [ If he was mobster in chief, mobster and
scoundrel trump wraps himself in populist american flag and offers up an (too
little too late – typical lightweight) implausible solution to keep ‘the juice’
flowing though he’d already be in jail in a rational, non-declining nation with
meaningful laws. All China has to do is dump (and not prospectively buy) their
ever more and declining in value day-by-day (from dollar debasement policies)
u.s. paper / bonds and overnight and the u.s. economy consequently thereby collapse. [ When you come right down to it, this has been
america’s most significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable structural shift,
hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have survived with
them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest
thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms condemned and
warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his opponents, could not be
bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt america, he could never
have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed the good (but not great,
other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery including judges, police,
politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The Untouchables’ getting a
wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant part of american
folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in america, and
certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’. The
reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win
election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He was incorruptible;
and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if not also all but
unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies in america as
I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even false
perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake
it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
… The pervasively corrupt
american illegal system … corrupt u.s. courts / (lawyers) / judges: Their
lifetime plush appointments should be abolished, which corrupt entities are
unheard of in productive societies as China, Japan, etc.. Time to abolish these
drags on society and eliminate their lifetime stipends and costly
bureaucracies. Rules of law mean nothing to these typically corrupt americans.
Most, including sam alito of the u.s. supreme court, concerning drug
money laundering and obstruction of justice in the 3rd circuit (
also maryanne trump barry who covered-up drug money laundering through her
brother’s casinos in a civil RICO case) should have gone to or belong in jail. Contrary to popular belief, they do it
for the money, personal money, big, cash, untraceable money. The fog of war is
great for such things (360 tons $100 bills flown into Iraq and missing, etc.).
[
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
]. america’s just a fraudulent and failed defacto bankrupt nation. ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Egyptian
protesters plan new push Government
detains foreigners, says it's willing to open talks (Washington Post) [ Open talks? ‘bout what?
Building a pyramid in mubarak’s honor before stepping down? He’s done … finito
… burnt as an over-micro-waved burrito! The following from the Post is indeed
the straw that broke the riders with whips he sent on camels’ and horses’
backs! ‘Wants to die in Egypt? How
touching, or the reality, he’s just plain touched as in totally ‘out of it’. ‘…In what the U.S. State Department called
a "concerted campaign to intimidate," several dozen journalists were
rounded up by security forces and detained for hours, along with foreigners
working as teachers, engineers and human rights researchers. Across the city,
angry bands of supporters of President Hosni Mubarak also beat journalists;
several reporters said that they were threatened with death…’ ]
Cairo seeks to shift blame for clashes by rounding up journalists; U.S.
worries renewed protests could spark more violence from Mubarak supporters. Demonstrations
in Egypt take bloody turn In
Cairo square, Mubarak backers confront anti-government crowds (Washington Post) [ Not too difficult for desperate and done
mubarak to contrive: Mubarak
Says Egyptians Have to Choose Between “Chaos” and Him … Then Sends In His Thugs
to Stir Up Chaos (Infowars.com) In
order to justify staying in power until elections are held in September,
President Mubarak said on tv that the people had to choose between him and
“chaos”. ] The coordinated nature of day's events suggested that Mubarak's
supporters were determined to show, as he had warned, that the country faced a
"choice between chaos and stability." [ Previous: Mubarak's
pledge seen as not enough Egyptian
president plans to stay in office to transfer power (Washington Post) [ Let me put it another
way: Mubarak is as done as an over-cooked tamale … He seems to be stalling for
time and even in his age impaired mind certainly knows his position is
untenable, unsustainable, and even more irrational as each second passes. There
is a possibility that he’s using same to move money / treasure for himself and
others, literally as well, buying time. See infra … Previous: Mubarak
seeks dialogue, shows no sign of relenting Demonstrators
call for massive protest but lack leadership (Washington Post) [ He relented when he
resorted to media / internet blackout. Indeed, this lack of sign thing is a
testament to how far from reality 30 years has taken him, not to mention the
other 52 years that have taken their toll on his cognitive processes. Whether
it is plaques ‘on the brain’ or outright senility, that he is so disengaged
from the events unfolding around him, one may only wonder how he lasted this
long. Nor did his choice of cia standin / shill, new VP Suleiman enhance his
now untenable position which leaves him as ‘done as a burnt enchilada’. Kissinger
on Egypt unrest – “This is only the first scene of the first act of a drama
that is to be played out” [ The
import of this so-called interview, and it is here that I part company with
alex jones, et als (who by the way, censored me for this very thesis, which
puts him and his at the top of my hypocrite list), is that the so-called elite
have orchestrated these events and ‘are in control’. First, there are no elites
in this world; you can’t derive elites from apes, notochordates, and initially
single celled organisms. Second, almost by definition and certainly by history,
there are no elites in america even if you were to accept the first proposition
(though true) as untrue. What you do have, in this world and america
particularly (with few exceptions as I’ve discussed elsewhere / comments / my
website), are inherent criminals and mentally ill people of varying degrees of
unscrupulousness and insanity who do commit crimes, both small and large, to
further their interests or fortunes (sociopaths / psychopaths). The ’so-called
alpha-dogs’ of the human species at most, but still incompetent vegetables who,
if you look at anything they touch (to use a term term of such incompetent
vegetables as historically pertains to their role in the mideast – and
generally the state of the world) it invariably goes ‘pear shaped’ (english
term). What hasn’t zionist kissinger not messed up as appointee or ‘consultant’
– what does he get paid for? No! The fact is, they have absolutely no idea how
this unfolds and as with most of their lives, they will predictably choose the
most sordid, despicable, and diabolical course at every turn because … that is
their inherently criminal, mentally ill / unstable nature to do so. ]
] Fragile steps to end crisis seen as plans
take shape for a transition process that would allow Mubarak to remain as a
figure head until new elections.
}
]
]
After decades of repression, democracy advocates say it could take many
months -- if not years -- to lay groundwork for open and credible elections.
]
Rep.
Lee (R-N.Y.) resigns after Craigslist incident (Washington
Post) [ I am truly astounded; and, I say that without even a tinge of
sarcasm. Where is the corpus dilicti here. That he is a fool and somewhat a
dummy, if such is the standard for resignation, then all of capital hill should
be tendering their resignations en masse. After all, aside from the inherent
conflict, and particularly in light of a financial / fiscal / economic disaster
in large part of their own making and compounding by failing to prosecute the
perps and instead accommodate their crimes, ie., FASB rule change, etc., does
not the consistent though undeserved raises they give themselves constitute of
sorts a defalcation of duty, responsibility, and trust. Unlike congress, indeed
all the pervasively corrupt and incompetent branches of u.s. government in
their day-to-day activities / course of business, though tasteless, sleazy,
etc., this so-called incident is without a corpus dilicti. It kind of reminds
me of that scene in ‘Road to Perdition’ when mob kingpin Newman responds (in a
somewhat incredulous, come on, who you kidding way) to former footsoldier Hanks
by reminding him that they’re all murderers (in the room-including
Hanks).] Move came after a Web site
reported that the married congressman had e-mailed a shirtless image of himself
to a woman he met online.
CIA's
dilemma in Egypt (Washington Post)
[ Come on! How does anyone take these ‘muck-ups’ seriously … As a
purported journalist, Mr. Ignatius should know better. What distracts the
agency is self-interest and greed … yes, greed for themselves, theirs, and a
raison d’etre that assures their continued funding (oh how they miss the cold
war, hot ones will have to do) on top of their private so-called ‘black ops’.
They’re wrong or absent without leave (awol) on major events purportedly within
their bailiwick; ie., mideast, israel, ‘wmd’s in Iraq’, 9-11, Egypt, etc.; and,
as well, are fallacious in their policy direction, directives, etc.. I mean,
beyond their nefarious undertakings, they look more and more like Maxwell
Smarts (‘Get Smart’) minus ‘99’ every day. Expanded
Free Trade: Exporting Jobs [ When you come right down to it, this has been
america’s most significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable structural shift,
hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have survived without
them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest
thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms condemned and
warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his opponents, could not be
bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt america, he could never
have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed the good (but not great,
other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery including judges, police,
politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The Untouchables’ getting a
wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant part of american
folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in america, and
certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’. The
reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win
election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He was incorruptible;
and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if not also all but
unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies in america as
I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even false
perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake
it anymore. At CIA, mistakes by officers are often
overlooked (Washington Post) [ Duuuh! I want to know of even one
thing that’s not overlooked concerning those incompetent mental cases at the
cia; from assassinations, to illegal drug dealing, to illegal arms sales, to
corruption, to disinformation, etc., to america’s and the world’s (ie., those
WMD’s in Iraq, etc.) substantial detriment. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Expanded
Free Trade: Exporting Jobs [ When you come right down to it, this has been
america’s most significant export. Indeed, this irrevocable structural shift,
hailed by cia men hw bush and clinton (clinton couldn’t have survived without
them) by way of NAFTA as the greatest
thing since sliced bread was indeed in no uncertain terms condemned and
warned against by Perot, a man of honor who, unlike his opponents, could not be
bought, which is the reason, in pervasively corrupt america, he could never
have been elected. Interestingly, you may have noticed the good (but not great,
other than the spotlight on pervasive bribery including judges, police,
politicians, etc., being far too light) the film ‘The Untouchables’ getting a
wide re-airing of late, purporting to be a significant part of american
folklore / history / culture. However, the reality is that in america, and
certainly today, the real story with impact is that of ‘The Touchables’. The
reality is that Elliot Ness died a broken man; bankrupt, unable to even win
election to the mayoralty of his then current hometown. He was incorruptible;
and hence, in the real america, unelectable at the least if not also all but
unemployable (he and his are among those few genetic anomalies in america as
I’ve previously alluded to. How far america has fallen from even false
perception! Pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless america can’t even fake
it anymore. See, for example, http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
] Lounsbury
‘In January Steven Hansen observed
that, through November, the trade deficit for manufactured goods was the
equivalent of 1.3 million workers earning the median manufacturing wage in the
U.S. Well, the trade deficit has been with us in a major way for nearly two
decades. I am reminded of the 1992 presidential campaign where one of the three
candidates, Ross Perot, argued against the adoption of NAFTA, The North
American Free Trade Agreement. The other two candidates supported NAFTA.Perot
is famous for his statement that a free trade agreement that was not a two way
street would create a “giant
sucking sound” of jobs going south to the cheap labor markets of Mexico.
Both of Perot’s opponents (George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton) argued that NAFTA
would create jobs in the U.S. because of business expansion.However, the goods
balance of trade for the U.S. with Mexico has been negative and steadily
growing over the years. In 2010 it amounted to $61.6
billion, which was 9.5% of the total goods trade deficit last year.
So Perot has
been vindicated in his opinion; expanded free trade has not been accompanied by
an increase in jobs in the U.S. relative to the vast numbers of jobs created in
the rest of the world as NAFTA became just a stepping stone on the pathway to
global commerce.
Veronique de
Rugy has produced
a graph which shows how manufacturing output and manufacturing employment
have varied over the years 1975 – 2010.
click to
enlarge images
The giant
sucking sound actually started in 1980 as manufacturing employment peaked in
1979. The decline in employment in 1980-83 can be associated with the double
recessions of that time period, which was also evidenced in the drop in
manufacturing output. But when the recovery took hold, manufacturing resumed
strong growth but employment gradually declined from 1984 to 2000, after which
the decline accelerated.
Now, to be
fair, not all the employment decline was due to increased employment overseas.
Trade deficits remained fairly benign by 21st century standards.
Employment declined significantly because of productivity improvements as more
and more automation replaced manual labor. However, some of the decline was
undoubtedly due to increased importation of goods to the U.S.
The rapid
growth in the trade deficit for goods began in the early 1990s and we will
start our detailed examination of the data with 1992, in deference to Mr.
Perot.
Growth of
the Trade Deficit for Goods
The first two
tables show pertinent annual data. The table on the left shows the trade
balance for goods. The table on the right shows the value of U.S. manufactured
goods and manufacturing payroll employment.
The sources
for the data used in these tables are:
Productivity Improvement
In 19 years the value of U.S. manufacturing output
has risen by 58% while manufacturing employment has declined by 31%. It only
took 2.5 manufacturing employees in 2010 to produce what 5.8 employees produced
in 1992. The dramatic improvement in labor productivity (and loss of jobs) is
emphasized by the following graph.
Jobs Equivalent to Manufactured Goods Trade Deficit
One cannot say that there is a U.S. jobs loss exactly
equal to the trade deficit for manufactured goods. Here are some reasons:
However, it is not unreasonable to make the
assumption that a significant portion of the manufacturing jobs equivalent to the
trade deficit would have been created in the U.S.
The U.S. manufacturing jobs equivalence of the goods
trade deficit is shown for each of the years starting with 1992 in the
following table, along with the cumulative total. Hereafter we refer to the jobs
equivalence as “jobs exported”.
[chart]
The jobs exported each year are shown in the
following graph.
The following graph shows that there have been a
cumulative total of almost 29 million jobs exported over the past 19 years.
Unemployment Today and the Counterfactual Labor
Shortage
The total number of people employed today according
to the latest BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data is 139.3 million. If just
half of the exported jobs were retained in the U.S., there would be about 153
million employed. The current civilian labor force is only 153 million so there
would be no slack in the labor force at all. However, the labor participation
rate has fallen from 67% in 2000-01 to 64.2% today. If the participation rate
returned to 67% the civilian labor force would be 160 million. With 153 million
employed the unemployment rate would be 4.4% and we would be complaining of
labor shortages.
The Sweet Spot
If only some, even less than half, of the
manufacturing that has been outsourced had been retained in the U.S., it is
likely that there would still be an emerging market boom, but there would not
be the severe structural unemployment problem that exists today in the U.S. It
seems, looking at these numbers, that where we are is not the result of doing a
fundamentally bad thing. It could be argued that it is actually the result of
taking a good thing too far. It seems we missed the sweet spot and simply
botched a beautiful shot.
Free Trade is a very good thing, but free trade taken
too far is destructive. Hard data shows why.
Related Article
USA Trade Deficit Exports 1.3 million Jobs by Steven Hansen’
Drudgereport: Oil
hits $101 again...
Paul
Ryan confronts over Fed's purchases of debt...
Soaring
debt pushes Portugal towards bailout...
House GOP Targets Dozens of Gov't Programs...
CUT,
CUT, CUT...
White
House to Slash Heating Program for Poor…but still no pros of massive frauds on
wall street which fines and disgorgement of would yield huge amounts to cover
spending... [ Howard Davidowitz on the Economy:
"Here Are the Numbers ... WE'RE BROKE!" 11-25-10
‘The U.S. economy "is
a complete disaster," Howard Davidowitz declared here in July,
the most recent in a string of dire predictions from
Tech Ticker's most entertaining guest.On the eve of Thanksgiving, I asked Davidowitz
if he had any regrets, or was ready to throw in the towel given recent signs of
economic revival. Are you kidding me? "Here are the numbers...we're
broke," Davidowitz declares, noting the U.S. government goes $5 billion
deeper into debt every day and is facing $1 trillion-plus annual deficits for
the next decade. "In other words, we're bankrupt."As with the
economy, Davidowitz is unwaveringly consistent
in his views on President Obama, calling him "deranged, dysfunctional and
discredited."Results of the midterm election show "the people of this
country think we are in a catastrophe," he says. "I'm with
them."Check the accompanying video for more of Howard's unfettered
opinions and stay tuned for additional clips from
this interview. And...Happy Thanksgiving! Aaron Task is the host of Tech
Ticker. You can follow him on Twitter at @atask or email him at
[email protected]’
Timid
Tuesday: Is it Safe? Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current
debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country
that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn
(entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing
about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and
talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to
"fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn
on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a
Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL
OUT THERE! ‘ ]
UNDERDOG:
CNN POLL: 51% SEE NO SECOND TERM FOR OBAMA...
71%
OF ALL VEGAS HOMEOWNERS UNDER WATER...
'New
normal' in housing bust...
STRESS...
Job
openings fall for second straight month...
HOUSE
VOTES NEXT WEEK TO BLOCK OBAMACARE FUNDS
WE'RE
ON 'ROAD TO RUIN'
UPDATE:
Egypt sees largest demos since start of revolt...
NEW
WORLD TRADES...
Global
Stock Exchanges Headed for Major Consolidation...
D
Börse, NYSE in advanced talks...
London
takes Canada...
Exchange
chiefs seek new global powerhouses...
SAUDIS
TOLD OBAMA 'NOT TO HUMILIATE MUBARAK' [ Sounds like they’re hearing
footsteps…Previous: Egyptian
capital teeters on anarchy Mubarak
asks cabinet to resign as anti-regime protests intensify
(Washington Post) [ Mubarak should have been looking in the mirror as he asked
his cabinet to resign … 30 years is a long time, and coincidentally, time for
him to go. In
Egypt: Access denied (Washington Post) [The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark [I disagree!
Part of the internet didn’t die, but rather the order to so darken the nation
heralded the demise, at 30 years and counting, of the so-called leadership in
the persona of Mubarak. Time for him to go! After all, he’s been in a position,
with Egypt among the only Mideast nations to have signed a peace treaty with
israel, to have stepped up with substantial credibility in taking a strong
position against israeli transgressions, violations of international law / u.n.
resolutions, war crimes, etc., which beyond soft-touch, he failed to do. And,
of all places, he sends his family to Orwellian england; he still loves those
colonial masters … how pathetic. I mean, 30 years … how free-flowing does
anyone think the election process is at this point … and one could ask the same
regarding the entrenched powers that be in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, to be fair. Then there’s saudi arabia; talk about do nothing
hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil reserves of a sovereign
nation; I suspect only when foreign corporations say so. The only Mideast
nations showing backbone are Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and, of course the
perennially propaganda painted bad-boy Iran among possibly some of the smaller
emirates, ie., Qatar, etc., (I lack sufficient information regarding these
other nations). ] (AP)
Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests (AP) - AP
- In its effort to silence protesters, Egypt took a step that's rare even among
authoritarian governments: It cut off the Internet across the entire
country. Mubarak fires Cabinet, defends army’s efforts Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:20:58 GMT Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak dismisses his Cabinet, calls on the army to help put
down rising potests... Egypt's Mubarak sends in army,
resists demands to quit (Reuters)
- 1 hour agoReuters - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused
on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks
into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests again...
] Embattled leader's move falls far
short of demands that he give up his 30-year authoritarian rule, leave the
country and permit fresh elections. ]
Debt
relief for states proposed (Washington Post) [ I’ve heard of the ‘blind leading the blind’, but the ‘bankrupt
borrowing from the bankrupt’ seems to be a nouveau american phenomenon destined
for ‘clichedom’. Previous: Governors
plan painful cuts amid budget crises (Washington Post) [ This truly is a disaster in the making, with
consequences even more dire than the grim outlook set forth by Meridith
Whitney, if that could even be fathomed. It’s really going to be all that
bad…see infra, The Economic Collapse, ‘#10 The municipal bond crisis could go “supernova” at
any time. Already, investors are bailing out of bonds at a frightening pace.
State and local government debt is now sitting at an all-time high of 22
percent of U.S. GDP. According to Meredith Whitney, the municipal
bond crisis that we are facing is a gigantic threat to our financial system….
“It has
tentacles as wide as anything I’ve seen. I think next to housing this is the
single most important issue in the United States and certainly the largest
threat to the U.S. economy.”
At CIA, mistakes by officers are often
overlooked (Washington Post) [ Duuuh! I want to know of even one
thing that’s not overlooked concerning those incompetent mental cases at the
cia; from assassinations, to illegal drug dealing, to illegal arms sales, to
corruption, to disinformation, etc., to america’s and the world’s (ie., those
WMD’s in Iraq, etc.) substantial detriment. See also, ie., http://albertpeia.com/CIAAgentAffidavit1.jpg http://albertpeia.com/FBIAgentAffidavit11.jpg , and of course, corrupt legal /
judicial processes, etc., Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Is
the Market Headed for a Sell-Off? Zaky [ Yes … I agree, except that fundamentally the longer term
prospects are even worse than his bearish outlook suggests (don’t forget the
debasement of the dollar, manipulation, and spending / printing money the
nation doesn’t have in real terms behind this manipulated uptick) and
summarized as follows: ‘I suspect that this rally is on its very last legs. We
should see a very healthy 10% or so correction within the next 1-2 week period
... This market is headed for a sell-off. ]
2011
Update: Another Lost Decade for Stocks - Are You Prepared? [ I agree that
this is but a (manipulated) bull cycle in a secular bear market with
substantially worse to come! ]Kopas ‘In February 2010, we published an article
on Seeking Alpha entitled “Another Lost Decade for Stocks - Are You Prepared?,”
wherein we argued that the year 2000 marked a secular (long-term) peak for U.S.
stocks. A secular bear market is formed when a series of business cycles are
linked together, establishing an extended period of stock market
under-performance. Our objective here is to bring you up-to-date on the
progress of this secular bear market and help you prepare for the next ten
years.
The
first benchmark we monitor is U.S. stock prices adjusted for inflation. In this
chart below, we compare the U.S. stock market to the Shiller 10-year
Price/Earnings ratio. This P/E ratio is an indication of investor confidence; a
lack of that signals extreme valuation levels. Our conclusion is
that investor psychology is still too optimistic and has a long way to go
before reaching an undervalued stock market level.
[chart] click to enlarge
Updating
our duration and valuation benchmarks, again we find progress,
but not yet achieving the truly undervalued levels we expect to see toward the
end of a secular bear market. Based upon previous cycles, it appears we are
only slightly past the half way mark in terms of years, number of recessions,
and valuations. A look at our chart and table comparing this to earlier secular
bear markets illustrates our conclusion. We expect that a major bottom for
inflation adjusted stock prices is still years away before stocks finally
gravitate toward the target area outlined below.
[chart]
New
Benchmark: Tobin Q Ratio
In
this update we introduce another relative valuation benchmark created by Yale
economics professor and Nobel laureate James Tobin, hence the name Tobin’s Q
Ratio. The Q ratio is calculated as the total value of the stock market divided
by the replacement cost of all its companies. Values greater than 1 indicate
stock prices sell above their replacement cost and are therefore “expensive.” A
reading below 1 indicates stocks can be bought below replacement cost and
therefore indicates that it is cheaper to buy a company than to build one.
A
long-term view of the Q ratio gives investors a good understanding of value,
information about current risk levels and a method to assess probable returns for
the long term. Secular bear markets historically bottom when the Q ratio
declines to a bargain level less than .4, meaning stock prices sell for just
40% of replacement value. Today’s reading of 1.03 is above the average reading
of .75 and considerably higher than the average secular low reading of .33. Investors
beware; stocks have considerable more downside potential before the Q ratio
truly reflects a great valuation. Buy and Hold tactics will continue to
frustrate investors, just as they have in the past decade.
In
conclusion, none of the benchmarks we evaluate indicate we are anywhere close
to a secular stock market bottom yet. In the meantime, a prudent and profitable investment
strategy should be flexible enough to actively adjust portfolio asset
allocation, depending on where we are in the business cycle and the direction
of the secular trend.’
Shiller Ratio Points to U.S. Equities Being Significantly
Overvalued [ Yes they are indeed;
so take this especially great opportunity to sell, take profits since there’s
much, much worse to come! That computer-programmed spike into the close to keep
suckers suckered does not change the aforesaid. This is particularly evident in
their attempt to cash in on that superstitious scam known as the ‘January
effect’ by way of these manipulated bubble-making buy programs; you know,
loosen / soften the suckers up for the coming year’s new fraud / scam. ] The
'January
Effect' Is More Market Myth Than Sound Analysis ... Kumar ‘…January of 1929, for example, was
off to a brisk start as the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to 317 from
307. But investors would be slammed later in the year by a historic stock
market crash that heralded the start of the Great Depression. January of 1987,
too, began nicely. The Dow climbed to 2160 at the end of the month after
starting out at 1927. But Black Monday
would hit investors in October of that year, leading to the sharpest historical
stock market decline in percentage terms. More recently, January 2001 had a
strong showing when the Dow Jones finished the month at 10,887 after starting
at 10,646. Those reading it as an auspicious beginning would be hit first by
the further fallout from collapse of the dot-com bubble and then the massive
decline following the September 11 terrorist attacks. See
full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/cyaPDT
‘… Then, more recently there’s ‘The stock market scored a strong gain
and locked in its first positive finish for January since 2007 (we all know
what happened after that! Crash!) with help from the energy sector, which
climbed sharply in response to a spike in oil prices.(Yahoo/Briefing.com) …
Higher oil prices … riiiiight! … that sounds bull(s***)ish … on fraudulent wall
street. ]
Governors
plan painful cuts amid budget crises (Washington Post) [ This truly is a disaster in the making, with
consequences even more dire than the grim outlook set forth by Meridith
Whitney, if that could even be fathomed. It’s really going to be all that
bad…see infra, The Economic Collapse, ‘#10 The municipal bond
crisis could go “supernova” at any time. Already, investors are bailing
out of bonds at a frightening pace. State and local government debt is
now sitting at an all-time high of 22
percent of U.S. GDP. According to Meredith Whitney, the municipal
bond crisis that we are facing is a gigantic threat to our financial system….
“It has
tentacles as wide as anything I’ve seen. I think next to housing this is the
single most important issue in the United States and certainly the largest
threat to the U.S. economy.”
Egypt protests continue as Mubarak's
government offers concessions (Washington Post) [ Come on!
Let not all of us join america’s / israel’s, et als, and mubarak’s delusions. After all, here’s an 82
year old tyrant, in power for 30 years, yet in some parallel universe appears
to think he’s calling the shots. Other than literal and quite foolish shots
against protesters, even journalists, see infra, there are few indeed that
would trust his mindset, such as it is, much less his judgment, so flawed as he
has now shown it to be. What is obvious is that this long overdue ‘people’s
election’ cannot be thwarted by platitudes and small talk, but resisting the
inevitable will turn an american quasi-ally into an anti-american breeding
ground because there’s just no reconciling a pro-mubarak, however slight,
position with american / israeli, et als war crimes in the region. Restless
Cairo protesters hoping for U.S. support (Washington Post) [ The sad
reality here is, much like wobama’s Afghanistan fiasco, that america has
‘bought it’. This is truly yet another ‘loss, loss’ scenario as is true of
america’s mideast policy generally. Defacto bankrupt america’s initiatives in
the region particularly, though generally true of all american policy, is the
‘square pegs in round holes’ approach to almost everything they do, which
certainly is not lost on the rest of the world. Coddling and caving in to
israeli / neocon / zionist paranoia despite the war mongering intransigence of
the former is devastating to a nation as pervasively corrupt america which is
facing insurmountable domestic problems of its own, economically, financially,
politically, and geo-politically. This should bring to mind the missteps of a
former fading empire in this same region desperately trying to remain relevant.
Indeed, from Balfour’s Despoliation to arbitrary boundaries, etc., Orwellian
britain’s demise (decline) as a real player globally was, as america’s
currently, significantly and irrevocably hastened. Quite simply, pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america will increasingly be viewed as a bunch
of ‘muck-ups’ who can’t handle their
own substantial problems much less those of other nations; and in fact,
invariably exacerbate existing conditions / problems, particularly when
pandering to israel’s self-interested concerns. ] While the ouster of President
Hosni Mubarak remains the most pressing concern for protesters, the role of
U.S. is far from absent in the dialogue. { Previous: Amid Arab protests, U.S. influence has waned
(Washington Post) [ And that’s just the way israel likes it … and to america’s
detriment, of course … which is not lost on even George Soros … Drudgereport: Soros:
'The main stumbling block is Israel'...
Egyptian
protesters plan new push Government
detains foreigners, says it's willing to open talks (Washington Post) [ Open talks? ‘bout what?
Building a pyramid in mubarak’s honor before stepping down? He’s done … finito
… burnt as an over-micro-waved burrito! The following from the Post is indeed
the straw that broke the riders with whips he sent on camels’ and horses’
backs! ‘Wants to die in Egypt? How
touching, or the reality, he’s just plain touched as in totally ‘out of
it’. ‘…In what the U.S. State
Department called a "concerted campaign to intimidate," several dozen
journalists were rounded up by security forces and detained for hours, along
with foreigners working as teachers, engineers and human rights researchers.
Across the city, angry bands of supporters of President Hosni Mubarak also beat
journalists; several reporters said that they were threatened with death…’ ]
Cairo seeks to shift blame for clashes by rounding up journalists; U.S.
worries renewed protests could spark more violence from Mubarak supporters. Demonstrations
in Egypt take bloody turn In
Cairo square, Mubarak backers confront anti-government crowds (Washington Post) [ Not too difficult for desperate and done
mubarak to contrive: Mubarak
Says Egyptians Have to Choose Between “Chaos” and Him … Then Sends In His Thugs
to Stir Up Chaos (Infowars.com) In
order to justify staying in power until elections are held in September,
President Mubarak said on tv that the people had to choose between him and
“chaos”. ] The coordinated nature of day's events suggested that Mubarak's
supporters were determined to show, as he had warned, that the country faced a
"choice between chaos and stability." [ Previous: Mubarak's
pledge seen as not enough Egyptian
president plans to stay in office to transfer power (Washington Post) [ Let me put it another
way: Mubarak is as done as an over-cooked tamale … He seems to be stalling for
time and even in his age impaired mind certainly knows his position is
untenable, unsustainable, and even more irrational as each second passes. There
is a possibility that he’s using same to move money / treasure for himself and
others, literally as well, buying time. See infra … Previous: Mubarak
seeks dialogue, shows no sign of relenting Demonstrators
call for massive protest but lack leadership (Washington Post) [ He relented when he
resorted to media / internet blackout. Indeed, this lack of sign thing is a
testament to how far from reality 30 years has taken him, not to mention the
other 52 years that have taken their toll on his cognitive processes. Whether
it is plaques ‘on the brain’ or outright senility, that he is so disengaged
from the events unfolding around him, one may only wonder how he lasted this
long. Nor did his choice of cia standin / shill, new VP Suleiman enhance his
now untenable position which leaves him as ‘done as a burnt enchilada’. Kissinger
on Egypt unrest – “This is only the first scene of the first act of a drama
that is to be played out” [ The
import of this so-called interview, and it is here that I part company with
alex jones, et als (who by the way, censored me for this very thesis, which
puts him and his at the top of my hypocrite list), is that the so-called elite
have orchestrated these events and ‘are in control’. First, there are no elites
in this world; you can’t derive elites from apes, notochordates, and initially
single celled organisms. Second, almost by definition and certainly by history,
there are no elites in america even if you were to accept the first proposition
(though true) as untrue. What you do have, in this world and america
particularly (with few exceptions as I’ve discussed elsewhere / comments / my
website), are inherent criminals and mentally ill people of varying degrees of
unscrupulousness and insanity who do commit crimes, both small and large, to
further their interests or fortunes (sociopaths / psychopaths). The ’so-called
alpha-dogs’ of the human species at most, but still incompetent vegetables who,
if you look at anything they touch (to use a term term of such incompetent
vegetables as historically pertains to their role in the mideast – and
generally the state of the world) it invariably goes ‘pear shaped’ (english
term). What hasn’t zionist kissinger not messed up as appointee or ‘consultant’
– what does he get paid for? No! The fact is, they have absolutely no idea how
this unfolds and as with most of their lives, they will predictably choose the
most sordid, despicable, and diabolical course at every turn because … that is
their inherently criminal, mentally ill / unstable nature to do so. ]
] Fragile steps to end crisis seen as plans
take shape for a transition process that would allow Mubarak to remain as a
figure head until new elections.
} ]
Budget
freeze hampers oversight, SEC chair says (Washington Post) [ Well, now we
know the real reason behind the spending freeze. It always was a bit of a
stretch to say that was because of their seriousness regarding
deficit-reduction which is a catch-phrase but myth at best. That said, in light
of wobama’s et als’ failure to live up to campaign promises regarding
prosecution of the blatant frauds on wall street, it seems that the absence of
the $200 million will be interposed as an excuse for planned failure. After
all, at every turn, the frauds on wall street were given every opportunity to
cover their tracks and keep their booty. The attorney general’s office, u.s.
attorneys and wobama the b are the worst offenders concerning the
foregoing. ] Mary L. Schapiro says the
freeze is compromising the agency's ability to police the financial markets. Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on
offensive (defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the
nations of the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a
pattern emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
]
Milbank: Rumsfeld
offers no apology on Iraq (Washington Post) [ Well, journalistically
speaking, you know Mr. Milbank’s hit the bottom of the barrel when he leads his
article with a quote seemingly as a purported standard from war criminal dumbya
bush who probably didn’t even understand the words he was regurgitating (see ,
ie., bushisms from bush the brain-damaged moron http://albertpeia.com/bushisms.htm
- sadly, wobama probably understands the words but forgets his prior words
contradicting same, campaign promises particularly, and hence, failed
presidents both). Who cares about what would be meaningless apologies from
these incompetent psychopaths.
(2-3-11) Rumsfeld
Finally Confesses He Was Wrong About WMD In New Autobiography [ Nice to know … a nation’s bankruptcy
(america) and another nation’s destruction (Iraq) later. ] Former Defence
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has finally confessed he was wrong to claim America
knew where Saddam Hussein had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction in the
first days after the Iraq invasion.
Previous: Words are cheap, in america particularly … I don’t believe
anything they say and then, as I said, words are cheap. ANALYSIS
| Palin's 'blood libel' comment backfires Washington Post) [ God knows I’m no fan of sarah palin’s
although I am constrained to admit that as a fan of Saturday Night Live, I do
appreciate her contribution to comedic content in the show. That said, this new ‘tempest in a teapot’ of
her own making is a bit overdone. After all, it should be common knowledge by
now, to put it mildly, that she is quite dumb; and, like that burnt out, dumb,
war criminal and moron, dumbya bush (see , ie., bushisms from bush the
brain-damaged moron http://albertpeia.com/bushisms.htm),
she also has trouble with words; more specifically, the meanings of words. But
it is also true that wobama and his ilk have trouble with words and their
meaning, particularly when those spoken words are measured against what he
does, his ilk never seeming to discern the glaring difference … wobama the ‘b’
for b*** s***. Lamentably (by her) and unexpectedly for palin was her failure
to fully understand ‘that jewish thing’ attached to the phrase and the tender
sensibilities of those who previously have been among the ranks of what seems more
and more to be a somewhat offbeat fanclub of sorts. Yeah, that ‘never here the
end of it’ jewish stereotype of paranoid sensibilities to religious / ethnic
prejudice / slur behind some word, phrase, or even a sneeze (spielberg’s
childhood memories) can wind up turning around and biting you’re a** !
Previously: Krauthammer: Beyond
Ariz., a reckless charge
(Washington Post) [ If it were only that simple; viz., a palin ( I’ve
previously said I’m more concerned with her level of stupidity, dumb enough in
an infantile way to prove she had gonads by pressing the button – never goin’
to happen, her being in that position), a beck, a bush, a wobama (Drudgereport:
OBAMA FLASHBACK: 'If They
Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun'... ), etc., there’d be hope for pervasively corrupt
defacto bankrupt america. The fact is, the problem is inherent to america /
americans themselves as I previously wrote here and reiterate: Will: Half-baked
explanations for tragedy (Washington Post) [ Half-baked? Charlatans? The
foregoing are in no short supply in defacto bankrupt, meaningfully lawless,
pervasively corrupt, fraud prevalent america. See, for example, RICO case http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm . Moreover, Mr. Will as an oftimes
apologist for war criminal, pervasively fraud-prone, defacto bankrupt, etc.,
america, with crime rates exceeding by far those of any other so-called civilized
nations, might indeed find himself among those he’s so categorized. Among the
last separate page sections to my website will be a somewhat detailed
psychoanalytic evolutionary profile of the u.s. (one might ask who am I to do
so which is fair comment to which I would reply, read it, or not, your choice).
However, for the nonce, let me say that the it is no small coincidence that the
20th century has been dubbed ‘the american century’. That the 20th
century has been considered the bloodiest is at once the natural concomitant of
the foregoing reality. Keeping in mind the so-called ‘selective’ processes in
both insurance (adverse) and evolutionary (Darwinian) terms, and as well, the
psychology of it all from a behavioral perspective, america has indeed evolved.
From the genocide of indigenous populations, to outlandish propaganda in
support of same (ie., that ‘manifest destiny’ balderdash with overtones of
religiosity spoonfed since elementary school, etc.), to contrived conflict /
war, such, euphemistically bad behavior has been reinforced, some of which
conditioning not always purposeful, ie., the ever greater frauds perpetrated on
wall street for which there have been in large part no real punitive
consequences to the perpetrators; but, to the contrary, great financial rewards
though substantially detrimental to the majority. Despite the surface appeal,
that oft asserted ‘blue-blood’ distinction doesn’t pass muster. Aside from the
few seeking seeking religious freedom (ie., Puritans among some others), most
then new americans were such disaffected rejects of their former homelands that
desperation at best was motivation for travel to the wilds of the ‘so-called
new world’ as opposed to intelligent, rational choice; criminals, mentally ill,
the not-so-bright but ruthless populating the new nation in disparate numbers
toward the ends consistent with greed and common criminality, corruption, and
venality. As of the age of the dinosaurs, the american century has passed into
the annals of a history replete with self-generating terrorism within and
without (that blowback thing). DRUDGEREPORT:
NATION SHOCKED: CONGRESSWOMAN
SHOT IN TUCSON ]
White House mulls Egypt options as protests persist Pro-democracy demonstrators stage 'Day of Departure' rallies (Washington Post) [ It truly is difficult to even imagine such a scenario as ‘a transition process that would allow Mubarak to remain as a figure head until new elections’, though the same probably comports with america’s own pervasively corrupt style of politics as usual (wobama a glaring current example of actions belying words, war criminal dumbya bush, et als) which has spelled intractable decline for america domestically and internationally (probably also comports with israel’s aims at the expense and to the detriment of Egypt and Egypt’s citizens – also gives the cia time to do their deals which could be whatever nefarious money-making / power brokering scheme comes to mind). In corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, facades count more than reality. Egyptian protesters plan new push Government detains foreigners, says it's willing to open talks (Washington Post) [ Open talks? ‘bout what? Building a pyramid in mubarak’s honor before stepping down? He’s done … finito … burnt as an over-micro-waved burrito! The following from the Post is indeed the straw that broke the riders with whips he sent on camels’ and horses’ backs! ‘Wants to die in Egypt? How touching, or the reality, he’s just plain touched as in totally ‘out of it’. ‘…In what the U.S. State Department called a "concerted campaign to intimidate," several dozen journalists were rounded up by security forces and detained for hours, along with foreigners working as teachers, engineers and human rights researchers. Across the city, angry bands of supporters of President Hosni Mubarak also beat journalists; several reporters said that they were threatened with death…’ ] Cairo seeks to shift blame for clashes by rounding up journalists; U.S. worries renewed protests could spark more violence from Mubarak supporters.
Ignored but
Important - What Omitted Jobs Data means for Stocks [ What it means is that when there are no
jobs, and everyone has stopped looking, there will be full employment which of
course, is rally time for stocks … riiiiight! ] Maierhofer, see entire article
infra: ‘…The headline unemployment rate (U-3) reported by the BLS fell to 9%,
the lowest level since April 2009. How can the unemployment rate drop 0.4% if
only 36,000 jobs were added? (Much worse than the 140,000 expected – stocks
still rallied) 36,000 aren't even enough to provide jobs for a quarter of
graduates…’ Riiiiight! … that fudge factor/fraud; viz., discouraged / stopped
looking … What total b*** s***! How desperate they are! Previous: Initial
Claims Drop More Than Expected [ Come on! Who believes anything they say
and at what cost with money not really there in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, with manipulated programmed suckers’ rally into the close. …‘In
the U.S. market, Slothower concludes: “This is a hard one to gauge, given the
QE2 manipulations verses skyrocketing food and energy prices, which have now
reached prices levels that have choked off growth in the past and caused
recessions, as we saw in 2008 when oil prices hit $100 a barrel (in March of
that year).” “It is like walking in a mine field. You move very carefully now
with your eyes wide open and on every move, knowing that any day something out
of the blue could blow thing up, given these extreme risks.” But he’s now only
70% in cash. The balance is split equally between: iPath Dow Jones-AIG Grains
Total Return Sub-Index …’ Minyanville's
T3 Weekly Recap: Growing Disconnect Between Market and Economy/World ‘Bernanke said in his comments yesterday
that he is responsible for higher stock prices, but not necessarily for
sky-rocketing global food prices. Well, you can't have it both ways, Ben. By
propping up asset prices when economic data doesn't match the ferocity of the
stock market rally, the Fed is potentially creating another bubble of
sorts.Just look at today's non-farm payrolls number: There was a gain of only 36,000
jobs when 140,000 were expected. Also, unemployment fell to 9.0% -- a positive
sign for the layman, but an ominous sign for the more keen eye. Nine-hundred
thousand discouraged job-hunters left the labor force this month, after 500,000
left in the previous month. It's hard to see optimism in the stock market
continue unabated while so many Americans remain jobless…’ ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy!: Dave's Daily …Speaking of the man with printers ink stains
up to his neck, Bernanke spoke Thursday to the Press Club stating, among other
things, "inflation remains quite low". He continued saying,
"Since August, when we announced our policy of reinvesting maturing
securities and signaled we were considering more purchases, equity prices have
risen significantly...") I believe that sums things up from an investing view. Silly
people like me are standing by watching those that can like GS and JPM take
this easy money and route it directly to the S&P futures pits, among other
similar places, taking on risk the Fed expects. Oh, and speaking of JPM, the
Madoff Trustees have sued the bank for complicity in helping steer client funds
to Madoff despite complaints from within that his results were "too good
to be true"…’ Monthly
Market Valuation: Investors Are Too Bullish, Valuations Are Too High The conclusion of the following detailed,
documented analysis: ‘Wolinsky :In conclusion, the market is over-valued based
on the above data. Tobin's Q, Shiller P/E and AAII data are all indicating that
investors are too bullish and valuations are too high.’ ]
, On
Friday February 4, 2011, ‘The monthly employment report has become one
of the most anticipated and talked about, but least analyzed ritual on Wall
Street.As far as the media is concerned, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
might as well just publish the headline number, because that's about the only
thing anyone talks about.Not only does the core message of the 40+ page report
go largely un-deciphered, the correlation between the employment reports is
also somewhat deceptive.This article will extract some uncommonly reported
information and point towards what is likely to move the marketThe only other
Wall Street ritual that tops monthly unemployment reports is earnings season.
Like any other ritual, it comes with many myths and fables attached. The most
common one is that unemployment directly affects stock prices.
THE
HEADLINE NUMBER ... WAIT, THERE IS MORE
The headline
unemployment rate (U-3) reported by the BLS fell to 9%, the lowest level since
April 2009. How can the unemployment rate drop 0.4% if only 36,000 jobs were
added? 36,000 aren't even enough to provide jobs for a quarter of
graduates.According to BLS data, the number of unemployed workers (not
seasonally adjusted) rose from 14.83 million to 14.94 million. The work force
shrunk from 153.89 million to 152.54 million. The workforce didn't actually
decline, but statistically more workers are considered discouraged and are no
longer considered unemployed.One of the most remarkable BLS data points on the
BLS site is the average number of weeks workers are now unemployed. The jobless
are unemployed for an average of 36.9 weeks, an all-time high (see chart
below).[chart]
House
Republicans propose $32B in budget cuts (Washington Post) [ Well, there you
go … all over but the shoutin’ … $14+ trillion debt problem solved … riiiiight!
… Timid
Tuesday: Is it Safe? Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are
simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of
global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form
of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh)
is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut
$100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while
continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1%
each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool
all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT
THERE! ‘] The figure represents
an unprecedented rollback that would force some agencies to cut spending by as
much as 20 percent, analysts say.
]
Fed
dismisses inflation concerns (Washington Post) [ If you’re not used to Dave of Dave’s Daily, see infra, ‘he talks
with tongue in cheek’; meaning, inflation’s here, including the inflated stock
bubble that the frauds on wall street commission and sell into, just as
bernanke planned and admitted, with hyperinflation around the corner, and the
typical ‘bust’. Initial
Claims Drop More Than Expected [ Come on! Who believes anything they say
and at what cost with money not really there in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, with manipulated programmed suckers’ rally into the close.
…‘In the U.S. market, Slothower concludes: “This is a hard one to gauge, given the
QE2 manipulations verses skyrocketing food and energy prices, which have now
reached prices levels that have choked off growth in the past and caused
recessions, as we saw in 2008 when oil prices hit $100 a barrel (in March of
that year).” “It is like walking in a mine field. You move very carefully now
with your eyes wide open and on every move, knowing that any day something out
of the blue could blow thing up, given these extreme risks.” But he’s now only
70% in cash. The balance is split equally between: iPath Dow Jones-AIG Grains
Total Return Sub-Index …’ ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy!: Dave's Daily …Speaking of the man with printers ink stains
up to his neck, Bernanke spoke Thursday to the Press Club stating, among other
things, "inflation remains quite low". He continued saying,
"Since August, when we announced our policy of reinvesting maturing securities
and signaled we were considering more purchases, equity prices have risen
significantly...") I believe that sums things up from an investing view. Silly
people like me are standing by watching those that can like GS and JPM take
this easy money and route it directly to the S&P futures pits, among other
similar places, taking on risk the Fed expects. Oh, and speaking of JPM, the
Madoff Trustees have sued the bank for complicity in helping steer client funds
to Madoff despite complaints from within that his results were "too good
to be true"…’ Monthly
Market Valuation: Investors Are Too Bullish, Valuations Are Too High The conclusion of the following detailed,
documented analysis: ‘Wolinsky :In conclusion, the market is over-valued based
on the above data. Tobin's Q, Shiller P/E and AAII data are all indicating that
investors are too bullish and valuations are too high.’ ]
]
Bernanke gives a mixed assessment of the nation's economic
prospects.
Egyptian
capital teeters on anarchy Mubarak
asks cabinet to resign as anti-regime protests intensify
(Washington Post) [ Mubarak should have been looking in the mirror as he asked
his cabinet to resign … 30 years is a long time, and coincidentally, time for
him to go. In
Egypt: Access denied (Washington Post) [The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark [I disagree!
Part of the internet didn’t die, but rather the order to so darken the nation
heralded the demise, at 30 years and counting, of the so-called leadership in
the persona of Mubarak. Time for him to go! After all, he’s been in a position,
with Egypt among the only Mideast nations to have signed a peace treaty with
israel, to have stepped up with substantial credibility in taking a strong
position against israeli transgressions, violations of international law / u.n.
resolutions, war crimes, etc., which beyond soft-touch, he failed to do. And,
of all places, he sends his family to Orwellian england; he still loves those
colonial masters … how pathetic. I mean, 30 years … how free-flowing does
anyone think the election process is at this point … and one could ask the same
regarding the entrenched powers that be in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, to be fair. Then there’s saudi arabia; talk about do nothing
hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil reserves of a
sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign corporations say so. The only
Mideast nations showing backbone are Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and, of course
the perennially propaganda painted bad-boy Iran among possibly some of the
smaller emirates, ie., Qatar, etc., (I lack sufficient information regarding
these other nations). ] (AP)
Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests (AP)
- AP - In its effort to silence protesters, Egypt took a step that's rare
even among authoritarian governments: It cut off the Internet across the entire
country. Mubarak fires Cabinet, defends army’s efforts Sat, 29 Jan 2011
00:20:58 GMT Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak dismisses his Cabinet,
calls on the army to help put down rising potests... Egypt's
Mubarak sends in army, resists demands to quit (Reuters)
- 1 hour agoReuters - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused
on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks
into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests again...
] Embattled leader's move falls
far short of demands that he give up his 30-year authoritarian rule, leave the
country and permit fresh elections.
Israel
watches Arab turmoil closely, but comments cautiously Washington
Post) [ Illegal nuke-totin’ war crimes nation israel, watch this closely since
the same was a long time coming … GOP senator favors cutting US aid to Israel (AP) (
Now this is a great and long overdue idea that might also lead to enhanced
peace efforts for the region; b e c a u s e , israel will have less money to
waste on provocative and costly (particularly to america financially and
geopolitically) war games. ) AP - Tea party-backed Republican Sen. Rand Paul
favors cutting U.S. aid to Israel as part of a deficit-driven effort to slash
government spending by $500 billion this year, drawing criticism from Dems (and
capital hill generally as Buchanan once described as israeli occupied
territory, to america’s detriment) ... Rand Paul: End Aid to
Israel Pressed on CNN’s Situation Room about details on his budget cut
plans, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says end all foreign aid–and when pressed further
says that includes to Israel. ]
Economic growth strengthened (Washington Post) [ Wow! Mr. Irwin’s back to his glass very much half full ways. The question is, is Mr. Irwin trying to convince himself, or disingenuously trying to convince his readers. After all, in reality, they’re really hasn’t been sufficient ‘bang for the buck’ (Fed Continues Failed Monetary Policy Suttmeier, chief market strategist at ValuEngine.com
‘Fed Is Continuing a Failed Monetary Policy (And,
amazingly, their rationale is the same failed rationale that preceded the last
bubble, as now, crash, as will, that was spun by senile greenspan that wall
street frauds / insiders sold into; you know, that so called wealth effect
which in reality is theirs not yours; viz., their gain, your pain.)
In
Egypt: Access denied (Washington Post) [The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark [I disagree! Part
of the internet didn’t die, but rather the order to so darken the nation
heralded the demise, at 30 years and counting, of the so-called leadership in
the persona of Mubarak. Time for him to go! After all, he’s been in a position,
with Egypt among the only Mideast nations to have signed a peace treaty with
israel, to have stepped up with substantial credibility in taking a strong
position against israeli transgressions, violations of international law / u.n.
resolutions, war crimes, etc., which beyond soft-touch, he failed to do. And,
of all places, he sends his family to Orwellian england; he still loves those
colonial masters … how pathetic. I mean, 30 years … how free-flowing does
anyone think the election process is at this point … and one could ask the same
regarding the entrenched powers that be in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, to be fair. Then there’s saudi arabia; talk about do nothing
hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil reserves of a
sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign corporations say so. The only
Mideast nations showing backbone are Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and, of course
the perennially propaganda painted bad-boy Iran among possibly some of the
smaller emirates, ie., Qatar, etc., (I lack sufficient information regarding
these other nations). ] (AP)
Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests (AP)
- AP - In its effort to silence protesters, Egypt took a step that's rare
even among authoritarian governments: It cut off the Internet across the entire
country. Mubarak fires Cabinet, defends army’s efforts Sat, 29 Jan 2011
00:20:58 GMT Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak dismisses his Cabinet,
calls on the army to help put down rising potests... Egypt's
Mubarak sends in army, resists demands to quit (Reuters)
- 1 hour agoReuters - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused
on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks
into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests
again... ]
Unrest in Egypt has been ongoing all week, but the Internet only seemed to take notice when it affected the Internet. The chilling aspect of an Internet clampdown is the assumption that lies behind it: If you will not let your people tweet, what else will you not let them do?
Regulators
shut banks (11 so far in 2011) in Colo,
NM, Okla, Wis
The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark [I disagree!
Part of the internet didn’t die, but rather the order to so darken the nation
heralded the demise, at 30 years and counting, of the so-called leadership in
the persona of Mubarak. Time for him to go! After all, he’s been in a position,
with Egypt among the only Mideast nations to have signed a peace treaty with
israel, to have stepped up with substantial credibility in taking a strong
position against israeli transgressions, violations of international law / u.n.
resolutions, war crimes, etc., which beyond soft-touch, he failed to do. And,
of all places, he sends his family to Orwellian england; he still loves those
colonial masters … how pathetic. I mean, 30 years … how free-flowing does
anyone think the election process is at this point … and one could ask the same
regarding the entrenched powers that be in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, to be fair. Then there’s saudi arabia; talk about do nothing
hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil reserves of a
sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign corporations say so. The only
Mideast nations showing backbone are Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and, of course
the perennially propaganda painted bad-boy Iran among possibly some of the
smaller emirates, ie., Qatar, etc., (I lack sufficient information regarding these
other nations). ] (AP) Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests (AP) - AP - In its effort to silence protesters,
Egypt took a step that's rare even among authoritarian governments: It cut off
the Internet across the entire country.
Mubarak fires Cabinet, defends army’s efforts Sat, 29 Jan 2011
00:20:58 GMT Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak dismisses his Cabinet,
calls on the army to help put down rising potests... Egypt's Mubarak sends in army, resists demands to quit
(Reuters)
- 1 hour agoReuters - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused
on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks
into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests
again...
Egypt
riots knock Wall St to biggest drop in 6 months (Reuters) – [ No! That’s not correct! They probably would
like you to think that … some unforeseeable problem from out of nowhere
deflating their contrived fraudulent bubble that they always manage to sell
into. But the fact is the market’s overvalued to a point again beyond the pale
… another inflated point that the wall street frauds always seem to find some
reason other than the reality of a fraudulently manipulated overvalued bubble
to sell into. ] Reuters - Stocks suffered their biggest one-day loss in nearly
six months on Friday as anti-government rioting in Egypt prompted investors to
flee to less risky assets to ride out the turmoil.
GOP senator favors cutting US aid to Israel (AP) [ Now this is
a great and long overdue idea that might also lead to enhanced peace efforts
for the region; b e c a u s e , israel will have less money to waste on
provocative and costly (particularly to america financially and geopolitically)
war games. ] AP - Tea party-backed
Republican Sen. Rand Paul favors cutting U.S. aid to Israel as part of a
deficit-driven effort to slash government spending by $500 billion this year,
drawing criticism from Dems (and capital hill generally as Buchanan once
described as israeli occupied territory, to america’s detriment) ... Rand Paul: End Aid to
Israel Pressed on CNN’s Situation Room about details on his budget cut
plans, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says end all foreign aid–and when pressed further
says that includes to Israel.
Paulson's
$5 billion payout shocks, raises questions (Reuters) [ Shock? Come on …
everyone knows that crime in america pays … and pays well! ]
NY
mob task force spends 6 MONTHS probing 50-cent sausage heist... As with cuomo, you won’t see new york / mob infested
new jersey trying too hard if at all to hurt themselves by prosecuting mob
which is so integrally a part of both states… ‘On the mobbed-up docks of Bayonne, the
six-month probe was known as Operation Missing Link.Its target: A suspect who
swiped a $2 bottle of iced tea and used it to wash down a stolen 50-cent piece
of sausage - the lost link that left a bad taste in everybody's mouth, sources
told the Daily News.An investigation of the penny-ante heist was ordered by the
Waterfront Commission, the agency charged with policing the docks for mob
corruption, drug smuggling and other major crimes, the sources said.The
investigation included scores of interviews over countless hours dating to last
August, sources said - even though the victim was reluctant to press
charges."It's like Capt. Queeg and the strawberries," said New
Jersey state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, a harsh critic of the bistate
commission."It's a $2.50 ongoing investigation."One of the sources
was more blunt: "The whole investigation is bull----. It's a waste of
manpower, money and resources."Waterfront Commission General Counsel
Phoebe Soriel, while declining to address specifics, said the case was more
complex than it appeared."While the commission does not comment on pending
investigations, it takes any theft in the port seriously - especially theft
involving extortion," she said without going into detail.The reported
value of the stolen goods - a handful of change - is a microfraction of the
$200 billion that moves annually through the ports of New York
and New Jersey.The overkill began when the commission received an anonymous tip
that someone filched the drink and the sausage from a food truck catering to
dock workers.According to two sources, the case was quickly wrapped up: The
thief confessed to the crime, and the victim said an arrest was unnecessary.The
victim "didn't want to see him behind bars...just wanted him to
stop," one source said.But top commission officials, convinced its
investigators mishandled the case, ordered a second probe with every possible
witness reinterviewed, the sources said.Investigators from the 58-year-old
agency returned to the docks and conducted about 80 second interviews, all the
while cranking out piles of paperwork, the sources said.The commission was
blasted in August 2009 - one year before the sausage investigation was launched
- as home to corrupt execs barely better than the waterfront's notorious
mobsters.Officials were accused in a damning 60-page report of misusing
Homeland Security money, keeping a convicted crook in business and surfing the
Internet for porn.The iced-tea-and-sausage probe - which has yet to wrap up - is
considered an embarrassment among investigators and dock workers."They
snicker about it," one of the sources said.’
The FBI’s the only
serious anti-mob game in town: FBI
'largest' Mafia takedown...
Flowchart...
'Vinny
Carwash', 'The Fang', 'Tony Bagels', 'Johnny Pizza', 'Baby Shacks', 'Jack the
Wack', 'Junior Lollipops', 'Bobby Glasses'...
The Mafia
family tree: FBI flowchart reveals
127 'mobsters' arrested in biggest ever blitz on New York's crime empires [ This is a very big deal! http://albertpeia.com/mafiafamilytreeflowchartFBIarrests.htm ]
Car bomb kills dozens (Washington Post) [ Ah, yes! Signs of american style democratization in the middle east popping out all over. The other turmoil is testament to the fact that other mideast nations have complacently sat back as zionist israel / american ‘adventurism / war / war crimes / war profiteering have taken their toll on the region, their people, and their aspirations which like all such action outside a vacuum, have reactions. ] At least 48 were killed and 121 wounded when a booby-trapped car exploded outside a funeral tent in a Shiite neighborhood of northern Baghdad, escalating an upsurge of violence across the country.
New
research points to earlier human migration out of Africa (Washington
Post) [ This is hardly breakthrough
news inasmuch as the same has been reported with authority in as far back as
2005 4th edition Michael Alan Park text; viz., ‘…fossils (of) the
first fully modern Homo Sapiens are found in Africa and Southwest Asia
beginning around 160,000 years ago.’ Truth be told, I find such fine lines in
this truly sad tale of the history of man to be relatively unimportant.
Interestingly, coincidentally, the Drudgereport this day includes this
headline: DNA: Humans 97% same as
orangutans … 98% same as chimps ... ] For decades, the consensus scientific opinion has
held that anatomically modern humans first migrated out of Africa some 60,000
years ago, heading north into the eastern Mediterranean region and then on to
Europe and Asia.
[To the
Professor at the beginning of the course]
10-5-09
Postscript: Professor *****,
I felt compelled to thank you again for the add; not to curry your favor but
indeed to express profound thanks inasmuch as this is probably the last formal
course at a formal educational institution I'll ever take; and among the most
important. While I had bought at discount a library-discarded 1993 Anthropology
by Embers text, though meaning to read same never quite got to it. I am
astounded by the substantial amount of time involved in the evolutionary
process, not that I ever stopped to think about it, and one must come away with
the sense of 'and all that...for this?'. This course should be required
curriculum along with psychology, sociology, etc., but probably won't be owing
to what is, as it should be, a very humbling educational experience for any
member of the human race.
Regards,
Al Peia
U.S.
must cut deficit, IMF warns (Washington Post) [ Duuuuuh! Ya’ think? CBO:
This year's budget deficit to hit $1.5T
Washington Post (Why
the CBO may not believe all its own deficit projections Christian
Science Monitor CBO:
Social Security to run permanent deficits (AP) No
stemming red ink: Federal deficit to hit $1.5T (AP) Deficit Outlook Darkens Wall Street Journal -
WASHINGTON—The federal budget deficit will reach a record of nearly $1.5
trillion in 2011 due to the weak economy, higher spending and fresh tax cuts,
congressional budget analysts said, ... Social Security now seen to run permanent deficits The Associated Press ) The nonpartisan budget agency
predicts the deficit will drop to $1.1 trillion next year. ]
The IMF warning comes as federal officials grapple with a congressional
projection this week that the annual deficit will reach a historic $1.5
trillion this year. This is the latest report to raise concerns about how
massive government debts in developed countries could undermine the global
economic recovery.
DNA:
Humans 97% same as orangutans … 98% same as chimps ...
HE'S BACK: Rahm ruled eligible for mayoral run... [ No
surprise here … lots of juice / cash to go around … Hollywood,
Jobs, Trump help Rahm haul in $10.6M … [ No
surprise here, mobster trump (how was trump missed in the recent big mafia bust
since he too is a corrupt bribe paying/receiving, drug money laundering among
other crimes, mobster), hollywood
flakes like magic mushroom eater sorkin, LSD aficionado jobs (I now realize
what that premium priced disfunctional though fanciful pizzazz of apple products that I would
refuse to pay extra for stems from-jobs says he owes it all to his LSD
use-don’t forget, apple’s protected source code, kernel, and consequent
stability existed pre-jobs and I believe, particularly after actually using an
iphone, that the same is a way to extract money from an ever increasingly
dumbed down / dumb (and I think at the least, eccentric if not obsessively
pathological if you witnessed the near compulsive use of these extraneous-rich,
in a trivially frivolous way, devices) american public by pandering to their
desire for superfluous functionality which requires additional purchases
through apple-I do give them credit for the more elaborate interface /
touchscreen and the ipad, all of which is currently being duplicated ex-apple
and presenting greater values/utility/functionality for the money-so also credit
for pioneering), zionists including spielberg, etc.; no small wonder that
chicago and the nation are down the tubes. ] ...
]
CBO:
This year's budget deficit to hit $1.5T
(Washington Post) [Why
the CBO may not believe all its own deficit projections Christian
Science Monitor CBO:
Social Security to run permanent deficits (AP)
] The nonpartisan budget agency predicts the deficit will drop to $1.1 trillion next year.
U.S.
seeks balanced approach to Mideast turmoil (Washington Post) [ Wow! Talkin’ about balance. The
response might be, ‘better late than never’, yet it won’t take long for all to
figure out that balance means heavily weighted to zionist israel / american
interests which of course, ultimately at this rate they will have none of.
Indeed, america’s pro-israel stance in the region is now as good as it gets;
which ain’t too good and fading fast based on … reality. It’s what they do, not
what they say. Then there’s turmoil, and unforgotten turmoil brought to the
region courtesy of israel / american / nato ‘adventurism’ / manipulation /
conflict / war which animus will linger long after this more parochial turmoil
has subsided. For america to believe the old ways will pull through is a dream
that will become a nightmare for american aspirations in the region. ]
TrimTabs: “No Amount Of QE Will Be Able To Keep The Current Stock Market Bubble From Bursting” Zero Hedge | If the money to boost stock prices by almost $9 trillion from the March 2009 lows did not come from the traditional players, it had to have come from somewhere else. We believe that place is the Fed. ] Economic expansion is continuing, a Fed committee said in a statement, but not quickly enough.
Samuelson:
Deficit
dodgeball (Washington Post) [ In past posts I’ve disagreed with the tenor
if not substance of Mr. Samuelson’s articles, even so far, if my memory on this
unimportant point serves me, alluding to his need to bone up on basic economics
by way of that once ubiquitous Samuelson economics text (is there a familial
relation?), gently implying him to be a soft-touch / lightweight with regard to
all things economic / business; but, this really takes the cake and I find his
article, euphemistically speaking, sorely lacking. Even his dodgeball
reference, though I might be accused of nit-picking, is misplaced. This is no
game. The literal life or death of the nation is at stake. The insurmountable
debt is unsustainable. Yet, nowhere in his article is there even a mention of
the perpetual, needless wars abroad which I would argue have worsened the
nation’s security position (blowback, ill will, geopolitical antipathy, etc.).
Indeed, this huge expenditure on these needless wars is literally frittered
away and even stolen (360 tons of $100 bills
flown into Iraq disappear, etc.), abroad denying the economic benefits of such
if spent domestically. His lip service
in two words, ‘(b) downsizing other programs, including defense’ ( and no
mention of the fraudulent wall street computerized high-frequency programmed
churn-and-earn / a negative in real economic terms) , falls short and his
article is sophomoric at best.
IED
casualties in Afghanistan spike (Washington Post) [ Yeah! That progress thing’s a b**ch! What do you expect them ( Petraeus
optimistic on war ) to say? That the money
spent / diverted to these lucrative for the few war profiteers (360 tons
of $100 bills flown into Iraq disappear, etc.) has been worth the defacto
bankruptcy of the nation. The new military brass as with gates’ cia are without
honor, from illegal drugs, to illegal arms, to war crimes, etc.. ]
Grading
the SOTU / Roboinson (Washington Post) [ I say this sincerely and without
even a tinge of sarcasm that anyone who even watched / listened to wobama’s
‘speech’ should be embarrassed / ashamed of themselves (not that I listened to
dumbya bush’s either). The grade is ‘f’ as in failure as is his failed
presidency, as in ‘f’ himself. Wobama is but a pathetic b*** s*** artist and a
total embarrassment! Previous: Gerson: Obama,
more deficit hawk than GOP? (Washington Post) [ Come on! Where do they get
this stuff? Wobama not only continued war criminal dumbya bush’s perpetual war,
fraudulent wall street protectorate, etc., free-spending ways, but added to the
deficit in his own profligate ways; and, as I’ve said before, democrats /
republicans are but distinctions without significant differences. Moreover,
there’s the literal rearrangement of the congressional deck-chair seating in
the u.s.s. titanic halls for the non-event state of the union (wobama the ‘b’
for b*** s***, more empty words belied by actions / non-action) … Previous:
Topic A: What
should be in State of the Union? (Washington Post) [ Well, at the very
least, it should be noted that the states of the union are crumbling (see
bankruptcy headlines infra), ergo, the state of the union is crumbling and
precarious indeed. The problem with and for wobama is that he’s been there,
done that, and his words don’t match his actions, as is so regarding his not
easily forgotten campaign promises (from perpetual wars, to no pros the frauds
on wall street, to new ‘bubble building’ as in last precursor to crash
supplanting sound economics. Blame it on the teleprompter … sounds like a plan!
All we really know for certain is what definitely will not be in the state of
the union; viz., a solution to pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s
intractable decline. ]
Drudgereport: BANKRUPTCY FOR STATES STUDIED
CA DECLARES EMERGENCY
Facing $1.6B shortfall, San
Fran pays employees $170 million in bonuses...
What Happened to 15 Million
Jobs?
Wall Street's 'Bernanke'
rally runs into headwinds...
Home sales hit 13-year low...
UPDATE: Hawaii governor says
Obama's birth record 'exists' but can't produce it...
Obama daughter practices
Chinese with Hu...
Chinese Tiger ate US Dove for
lunch...
FBI 'largest' Mafia
takedown...
Flowchart...
'Vinny Carwash', 'The Fang',
'Tony Bagels', 'Johnny Pizza', 'Baby Shacks', 'Jack the Wack', 'Junior
Lollipops', 'Bobby Glasses'...
MTV PORN: Parents Television
Council Calls for Fed Investigation Into 'SKINS'...
VIACOM PRESENTS: SEX AT 15!
Young Star Defends
Show's Racy Content: 'It's What Teens Are Doing'...
TACO BELL Pulls Ads...
Teacher Suspended After 2nd
Graders 'Sex Acts In Class'...
Joan Rivers calls Michelle
Obama 'Blackie O'... [ ‘Blackie O’ … Very funny! … I like that … but don’t
look for joan on ‘The View’ anytime soon, or invites from the whitehouse either
… but of course, and ‘Blackie O’ might retort that joan will be too busy
anyway, reprising the role of ‘The Joker’ in the next Batman film by the gifted
director, Christopher Nolan, with AH new Catwoman … meow! ]
]
Shiller Ratio Points to U.S. Equities Being Significantly
Overvalued [ Yes they are indeed;
so take this especially great opportunity to sell, take profits since there’s
much, much worse to come! That computer-programmed spike into the close to keep
suckers suckered does not change the aforesaid. ]
Why in the world would anyone still want
to live in the state of California at this point? Residents of California
have been forced to endure a brutally oppressive level of taxation for many
years, and yet the state of California has still managed to find itself on the
verge of bankruptcy. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a “fiscal
emergency” in his state on Thursday, but nobody is even pretending that
such a declaration is actually going to help matters. Brown wants to cut
even deeper into the state budget (even after tens of billions have already
been slashed out of it in recent years) and he wants to explore ways to raise
even more revenue.
Meanwhile, the standard of living in
California is going right into the toilet. Housing values are
plummeting. Unemployment has risen above 20 percent in many areas of the
state. Crime and gang activity is on the rise even as police budgets are
being hacked to the bone. The health care system is an absolute
disaster. At this point California has the fewest emergency rooms per
million people out of all 50 states.
While all of this has been going on, the
state legislature in Sacramento has been very busy passing hundreds of new laws
that are mostly about promoting one radical agenda or another. The state
government has become so radically anti-business that it is a wonder that any
businesses have remained in the state. It seems like the moving vans
never stop as an endless parade of businesses and families leave California as
quickly as they can.
One of the only things keeping the
population of California relatively stable at this point are the massive hordes
of illegal immigrants that are constantly pouring into California cities.
There are certain areas of major California cities that you simply do not ever
want to go into anymore. In fact, there are rumors that the police will
not even venture into certain areas anymore.
Traffic in California is a bigger
nightmare than it ever has been before and the state cannot even keep up with
repairing the roads and infrastructure that it already has. There are a
few areas of California where you can still see the promise of greatness and
the amazing natural beauty that once attracted tens of millions of Americans to
the state, but they are few and far between now. At this point, most of
the state is turning into one gigantic hellhole.
Perhaps the state could have some hope of
turning things around if they had some solid leadership, but at this point the
vast majority of the politicians in the state are pushing agendas that are so
“radical” (not in a good way) and so “anti-American” that it is absolutely
frightening.
Of course on top of everything else there
is the constant threat of wildfires, mudslides and earthquakes. One day a
really “big earthquake” is going to hit, and once that happens many people
believe that the geography of the state of California could be permanently
altered forever.
But what most people are focused on right
now is the horrific financial condition that the state of California currently
is in. Governor Brown recently summarized his analysis of California’s
financial condition with the following statement: “We’ve been living in fantasy
land. It is much worse than I thought. I’m shocked.”
Yes, things really are that bad in
California.
The following are 22 facts about
California that make you wonder why anyone would still want to live in that
hellhole of a state….
#1 The California state government is facing a
potential state budget deficit of 19 billion dollars this year, and California
debt is rapidly
approaching junk status. One way or another the taxpayers of
California are going to have to pay for this mess somehow.
#2 California Governor Jerry Brown recently unveiled a
“draconian” budget plan for 2011 that includes 12 billion dollars more in
spending cuts and that maintains 12 billion dollars in recent tax increases.
#3 The state of California currently has the third highest state income tax
in the nation: a 9.55% tax bracket at $47,055 and a 10.55% bracket at
$1,000,000.
#4 California has the highest state sales tax rate in the nation by far
at 8.25%. Indiana has the next highest at 7%.
#5 Residents of California pay the highest
gasoline taxes (over 67 cents per gallon)
in the United States.
#6 California had more foreclosure filings that any
other U.S. state in 2010. The 546,669 total foreclosure filings during
the year means that over 4 percent of all the housing units in the state of
California received a foreclosure filing at some point during 2010.
#7 Home prices in some areas of California have
completely fallen off a cliff. For example, the average home in Merced,
California has declined in value by 63 percent over the past four
years.
#8 725 new laws (most of them either
completely pointless or completely stupid) went into effect in the state of
California on January 1st.
#9 20 percent of the residents of Los
Angeles County are now receiving public aid of one kind or another.
#10 The number of people unemployed in the state of
California is approximately equal to
the populations of Nevada, New Hampshire and Vermont combined.
#11 In some areas of California, the level of
unemployment is absolutely nightmarish. For example, 24.3 percent of the residents of El
Centro, California are now unemployed.
#12 Residents of California pay some of the highest electricity
prices in the entire nation.
#13 The state of California ranks dead last out of all 50 states in the
number of emergency rooms per million people.
#14 According to one survey, approximately 1 out of
every 4 Californians under the age of 65 has absolutely no
health insurance.
#15 At one point last year it was reported that in the
area around Sacramento, California there was one closed business
for every six that were still open.
#16 In the late 70s, California was number one in
per-pupil spending on education, but now the state has fallen to 48th place.
#17 In one school district in California, children as
young as five years old are being forced to watch
propaganda films that tout the benefits of “alternative lifestyles”, and
parents are being told that no “opting out” will be permitted.
#18 The crime rate in the San Diego school system is
escalating out of control. The following is what San Diego School Police Chief
Don Braun recently told the press
about the current situation….
“Violent crime in schools has risen 31 percent. Property crime has risen
12 percent. Weapons violations (have gone up) almost 8 percent.”
#19 Oakland,
California Police Chief Anthony Batts announced last year that due to severe
budget cuts there are a number of crimes that his department will
simply not be able to respond to any longer. The crimes that the
Oakland police will no longer be responding to include grand theft, burglary,
car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism.
#20 Things have
gotten so bad in Stockton, California
that the police union put up a billboard with the following message: “Welcome
to the 2nd most dangerous city in California. Stop laying off cops.”
#21 During one recent
23 year period, the state of California built 23 prisons but just one
university.
#22 The farther you
look into the future, the worse California’s financial problems become. According
to an article in the Wall Street Journal, California’s unfunded pension
liability is estimated to be somewhere between $120 billion and $500
billion at this point.
So
could the state of California actually go bankrupt?
In
Washington D.C., some lawmakers are now working very hard
behind the scenes to come up with a way to allow individual U.S. states to
declare bankruptcy.
If
something like that is worked out in Washington, then certainly the state of
California would potentially be one of the first states to take advantage of
it.
Unfortunately,
the truth is that the state of California is a complete and total mess at this
point, and not even bankruptcy is going to fix much.
The
state has become a rotting, festering hellhole that is getting worse by the
day. Yes, some really good people still live there, but there are some
really, really good reasons why so many people are leaving the state in droves.
But
perhaps you disagree. Does anyone want to state the case in favor of the
state of California? Please feel free to express your opinion below….’
Economy
News Nightmare: 20 Things That You Should Not Read If You Do Not Want To Become
Very Angry The
Economic Collapse
| Today America is very, very frustrated.
#1 Today, millions of American families are digging deep into
their savings and investments in a desperate attempt to stay afloat. Over the
past two years, U.S. consumers have withdrawn $311 billion more from savings and investment
accounts than they have put into them.
#2 15 billion dollars: the total amount of
compensation that Goldman Sachs paid out to its employees for 2010.
#3 The number of American families that were booted out of
their homes and into the streets set a new all-time record in 2010.
#4 Dozens of packages that we buy in the supermarket have been
reduced in size by up to 20%. For example, there are now
2 less slices of cheese in a typical package of Kraft American cheese, and
there is now 9 percent less toilet paper in a typical package of Scott toilet
paper. So now, you may think that you are paying the same amount for
these items that you always have, but the truth is that you have been hit with
a large price increase.
#5 One Canadian company is making a ton of money shipping “millions and millions of dollars” worth of
manufacturing equipment from factories that are being shut down in the United
States over to new factories that are being set up in China.
#6 In America today, the wealthiest 20% own a whopping 93% of all the “financial assets”
in the United States.
#7 Only 35 percent of Americans now have enough “emergency savings” to be able to cover three
months of living expenses.
#8 47 percent of all Americans now believe that
China is the number one economic power in the world.
#9 If the U.S. banking system is healthy, then why does the
number of “problem banks” continue to keep increasing? This past week the
number of U.S. banks on the unofficial list of problem banks reached 937.
#10 According to former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, the
wealthiest 0.1% of all Americans make as much money as the poorest 120 million.
#11 U.S. housing prices have now fallen further during this economic
downturn than they did during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
#12 According to some very disturbing new
research, 45 percent of U.S. college students exhibit “no significant gains in learning” after two
years in college.
#13 Americans now owe more than $884 billion
on student loans, which is a new all-time record.
#14 The United Nations says that the
global price of food hit an all-time record high in December, and
the price of oil is surging towards $100 a barrel, but the U.S. government
continues to insist that we barely have any inflation at all.
#15 The more Americans that are on food
stamps the more profits that JP Morgan makes.
Today, an all-time record of 43.2 million Americans are on food stamps, and JP
Morgan is making a lot of money processing millions of those benefit payments.
#16 Back in 1970, 25 percent of all jobs
in the United States were manufacturing jobs. Today, only 9 percent
of the jobs in the United States are manufacturing jobs.
#17 Dozens of U.S. states
are either implementing tax increases in 2011 or are considering proposals to
raise taxes.
#18 The United States has had a negative
trade deficit every single year since 1976.
#19 The U.S. national debt has crossed the $14 trillion mark for the first time, and
at some point during 2011 it will cross the $15 trillion mark.
#20 What the U.S. economy really needs is for the government
to get off all of our backs, but instead they continue to tighten their grip on
us. In fact, the Obama administration is proposing a “universal Internet ID”
that would watch, track, monitor and potentially control everything that you do
on the Internet’
Drudgereport: CUT!
WHAT?!
GOOGLE
Comes Under Fire for 'Secret' Relationship with NSA...
IMF:
Instability Threatens Recovery...
OH
NO: Price Drop Points to Likely Double Dip in Housing Market...
Jobless
Rise in 20 States as Workers Still Laid Off...
UK Economy
May Be Heading for Double Dip...
Obama
will 'have to produce birth certificate' to run again...
NYT:
Former Spy With Agenda Operates Own Private CIA... [ Quite serious a problem … Remember … these people really are quite
stupid but self-interested if not greedy; and, if the money’s right, they wrap
themselves in the flag and find a reason … remember ollie north who’s an
absolute dope … and there are many, many more worse than him. Then there’s
their war mongering which of course is the precursor to their war profiteering,
etc.. ]
UPDATE:
Hawaii governor says Obama's birth record 'exists' but can't produce it...
BACKTRACK: Now Hawaii won't release birth info...
Hollywood,
Jobs, Trump help Rahm haul in $10.6M … [ No
surprise here, mobster trump (how was trump missed in the recent big mafia bust
since he too is a corrupt bribe paying/receiving, drug money laundering among
other crimes, mobster), hollywood
flakes like magic mushroom eater sorkin, LSD aficionado jobs (I now realize
what that premium priced disfunctional though fanciful pizzazz of apple products that I would
refuse to pay extra for stems from-jobs says he owes it all to his LSD
use-don’t forget, apple’s protected source code, kernel, and consequent
stability existed pre-jobs and I believe, particularly after actually using an
iphone, that the same is a way to extract money from an ever increasingly
dumbed down / dumb (and I think at the least, eccentric if not obsessively
pathological if you witnessed the near compulsive use of these extraneous-rich,
in a trivially frivolous way, devices) american public by pandering to their
desire for superfluous functionality which requires additional purchases
through apple-I do give them credit for the more elaborate interface / touchscreen
and the ipad, all of which is currently being duplicated ex-apple and
presenting greater values/utility/functionality for the money-so also credit
for pioneering), zionists including spielberg, etc.; no small wonder that
chicago and the nation are down the tubes. ] ...
COURT:
Candidate 'must have actually resided' in city for 1 year before election...
Plans
appeal to Illinois Supreme Court...
CHICAGOLAND
SHOCK: RAHM BOOTED OFF BALLOT
China
'on Collision Course' with USA...
Bank
Moves to Buy U.S. Branches...
Stealth
fighter 'based on crashed American plane'...
Chinese
Pianist Played Anti-American Propaganda Tune at White House?
Emanuel
vows to fight ballot ruling (Washington Post) [ Ill.
court rules on Emanuel … OPINION:
Rahm got robbed (of his and of those of his prospective booty) Drudgereport: Hollywood,
Jobs, Trump help Rahm haul in $10.6M … [ No
surprise here, mobster trump (how was trump missed in the recent big mafia bust
since he too is a corrupt bribe paying/receiving, drug money laundering among
other crimes, mobster), hollywood
flakes like magic mushroom eater sorkin, LSD aficionado jobs (I now realize
what that premium priced disfunctional though fanciful pizzazz of apple products that I would
refuse to pay extra for stems from-jobs says he owes it all to his LSD
use-don’t forget, apple’s protected source code, kernel, and consequent
stability existed pre-jobs and I believe, particularly after actually using an iphone,
that the same is a way to extract money from an ever increasingly dumbed down /
dumb (and I think at the least, eccentric if not obsessively pathological if
you witnessed the near compulsive use of these extraneous-rich, in a trivially
frivolous way, devices) american public by pandering to their desire for
superfluous functionality which requires additional purchases through apple-I
do give them credit for the more elaborate interface / touchscreen and the
ipad, all of which is currently being duplicated ex-apple and presenting
greater value/utility/functionality for the money-so also credit for
pioneering), zionists including spielberg, etc.; no small wonder that chicago
and the nation are down the tubes. ] ...
COURT:
Candidate 'must have actually resided' in city for 1 year before election...
Plans
appeal to Illinois Supreme Court...
CHICAGOLAND
SHOCK: RAHM BOOTED OFF BALLOT
China
'on Collision Course' with USA...
Bank
Moves to Buy U.S. Branches...
Stealth
fighter 'based on crashed American plane'...
Chinese
Pianist Played Anti-American Propaganda Tune at White House?
NYT:
Former Spy With Agenda Operates Own Private CIA... [ Quite serious a problem … Remember … these people really are quite
stupid but self-interested if not greedy; and, if the money’s right, they wrap
themselves in the flag and find a reason … remember ollie north who’s an
absolute dope … and there are many, many more worse than him. Then there’s
their war mongering which of course is the precursor to their war profiteering,
etc.. ]
UPDATE:
Hawaii governor says Obama's birth record 'exists' but can't produce it...
BACKTRACK: Now Hawaii won't release birth info...
Hezbollah-backed candidate has votes to become prime minister (Washington Post) [ Now who could possibly deny the rationality of the Lebanese wisdom of a leader that puts not war crimes nations israel / u.s. and nato allies interests, but rather the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese people first beyond words and propaganda based on what they do; ie., most recent of many in the region: US-led airstrikes kill Afghan civilians 1-24-11Two separate airstrikes by US-led foreign forces have killed at least five civilians and wounded several others in various parts of Afghanistan. ] BEIRUT - The Shiite armed movement Hezbollah on Monday had the support needed for its candidate to become Lebanon's prime minister, effectively ending the Western-backed rule of U.S. allies who came to power more than five years ago.
Obama
won't endorse Social Security cuts (Washington Post) [
Is that written in stone? Does that mean veto? Is this failed presidency
pre-election year desperation? Where will the cuts come from for ‘deficit
reduction’? What does the teleprompter say? For some, social security is all
they have, many corporate pensions underfunded, defunct from bankruptcies,
non-existent, etc.. Now there is a very rich pension fund that the citizens
have paid for and does have a lot of fat for cutting; viz., Wikipedia:
‘Congressional pension is a pension made
available to members of the United States Congress. Members who
participated in the congressional pension system are vested after five (5)
years of service. A full pension is available to Members 62 years of age with 5
years of service; 50 years or older with 20 years of service; or 25 years of
service at any age. A reduced pension is available depending upon which of
several different age/service options is chosen. If Members leave Congress
before reaching retirement age, they may leave their contributions behind and
receive a deferred pension later.[1]’
… official site: ‘Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 62 if
they have completed at least five years of service. They are eligible for a
pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age
after completing 25 years of service. The amount of the pension depends on
years of service and the average of the highest three years of salary. By law,
the starting amount of a member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80 percent
of his or her final salary. As of October 1, 2000, the average annual pension
for members of Congress who have retired under CSRS is $52,464, and $46,932 for
retirees under FERS-only or both FERS/CSRS. ‘ ]
Gerson: Obama,
more deficit hawk than GOP? (Washington Post) [ Come on! Where do they get
this stuff? Wobama not only continued war criminal dumbya bush’s perpetual war,
fraudulent wall street protectorate, etc., free-spending ways, but added to the
deficit in his own profligate ways; and, as I’ve said before, democrats /
republicans are but distinctions without significant differences. Moreover,
there’s the literal rearrangement of the congressional deck-chair seating in
the u.s.s. titanic halls for the non-event state of the union (wobama the ‘b’
for b*** s***, more empty words belied by actions / non-action) … Previous:
Topic A: What
should be in State of the Union? (Washington Post) [ Well, at the very
least, it should be noted that the states of the union are crumbling (see
bankruptcy headlines infra), ergo, the state of the union is crumbling and
precarious indeed. The problem with and for wobama is that he’s been there,
done that, and his words don’t match his actions, as is so regarding his not
easily forgotten campaign promises (from perpetual wars, to no pros the frauds
on wall street, to new ‘bubble building’ as in last precursor to crash
supplanting sound economics. Blame it on the teleprompter … sounds like a plan!
All we really know for certain is what definitely will not be in the state of
the union; viz., a solution to pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s
intractable decline. ]
Economy
News Nightmare: 20 Things That You Should Not Read If You Do Not Want To Become
Very Angry The Economic Collapse | Today America is very, very
frustrated.
#1 Today, millions of American families are digging deep into
their savings and investments in a desperate attempt to stay afloat. Over the
past two years, U.S. consumers have withdrawn $311 billion more from savings and investment
accounts than they have put into them.
#2 15 billion dollars: the total amount of
compensation that Goldman Sachs paid out to its employees for 2010.
#3 The number of American families that were booted out of
their homes and into the streets set a new all-time record in 2010.
#4 Dozens of packages that we buy in the supermarket have been
reduced in size by up to 20%. For example, there are now
2 less slices of cheese in a typical package of Kraft American cheese, and
there is now 9 percent less toilet paper in a typical package of Scott toilet
paper. So now, you may think that you are paying the same amount for
these items that you always have, but the truth is that you have been hit with
a large price increase.
#5 One Canadian company is making a ton of money shipping “millions and millions of dollars” worth of
manufacturing equipment from factories that are being shut down in the United
States over to new factories that are being set up in China.
#6 In America today, the wealthiest 20% own a whopping 93% of all the “financial assets”
in the United States.
#7 Only 35 percent of Americans now have enough “emergency savings” to be able to cover three
months of living expenses.
#8 47 percent of all Americans now believe that
China is the number one economic power in the world.
#9 If the U.S. banking system is healthy, then why does the
number of “problem banks” continue to keep increasing? This past week the
number of U.S. banks on the unofficial list of problem banks reached 937.
#10 According to former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich, the
wealthiest 0.1% of all Americans make as much money as the poorest 120 million.
#11 U.S. housing prices have now fallen further during this economic
downturn than they did during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
#12 According to some very disturbing new
research, 45 percent of U.S. college students exhibit “no significant gains in learning” after two
years in college.
#13 Americans now owe more than $884
billion on student loans, which is a new all-time record.
#14 The United Nations says that the
global price of food hit an all-time record high in December, and
the price of oil is surging towards $100 a barrel, but the U.S. government
continues to insist that we barely have any inflation at all.
#15 The more Americans that are on food
stamps the more profits that JP Morgan makes.
Today, an all-time record of 43.2 million Americans are on food stamps, and JP
Morgan is making a lot of money processing millions of those benefit payments.
#16 Back in 1970, 25 percent of all jobs
in the United States were manufacturing jobs. Today, only 9
percent of the jobs in the United States are manufacturing jobs.
#17 Dozens of U.S. states
are either implementing tax increases in 2011 or are considering proposals to
raise taxes.
#18 The United States has had a negative
trade deficit every single year since 1976.
#19 The U.S. national debt has crossed the $14 trillion mark for the first time, and
at some point during 2011 it will cross the $15 trillion mark.
#20 What the U.S. economy really needs is for the government
to get off all of our backs, but instead they continue to tighten their grip on
us. In fact, the Obama administration is proposing a “universal Internet ID”
that would watch, track, monitor and potentially control everything that you do
on the Internet’
China's new stealth fighter may use US technology (AP)
Drudgereport: NYT:
Former Spy With Agenda Operates Own Private CIA... [ Quite serious a problem … Remember … these people really are quite
stupid but self-interested if not greedy; and, if the money’s right, they wrap
themselves in the flag and find a reason … remember ollie north who’s an
absolute dope … and there are many, many more worse than him. Then there’s
their war mongering which of course is the precursor to their war profiteering,
etc.. ]
UPDATE:
Hawaii governor says Obama's birth record 'exists' but can't produce it...
BACKTRACK: Now Hawaii won't release birth info...
Hollywood,
Jobs, Trump help Rahm haul in $10.6M … [ No
surprise here, mobster trump (how was trump missed in the recent big mafia bust
since he too is a corrupt bribe paying/receiving, drug money laundering among
other crimes, mobster), hollywood
flakes like magic mushroom eater sorkin, LSD aficionado jobs (I now realize
what that premium priced disfunctional though fanciful pizzazz of apple products that I would
refuse to pay extra for stems from-jobs says he owes it all to his LSD
use-don’t forget, apple’s protected source code, kernel, and consequent
stability existed pre-jobs and I believe, particularly after actually using an
iphone, that the same is a way to extract money from an ever increasingly
dumbed down / dumb (and I think at the least, eccentric if not obsessively
pathological if you witnessed the near compulsive use of these extraneous-rich,
in a trivially frivolous way, devices) american public by pandering to their
desire for superfluous functionality which requires additional purchases
through apple-I do give them credit for the more elaborate interface /
touchscreen and the ipad, all of which is currently being duplicated ex-apple
and presenting greater values/utility/functionality for the money-so also
credit for pioneering), zionists including spielberg, etc.; no small wonder
that chicago and the nation are down the tubes. ]
...
COURT:
Candidate 'must have actually resided' in city for 1 year before election...
Plans
appeal to Illinois Supreme Court...
CHICAGOLAND
SHOCK: RAHM BOOTED OFF BALLOT
China
'on Collision Course' with USA...
Bank
Moves to Buy U.S. Branches...
Stealth
fighter 'based on crashed American plane'...
Chinese
Pianist Played Anti-American Propaganda Tune at White House?
Topic A: What
should be in State of the Union? (Washington Post) [ Well, at the very
least, it should be noted that the states of the union are crumbling (see
bankruptcy headlines infra), ergo, the state of the union is crumbling and
precarious indeed. The problem with and for wobama is that he’s been there,
done that, and his words don’t match his actions, as is so regarding his not
easily forgotten campaign promises (from perpetual wars, to no pros the frauds
on wall street, to new ‘bubble building’ as in last precursor to crash
supplanting sound economics. Blame it on the teleprompter … sounds like a plan!
All we really know for certain is what definitely will not be in the state of
the union; viz., a solution to pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s
intractable decline. ]
Drudgereport: BANKRUPTCY
FOR STATES STUDIED
CA
DECLARES EMERGENCY
Facing
$1.6B shortfall, San Fran pays employees $170 million in bonuses...
What
Happened to 15 Million Jobs?
Wall
Street's 'Bernanke' rally runs into headwinds...
Home
sales hit 13-year low...
UPDATE:
Hawaii governor says Obama's birth record 'exists' but can't produce it...
Obama
daughter practices Chinese with Hu...
Chinese
Tiger ate US Dove for lunch...
FBI
'largest' Mafia takedown...
Flowchart...
'Vinny
Carwash', 'The Fang', 'Tony Bagels', 'Johnny Pizza', 'Baby Shacks', 'Jack the
Wack', 'Junior Lollipops', 'Bobby Glasses'...
MTV
PORN: Parents Television Council Calls for Fed Investigation Into 'SKINS'...
VIACOM
PRESENTS: SEX AT 15!
Young Star Defends Show's Racy Content: 'It's What Teens Are
Doing'...
TACO
BELL Pulls Ads...
Teacher
Suspended After 2nd Graders 'Sex Acts In Class'...
Joan
Rivers calls Michelle Obama 'Blackie O'... [ ‘Blackie O’ … Very
funny! … I like that … but don’t look for joan on ‘The View’ anytime soon, or
invites from the whitehouse either … but of course, and ‘Blackie O’ might
retort that joan will be too busy anyway, reprising the role of ‘The Joker’ in
the next Batman film by the gifted director, Christopher Nolan, with AH new
Catwoman … meow! ]
Hezbollah
gets support of Druze leader (Washington Post) [ Is this a direct outcome
and consequence of israeli belligerence, war crimes, and america’s alliance
with and hence, apparent endorsement of such by america which also has
bloodstained hands from numerous civilian deaths in the region. Yes! After all,
no one would reasonably deny Hezbollah’s a**-kicking of israel in their fairly
recent ‘encounter’. ] The armed Shiite movement received a major boost in its
efforts to form a new government in Lebanon when a potential kingmaker swung
his support behind the group and its allies.
Four U.S. bank failures bring year's total to 7
Do You Believe in the Bernanke Put? [ Yes! I agree with the dire
assessment infra except that it will be more than tears as in that, ‘There Will
Be Blood (film name)’ … and not just in the streets. ] Hui ‘Earlier this week Gluskin Sheff Chief Economist David
Rosenberg wrote an article in the Globe and Mail entitled Why
this rally will end in tears.
Last week, Rosenberg called the current state of the financial market a Wile E.
Coyote market, or a market that seemingly ignores the major macro-economic
risks that could blow up the global economy.
We have an incredible bear market rally on our hands.
History shows that these spasms can go further than anyone thinks. But after
the U.S. market staged a monstrous 80-per-cent-plus rally from its March, 2009,
lows (the most pronounced bounce in such a short time since 1955), it has
become seriously overextended. Meanwhile, practically every pundit is
extrapolating the recent trend into the future because that is the easy thing
to do.
Most investors see only the recent returns; they do not see the nearly
invisible risks. But the risks are there. I recall all too well the 2003-07
bear market rally – yes, that is what it was. It was no long-term bull run such
as 1949-1966 or 1982-2000. It was a classic bear market rally, and it ended in
tears because what drove the market upward was phony wealth generated by a
non-productive asset called housing alongside widespread financial engineering,
which triggered a wave of artificial paper profits. [picture]
He
went on to detail his concerns about the future (which I paraphrase):
When will it be time for QE3?
While I would tend to agree with many of Rosenberg’s concerns about the
macro-economic risks to this upturn, most of the risks in his outline are
economic in nature and could be addressed by central bank action. In such a
case, the question for investors has to be: Were any of these negative outcomes
were to occur, would the Bernanke Fed respond with another round of
quantitative easing? In other words, is there a Bernanke Put in the market?
I believe that the future trajectory of the global economy and asset prices are
highly policy dependent. While I have my opinion, I am not confident enough in
them to be a basis for investment decisions. That’s why I depend on the
discipline of the Inflation-Deflation
Timer Model, as the underlying philosophy is to allow market prices to tell
us the likely direction of policy and price trends, which in turn, allows us to
be more tactical and able to capitalize on the intermediate swings in the
markets’
Market
Outlook: 10 Reasons to Expect a Correction Seeking Delta ‘The
S&P 500 is down a little more than 1% in the last two days despite largely
positive economic data. As Cullen Roche so eloquently stated earlier this month:
But the market isn’t the economy. Main Street isn’t
Wall Street. And the market is a heartless beast that desires one thing and one
thing only- PROFITS!
What follows are the ten reasons (in no particular
order) why I am cautious here, as I see the 1% dip over the last two days to be
the beginning of a larger correction.
1. Another Earnings Season Sell-Off?
During some point in the past four earnings seasons
the S&P 500 has sold off significantly. The trend has been to rally into
earning, then to sell the news. Chart, via WSJ.
click to enlarge
2. Investor Sentiment
Both individual and professional sentiment remains
high, as measured by AAII and
NAAIM, respectively.
Both readings are currently higher than one standard deviation above historical
average bullish readings. Contrary indicator: historically returns are less
favorable when sentiment readings are high.
3. Too Far Too Fast?
The current 22 month rally from the March 2009 lows
has been 90.1% (click on chart to enlarge). The average 24 month rally
to start bull markets is 56.1% with the next closest rally being 65.7% starting
in October 1974. Have we come too far too fast? Chart and data via The
Big Picture. [chart]
4. Low and Declining Put/Call Ratio
Since late 2003, when the 20 day rolling average
put/call ratio has fallen below .55 (roughly 1 standard deviation from average)
the average 30 day returns are -2.2% (-0.7% median) versus a series average of
0.2% (0.8% median). The current 20 day average put/call ratio is .52. The last
time the ratio dropped below .55 (April ’10) the market sold-off roughly 14%
over the next month-and-a-half. Chart
here.
5. Equities Running Out of Breadth?
The ratio of the number of stocks gaining versus the
number declining is struggling to regain 2010 levels. Data
Diary suggests:
that the market has been gaining ground on the backs
of fewer and fewer stocks. We could interpret this as more and more stocks are
bumping up against valuation constraints – or put another way, valuation
multiples can only move so far ahead of earnings growth.
6. Short Selling of Securities in the S&P
500 at 1 Year Low
Per Data
Explorers. Potentially a contrary indicator – have the shorts thrown in the
towel?
7. Tom DeMark Says U.S. Stocks Near Significant Decline.
Mr. DeMark, the creator of a set of Market-timing
indicator, is calling for a decline of “at least 11%.” The last time his
indicators gave a sell signal was mid-2007. Needless to say, the last quarter
of '07 and '08 were not a good time to be in equities.
8. Consensus of 11 Strategists Surveyed
by Bloomberg Says S&P 500 to Rise by 11% in 2011.
Contrary indicator?
9. QE Ending in June, Maybe earlier?
There is some pressure, as the economy recovers, that
QE is no longer needed. I would be surprised if QE2 ends in June, as scheduled,
let alone early. But if it does, watch out.
10. Low Volume Rally
Volume has consistently trended down since the
beginning of the March 2009 rally (click to enlarge).
[chart] ‘
Freaky Friday - Alpha 2 Says 'Cliff Ahead'
Israeli
human rights groups sound alarm (Washington Post) [ As indeed they should!
As a war crimes nation along with pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america, israel has much to lose by exposure of their pervasive crimes though
the entire world is aware of same including illegal nukes! … Ie., Accountability is unclear in israeli probe of flotilla
raid (Washington
Post) Oh, come on! An israeli probe of an
israeli massacre of civilians. Time for israel to pay; for illegal nukes, for
violations of international law, for continued violations of u.n. resolutions,
for provocations as pretexts to sabotage peace talks, and on and on ad nauseum.
Why does america among other nations feel compelled to sacrifice themselves for
the sake of a global criminal nation with an insatiable greed and blood-thirst
as israel? ] An
initiative in the Israeli parliament this month to investigate the funding of
local human rights organizations has intensified debate here about the role of
the groups, which critics have accused of harming Israel.
Obama
presses (as in pressing Mr. Hu’s pants) Chinese leader on rights At
summit, Hu admits his nation needs to make more progress (Washington Post) [ Riiiiight! … Mr. Hu says
with utmost sarcasm to continued perpetual war president, in the mold of dumbya
bush though national u.s. defacto bankruptcy, viz., ‘wobama the b (for b***
s***)’. White
House more hard-nosed about Chinese government / Hu
to face a tougher Obama administration (Washington Post) [ Please … don’t
make me laugh … and, are you sure you didn’t mean more ‘brown-nosed’ about the
Chinese government. This is starting to sound like seed material for the
Weekend Update SNL skit segment, ‘REALLY’. I mean, really. Does anybody believe
this? Come on … I don’t think so! ] Analysts say President Hu Jintao is eager
to burnish his legacy, but he will find a White House that views his government
with misgivings.] [Drudgereport: Currency system
'product of the past'...
HU QUESTIONS FUTURE
OF DOLLAR
RISING DRAGON: China on equal
footing with USA as Hu visits Washington...
GE CEO: China one day will be
world's biggest economy… daaaaah! ...
Obama: 'We Welcome China's
Rise'...
Careful to avoid criticism... ] President
urges counterpart to allow more freedom and open a real dialogue with the Dalai
Lama, and raises the case of imprisoned Nobel winner.
The
Teflon Market Is Here [ Just ask the ‘Teflon Don’ … oh, right … he’s dead …The
pervasively corrupt frauds on wall street, the fed, and the u.s. government are
desperate to evade their unequivocal responsibility and overdue punishment
(prosecution, fines, jail, disgorgement) for the last and ongoing (toxic, worthless paper assets now marked to
anything) fraud diverting attention from their own culpability for the prior
bubble/crash and on-going financial / economic crisis, america’s worst economy
and prospects in america’s relatively short history with this contrived bubble
exceeding that precursor to the last crash; “this has never happened before, in
82 years of history”, and a crash is what’s a-coming. This is nothing short of
pathetic desperation that typifies the last gasp of the dead and dying,
figuratively of course. ] Roche
‘Calling this a “bullish” run might be a bit of an understatement. There has
been an unprecedented bid under the market since August 2010. The Bernanke Put
is well entrenched in everyone’s minds. This week ’s spike in jobless claims
was not enough to cause risk appetite to temper as it likely just reminds
investors that rising claims are what led to QE2 to begin with. Indeed, this is
a Federal Reserve that will not allow equity prices to falter to any
substantial degree. Nominal wealth creation has become the rally cry of a group
of economic thinkers who truly have no idea how to create sustainable economic
growth.
The
stats behind this bull market are even more remarkable than the rally itself
appears. As I noted in December the market literally could not
decline. But the data since then shows an even more untouchable
market (via ZeroHedge):
“As a point of reference the S&P
has been above the 10 day average for 30 days straight, and above the 50 day
average for 92 days straight. What is remarkable are some statistical findings
that pertain to the average’s movement with respect to the SMAs. Sentiment
Trader points out that while as part of the recent surge in the
S&P, the market has gone for “92 days without closing below its 50-day
average, which has been matched only 17 other times since 1928.” Where
it gets scary, is that as pointed out, during this time the market has not
closed below the 10 DMA once during the past 30 days. And as Sentiment Trader
notes, “this has never happened before, in 82 years of history.”
Not much else needs to be said. The
teflon market is here.
Update: Some additional thoughts from Jeff
Saut:
Herb Stein once remarked, “If something
can’t go on forever, it won’t!” And, the current “buying stampede” is now 90
sessions long, making it the longest one ever recorded in my notes of more than
40 years. Combine that with many other “finger to wallet” indicators suggesting
caution and I am currently just sitting. Indeed, sometimes me sits and thinks
and sometimes me just sits. As the astute Lowry’s organization opines, “Our
last short term sell-signal for aggressive traders was triggered on December
30th, when the 14-day Stochastic indicator dropped from overbought levels and
crossed below its moving average. A conventional short term sell-signal, for
culling selective stocks [from portfolios], was registered as of
today’s market close (last Friday), when our Short Term Index dropped a total
of more than 6 points from its recent high of 104.” ‘
E.U.
seeks to expand bailout fund to calm markets (Washington Post) [Nyaradi
The
Sick Man Tries to Save the Terminally Ill (
I can’t recall the specific phrase, but applied
here it goes something like this, ‘Japan with
a debt to GDP ratio of 200% is going to save Europe, but who’s going to save
Japan’. Let’s get real
here as the u.s. house-building with decks, as in Titanics and reshuffled /
rearranged deck chairs, of cards, as in ‘houses of cards’, becomes insanely
ubiquitous worldwide and will systemically (now globally) end quite badly. This
is an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits since there is much,
much worse to come. ) Nyaradi ‘It was a quiet day
yesterday for ETFs and stocks in world markets as most exchange traded funds
recovered recent losses amid reduced tensions in Europe.Incredibly, Japan’s
intent to buy European bonds was the catalyst for the more positive atmosphere
in Europe, and as the title of this article suggests, this is truly the sick
man trying to save the terminally ill…see infra… ’ ] Nations expand the
scope of the euro-zone bailout fund, saying more support is necessary as
investors worry about the prospects of Portugal and Spain.
The
Sick Man Tries to Save the Terminally Ill [
I can’t
recall the specific phrase, but applied here it goes something like this,
‘Japan with a debt to GDP ratio of 200% is going to save Europe, but who’s
going to save Japan’. Let’s get real here as the u.s. house-building with
decks, as in Titanics and reshuffled / rearranged deck chairs, of cards, as in
‘houses of cards’, becomes insanely ubiquitous worldwide and will systemically
(now globally) end quite badly. This is an especially great opportunity to sell
/ take profits since there is much, much worse to come. ] Nyaradi
‘It was a quiet day yesterday for ETFs and stocks in world markets as
most exchange traded funds recovered recent losses amid reduced tensions in
Europe.
Incredibly,
Japan’s intent to buy European bonds was the catalyst for the more positive
atmosphere in Europe, and as the title of this article suggests, this is truly
the sick man trying to save the terminally ill.
The
soap opera in Europe, like every soap opera, is getting boring. It starts with
rising interest rates and credit default swap rates which is met by the
concerned government proclaiming that they’re totally solvent and will never
need a bailout which ends up to be exactly what happens.
Portugal
will be selling 10 year notes today, Wednesday, and its ten year debt has stood
largely above 7% in recent days. When rates in Greece and Ireland hit these
levels, bailouts came within days in both cases. Italy and Spain go to the bond
trough this week, as well, and so it will be an active few days in Europe.
Bottom
line; get ready for an ECB bailout of Portugal coming soon, possibly this week.
At
home, we move into earnings season, Illinois is moving towards an income tax
increase to deal with its budget deficit while Governor Brown in California
begins to sell his austerity plans.
Daily Moves for Major ETFs:
Dow
Jones Industrials: (NYSEArca: DIA) +0.30%
Russell
2000: (NYSEArca: IWM) -0.47%
NASDAQ
100: (NasdaqGM: QQQQ) +0.41%
S&P
500 Index: (NYSEArca: SPY) +0.37%
MSCI
Emerging Markets:(NYSEArca: EEM) +1.06%
MSCI
China (NYSEArca: FXI) +1.13%
Gold
(NYSEArca: GLD) +0.59%
7-10
Year Treasuries: (NYSEArca: IEF) -0.39%
20+
Year Treasuries: (NYSEArca: TLT) -0.56%
VIX
-3.71%
U.S.
Dollar (NYSE:Arca: (NYSE:Arca: UUP) -0.08%
The
major indexes remain overvalued and overbought on a technical and fundamental
basis and so Wall Street Sector Selector remains in “Yellow Flag” status,
expecting choppy to lower prices ahead.’
Four Financial Farces That Will End in Disaster Summers ‘At this point the news out of the financial world is more insane than
… well, just about anything.
Farce #1: Japan Can Bail Out Anything.
First
off, Japan, which has a debt to GDP ratio of 200%, is bailing out Europe, which
has a smaller but equally disturbing debt problem. Yes, one broke country
(Japan) is now trying to bail out an entire economic union, despite the fact
that it hasn't succeeded in managing its own finances or economy in over 20
years.Indeed, the idea that Japan could bail out anyone when it’s failed to
create any substantial economic growth despite spending trillions of yen should
give you an idea of just how out of control the entire financial system has
become. We are literally in the end game now. Unless Martians come down and
start bailing out Earth, the Great Sovereign Default will be in full effect
within the next six months.
Farce #2: Inflation Is at 1%.
Meanwhile,
Ben Bernanke claims that inflation in the U.S. is at 1%. President Obama has to
maintain that this is a fact with a straight face next week when he meets with
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is witnessing food riots in Algeria due
to soaring food prices.The Fed has claimed inflation is under control for
months now, proving that its members must not eat food, drive cars, or know how
to read. Indeed, in order to ignore rising prices in the U.S., you would
literally have to not shop for groceries, not pump gas into your car, not read
the newspaper, and not have access to the Internet or any financial news
outlet.I sincerely hope that the Fed is not run by folks who fit this
description, but after reading the next two farces, I’m not so sure.
Farce #3: QE Is Working.
Various
Fed officials have stepped forward to claim that its Quantitative Easing
program has worked. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the whole purpose of
QE was to lower interest rates.How then do you explain the following? [chart]As
you can see, interest rates have soared since the Fed implemented QE 2. It’s
not like QE has helped the U.S. economy either; food stamp usage has hit new
records since it began.And yet the Fed claims that QE is not only working, but
we need more of it. However, even that farce pales compared to the next and
final financial farce of today’s essay.
Farce #4: The Folks Managing the Fed’s QE Efforts Have No
Investing Experience.
Then,
of course, there’s the recent revelation that the Fed’s monetary policies
involving the purchasing of trillions of U.S. Treasuries are in the hands of
folks aged 26, 29, and 34, none of whom have any investing experience
whatsoever.And they’re in charge of buying up trillions in U.S. debt.If, at
this point, it’s not clear that the entire financial system is not a disaster
waiting to happen, then I don’t know what else to say. Indeed, our entire
system is built on fraud and managed by folks who don’t know what they’re doing.
And if you think they’ll steer us to safety, consider that around the globe
we’re already beginning to see signs of systemic collapse.Indeed, I believe we
are in fact on the verge of another round of deflation which will take prices
down across the board as the U.S. dollar rallies. However, this period will be
short-lived as it will be followed by a U.S. dollar collapse soon after.At that
point, the next stage is the paper currency collapse, the stage at which
inflation accelerates as the U.S. dollar collapses, destroying purchasing power
while inflation hedges explode higher.Some, like the most popular picks (gold
and silver bullion), will record strong gains. However, others (the ones that
99.9% of the investment world are currently clueless about), will go absolutely
parabolic.’
Watchdog
over Afghan reconstruction resigns (Washington Post) [ Wow! Sounds like he
really meant business … which also meant, congress ‘hearing footsteps’ so to
speak, that he had to go. After all, applying a stringent standard that
promises to do something about fraud and corruption is a standard that would
threaten the entire u.s. government … all three branches. ] Arnold Fields, the head of the office charged
with investigating corruption in the multibillion-dollar effort to rebuild
Afghanistan has resigned, the White House said, following congressional demands
that he be replaced.
China
as Europe's white knight? (Washington Post) [ White
knight? I don’t think so. Yellow night and day, I think yes. Not to impugn
their motives, but the Book of Ecclesiastes said it well: "What
has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there
is nothing new under the sun"
Jun 18, 2007 ... John
Perkins' career as an economic hit man (EHM) has taken him all over
the globe. He details his activities as an EHM in his best-seller ...
heartlanddiaryofbettyb.blogspot.com/.../confessions-of-economic-hit-man.html - Cached - Similar
Mar 23, 2007 ...
Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins is an exclamation
point riddled history of a few financial manipulations of the Cold War ...
cobb.typepad.com/cobb/2007/03/confessions_of_.html -
Cached - Similar
Aug 9, 2006 ...
rustydude's diary :: :: The reason I bring it up within the ..... I am
thrilled to hear all this support for the Economic Hit Man book since
...
www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/10/04532/7753 - Cached - Similar
Jul 13, 2010 ... In 2008,
Greek writer/director Stelios Koul made a documentary about Perkins entitled “Diary
of an Economic Hit Man.” ...
www.thewrap.com/.../cinema-libre-acquires-economic-hit-man-19179 - Cached
14 Eye Opening Statistics Which Reveal Just How
Dramatically The U.S. Economy Has Collapsed Since 2007 Most
Americans have become so accustomed to the “new normal” of continual economic
decline that they don’t even remember how good things were just a few short
years ago. ‘The Economic Collapse Jan 10, 2011
’Most Americans have become so accustomed to the “new normal” of continual
economic decline that they don’t even remember how good things were just a few
short years ago. Back in 2007, unemployment was very low, good jobs were
much easier to get, far fewer Americans were living in poverty or enrolled in
welfare programs and government finances were in much better shape. Of
course most of this prosperity was fueled by massive amounts of debt, but at
least times were better. Unfortunately, things have really deteriorated
over the last several years. Since 2007, unemployment has skyrocketed,
foreclosures have set new all-time records, personal bankruptcies have soared
and U.S. government debt has gotten completely and totally out of
control. Poll after poll has shown that Americans are now far less
optimistic about the future than they were in 2007. It is almost as if
the past few years have literally sucked the hope out of millions upon millions
of Americans.
Sadly,
our economic situation is continually getting worse. Every month the
United States loses more factories. Every month the United States loses
more jobs. Every month the collective wealth of U.S. citizens continues
to decline. Every month the federal government goes into even more
debt. Every month state and local governments go into even more debt.
Unfortunately,
things are going to get even worse in the years ahead. Right now we look
back on 2005, 2006 and 2007 as “good times”, but in a few years we will look
back on 2010 and 2011 as “good times”.
We
are in the midst of a long-term economic decline, and the very bad economic
choices that we have been making as a nation for decades are now starting to
really catch up with us.
So
as horrible as you may think that things are now, just keep in mind that things
are going to continue to deteriorate in the years ahead.
But
for the moment, let us remember how far we have fallen over the past few
years. The following are 14 eye opening statistics which reveal just how
dramatically the U.S. economy has collapsed since 2007….
#1
In November 2007, the official U.S. unemployment rate was just 4.7
percent. Today, the official U.S. unemployment rate is 9.4 percent.
#2
In November 2007, 18.8% of unemployed Americans had been out of work for 27
weeks or longer. Today that percentage is up to 41.9%.
#3
As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million Americans that had been
unemployed for half a year or longer. Today, there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or
longer.
#4
Nearly 10 million Americans now receive unemployment insurance, whichis
almost four times as many as were receiving it back
in 2007.
#5
More than half of the U.S. labor force (55 percent) has “suffered a spell of
unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary
part-time workers” since the “recession” began in December 2007.
#6
According to one analysis, the United States has lost a total of approximately
10.5 million jobs since 2007.
#7
As 2007 began, only 26 million Americans were on food stamps. Today, an
all-time record of 43.2 million Americans are enrolled in the
food stamp program.
#8
In 2007, the U.S. government held a total of $725 billion in mortgage
debt. As of the middle of 2010, the U.S. government held a total of $5.148 trillion in mortgage debt.
#9
In the year prior to the “official” beginning of the most recent recession in
2007, the IRS filed just 684,000 tax liens against U.S. taxpayers. During
2010, the IRS filed over a million tax liens against U.S.
taxpayers.
#10
From the year 2000 through the year 2007, there were 27 bank failures in the
United States. From 2008 through 2010, there were 314 bank failures in the United States.
#11
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number
of U.S. families with children living in homeless sheltersincreased from 131,000 to 170,000 between 2007
and 2009.
#12
In 2007, one poll found that 43 percent of Americans were living “paycheck to
paycheck”. Sadly, according to a survey released very close to the end of
2010, approximately 55 percent
of all Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck.
#13
In 2007, the “official” federal budget deficit was just 161 billion
dollars. In 2010, the “official” federal budget deficit was approximately 1.3 trillion dollars.
#14
As 2007 began, the U.S. national debt was just under 8.7 trillion
dollars. Today, the U.S. national debt has just surpassed 14 trillion dollars and it
continues to soar into the stratosphere.
So
is there any hope that we can turn all of this around?
Unfortunately,
the massive amount of debt that we have piled up as a society over the last
several decades has made that impossible.
If
you add up all forms of debt (government debt, business debt, individual debt),
it comes to approximately 360 percent of GDP. It is the biggest debt
bubble in the history of the world.
If
the federal government and our state governments stop borrowing and spending so
much money, our economy would collapse. But if they keep borrowing and
spending so much money they will continually make the eventual economic
collapse even worse.
We
are in the terminal stages of the most horrific debt spiral the world has ever
seen, and when the debt spiral gets stopped the house of cards is going to
finally come down for good.
So
enjoy these times while you still have them. Yes, today is not nearly as
prosperous as 2007 was, but today is most definitely a whole lot better than
2015 or 2020 is going to be.
Sadly,
we could have avoided this financial disaster completely if only we had
listened more carefully to those that founded this nation. Once upon a
time, Thomas Jefferson said
the following….
I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its Constitution; I mean an additional article, taking from the federal government the power of borrowing.’
Options Data Suggests Topping Action -VXX
- News)
has lulled investors into a state of complacency. If you had to describe
investor's alertness in sleep lingo, a state of REM sleep would probably be the
closest comparison.History tells us that the (bear) market only strikes when
least expected.Based on analyst polls by Bloomberg, Barron's, USA Today and a
variety of sentiment measures, a stock market (NYSEArca: VTI
- News)
decline is as remote today as it was in 2000 or 2007.
Hedging Activity Drops
Investors
and traders are content to hold on to massive long positions without hedge. One
of the easiest ways to hedge your stock portfolio is via put options. Last week
the CBOE Equity Put/Call Ratio dropped to 0.4, the lowest reading since April
15, 2010.The lack of hedging is dangerous for prices because the market is
without a safety net. The only option for spooked investors without hedge is to
sell. Selling causes prices to drop.On April 16, 2010, the ETF Profit Strategy
Newsletter warned of the consequences of a low put/call ratio: 'Selling results
in more selling. This negative feedback loop usually results in rapidly falling
prices. The pieces are in place for a major decline. We are simply waiting for
the proverbial first domino to fall over and set off a chain reaction.'The
first domino dropped just a few days later, setting off the May 6 'Flash Crash'
and ultimately resulted in a swift 15% correction for the Dow (DJI: ^DJI), 17%
correction for the S&P (SNP: ^GSPC), 19% for the Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC),
and 21% for the Russell 2000 (NYSEArca: IWM
- News).A
different measure of complacency is the premium traders willingness to pay
for call options (bullish bets). Based on a three-month average, the price for
put options (bearish bets) is near a 10-year low. The only other time that
rivals current readings was in 2007.
This Time is Different
The
spirit of 'this time is different' is one of the most fascinating phenomenons
known to Wall Street. Investors' sentiment follows the ebb and flow of stock
prices. When prices are up, the future is expected to be bright. When prices
are down, the future is supposedly bleak (just think of the 2007 peak and 2009
bottom).This approach of linear extrapolations feeds the herding mentality,
which contrarians use as effective indicators. This approach is not foolproof
but, nevertheless, is one of the most accurate, if not the most accurate timing
tool known to underground Wall Street aficionadosThe chart below (taken from
the January 2011 ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter) illustrates the four most
prominent occurrences of extreme optimism, or the 'this time is different'
effect. The green line connects the price of the S&P with the timeline and
various sentiment gauges. [chart] Investors thought 'this time is different' at
the 2007 peak, in May 2008, in January 2010, and again in April 2010. The only
thing different at all four times was the velocity of the descent, but each
period of euphoria was greeted by despair.
Optimism and Bad News
If
you had a chance to watch CNBC's 60 Minutes over the past two weeks, you are
aware of some possible 'Black Swan' events.Scott Pelley's introduction to Ben
Bernanke's interview couldn't have been more sobering: 'That is the worst
recovery we've ever seen. Ben Bernanke is concerned. Chairmen of the Fed rarely
do interviews, but this week Bernanke feels he has to speak out because he believes
his critics may not understand how much trouble the economy is in.'The
financial media, however, ignored Ben Bernanke's sobering assessment of the
economy and focused on the silver lining: A bad economy may lead to QE3 and its
cousins QE4 and QE5. What's better, an improving economy or more QE? Apparently
QE is just as good as more jobs.Another 60 Minutes focused on the next big
thing; Municipal and state defaults. In the two years since the 'Great
Recession,' states have collectively spent nearly half a trillion dollars more
than they collected. There's a trillion dollar hole in their public pension
fund and according to New Jersey's Governor, the day of reckoning is
near.Meredith Whitney, one of the few analysts who foresaw the bubble building
in banks (NYSEArca: KBE - News)
and financials (NYSEArca: XLF - News)
believes at least part of the three trillion municipal bond market will unravel
within the next year.For much of 2010 municipal bonds were brewing their own
little bubble. As it is common with bubbles, they are rarely foreseen by the
public eye. In the case of muni bonds, yield hungry investors ignored the red
flags.On August 26, the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter warned that it is time
to get out of muni bonds, corporate bonds and Treasuries. Muni-bonds topped on
August 26 and have since given up more than two years worth of gains.
History Rhymes
Yes,
history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes. In 2007, Merrill Lynch's
Global Economics Report foresaw a bright future: 'The Merrill Lynch global
economics team believes that the economy will continue to grow in 2007 - with
no sign of a significant cyclical slowdown.'According to J.P. Morgan, Barclays
Capital and Goldman Sachs (Merrill Lynch failed to foresee its own demise in
2007 and is no more), the S&P will gain between 15 - 20% in 2011 and the
'economy will continue to grow in 2011.'Perhaps this time will be different,
but based on history, now is the time to at least be cautious and protect your
investments. An ounce of protection is worth more than a pound of cure. Based
on long-term valuation metrics the stock market is priced to deliver pain, not
gain (see November 2011 ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter for a detailed
analysis).Based on sentiment, the market is overheated and due for a correction
at the very least, and how often have we seen a correction turn into something
more? Timing a top is tricky, but based on support and resistance levels and
seasonal patterns it is possible to narrow down when the market is ready to
roll over.The ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter
includes the next resistance likely to mark the end of this rally and important
structural support. A close below this important support level will probably
break the bulls' spirit and the market's streak.’
Twain
needs no fixin' (Washington Post) [ I quite agree with Ms. Parker,
particularly in this digital age which facilitates such censorship which can be
accomplished with such ease and an environment as in the self-created paranoid
u.s. replete with pervasive corruption, incompetence, and criminality where
perpetrators / criminals therein cry out for more cover-up / censorship all in the
self-destructive name of ‘war on terror’, jingoistic patriotism, etc.. I’m
against almost all censorship (subject
to very limited exceptions, ie., ‘yelling fire in a crowded theater, kiddy
porn, etc., except that the u.s. courts are so corrupt and venal that they can
no longer be trusted to responsibly apply those limited exceptions to narrowly
defined exceptional circumstances. See, for example, RICO case
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm )
. DRUDGEREPORT: NYT
SATURDAY: NUMBER OF COMBAT INJURIES IN AFGHANISTAN APPROACHES IRAQ-WAR
LEVELS... DEVELOPING...
'WE'RE
DIGGING OUT OF A HOLE' [ Example of sentiment: some comments - ‘…Barack Obama is a cooked goose. He is absolutely
the most incompetent president of the U.S. ever, so he continues to spin the
numbers in such a manner that might make him look good. News for him: NOTHING
will make you look good. Pretty is skin deep, incompetence goes clear to the
bone. "Let his days be few; and let another take his office." Psalms
109:8- RightStuff, Texas, USA, 7/1/2011 19:45
You know what happens when you keep digging a hole - you reach China and
that is what is going to finish the americans and Obamarama...- Olrik, Canada,
7/1/2011 19:41
'We're digging ourselves out of a hole' - Barack Hussein Obama To get
out of a hole you've dug so deep, is to STOP DIGGING, fill it up with soil so
you can climb OUT OF THE HOLE. STOP SPENDING OBAMA! STOP PRINTING MONEY! The US
dollar is weakening against YUAN of China. Republicans better start cutting all
spending, defund/repeal Obamacare, America is flat BROKE! If Republicans can't
rein all spending created by Pelosi and her peons, their DEBT would be BIGGER
than their economy.- Observer, over here, over there, 7/1/2011 19:33
Well the ammo index is still down, I guess having 3,000 rounds is
enough- NVBob, Richland WA USA, 7/1/2011 19:31
Fill in the hole, with Obama in it, at the bottom!- Stan, St Louis,
Missouri, USA, 7/1/2011 19:30
DRUDGEREPORT: NYT SATURDAY: NUMBER OF
COMBAT INJURIES IN AFGHANISTAN APPROACHES IRAQ-WAR LEVELS... DEVELOPING...
'WE'RE
DIGGING OUT OF A HOLE' [ Example of sentiment: some comments - ‘…Barack Obama is a cooked goose. He is absolutely
the most incompetent president of the U.S. ever, so he continues to spin the
numbers in such a manner that might make him look good. News for him: NOTHING
will make you look good. Pretty is skin deep, incompetence goes clear to the
bone. "Let his days be few; and let another take his office." Psalms
109:8- RightStuff, Texas, USA, 7/1/2011 19:45
You know what happens when you keep digging a hole - you reach China and
that is what is going to finish the americans and Obamarama...- Olrik, Canada,
7/1/2011 19:41
'We're digging ourselves out of a hole' - Barack Hussein Obama To get
out of a hole you've dug so deep, is to STOP DIGGING, fill it up with soil so
you can climb OUT OF THE HOLE. STOP SPENDING OBAMA! STOP PRINTING MONEY! The US
dollar is weakening against YUAN of China. Republicans better start cutting all
spending, defund/repeal Obamacare, America is flat BROKE! If Republicans can't
rein all spending created by Pelosi and her peons, their DEBT would be BIGGER
than their economy.- Observer, over here, over there, 7/1/2011 19:33
Well the ammo index is still down, I guess having 3,000 rounds is
enough- NVBob, Richland WA USA, 7/1/2011 19:31
Fill in the hole, with Obama in it, at the bottom!- Stan, St Louis,
Missouri, USA, 7/1/2011 19:30
Jobs
report an 'utter mess'... ‘…However, some economists were less optimistic. 'It's a bit of a mixed
bag,' said Ryan Sweet, an economist at Moody's Analytics. Many analysts hoped
to see larger job gains, and the drop in the unemployment rate is unlikely to
be sustained, he said. 'The labour market ended last year with a bit of a
thud,' he said…’
China
plans $1.3 billion 'seven-star hotel'...
China
Backs Europe, Euro for Investing Reserves...
REPORT:
Too much fluoride in US water...
CBO
Says Repeal Would Reduce Spending by $540 Billion...’The Congressional Budget Office, in an email to
Capitol Hill staffers obtained by the Spectator, has said that
repealing the national health care law would reduce net spending by $540
billion in the ten year period from 2012 through 2021. That number represents
the cost of the new provisions, minus Medicare cuts. Repealing the bill would
also eliminate $770 billion in taxes. It's the tax hikes in the health care law
(along with the Medicare cuts) which accounts for the $230 billion in deficit
reduction…’
Republicans
reject cost estimate on health repeal (Washington Post) [
One thing’s certain … they’ll agree to disagree … $14 plus trillion and
counting and wobama the b for b*** s*** and co are worried about a couple
hundred billion … tax cuts to the rich …
(Davis ‘… This is how we
pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get
anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but
probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded
liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see
Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth
of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend
$1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is
no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all
of the time. THIS HOUSE
OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!) ‘Then again, look at the war spending : Drudgereport: Congresswoman calls
Afghanistan 'national embarrassment'...
'Epic failure'... Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) talks about the "disastrous" war that
is Afghanistan. "This war represents an epic failure, a national
embarrassment and a moral blight," Rep. Woolsey said. [ True enough!
Though broke, they’re still voting for more war across the board. But even more
than that, this war is a blowback-creating, self-perpetuating,
self-destructive, self-defeating, colossally expensive debacle benefiting only
the war profiteers / lobbies and attendant frauds while diverting attention
from the more ’mundane’ tasks of governance of a failing, pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt nation, viz., america. ]
PENTAGON BUDGET SLASH [
Riiiiight! … What’s $80 billion on a trillion dollar tab especially with those
off-budget special items whenever they so choose. ]: OBAMA TO CUT TROOPS ON ACTIVE DUTY
FEDS BREAK GROUND ON SUPER
SPY CENTER (Riiiiight! More spending on those ultra-efficient super-spies, ie.,
Iraq on a lie, illegal drug ops, 9-11 NORAD ordered to stand down, etc., though
u.s. defacto bankrupt)...
New Miami Police peeping
drone may be first in country; ACLU approves...
Man Arrested for Having
'Suspicious' Bagel on Plane...
Ex-CIA officer charged with
leak to NYT reporter...
Packages Cause
'Flash Explosions' At 2 State Gov't Buildings in MD...
One addressed to Gov...
US Treasury asks Congress to
lift debt ceiling...
Obama calls Gibbs $174,000
salary 'relatively modest' ( Come on! In pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america, government jobs for the otherwise unemployable at those levels are
over-priced and over-valued, as are other so-called executive jobs, ie.,
fraudulent wall street, etc.. Look at their results! )... ] Boehner dismisses CBO forecast that rescinding law
would raise deficit by about $230 billion and leave 32 million more Americans
uninsured.
Apprehension ahead of Moqtada al-Sadr speech (Washington Post) [ What is he expected to say?:
Thank you america for bombing, invading, and destroying his nation based on a
lie? Thank you america for killing, maiming innocent children, women, and men?
Thank you america for all the depleted uranium you’ve left behind? Thank you
america for removing your america-supported mad-dog tyrant sadam hussein who
foolishly played into his cia handlers’ trap regarding that green light for
Kuwait invasion over the slant-drilling by the latter from April Glasspie. I
don’t think so, and I don’t think the rest of the world nor his fellow Iraqis
think so. ] Lawmakers across Iraq's
political and ethnic spectrums wait for word from anti-American Shiite cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, saying his first address after returning from nearly four
years of self-imposed exile in Iran would likely say a lot about his approach
to Iraq's government.
1 in 6 Americans Live in Poverty Tradermark ‘One of the biggest mega trends
happening in America is the bifurcation of society between the haves and the
have nots. Many of the jobs the 'underclass' once did are gone forever, while
others spent freely when times were good, and when the tide turned, have little
buffer. [Dec 8, 2007: Do the Bottom 80% of Americans Stand a
Chance?] After all, saving for a rainy day is what boring people do.
Others really never got off the ground, as the K-12 education system has
degraded dramatically the past few decades.Frankly the underlying trend - as
bad as it is on the surface - has been hidden by multiple bubbles, and most
recently, there has been a level of government assistance never seen before. [Nov 5, 2010: USA Today - Anti-Poverty Programs Surpass
Cost of Medicare] In terms of government spending. This brings up a
host of issues as any changes to the social safety net are going to send
millions past GO and directly to impoverished status (and yes there are people
gaming the system, but not tens of millions). There are myriad societal effects
of the transformation of America from a relative egalitarian society in the
1960s to a 2 or 3 class system - but those are topics for other posts we have done.The
official U.S. government tally of who is living in poverty is a joke. We last
looked at it about 16 months ago [Sep 19, 2009: US Poverty Rises to 11 Year High - But
Still Vastly Understated] For example, if you make $23,000 for a
family of 4 - you are not in poverty. If you are single and make $14,000 you
are not in poverty. I'm not sure in what counties except for rural Mississippi
you can accomplish that cost of living, but apparently the government believes
a middle class lifestyle is available at $25K for a family of 4 in all of
America. Or at least it would be inconvenient to admit otherwise. And yes once
more let me put the caveat that being "poor" in America is different
than being poor in Malawi, but in theory we should be comparing ourselves to
other first world countries.The AP has an interesting report of a new measure
of poverty in the U.S., based on the census. It has a different band of parameters
and shows an increase over the government's incredibly generous definition of
poverty. What is striking is the large increase in those in the over 65+ camp
who fall into poverty. Due to our consumption culture (encouraged by the
government at every turn, since we've transformed our economy from good
producing to services and consumption) many are entering the golden years with
little to nothing.Where once many had their mortgage paid off by the time they
retired and hence could live on a much lower income as their largest expense
was eliminated, now after a generation of serial refinancing and cash out to
finance buying 'what we deserve', many still have the mortgage to worry about
even at age 70+. There are many other factors we've discussed often - i.e. the
move from pensions to do it yourself savings in a country where saving is a sin
and spending is worshiped, the disaster that is the 401k system, etc. Unlike
the mortgage crisis which is playing out in a relative short period of time
(6-8 years), this grand economic experiment of running an economy on
consumption & services (you do my nails, I'll cut your hair, you serve me a
beer, I'll cut your lawn, you build a house, I'll default on it) is taking
decades to play out. But we're starting to see the first wave of results the
past 5-10 years, and it's not pretty.Bigger picture, there are enormous
stresses being formed at the bottom end of the society, and more and more are
being caught in the net. Anyone who truly believes there will be any serious spending
cuts at the federal level does not realize the (increasing) dependency that has
been created by the a multitude of poor decisions over the past few decades.
Indeed we fast approach the time when 1 in every 5 dollars of
"income" are government transfers. [May 25, 2010: 1 in 5.5 Dollars of American Income Now Via
Government; All time High] At this point, the genie is out of the
bottle and with a dysfunctional government whose only solution is layer on more
debt to kick the can down the road, our modern day plutonomy only grows in
power. [Sep 7, 2009: Citigroup - America; A Modern Day Plutonomy]
However, there appears nothing to be worried about since we've been well
trained to parrot the fact that as long as the S&P 500 only goes up,
everything in America is fine. Nothing to see here, move along (buy stocks as
you are moving of course).
Via AP
[Feb 20, 2009: NYT - Newly Poor Swell Lines @ Food Banks
Nationwide]
[Oct 22, 2010: Reuters - The Haves, the Have Nots, and the
Dreamless Dead]
[Sep 3, 2010: FT.com - The Crisis in Middle America]
[July 26, 2010: [Video] DatelineNBC - America's Increasing
Ranks of Poor]
Unemployment Claims Are Not What They Appear Adler
‘First-time unemployment claims rose by 52,038 to 577,279 in the week that
ended January 1. The Wall Street captive media is, as usual, fudging the reports
by reporting that claims were at 409,000, based on the seasonal hocus pocus.
They report an uptick of 18,000 instead of 52,000. Both Dow Jones and Bloomberg
are emphasizing that the 4 week moving average dropped sharply. Again, this is
based on seasonally adjusted fudge packing.The truth is that while this year's
end of year rise in claims is better than the past two years, the numbers are
still a lot worse than during good economic times. This week’s jump of 52k
compares with a rise of 88,929 in the week that ended 1/2/10. The chart below
shows that the normal seasonal uptrend is at a lower trend level than the past
two years, but well above 2006-2008. The insured unemployment rate remains well
above the 2004-2008 period. However, even that number may be misleading because
it uses a base number comprised of a 6 month average from the period that ended
in June. Because fewer people are now eligible, the actual rate should be
higher.[chart]Because new
claims are limited to those eligible, part of the downtrend in new claims is
due to the millions of persons losing eligibility. To account for that, the
next chart shows new claims as a percentage of those eligible. Here the improving
trend shows evidence of leveling off. The normal seasonal spike at the
beginning of January needs to hold around .053% to keep the downtrend from the
peaks of the past 2 years intact. The green line connects the most recent week
with the same week in prior years. Next week’s data should be the seasonal
peak.[chart]The
Department of Labor calculates the total number of covered employees quarterly,
using a 6 month average. The current figure is based on data from the first
half of 2010, which is not very useful now. However, it does imply that much of
the drop in continuing claims has come from those losing eligibility.[chart]The
following chart shows Continued Claims on an inverse scale, overlaid with stock
prices and Fed securities holdings. The inverse Continued Claims graph is a
directional proxy for total employment. The downtick at this time of year is
normal. The trend remains strong which suggests that the seasonally adjusted
payrolls data tomorrow should be positive. The consensus calls for a gain of
140,000. As I reported in the Wall Street Examiner Professional Edition Treasury
update to subscribers this week, wage tax withholding in December ran 15% ahead
of November, but that probably reflects withholding from year end bonuses
rather than a significant increase in employment levels. The year to year gain
was more muted.[chart]It’s pretty
clear from this chart that the Fed is the driver of these trends, but that
other forces are at work causing diminishing returns.Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no
plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.’
Expecting Employment Surprise: Dave's Daily ‘There are a lot of wild estimates making the rounds for
employment data Friday. Consensus estimates for new jobs added range from
150-200K, but some whisper numbers are as high as 500K and that would shock many
sectors. Meanwhile stocks were hurt early by poorly received December same
store sales (despite bullish headlines to the contrary) and rebound higher in
Jobless Claims. Nevertheless, the dollar continued to rise as commodity markets
were still selling-off. The buzz remains inflation is heating up particularly
in food and energy so investors fear tightening even as the Fed is engaged in
QE. Now that's interesting!! Bond prices remained rather stable. The Fed tossed
in more POMO
activity Thursday. As that was announced stocks immediately rallied if only
briefly. What a coincidence! In advance of the all-important employment report
volume remained light and breadth negative.’
Are Investors Concerned About Rising Gas Prices? Rotblut
‘Bullish sentiment extended its streak of above-average readings to 18
consecutive weeks in the latest AAII Sentiment Survey. This is the longest such
streak since 2004. The percentage of individual investors expecting stock
prices to rise over the next six months rose 4.3 percentage points to 55.9%.
The historical average is 39%.Neutral sentiment, expectations that stock prices
will stay essentially flat over the next six months, fell 2.5 percentage points
to 25.9%. Neutral sentiment has been below its historical average of 31% for 22
consecutive weeks.Bearish sentiment, expectations that stocks prices will fall
over the next six months, slipped 1.8 percentage points to 18.3%. Bearish
sentiment has been below its historical average of 30% for 15 out of the last
17 weeks.Bullish sentiment remains at historically high levels. One example of
this is the eight-week moving average of bullish sentiment, which is above 51%
for the third consecutive week. (It is at 51.4%.) This measure has not been
higher since January 2005. Other measures also suggest sentiment is running
hot, including the spread between bullish and bearish sentiment (37.6
percentage points) and the standard deviation (bullish sentiment is more than
one standard deviation above the historical mean). High bullish readings have
been correlated with market pullbacks, but other indicators should be analyzed
before predicting where stocks prices are headed.Individual investors are
continuing to feel optimistic about stock prices due to, in part, the sustained
rally and additional signs that the economy is recovering. News of upbeat 2011
forecasts from several market strategists is also playing a role.This week’s
special question asked AAII members whether they are concerned about the
potential impact rising gasoline prices will have the economic recovery.About
half of respondents described themselves as being somewhat worried about rising
prices at the pump. Many did think the economy will grow, though the pace of
the recovery might be slowed. Several members added the caveat that their concerns
are dependent on how high prices actually rise. A small number thought higher
prices would be good for their energy holdings or would increase demand for
fuel-efficient vehicles and other green initiatives. Here is a sampling of the
responses:
This week’s sentiment survey results:
Historical Averages:
The AAII Sentiment Survey has been conducted weekly since July 1987 and asks AAII members whether they think stock prices will rise, remain essentially flat, or fall over the next six months. The survey period runs from Thursday (12:01 a.m.) to Wednesday (11:59 p.m.). The survey and its results are available online.’
Less
Than 35% of All Stocks Are Undervalued Suttmeier ‘ValuEngine now shows that only
34.6% of more than 5,000 stocks are undervalued with 65.4% overvalued. A
reading below 35% may persist for a while, but typically the stock market tops
out when less than 35% of all stocks are undervalued. Fifteen of 16 sectors are
overvalued by 8.6% for Consumer Discretionary to 33.1% for Basic Industries.
Medical is the undervalued sector, but only by 1.4%. The major equity averages
are extremely overbought on both daily and weekly charts. The missing
ingredient for a top is the lack of nearby risky levels for the major averages.
The major equity averages straddle quarterly value levels, pivots and risky levels
favoring a reversal-oriented first quarter – 11,395 Dow, 1162.5 SPX, 2853
NASDAQ, 4671 Transports and 765.50 Russell 2000. The rise in the 30-year yield
above 4.5% is a major drag on equity valuations. With stock market complacency
as high as it is, Comex gold closed below its 50-day simple moving average at
1380.6 for the first time since August 11. Nymex crude oil is above this week’s
pivot at $88.50. The euro is between its 200-day at 1.3080 and its 50-day at
1.3422, approaching a test of the 200-day. The Dow is well above my annual
pivot at 11,491 without a nearby risky level as the MOJO run continues.
Valuations are stretched with only 16.1% of all stocks undervalued by at least
20%, whereas 33.0% of all stocks are overvalued by more than 20%.[chart](Click
to enlarge)
It is difficult to find stocks to add to the ValuTrader Model
Portfolio as only 76
stocks are rated STRONG BUY or BUY with a market cap of at least five billion
and average daily trading volume of 500,000 shares or more, and projected to
gain at least 7.5% over the next twelve months. There are twelve stocks in the
model portfolio.
Key Levels From My Proprietary Analytics
10-year Note – (3.483) Weekly, annual and semiannual value levels are 3.714,
3.791 and 4.268 with a daily risky level at 3.371. Annual, semiannual and
monthly risky levels are 2.690, 2.441, 2.322 and 2.150.
Comex Gold – ($1373.7) Annual, semiannual and annual value levels are
$1356.5, $1300.6 and $1187.2 with a weekly pivot at $1380.0. Daily, monthly,
quarterly and semiannual risky levels are $1412.74, $1439.0, $1441.7 and
$1452.6.
Nymex Crude Oil – ($90.30) Semiannual and monthly value levels are $87.52 and
$75.74 with a weekly pivot at $88.50. Annual, semiannual and quarterly risky
levels are $99.91, $101.92, $107.14 and $110.87.
The euro –
(1.3149) Monthly and weekly value levels are 1.2805 and 1.2703 with quarterly
and daily pivots at 1.3227 and 1.3358, and semiannual and annual risky levels
at 1.4624, 1.4989, 1.6367 and 1.7312.
Daily Dow:
(11,723) Annual, quarterly, weekly, semiannual, monthly and semiannual value
levels are 11,491, 11,395, 11,334, 10,959, 10,427 and 9,449 with a daily pivot
at 11,687, and annual risky level at 13,890.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.’
Retailers
hold down stocks ahead of jobs data (Reuters) - Stocks
slipped on Thursday as soft retail sales and a sharp rise in the dollar left
investors edgy a day before December's U.S. employment report.
U.N.
group warns of possible food crisis (Washington Post) [ Possible? How ‘bout
it’s already begun and hence, inevitable particularly since worldwide with few
exceptions in looking to the u.s. as analogous to the self-destructive
compulsion of an addict or drunk they’ve jumped on the american crazy train,
from perpetual wars, to profligate spending, to over-printing of fiat paper
currencies, to mark to anything burial and cover-up and no-pros of fraudulent
paper schemes of the fraudulent wall street ilk / variety, etc. ] The Food and Agricultural Organization
said Wednesday that the world faces a "food price shock" after the
agency's benchmark index of farm commodities prices shot up last month.
October 15, 2010 (*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
----------
*The foregoing and as
indicated therein was previously send 9-14-10 but delivery confirmation was
flawed as set forth below and my inquiries to the u.s. postal service rebuffed
(I believe tampered with inasmuch as your office could not locate same). This
cover letter (9-13-10) is on the 3 disks with navigable hyperlinks to the
subject files for ease of reference, including the files in the RICO action as
indicated. (10-15-10) I spoke with Rose, FBI, ADIC Secretary, who indicates
once again that your office has not received the aforesaid and which can
reasonably be presumed to have been tampered with, and hence, a violation of
the federal statute concerning same. ]
The following
are 25 unemployment statistics that are almost too depressing to read….
#1 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
U.S. unemployment rate for November was 9.8
percent. This was up from 9.6 percent in October, and it continues a
trend of depressingly high unemployment rates. The official unemployment
number has been at 9.5 percent or higher for well over a year at this point.
#2 In November 2006, the “official” U.S. unemployment
rate was just 4.5
percent.
#3 Most economists had been expecting the U.S. economy
to add about 150,000 jobs in November. Instead, it
only added 39,000.
#4 In the United States today, there are over 15
million people who are “officially” considered to be unemployed for statistical
purposes. But everyone knows that the “real” number is even much larger
than that.
#5 As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million
Americans that had been unemployed for half a year or longer. Today,
there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.
#6 The number of “persons not in the labor force” in
the United States recently
set another new all-time record.
#7 It now takes the average unemployed American over
33 weeks to find a job.
#8 When you throw in “discouraged workers” and
“underemployed workers”, the “real” unemployment rate in the state of
California is
actually about 22 percent.
#9 In America today there are not nearly enough jobs
for everyone. In fact, there are now approximately
5 unemployed Americans for every single job opening.
#10 According
to The New York Times, Americans that have been unemployed for five weeks
or less are three times more likely to find a new job in the coming month than
Americans that have been unemployed for over a year.
#11 The U.S. economy would need to create 235,120
new jobs a month to get the unemployment rate down to pre-recession levels
by 2016. Does anyone think that there is even a prayer that is going to
happen?
#12 There are 9
million Americans that are working part-time for “economic reasons”.
In other words, those Americans would gladly take full-time jobs if they could
get them, but all they have been able to find is part-time work.
#13 In 2009, total wages, median wages, and average
wages all
declined in the United States.
#14 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million
Americans worked in manufacturing. The last time that less
than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.
#15 The United States has lost at least 7.5
million jobs since the recession began.
#16 Today, only
about 40 percent of Ford Motor Company’s 178,000 workers are employed
in North America, and a big percentage of those jobs are in Canada and
Mexico.
#17 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28
percent of U.S. economic output. In 2008, it represented 11.5
percent.
#18 Earlier this year, one poll found that 28% of all American households had at least one member that
was looking for a full-time job.
#19 In the United States today, over
18,000 parking lot attendants have college degrees.
#20 The United States has lost a staggering
32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#21 As the employment situation continues to stagnate,
millions of American families have decided to cut back on things such as insurance
coverage. For example, the percentage of American households that have
life insurance coverage is at its lowest level in
50 years.
#22 Unless Congress acts, and there is no indication
that is going to happen, approximately 2 million Americans will stop receiving unemployment checks over the next
couple of months.
#23 A poll that was released by the Pew Research Center
back in June discovered that an
astounding 55 percent of the U.S. labor force has
experienced either unemployment, a pay decrease, a reduction in hours
or an involuntary move to part-time work since the economic downturn
began.
#24 According to Richard McCormack, the United States
has lost over
42,000 factories (and counting) since 2001.
#25 In the United States today, 317,000
waiters and waitresses have college degrees.
But this is
what we get for creating the biggest debt
bubble in the history of the world. For decades we have been digging
a deeper hole for ourselves by going into increasingly larger amounts of
debt. In America today, our entire economy is based on debt. Even
our money
is debt. We were fools if we ever thought this could go on forever.
Just think about it. Have you ever gone out and run up a bunch of
debt? It can be a lot of fun sitting behind the wheel of a new car,
running your credit cards up to the limit and buying a beautiful big house that
you cannot afford. But in the end what happens? It always catches up with you.
Well, our collective debt is starting to catch up with us. There is a sea
of red ink on every level of American society. It is only a matter of
time before it destroys our economy. IF YOU THINK THAT
THINGS ARE BAD NOW, JUST WAIT. THINGS ARE GOING TO GET A WHOLE LOT
WORSE. A HORRIFIC ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IS COMING, AND IT IS GOING TO BE
VERY, VERY PAINFUL.’
Timid
Tuesday: Is it Safe? Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are
simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of
global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form
of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh)
is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut
$100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while
continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1%
each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool
all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT
THERE! ‘
Short-Term, High-Probability Mean-Reversion Indicator:
Overbought Readings Continue to Increase Crowder ‘It was the best
start to a year in over seven years, but I am not sure how long Monday’s gain
will last, at least over the short-term.According to my High-Probability,
Mean-Reversion overbought/oversold indicator, most of the ETFs I follow have
pushed into a short-term “overbought” to “very overbought” state. As I have
stated ad nauseum, when this many ETFs hit a short-term extreme the market
typically takes a short-term reprieve (1-3 days).The XLB
position that is currently held in the High-Probability, Mean-Reversion
strategy moved in the red Monday although it was only a slight move. The
position, in my opinion, still looks rather well-positioned given the
short-term extreme overbought state of the market and XLB.Since I placed the
trade there have been some incredibly large positions taken in XLB. Someone
sure thinks the Materials sector (XLB) is headed south. Check it out here.The year ended with some nice gains as
the High-Probability, Mean-Reversion strategy made 9.7% gains for the month to
follow up the 3.7% in November. Not bad for the first two months of the
strategy. Hopefully 2011 will bring allow for more gains in the strategy.As I
stated last week, going back over the last seven years, if you purchased QQQQ on the 8th trading day of January and
held until the end of the month, you would have had returns of -2.3%, -3.1%,
-2.3%, -2.7%, -4.1%, -1.6% and -7.7%. The median maximum gain during those
trades was +0.7% compared to a median draw down of -5.3%.
Short-Term High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Indicator – as of
close 1/03/10
Benchmark ETFs
* S&P 500 (SPY)
– 86.5 (very overbought) / RSI (2) – 96.5
* Dow Jones (DIA)
–79.5 (overbought)
* Russell 2000 (IWM)
– 71.4 (overbought)
* NASDAQ 100 (QQQQ)
– 74.5 (overbought)
Sector
ETFs
*
Biotech (IBB)
– 62.5 (neutral)
* Consumer Discretionary (XLY)
– 70.5 (overbought)
* Health Care (XLV)
– 72.5 (overbought)
* Financial (XLF)
– 84.2 (very overbought)
* Energy (XLE)
– 89.5 (very overbought) / RSI (2) – 98.8
* Gold Miners (GDX)
– 48.5 (neutral)
* Industrial (XLI)
– 80.1 (very overbought)
* Materials (XLB)
– 91.4 (very overbought) / RSI (2) – 95.7
* Real Estate (IYR)
– 85.8 (very overbought) / RSI (2) – 96.0
* Retail (RTH) – 76.2
(overbought)
* Semiconductor (SMH) – 61.8
(neutral)
* United States Oil Fund (USO)
– 64.1 (neutral)
* Utilities (XLU)
– 68.3 (neutral)
International
ETFs
*
Brazil (EWZ)
– 82.0 (very overbought) / RSI (2) – 98.7
* China 25 (FXI)
– 72.2 (overbought)
* EAFE (EFA)
– 77.4 (overbought)
* South Korea (EWY)
– 91.9 (very overbought) / RSI (2) – 99.1
Commodity
ETFs
*
Gold (GLD) – 64.9 (neutral)
Ultra
Extremes
* Small Cap Bear 3x (TZA)
– 24.6 (oversold)
* Small-Cap Bull 3x (TNA)
– 74.1 (overbought)
* UltraLong QQQQ (QLD) –
75.4 (overbought)
* Ultra Long S&P 500 (SSO)
– 90.2 (very overbought)
* Ultra Short S&P 500 (SDS)
– 10.7 (very oversold)
* UltraShort 20+ Treasury (TBT)
– 43.5 (neutral)
Disclosure: I am short XLB.’
U.S.-built
infrastructure is deteriorating (Washington Post) [ At first glance, I
thought this article was miscategorized as a national story in the World
section. Indeed, there’s no denying the truth of the title as america
generally, domestically. Yet, the tragedy is that the tainted, destructive,
self-defeating wars for america have been a boon for war profiteers, frauds of
all stripes, when this defacto bankrupt america is sorely in need of repair,
replacement of its own shoddy, aging infrastructure suffering from the domestic
equivalent of similar scams, kickbacks, shoddy workmanship and all. After all,
it got to the point that they didn’t even go through the motions / façade and
actually flew $12 billion in hundred dollar bills into Iraq which to this day
is unaccounted for / unprosecuted … like the wall street frauds, since the
worthless toxic paper cashed out by wall street is still out there in the
trillions now marked to anything. ] Roads, canals and schools built in
Afghanistan as part of a special U.S. military program are crumbling under
Afghan stewardship, despite new steps imposed over the past year to ensure
reconstruction money is not being wasted, according to government reports.
Is
This a Major Market Top? [ Truth be told, there was a time when I read
Barron’s with great regularity (no more). I never missed Alan Abelson’s
incisively sharp wit and the market laboratory, the latter being supplanted by
readily accessible numerical data on the web. I also don’t recall Alan Abelson
ever being wrong and I don’t think he’s wrong here, particularly when you consider
the costs, fraud, and insanity underlying this manipulated and inflated stock
market which bubble is at best a (contrived) bull cycle in a secular bear
market. ] Roche ‘With economic recovery still in doubt and sentiment readings
at their highest levels since the S&P 500 topped in 2007, some market
prognosticators find the latest surge in stocks to have been irrational. There
is now a near universal belief that stocks have but one direction to go and
that has some investors feeling uneasy. This
weekend’s Barron's showed the diametrically opposing views as two of their
leading columnists (Alan Abelson and Mike Santoli) discussed why they believe
this is a major market top (or not).
Abelson refers
to a certain veteran market technician (whom he doesn’t identify):
And he shares our concern about the epidemic of
optimism that has gripped the Street, manifest in any number of wildly bullish
forecasts for the market in 2011. It is the kind of explosive optimism that is
usually witnessed, he says more in wonder than rue, at market tops, either
temporary or something worse.
He doesn’t buy the argument that the huge stash of
cash supposedly sitting on the sidelines is a guarantee of a steady source of
fuel for the equity rally. Rather, he calls that hefty pile of cash, which is
being augmented by a fresh infusion from fixed-income investors now that bonds
are getting clocked, “scared money.” It belongs, he elaborates, to folks who
all this time have been leery of committing their dough to stocks but, thanks
to December’s quantum leap in share prices, have grown increasingly fearful of
missing the next leg up, and are itching to put all that scratch to work.
That such nervous-newbie equity buyers will stay the
course and step up their buying after the initial, inevitable correction is
hardly a given. Our bet is that they would jackrabbit out at the first hint of
trouble.
The peerless technician is also bothered by the
leadership of the end-of-the-year rally. More specifically, the shares of
commodity-related companies are in the vanguard of the advance at a time when
China, the big global buyer of virtually every commodity known to man, is
striving to rein in inflation. It is no accident, he suggests, that Chinese
stock markets have been lagging, and he feels they may prove a pretty good
precursor for our own dear market.
In sum, he sees stocks making at least a temporary
top early in the new year. It’s hard to say, he readily admits, just how bad or
enduring a setback equities will suffer. But obviously, he’s talking something
more substantial than a flickering decline or a tiny crack.
Santoli’s case against a major market top has been
more commonly discussed:
The reasons the bulls are bullish are also pretty
universally agreed upon. The industrial economy has gathered some momentum, the
emerging markets are surging, companies are flush, profits look set to rise
decently again, the Federal Reserve is seeking new ways to penalize risk
aversion, taxes won’t go up and the market tends to do well in the year after a
midterm election.
And we can add to the list the likelihood that
another financial-engineering cycle is just getting into gear, so expect lots
of equity-friendly refinancings by stretched companies, re-leveraging by
cash-rich ones and buyouts hither and yon.
The thing is, it’s all pretty much true. And because
of that, and given that stock valuations are not excessive, it’s tough to think
a likely pullback or worse would signal some major top.
Indeed, the happy feeling and the recent climb in
margin borrowing and drop in short interest, by one way of looking at them,
simply show that what has been a bull market for the better part of two years
is finally being viewed as one. The last time we had such a run of investor
optimism, indeed, was late 2004, before a calm but not terribly exuberant year.
The risk, then, is more about the near term, about
expectations of ease meeting some unforeseen complication early this year, and
that what’s likely to be a firm fundamental and technical case for riskier
financial assets in 2011 has, to a fair degree, been priced in by the market
lift of late 2010.
Interestingly, both appear to agree that the major
risk is in the near-term. Santoli, however, clearly believes any sell-off will
prove to be a buying opportunity. Abelson tends to still be in the bear market
camp. Major market top or a prelude to a continuation of the bull market? Only
time will tell.
Source: Barron's’
Tipping Point: 25 Signs That The Coming Financial Collapse Is Now Closer Then Ever The financial collapse that so many of us have been anticipating is seemingly closer then ever. Over the past several weeks, there have been a host of ominous signs for the U.S. economy… ] Decision could make it easier for the bailed-out lender to launch an IPO and repay its government debt.
Pakistan's
top general vexes U.S. plans (Washington Post) [ Geeh! How dare that PAKISTAN General not jump on the war criminal
american crazy train by putting the interests of his nation ahead of u.s.
contrived interests and preventing Pakistan from being turned into a toxic
wasteland, killing fields, etc., as in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.. ] Despite intense efforts, officials fail
to persuade Gen. Ashfaq Kayani to undertake the administration's strategy of
eliminating Taliban havens inside Pakistan.
Pay
Attention to New Year Market Indicators [ The problem with these anecdotal,
mechanized (and sophomoric) technical guidelines is that the frauds on wall
street are well aware of them and with the current computer technology can
easily program to meet them with the fraudulent hope they’ll become
self-fulfilling. I disagree with the ‘everything coming up roses, green shoots
and all’ scenarios being painted in typical self-interested fashion and hardly
objective. Even near perma-bull John Augustine (speaking with Motek) looks for
at a minimum, if things go well for the economy (not at all likely and no can
do with real numbers / data) a 3-5% pullback / correction near term. Keep in mind
all stock prices have been inflated by amounts exceeding the gains, viz.,
13-17% by the debased dollar which of course is reflected in huge price
increases for commodities across the board which will impact margins or
consumption or both going forward. ] Plessis ‘If Santa has not yet made his way
to your investment portfolio, don’t despair. According to Jeffrey Hirsch (Stock Trader’s Almanac),
the “Santa Claus Rally” normally occurs during the last five trading days of a
year and the ensuing first two trading sessions of the new year. During this
seven-day period stocks historically tend to advance (by 1.5% on average since
1950), but when recording a loss, they frequently trade much lower in the new
year.With four of the seven sessions behind us there has been little in it,
with the S&P 500 Index marginally up by 0.09% and the Dow Jones Industrial
Average losing 0.03%.Another old stock market saw tells us the first five
trading days of January sets the course for January (known as the “First Five
Days Early Warning System”), and if the month of January is higher, there is a
good chance the year will end higher, i.e. the so-called “January Barometer”.
Every down January since 1950 has been followed by a new or continuing bear
market or a flat year. “As January goes, so goes the year,” said Hirsch.Lastly,
according to Hirsch, the “December Low Indicator" says that should
the Dow Jones Industrial Index close below its December low anytime during the
first quarter, it is frequently an excellent warning sign of lower levels
ahead. The numbers to watch are those recorded on December 1: 1,206.07 for the
S&P 500 Index and 11,255.78 for the Dow Industrial Average.The American
benchmark indices will have to crash today in order to make 2010 a down year.
Early indications therefore point to the January Barometer (with January having
been a down month) this year failing investors. Looking ahead to 2011, time
will tell whether the year-end/new-year indicators play out according to the
historical pattern. Meanwhile, we’ll have some fun tracking how it pans out.’
Happy
New Year! Here Are The Final Numbers For 2010 , On Friday December 31, 2010
‘Indices mixed
today, but not for the year. Stocks weren't the real winner, however, with
commodity prices booming.
First, today's
scoreboard:
Now, the final scoreboard for 2010:
Equities:
Check out the best and worst performing global equity indices
in 2010 >
Commodities:
Check
out Societe Generale's guide to commodities in 2011 >
Bonds:
Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Global Broad Market
Index rose 4.7% this year.
Drudgereport: Medicare
Bound to Bust 'by 2017' as First Boomers Hit 65...
POLL:
Only 21% Want FCC to Regulate Internet...
Fear of Political Agenda...
Next
Year's Wars: 16 brewing conflicts to watch...
VIDEO:
Oil Could Push to $110...
Berlin
sees most snow in December since 1900s...
White
House Plans to Push 'Global Warming' Policy, GOP Vows Fight...
FLASHBACK:
Gore Reports Snow and Ice Across World Vanishing Quickly...
Top
China blogger forced to shut down magazine...
Non-US
banks gain from Fed crisis fund; Half of emergency credit facility cash went to
foreign institutions...
Backlash...
THE
MAN WHO TOOK ON BIG SIS... Pilot
angered TSA with video... ‘…News10 established a relationship with the Liu
family last July after their rental home in Sacramento's Oak Park was destroyed
by an arsonist. Four firefighters were injured when the house exploded…’
Oil
rises near $92...
Ex-SHELL
president sees $5 gas in year...
MATTHEWS:
Why Doesn't Obama Just Release The Birth Certificate?
NYT:
Bundle Up, It's Global Warming...
Obama
Reading List: Book on Reagan... [ Reagan would absolutely detest,
hate (yes, Reagan could hate ) wobama
and did detest, hate people like failed president like no other in history,
wobama]
Duma
Disses Obama, delays START vote...
Assange
fears death in a US jail...
OPEC
Members 'Target $100'...
China,
following pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless, defacto bankrupt american
example, bars political dissident access to lawyers...
Indefinite
detention possible for suspects at Guantanamo Bay...
DARK SIDE OF SIS: AGENTS RAID HOME OF PILOT CRITICAL OF TSA...
Posted Video Exposing Airport Security Flaws...
PUNISHED...
DEFICIT
HITS RECORD...
MINORITY
REPORT: Spielberg advising on rebranding Dems... [ Come on! You
can’t unring the bell on the damage they’ve done by particularly doing the
opposite of what they said, from perpetual war, to no prosecutions of the wall
street frauds now marked to anything as per criminal courtesy via FASB rule
change, etc.. They b*** s*** like their mascot, ‘wobama the b’ (for b*** s***);
not that the republicans are substantially different … they’re incompetent,
corrupt, etc... They’ve embraced the ‘history of decline and fall of
nation-states’. ]
TODAY:
Obama pledges 'singular focus' on economy...
ONE
YEAR AGO: 'Obama to focus hard on economy'...
TWO
YEARS AGO: Obama to put 'renewed focus' on economy...
US
press should fear being targeted: Assange...
BLOWOUT:
Government liabilities rose $2 trillion for year...
PEOPLE:
308,745,538
DEBT:
$13,868,461,000,000
STATE
OF THE NATION: Census shows slowing US growth...
GOP-leaning
states pick up seats in Congress...
NY, OH, IL, MA, NJ and PA lose seats...
FCC
Gives Government Power to Regulate Web...
Agency
splits along party lines...
DeMint
vows to reverse 'Internet takeover'...
AP:
TOP 10 STORIES OF 2010...
MOODY'S May Cut US Rating on Tax Package...
New
spending bill totals $1.1 TRILLION!
Congress
Job Approval Rating Worst in GALLUP History...
FLASHBACK:
Obama Promised 5-Day, Public Review of Bills Before Signing; Signs Tax Bill
Within Hours of House Vote...
13 million get unexpected tax bill from 'tax credit'?
Pelosi
skips vote on tax bill, then shuns signing ceremony...
House
votes to extend gov't funding -- through Tuesday...
OBAMA
FALLS TO 40% APPROVE IN FOXNEWS POLL...
The FCC's Threat to Internet Freedom...
Dems
play politics with 'net neutrality' vote...
'Sweeping
new rules'...
REGULATE...
SHUT:
Music Web Sites Dispute Legality of Their Closing...
UK
ministers threaten: Censor web, or we will legislate 'to protect children'...
Plan
to block all online porn...
Hugo
Chavez defends plan for web regulations...
Venezuela
tightens Internet regulation...
THEY'RE
COMING FOR THE INTERNET!
JULIUS
SEIZURE
$2
trillion debt crisis threatens to bring down 100 US cities...
States
face $140 billion in budget shortfalls...
32
states borrow billions from feds to cover unemployment benefits...
Friedman:
America the Stupid...
French
AAA Grade at Risk as Downgrades Sweep Europe...
Oil Heads
Toward $100...
Chavez
defends plan for Internet regulations...
UK
ministers threaten: Censor web, or we will legislate 'to protect children'...
The
FCC's Threat to Internet Freedom...
Dems
play politics with 'net neutrality' vote...
'Sweeping
new rules for the Internet'...
SKorea
detains Chinese fishermen...
Security
Council meets on tensions...
North
Threatens More Attacks...
...
says war would go nuclear
China
warns of escalating arms race...
'Don't ask' repeal moves toward law...
DREAM OVER: Senate Blocks Bill for Illegal Immigrants...
Budget
Brawl Looms in Congress...
Michelle
wears $2,500 purchased dress to Christmas concert...
Senate
Plans Weekend Votes on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' Amnesty Bill...
Senator:
Gay ban tied to Russia treaty...
UN
PLANS INTERNET REGULATION [ Those
who can’t do … work at the u.n., in the u.s.; after all, for the first time in
human history, the internet has for the most part enabled an unfettered look at
the truth and truthful reasons for the unequivocally sad state of the world.
That a supposed world body should support and potentially facilitate the
encroachment upon such global communication is reason enough to dismantle such
an already discredited body which arbitrarily seeks enforcement of some
‘resolutions’ as to some but not others ( ie., israel, u.n. resolutions 242,
338, etc., israeli and american war crimes, etc..) Raison d’tre … I don’t think
so! Quite the contrary! ]
Regulators
close banks in GA, FL, AR, MN... [ Regulators shutter 3 small banks in Ga., 1 each in
Fla., Ark., Minn.; 157 banks closed in 2010 ]
Payrolls Drop in 28 States, Joblessness Rises in 21...
Nevada rate to 14.3%...
Rhode Island City Nears Bankruptcy...
Ireland Debt Downgrade...
IMF chief worried about Europe domino effect...
Senate
clerks preparing to read 1,924-page spending bill on floor -- for 50 hours!...
Senator:
'There's No Way' To Read Entire Bill Before Vote...
KERRY:
'Why Would We Have To Read Something?'
McConnell
offers 1-page resolution in place of 1,924-page spending bill...
SHOWDOWN:
Gingrich Urges Fillibuster...
Biden
To GOP Opposition: 'Get Out Of The Way'...
Reid:
Earmarks are 'what we're supposed to do'...
Ban on Gitmo transfers vanishes...
Omnibus
bill loaded with goodies for abortion industry...
PRIORITIES:
House approves bill to make hybrids louder...
23%
Say USA Heading in Right Direction, Lowest Since Obama Took Office...
POLL:
Just 29% think Obama will be re-elected...
Is
America the sick man of the globe?
BUCHANAN:
Is this our America anymore?
UK
Red Cross Bans Christmas to Avoid Offending Muslims...
SALVATION
ARMY bell ringer caught stealing from kettle...
Deputies
suspended after getting into brawl at party...
2
women charged with robbing 74-year-old...
Hundreds
of gifts for kids stolen from 'Toys for Tots'...
Thousands
of dollars in donated toys ruined after skunk attack...
Grocery
prices grow by 1.5 times inflation rate...
Socialist
president plays host to capitalism...
REPORT:
Obama told lawmakers not passing tax deal could end presidency...
A
$48 billion earmark...
PAPER:
Year of bullying, bluff and bailouts leaves euro fighting for its life...
Reeling
from riots, Italy faces uncertainty...
Greek
anti-austerity strike turns violent...
VIDEO...
MORE
UNREST: 2011...
$575
million PER PAGE...
6,488
earmarks...
McConnell
fumes: 'No one has seen it'...
Reid threatens to keep Congress into next year...
Intelligence
Reports Offer Dim Views of Afghan War...
HOLBROOKE
LAST WORDS: STOP THIS WAR!
UPDATE:
RUSSIA TO USE CHINA CURRENCY IN TRADES...
UK
GRANTS ASSANGE BAIL; SWEDEN APPEALS...
Release
delayed...
Lawyer:
Secret Grand Jury Meeting Outside Washington on Leak...
CHRISTMAS CRIMES: Drive-By
Purse Snatcher Terrorizing Women In NJ...
2
women charged with robbing 74-year-old...
Hundreds
of gifts for kids stolen from 'Toys for Tots'...
Thousands
of dollars in donated toys ruined after skunk attack...
Copper
thieves burn down city's Christmas tree...
Burglar
steals family's gifts -- and its dog!
Grave
robbers steal 400 urns from cemetery...
'Grinch'
Steals Packages Off Doorsteps, Signs For Deliveries...
Home
Invaders Tie Up 12-Year-Old Boy, Take Video Games...
90-Year-Old
Man Put In Choke-Hold, Robbed Of $370...
'Tea
Party' anger simmers over backroom deal; Ramps up efforts...
2
Bank Failures Bring Year's Tally To 151...
COPS: Madoff's son hangs himself with dog collar in SoHo
apartment...
...gave mechanic $400 tip day before suicide
Madoff
Trustee Launches $19.6 Billion Lawsuit; 60 accused of participating in 'illegal
scheme'...
Pump
prices close in on average $3 a gallon...
FLASHBACK:
$1.81 when Obama took office...
BLOW
TO O: JUDGE RULES GOV'T CAN'T MANDATE CITIZENS BUY HEALTH CARE...
Cantor:
Direct Appeal to Supremes...
POLL:
Support For Obamacare Hits New Low...
Pelosi:
'Are You Serious?'
Obama: 'I'm itching for a fight'...
U
N C O N S T I T U T I O N A L
Barbara
Walters: 'This Guy (wobama) Has an Emotional Problem' [ Yes, it’s true,
babawawa … wobama has substantial mental problems which along with inherent
criminality are pervasive in america which also includes boner, and where were
you in discussing such, babawawa regarding psychopaths bush, clinton, etc., or
even former beau, senile greenspun ]...
DEFICIT
HITS RECORD...
Putin Slams West for Assange Arrest...
US
cable: Cuba to be insolvent within 2-3 years...
Assange
Lawyers Prepare for U.S. Spying Indictment...
Teen
Arrested in Hack Attacks...
Donations
to WIKILEAKS are Tax Deductible -- in Germany...
Anonymous
cyberwarriors stun experts...
Media
outlets may be probed over WikiLeaks stories, joe ‘zelig zionist incompetent
and corrupt‘ lieberman in Campaign To Trample The First Amendment claims Can the US government prosecute media outlets
that reported on the WikiLeaks cables? According to joe ‘zelig zionist
incompetent and corrupt‘ lieberman in
his Campaign To Trample The First Amendment, the answer is maybe.
Home
Values May Drop by $1.7 Trillion This Year...
UNEMPLOYMENT
WEEK: DOWN TO 421,000; REVISED UP LAST WEEK 438,000...
POLL:
Most Americans Say They’re Worse Off Under Obama...
F
O [Related: Olbermann:
Obama Is ‘God Damned Wrong’ ]
REVENGE
OF THE WIKIS!
Army
of hackers targets the Swedish government...
Take down
MASTERCARD site...
...VISA
PAYPAL...
AMAZON
braces for hactivist attack...
Palin
under cyber attack...
Assange's
'poison pill' file impossible to stop...
MOSCOW:
Give Assange Nobel Peace Prize...
SENATE REJECTS REPEAL OF DON'T ASK DON'T TELL...
House
Dems push through massive budget bill...
Final
House Race Decided; GOP Net Gain: 63 Seats...
Ron
Paul, Author of 'End the Fed,' to Lead Fed Oversight Panel...
Student
protesters in London turn violent over tuition hikes...
Thousands
try to break through police barricades at Houses of Parliament...
...attack car containing Prince Charles, Camilla...
Rolls
Royce hit with paint; rear window smashed...
US Treasuries hit by biggest sell-off since
LEHMAN...
Prices Plunge for 2nd Day on Deficit Fears...
Rattles investors...
Oil tipped to bubble over $100 barrel...
Food Stamp Rolls Continue to Rise...
SHOCK POLL: Americans Believe China Has Surpassed USA
in Economic Strength...
'U.S. fiscal health worse than Europe's'...
Sorkin: Palin TV show is 'snuff movie'... [ Yeah … ‘she’s really all that’ and worse …
I have great difficulty getting past the fact that she’s so incredibly dumb …
not just ‘nonintellectual’ … butt really dumb! ] ‘… Sorkin, writer of the recent Facebook movie The
Social Network, also accused the Fox News contributor of making a "snuff
film" after the latest episode of Sarah's Palin's Alaska featured the
politician going hunting with her father and shooting a caribou. He described
Palin as "deranged", a "witless bully" and a "phony
pioneer girl". He also said The Learning Channel, the US cable network, "should
be ashamed of itself" for broadcasting her "truly awful reality
show"…’
Senate convicts Clinton-appointed judge...
[ Come on! One way or another they’re almost all getting bribed; including the
initial lifetime appointment as alito, trump-barry, etc.. Abolish the
corrupt, costly, economically wasteful lifetime extravagantly appointed federal
courts (see RICO case http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ) End those lifetime licenses to steel. ] In earlier hearings, two attorneys who once worked
with Porteous had testified that they gave him thousands of dollars in cash,
including about $2,000 stuffed in an envelope in 1999, just before Porteous
decided a major civil case in their client's favor.
Assange could face espionage trial in USA...
Palin under cyber attack...
1st Amendment issues...
Assange's 'poison pill' file impossible to stop...
WIKILEAKS: Stop Us? You'll Have to Shut Down Web...
Berkeley 'resolution' honoring leaker...
Scientologists outraged over spoof Christmas play... [ Hubbard was such a total fraud!
Scientologists are delusional! ]St. Petersburg, Florida – ‘A controversial holiday
musical production is set to open at American Stage Theatre in St. Petersburg. Photos:
Pictures of
A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant "A
Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant" is a musical play
designed for the holiday season, but this play will not focus on Jesus Christ,
but instead the story is about L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the church Of Scientology…’
NO BAIL...
Assange
'sabotaged condom' during one night stand...
Refused to wear one during another...
Stockholm police: Both women are victims...
INTERPOL WARRANT FOR NOT WEARING PROTECTION?
ASSANGE
UNDER ARREST:
'HE
DIDN'T WEAR A CONDOM'
Under
arrest, will Assange dump the Doomsday Files?
Assange:
Don't shoot messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths...
FLASHBACK:
HILLARY COMPLAINS GOVERNMENTS BLOCK FREE FLOW OF INFO ON INTERNET...
WIKILEAKS:
LIVE UPDATES...
FCC
push to regulate news draws fire...
Lieberman:
NYT may have committed crime by printing WIKILEAKS docs...
US
to Host World Press Freedom Day in 2011 … [ What a total travesty! The u.s. as
host … What a cruel joke! ] ...
OBAMA
RACES TO CUT TAXES BEFORE REPUBLICANS: 6.2% Social Security tax would drop to
4.2% for workers for one year... MORE
THE
NEW OBAMA!
SURPRISE TAX CUT
MOVE [ As with defacto bankrupt america
generally, more defacto bankrupt social security system, etc., are distinctions without significant
differences. ]
OIL
HITS $89...
Pump
prices hit 2-year high...
Schwarzenegger Declares Fiscal Emergency, Proposes $9.9 Billion In
Cuts...
Top
Democrats defect, join unified GOP...
WIKILEAKS'
Assange Will Release Encrypted Files If Arrested...
Cables
Reveal How US Manipulated Climate Accord...
Cable:
China Leaders Ordered Hacking on GOOGLE...
Meddling
by Neighbors Adds to Iraq's Woes...
Government
Workers Ordered Not to Read Cables...
Gingrich:
Leaks Show Admin 'Shallow,' 'Amateurish'...
McConnell:
Assange a 'High-Tech Terrorist'...
List of facilities 'vital to US security' leaked...
Mirror
Sites Appear by the Hundreds...
Assange
Speaks...
Hillary
Jokes...
US
forced to shake up embassies around world...
THE
DOOMSDAY FILES
PAPER:
Wave goodbye to Internet freedom...
[ I’m absolutely astounded that the world is not
profoundly grateful to Assange et als for providing insight into the
machinations and insanity of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, et
als who wreaked havoc on the world as they pillage, plunder, and destroy
(lives, nations, etc.). ]
+39,000 JOBS IN NOVEMBER...
BOEHNER: Dem Leaders Should Stop Wasting Time on Tax
Hike Votes...
HALPERIN: Dems 'In Midst of Nervous Breakdown'...
Obama Makes Surprise Trip to Afghanistan...
Flies 7,000 miles -- talks to Karzai for 15 minutes on
phone!
Forgets the Coast Guard...
Leaves Biden behind to handle 'disappointing' jobs
report...
Reid, funded by casinos, pushes online gambling...
ABCNEWS accused of breaking embargo...
2010
death toll of US troops nears that of 2001-2008 combined...
OBAMA SPEECHWRITER JOKES ABOUT TSA GROPING: Allows
'defrocked priests to give back to society'...
US
Deficit-Cutting Plan Falls Short of Needed Votes...
UNEMPLOYMENT UP TO 9.8%
HILLARY: Secretary of State will be 'my last public
position'... ... PITCHE$ $IGNED DVD ON HOME $HOPPING NETWORK..
US TO BAILOUT EU
[ Riiiiight! Sounds like a plan! After all, in defacto bankrupt america money
does grow on trees … derivatively (pun intended) that is … you know … that ever
more worthless fiat paper currency … and ultimately, existentially,
philosophically, doesn’t paper come from trees … sure it does …so, no problemo
since money grows on trees. ]
BOMBSHELL: European banks took big slice of
Fed aid...
Hundreds of billions of dollars...
Fed reveals global extent of its backing...
]Funds went to stalwarts of
American industry including GE and Caterpillar and household-name companies
such as Verizon, new data show.
GEORGIA: HUNDREDS LINE UP IN COLD FOR HEAT HELP...
Assistance Funds Quickly Depleted...
'Almost like being in soup line during great
depression'...
VIDEO...
DELAYING TAX VOTE COULD 'CRASH
STOCK MARKET' STARTING 12/15 [ Come on! There’s no way to justify
the tax cut to the top 1% including the frauds on wall street … their threats
don’t hunt no more … the nation’s defacto bankrupt … see Davis, supra! ]
Chase Bank orders branch to remove Christmas tree...
Cyber attack forces WIKILEAKS to change web address...
Respected media outlets collaborate with
organization... [ Said
outlets and other disseminators and of course Wikileaks deserve accolades for
the advancement of first amendment liberties in the name of an informed global
body politick for all.]
UPDATE: Latest developments...
Foreign contractors hired Afghan 'dancing boys'...
Embassy cables portray Karzai as corrupt, erratic...
CIA drew up UN spying wishlist...
Assange speaks...
UPDATE: Latest WIKILEAKS developments...
Foreign contractors hired Afghan 'dancing boys'...
Embassy cables portray Karzai as corrupt, erratic...
CIA drew up UN spying wishlist...
SANTA CLAUSE: FED AID WENT TO COMPANIES, BANKS,
OFFSHORE...
SECRETLY BAILED OUT GE -- GE NEWS OUTLETS FAILED TO
REVEAL IN FED COVERAGE...
SANTA CLAUSE: FORD, BMW, TOYOTA Took Secret Government
Money......
Fed Created Conflicts in Improvising Financial System
Rescue...
Tax Breaks for Bailout Recipients Spark Debate...
MORE SECRETS: Fed Withholds Data for $885 Billion in
Loans...
RUSSIA TO HOST '18 WORLD CUP FINALS...
Qatar selected '22 host over USA, others...
'AMERICAN
PSYCHO' musical in works... [ I recommend the derivative films,
American Psycho and American Psycho 2,
for insight! ]
National Board of Review: SOCIAL NETWORK named best
film... [ National board of what? ‘Inception’ is by
far and away the ‘Best Film’ across the board, in all categories, and on the
list! ] LIST...
BANK OF AMERICA Becoming 'Bank of Asia' as
Revenue Increases 30% ...
RESET: PUTIN CRITICIZES USA OVER WIKILEAKS … [ Putin
deserves the greatest deference in matters of global concern in light of his
greater rationality; america’s self-serving accusations are merely envy and
projection / displacement (in psychoanalytic terms) of america’s pervasively
corrupt, criminal, broken system which is a far cry in reality from defacto
bankrupt america’s propaganda.]...
REWARD: [ The payoff. Bribe complete! Next bribe
scenario … ] CITI to Hire Obama's Ex-Budget Chief Orszag...
FLASHBACK: Rubin and friends ride NY-DC shuttle...
ZUCKERMAN: Watching America's Decline and Fall [the moral authority of the West has
dramatically declined in the face of the financial crisis. It has revealed deep
fault lines within Western economies that have spread to the global economy. The majority of Western governments
are running fiscal deficits of 10 percent or more relative to
GDP, but it is increasingly clear that there will be no quick fixes, that big
government and fiscal deficits will not bring us back to the status quo ante.
Indeed, the tidal wave of red ink has meant that the leverage-led or
debt-led growth model is dead. Developed countries will be forced to deal with
their debt on every level, from the personal to the corporate to the sovereign.
Being able to borrow may have made people feel richer, but having to repay the
debt is certainly making them feel poorer, particularly since the unfunded
liabilities that many governments face from aging populations will have to be
paid for by a shrinking band of workers. (Ecoutez, mes amis!) Demography is destiny. As a result, there is a
burgeoning consensus that we are witnessing an inevitable rise of the East and
a decline of the West…( Harry Dent, Jr. Economy will be in a Depression by 2011
The
worst of this next depression is likely to hit between mid-2010 and mid-2013,
especially around early 2011, but if the banking system continues to implode a
deep downturn or depression could begin sometime in 2009 instead of 2010.
Dow
will Fall to 3,800 – 4,500 by 2012
Nasdaq
will Fall Below 1,100, its 2002 low, by late 2010 or mid-2012 at the latest.
Inflation
will Increase until mid- 2010 and then turn to Deflation
Interest
Rates will Increase
U.S.
Dollar will Decline
Housing
will Decline by 40 – 60% from Today’s Levels
Greatest
Economic and Banking Crisis since the 1930s will Occur Between 2010 and 2012). ) ]...
Interpol issues wanted notice for Julian
Assange [ They just can’t take the truth! ] ...
US cuts access to files [ Think about it. Really think
about it. Their policies are in the tank, along with the nation and the rest of
this world as a consequence. Don’t those so detrimentally affected (everyone)
have a right to know? I think in light of the global frauds, contrived
perpetual wars though defacto bankruptcy of this and other nations, pervasive
corruption and crime, failed policies domestically and geo-politically while
serving the very parochial interests of the self-interested few, the answer is
an unequivocal, YES! I believe that world history will write Mr. Assange as a
hero in the truest sense. He should be given a medal; and, certainly, since mr.
b*** s*** wobama undeservingly got a ‘nobel peace prize’ (what he does, not
what he says, ie., Afghanistan, etc.), who more than Julian Assange is
deserving of that and more? Cover-up / propaganda … thy name is fallen
america.]...
WIKILECTURE: 'HILLARY SHOULD
RESIGN' ‘…Hillary Clinton, Julian Assange said, "should resign."
Speaking over Skype from an undisclosed location on Tuesday, the WikiLeaks
founder was replying to a question by TIME managing editor Richard Stengel over
the diplomatic-cable dump that Assange's organization loosed on the world this
past weekend. Stengel had said the U.S. Secretary of State was looking like
"the fall guy" in the ensuing controversy, and had asked whether her
firing or resignation was an outcome that Assange wanted. "I don't think
it would make much of a difference either way," Assange said. "But
she should resign if it can be shown that she was responsible for ordering U.S.
diplomatic figures to engage in espionage in the United Nations, in violation
of the international covenants to which the U.S. has signed up. Yes, she should
resign over that."…’
CITY ON EDGE: Cash-Strapped Newark, new jersey Forced
To Lay Off 14% Of Police Force... [ From decades old
(1978-1985) direct personal experience with newark, n.j., the police are the
absolute last cuts that can be afforded to be made. Indeed, while walking
through Military Park (a sliver of a “park” - more a pedestrian
thoroughfare/cement walks) in newark, new jersey on the way to the bank during
lunch hour, I heard the clearly audible screams/cries of what turned out to be
an old lady on the ground with blood streaming from her mouth. I ran toward the
sound of the cries, the source of which I could not see because there were so
many people in and about this thoroughfare so as to block any vision of the
source of the cries. When I came to the woman, on the ground, blood streaming
from her mouth, I asked what happened, to which she responded she had been hit
in the mouth and knocked to the ground, her purse stolen/put inside her
shopping bag, and she pointed out the criminal casually now walking across the
main street. Nobody stopped to help her, many having passed her by. I slammed
the thug to the ground so hard that, in light of all the blood and confusion
(limbic system / adrenalin flow) I thought I had been stabbed (the blood was
from his elbows hitting the pavement so hard - no one helped / a crowd gathered
/ an undercover cop happened along). When I testified at the Grand Jury
Proceeding I made sure his threat on my life was set forth in prima facie
fashion so as to maximize the DA’s position with both felonies ( he went to
prison – pled out ). The other case I wrote about here ( This was included on
my website in the Psychology forum discussion of ‘bystander effect’ / diffusion
of responsibility. ) - Having had occasion to have run down a mugger in newark,
n.j. who apparently had followed a girl from the bank on her way to the bursar
to pay tuition, though in pretty good shape, I was astounded by how totally
exhausting such a pursuit was, how much like rubber my arms were when I traded
punches with the perpetrator, and truth be told, if I had a flashlight on my
belt, I have little doubt that I would have probably used it to subdue the
perp. The girl was not that seriously injured, did get her pocketbook and
tuition back, and the criminal went to jail. The other thing about such a
pursuit that amazed me was that no one else assisted the girl or me despite
being in a position to do so). (Other newark / new jersey and new york, n.y.
metro, viz., ie., connecticut, and of course, d.c., d.c. metro, viz., ie.,
virginia experience … corrupt federal judges as maryanne trump barry, sam
alito, shiff, matz (california), hall, underhill, dorsey, etc.. Defacto
bankrupt america’s so-called system is pervasively corrupt and broken (AP) Abolish the corrupt, costly, economically
wasteful lifetime extravagantly appointed federal courts - see RICO case http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ) ]
Nation's '2nd Most Dangerous City' (camden, new
jersey) To Lay Off Nearly Half Of Police Force...
Chicagoland: Vandals torch Christmas charity van...
Businessman
gets harsh prison term (Washington Post) [ Come on! Quality of justice
concerns by pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america (I’ve seen this
first hand and have sworn under penalty of perjury to the readily discernible
corruption in the ‘so-called judicial process’ / american illegal system; and
Orwellian britain / european illegal systems little better as toadies to the
criminal americans)? Don’t make me laugh? The u.s. illegal system is a cruel
joke! What parallel universe / fantasy land are they living in? ] A Moscow judge's decision to impose the
harshest possible penalty on Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky signaled
that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin intends to keep a firm grip on power and is
unwilling to bend to American and European concerns about the quality of
Russian justice.
October 15, 2010 (*see infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no,
there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that
prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
----------
*The foregoing and as
indicated therein was previously send 9-14-10 but delivery confirmation was
flawed as set forth below and my inquiries to the u.s. postal service rebuffed
(I believe tampered with inasmuch as your office could not locate same). This
cover letter (9-13-10) is on the 3 disks with navigable hyperlinks to the
subject files for ease of reference, including the files in the RICO action as
indicated. (10-15-10) I spoke with Rose, FBI, ADIC Secretary, who indicates
once again that your office has not received the aforesaid and which can
reasonably be presumed to have been tampered with, and hence, a violation of
the federal statute concerning same. ]
-----
Former
president convicted of rape (Washington Post) [ Between the orgies, war crimes, assassinations, etc., what a
bunch of sick perverts, criminals the israeli operatives / powers that be and
their friends are; see, ie., Victor Ostrovsky Mossad
ebook download in PDF format September: Victor Ostrovsky, a former Mossad
trainee, publishes his book By Way of Deception ... Israel's Mossad has regularly
faked Australian passports for its. spies,
… 1 http://khup.com/keyword/victor-ostrovsky-mossad-by-way-of-deception.html 2 http://khup.com/keyword/page-2/victor-ostrovsky-mossad-by-way-of-deception.html 3 http://khup.com/keyword/page-3/victor-ostrovsky-mossad-by-way-of-deception.html ]
An Israeli court finds former president Moshe Katsav guilty of rape,
indecent assault and sexual harassment of female subordinates, the most serious
conviction of a former top official in Israel's history
Economic
forecasters see growth in 2011 (Washington Post) [ Growth indeed … in the deficits that is …
and in insurmountable fashion at that … which masks / obfuscates in the
short-term the weakness and structural shift in the worst economic terms
imaginable while benefiting the self-interested few (ie., frauds on wall
street, war profiteers, the ‘already campaigning for the next election’ pols,
etc.. The trade-off is far from commensurate.
The Economic Collapse
Dec 17, 2010
The financial
collapse that so many of us have been anticipating is seemingly closer then
ever. Over the past several weeks, there have been a host of ominous
signs for the U.S. economy. Yields on U.S. Treasuries have moved up
rapidly and Moody’s is publicly warning that it may have to cut the rating on
U.S. government debt soon. Mortgage rates are also moving up
aggressively. The euro and the U.S. dollar both look incredibly
shaky. Jobs continue to be shipped out of the United States at a
blistering pace as our politicians stand by and do nothing. Confidence in
U.S. government debt around the globe continues to decline. State and
local governments that are drowning in debt across the United States are
savagely cutting back on even essential social services and are coming up with
increasingly “creative” ways of getting more money out of all of us.
Meanwhile, tremor after tremor continues to strike the world financial
system. So does this mean that we have almost reached a tipping
point? Is the world on the verge of a major financial collapse?
Let’s hope
not, but with each passing week the financial news just seems to get eve
worse. Not only is U.S. government debt spinning wildly toward a breaking
point, but many U.S. states (such as California) are in such horrific financial
condition that they are beginning to resemble banana republics.
But it is not
just the United States that is in trouble. Nightmarish debt problems in
Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and several other European
nations threaten to crash the euro at any time. In fact, many economists
are now openly debating which will collapse first – the euro or the U.S.
dollar.
Sadly, this is
the inevitable result of constructing a global financial system on debt.
All debt bubbles eventually collapse. Currently we are living in the
biggest debt bubble in the history of the world, and when this one bursts it is
going to be a disaster of truly historic proportions.
So will we
reach a tipping point soon? Well, the following are 25 signs that the
financial collapse is rapidly getting closer….
#1 The official U.S. unemployment rate has not been
beneath 9 percent since
April 2009.
#2 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are
currently 6.3
million vacant homes in the United States that are either for sale or for
rent.
#3 It is being projected that the U.S. trade deficit
with China could hit 270 billion dollars
for the entire year of 2010.
#4 Back in 2000, 7.2 percent of blue collar workers
were either unemployed or underemployed. Today that figure is up
to 19.5 percent.
#5 The Chinese government has accumulated approximately
$2.65 trillion in
total foreign exchange reserves. They have drained this wealth from the
economies of other nations (such as the United States) and instead of
reinvesting all of it they are just sitting on much of it. This is
creating tremendous imbalances in the global economy.
#6 Since the year 2000, we have lost 10% of our middle class jobs. In the
year 2000 there were approximately 72 million middle class jobs in the United
States but today there are only about 65 million middle class jobs.
#7 The United States now employs about the same number
of people in manufacturing as
it did back in 1940. Considering the fact that we had 132 million
people living in this country in 1940 and that we have well over 300 million
people living in this country today, that is a very sobering statistic.
#8 According to CoreLogic, U.S. housing prices have now
declined for
three months in a row.
#9 The average rate on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage soared
11 basis points just this past week. As mortgage rates continue to
push higher it is going to make it even more difficult for American families to
afford homes.
#10 22.5 percent of all residential mortgages in the
United States were in negative equity as of the end of the third quarter
of 2010.
#11 The U.S. monetary base has
more than doubled since the beginning of the most recent recession.
#12 U.S. Treasury yields have been rising steadily
during the 4th quarter of 2010 and
recently hit a six-month high.
#13 Incoming governor Jerry Brown is scrambling to find
$29 billion more to cut from the California state budget. The
following quote from Brown about the desperate condition of California
state finances is not going to do much to inspire confidence in California’s
financial situation around the globe….
“We’ve been living in fantasy land. It is much worse
than I thought. I’m shocked.”
#14
24.3
percent of the residents of El Centro, California are currently unemployed.
#15
The average home in Merced, California has declined in value by
63 percent over the past four years.
#16
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has come up with a new way to save money. He
wants to cut 20
percent of Detroit off from essential social services such as road repairs,
police patrols, functioning street lights and garbage collection.
#17
The second most dangerous city in the United States – Camden, New Jersey – is
about to lay off about
half its police in a desperate attempt to save money.
#18
In 2010, 55
percent of Americans between the ages of 60 and 64 were in the labor
market. Ten years ago, that number was just 47 percent. More older
Americans than ever find that they have to keep working just to survive.
#19
Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of the world’s high-tech export
market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years later, the United States had
less than 15 percent and China’s share had soared to 20 percent.
#20
The U.S. government budget deficit increased to a whopping $150.4 billion last
month, which represented the biggest November budget deficit on record.
#21
The U.S. government is somehow going to have to roll over existing debt and
finance new debt that
is equivalent to 27.8 percent of GDP in 2011.
#22
The United States had been the leading consumer of energy on the globe for
about 100 years, but this past summer China took over the number one spot.
#23
According to an absolutely stunning new poll, 40 percent of all U.S. doctors plan to bail out of the
profession over the next three years.
#24
As 2007 began, there were just over 1 million Americans that had been
unemployed for half a year or longer. Today, there are over
6 million Americans that have been unemployed for half a year or longer.
#25
All over the United States, local governments have begun instituting “police
response fees”. For example, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come up
with a plan under which a
fee of $365 would be charged if police are called to respond to an automobile
accident where no injuries are involved. If there are injuries as a
result of the crash that is going to cost extra.
Timid
Tuesday: Is it Safe? Davis
‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are
simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of
global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form
of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh)
is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut
$100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while
continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1%
each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool
all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT
THERE! ‘
5
More Themes for 2011 Suttmeir ‘5 themes for 2011 (6 more are on their way):
Tracking the US Capital Markets – US stocks are overvalued fundamentally and overbought
technically on both daily and weekly charts. The snow storm causes stocks
to drift lower and higher.
Here are my remaining themes for 2011 – Six through
Eleven (a
continuation of 1-5)
6.
QE2, the $600 billion program where the Federal Reserve buys long dated US
Treasury Securities has been a failure so far. The yield on the 10-Year was 2.334 when Fed Chief
Bernanke touted QE2 in October only to see the yield nearly 125 basis points
higher in December. The primary intent of QE2 was to lower longer-dated US
Treasury yields. Yields held this week’s value level at 3.494 again on
Wednesday. There is risk to 3.75 to 4.25 in 2011, but with or without this
weakness, the 10-Year yield will decline to 2.75 to 2.50 during 2011.
7.
Comex Gold has gone parabolic, and therefore you cannot predict how high gold
prices can climb. I do know that
corrections will be fierce and painful for those that buy strength instead of
weakness. The 2011 neutral zone is between $1350 and $1450.
8.
Nymex Crude Oil is headed back above $100 per barrel according to most experts.
I cannot rule that out for 2011, but
the downside is more significant given weekly closes below the $87 per barrel
area. If gasoline stays above $3.00 per gallon demand on Main Street will slow
down and will be a drag on economic growth and job creation.
9.
Problems among the PIIGS nations denominated in euros will trump problems at
the state level in the USA. This
will keep the euro versus the dollar in a trading range. We will begin
2011 with a quarterly pivot around 1.3150.
10.
US stocks show strong technical characteristics. The S&P 500 is above the 61.8% Fibonacci
Retracement of the decline from October 2007 to the low of March 2009 at
1228.74. Dow Theory had a Buy Signal in early November and another confirmation
in December. The Dow Industrial Average – I project downside to 9,375 in
the first half with a rebound to 11,500 in the second half. Strength above
11,500 will return to 11,500, and the 2011 close will be at or below 11,500.
11.ValuEngine.com
indicates that equity fundamental are not cheap. Fifteen of sixteen sectors will begin 2011 overvalued
according to ValuEngine. The normal range for the percent undervalued or
overvalued stocks is 35% to 65%. We will begin 2011 close to the low end of the
range for undervalued stocks and towards the high end for overvalued stocks. Because
of the battle between the technicals and fundamentals, stocks will be
reversal-oriented in 2011 and be little changed year over year.
Tracking
the US Capital Markets – US stocks
are overvalued fundamentally and overbought technically on both daily and
weekly charts.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate
any positions within the next 72 hours.’
Struggling to the Finish Line: Dave's Daily ‘Most
economic news today (Jobless Claims, Chicago PMI and Home Sales) was, ahem,
"better than expected"; still, that didn't spark any determined
buying. Maybe without any POMO Thursday trading desks were running on empty.
2010 was an interesting year with lots of erratic behavior but a Fed
"stick save" in the end. Flash Crashes, elections, tax issues,
spending, unemployment, POMO and home prices were all center stage. Now you're
probably expecting some sort of forecast from your humble pundit, but alas, all
I can offer are three basic tenets to follow:
"The
best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew."
-- Robert
Burns
Or, if you
prefer: "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry"
-- John
Steinbeck
"If
you must forecast, forecast often."
--Economist
Edgar Fiedler (ETF Digest Sacred Cow IX)
"Things
change"
-- ETF Digest
Sacred Cow X
You were
expecting Dow 20,000?!?
Volume
Thursday did improve a tad and breadth was flat… ‘
Baby
Boomers Start To Turn 65: 16 Statistics About The Coming Retirement Crisis That
Will Drop Your Jaw The American Dream | The moment when
the first Baby Boomers reach retirement age has arrived. ‘ … The following are
16 statistics about the coming retirement crisis that will drop your jaw…..
#1 Beginning January 1st, 2011 every single day more
than 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65. That is going to keep
happening every single day for the next 19 years.
#2 According to one recent survey, 36 percent of
Americans say that they don’t
contribute anything at all to retirement savings.
#3 Most Baby Boomers do not have a traditional pension
plan because they have been going out of style over the past 30 years.
Just consider the following quote from Time
Magazine: The traditional pension plan is disappearing. In 1980, some
39 percent of private-sector workers had a pension that guaranteed a steady
payout during retirement. Today that number stands closer to 15 percent,
according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington, D.C.
#4 Over 30 percent of U.S. investors currently in their
sixties have more than 80
percent of their 401k invested in equities. So what happens if the
stock market crashes again?
#5 35%
of Americans already over the age of 65 rely almost entirely on
Social Security payments alone.
#6 According to another recent survey, 24%
of U.S. workers admit that they
have postponed their planned retirement age at least
once during the past year.
#7 Approximately
3 out of 4 Americans start claiming Social Security benefits the moment
they are eligible at age 62. Most are doing this out of necessity.
However, by claiming Social Security early they get locked in at a much lower
amount than if they would have waited.
#8 Pension consultant Girard Miller recently told
California’s Little Hoover Commission that state and local government bodies in
the state of California have $325
billion in combined unfunded pension liabilities. When you break that
down, it comes to $22,000 for every single working adult in California.
#9 According to a recent report from Stanford
University, California’s three biggest pension funds are as much as $500
billion short of meeting future retiree benefit obligations.
#10
It has been reported that the $33.7 billion Illinois Teachers
Retirement System is
61% underfunded and is on the verge of complete collapse.
#11 Robert Novy-Marx of the University of Chicago and Joshua
D. Rauh of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management recently calculated the
combined pension liability for all 50 U.S. states. What they found
was that the 50 states are collectively facing $5.17 trillion in
pension obligations, but they only have $1.94 trillion set aside in
state pension funds. That is a difference of 3.2
trillion dollars. So where in the world is all of that extra money
going to come from? Most of the states are already completely broke and
on the verge of bankruptcy.
#12
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Social Security system will pay
out more in benefits than it receives in payroll taxes in 2010. That
was not supposed to happen until at least 2016. Sadly, in the years
ahead these “Social Security deficits” are scheduled to become absolutely horrific
as hordes of Baby Boomers start to retire.
#13
In 1950, each retiree’s Social Security benefit was paid for by 16
U.S. workers. In 2010, each retiree’s Social Security benefit
is paid for by approximately 3.3 U.S. workers. By 2025, it is
projected that
there will be approximately two U.S. workers for each retiree. How in
the world can the system possibly continue to function properly with numbers
like that?
#14
According to a
recent U.S. government report, soaring interest costs on
the U.S. national debt plus rapidly escalating spending on
entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare will absorb
approximately 92 cents of every single dollar of federal revenue by the
year 2019. That is before a single dollar is spent on anything
else.
#15
After analyzing Congressional Budget Office data, Boston University economics
professor Laurence J. Kotlikoff concluded that the U.S. government is facing a “fiscal
gap” of $202 trillion dollars. A big chunk of that is made up of
future obligations to Social Security and Medicare recipients.
#16
According to a recent AARP survey of Baby Boomers, 40
percent of them plan to work “until they drop”.
Companies all over America have been dropping their
pension plans in anticipation of the time when the Baby Boomers would
retire. 401k programs were supposed to be part of the answer, but if the
stock market crashes again, it is absolutely going to devastate the Baby
Boomers.
State and local governments are scrambling to find
ways to pay out all the benefits that they have been promising. Many
state and local governments will be forced into some very hard choices by the
hordes of Baby Boomers that will now be retiring.
Of course whenever a big financial crisis comes along
these days everyone looks to the federal government to fix the problem.
But the truth is that after fixing crisis after crisis the federal government
is flat broke …’
Constitution's
new starring role in House (Washington Post) [ Riiiiight!…Whew! That was a close one…we can all
rest easy now…and to think we were thinkin’ they were goin’ in the wrong
direction and sinkin’…for those skeptics who hail this as yet another desperate
and redundant gimmick … have no fear, the new congress is here. ]
‘…They will read the Constitution aloud…’
Roubini:
‘Housing Prices Can Only Move Down’ According to economist Nouriel Roubini,
the housing market is in a double dip. And negative Case-Shiller Home Price
numbers out today only confirm that unpleasant truth.
Housing
market forecast (Washington Post) Expert says
"house prices probably have another 20% to fall." And that may be a
"conservative estimate.’
The 10 Most Important Tax Tips Of 2010 Posted by Investopedia
It’s the end of the year, and while holiday baking may be top of mind, that
niggling little task of getting the year-end tax tasks done is still there,
bothering you over the scent of the fruitcake in the oven. The
following tips will give you some specifics so you can take care of taxes,
and then get back to your fun holiday activities.
IN
PICTURES: Top 10
Solutions For A Big Tax Bill
IN PICTURES: 6
Tax Credits That Anyone Can Claim
The Bottom Line
With taxes, you don’t know until you ask. You may be able to save much more
than you think you can just by making a few simple changes, or by paying for
expenses in December instead of January, February or March. It’s a little bit
of forethought that can make the tax bill much more bearable.
For the latest financial news, see Water
Cooler Finance: FBI Insider-Trading Bust.’
Army
edits its history of deadly battle of Wanat (Washington
Post) [ Come on! Does anyone really think they ever get a true story from the
u.s. gov’t et als about anything at all?
] Draft put majority of blame on top commanders, but final version's
focuses on lower-level leaders sparks anger among families of those killed.
A subtler tack to fight Afghan corruption?
(Washington Post) [ How
about a not so subtler tack to fight corruption starting right here in the u.s.
of a. where corruption and crime are pervasive and in fact, at the root of the
Afghanistan problems, from american reinvigorated heroin trade to bribery
attendant thereto to killing civilians, etc..
Defacto
Bankrupt, Meaningfully Lawless, War Criminal Nation america, the leader of
nations … in crime:
Though having but 5% of the world’s population, america can
boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, followed by Europe with England/UK
then Germany leading the way for the eu [excerpt, 6 minute video, Serial
Killers: Real Life Hannibal Lechters http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg (as is consistent with crime generally,
see infra)]. Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on offensive
(defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the nations of
the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern
emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed employees,
cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in this evolved
american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
… ]
Wall
Street Is Laundering Drug Money And Getting Away With It Zach Carter,
… etc. … Drudgereport: CLASSIFIED
NO MORE: USA RACES TO LIMIT WIKILEAKS DAMAGE
[Publishing the Wikileaks is the right thing to do; after all, one
cannot possibly look to even one rationally correct strategy, domestically,
globally, geopolitically that would justify continued hiding/cover-up of the
failed strategies, their genesis, flawed rationale, etc., which has cost this
nation and the world dearly] ...
WIKILEAKS:
We've been hit with 'mass distributed denial of service attack'...
MOST
EMBARRASSING, DAMAGING DISCLOSURE IN DECADES...
SENATORS:
PROSECUTE THE LEAKERS!
NYT
EXPLAINS: THE DECISION TO PUBLISH … [The NYT clearly did the right thing to
publish; after all, one cannot possibly look to even one rationally correct
strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically that would justify continued
hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their genesis, flawed rationale,
etc., which has cost this nation and the world dearly]...
SKorea
says sound of artillery heard on island...
US,
SKorea start major naval drills...
China
issues warning...
DHS
SEIZES DOMAIN NAMES...
EU
Debt Crisis Escalates...
6
American soldiers killed in Afghanistan...
Next Debt
Crisis 'May Start in Washington'...
WIKILEAKS
TURNS ON OBAMA! … [ Like who hasn’t, and for good reason! Publishing
the Wikileaks is the right thing to do; after all, one cannot possibly look to
even one rationally correct strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically
that would justify continued hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their
genesis, flawed rationale, etc., which has cost this nation and the world
dearly] ]
] Authorities are
investigating whether Julian Assange violated criminal laws, including possible
charges under the Espionage Act, sources say. Afghanistan: Gates: Progress has
'exceeded my expectations' (Post, December 8, 2010; 5:53 PM)
U.S. hurting peace chances by giving up on israeli
settlement freeze, analysts say (Post,
December 8, 2010; 11:00 PM)
In South Korea, Joint Chiefs chairman scolds
China for its 'tacit approval' of North's aggression (Post,
December 8, 2010; 11:01 PM)
Iran talks end with little sign of progress
(Post, December 8, 2010; 1:04 AM)
Rice, on 'The View,' defends Obama on
WikiLeaks (Post, December 8, 2010; 1:00 AM) (Washington Post) [ The problems in all these regions
are inextricably tied to the nation with insurmountable problems of its own and
own making. That nation quite obviously
is pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless, defacto bankrupt america (along
with such comparable enablers / allies as zionist israel, nato, etc.. How can
anyone believe anything they say, least of all gates who hails from
C(ottage)I(ndustries of)A(merica) based on lies, chaos, and conflict.]
Army
edits its history of deadly battle of Wanat (Washington
Post) [ Come on! Does anyone really think they ever get a true story from the
u.s. gov’t et als about anything at all?
] Draft put majority of blame on top commanders, but final version's
focuses on lower-level leaders sparks anger among families of those killed.
A subtler tack to fight Afghan corruption?
(Washington Post) [ How
about a not so subtler tack to fight corruption starting right here in the u.s.
of a. where corruption and crime are pervasive and in fact, at the root of the
Afghanistan problems, from american reinvigorated heroin trade to bribery
attendant thereto to killing civilians, etc..
Defacto
Bankrupt, Meaningfully Lawless, War Criminal Nation america, the leader of
nations … in crime:
Though having but 5% of the world’s population, america can
boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, followed by Europe with England/UK
then Germany leading the way for the eu [excerpt, 6 minute video, Serial
Killers: Real Life Hannibal Lechters http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg (as is consistent with crime generally,
see infra)]. Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on offensive
(defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the nations of
the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern
emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
… ]
Wall
Street Is Laundering Drug Money And Getting Away With It Zach
Carter, … etc. … Drudgereport:
CLASSIFIED NO MORE: USA RACES
TO LIMIT WIKILEAKS DAMAGE [Publishing
the Wikileaks is the right thing to do; after all, one cannot possibly look to
even one rationally correct strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically
that would justify continued hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their
genesis, flawed rationale, etc., which has cost this nation and the world
dearly] ...
WIKILEAKS: We've been hit
with 'mass distributed denial of service attack'...
MOST EMBARRASSING, DAMAGING
DISCLOSURE IN DECADES...
SENATORS: PROSECUTE THE
LEAKERS!
NYT EXPLAINS: THE DECISION TO
PUBLISH … [The NYT clearly did the right thing to publish; after all, one
cannot possibly look to even one rationally correct strategy, domestically,
globally, geopolitically that would justify continued hiding/cover-up of the
failed strategies, their genesis, flawed rationale, etc., which has cost this
nation and the world dearly]...
SKorea says sound of
artillery heard on island...
US, SKorea start major naval
drills...
China issues warning...
DHS SEIZES DOMAIN NAMES...
EU Debt Crisis Escalates...
6 American soldiers killed in
Afghanistan...
Next Debt Crisis 'May Start in Washington'...
WIKILEAKS TURNS ON OBAMA!
… [ Like who hasn’t, and for good reason! Publishing the Wikileaks is the right
thing to do; after all, one cannot possibly look to even one rationally correct
strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically that would justify continued
hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their genesis, flawed rationale,
etc., which has cost this nation and the world dearly] ]
] Authorities are investigating
whether Julian Assange violated criminal laws, including possible charges under
the Espionage Act, sources say. Afghanistan: Gates: Progress has
'exceeded my expectations' (Post, December 8, 2010; 5:53 PM)
U.S. hurting peace chances by giving up on
israeli settlement freeze, analysts say (Post,
December 8, 2010; 11:00 PM)
In South Korea, Joint Chiefs chairman scolds
China for its 'tacit approval' of North's aggression (Post,
December 8, 2010; 11:01 PM)
Iran talks end with little sign of progress
(Post, December 8, 2010; 1:04 AM)
Rice, on 'The View,' defends Obama on
WikiLeaks (Post, December 8, 2010; 1:00 AM) (Washington Post) [ The problems in all these regions
are inextricably tied to the nation with insurmountable problems of its own and
own making. That nation quite obviously
is pervasively corrupt, meaningfully lawless, defacto bankrupt america (along
with such comparable enablers / allies as zionist israel, nato, etc.. How can
anyone believe anything they say, least of all gates who hails from C(ottage)I(ndustries
of)A(merica) based on lies, chaos, and conflict.]
5
Economic Themes for 2011 Suttmeier
‘5 themes for 2011 (6 more are on their way):
Tracking the US Capital Markets – US stocks are overvalued fundamentally and overbought
technically on both daily and weekly charts. The snow storm causes stocks
to drift lower and higher.
The Yield on the 10-Year Note (3.345) – Tested this week’s value level at 3.494 with today’s
risky level at 3.306.
Comex Gold ($1384.2) – The 50-day at $1372.1 held at the low on Monday with
this week’s risky level at $1401.2.
Nymex Crude Oil ($90.79) – Reached a new high for the year at $91.88, shy of
this week’s risky level at $93.28. Support is the 21-day simple moving average
at $88.24.
The Euro (1.3163) – My weekly value level is 1.2906 with 200-day simple
moving average at 1.3087 and quarterly pivot at 1.3318, which goes away at the
end of the year.
The Dow Industrial Average (11,555) – Remains extremely overbought on both daily and weekly
charts. The 21-day simple moving average is 11,384 with a daily pivot at 11,569
and this week’s risky level at 11,629.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate
any positions within the next 72 hours.
Market
Crash on 12/31/10? Technical indicators suggest market collapse may
begin by December 31st Why
Stocks Could Collapse...Beginning as Soon as December 31, 2010!
The Fed has propped up the equity markets for
months ... but that could soon come to a
disastrous end! Dennis Slothower is one of the world’s leading technical analysts.
He’s one of the few advisors whose readers completely avoided ALL losses during
the disaster that was 2008. And now he’s issuing another dire warning. His
technical indicators suggest that the market manipulation we’ve seen over the
last several months is about to come to an end…and that means thousands of
investors are about to get clobbered. This correction could begin as soon
as December 31st– so it’s important that you
take action now to prepare yourself. Click on the link below for immediate
access to Dennis Slothower’s latest report, which will explain – in plain
English – just how Dennis saw the collapse of 2008 coming…and how he’ll help
you avoid disaster in the weeks ahead.
http://www.stealthstocksonline.com/reports/FreeReport4StealthStocks.pdf
What's
Coming in 2011? More Gloom, But Not Necessarily Doom Krasting ‘Oh boy, is 2011
going to be an exciting year! Some things that I think might happen:
Have a great year!’
Toasting
the bad economy (Washington Post) [
As indeed the Russians should since they have much to celebrate. Russian
tiger team hails success yahoo
Moscow's
unprecedented military deal (Washington Post) ( France should be praised
inasmuch as a strong Russia, and conversely, a weak perpetual war, war
mongering, war crimes, pervasively corrupt nation, america is optimal for world
peace! ) Russia
is last in series of major powers to seal valuable deals with India (Washington Post) ( Bravo for India … a deal with
Russia is a deal with a future! ) ] Their country still endures the sting of
economic crisis, but Russians plan to drink up this holiday season. Applebaum: The
'decline of the West' (Washington Post) [ It really is true … and, no
leftist sympathizer with his book of the same name, none other than Buchanan
says as much. The reason of course is based on reality. From Orwellian Britain,
to failed nation-state the pervasively corrupt and defacto bankrupt
wobama-bushland america, to perpetual war ‘me-toos’ (ie., nato allies, war
crimes nations israel, u.s., etc.), their frauds (wall street, etc.) protected,
laws meaningless(see RICO
case http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ) , their ruthless suppression subtle, hidden,
but odious as never before in their respective histories, the west at best has
become that ‘distinction without significant difference’ and heading to worse
than can be imagined. Of course they’ll lay blame to something other than the
huge frauds / wealth transfers that have plundered the nation. Indeed, one
could even cogently argue that said plundering gave rise to the flawed, failed
communism lie in the first instance. Yet, Russia, a great nation with a rich
history is not a communist nation, did not violently suppress the people as
they shirked that communist yoke / albatross, is not as defacto bankrupt,
meaningfully lawless, pervasively corrupt america engaging in perpetual wars of
destruction to persons and property, and with a great leader of historical
dimension in Putin is a far more rational choice than the bankrupt west on all
levels. As for communist china, it has
truly been a self-defeating, self-destructive creation of the west out of greed
which is in no short supply in the west.
PREVIOUS:
Wikileaks
founder freed on bail (Washington
Post) [ ‘… Moore (correctly) asserts
that Assange
is under attack solely because he had the courage to expose American war
crimes. Moore writes:
We
were taken to war in Iraq on a lie. Hundreds of thousands are now dead. Just
imagine if the men who planned this war crime back in 2002 had had a WikiLeaks
to deal with. They might not have been able to pull it off. The only reason
they thought they could get away with it was because they had a guaranteed
cloak of secrecy....
So
why is WikiLeaks, after performing such an important public service, under such
vicious attack? Because they have outed and embarrassed those who have covered
up the truth…’
CLINTON BODY COUNT
By: Ether Zone
Staff
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
CLINTON BODY COUNT
By: Ether Zone
Staff
Here is the latest body
count that we have. All of these people have been connected with the Clintons
in some form or another. We have not included any deaths that could not be
verified or connected to the Clinton scandals. All deaths are listed
chronologically by date. This list is current and accurate to the best of our
knowledge as of January 13, 1999 August 1, 2000. (see complete list http://albertpeia.com/bodycount.htm )
Susan Coleman: Rumors were circulating in Arkansas of an affair
with Bill Clinton. She was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head at 7 1/2
months pregnant. Death was an apparent suicide.
Kevin Ives & Don Henry: Initial cause of death was reported to be the result
of falling asleep on a railroad track in Arkansas on August 23, 1987. This
ruling was reported by the State medical examiner Fahmy Malak. Later it was
determined that Kevin died from a crushed skull prior to being placed on the
tracks. Don had been stabbed in the back. Rumors indicate that they might have
stumbled upon a Mena drug operation.
Paul Olson: A Federal witness in investigations to drug money
corruption in Chicago politics, Paul had just finished 2 days of FBI interviews
when his plane ride home crashed, killing Paul and 130 others on Sept 8 1994.
The Sept. 15, 1994 Tempe Tribune newspaper reported that the FBI suspected that
a bomb had brought down the airplane.
Calvin Walraven: 24 year on Walraven was a key witness against Jocelyn
Elder's son's drug case. Walraven was found dead in his apartment with a gunshot
wound to the head. Tim Hover, a Little Rock police spokesman says no foul play
is suspected.
Alan G. Whicher: Oversaw Clinton's Secret Service detail. In October 1994
Whicher was transferred to the Secret Service field office in the Murrah
Building in Oklahoma City. Whatever warning was given to the BATF agents in
that building did not reach Alan Whicher, who died in the bomb blast of April
19th 1995.
Ron Brown:. The Commerce Secretary died on April 3, 1996, in an
Air Force jet carrying Brown and 34 others, including 14 business executives on
a trade mission to Croatia, crashed into a mountainside. The Air Force, in a
22-volume report issued in June of 1996, confirmed its initial judgment that
the crash resulted from pilot errors and faulty navigation equipment At the
time of Brown's death, Independent Counsel Daniel Pearson was seeking to
determine whether Brown had engaged in several sham financial transactions with
longtime business partner Nolanda Hill shortly before he became secretary of
commerce.
Charles Meissner: died: UNK - Following Ron Brown's death, John Huang was
placed on a Commerce Department contract that allowed him to retain his
security clearance by Charles Meissner. Shortly thereafter, Meissner died in
the crash of a small plane. He was an Assistant Secretary of Commerce
for International Economic Policy.
Barbara Wise: Wise a 14-year Commerce Department employee found dead and
partially naked in her office following a long weekend. She worked in the same
section as John Huang. Officially, she is said to have died of natural causes.
Mary C. Mahoney: 25, murdered at the Georgetown Starbuck's coffee bar over
the 4th of July '97 weekend. She was a former White House intern who worked
with John Huang. Apparently she knew Monica Lewinsky and her sexual encounters
with Bill Clinton. Although not verified, it has been said that Lewinsky told
Linda Tripp that she did not want to end up like Mahoney.
---------------------------------------------------------
] Gerson: He could have
taken quiet credit for the bipartisan tax deal; he chose otherwise. ]
10 Good Reasons To Be Worried About The Stock Market In
2011 , On Sunday December 26, 2010,
‘This is one of David Rosenberg's best pieces in awhile. In his latest daily
note, the Gluskin-Sheff economist
presents 10 reasons bulls should be worried about the stock market in 2011. And
it's not just that there are all kinds of negative headlines that are being
ignored, or that some economic datapoints aren't so hot, or that there is still
deflation. He makes a great argument that many factors, like the level of
bullishness, the relative valuation of stocks to bonds, and the unanimity in
thinking are worrisome. If anything, the list isn't taking into account
everything we see right now.
7.
BREADTH IS
DETERIORATING "As Bob Farrell is
clearly indicating in his work, momentum and market breadth have been
lacking. The number of stocks in the S&P 500 that are making
52-week highs is declining even though the index continues to make new 52-week
highs. "Source: Gluskin-Sheff
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-reasons-to-be-worried-about-the-stock-market-in-2011-2010-12#breadth-is-deteriorating-7#ixzz19G1KZX2Q
8.
VALUATIONS ARE
GETTING RICH "Stocks are overvalued at the present levels. For
December, the Shiller P/E ratio says stocks are now trading at a whopping 22.7
times earnings! In normal economic periods, the Shiller P/E is between 14
and 16 times earnings. Coming out of the bursting of a credit bubble, the
P/E ratio historically is 12. Coming out of a credit bubble of the
magnitude we just had, the P/E should be at single digits." Source: Gluskin-Sheff Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-reasons-to-be-worried-about-the-stock-market-in-2011-2010-12#valuations-are-getting-rich-8#ixzz19G23tGaQ
9.
HOUSING
IS STILL A HUGE THREAT "The potential for a significant down-leg in home
prices is being underestimated. The unsold existing inventory is still
80% above the historical norm, at 3.7 million. And that does not include
the ‘shadow’ foreclosed inventory. According to some superb research
conducted by the Dallas Fed, completing the mean-reversion process would entail
a further 23% decline in real home prices from here. In a near zero
percent inflation environment, that is one massive decline in nominal
terms. Prices may not hit their ultimate bottom until some point in 2015.
"Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-reasons-to-be-worried-about-the-stock-market-in-2011-2010-12#housing-is-still-a-huge-threat-9#ixzz19G2O6qNU
10. FISCAL STRAINS POSE A MAJOR THREAT "Arguably the most
understated, yet significant, issue facing both U.S. economy and U.S. markets
is the escalating fiscal strains at the state and local government levels,
particularly those jurisdictions with uncomfortably high pension
liabilities. Have a look at Alabama town shows the cost of neglecting a
pension fund on the front page of the NYT as well as Chapter 9 weighed in
pension woes on page C1 on WSJ." In the absence of Chapter 9
declarations or dramatic federal aid, fixing the fiscal problems at lower
levels of government is very likely going to require some radical restraint,
perhaps even breaking up existing contracts for current retirees and tapping
tax payers for additional revenues. The story has some how become lost in
all the excitement over the New Tax Deal cobbled together between the White
House and the lame duck Congress just a few weeks ago." Source: Gluskin-Sheff
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-reasons-to-be-worried-about-the-stock-market-in-2011-2010-12#fiscal-strains-pose-a-major-threat-10#ixzz19G2gqTZP
THE
STOCK MARKET IS A BUBBLE Corson ‘The stock market is not bubbled up, you
say? Well then, let's take a serious macro macro look at the situation and
raise the matter as a question.How is it that from about 1950 (or 1965 at
least) up to about 1985, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stayed mostly in the
range from about 250 to 1200, when America was growing and doing pretty well on
average, and then, from about 1985 to the year 2000 or so -- a mere fifteen
years -- the Dow shot up to over 10,000, when middle class America realized
almost no income gains in real terms and the economy basically cycled from one
boom and bust cycle to the next?I argue we face one of the biggest bubbles of
all time. Let me explain and lets address the problem by focusing on the DJIA.
Here is what the DJIA has done since 1965. click to enlarge images
What
we observe is the DJIA has gone up about ten fold from 1965 to the year 2000 or
so. But what has industrial production in the US done during that time frame?
Industrial
production has increased to be sure, but only by a factor of three or so. It
certainly has not increased anything like the DJIA. But there is slippage, you
say. To be sure, we now generate more services, the time series data have been
smoothed and more importantly changed, etc., etc. But these explanations simply
don't bridge the gap.
Here is another one that doesn't either.
Back in the early-to-mid 1980s macro economists noted
that the risk premium being paid on equities over bonds was far higher than was
warranted by standard measures of individuals’ attitudes towards risk. In
short, the risk premium agents were being paid more than compensated them for
the risk. This was particularly surprising since over the long run, the risk on
equities was no different than that on bonds. As a result, there appeared to be
an arbitrage opportunity by shifting one’s portfolio from bonds to stocks and
holding the equities for a long time.
Do you believe that? We simply had a financial
epiphany and corrected. More importantly, do you want to believe that or
anything except we are bubbled up?As we know, Japan had this problem with its
stock market and here is what happened. But that can't happen here you say. I
ask, why not?
Even GDP and profits have not caught up with this
market. They too have only increased three and a half fold at best.
(The data in these charts are smoothed to conceal
recessions and ease presentation.)Why is it that we don't have a serious bubble
in our stock market now? Were our valuations all wrong for years on end
earlier, or do we have it wrong now? I think we have a problem and our heads
are in the sand… http://www.seekingalpha.com/article/243573-is-the-dow-showing-a-major-stock-market-bubble?source=yahoo
’
9-13-10
Steven M. Martinez,
Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include a copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’)…
The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the
RICO Act is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble
damages and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said
claims probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and
in need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said
violations of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which
corruption is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed
concurrently with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of
the action which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in
contravention of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge,
USDC, District Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the
referenced documents as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests
of both the U.S. and the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los
Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal False Claims Act probably would apply
and I would absent resolution seek to refer the within to a firm with expertise
in that area of the law with which I am not familiar).
The
document in 5 pages under penalty of perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI
office in New Haven is probably the best and most concise summary of the
case RICO
Summary to FBI Under Penalty of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [ http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf (
http://albertpeia.com/fbiofficela91310 )
].
The correspondence I
received from Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but typical
problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the 3 disks
as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry).
The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron Barndollar and we remained in
touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly retired (our last
conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and parenthetically,
Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for the mob to which
he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did – he served 12
years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no, there is no Chinese
wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that prosecuted gotti).
In contradistinction to
the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO
VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set forth
in the case, inter alia,
There
is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor creditors, nor I
should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt and illegal
scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the meaningful rules of
law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert
L. Peia
611
E. 5th Street, #404
Los
Angeles, CA 90013
(213)
******** (cell phone)
(213)
622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with the line,
computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance greater
non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for contact).
• Audio:
Obama on terrorism tactics
A subtler tack to fight Afghan corruption?
(Washington Post) [ How
about a not so subtler tack to fight corruption starting right here in the u.s.
of a. where corruption and crime are pervasive and in fact, at the root of the
Afghanistan problems, from american reinvigorated heroin trade to bribery
attendant thereto to killing civilians, etc..
Defacto
Bankrupt, Meaningfully Lawless, War Criminal Nation america, the leader of
nations … in crime:
Though having but 5% of the world’s population, america can
boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, followed by Europe with England/UK
then Germany leading the way for the eu [excerpt, 6 minute video, Serial
Killers: Real Life Hannibal Lechters http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg (as is consistent with crime generally,
see infra)]. Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on offensive
(defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the nations of
the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern
emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1 |
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2 |
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3 |
6,507,394 |
|
… ]
]
Airstrike probe finds poor coordination
between Pakistan, U.S. (Washington Post) [ Riiiiight! That
coordination thing underlying those unfriendly-fire incidents and civilian
deaths wherever american storm troopers happen to be … Eureka! And all this
while everyone was thinking that the same was just typical americana! ]
U.S.
funds go to Taliban, warlords, report finds (Washington
Post) [ Well, defacto bankrupt america can afford it; after all, how much more
defacto bankrupt can the nation get? Well, then again, despite the headline, a
lot of those hundreds of billions are finding their way back into american
hands, albeit dirty ones, like, for example the 360 tons of hundred dollar
bills flown into Iraq and still unaccounted for, etc.. ]Military has minimal
knowledge of and virtually no control over thousands of Afghans it pays to
guard operating bases, bipartisan report finds.
Harry Dent, Jr. Economy will be in a
Depression by 2011
The worst of this next depression is likely to hit between mid-2010 and
mid-2013, especially around early 2011, but if the banking system continues to
implode a deep downturn or depression could begin sometime in 2009 instead of
2010.
Dow will Fall to 3,800 – 4,500 by 2012
Nasdaq will Fall Below 1,100, its 2002 low, by late 2010 or mid-2012 at the
latest.
Inflation will Increase until mid- 2010 and then turn to Deflation
Interest Rates will Increase
U.S. Dollar will Decline
Housing will Decline by 40 – 60% from Today’s Levels
Greatest Economic and Banking Crisis since the 1930s will Occur Between 2010
and 2012). ]
Sunnis'
walkout mars political talks in Iraq (Washington Post) [ ‘It’s … be…ginning
to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere pervasively corrupt ‘little israel’
defacto bankrupt war criminal nation america goes (to that Christmas tune) …
Nothing like creating the anti-Christian sentiment through failed policy to
keep the war machine greased with money defacto bankrupt america doesn’t really
have (and aren’t the jews / israelis by definition ‘anti-Christ and hence
anti-Christian’) ] One chaotic parliamentary session reflects challenges facing
U.S. efforts to leave behind a stable Iraq with a representative
government. Attack
on Karachi police building kills 18 (Washington Post) About six militants
open fire on a criminal investigations office in the "red zone," a
highly secured area within Pakistan's largest city that houses the provincial
minister's residence and the U.S. Consulate. [Visiting U.S. senators praise Afghan
progress, say drawdown date is unrealistic (Washington Post) [ I’ll
tell you what’s unrealistic: having compromised senators ( ie., non-war-heroe
senile mccain, closet homosexual graham, incompetent zelig zionist lieberman, new
york sinkhole slug Kirsten Gillibrand chided As 'Schumer's (zionist)
Little Girl' ) stay the course with already failed pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt american policy … Paul
Craig Roberts: Government Abandoned Vietnam POWs Kurt
Nimmo |
John McCain worked overtime to make sure Vietnam POWs never came home. I think
the even bigger story vis-à-vis mccain is: http://www.albertpeia.com/heroenot.htm
‘Did you know that that so-called "american heroe" john mccain was
referred to by his fellow pows in Vietnam as something akin to the "songbird"
inasmuch as he was constantly "singing" to his Viet-Cong captors to
curry favor and better treatment? This has been documented with authority by
Colonel David Hackworth. The same violates military code/protocol (other
soldiers have been court-martialed for far less) click Here, Here. [ http://www.albertpeia.com/hackworth.htm
] But, you see, this covered up scenario, compromizing the false facade
of far less than a heroe, is exactly what a criminal (lie of a) nation as
america loves and encourages (get everyone's hands dirty so no-one dares to
rectify same, ie., bush, sr., clinton, bush, jr.). That is, "toe the
(corrupt, propagandized) line", become a criminal, or be exposed,
prosecuted, and/or ruined; and, hasn't anyone asked how "wall street"
has been "spared the spotlight" (and even was accorded protective
legislation from their criminal culpability) and focus of inquiry, attention,
and prosecution despite being the primary beneficiaries financial and otherwise
of these scams (you know the wall street motto, "churn and earn";
huge conflicts of interest if not outright fraud)…’…Oh and they so can afford
it Deficit
panel proposes huge cuts (Washington Post) [ Cuts? I heard the corrupt, incompetent lawmakers were giving
themselves a raise. They actually deserve at least a 10% paycut and abolition
of those lifetime appointments / permanent corrupt bureaucracies. Nothing
succeeds like failure and crime in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america! ] Lawmakers propose curbs on Social Security, cuts in spending and tax
hikes if long-term goals aren't met. ]
A
united goal: Saving the tiger (Washington Post) [
Clearly the wisdom of an historically great leader for the ages,
Vladimir V. Putin should be given great deference in all matters of global
concern. Having evolved from his youthful indiscretion as a novice KGB agent, a
hand dealt to him (by a soviet communist system) more than chosen, he has
reminded the world of the greatness that was, is, and forever will be Russia’s
and His! ] The tale of
the magnificent Siberian tiger, and its unfinished fight for survival, should
be a compelling one for the 500 conservationists and world leaders arriving for
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin's tiger summit this weekend.
Where
no man has gone before (Washington Post) [ Geeh! I can almost hear that
Star Trek Theme reverberate in my head, followed by a taste of Zarathustra …
After all, this is 2010 Odd but hardly a Space Odyssey. Indeed, merely
launching rockets is a far cry from Jupiter, and as for the moon; well, they
just didn’t get that done either … though the video was … okay. Launch
of secret US space ship masks even more secret launch of new weapon
Karzai
officials on CIA payroll (Washington Post)
[Riiiiight! The roster of allies … love of america breakin’ out all over
the region … boy oh boy … talk about creating your own boondoggles … well, they
can afford it. After all, it’s only taxpayer money and america’s already
defacto bankrupt. Then again, they have the requisite licenses; viz., to kill,
to steal, to distribute illegal drugs, etc.. Whew! Glad they didn’t act without
the requisite licensure.]
WikiLeaks founder could be charged under
Espionage Act (Washington Post) [
Drudgereport: Interpol issues
wanted notice for Julian Assange [ They just can’t take the truth! ] ...
US cuts access to files [
Think about it. Really think about it. Their policies are in the tank, along
with the nation and the rest of this world as a consequence. Don’t those so
detrimentally affected (everyone) have a right to know? I think in light of the
global frauds, contrived perpetual wars though defacto bankruptcy of this and
other nations, pervasive corruption and crime, failed policies domestically and
geo-politically while serving the very parochial interests of the
self-interested few, the answer is an unequivocal, YES! I believe that world
history will write Mr. Assange as a hero in the truest sense. He should be
given a medal; and, certainly, since mr. b*** s*** wobama undeservingly got a
‘nobel peace prize’ (what he does, not what he says, ie., Afghanistan, etc.),
who more than Julian Assange is deserving of that and more? Cover-up /
propaganda … thy name is fallen america.]...
WIKILECTURE: 'HILLARY SHOULD
RESIGN' ‘…Hillary Clinton, Julian Assange said, "should resign."
Speaking over Skype from an undisclosed location on Tuesday, the WikiLeaks
founder was replying to a question by TIME managing editor Richard Stengel over
the diplomatic-cable dump that Assange's organization loosed on the world this
past weekend. Stengel had said the U.S. Secretary of State was looking like
"the fall guy" in the ensuing controversy, and had asked whether her
firing or resignation was an outcome that Assange wanted. "I don't think
it would make much of a difference either way," Assange said. "But
she should resign if it can be shown that she was responsible for ordering U.S.
diplomatic figures to engage in espionage in the United Nations, in violation
of the international covenants to which the U.S. has signed up. Yes, she should
resign over that."…’
CITY ON EDGE: Cash-Strapped
Newark, new jersey Forced To Lay Off 14% Of Police Force... [ From decades old
(1978-1985) direct personal experience with newark, n.j., the police are the
absolute last cuts that can be afforded to be made. Indeed, while walking
through Military Park (a sliver of a “park” - more a pedestrian
thoroughfare/cement walks) in newark, new jersey on the way to the bank during
lunch hour, I heard the clearly audible screams/cries of what turned out to be
an old lady on the ground with blood streaming from her mouth. I ran toward the
sound of the cries, the source of which I could not see because there were so
many people in and about this thoroughfare so as to block any vision of the
source of the cries. When I came to the woman, on the ground, blood streaming
from her mouth, I asked what happened, to which she responded she had been hit
in the mouth and knocked to the ground, her purse stolen/put inside her
shopping bag, and she pointed out the criminal casually now walking across the
main street. Nobody stopped to help her, many having passed her by. I slammed
the thug to the ground so hard that, in light of all the blood and confusion
(limbic system / adrenalin flow) I thought I had been stabbed (the blood was
from his elbows hitting the pavement so hard - no one helped / a crowd gathered
/ an undercover cop happened along). When I testified at the Grand Jury
Proceeding I made sure his threat on my life was set forth in prima facie
fashion so as to maximize the DA’s position with both felonies ( he went to
prison – pled out ). The other case I wrote about here ( This was included on
my website in the Psychology discussion of ‘bystander effect’ / diffusion of
responsibility. ) - Having had occasion to have run down a mugger in newark,
n.j. who apparent had followed a girl from the bank on her way to the bursar to
pay tuition, though in pretty good shape, I was astounded by how totally
exhausting such a pursuit was, how much like rubber my arms were when I traded
punches with the perpetrator, and truth be told, if I had a flashlight on my
belt, I have little doubt that I would have probably used it to subdue the
perp. The girl was not that seriously injured, did get her pocketbook and
tuition back, and the criminal went to jail. The other thing about such a
pursuit that amazed me was that no one else assisted the girl or me despite
being in a position to do so). (Other newark / new jersey and new york, n.y.
metro, viz., ie., connecticut, and of course, d.c., d.c. metro, viz., ie.,
virginia experience … corrupt federal judges as maryanne trump barry, sam
alito, shiff, matz (california), hall, underhill, dorsey, etc.. Defacto
bankrupt america’s so-called system is pervasively corrupt and broken (AP) Abolish the corrupt, costly, economically
wasteful lifetime extravagantly appointed federal courts - see RICO case http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm ) ]
]
Wall
Street Is Laundering Drug Money And Getting Away With It Zach
Carter, … etc. … Drudgereport:
CLASSIFIED NO MORE: USA RACES
TO LIMIT WIKILEAKS DAMAGE [Publishing
the Wikileaks is the right thing to do; after all, one cannot possibly look to
even one rationally correct strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically
that would justify continued hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their
genesis, flawed rationale, etc., which has cost this nation and the world
dearly] ...
WIKILEAKS: We've been hit
with 'mass distributed denial of service attack'...
MOST EMBARRASSING, DAMAGING
DISCLOSURE IN DECADES...
SENATORS: PROSECUTE THE
LEAKERS!
NYT
EXPLAINS: THE DECISION TO PUBLISH … [The NYT clearly did the right thing to
publish; after all, one cannot possibly look to even one rationally correct
strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically that would justify continued
hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their genesis, flawed rationale,
etc., which has cost this nation and the world dearly]...
SKorea
says sound of artillery heard on island...
US,
SKorea start major naval drills...
China
issues warning...
DHS
SEIZES DOMAIN NAMES...
EU
Debt Crisis Escalates...
6
American soldiers killed in Afghanistan...
Next Debt
Crisis 'May Start in Washington'...
WIKILEAKS
TURNS ON OBAMA! … [ Like who hasn’t, and for good reason! Publishing
the Wikileaks is the right thing to do; after all, one cannot possibly look to
even one rationally correct strategy, domestically, globally, geopolitically
that would justify continued hiding/cover-up of the failed strategies, their
genesis, flawed rationale, etc., which has cost this nation and the world
dearly] ]
] Authorities are
investigating whether Julian Assange violated criminal laws, including possible
charges under the Espionage Act, sources say.
Concerns
over European defense cuts (Washington Post) [ At some point, rationality
must overcome irrationality; if only necessity being the mother of this
new-found invention (rationality). Interestingly, there was a blip on
television news from a NATO rep talking up the technological / military
superiority of NATO relative to Russia (without whose technological prowess
that space station and crew would literally be lost in space). So take that,
literally … and make the cuts (rational). ] European policymakers say the cuts
are necessary given their financial straits, and that training, not sheer
numbers, is what matters in a post-Cold War world.
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored ‘The Obama Deception’ has
been censored In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Did Google Block “Barry
Soetoro” Search Term? Screenshots obtained by a Prison Planet reader suggest
that Google may have moved to de-list “Barry Soetoro” as a popular search term
shortly after it rose to the top of the Google Trends charts after yesterday’s
effort by radio talk show host Alex Jones to focus attention on Barack Obama’s
real name.
Bush's
fantasy world (Washington Post) [
I’m frankly surprised to see cohen bite the hand that feeds zionists(
ie., dumbya bush, et als). After all, I’ve never seen cohen not like a pro
israel policy, regardless of the cost
to this nation in blood, sweat, tears, and geopolitical and general decline,
particulary economic / financial; nor like a pro-american policy that
negatively impacts israel. I think america particularly, and the rest of the
world has sacrificed enough for the greedy, blood-thirsty, lawless israelis. ] Cohen: WikiLeaks shows the unreality of a presidential
memoir. Jeffrey
Smith: Fighting
leaks
Palestinians
counter israeli offer on settlements (Washington Post) [ The Palestinians, unlike the lawless israelis are
cognizant of u.n. resolutions, prior accords, international law, etc., in their
proposal. ]
Israeli
prime minister offers conditional settlements freeze (Washington Post )
[ Déjà vu all over again? Now why is there a familiar ring to this story
… maybe ‘cause of the ‘been there done that ‘ reality. It’s really quite
incredible since israel’s in violation of u.n. resolutions (242, 338, etc.),
international law, nuclear proliferation treaty, a drain on the the u.s.
globally / domestically, etc.. The u.s. / international community should impose
a resolution. ]
Israel: Defining 'Jewish state': For
many, term has different meanings (Washington Post) [
Well ain’t that the truth! As per Forrestal’s warning (infra), it meant new
york, pennsylvania, and California … for the greedy zionist israelis it means
anything they want it to mean, borders, laws, u.n. resolutions, civilized
behavior, etc., be damned! ]
Clinton
wraps up Israeli, Palestinian talks - for now (Washington
Post) [ That’s a wrap (Hollywood speak), or just a lot of crap (reality). Well
some celluloid facetime (hill, I said celluloid, not cellulite), appearance of
doing something (not). U.S.
urges Arab states to drop israel nuclear treaty demand Reuters Oooooh! Wow! Sounds like a plan! … For world
conflagration … Another step toward nuclear prone middle east … israel should
be exempt because ….. ‘US –
Israel’s partner in crime, not a referee’ … You really can’t make this stuff up; the preposterous s***
coming out of america! ]The U.S. envoy to the UN atomic watchdog urged Arab
states to withdraw a resolution calling on Israel to sign an anti-nuclear arms
treaty, warning it would send a negative signal to Middle East peace
talks. Israelis,
Palestinians already broaching tough topics in talks, envoy says (Washington
Post) ‘US –
Israel’s partner in crime, not a referee’ (Infowars.com) Israeli and Palestinian leaders are holding a new
round of direct talks. Bombshell:
Barack Obama conclusively outed as CIA creation Wayne Madsen |
Investigative journalist Wayne Madsen has discovered CIA files that document
the agency’s connections to the lives of Barack Obama and his mother, father,
grandmother, and stepfather. ]
RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday
wrapped up three days of intense Middle East diplomacy that produced good
atmospherics but no sign that an impasse over Israeli settlement construction
has been resolved. (Alex Brandon - AP)
The
unlikely face of Egypt's protesters (Washington Post) [ Unlikely? … I don’t think so in light of the
strength and prevalence of the ‘anyone but mubarak (and his)’ sentiment. ]
Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Prize-winning former United Nations
bureaucrat, has emerged this week as an improbable revolutionary, clamoring for
the overthrow of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.
Iran's
Khamenei says uprisings represent 'defeat' for U.S. (Washington Post) [
No matter how you slice it, dice it, or
euphemise about it, these are indeed substantial, irrevocable losses for the
u.s.; but importantly, of america’s own making; self-defeat if you will,
compounded by a slew of bad choices. Sadly, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is
quite correct when he states: "The Israelis and the U.S. are
more concerned about what would happen to their interests in a post-Mubarak
regime." … and further, ‘He also accused the United States of propping up
corrupt leaders in the region to protect its interests and those of its ally israel.’
Unfortunately, as has become chrystal clear from america’s perpetual war in the
region, the people have invariably figured last in america/israel’s unbalanced
equations. ]
Egyptian
protesters plan new push Government
detains foreigners, says it's willing to open talks (Washington Post) [ Open talks? ‘bout what? Building
a pyramid in mubarak’s honor before stepping down? He’s done … finito … burnt
as an over-micro-waved burrito! The following from the Post is indeed the straw
that broke the riders with whips he sent on camels’ and horses’ backs! ‘Wants to die in Egypt? How touching, or the
reality, he’s just plain touched as in totally ‘out of it’. ‘…In what the U.S. State Department called
a "concerted campaign to intimidate," several dozen journalists were
rounded up by security forces and detained for hours, along with foreigners
working as teachers, engineers and human rights researchers. Across the city,
angry bands of supporters of President Hosni Mubarak also beat journalists;
several reporters said that they were threatened with death…’ ]
Cairo seeks to shift blame for clashes by rounding up journalists; U.S.
worries renewed protests could spark more violence from Mubarak supporters. Demonstrations
in Egypt take bloody turn In
Cairo square, Mubarak backers confront anti-government crowds (Washington Post) [ Not too difficult for desperate and done
mubarak to contrive: Mubarak
Says Egyptians Have to Choose Between “Chaos” and Him … Then Sends In His Thugs
to Stir Up Chaos (Infowars.com) In
order to justify staying in power until elections are held in September,
President Mubarak said on tv that the people had to choose between him and
“chaos”. ] The coordinated nature of day's events suggested that Mubarak's
supporters were determined to show, as he had warned, that the country faced a
"choice between chaos and stability." [ Previous: Mubarak's
pledge seen as not enough Egyptian
president plans to stay in office to transfer power (Washington Post) [ Let me put it another
way: Mubarak is as done as an over-cooked tamale … He seems to be stalling for
time and even in his age impaired mind certainly knows his position is
untenable, unsustainable, and even more irrational as each second passes. There
is a possibility that he’s using same to move money / treasure for himself and
others, literally as well, buying time. See infra … Previous: Mubarak
seeks dialogue, shows no sign of relenting Demonstrators
call for massive protest but lack leadership (Washington Post) [ He relented when he
resorted to media / internet blackout. Indeed, this lack of sign thing is a
testament to how far from reality 30 years has taken him, not to mention the
other 52 years that have taken their toll on his cognitive processes. Whether
it is plaques ‘on the brain’ or outright senility, that he is so disengaged
from the events unfolding around him, one may only wonder how he lasted this long.
Nor did his choice of cia standin / shill, new VP Suleiman enhance his now
untenable position which leaves him as ‘done as a burnt enchilada’. Kissinger
on Egypt unrest – “This is only the first scene of the first act of a drama
that is to be played out” [ The
import of this so-called interview, and it is here that I part company with
alex jones, et als (who by the way, censored me for this very thesis, which
puts him and his at the top of my hypocrite list), is that the so-called elite
have orchestrated these events and ‘are in control’. First, there are no elites
in this world; you can’t derive elites from apes, notochordates, and initially
single celled organisms. Second, almost by definition and certainly by history,
there are no elites in america even if you were to accept the first proposition
(though true) as untrue. What you do have, in this world and america
particularly (with few exceptions as I’ve discussed elsewhere / comments / my
website), are inherent criminals and mentally ill people of varying degrees of
unscrupulousness and insanity who do commit crimes, both small and large, to
further their interests or fortunes (sociopaths / psychopaths). The ’so-called
alpha-dogs’ of the human species at most, but still incompetent vegetables who,
if you look at anything they touch (to use a term term of such incompetent
vegetables as historically pertains to their role in the mideast – and
generally the state of the world) it invariably goes ‘pear shaped’ (english
term). What hasn’t zionist kissinger not messed up as appointee or ‘consultant’
– what does he get paid for? No! The fact is, they have absolutely no idea how
this unfolds and as with most of their lives, they will predictably choose the
most sordid, despicable, and diabolical course at every turn because … that is
their inherently criminal, mentally ill / unstable nature to do so. ]
] Fragile steps to end crisis seen as plans
take shape for a transition process that would allow Mubarak to remain as a
figure head until new elections.
} ]
]
After decades of repression, democracy advocates say it could take many
months -- if not years -- to lay groundwork for open and credible elections.
]
Julian
Assange must be extradited to Sweden (Washington Post) [ Julian
Assange to be extradited to Sweden Infowars.com [ No surprise here. As I’ve previously written, I’m
against the censorship since one always, in the final analysis, must discern
truth from falsehood, information from disinformation, reality from propaganda.
In truth, I found it somewhat shocking and more than surprising that of all
places ‘to escape to’, Assange chose Orwellian england, puppet to the u.s. and
guarantor of servility to u.s./zionist interests, such is their own desperate
circumstances. What was he thinking? ]
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be extradited to Sweden to face
allegations of rape and sexual assault. Assange will appeal, his legal team
confirmed. If this is unsuccessful, he will be extradited to Sweden in 10
days. ] LONDON - Britain will honor
Sweden's request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face
sex-crime allegations, a British judge ruled Thursday.
16
miles away, Saudi Arabia's watchful eye looms over Bahrain unrest (Washington Post) [ I’m sure they
are … with a microscope at that. Saudis Worried
Protests Will Hit Home - saudi arabia;
talk about do nothing hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all
the oil reserves of a sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign
corporations say so For the sake of the saudi Arabian people, more
than just protests should come to fruition!
] AFP | Saudi royal warns Arab world uprisings could cause
harm unless they reform. Bahrain authorities launch surprise attack on protesters [There’s the america and saudi Arabia effect;
far less than democratic and far more deadly in the mideast among other places;
talk about hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil
reserves of a sovereign nation as the saudis; time for the saudis to go the way
of dictator Mubarak and take the war criminal americans with them. ] Los Angeles Times Tear gas
canisters bombard sleeping protesters in Manama's Pearl Square. At least two
men are reported killed Video: Bahrain
protesters look to emulate Egypt revolt euronews Riot Police Attack Bahrain Protesters Voice
of America ‘Saudi
Arabia sending troops to Bahrain’ Saudi Arabia is sending troops to Bahrain in a move to crack down
on pro-democracy protesters who took to the streets in the capital Manama, a
political analyst says. [SAUDIS TOLD OBAMA 'NOT TO HUMILIATE MUBARAK'
[ Sounds like they’re hearing footsteps…Previous: Egyptian
capital teeters on anarchy Mubarak
asks cabinet to resign as anti-regime protests intensify
(Washington Post) [ Mubarak should have been looking in the mirror as he asked
his cabinet to resign … 30 years is a long time, and coincidentally, time for
him to go. In
Egypt: Access denied (Washington Post) [The day part of the Internet died: Egypt goes dark [I disagree!
Part of the internet didn’t die, but rather the order to so darken the nation
heralded the demise, at 30 years and counting, of the so-called leadership in
the persona of Mubarak. Time for him to go! After all, he’s been in a position,
with Egypt among the only Mideast nations to have signed a peace treaty with
israel, to have stepped up with substantial credibility in taking a strong
position against israeli transgressions, violations of international law / u.n.
resolutions, war crimes, etc., which beyond soft-touch, he failed to do. And,
of all places, he sends his family to Orwellian england; he still loves those
colonial masters … how pathetic. I mean, 30 years … how free-flowing does
anyone think the election process is at this point … and one could ask the same
regarding the entrenched powers that be in pervasively corrupt, defacto
bankrupt america, to be fair. Then there’s saudi arabia; talk about do nothing
hypocrites. How does one family claim ownership of all the oil reserves of a
sovereign nation; I suspect only when foreign corporations say so. The only
Mideast nations showing backbone are Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria, and, of course
the perennially propaganda painted bad-boy Iran among possibly some of the
smaller emirates, ie., Qatar, etc., (I lack sufficient information regarding
these other nations). ] (AP)
Internet cutoff fails to silence Egypt protests (AP)
- ]
Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m truly sorry that
Kelly lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the
nations unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. ]
Imams
wage political battle against U.S. (Washington Post) [ Yeah!
Are not these native Afghans freedom fighters in the highest, truest, and most noble sense of the term. I mean,
pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america’s destructive and corrupting
influence is unequivocal (including the resurgent heroin trade that had all
been eradicated by the Taliban). This unlawful incursion is a lose, lose
scenario for all parties; and, america’s / israel’s / nato’s zionist
aspirations in the region are among the most self-destructive, self-defeating
policies in world history. ] For
the U.S. government, and for the 100,000 American troops fighting in
Afghanistan, the messages delivered last Friday could hardly have been worse.
Cohen: Time
for Arabs to reject anti-semitism (Washington Post) [ Reality check … time
for israelis / jews to reject zionism and all that is entailed therein,
including an alternate reality that defies credulity, rationality, and facts;
such as, a self-rationalizing greed, anti-arab / anti-Christian predisposition
and the ‘Oedipal Effect’ (blowback) engendered thereby. No, Johnny Carson was
not anti-semitic (Fred Silverman), same for Charlie Sheen (Chuck Lorre), etc.
(the list is endless inasmuch as when facts are not on their side, such specious
inflammatory arguments as ‘anti-semitism’, prejudice, are a convenient
subterfuge distracting from their weak position; ie., illegal nukes, war
crimes, ignoring u.n. resolutions, ie., 242, 338, etc., ignoring international
law. At best, no … God did not give them this land … at worst, God took the
land back when they with roman muscle crucified Christ. Balfour was an
arbitrary, incompetent, british joke.).
]
U.S.
vetoes Security Council resolution denouncing Israeli settlements (Washington Post) [ Drudgereport: Hillary Clinton:
Israeli Settlements 'Illegitimate'… [We know that hill … We’ve known that for
quite some time along with their illegal nukes, war crimes, etc…The whole world
knows that hill… so don’t just talk about it … DO SOMETHING! ] ...
Yes! … in pervasively corrupt, defacto america’s self-defeating,
self-destructive way they are doing something … U.S.
vetoes Security Council resolution denouncing Israeli settlements … Sounds
like a plan! … right! … for self-destruction! ] Sallai Meridor: Israel's
fear (Washington Post) [ Come on! Wake up! Illegal nuke totin’, war crimes
nation israel’s fears … p l e a s e, spare me the pro-israeli b*** s*** ! What
israel fears is a projection of their own ill-founded motives and actions for
which all norms, rules, laws governing civilized behavior are suspended for
expedience at the least, and blood-thirst that some posit as a remnant of their
historic role as Christ-killers (with roman ‘juice’). Isn’t it time, in these desperate times for america, to put
america’s, not israel’s interests, first.
Who cares what israel fears … In 1948, U.S.
Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, an opponent of the creation of a Jewish
state in Palestine, warned that, even though failure to go along with the
Zionists might cost President Truman the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and
California, it was about time that somebody should pay some consideration to
whether we might not lose the United States….. Mr. Forrestal was absolutely
correct! Isn’t that exactly what’s happened to defacto bankrupt america in
intractable decline. TIME TO REVOKE AND NULLIFY THE BALFOUR DECLARATION AND
ABROGATE THE CREATION OF THE NATION STATE OF ISRAEL IN THE INTERESTS OF
FAIRNESS, JUSTICE, PEACE AND PROSPECTIVE PROSPERITY FOR THIS WORLD! Israel wary of transition in Egypt, concerned
about regional stability (Washington Post) [ Who cares what the
paranoid, war criminal, illegal nuke totin’, war criminal israelis are wary of.
This country has gone down the tubes cow-towing to the paranoid,
self-interested concerns of the psycho / sociopathic zionist israelis who are
forever projecting their own pathological motives to every turn of history while
ignoring their own culpability in producing the very outcomes they purportedly
seek to avoid. War, conflict, greed, bloodshed is the historically based
israeli way. ] A
resurgent Syria alarms u.s., israel (Washington Post) [ Tell me! What doesn’t alarm these two
paranoid, zionist neo-nazi regimes of oppression, suppression, aggression, and
regression. If they were individuals, they’d undoubtedly be diagnosed as
psychopaths, sociopaths totally ignorant of the rights of others, laws,
civilized behavior as israel pads her illegal nuke arsenals with american
supplied weaponry / support while expecting all other nations to ‘role over and
die’. Bipolar / manic / depressive, the ups and downs are increasingly
difficult for even americans to follow. Obssessive / compulsive thy names are
zionist israel / america. Projection / displacement regarding their own illegal
acts, war crimes, etc.; what they distinguished from what they do …
dissociative identity disorder, dissociative fugue? Yes … the u.s. and israel
are the world’s lunatics, sorely in need of therapy! ] Syria's fresh interference in Lebanon and
its increasingly sophisticated weapons shipments to Hezbollah have alarm
officials and prompt Israel's military to consider striking a Syrian weapons
depot.
Peter King, IRA supporter and enthusiastic
counter-terrorism advocate (Washington Post) [ A neocon; a zionist
with a large jewish constituency; an IRA terrorist supporter; looks a lot like,
bears a striking resemblance to, corrupt dodo dodd former Conn. Senator; in
sum, that can’t be good. Maybe he suffers from a multiple personality disorder.
I mean … wow! Whew! ]
Violent
spring looming in Afghanistan (Washington Post) [ See … something to look
forward to … must be that good news that keeps getting pushed back … and spring
no less … everything blooming, or in war criminal american-speak … ‘booming’ …
but not the defacto bankrupt american economy for which a crash is ‘looming’.
Could somebody help me out with a translation of gates’ speech a west point … I
must be missing something … Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war,
says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice (Washington Post) [ I
disagree! They are very much aware; as they stand in unemployment lines, use
food stamps to get by, etc.. I hate to sound cavalier and I’m sorry that Kelly
lost a son to war, but along with the multitude of civilians in the nations
unlucky enough to provide a source of corporate welfare to the military
industrial complex and war profiteering for the few (as warned against by
President General Eisenhower), they died for nothing, for no good reason beyond
the false propaganda. Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ]
] American military officials
expect that the Taliban will mount a campaign to regain ground lost to U.S.
troops last year and use suicide bombing teams to strike at those associated
with the Afghan government or coalition forces.
NATO endorses plan for Afghan forces to take
over several areas (Washington Post) [ Yeah! Sounds like a plan … if
the several areas encompass the entire nation; and, nato quits their
foolishness in wasting money they don’t have for the sake of the military
industrial complex, war profiteers, thieves, and (nato) heroin dealers. ]
Karzai
condemns deadly NATO airstrike (Washington Post) [ Well, for pervasively
corrupt, defacto bankrupt america, it’s just another of many war crimes. They
just role out the propaganda machine that no one is buying anymore. Yet, can
you believe your eyes and ears here: Six NATO troops killed in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) [ Is there something wrong with the following picture? … am I
missing something? … Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and
Africa Christian Science
Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military
Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as
well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better
ways of foreseeing and preparing for ...
Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning
Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York
Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but,
methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot
at the messenger … things could have been different! ] A NATO airstrike that Afghan officials
said killed nine children collecting firewood in eastern Afghanistan beccomes
the latest irritant in the tense relationship between President Hamid Karzai
and the international force in the country.
U.N. confirms probe into allegations of
torture by Gaddafi's forces (Washington
Post) [ Well we all know how effective the u.n. has been in enforcing the mandate against torture / war crimes in
light of their stern rebuke / sanctions / action against the u.s. / israel …
riiiiight! http://albertpeia.com/evilonthetarmac.htm ]
Accountability is unclear in israeli probe of flotilla
raid (Washington
Post) Oh, come on! An israeli probe of an
israeli massacre of civilians. Time for israel to pay; for illegal nukes, for
violations of international law, for continued violations of u.n. resolutions,
for provocations as pretexts to sabotage peace talks, and on and on ad nauseum.
Why does america among other nations feel compelled to sacrifice themselves for
the sake of a global criminal nation with an insatiable greed and blood-thirst
as israel?
The
israeli Spin-Machine in Overdrive: dershowitz to the Rescue? Armed
Israeli commandos, the elite of the elites, rappelled to the deck of a Turkish
ship carrying humanitarian relief supplies to the 1.5 million prisoners in the
Gaza concentration camp.
CIA
Stooge Awlaki Prime Suspect Behind Plane Bomb Plot Paul Joseph
Watson | Evidence screams “false flag” as authorities seek to crush
resistance against invasive airport security measures, while Obama exploits
event for domestic and geopolitical gain.
Did
Obama Order British Authorities To Find Non-Existent Ink Bomb? After having
examined the suspicious ink toner device for six hours and found it to be a
dud, bomb experts at East Midlands Airport only reversed their decision after
being ordered to re-inspect the package by US authorities following President
Obama’s Friday afternoon speech in which he claimed that the devices did in
fact contain explosives.
Toner Bomb Plot
Used to Empower CIA In addition to adding new urgency and a fresh dose of
hysteria to the flagging war on manufactured terror, the toner bomb plot has
provided an excuse to rationalize the global reach of the CIA.
Yemen
Insists No Packages Sent 48 Hours Prior to Toner Bomb Hysteria Kurt
Nimmo | As usual, the government has not done a very good job of
making the latest al-CIA-duh plot credible.
Obama
Issues Fake Terror Alert On Eve Of Elections As we predicted on four
separate occasions would happen, the Obama White House has deliberately
contrived a fake terror scare on the eve of the mid-term elections in an effort
to subdue the rampaging political appetite for anti-big government candidates
that threatens to sweep aside establishment incumbents next week. ]
Obama:
Suspicious packages are a 'credible terrorist threat' (Washington
Post) [October surprise anyone …
still October … trick or treat … there are skeptics … then there are some
who’ll say … just jewish synagogues, no big deal … nothing of strategic value …
healthy dose of skepticism … Obama
‘Fake Terror’ Alert Story Hits #1 on Google Aaron Dykes
Infowars.com October 29, 2010 Efforts to warn the population that the Obama
Administration, like the Bush Administration
before it, has engaged in issuing fake terror alerts has gone viral,
with the search term “fake terror” reaching #1 on
Google Trends. It is yet another success in the Infowar, initiated
on the Alex Jones Show. As we are just days out from the 2010 midterm
elections, voters must realize that the establishment has willfully engaged in
hyping up false alerts to scare the public into believing that we are under
siege by potential terrorist acts at all moments. Various “officials” have been
warning that an attack is likely to occur for weeks now, and it is no surprise
to see the Obama Administration trying to use the fear to its advantage. Recall
that Obama advisor and former top Clinton official, Robert Shapiro, alluded to the
idea that only a terror attack could save Obama’s presidency earlier
in the year.
“The bottom line here is that Americans don’t believe in President
Obama’s leadership,” said Shapiro, adding, “He has to find some way between now
and November of demonstrating that he is a leader who can command confidence
and, short of a 9/11 event or an Oklahoma City bombing, I can’t think of how he
could do that.”
Read the original story by Paul Joseph Watson here, as it has been updated.
GOP's
Palin paradox (Washington Post) Parker: She's too powerful to ignore, and too (fill-in-the-blank) to take
seriously. [ Say it! … Dumb! … Everybody knows it! … Cher even said it! … I
believe that this further evinces the leadership vacuum in america and is a
testament to how unequivocally far america has fallen. Powerful? I don’t think so! ]
Sarah
Palin: The Next Teleprompter Reader in the White House [ Not gonna’ happen
… she’s just too embarrassingly dumb …
and all that fake macho / zionist b*** s***
… unless her gal o’donnel casts a spell … which is a whole new ball game
… witches … really … how ‘bout dumb *******s …. she’s really dumb enough to
press the button. ] ? Kurt Nimmo | In 2008, Tea Party Sarah trekked to New York to
kiss Henry Kissinger’s ring.
Sarah
Palin: The Next Teleprompter Reader in the White House? [ Not gonna’ happen … she’s just too embarrassingly dumb … unless her gal o’donnel casts a spell …
which is a whole new ball game … witches … really … how ‘bout dumb *******s ...
and all that fake macho / zionist b*** s*** ... she’s really dumb enough to
press the button. ] It looks like the establishment is grooming Tea Party Sarah
for a run. She says as much in the Newsmax interview below.
Palin
calls reporters 'impotent' and 'limp' (Washington Post) [ I must reiterate,
she, palin’s so embarrassingly dumb! She truly is the joke that keeps on
giving! I really mean it! I mean, what next? ] The former Alaska governor
weighed in herself: "Those who are impotent and limp and gutless and they
go on their anonymous -- sources that are anonymous -- and impotent, limp and
gutless reporters take anonymous sources and cite them as being factual
references," she told Sean Hannity. "It just slays me ( this could be
a somewhat Freudian slip as she contemplates the uselessness of sexually
non-interested reporters while she meant lays and I think her supposed /
purported attractiveness / desirability is vastly overstated; but, this makes
for great SNL skits; you know, those reporters not man enough to service her
) because it's so absolutely clear what
the state of yellow journalism is today that they would take these anonymous
sources as fact."
The
power of Palin's touch
(Washington Post) [Wow! Talk about stupid. Murphy could have eliminated the
middle-man (person) and appeared on SNL himself; maybe reprising a familiar
(Eddie) Murphy role as Gumby 2, Son of Gumby. The only thing funnier is palin
herself. She’s so embarrassingly dumb!] .Endorsement lifts little-known
candidate in Md., giving the struggling campaign a "megaphone."
Comment on:
5 Myths about Sarah Palin at 10/14/2010 9:39 PM EDT
Test
yourself to find out how much you know about Sarah Palin. Take the quiz and
after, check out The Washington Post's 'Five Myths about Palin.' (Washington
Post) [ Geeh! I scoured the quiz / 5 myths and nowhere did I see the obvious
myth; viz., that she really has a brain. Maybe gal pal pol protégé o’donnell
can help her out … a few mysterious words, a slimy newt (gingrich) in a caldron
of b*** s*** , and voila … a new reality which is what o’donnell herself is
sorely in need of … O'Donnell, evolved Milbank: She didn't mention mice with
human brains in Wednesday's debate. But she said silly things. Stromberg:
O'Donnell is... wow The CNN host, moderating the long awaited Delaware
senatorial debate Wednesday night, was trying to get the Republican nominee to
talk about her 1998 statement on the Bill Maher show that "evolution is a
myth."
"Do you believe evolution is a myth?" Blitzer asked.
"I believe that the local ... " O'Donnell began, then started anew.
"I was talking about what a local school taught, and that should be
taught, that should be decided on the local community."
"Do you believe evolution is a myth?" the moderator repeated.
"Local schools should make that decision."
"What do you believe?"
"What I believe is irrelevant."
"Why is it irrelevant? Voters want to know."
"What I will support in Washington, D.C. is the ability of the local
school system to decide what is taught in their classrooms," O'Donnell
repeated.
The answer, though, was obvious: Of course she believes in evolution; she is a
product of evolution herself. She has evolved from a very odd woman who spoke
about the evils of masturbation and of mice with fully functioning human brains
and of her experience in sorcery (but she didn't join a coven!). …
Obama creates indefinite detention system for
prisoners at Guantanamo Bay (Washington
Post) [ Sounds more like fellow failed president/war criminal dumbya bush every
day. Meanwhile, back at the
pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt american credit farm (totalitarian
communist china): New
restrictions on foreign journalists Under rules announced after foreign
journalists were physically harassed by security officers, foreign journalists
must have government permission to interview anyone in a public area.]
"After standing on the
stage, after the debates, I made it very plain, we will not have an
all-volunteer army. And yet, this week—we will have an all-volunteer army. Let
me restate that."—Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 16, 2004
"The CIA laid out several
scenarios and said life could be lousy, life could be OK, life could be
better, and they were just guessing as to what the conditions might be
like."—New York, Sept. 21, 2004
"Free societies are hopeful
societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have
no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat."—Washington, D.C., Sept. 17,
2004 (Thanks to David Stanford.)
"That's why I went to the
Congress last September and proposed fundamental—supplemental funding, which is
money for armor and body parts and ammunition and fuel."—Erie, Pa., Sept.
4, 2004
"Too many good docs are
getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their
love with women all across the country."—Sept. 6, 2004, Poplar Bluff, Mo.
"They've seen me make
decisions, they've seen me under trying times, they've seen me weep, they've
seen me laugh, they've seen me hug. And they know who I am, and I believe
they're comfortable with the fact that they know I'm not going to shift
principles or shift positions based upon polls and focus groups."
—Interview with USA Today, Aug. 27, 2004
"I didn't join the
International Criminal Court because I don't want to put our troops in the
hands of prosecutors from other nations. Look, if somebody has done some wrong
in our military, we'll take care of it. We got plenty of capability of dealing
with justice."—Niceville, Fla., Aug. 10, 2004
"So community colleges are
accessible, they're available, they're affordable, and their curriculums don't
get stuck. In other words, if there's a need for a certain kind of worker, I
presume your curriculums evolved over time."—Niceville, Fla., Aug. 10,
2004
"Tribal sovereignty means
that, it's sovereign. You're a—you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed
as a sovereign entity. And, therefore, the relationship between the federal
government and tribes is one between sovereign entities."—Washington,
D.C., Aug. 6, 2004
"Secondly, the tactics of
our—as you know, we don't have relationships with Iran. I mean, that's—ever
since the late '70s, we have no contacts with them, and we've totally
sanctioned them. In other words, there's no sanctions—you can't—we're out of
sanctions."—Annandale, Va., Aug. 9, 2004
"I mean, if you've ever
been a governor of a state, you understand the vast potential of broadband
technology, you understand how hard it is to make sure that physics, for
example, is taught in every classroom in the state. It's difficult to do. It's,
like, cost-prohibitive."—Washington, D.C., June 24, 2004 (Thanks to
Michael Shively.)
"Our enemies are innovative
and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm
our country and our people, and neither do we."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 5,
2004 (Thanks to Alicia Butler.)
"And I am an optimistic
person. I guess if you want to try to find something to be pessimistic about,
you can find it, no matter how hard you look, you know?"—Washington, D.C.,
June 15, 2004 (Thanks to Robert Irwin.)
"[A] free Iraq is essential
to our respective securities."—Washington, D.C., June 1, 2004
"I want to thank my friend,
Sen. Bill Frist, for joining us today. … He married a Texas girl, I want you to
know. (Laughter.) Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like
me."—Nashville, Tenn., May 27, 2004
"I'm honored to shake the
hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam
Hussein."—Washington, D.C., May 25, 2004
"This has been tough weeks
in that country."—Washington, D.C., April 13, 2004 (Thanks to David
Huddleston.)
"[B]y the way, we rank 10th
amongst the industrialized world in broadband technology and its availability.
That's not good enough for America. Tenth is 10 spots too low as far as I'm
concerned."—Minneapolis, Minn., April 26, 2004
"My job is to, like, think
beyond the immediate."—Washington, D.C., April 21, 2004
"This is historic
times."—New York, N.Y., April 20, 2004
"Obviously, I pray every
day there's less casualty."—Fort Hood, Texas, April 11, 2004 (Thanks to
Pat Gallagher.)
"Recession means that
people's incomes, at the employer level, are going down, basically, relative to
costs, people are getting laid off."—Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2004
(Thanks to Garry Trudeau.)
"God loves you, and I love
you. And you can count on both of us as a powerful message that people who
wonder about their future can hear."—Los Angeles, Calif., March 3, 2004
(Thanks to Tanny Bear.)
"The march to war affected
the people's confidence. It's hard to make investment. See, if you're a small
business owner or a large business owner and you're thinking about investing,
you've got to be optimistic when you invest. Except when you're marching to
war, it's not a very optimistic thought, is it? In other words, it's the
opposite of optimistic when you're thinking you're going to war." —Springfield,
Mo., Feb. 9, 2004 (Thanks to Garry Trudeau.)
"See, one of the
interesting things in the Oval Office—I love to bring people into the Oval
Office—right around the corner from here—and say, this is where I office, but I
want you to know the office is always bigger than the person."—Washington,
D.C., Jan. 29, 2004 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"More Muslims have died at
the hands of killers than—I say more Muslims—a lot of Muslims have died—I don't
know the exact count—at Istanbul. Look at these different places around the
world where there's been tremendous death and destruction because killers
kill."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2004 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"In an economic recession,
I'd rather that in order to get out of this recession, that the people be
spending their money, not the government trying to figure out how to spend the
people's money."—Tampa, Fla., Feb. 16, 2004
"King Abdullah of Jordan,
the King of Morocco, I mean, there's a series of places—Qatar, Oman—I mean,
places that are developing—Bahrain—they're all developing the habits of free
societies."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2004
"But the true strength of
America is found in the hearts and souls of people like Travis, people who are
willing to love their neighbor, just like they would like to love
themselves."—Springfield, Mo., Feb. 9, 2004 (Thanks to George Dupper.)
"My views are one that
speaks to freedom."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2004
"In my judgment, when the
United States says there will be serious consequences, and if there isn't serious
consequences, it creates adverse consequences."
"There is no such thing
necessarily in a dictatorial regime of iron-clad absolutely solid
evidence. The evidence I had was the best possible evidence that he had a
weapon."
"The recession started upon
my arrival. t could have been—some say February, some say March, some
speculate maybe earlier it started—but nevertheless, it happened as we showed
up here. The attacks on our country affected our economy. Corporate scandals
affected the confidence of people and therefore affected the economy. My
decision on Iraq, this kind of march to war, affected the economy."—Meet
the Press, Feb. 8, 2004
"I was a prisoner too, but
for bad reasons."—To Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, on being told
that all but one of the Argentine delegates to a summit meeting were imprisoned
during the military dictatorship, Monterrey, Mexico, Jan. 13, 2004
"[T]he illiteracy level of
our children are appalling."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004 (Thanks to
Lewell Gunter.)
"Just remember it's the
birds that's supposed to suffer, not the hunter."—Advising quail hunter
and New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici, Roswell, N.M., Jan. 22, 2004
"One of the most meaningful
things that's happened to me since I've been the governor—the president—governor—president.
Oops. Ex-governor. I went to Bethesda Naval Hospital to give a fellow a Purple
Heart, and at the same moment I watched him—get a Purple Heart for action in
Iraq—and at that same—right after I gave him the Purple Heart, he was sworn in
as a citizen of the United States—a Mexican citizen, now a United States
citizen."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2004
"I want to thank the
astronauts who are with us, the courageous spacial entrepreneurs who set such a
wonderful example for the young of our country."—Washington, D.C., Jan.
14, 2004
"And if you're interested
in the quality of education and you're paying attention to what you hear at
Laclede, why don't you volunteer? Why don't you mentor a child how to
read?"—St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 5, 2004
"So thank you for reminding
me about the importance of being a good mom and a great volunteer as
well."—St. Louis, Jan. 5, 2004
"I want to remind you all
that in order to fight and win the war, it requires an expenditure of money
that is commiserate with keeping a promise to our troops to make sure that
they're well-paid, well-trained, well-equipped."
"See, without the tax relief package, there would have been a deficit, but
there wouldn't have been the commiserate—not 'commiserate'—the kick to our
economy that occurred as a result of the tax relief."
"[T]he best way to find these terrorists who hide in holes is to get
people coming forth to describe the location of the hole, is to give clues and
data."
"Justice was being delivered to a man who defied that gift from the
Almighty to the people of Iraq."—Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2003
"[A]s you know, these are
open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to
say."—Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2003
"The ambassador and the
general were briefing me on the—the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a
peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to
justice."—Washington, D.C., Oct. 27, 2003 (Thanks to Robert Hack.)
"[W]hether they be
Christian, Jew, or Muslim, or Hindu, people have heard the universal call to
love a neighbor just like they'd like to be called
themselves."—Washington, Oct. 8, 2003 (Thanks to George Dupper.)
"See, free nations are
peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't
develop weapons of mass destruction."—Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 3, 2003
"[W]e've had leaks out of
the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of
the executive branch and the legislative branch, and I've spoken out
consistently against them, and I want to know who the leakers
are."—Chicago, Sept. 30, 2003
"Washington is a town where
there's all kinds of allegations. You've heard much of the allegations. And if
people have got solid information, please come forward with it. And that would
be people inside the information who are the so-called anonymous sources, or
people outside the information—outside the administration."—Chicago, Sept.
30, 2003 (Thanks to Andy Bowers.)
"[T]hat's just the nature
of democracy. Sometimes pure politics enters into the rhetoric."—Crawford,
Texas, Aug. 8, 2003 (Thanks to Inigo Thomas.)
"I glance at the headlines
just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and
get briefed by people who are probably read the news
themselves."—Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
"I'm so pleased to be able
to say hello to Bill Scranton. He's one of the great Pennsylvania
political families."—Drexel Hill, Penn., Sept. 15, 2003 (Thanks to Michael
Shively.)
"We had a good Cabinet
meeting, talked about a lot of issues. Secretary of State and Defense brought
us up to date about our desires to spread freedom and peace around the
world."—Washington, D.C., Aug. 1, 2003 (Thanks to Tanny Bear.)
"Security is the essential
roadblock to achieving the road map to peace."—Washington, D.C., July 25,
2003
"Our country puts $1
billion a year up to help feed the hungry. And we're by far the most generous
nation in the world when it comes to that, and I'm proud to report that. This
isn't a contest of who's the most generous. I'm just telling you as an aside.
We're generous. We shouldn't be bragging about it. But we are. We're very
generous."—Washington, D.C., July 16, 2003
"It's very interesting when
you think about it, the slaves who left here to go to America, because of their
steadfast and their religion and their belief in freedom, helped change
America."—Dakar, Senegal, July 8, 2003 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"My answer is bring them
on."—On Iraqi militants attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3,
2003
"You've also got to measure
in order to begin to effect change that's just more—when there's more than
talk, there's just actual—a paradigm shift."—Washington, D.C., July 1,
2003 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"I urge the leaders in
Europe and around the world to take swift, decisive action against terror
groups such as Hamas, to cut off their funding, and to support—cut funding and
support, as the United States has done."—Washington, D.C., June 25, 2003
"Iran would be dangerous if
they have a nuclear weapon."—Washington, D.C., June 18, 2003
"Now, there are some who
would like to rewrite history—revisionist historians is what I like to call
them."—Elizabeth, N.J., June 16, 2003
"I am determined to keep
the process on the road to peace."—Washington, D.C., June 10, 2003 (Thanks
to Tanny Bear.)
"The true strength of
America happens when a neighbor loves a neighbor just like they'd like to be
loved themselves."—Elizabeth, N.J., June 16, 2003
"We are making steadfast
progress."—Washington, D.C., June 9, 2003 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"I'm the master of low
expectations."—Aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003
"I'm also not very
analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about
why I do things."—Aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003
"I recently met with the
finance minister of the Palestinian Authority, was very impressed by his grasp
of finances."—Washington, D.C., May 29, 2003
"Oftentimes, we live in a
processed world—you know, people focus on the process and not
results."—Washington, D.C., May 29, 2003
"I've got very good
relations with President Mubarak and Crown Prince Abdallah and the King of
Jordan, Gulf Coast countries."—Washington, D.C., May 29, 2003
"All up and down the
different aspects of our society, we had meaningful discussions. Not only in
the Cabinet Room, but prior to this and after this day, our secretaries,
respective secretaries, will continue to interact to create the conditions
necessary for prosperity to reign."—Washington, D.C., May 19, 2003
"First, let me make it very
clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be
not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."—Washington, D.C., May 19,
2003
"We ended the rule of one
of history's worst tyrants, and in so doing, we not only freed the American
people, we made our own people more secure."—Crawford, Texas, May 3, 2003
(Thanks to Tony Marciniec.)
"We've had a great weekend
here in the Land of the Enchanted."—Albuquerque, N.M., May 12, 2003 (New
Mexico's state nickname is "Land of Enchantment.")
"We've got hundreds of
sites to exploit, looking for the chemical and biological weapons that we know
Saddam Hussein had prior to our entrance into Iraq."—Santa Clara, Calif.,
May 2, 2003 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"I think war is a dangerous
place."—Washington, D.C., May 7, 2003
"I don't bring God into my
life to—to, you know, kind of be a political person."—Interview with Tom
Brokaw aboard Air Force One, April 24, 2003
"You're free. And freedom
is beautiful. And, you know, it'll take time to restore chaos and order—order out
of chaos. But we will."—Washington, D.C., April 13, 2003
"Perhaps one way will be,
if we use military force, in the post-Saddam Iraq the U.N. will definitely need
to have a role. And that way it can begin to get its legs, legs of
responsibility back."—the Azores, Portugal, March 16, 2003
"I know there's a lot of
young ladies who are growing up wondering whether or not they can be champs.
And they see the championship teams from USC and University of Portland here,
girls who worked hard to get to where they are, and they're wondering about the
example they're setting. What is life choices about?"—Washington, D.C.,
Feb. 24, 2003
"Now, we talked to Joan
Hanover. She and her husband, George, were visiting with us. They are near
retirement—retiring—in the process of retiring, meaning they're very smart,
active, capable people who are retirement age and are
retiring."—Alexandria, Va., Feb. 12, 2003 (Thanks to Dennis Doubleday.)
"Columbia carried
in its payroll classroom experiments from some of our students in America."—Bethesda,
Md., Feb. 3, 2003
"And, most importantly,
Alma Powell, secretary of Colin Powell, is with us."—Washington, D.C.,
Jan. 30, 2003
"The war on terror involves
Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam
Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself."—Grand Rapids, Mich.,
Jan. 29, 2003
"When Iraq is liberated,
you will be treated, tried, and persecuted as a war criminal."—Washington,
D.C., Jan. 22, 2003 (Thanks to Chad Conwell.)
"Many of the punditry—of course,
not you (laughter)—but other punditry were quick to say, no one is going to
follow the United States of America."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2003
"One year ago today, the
time for excuse-making has come to an end."—Washington, D.C., Jan. 8, 2003
"I think the American
people—I hope the American–I don't think, let me—I hope the American people
trust me."—Washington, D.C., Dec. 18, 2002
"The goals for this country
are peace in the world. And the goals for this country are a compassionate
American for every single citizen. That compassion is found in the hearts and
souls of the American citizens."—Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2002 (Thanks
to Michael Shively.)
"There's only one person
who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids upon the death of
their loved one. Others hug but having committed the troops, I've got an
additional responsibility to hug and that's me and I know what it's
like."—Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2002
"In other words, I don't
think people ought to be compelled to make the decision which they think is
best for their family."—Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2002 (Thanks to
Stephanie Nichols.)
"Sometimes, Washington is
one of these towns where the person—people who think they've got the sharp
elbow is the most effective person." —New Orleans, Dec. 3, 2002 (Thanks to
Michael Shively.)
"The law I sign today
directs new funds and new focus to the task of collecting vital intelligence on
terrorist threats and on weapons of mass production."—Washington, D.C.,
Nov. 27, 2002
"These people don't have
tanks. They don't have ships. They hide in caves. They send suiciders
out."—Speaking about terrorists, Portsmouth, N.H., Nov. 1, 2002
"I know something about
being a government. And you've got a good one."—Stumping for Gov. Mike
Huckabee, Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 4, 2002
"I need to be able to move
the right people to the right place at the right time to protect you, and I'm
not going to accept a lousy bill out of the United Nations Senate."—South
Bend, Ind., Oct. 31, 2002
"John Thune has got a
common-sense vision for good forest policy. I look forward to working with him
in the United Nations Senate to preserve these national heritages."
"Any time we've got any
kind of inkling that somebody is thinking about doing something to an American
and something to our homeland, you've just got to know we're moving on it, to
protect the United Nations Constitution, and at the same time, we're protecting
you."—Aberdeen, S.D., same day (Thanks to George Dupper.)
"Let me tell you my
thoughts about tax relief. When your economy is kind of ooching along, it's
important to let people have more of their own money."—Boston, Oct. 4,
2002
"I was proud the other day
when both Republicans and Democrats stood with me in the Rose Garden to
announce their support for a clear statement of purpose: you disarm, or we
will."—Speaking about Saddam Hussein, Manchester, N.H., Oct. 5, 2002
(Thanks to George Dupper.)
"You see, the Senate wants
to take away some of the powers of the administrative branch."—Washington,
D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
"We need an energy bill
that encourages consumption."—Trenton, N.J., Sept. 23, 2002
"People say, how can I help
on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a
child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you."—Washington,
D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
"I'm plowed of the
leadership of Chuck Grassley and Greg Ganske and Jim Leach."—Davenport,
Iowa, Sept. 16, 2002
"There's an old saying in
Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once,
shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."—Nashville,
Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
"There's no doubt in my
mind that we should allow the world worst leaders to hold America hostage, to
threaten our peace, to threaten our friends and allies with the world's worst
weapons."—South Bend, Ind., Sept. 5, 2002
"If you don't have any
ambitions, the minimum-wage job isn't going to get you to where you want to
get, for example. In other words, what is your ambitions? And oh, by the way,
if that is your ambition, here's what it's going to take to achieve
it."—Speech to students in Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 29, 2002 (Thanks to
George Dupper.)
"See, we love—we love
freedom. That's what they didn't understand. They hate things; we love things.
They act out of hatred; we don't seek revenge, we seek justice out of
love."—Oklahoma City, Aug. 29, 2002
"There's no cave deep
enough for America, or dark enough to hide."—Oklahoma City, Aug. 29,
2002 (Thanks to Michael Shively.)
"President Musharraf, he's
still tight with us on the war against terror, and that's what I
appreciate. He's a—he understands that we've got to keep al-Qaida on the
run, and that by keeping him on the run, it's more likely we will bring him to
justice."—Ruch, Ore., Aug. 22, 2002 (Thanks to Scott Miller.)
"I'm a patient man. And
when I say I'm a patient man, I mean I'm a patient man."
"Nothing he [Saddam
Hussein] has done has convinced me—I'm confident the Secretary of Defense—that
he is the kind of fellow that is willing to forgo weapons of mass destruction,
is willing to be a peaceful neighbor, that is—will honor the people—the Iraqi
people of all stripes, will—values human life. He hasn't convinced me, nor has
he convinced my administration."—Crawford, Texas, Aug. 21, 2002
"I'm thrilled to be here in
the bread basket of America because it gives me a chance to remind our fellow
citizens that we have an advantage here in America—we can feed
ourselves."—Stockton, Calif., Aug. 23, 2002 (Thanks to Christopher Baird.)
"There's no bigger task
than protecting the homeland of our country."
"The federal government and
the state government must not fear programs who change lives, but must welcome
those faith-based programs for the embetterment of mankind."—Stockton,
Calif., Aug. 23, 2002 (Thanks to George Dupper.)
"I love the idea of a
school in which people come to get educated and stay in the state in which
they're educated."
"There may be some tough
times here in America. But this country has gone through tough times before,
and we're going to do it again."
"I promise you I will
listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here."
"I can assure you that,
even though I won't be sitting through every single moment of the seminars, nor
will the vice president, we will look at the summaries."
"Tommy [Thompson, Health
and Human Services secretary,] is a good listener, and he's a pretty good
actor, too."
"The trial lawyers are very
politically powerful. … But here in Texas we took them on and got some good
medical—medical malpractice.""I firmly believe the death tax is good
for people from all walks of life all throughout our society."
—Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002
"There was no malfeance
involved. This was an honest disagreement about accounting procedures. ...
There was no malfeance, no attempt to hide anything."—White House press
conference, Washington, D.C., July 8, 2002
"I also understand how
tender the free enterprise system can be."—White House press conference,
Washington, D.C., July 9, 2002
"Over 75 percent of white
Americans own their home, and less than 50 percent of Hispanos and African
Americans don't own their home. And that's a gap, that's a homeownership gap.
And we've got to do something about it."—Cleveland, Ohio, July 1, 2002
"Whether you're here by
birth, or whether you're in America by choice, you contribute to the vitality
of our life. And for that, we are grateful."—Washington, D.C., May
17, 2002
"I'd rather have them
sacrificing on behalf of our nation than, you know, endless hours of testimony
on congressional hill."—National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland,
June 4, 2002
"We're working with
Chancellor Schröder on what's called 10-plus-10-over-10: $10 billion from the
U.S.,$10 billion from other members of the G7 over a 10-year period, to help
Russia securitize the dismantling—the dismantled nuclear
warheads."—Berlin, Germany, May 23, 2002
"Do you have blacks,
too?"—To Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8,
2001
"This is a nation that
loves our freedom, loves our country."—Washington, D.C, May 17, 2002
"The public education
system in America is one of the most important foundations of our democracy.
After all, it is where children from all over America learn to be responsible
citizens, and learn to have the skills necessary to take advantage of our
fantastic opportunistic society."—Santa Clara, Calif., May 1, 2002
"After all, a week ago,
there were—Yasser Arafat was boarded up in his building in Ramallah, a building
full of, evidently, German peace protestors and all kinds of people. They're
now out. He's now free to show leadership, to lead the world."—Washington,
D.C., May 2, 2002 (Thanks to M. Bateman.)
"This foreign policy stuff
is a little frustrating."—as quoted by the New York Daily News,
April 23, 2002
"I want to thank the dozens
of welfare to work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and
solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves."—Washington, D.C.,
April 18, 2002 (Thanks to George Dupper.)
"And so, in my State of
the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want
to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000
hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I
asked—4,000 hours." —Bridgeport, Conn., April 9, 2002 …(there are many
more)
Election outcome may complicate Obama's
foreign policy (Washington Post)
[ Wow! That’s all this country
needs … a more self-destructive zionist-leaning foreign policy which, as
obvious to the rest of the world, ignores israel’s transgressions (ie.,
violations of international law, u.n. resolutions, nuclear non-proliferation
treaty, etc.) while focusing on geopolitically detrimental or otherwise,
non-events. I see an already zionist-leaning foreign policy with wobama and co.
which begs the question … What foreign policy? James Forrestal made the point
infra: ]
Obama
cites Indonesia as model for Muslims (Washington Post)[
Drudgereport: Obama slams israel from
Jakarta … [ Wow! Who woulda’ thunk it … Wobama growing gonads in Indonesia … He
is quite correct, albeit in one of those sparingly infrequent moments … But,
alas … he’ll be returning to ‘little israel’ soon (usa) and I’m sure his
rhetoric will return to typical pro-israeli (anti-american interest) actions
and words (b*** s***)! ]...
netanayahu takes Flight
Back...
Confronts Anti-israel
Reality/Truth Movement in USA...
China Ratings
Agency Downgrades America... ] In city he
once lived in as a boy, Obama heralds nation's "spirit of tolerance"
that allows mosques, churches and temples to co-exist in a democracy.
Deaths of four Americans reflect increasing
violence of Somali piracy (Washington Post) [ Drudgereport: U.S. Warship Tracking Yacht
Hijacked by Somali Pirates... [ I realize there are ‘laws of the
sea’ / codified bodies of law within that broad yet very specific category
called ‘maritime law’, none of which I know nor care to know (I’ll content
myself to knowing and seeing to the enforcement of american law as pertains to
me; viz., RICO http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm . I do know that these
somali pirates need killin’ and I further believe that open season on them
including using their boats in the water for target practice makes sense and
certainly is morally justified. I’m tired of hearing about those little weasels
… you know, ‘the skinnies’. ]
Progress in Afghan war called 'uneven'
( Washington Post ) [ Uneven? Riiiiight! The real question
consonant with reality: Is there EVEN progress at all … just a little bit … un
petit peux … teeny weeny, itsy bitsy, one iota of progress … A resounding NO! …
unless you’re counting the magnitude of america’s defacto bankruptcy,
anti-american sentiment, etc.. ]
Visiting U.S. senators praise Afghan
progress, say drawdown date is unrealistic (Washington Post) [ I’ll
tell you what’s unrealistic: having compromised senators ( ie., non-war-heroe
senile mccain, closet homosexual graham, incompetent zelig zionist lieberman, new
york sinkhole slug Kirsten Gillibrand chided As 'Schumer's (zionist)
Little Girl' ) stay the course with already failed pervasively corrupt,
defacto bankrupt american policy … Paul
Craig Roberts: Government Abandoned Vietnam POWs Kurt
Nimmo |
John McCain worked overtime to make sure Vietnam POWs never came home. I think
the even bigger story vis-à-vis mccain is: http://www.albertpeia.com/heroenot.htm
‘Did you know that that so-called "american heroe" john mccain was
referred to by his fellow pows in Vietnam as something akin to the
"songbird" inasmuch as he was constantly "singing" to his
Viet-Cong captors to curry favor and better treatment? This has been documented
with authority by Colonel David Hackworth. The same violates military
code/protocol (other soldiers have been court-martialed for far less) click Here, Here. [ http://www.albertpeia.com/hackworth.htm
] But, you see, this covered up scenario, compromizing the false facade
of far less than a heroe, is exactly what a criminal (lie of a) nation as
america loves and encourages (get everyone's hands dirty so no-one dares to
rectify same, ie., bush, sr., clinton, bush, jr.). That is, "toe the
(corrupt, propagandized) line", become a criminal, or be exposed,
prosecuted, and/or ruined; and, hasn't anyone asked how "wall street"
has been "spared the spotlight" (and even was accorded protective
legislation from their criminal culpability) and focus of inquiry, attention,
and prosecution despite being the primary beneficiaries financial and otherwise
of these scams (you know the wall street motto, "churn and earn";
huge conflicts of interest if not outright fraud)…’…Oh and they so can afford
it Deficit
panel proposes huge cuts (Washington Post) [ Cuts? I heard the corrupt, incompetent lawmakers were giving
themselves a raise. They actually deserve at least a 10% paycut and abolition
of those lifetime appointments / permanent corrupt bureaucracies. Nothing
succeeds like failure and crime in pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt
america! ] Lawmakers propose curbs on Social Security, cuts in spending and tax
hikes if long-term goals aren't met.
Families remember USS Cole 10 years later
(Washington Post) [ If only Americans remembered the uss
liberty, they’d understand the israeli albatross strangling and bleeding the
life out of america as they have since that
fateful day.] In
the Middle East, it's still 1947 (Washington
Post) [ Indeed it should be! Among the few
times the cia was correct, and they’ve been trying to put square pegs in round
holes ever since, to america’s substantial detriment. I wonder what what those
american sailors of the US Liberty killed by the israelis would say?
USS
Liberty Survivor Threatened by Unknown Israeli This is what happened to Phillip F. Tourney, decorated war hero
and survivor of Israel’s premeditated attack on the USS Liberty 43 years ago.
On the evening of Aug. 6, Tourney was verbally threatened by a foreign national
claiming to work for the government of israel. As for the purported disdain
shown for war mongerer netanayahu, if only wobama’s actions matched his words,
the same would represent a major plus for him and the nation of america, so
sorely in need of pluses whether the same be budgetary or economic or
geopolitical. In fact, for America to abrogate 1948 would guarantee America’s
survival, prosperity, and global hegemony in the most positive sense. ]
‘The Obama Deception’
Censored A viral You Tube upload of
one of Alex Jones’ most popular feature films ‘The Obama Deception’ has been
censored following a spur of the moment campaign to elevate the movie’s title
to the top of the major internet search engines. In light of
this development, I provide an archived site version which appears to be
complete (but will be compared with earlier version and replaced with same if
incomplete) http://albertpeia.com/obamadeceptionhighqualityversion.flv
Ethics
code urged for Supreme Court
(Washington
Post) [ Sounds like a plan! Come on!
Wake up! After all, what can you expect from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and
scalia, colloquial – note that I have refrained from using what some might
consider disparaging terms as w*p*, gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for
the record that I truly loved and respected my grandmother who was 100%
Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with
greek ancestral roots and thereby claim standing/right to posit the criticism in
light of my direct experience. ). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to
judges, liars, etc., within the very corrupted american illegal system; and,
particularly bribes which in one form or another are rampant . I don’t know
about Thomas, but I do know about alito and ‘jersey … :
October 15, 2010 (*see
infra)
Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Dear Sir:
I enclose herewith 3
copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s
browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents
have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my
computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also
include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein
(which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder
named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act
is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages
and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims
probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in
need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations
of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption
is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently
with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action
which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention
of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District
Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents
as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and
the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the
Qui Tam provisions of the Federal
False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to
refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I
am not familiar).
The document in 5 pages under penalty of
perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the
best and most concise summary of the case
RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty
of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [
ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].
The correspondence I
received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but
typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the
3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the
calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA
office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met
with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the
money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred
from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location
was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron
Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly
retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and
parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for
the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did
– he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no, there
is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that prosecuted
gotti).
In contradistinction
to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information
including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set
forth in the case, inter alia,
There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor
creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt
and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the
meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.
Sincerely,
Albert L. Peia
611 E. 5th Street, #404
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 219-**** (cell phone)
(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with
the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance
greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for
contact).
----------
*The foregoing and as
indicated therein was previously send 9-14-10 but delivery confirmation was
flawed as set forth below and my inquiries to the u.s. postal service rebuffed
(I believe tampered with inasmuch as your office could not locate same). This
cover letter (9-13-10) is on the 3 disks with navigable hyperlinks to the
subject files for ease of reference, including the files in the RICO action as
indicated. (10-15-10) I spoke with Rose, FBI, ADIC Secretary, who indicates
once again that your office has not received the aforesaid and which can
reasonably be presumed to have been tampered with, and hence, a violation of
the federal statute concerning same. ]
----------
*The foregoing and as
indicated therein was previously send 9-14-10 but delivery confirmation was
flawed as set forth below and my inquiries to the u.s. postal service rebuffed
(I believe tampered with inasmuch as your office could not locate same). This
cover letter (9-13-10) is on the 3 disks with navigable hyperlinks to the
subject files for ease of reference, including the files in the RICO action as
indicated.
-----
Label/Receipt Number:
0310 1230 0000 0862 8183
Expected Delivery
Date: September 15, 2010
Class: Priority Mail®
Service(s): Delivery
Confirmation™
Status: Delivered
Your item was
delivered at 10:14 am on September 15, 2010 in LOS ANGELES, CA 90024.
Track and
Confirm
Enter Label/Receipt Number.
Enter Label / Receipt
Number.
Detailed
Results:
Bullet Delivered, September 15, 2010, 10:14 am, LOS
ANGELES, CA 90024
Bullet Arrival at Post Office, September 15, 2010,
4:12 am, LOS ANGELES, CA 90024
Bullet Processed through Sort Facility, September 14,
2010, 8:29 pm, LOS ANGELES, CA 90052
Bullet Acceptance, September 14, 2010, 4:04 pm, LOS
ANGELES, CA 90017
----
Sent Postage Prepaid: United States Mail - VIA Priority
Mail, Delivery Confirmation and VIA Certified Mail this 5th day of October,
2010.
Signed:
___________________________________
Albert L. Peia
Judges
rule without title, lenders can't foreclose (Washington Post) [ Rules of law? I didn’t think
they cared. That’s certainly the direct experience I’ve had with the
pervasively corrupt american legal / judicial system (along with the other two
branches of the u.s. government and defact bankrupt america generally). Court
decisions could call into doubt the ownership of mortgages, raising urgent
challenges for both the real estate market, wider financial system. Connecticut,
California join probe of Ally (Washington Post) [I’d be much more impressed if they initiated a probe of more
readily discernible criminal offenses in violation of the RICO Act http://albertpeia.com Frauds/Liars
(sic-lawyers)Covering Up for Other Frauds/Liars (sic-lawyers). In Productive
Societies as China, Japan, etc., Fraudulent Liars (sic-lawyers) and the Fraudulent
u.s. System They're a Part of Are Unheard Of/Non-existent. List of Files
Regarding Filed Attorney Grievance Against Fraud coan et als Or Here For A Clearer View Of
Filed
Grievance Complaint, Response, Exhibits, and Related RICO Filings Note the Committee of
Frauds/Liars (sic-lawyers). Included are DOJ Rep., State Court Rep., State
Atty. General Office Rep., and even a Vegetable Garden yale law prof who
probably never practiced law in his life. How Pathetic! http://albertpeia.com/fbiofficela91310
] Justice:
FBI improperly opened probes
(Washington Post) [ I just hope
they’re as zealous (in probing readily discernible crime) with regard to my
RICO matters and the corruption in the (judicial / legal) process since, in the
final analysis, it will have been the corruption within that will have brought
the nation down irrevocably and totally.
• Audio: Obama on terrorism tactics
A subtler tack to fight Afghan corruption?
(Washington
Post) [ How about a not so subtler tack
to fight corruption starting right here in the u.s. of a. where corruption and
crime are pervasive and in fact, at the root of the Afghanistan problems, from
american reinvigorated heroin trade to bribery attendant thereto to killing
civilians, etc.. Defacto Bankrupt, Meaningfully Lawless,
War Criminal Nation america, the leader of nations … in crime:
Though having but 5% of the world’s population, america can
boast 76% of the world’s serial killers, followed by Europe with England/UK
then Germany leading the way for the eu [excerpt, 6 minute video, Serial
Killers: Real Life Hannibal Lechters http://www.albertpeia.com/realifeamericaserialkillers.mpg (as is consistent with crime generally,
see infra)]. Defacto bankrupt, fraudulent america also spends more on offensive
(defensive a misnomer / propaganda) military spending than all the nations of
the world combined, and by a large margin at that. Do you see a pattern
emerging here [ I unfortunately only belatedly did, and the feds, fed
employees, cia, all 3 branches of the u.s. government, etc., are included in
this evolved american trait of inherent criminality in the most nefarious sense
( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
) ]:
Rank |
|||
# 1
|
11,877,218 |
|
|
# 2
|
6,523,706 |
|
|
# 3
|
6,507,394 |
|
… ]
Stepped-up
efforts fail to stem drug money (Washington Post) [ Come on! Wake up! That’s american, yes american big business.
The stuff that the war in Afghanistan is made of; viz., ie., heroin, etc..
]Stashing cash in spare tires, engine transmissions and truckloads of baby
diapers, couriers for Mexican drug cartels are moving tens of billions of dollars
in profits south across the border each year, a river of dirty money that has
overwhelmed U.S. and Mexican customs agents.
Mideast Digest: Iran's Ahmadinejad
calls for regional solution to Afghan crisis (Washington
Post) And appropriately so, as leader of a nation in the region as opposed to
invading nations from outside the region (particularly as one targeted by
assassins the likely assigns of those outside the region).
Judge: 'Don't ask, don't tell' is unconstitutional
(Washington
Post) [ Well, we all know that judge walker is alledgedly a
homo, so the question here is whether judge phillips is a lesbian… just
kidding! Not to slight homosexuals but to emphasize judicial bias / corruption
which is pervasive in america and I’ve observed, experienced, and have been
substantially damaged by pervasive and systemic corruption in the american
judicial process which has become more blatant and which justifies the
abolition of these costly, corrupt lifetime appointment / bureaucracies. The
fact is that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is the policy throughout the pervasively
corrupt federal system which is indeed as illegal as it is unconstitutional! ( http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
). ]
(Previously) I’d say this
alito vs. wobama is a tempest in a teapot inasmuch as alito is more than just a
lightweight, hack, liar, fraud etc., as set forth in the comments. alito is a
criminal who should have served / should be serving time in prison for
obstruction of justice, bribery, among other RICO violations. To alito, drug
money is as green as corporate money and worth his vote as well. In addition to
being an inept [I looked in on the one mob case he had brought, bungled, lost
(accidently on purpose?) since I was suing some mob-connected under RICO and
the court (I had known / previously met outside of court the judge Ackerman
through a client) was absolute bedlam and a total joke since incompetent
corrupt alito brought in all 20 mob defendants (rather than prosecute one or a
few to flip them first) who feigning illness had beds/cots in the courtroom
along with their moans during testimony and had the jury in stitches)] and
corrupt (see below and particularly the summary provided to the FBI under
penalty of perjury [
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf
http://www.albertpeia.com/112208opocoan/PeiavCoanetals.htm
] ) u.s. attorney.
You’re naïve to think
that the so-called supreme court is any different from the rest of the
meaningfully lawless and pervasively corrupt american ‘system’. I knew well an
accomplished trial lawyer, fellow american college of trial lawyers / and a bar
examiner, who pondered from time to time becoming a judge “so he’d never have
to work again” – his words.
Some comments on
alito…all appropriate:
Probably the worst appointment in one
hundred years.
Posted by: mnjam
-----------------------
Really? That's a pretty sweeping
statement to make about someone who's only been on the court a short few years.
And I thought that liberals were in
universal agreement that Clarence Thomas was the worst appointment in all of
history?
Posted by: blert | January 28, 2010 2:11
AM | Report abuse
----------------------------
Yes. Really. Alito is a total lightweight and hack. He makes Thomas look like
John Marshall or Oliver Wendell Holmes. I KNOW ALITO.
Posted by: mnjam | January 28, 2010 2:24 AM |
the loser here is alito.lost his composure not good for a judge especially
afederal or supreme justice .loser big time this will live with guy for a very
time.roberts and the other justices will have a talk with him that is a given.this
relly larger than o one day news cycle.
Posted by: donaldtucker | January 28, 2010 1:12 AM |
Should Alito resign or be impeached?
Posted by: jdmca | January 28, 2010 1:05 AM |
I
include the first two comments to the foregoing headline:
Billo Says:
June 11th, 2010 at 6:15
am
Lunacy? Keep in mind
that this country is run and controlled by lunatics. Our press government and
military seem to take their orders from Israel. Isarel wants to be known as a
pack of “mad dogs. Do we want “mad dogs” controlling us?
Here we see a bunch of phony accusations against Iran just
like we did in the run up to the bogus wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and now
Pakistan. The boy has cried wold ten thousand times. It’s time to identify the
“lunatics” and kindly take away the car keys. If you won’t let your friends
drive drunk, why do we let a bunch of “lunatic” enemies run this place.
Glen Reply:
June 11th, 2010 at 6:47
am
Lunacy it would be.
But it is also to their
great credit that the Iranians have not made their own threats.
Everyone knows there are
3 WMD threats, Nuclear Biological and chemical. The scariest of which is
Biological.
Any attack done under
the threat of immediate biological retaliation would deter only the insane.
Watch out america home
of the insane, home of the leaders who want an 80% population reduction.
Paul
Craig Roberts: Government Abandoned Vietnam POWs Kurt Nimmo
| John McCain worked overtime to make sure Vietnam POWs never came home. I
think the even bigger story vis-à-vis mccain is: http://www.albertpeia.com/heroenot.htm
‘Did you know that that so-called "american heroe" john mccain was
referred to by his fellow pows in Vietnam as something akin to the
"songbird" inasmuch as he was constantly "singing" to his
Viet-Cong captors to curry favor and better treatment? This has been documented
with authority by Colonel David Hackworth. The same violates military
code/protocol (other soldiers have been court-martialed for far less) click Here, Here. [ http://www.albertpeia.com/hackworth.htm
] But, you see, this covered up scenario, compromizing the false facade
of far less than a heroe, is exactly what a criminal (lie of a) nation as
america loves and encourages (get everyone's hands dirty so no-one dares to
rectify same, ie., bush, sr., clinton, bush, jr.). That is, "toe the
(corrupt, propagandized) line", become a criminal, or be exposed,
prosecuted, and/or ruined; and, hasn't anyone asked how "wall street"
has been "spared the spotlight" (and even was accorded protective
legislation from their criminal culpability) and focus of inquiry, attention,
and prosecution despite being the primary beneficiaries financial and otherwise
of these scams (you know the wall street motto, "churn and earn";
huge conflicts of interest if not outright fraud)…’
Coalition wants UK space lift-off [ Don’t make me laugh! ]
Israel’s
Nukes Out of the Shadows Israel faces unprecedented pressure to
abandon its official policy of “ambiguity” on its possession of nuclear weapons
as the international community meets at the United Nations in New York this
week to consider banning such arsenals from the Middle East.
NASA wants mission to bring Martian rocks to Earth (AP) Why?
They already have that and more:
Launch
of secret US space ship masks even more secret launch of new weapon
http://www.albertpeia.com/UFOetryWeNeverWentToTheMoonPNTV.wmv
[To the
Professor at the beginning of the course]
10-5-09
Postscript: Professor *****,
I felt compelled to thank you again for the add; not to curry your favor but
indeed to express profound thanks inasmuch as this is probably the last formal
course at a formal educational institution I'll ever take; and among the most
important. While I had bought at discount a library-discarded 1993 Anthropology
by Embers text, though meaning to read same never quite got to it. I am
astounded by the substantial amount of time involved in the evolutionary
process, not that I ever stopped to think about it, and one must come away with
the sense of 'and all that...for this?'. This course should be required
curriculum along with psychology, sociology, etc., but probably won't be owing
to what is, as it should be, a very humbling educational experience for any
member of the human race.
Regards,
Al Peia
Go to following pages for
above links:
http://www.albertpeia.com/currentopics2ndqtr10108.htm
http://www.albertpeia.com
http://www.albertpeia.com/alresume.htm
http://www.albertpeia.com/wallstreetlunacy2ndqtr10108.htm
You may post a comment on my blog on any topic: http://alpeiablog.blogspot.com
Drudgereport:
KRUGMAN:
'We are now, I fear, in the early stages of a third depression'...
STOCKS HIT LOWEST OF YEAR...
DEBT
SOARS TO HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE WWII...
PRIVATE SECTOR SEES WEAKER JUNE JOBS...
Sputtering...
Bilderberg
2010: Between the sword and the wall...
Protesters
'being detained, searched, questioned'...
Final
List of Participants...
Stephen Hawking: Aliens exist but don't talk to them --
it's too dangerous … might not like us… Oh pshaw! … Human nature, man’s
inhumanity to man? … Such humble beginnings and evolutionary history …
What’s not to like? … Besides, not to worry. With their advanced
technologies that defy human understanding, the aliens already know you’re here
… to stay. So, not to worry. After all, as we know from that documentary of
that same name, ‘Earth Girls Are Easy’ … and then there’s photosynthesis on
earth in a very big way also going for it! ...
Seeing
Aliens Will Likely Take Centuries. Centuries? Not goin’ to happen; at best,
decades.
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