ECONOMICS: The “ugly chicken” of unfunded liabilities

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

http://www.survivalblog.com/2013/03/become-your-own-central-banker-by-lbg.html

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Today the U.S. has spent the nation’s blood and treasure as well as our emotional capital on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have become involved in Libya, Egypt, and Syria.  Potential issues with Iran and North Korea loom large. There are 47 million people on food stamps. Unreported millions are unemployed. Spending on social programs has exploded.  The housing market collapsed and has never fully recovered. The banking system is on life support. The Federal Reserve is purchasing $85 billion dollars each month (a trillion dollars a year) in U.S. Treasury issues because no one else is willing to do so.  Despite government statistics and reports Inflation has driven prices on energy, food, clothing, health insurance, and everyday items beyond reason.  Expenditures outstrip tax revenues. Government spending is out of control and we are approaching $17 trillion dollars in national debt with untold (and unfathomable) amounts in promised future benefits, entitlements, mandates, and promissory notes.  By some estimates the U.S. has 238 TRILLION DOLLARS in unfunded liabilities.  We can’t cover it. We are flat busted.  And if our leadership refuses to address and fix the problem, the rest of the world will fix it for us.

*** end quote ***

And why are the Sheeple and Clovers happy? Dancing Idol is on TV!

Fools.

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ADMINISTRATIVE: Blue hair?

Monday, April 1, 2013

I have challenge a friends daughter in law to a donation to the Autism charity of her choice if she’ll dye her hair blue. TO add a little zest, I’ve offered to dye mine blue if there’s a 500$ donation.

As Doctor Zia said: “No partial credit”; the price is 500$ in sum.

–30–

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RANT: Rewriting history?

Monday, April 1, 2013

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/31/elite-eight-basketball-player-snaps-leg-in-game-see-pics-of-the-pain/

Sports
Elite Eight Basketball Player Snaps Leg in Game — See Pictures of the Pain, Teammates’ Emotion
Mar. 31, 2013 6:39pm Liz Klimas

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Sports Nation reporter Roger Sherman described the injury as looking as “horrible as soon as it happened — we’re gonna go ahead and not show it to you; it’s really not the type of injury that’s typical in a basketball game — but I think you can pretty much gauge how bad it was from the reactions of his teammates and coach Rick Pitino.”

Teammates fell on the court, wiping their eyes in emotion seeing Ware’s state. Duke players too were filled with compassion toward their opponent.

Here is footage of the scene (Note: it might be consider graphic to some):

*** end quote ***

“No longer viewable due to a copyright claim by CBS”

So history is no longer the province of the People.

Want more proof that the Media manipulates the news?

Anyone want to claim that this is not “news” and in the public interest?

Hope the man recovers as promised, but I still object to the manipulation of history.

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ECONOMICS: “Mattresses” money?

Monday, April 1, 2013

http://www.deviantinvestor.com/3444/its-head-for-the-mattresses-time-for-savers-worldwide/

It’s head for “the mattresses” time for savers worldwide
Posted by Deviant Investor on March 28th, 2013

Guest Post from Liberty Gold and Silver

*** begin quote ***

Well, there is another turf war going on, a worldwide one, one that threatens the entire economic and political landscape of the planet. It is between all the hard working savers on the planet and the ever greedy criminal bankers and their cohorts in government. The real big canary singing out an extreme danger warning to all traditional savers who wish to entrust their wealth to banks and other paper vehicles – stocks, bonds, etc., is the incredible emergency banking shutdown in the tiny island nation of Cyprus. Granted, Cyprus represents only .02% of the population of the European Union. Yet what is occurring there is the harbinger of great risk to traditional savers on every continent; and equally important, there are many more scary danger signs raising their ugly heads as well.

*** end quote ***

Of course, Sheeple, it can’t happen here.

Why not?

Do you think that our politicians and bureaucrats are more “trustworthy” than theirs?

I keep looking back to the unfunded liabilities that the politicians have created in our names and the IRA/401k savings balances. 

I’m sure that they are looking at the fact that they only have to strong arm about 3k “custodians” and it’s all theirs.

And what are the Sheeple and Clovers going to do about it?

When they are putting people in the camps, it’ll be too late.

Can’t happen here?

Talk to the Japanese Americans, the American Indians, the follower of David Koresh!

In a heartbeat.

Argh!

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MONEY: Pensions in the bulls eye

Sunday, March 31, 2013

http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/poverty-hits-the-suburbs/

WND EXCLUSIVE
Poverty hits the suburbs
Disturbing stats show dangers overlooked as Wall Street bulls run wild

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He calls “the great 401k experiment of the past 30 years” a “disaster,” and says the actual average 401(k) balance for 65 year olds is closer to $25,000 than the $100,000 claimed by the retirement industry. Siedle predicts, “a catastrophic outcome for at least a significant percentage of our elderly population is inevitable.”

He is just as pessimistic about pensions, warning, “Americans today are aware that corporate pensions have been virtually eliminated and that the few remaining private, as well as the nation’s public pensions, are in jeopardy. Even if you are among the lucky few that have a pension, you cannot rest assured that it will be there for all the years you’ll need it. Whether you know it or not, someone is busy trying to figure how to screw you out of your pension.”

*** end quote ***

Obviously, the individual will have to save for themselves.

And, it’s in things that will retain value.

Not numbers on a bank statement.

Productive assets.

Bullion.

Bullets, bandaids, beans!

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INTERESTING: Evenings in artificial light

Saturday, March 30, 2013

http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/4-things-you-should-know-about-your-third-eye?akid=10235.1122391.8sa7Wx&rd=1&src=newsletter813955&t=11

Personal Health
AlterNet / By Scott Thill

4 Things You Should Know About Your ‘Third Eye’
We still lack a complete understanding of the pineal gland — but that doesn’t stop us from speculating.

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Located in nearly the direct center of the brain, the tiny pinecone-shaped pineal gland, which habitually secretes the wondrous neurohormone melatonin while we sleep at night, was once thought to be a vestigial leftover from a lower evolutionary state.

Indeed, according to recent research, we could be increasing our chances of contracting chronic illnesses like cancer by unnecessarily bathing its evenings in artificial light, working night shifts or staying up too late. By disrupting the pineal gland and melatonin’s chronobiological connection to Earth’s rotational 24-hour light and dark cycle, known as its circadian rhythm, we’re possibly opening the doors not to perception, but to disease and disorder. A recently published study from Vanderbilt University has found associations between circadian disruption and heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

By hacking what pinealophiles call our mind’s third eye with an always-on technoculture transmitting globally at light-speed, we may have disadvantaged our genetic ability to ward off all manner of complicated nightmares. No wonder the pineal gland is a pop-culture staple for sci-fi, fantasy and horror fandom, as well as a mass attractor of mystics and mentalists. Its powers to divide and merge our light and dark lives only seems to grow the more we take it seriously.

*** end quote ***

Nightmares?

Hmmm!

I’m interested in anything about that!

Argh!

No idea if it’s linked. Nor if there’s anything that can be done!

Argh!

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PRIMAL: Taking a swipe at the paleo diet

Friday, March 29, 2013

http://www.alternet.org/food/popular-paleo-diet-bunch-baloney?page=0%2C3&akid=10235.1122391.8sa7Wx&rd=1&src=newsletter813955&t=3

Food
AlterNet / By Jill Richardson
Is the Popular ‘Paleo Diet’ a Bunch of Baloney?
The Paleo diet might be more successful in generating profit for its proponents than producing health for its followers.

*** begin quote ***

Long story short, while many aspects of the paleo diet are uncontroversial and beneficial, like increasing fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, switching to pasture-raised meat, and cutting out processed foods, the overall premise of the diet as well as some of its key components appear based on pseudoscience and unsubstantiated claims. But, you might notice that many of the most popular, well-known paleo diet Websites sell books, diet plans and memberships. It appears that this diet might be more successful in generating profit for its proponents than producing health for its followers. 

*** end quote ***

Well, their arguments certainly penetrated my thinking.

I can’t say that I’m a “good paleo”. Heck, I’m probably not even a “bad” one.

I have replaced water for ALL soda — diet or otherwise.

I have virtually eliminated the “pink stuff”.

I have been eating more salad, bananas, and organic apples.

I have been eating a LOT LESS pizza.

Beer and pizza is still my weakness!

Argh!

One thing’s for sure, they aren’t making any money from me.

Maybe it will be better for me, it can be worse. Can it?

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QUOTE: Not enough to cover the giant web of obligations

Thursday, March 28, 2013

“What remains are games of musical chairs, Ponzi schemes, frauds, swindles, stonewalls, ruses, ploys, scams, dodges, bluffs, subterfuges, QE martingales, interventions, rehypothecations, pretenses and other modes of evading or disguising reality. The reality is that there is not enough real wealth to go around, certainly not enough to cover the giant web of obligations that masquerades as ‘money.'” – James Howard Kunstler in an essay titled The Cyprus Fiasco Is A Metaphor For The Entire Global Financial System

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PRODUCTIVITY: Keep records

Thursday, March 28, 2013

“Everything is an idea for something, something that touches the imagination, a fact that seems relevant or maybe just a statement I find interesting — either because it resonates or because I disagree. All of it is fodder for continued work or thinking on the topics. It’s also important to me to record the ideas that my instincts tell me are bad.”

—Elizabeth Spiers
 
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PRODUCTIVITY: Roles for meetings

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

http://www.designstaff.org/articles/always-be-capturing-2013-02-22.html

A tip for effective meetings: Always be capturing
Joshua Porter/Director of UX, HubSpot

*** begin quote ***

At HubSpot, we recently did a product design sprint with the Google Ventures Design Studio. It was a great experience, not only to work alongside a team of highly accomplished designers, but to observe their design process and how they proceed through a project.

Our design team learned a lot from Google Ventures. We learned about designing quickly. We learned about keeping laser focus on the goals of a project. We learned about keeping the scope as small as possible (but no smaller). But one of the most powerful things we learned was a simple lesson that applies to way more than design: Always be capturing.

“Always be capturing” is about the habit of continuously recording the value from your conversation. For example: If you’re talking about a new concept, you should be sketching it as you talk so your team has a shared understanding and an artifact of the conversation.

*** end quote ***

Argh!

I’ve tried … …

(“NO! … Try not! … Do or do not… there is no try.” (To do it justice, you must say the word try with all the revulsion and disgust you can put on it. Like you were talking about a rapist, a child murderer, or a politician!) — Yoda (Fictional character from George Lucas’s “Star Wars” movie)

… … to change the culture about meetings!

I might as well be speaking Greek — scrums, huddles, meetings — to redefine the bad behavior.

“Camp fires” where everyone sits around and tells stories and departs with no “totem poles” erected to memorialize anything.

Argh!

Amazing how undisciplined modern corporations are and then they are surprised when they gon’t get the results that they want.

Sigh!

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