No matter how you slice it, this is just frightening.
I stumbled upon this diagram (from Great Britain’s National Health Service) on the BBC news site. Check the site out, please. Am I missing something? I read and re-read the article and could find no reference to the numbers – only those on the picture. And they certainly don’t jive with the numbered list below Mr. Skinned.
Point #1 clearly aligns with the #1 symptoms listed below the figure: whole body | high temperature, tiredness and lowered immunity. Point #2, ditto. #3 location is the stomach: this is where you get a sore throat? I don’t think so. And it just goes downhill from there.
So what am I missing?
If by some wild coincidence I’m not missing anything and the chart is messed up, what does that say about an industrialized country’s nationalized system of medicine? (And yes, I know that the folks across the pond can differentiate between the throat and the stomach. And I also understand that they can count!) But my point holds… Who signed off on this? Who released it to the press? Was this a joke, or an act of complete and utter incompetence (and if the latter, what does that say about the NHS)?
As I said, it must be me. But then again, google on the following and read the first half-dozen hits: “great britain” NHS… Say no more. Say no more!
While Black Friday, by every early indication, had done everything asked of it — and more, it seemed, than pessimists had expected of it — it failed to wrest Wall Street’s post-holiday spotlight from a corporate debt crisis on the far side of the globe.
The Dubai World story had captivated and frustrated markets beginning late Wednesday, when U.A.E. city-state Dubai, the controlling stakeholder, raised a red flag by announcing — with, it should be noted, holidays looming in the Muslim world as well as in the U.S. — a restructuring of the flashy conglomerate and a six-month standstill on its debt.
An ultimate default, of course, is the market’s chief fear, with banks around the world suffering severe collateral damage.
It was, as MarketWatch assistant managing editor Tom Bemis wrote, an important real-world stress test of the global financial system — a test whose results, so far, are mixed, with most European markets recovering from Thursday’s drubbings in Friday action but U.S. stocks only managing to salve Friday’s deepest wounds.
Friday’s declines left the main U.S. stock gauges in the red for the week — the Dow (DJIA) and Nasdaq (COMP) by 0.1% and the S&P 500 (SPX) by a razor-thin 0.01%.
As always I welcome your thoughts and would be more than happy to talk with you regarding any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to contact me at 949-209-9441, or matt@mktwealthmanagement.com.
Best regards,
Matthew Todsen
President / CEO
MKT Wealth Management
Top 10 Stories of the Week Provided by MarketWatch
A big Black Friday
The indications were almost uniformly upbeat Friday as the holiday shopping season got underway. Five thousand customers outside Macy’s in Manhattan before the doors opened at the crack of dawn. Five hundred free breakfasts snapped up in 20 minutes at a Florida shopping center. Long lines at Best Buy stores in various geographies. Conspicuous consumption at the Garden State Mall in New Jersey. Shoppers in the nation’s capital paying surrogates $20 to endure out-the-door lines in their stead. See full story on retail’s Black Friday.
A Dubai World of hurt?
U.S. banks are likely less exposed than their European counterparts to a potential debt default by Dubai World, but a lack of transparency and the interconnectedness of the modern financial system make it difficult to know which institutions are ultimately exposed, analysts said Friday. See full story on the banking industry’s potential exposure to Dubai World’s debt crisis.
The new gold bugs
Gold has long been favored by a fringe of the investment world. This year, however, some of the world’s leading hedge-fund managers have loaded up on the precious metal. Some are concerned that government efforts to avoid another Great Depression could undermine major currencies and fuel rampant inflation. Find out more about the latest generation of gold bugs.
Surge in home sales
Sales of new homes rose 6.2% in October, boosted by strong results in the South, according to the latest data from the Commerce Department. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 430,000 was well above the 390,000 pace that economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected. Read more about the latest housing data .
China’s data ‘disconnect’
A sharp rise in Chinese car sales and vehicle ownership hasn’t been reflected in nationwide gasoline consumption this year, an anomaly that has some analysts scratching their heads in search of answers. The disconnect has sparked a range of possible explanations — and some suspicious musings. Read more about China’s car sales .
Profits rise at H-P
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) reported a 14% gain in quarterly profit, despite a dip in sales, as the Silicon Valley behemoth reeled from lower revenue in its key PC and printer segments. But the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company also posted a higher revenue for its information-technology services business, underscoring H-P’s transformation from a traditional hardware maker. Read more about H-P’s results .
Troubles in Saab deal
Swedish carmaker Koenigsegg backed out of its deal to buy Saab from General Motors, leaving the Detroit giant with another European name plate it had initially planned on selling. GM and Koenigsegg reached a binding agreement on the cash-bleeding Saab brand back in August, two months after the two automakers signed a letter of intent. Read more about the Saab deal .
With age comes wisdom
Hunting for a job is never easy, particularly in labor markets like this one, but it can be even harder when your hair is going gray. Even if age bias were rare — and many say it’s not — after a rejection or three, it can become difficult to go to another job interview without the worrisome feeling that stereotypes are working against you. But that attitude may torpedo your chances of landing a job. Get some tips on finding that job .
Problem banks
The number of distressed banks in the U.S. rose to the highest level in 16 years in the third quarter, and the insurance fund used to protect bank depositors swung to a negative balance, according to a report released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund, which is used to protect depositors, swung to an $8.2 billion loss in the third quarter, the largest drop since the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1990s. Read more about the troubled banks .
Calculating GDP growth
Spurred by government stimulus programs, the economy expanded at a 2.8% annualized rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported. However, the 2.8% growth rate is below the government’s initial estimate of 3.5% due to downward revisions in consumer spending and business investment in nonresidential structures, as well as changes to imports and exports. Despite the downward revision, growth in the third quarter was the strongest in two years, the government said. Read more about the GDP data .
Government officials and the public sector unions are expected to begin considering in detail today proposals for reducing the pay bill for next year.
The introduction of a compulsory unpaid leave arrangement for staff in the public service next year is emerging as a central feature of any alternative deal between unions and the Government for reducing the public sector pay bill without across-the-board pay cuts.
The details of the amount of unpaid leave that staff would be obliged to take next year under any such alternative agreement has not been decided. There has been speculation in recent days that it could involve 12-14 days per year.
The introduction of compulsory unpaid leave would effectively represent a reduction in earnings for staff – some unions estimate that it means a 2 per cent cut for every five days of unpaid leave. However, the nominal pensionable pay of workers would remain the same.
So the Republicans have released a list of 10 policies their 2010 candidates should adhere to. Let’s just cut to the chase and take a look.
“(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill;”
Great! Or at least it WOULD be great if it were true. But Bush and the Republicans in congress spent more money than any President before him (and Obama is even worse). Republicans are NOT for smaller government. They only say they are when Democrats are in power. But time and time again, it’s Republicans who outspend Democrats. Don’t get me wrong, both sides are big government scumbags and I’ll never vote for either of them. But at least Democrats don’t pretend to be for smaller government. At least they’re honest about their scumbaggery. And I like how they call it the “Obama stimulus”. If I remember correctly, the first stimulus bill went through during Bush’s term. McCain pushed for it and voted for it. Have you forgotten already? He tried to cancel a live presidential election debate so he could go vote for it. It was a big deal. Man, Americans have short memories. And when the first stimulus Bill was voted down in the House (before it was later passed), Bush went ahead and authorized his own little bailout with an executive order. Look it up. Republicans ARE NOT for fiscal responsibility. They just want it to be THEM wasting all the money on big flashy programs rather than the democrats.
“(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;”
Again, great!…if it were true. Sure “Obamacare” is going to be awful when it finally passes (and it WILL eventually pass), but so is “RomneyCare”. That’s right, Mitt Romney had his own little statist healthcare program as the governor of Massachusetts. Under his plan it was against the law to NOT have healthcare. No government sponsored healthcare, just a mandate that said you had to buy it yourself. So the democrats’ plan (government-run healthcare) is socialism and the republicans’ plan, (government-mandated private healthcare) is fascism. Whoopie. I can’t wait to vote on which party I want in office.
“(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;”
I actually can’t really comment on this. I oppose cap and trade as well but I haven’t taken the time to research what Republicans plan to do about energy reforms. But judging by their past records, I’d be willing to bet it’s just a different but equally bad option.
“(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;”
Unions. Ugh. I don’t like them but I also think that people have the right to associate with whomever they want and in whatever way they want…and that right extends to employers and business owners. They should be able to fire whoever they want for whatever reason they want. It’s their damn property.
“(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;”
At least they’re honest about this one. I disagree with them, but at least they’re not lying.
“(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;”
And this is the #1 reason that Republicans are bigger spenders than Democrats. They like war more….or do they? WWI, WWII, Korea, Clinton’s Yugoslavia nonsense; all started while democrats were in power. Both parties love their wars. Yes. Even Obama. On to Sudan! Save (bomb) Darfur!
“(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;”
Blah Blah Blah more warmongering.
“(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;”
Screw you Republicans! If you are religious, then marriage is a religious ceremony. If you’re not, marriage is a contract between two people. Neither of those areas are any of the government’s business. Legalize gay AND straight marriage!
“(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and”
Finally something I could agree on…if I knew they didn’t have a statist healthcare scheme of their own.
“(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.”
One more time, say it with me: GREAT!….if I knew it wasn’t a lie.
Look up H.R. 1022 sometime. It didn’t pass, thank goodness, but it was supposed to be another Clinton-style assault weapons ban but this time it was written and sponsored by Republicans. I will agree that more republicans seem to understand and support gun rights but don’t trust someone just because they have an (R) after their name. In fact, never trust ANY politician until you get to know them and their positions because, as we can see, they’re all liars and scumbags to the last….yes that includes YOUR pet politician.
The introductions of the world’s best musicians’ historical songs and footprints in Music history and
special instructions on Korean music.
Korean Music Elvis Presley Beatles ABBA Michael Jackson Mariah Carey Celine Dion Britney Spears
Whitney Houston – I will always love you
Madonna – Like a virgin
Christina Aguilera – So Emotional
Barbra Streisand – Woman In Love
Barbra Streisand – Memory
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Coolio – Gangstas Paradise
Bryan Adams – Everything I do I do it for you
Kansas – Dust in the wind
Roberta Flack – Killing me softly with his song
Survivor – The eye of the tiger
Juice Newton – Angel Of The Morning
Carol kidd – When I Dream
Wham – Last Christmas
Steelheart – She’s Gone
Bee Gees – Holiday
Scorpions – Still Loving You
Tammy Wynette – Stand by your man
Rocio Banquells – A Donde Voy
Rod Stewart – Sailing
Johnny Mathis – A time for us
Don McLean – Vincent
Morris Albert – Feelings
Irene Cara – Fame
Andy Williams – Love Story
BJ ThomasRaindrops – Keep falling on my head
Lulu – To Sir With Love
Paul Anka – My way with Frank Sinatra
Bertie Higgins – Casablanca
Placido Domingo and John Denver – Perhaps Love
Eagles – Hotel California
Boney M : Rivers of Babylon
Eruption – One???? way ticket
Eric Clapton – Tears in heaven
Neil Sedaka – You Mean Everything To Me
Richard Marx – Now and Forever
Simon & Garfunkel – El Condor Pasa
Billy Joel – Honesty
Dawn – Tie a yellow ribbon ’round the ole oak tree
Cliff Richard – Early in the morning
The Platters – Onl????y You
Madonna – Don’t cry for me Ar
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Unfortunately, Obama dug the hole himself, and like a hole created when a water main leaks and then bursts, the hole is expanding day by day and as it does, the fallout is increasing.
The President and his legal teams have done everything in their power to prevent anyone from accessing his real birth certificate, if he has one, but there are other lines of investigation they cannot block.
During his campaign for the Senate, he and his team touted his Kenyan birth, possibly because it made him more appealing to the voters they needed. Unfortunately, admitting to his birth in Kenya makes him ineligible for the Presidency.
So the question now is, was he really born in Kenya and he told the truth in the Senate campaign, or was he really born in Hawaii, and the Kenya story was a lie, used to deceive Illinois voters.
Obama can’t have it both ways. The answer to this question will be interesting!
See article at: http://newsblaze.com/story/20091125153031nnnn.nb/topstory.html
The European Union (EU): Modern Europe leading human rights; (Nov. 10, 2009)
The previous post “European Union (EU) describes Modern Europe” covered a few statistics and then a short description of the EU administrative and legislative institutions. This follow up post will cover what is working, then analyzing what need to be ironed out, and then how the world community is expecting modern Europe to lead.
The 27 European States forming the EU counts 6 States among the twenty leading economy in the world. By deceasing rank we have USA, China, Japan, India, Germany, Russia, Britain, France, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Spain, South Korea, Canada, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, Australia, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. Actually, those six European economies constitute about 90% of the EU in economy and in populations.
As a block, the economy of the EU may surpass the USA with a twist: the three largest industrial multinationals in every sector are US. For example, in aeronautics we have United Technology, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin; in medical materials we have Medtronic, United Health, and Alcon; in Medias we have Walt Disney, News Corporation, and Comcast; in pharmaceutical/biotechnology we have Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer; in informatics we have Microsoft, IBM, and Google. Besides, the US is the first military power in technology, Navy, Bombers, and aircraft carriers. The EU is totally dependent on oil and gas energies imported from Russia and elsewhere. France has adopted a policy of being sufficient in electricity via nuclear energy (60% of the total of France production of energy). Denmark is 25% sufficient in Aeolian technology and Germany about 15%.
The EU is facing problems. First, the “community vision” is eroding: the decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall and disintegration of the Soviet Union sent the wrong message of jumping in the band wagon of US globalization; thus, the well to do citizens wanted to get rich fast by emulating liberal capitalism. Individualism overshadowed the need to resume a common culture of developing institutions that are trained to work toward the common interest and be reformed to keeping the EU spirit intact in human rights and human dignity.
Second, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 took Europe by surprise. The euphoric undertaking of uniting East Germany quickly exhausted West Germany with the multitude of social, economic and political problems of this unification and captured most of Germany’s resources and time and prevented it to ponder on the EU necessities. The opportunity to deepen European consciousness for reformed institutions to expanding eastward was missed.
Third, the EU was discussing the two possibilities: either the strengthening the current union for the longer term expansion or hastily absorbing the many eastern European newly independent States. The political decision was to go ahead and allowing these tiny states to adhere to the union. I think that this was the appropriate decision because new States had to root their future into a tangible alliance or fall back into past habit, inclinations, and culture; thus, forming close alliances with Russia. The EU was the appropriate framework for ethnic communication and more democratic realization of social aspirations. The problem is that these tiny States feel that they should aspire to the same standard of living in no times. The latest financial crash has left al these States in bankrupt conditions and it is up to the rich EU States to salvage this predicament. Maybe this fact should remind the EU that not all States should enjoy the same rights until they can show the same capability to shouldering responsibilities.
The actual challenges are many. First, there is a political space to reconstruct: The budget of the EU institutions is merely 1% of the gross GNP while States allocate over 30% to re-distribute to collectivities, social protection, and welfare. The richer States are not that inclined to contribute heavily to the social stability of the poorer EU State members. Second, the EU has unified its currency (it overcame the States’ monopolies to issuing paper money) but is lacking a unified economic government. For example, the EU lacks common public spaces, no political party or organization has been created or formed to focus on specific EU interests, and the EU Parliament has no power to raise taxes to finance common policies. So far, the government chiefs are wary of relinquishing their interstates legitimacy and power.
As a block, the EU is still unable to challenge the US on crimes against humanity committed by the US and Israel; it is fully cooperating with the US on taking Israel off the hook in the UN for daily crimes against human dignity, rights, and apartheid policies in the West bank and Gaza. There are a few States in the EU that are showing trends to opposing Israel’s apartheid practices and boycotting its products grown and manufactured in the occupied West Bank; it is the people in these States who have set the stage for human rights and dignity reversal toward the Palestinian endemic plight since 1948.
The world community is on its toes: will the EU refresh its initial objective of “community vision” or will it relapse in petty interstates interest of monopolies and idiosyncrasies? We need the EU to be the caldron of community communication among ethnicities, languages, and cultures. We need the EU to be the social and political testing ground for viable alternatives in vision, institutions, ecological human survival, human rights and dignity. We need the EU to invent new reasons to living together and reducing man inequality.
The European Union is the most striking political and social achievement in the 20th century. The backbones of most of the UN peace keeping forces around the world are European contingents; the EU is the highest contributor in humanitarian budgets and for reforming obsolete public institutions in the under-developed States. The EU needs a refresher community vision and the world community should raise its voices and aid Europe in its endeavors.
Tyson Foods reported disappointing margins for its chicken business on Monday as market prices fell and grain costs rose.
Skip to next paragraph Enlarge This Image Spencer Tirey for The New York Times
Workers at a Tyson plant in Arkansas inspect frozen chicken breast fillets. Falling prices and rising costs hurt the company.
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The company reported a quarterly profit after one-time items that beat Wall Street expectations on the strength of its beef and pork businesses, but investors focused on the performance of its poultry operations, which came in well below that of rivals like Pilgrim’s Pride.
Donnie Smith, a veteran at the company who became chief executive last week, said in a conference call that the chicken business should improve in 2010, but added that the company would need to increase volume and do a better job of managing inventory.
“It’s important to remember that we significantly reduced inventory in 2009, so to keep up with current domestic demand, we’ll have to produce this year what we took out of inventory last year,” Mr. Smith said. “We’ll be doing what we should be doing, which is selling what we produce and not confusing the freezer with the customer.”
Earlier on Monday, Pilgrim’s Pride reported a quarterly profit, reversing a year-earlier loss.
Tyson reported a net loss of $455 million, or $1.22 a share, for its fiscal fourth quarter, ended on Oct. 3, compared with a year-earlier profit of $48 million, or 13 cents a share.
Excluding a good-will impairment charge for its beef business, Tyson earned 28 cents a share, beating the analysts’ average estimate of 26 cents, according to Thomson Reuters.
Revenue at Tyson rose slightly, to $7.21 billion from $7.20 billion. Analysts on average were expecting $6.88 billion.
Operating margins at the chicken segment came in at 1.2 percent, much below analysts’ forecasts.
Tyson expects the strength in its pork and beef businesses to continue in its new fiscal year and said that it saw a chance for the economy to improve in the last half of the year.
Tyson’s stock fell 19 cents, to $12.88.
Tyson Foods Posts a Slim Profit, but Its Chicken Business Lags
Commenting on Finance Minister Brian Lenihan’s much-discussed pledge to deliver cuts of €4bn in the Budget, Mr O’Leary said: “I’ve been asked if I were Minister for Finance, what I would do to reduce costs by €4bn. I wouldn’t reduce them by €4bn. I’d reduce them by €20bn in one year. I would eliminate 20 per cent of the civil service by simple means of requiring them all to work a minimum of 40 hours a week from Monday to Friday, and take 20 days’ holidays a year like everybody else in the bloody real world. And if you don’t like it, leave.”
Precisely how will that save €20bn? Even if they were to walk?
Referring to the obstacles his own company faces in doing business in Ireland, the Ryanair boss added: “What mystifies me is the Government falls all over itself trying to attract the world’s biggest companies to invest in this country. You have the world’s biggest airline resident in this country, willing to invest in this country in an industry which, despite the recession, you can turn on growth straightaway: tourism, hotels, bars, restaurants, the works. We’ve been doing business here since 1986 and yet the Government has followed only two policies. One: pissing us off; and two: promoting and protecting what is clearly an incompetent monopoly at Dublin Airport.”
But, to quote his own words… if you don’t like it, leave. Curiously though, Ryanair hasn’t.
And what of entrepreneurial wisdom on these matters?
Millionaire founder of Baltimore Technologies and former FAI chief executive Fran Rooney for his part believes that entrepreneurs will be the ones to lead Ireland out of the recession, with manufactured export-led growth being the key driver.
“Private enterprise is going to drive us out of this recession. How are we going to be successful driving this forward? The most essential statistic will be the increase in exports in the next number of years. We’ve got to create an environment where we have manufactured exports.
“That can only be created by entrepreneurs.
Hmmm… to a point, to a point. Although knowing what I do about the time from start up to successful profit making and the far from great record of entrepreneurship in this state…well… hmmm.
He continues:
“Where the Government can help is in providing the stimulus for that. There’s no point in creating jobs where we’re just moving the money around. We’ve got to bring money in from overseas either through investment to create exports, or through exports themselves. Without that, there isn’t going to be an improvement in this economy. We’ll just be borrowing, taking money in from banks that has to be repaid,” he said.
Mr Rooney says the Government must introduce imaginative policies to encourage people as the recession bites more heavily.
“We have a lot of people unemployed, and we’re paying for those people to be unemployed, essentially. One very simple stimulus would be to pay companies to take them on board. We’d get two things out of that. We would take people off the live register and we’d also be putting them back into employment which will help to stimulate the economy,” he said.
Ermmm… and who will pay for this given that ‘private enterprise will drive us out of this recession’ and recovery ‘can only be created by entrepreneurs’?
“Another great stimulus would be to match investment by private individuals”
By who again?
“There was a lot of money spent on land.
“Now where did that money go? Unless it was spent again on other development land or outside the country, it’s still in the country sitting in people’s bank accounts.
“You’re talking about a very aggressively sexed-up business expansion plan over one or two years where you’re going to get a return of ‘x’ percent that will be matched by the Government or assisted by them.
It’s really a shame this should be a headline in Peru’s newspaper of record, El Comercio.
“Economists: continued growth is not possible unless poverty is reduced”.
Just saying, that one is right up there with “the sky is blue” and “Bill Gates not hurting for money this week”.
But such is the dilemma that is Peru: for the suits in Lima economic growth has long been detached from quality of life for ordinary Peruvians, especially in the provinces. Take for example this chart from official INEI statistics, during a period where GDP grew at a 9% annual clip.
Chullo tip to IKN.
Now I’m not pretending to have an easy solution for the quality of life issues in Peru, but hopefully some of the suits in Lima will start to seriously look beyond the neo-liberal dogma that “what’s good for business is good for everyone”.
I’ll propose a new ideology for economists in Peru: “do what’s good for the people and economic growth will follow”.
Stimulate the economy in the provinces
Improve the infrastructure in Lima’s slums and in the provinces
Respect labor and environmental protections
Reduce bureaucracy and hold the bureaucrats accountable
….
The economy in Peru is too dependent on tourism and export of base metals. While those are great sources of revenue, the suits who run Peru should look at adding technology, manufacturing and quality services, the types of employment that would raise the standard of living of the average Peruvian worker.
At the end of the day, the Peruvian economy is the total of what the average Peruvian worker contributes to it, and expects to receive from it. Not in monetary “funny printed paper” terms, but in terms of products and services. It’s a no-brainer, focus on the quality of life of ordinary Peruvians and economic growth must follow.
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For the past few days teachers, staff, and students throughout the University of California system and beyond have been protesting the move to raise student fees and cut from the budget next semester.
At UC Berkeley, many teachers and faculty have been on strike since Wednesday. Students have also joined in the effort, though in significantly smaller numbers than back in September when another demonstration was held.
When I was awoken this morning around 6 by helicopters overhead I knew there’d be some interesting news later when I actually got up. Sure enough, I found out that a number of people barricaded had themselves inside Wheeler Hall early this morning. This was most likely done in an effort to raise the intensity and publicity of the protests and in that regard they have succeeded (or maybe they just didn’t like the idea of protesting in the rain so they took over a building). I don’t agree with these tactics, but that’s a different topic.
Many are worried that we are headed toward the privatization of education which sounds a lot like the Republicans denouncing health care reform by saying that it will lead us to a government takeover of health care. The approach is to persuade people by taking the scariest extreme outcome and declare it will happen unless we change paths immediately. Public education, like anything else that relies on the government, does face many challenges. But the lengths to which people have gone over the past few days to protect it should be proof that if public education ever faces a serious threat of being eliminated there will be enough outrage to stop those actions immediately.
Fees are going to go up next semester, and most likely again in the near future because California isn’t going to fix its budget problems next year or anytime soon. Students are going to get less for more, not unlike other areas where fees have been raised like public transportation. We’ll have to deal with it, and it’ll stink, but people will find a way to do what they need to do. The present is dim, but there’s no reason for the future to be black. There are things we need the state to do to remedy the financial situation which harms things like our educational institutions.
Kill proposition 13 or cut spending. Without more money, the state cannot continue to spend the way that people are expecting it to. After eliminating proposition 13, place strict limits on new spending projects. The state will be able to pay for the services it provides today and prevent annual budget deficits, while at the same time protecting taxpayers from having their property increasingly taxed like in other states. The alternative strategy would be to cut spending (but there’s obviously no reason why we couldn’t have taxes and cuts if they made sense). The primary target of spending reductions should be the prison system.
Similarly, the proposition process should be amended to prevent voters from spending money that that state doesn’t have. Buying things we like with bonds isn’t good for the future (discussed more after the last protest).
Also, protesters are right to demand transparency for the way their money is spent. There are so many construction projects going around just here at UCB that it’s hard not to cry corruption when we’re not told where our money is going. Pressure on the administrators should continue even after this 3-day strike period.
Perhaps the most drastic alternative would be to split California in half (or in thirds if you want to get a really messy map). Let the blue California tax themselves to death for everything they want, let the red California go to sleep with their money, and let purple California (wherever that might be) figure things out for itself.
It’s 5 o clock and the helicopters are back to do their live reporting for the news. If it weren’t for Berkeley protests those choppers would just sit there collecting dust.
And for a completely different take on California government, the budget, and helicopters, click here.
For sheer incoherence, this may very well be on par with “I was for it before I was against it,” although not nearly as quotable. However, for the unrivaled capacity to redefine things at will, the award has to go to Barack H. Obama, Chief Executive.
No one else is even in his league.
He may certainly be the best sounding fertilizer peddler since Barney Frank on peanut butter, but there isn’t a soul- not even William Jefferson Clinton himself – with the hypnotizing ability to change the rules of the game on a dime as Barack Obama can.
The purpose of Obama’s Stimulus Bill, you recall, was to revitalize the economy and put Americans to work. It all sounded so divinely FDR. It is all anyone heard from clucking Obamacrats leading up the bill’s who-did-it-and-ran passage in February - that the $787 billion dollar spending spectacular would create somewhere around 4 million jobs, and the unemployment rate would top off at around 8%, and America would finally live up to its promise because only government can save.
Blah, blah, blah.
The reality is the unemployment rate has been steadily rising and currently stands at over 10%. The confidence of the American people is plummeting. And although the President continues to sing the praises of his illusory “job recovery,” there aren’t too many people buying it.
Job recoveries are hard to wrap your arms around when less people are working.
Besides, if there are any jobs being “created” or “saved” by Obama’s Spendulous Bill, the bulk of them are government sector jobs, which means taxpayer dollars are being sucked out of the economy so that they can be redistributed to others as salary.
FDR, indeed.
To top it off, the government’s assessment of how successful the Stimulus has been has been embarrassingly incorrect. There has been job creation in non-existent districts; there have been more “jobs saved” than actually exist at given places of employment; and no one seems to be sure what the criteria is for any of it.
This is where Obama’s sheer incoherence will score him some “ah-ha” points with the mainstream media (who have been a bit worried that their savior is losing some credibility even among hardcore Obamacrats).
It turns out that all along, according to Obama, the number of jobs created wasn’t particularly relevant – a mere “side issue,” as he calls it. Rather, job growth was his real number one priority.
See? Problem solved.
From Fox News
“I think this is an inexact science. We’re talking about a multitrillion-dollar economy that went through the worst economic crisis since 1933. The first measure of success of the economic recovery is, did we pull ourselves back from the brink? We did,” Obama said. “The question now is, can we make sure we’re accelerating job growth? That’s my No. 1 job. Nobody’s been more disappointed than I have to see how high the unemployment rate has gotten. And I spend every waking hour, when I’m talking to my economic team, about how we are going to put people back to work.”
How exactly does one track job growth without counting jobs?
Recall that last week Obama credited the Stimulus Bill for putting a million people back to work. Or for keeping them at work. Or whatever it was supposed to do. Why would the President make it a point to mention how many jobs the Stimulus Bill was responsible for if it was only a “side issue?”
What about the “multi-trillion” dollar debt poised to be left as an “Obama Was Here” calling card for countless future generations?
And I love the line about accounting being “an inexact science.”
How bleeping convenient.
Is projecting how “cost effective” and “efficient” government-run healthcare will be an inexact science too?
The book is in the bookstores, the crowds are eagerly waiting in line for autographs, the book tour is set to travel through a number of key battleground states. So is this it? Is this the beginning of Sarah Palin’s 2012 Presidential campaign? Sarah’s supporters are already saying they would vote for her in the next election. She is being compared to Ronald Reagan, the former movie star turned President of the United States. Let’s face it, if Ronald Reagan, a man who got his inspiration for important government decisions and policies from watching old Hollywood movies, could be elected President – twice – there is certainly a reasonable chance that Americans might also vote to put Sarah in the White House. I know it is something that is hard to accept for a lot of people, but we have to consider it, just as scientists and policy makers contemplated the “unthinkable” many years ago when it seemed that there was a possibility of global thermonuclear war.
So what would happen if Sarah were elected President? Can we discern anything from her actions as a mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska? Is there something in her speeches and interviews that provides us a foretaste of things to come, should the unthinkable come to pass? Most of her political experience comes from being the Mayor of Wasilla, a small town in Alaska. She was mayor for ten years and seems to have made several accomplishments, although in a heavy-handed way, that helped the town to prosper. She appears to have a record of trying to “clean up” Alaskan politics and is driven by an ethical concept that seems to be shared by a lot of Alaskans. She only served as Governor of Alaska for two years and her time as Governor was marked by significant friction with the political establishment. She seems to place little value on being a “team player”.
Interestingly, although she is officially a Republican, she has supported some initiatives that required major government intervention. It would be hard to characterize her as a Libertarian in her deeds, regardless of her words. She wholeheartedly supported and signed a bill that would provide government funding to build a trans-Alaska gas pipeline. She also signed an energy bill that gives $1,200 to every qualified resident of Alaska. The money comes from Alaska’s revenue from the oil and gas. It sure seems a bit Socialist to me, hardly a Republican ideal, and certainly something that no pure Libertarian would ever dream of. In her statement about the gift of government money to Alaskan families she said that these people needed the money to buy groceries and heat their homes. An admirable thought, but hardly Republican ideology.
In an attempt to save money for the state, Sarah sold the governor’s jet plane and fired the governor’s private chef. It seems, from her actions, that she has no problem with spending hundreds of millions of dollars for gas pipeline construction, some of the proceeds of which will then be given as a gift to the people of Alaska so they can buy necessities , but she is against spending taxpayer money for non-essential things, like jet planes and chefs. Overall, it appears that her political philosophy is more aligned with the Democrats than the Republicans. However, her religious views can only be viewed as deeply “conservative”. And it is the clever alliance the Republicans have made with the conservative Christian movement that seems to be the principle reason she calls herself a Republican.
Now we come to the last election. Sarah was quickly catapulted into the national limelight as John McCain’s Vice Presidential running mate. The infamous interview with Katie Couric clearly showed that she was in way over her head. And that is the problem. The simple fact is this: if there is one thing the campaign showed us about Sarah Palin it is that she is woefully unprepared to be President of the United States. Her knowledge of foreign policy and geography, the fact that she seems to read almost no magazines or newspapers, her inability to respond intelligently on major issues of interest to Americans simply showed that she has not concerned herself with the world outside of Alaska.
So now she’s written a book – a best seller, even before it was in the bookstores. It shows what name recognition can do for you – the one thing that the American publishing industry cares about (but that is a subject for another time). Now she is on the campaign trail, sort of pretending it’s a book signing tour. There is no doubt that she will find many supporters who love her down-home, simple, goldurnit, aw shucks logic. The question we all have to ask ourselves though is this: does she really have the knowledge and skills to run the country? Could she be a good President? The thing to recognize is that while many people might have what it takes to be a good mayor of Wasilla, after all there are thousands of Wasillas and thousands of good mayors all over the U.S., it is quite another thing to be President of the United States. Well, what about being Governor of Alaska? Remember, she was only governor foe two years, and then she walked off the job there. Remember also that she was continually at odds with the other politicians in Alaska. She has a sort of “take no prisoners” way of doing business when she is in charge. It’s her way or the highway, it seems. Not exactly the way a competent and seasoned politician operates, and certainly not the way to be successful in Washington. It is my guess that if she were elected, she would be the most ineffective president in our history, because she doesn’t understand how the U.S. system of government actually works. In a word, she is naive. And that spells great danger for our country, because the same people who voted for the movie star, Ronald Reagan, might vote for her too.
Our forefathers anticipated this potential moment in our nation’s history. The knew that a time might come when the common people might be deceived; they knew that it is possible for a slick talker to convince people, based upon emotional arguments, that they are the best candidate, when in fact they are simply incompetent. That is why we have the electoral college. It is our last hope – a group of people of learning and experience, who in the end have the ability, the right, and the obligation to overrule the people and protect them from a grievous error in judgment.
When I contemplate the unthinkable I am left with this: This small group of people, the electoral college, may well be the only thing that can save this nation from itself in 2012 - I wonder if they will have the courage to do so.
Here’s what I’ve got from reading “The Warrent Buffet Way” written by Robert G. Hagstrom:
* Took the ideas and integrate into your own approach in investing. Only from your own ideas you can create wealth. Be your own self.
* When the price of a company stocks are sold below their intrinsic value; act firm and decisive.
* Preferences in buying stocks:
Buy certainty in a discount price. Certainty in here means: possibility to predict and forecast the next economy condition of a company.
You’re in your competency circle: a cumulative of your experience.
If there’s no opportunity at all then wide your competence circle by learn diligently of a new business models.
* Knowledge from Benjamin Graham:
Security Analysis: a portfolio that well selected and good diversification based on decent price could be a good investment.
Investment is defined as an action with a comprehensive analysis, guarantee the initial investment and satisfying return. The action beyond the definition is classified as speculation.
Comprehensive analysis: Torough studies based on available facts and try to deduct the result realistically and logically accepted.
What must be known by the true investor: i) Security of the initial investment on a specific parameter. ii) Satisfying return.
Security is not everything. Investor must seek something that could be considered secure from loss possibility under reasonable circumstance.
A good investment concept: margin of safety:
In stocks: if the spread between price and the intrinsic value is wide enough.
In bonds: if you bought it undervalued. When the company’s operational history in the last 5 years shows a good ability to create annual profit 5 times greater than its fixed cost.
Consideration factor in determining company’s value: profit’s strength in the future. Investor also should determine a right intrinsic value. Investor then must accept an estimated range of value.
Rules in investing: don’t loss. The approach: i) Buy a company which price is 2/3 of its net asset. ii) Focus on a low P/E ratio stocks.
A value of a random investment is the present value of discounted future cash flow.
“Basic idea of investment: perceive the stock as a business, use the market fluctuation to gain profit, and seek the margin of safety.”
Yesterday, I finished the third part of my interview with Wade Rathke. I felt, correctly, or not that after spending several hours with Rathke, that I was starting to understand Rathke, his vision, and his goals. So, I tried to make these questions as pointed and interesting as possible.
1) What can the local, state, and federal government do right now to help the poor and middle class?
The answer that Rathke gave was both surprising and impressive. I expected him to rattle off several laws that could be implemented, maybe a moratorium on foreclosures, and other policy changes that he believed in. Instead, Rathke was practical and pithy.
He said that all government programs: unemployment insurance, welfare, etc. should be streamlined on the internet so that all citizens would be given access to electronic files. By doing this, the government would cut all sorts of red tape and save those in need all sorts of time and energy in receiving these benefits. For the money the government would spend in implementing these systems, the benefit to the people would come back ten fold.
The answer was impressive both in its practicality and in its non ideology. In fact, Rathke is right. The government’s entitlement system is outdated. There’s no reason why people still need to show up to apply for benefits, and streamlining the process through the use of technology would benefit all.
2) When someone calls you a radical, do not care, agree, or disagree vociferously?
“I don’t care”.
Rathke said that he doesn’t see himself in those terms. In fact, he sees himself as an organizer first. This is the biggest misconception of most opponents and observers of Wade Rathke. Most people think he is driven by a radical ideology. The only ideology Rathke is driven by is the ideology of organizing. That’s not only a way of life for Rathke but it’s a way for him to see the world.
Don’t get me wrong. He has political thoughts and opinions. (I asked him those later) They don’t drive him. Organizing drives him. Organizing is the way that he has been able to influence society and make his mark on the world. Community organizing has been mocked and ridiculed by conservatives, but conservatives don’t understand that to be a good organizer means you can do anything. It means you have an army behind you to accomplish any goal. Finally, there’s been very few, if any at all, organizers better than Wade Rathke. (as an aside Rathke said he doesn’t consider himself a radical and believed that his political views were much more pragmatic than people might think)
3) Do you know George Soros and do you believe in one world government?
I asked this because it’s been widely reported that Rathke is on the board of the Tides Foundation and Soros is tied to Tides.
First, Rathke doesn’t know George Soros personally. Of course, he knows who he is but has never met him. In fact, he told me that it was news to him that Soros has any ties to Tides. Rathke told me that he’s been involved with the Tides Foundation for almost four decades. Conservatives have often used the Tides Foundation as a link between one radical in their view, George Soros, and another, Wade Rathke. The truth is a bit more complicated. Rathke’s been with Tides long before Soros ever became involved with them. Furthermore, as a member of the board, that meant attending two the three days of meetings every quarter. In fact, as Rathke later told me, Tides is all a part of a synergy of his vocation as an organizer. (in a previous interview Rathke told me he’s also never met Bill Ayers)
As for one world government, that’s not something that Wade Rathke thought could practically happen.
4) What’s the relationship between Citizen’s Consulting Incorporated and ACORN?
For some background, when I first started investigating ACORN, I was told that CCI was a sort of weigh station for all monies that reached not only ACORN but any and all of its multi hundred affiliates. CCI is also the company that Wade’s brother Dale used to be the comptroller of back at the beginning of this decade.
Wade Rathke characterized it in a much different manner. He said that CCI was contracted by ACORN for “accounting services”. He said they’re a separate organization with its own board and its own business.
I pointed out that when Wade Rathke is head of ACORN and Dale Rathke is head of CCI, how separate are two organizations?
Rathke said that by that estimation that means that because Rahm Emanuel is Chief of Staff in the White House and Ari Emanuel (inspiration for Ari Gold in Entourage) is a Hollywood agent that this means there’s no separation between the White House and Hollywood.
That’s an interesting comparison but not exactly fair. The White House hasn’t contracted out all its film work to clients of Ari Emanuel. The problem with one brother running ACORN and the other running CCI is that CCI relied on ACORN for most, if not all, of its business. There’s a clear conflict there, and it’s unclear that there were any clear firewalls.
He also told me that ACORN is one organization always registered as a “vanilla” non profit. In my first interview, I thought Rathke had made a stunning admission when he said that ACORN is one organization. That’s because those members of the board that were concerned about corruption, most later became members of ACORN 8, felt that ACORN AND IT’S AFFILIATES were all one organization. I initially thought that Rathke was admitting to what they were accusing. In fact, Wade Rathke was only talking about ACORN itself. Organizations like ACORN Housing were organizations that, according to Rathke, ACORN “partnered with”.
All of this is vital to the story of ACORN and it’s also terribly complicated and confusing. Those, like members of ACORN 8, who thought and think that there’s malfeasance at ACORN believed that all these affiliates, as they call them, are all part of the same organization. They believe that money, resources, and human capital all transferred freely between them all. In fact, often, ACORN Housing and ACORN share offices. The so called Kingsley memo said this as well. Rathke maintained that everything was separated and all above board. He maintained that ACORN was fully audited each of his years at the helm and they went through the very forensic audit that ACORN 8 has been demanding.
5) What’s your vision for the future of Community Organizations International?
First, Rathke wanted to clarify. He changed the name of ACORN International in the United States to Community Organizations International to avoid confusion between ACORN and the now called COI. Internationally, this organization still maintains the ACORN name. So, for instance, it maintains a presence in the Dominican Republic and it’s called ACORN Dominican Republic. This name change couldn’t really have been butchered any more if the media tried to report it inaccurately. In fact, Rathke says he still gets calls asking why ACORN changed its name. (once again, ACORN didn’t change its name.)
He sees COI as an organization that goes into each and every urban area with “significant infrastructure problems” (or every urban area) and organizing the community to be “a positive force for change”. He told that his passions are really juiced when he thinks about what kind a force for change COI can be in urban areas that are at the “crossroads of huge populations”.
To be frank, the vision he laid out for COI was inspirational. It’s hard not to believe when someone puts it as inspirationally as that. I’ve said that Rathke is not only charming but hypnotic even and when speaking about his vision, he was at his finest.
6) In our last interview, we got into ACORN 8. Rathke believes that ACORN has done plenty wrong and deserves criticism. He also believes that ACORN’s faults are being singled out and over emphasized by those with an agenda. So, I asked him, “how you process ACORN 8 making the same criticism as opponents”. He essentially boiled it down in the last interview to an internal philosophical dispute. Privately, he told me that his answer wasn’t fully developed. So, I asked him to expand.
If Rathke was at his most inspirational in the previous answer, he was at his most cunning in this one. First, he played a bit coy. He told me that much of what happened, happened following his leaving ACORN. So, he wasn’t necessarily speaking from first hand experience. Of course, one thing I don’t worry about is Wade Rathke knowing about the inner workings of ACORN, even after his departure.
He said that according to his understanding the dispute boiled down to a dispute over power. First, the internal debates that started between those like Marcel Reid and Karen Inman and Maude Hurd (president of ACORN) hardened following his departure. According to his understand, Reid and Inman were part of a thirteen person group set up following disclosure of Dale Rathke’s embezzlement to investigate ACORN to root out future problems. This group included three board members Inman, Reid, and Carol Hemingway, and ten employees of ACORN.
In Rathke’s view Inman and Reid began to make demands for the entire group. In other words, the two of them started speaking for the board in its entirety. This went outside of protocol. So, Carol Hemingway was there to reign them in. Inman and Reid wanted to get the books of ACORN and they wanted a forensic audit. Rathke said that ACORN had gone through this exact forensic audit a few years earlier. Because there was no calming presence (meaning Wade Rathke) there to make sure cooler heads prevailed the confrontation lead to Inman and Reid being removed. Of course, if he were still around, this wouldn’t have happened.
Members of ACORN 8 scoffed at this notion when I spoke with them afterwards. In their minds, it was very clear. They were members of the board of ACORN. They had a right and a duty to see the books. They were never given the books, and instead thrown out of ACORN when they demanded them.
(for the full story from the other side, here’s how ACORN 8 was started as recounted by members of ACORN 8)
7)Do you believe in single payer health care?
Much like one world government, Wade Rathke doesn’t see single payer as any possibility. He believes a robust public option is “very important to providing competition”. He believes that every health care system is different. He believes Canada’s single payer is good but not as good as some make it out to be.
He also said that the public option wasn’t a litmus test for his support. He went back nearly four decades to frame the issue. In the early 1970’s, welfare rights groups he had previously been alligned with were fighting for welfare reform. They wanted a bill that would give a family of four earning less than $5,500 welfare benefits of $5500 when unemployed. The bill proposed $1800. So, the groups opposed the plan. By doing so, they actually joined forces with conservative groups who wanted the bill to give zero. The bill was defeated. So, sometimes, it’s better to get some of what you want than be an ideological purist and oppose unless you get all.
He said that he sees his role as seeing what passes and then organizing to make it better.
Do you believe in free markets and capitalism?
He said he doesn’t really know any free markets. With a plethora of bailouts, we no longer have free markets. In fact, China’s markets are currently much more free than are ours. Ironically enough, on this issue, Wade Rathke made a very intuitive and correct point, and unfortunately, I must agree. (I say unfortunately because I wholeheartedly support free markets)
He said that his role isn’t to see the world through a theoretical prism that he wants. Instead, he works within the framework of the world as it is and organizes to make that framework better.
Epilogue:
After the interview, I came to what I initially thought was a stunning revelation. After I thought about it it isn’t that stunning. To frame it, let’s first play one of my favorite 80’s songs.
It’s true everybody does want to rule the world. We are all struggling to influence society as much as possible. The reason that people blog, give their opinion, and write about politics is in hope that their point of view influences others. We are all through this media trying to rule the world. So, why should Wade Rathke be any different?
I’ve come to the conclusion that Wade Rathke’s goal is to rule the world. If you think about what community organizing is, the whole thing makes perfect sense. A good organizer will organize a lot of people. A really good organizer will organize even more. How do you measure someone’s worth in community organizing? It’s by how many people they’ve organized. It’s by how much influence they’ve had in they issue they organize for. Furthermore, effective organizing means a synergy of media outreach, political outreach, and community outreach. Effective organizing means the ability to reach your tentacles into all levels of society. Make no mistake, the reason that ACORN became a force in our society has everything to do with the organizing genius of Wade Rathke.
Now, think about COI. It’s a confederation of international organizations currently in seven countries. It was started about five years ago. In five years, it might be in seventy countries. Wade Rathke started and founded ACORN (then Arkansas Community Organization for Reform Now) nearly four decades ago. Then, it was an organization of one. It grew into an organization that had tentacles into nearly all parts of our politically, cultural, and media structure by the time he left. This happened because Wade Rathke is a unique and remarkable organizer. He was so good at it, that he gained enough influence to become embedded into governments of all levels in the U.S. So, what was his goal in ACORN? It was to rule the U.S. If you think that’s absurd and provocative, think again about what makes a good community organizer, the biggest community possible. The bigger the community meant bigger influence. That was in the U.S.
COI is a world organization. It knows no borders. It can go anywhere but it’s purpose is the same. Remember, Wade Rathke told me himself that he wants to go into every urban neighborhood. He himself told me he wants to rule the world. There’s nothing provocative or incorrect in what I’m saying. He’s a community organizer. His goal is as big a community as possible. His place of business is the entire world. So, in effect, Wade Rathke wants to rule the world.
What makes Wade Rathke different from everyone else? He can do it. He grew ACORN from one person to a force in politics, culture and life in the U.S. Now, he wants to do something very similar in the world. I’ve said it before. ACORN is no longer the story. They’re a dying organization that’s disintegrating in front of us. We’re only paying attention for the same reason we pay attention to a trainwreck.
Going forward, Wade Rathke is the story. He’s an individual that not only wants to rule the world but he’s found the vocation to do it, and he’s effective enough to make it happen. An individual with the means, the capability and the resources to rule the world is a story. That’s one I want to follow. It’s one everyone should follow.
I’m all ranted out for now, so I shall bring this series to a close. I have hinted at a number of things we, the average consumer, can do to improve the system. So, to finish off the series, I am posting a list created by a professor of Environmental Studies, Dr. Richard Andrus, which I think is completely reasonable to attain.
For personal health-
Eat more whole foods and avoid processed sugars & starch.
Avoid factory farmed meat. They cause massive pollution issues from concentration of nitrates and massive erosion from corn & soybean production for animal feed.
Buy local. This cuts back of food miles and helps reduce CO2 emissions.
Buy unprocessed food, as processing takes huge amounts of fossil fuels.
Avoid any processed drinks that come in a non-reusable container. The only reusable containers available currently are glass beer bottles from Canada. Recyclable does NOT mean reusable. Most recycled containers end up in the landfill.
Buy organic, as long as it’s unprocessed.
Grow, cook and brew your own.
For everything!
1. Purchase as little food as possible that results in profits for corporations. There are two reasons. One is that by law they are bound to maximize profits for shareholders, which means they are bound to take advantage of human weaknesses that attract us to unhealthy foods. The second reason is that a prime way to increase profits is do whatever you can legally do to externalize the costs of your activities. This results in pollution from agricultural fields, abuse of farm workers. contamination from factory farms, abuse of farm animals,and huge production of packaging solid waste.
For reference, here are snapshot of the financial markets when trading closed:
We can notice that the Euro appreciated by 0.33% from mid of afternoon (Friday) to the end of the trading session (GMT+8 ).
Main reasons are the deterioration of the US trade deficit and the consumer confidence.
According to data released on Friday morning, the US trade deficit widened by 18 percent during September to $36.5 billion, the highest since January. The dynamics behind this shift weren’t necessarily bad, as the 2.9 percent growth in exports was simply overrun by a 5.8 percent surge in imports, reflecting an increase in consumption and prices.
The University of Michigan’s consumer confidence index unexpectedly fell to a three-month low of 66.0 in November from 70.6. A breakdown of the report shows declines in sentiment on both current economic conditions and the outlook, suggesting that the steady rise in the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent is bringing about more pessimism amongst consumers.
Though the euro appreciated against the US dollar on Friday, the currency fell against the rest of the other major currencies on news that the Euro-zone’s third quarter recovery wasn’t quite as robust as expected, as GDP rose by 0.4 percent from the second quarter, missing forecasts for a 0.5 percent increase. Since this was the advanced reading of the index, there was no breakdown available, but the increase was likely the result of a mild recovery in export demand. However, consumption may have remained weak, as services PMI for the region did not rise above 50 – signaling an expansion in business activity – until September.
Mots clés Technorati : Economy,Forex Rates,Financial Markets,fvtaiwan
Een NPS documentaireserie van Dick de Ruijter en Roy Dames over migrantenondernemers in verschillende grote Europese steden, die wat weinig media aandacht krijgt, terwijl het zich goed richt op de werkelijke handelscultuur van migranten.
Integratie blijkt een van de meest ingewikkelde vraagstukken van de 21e eeuw. Het blijft ook zo actueel. Blijkbaar zit het ons dicht op de huid. Helaas is het politieke debat daarover sterk verkrampt. Daarvan valt de komende tijd niet veel nieuws te verwachten. Van een patstelling is ook geen sprake. Want het proces van integratie gaat gewoon door. Wat nu als we de integratie totaal verkeerd beoordelen? Wat nu als we met een veel meer culturele blik naar integratie kijken? Een invalshoek die van links tot rechts, van migrant tot Nederlander wordt verguisd.
ZA 07-11-2009 16:05 Ned.2: Zwaanhals – Rotterdam-Noord
Een Turks Marokkaanse winkelstraat waarin winkeliers als Kenan Kaya van de buurtsuper Anadoulou, Azi Azimullah van Deliclassics Gastronomie en Majed Amrani van Love Music niet alleen hun leven leven maar zich ook alle moeite getroosten hun winkelstraat overeind te houden.
ZA 14-11-2009 16:05 Ned.2: Handelstraat – Antwerpen, Borgerhout
Een sterke en door Marokkanen gedomineerde winkelstraat met daarin het portret van Sabah Nour, een typisch Marokkaans mannencafé, en Nourdin Bougria, een ondernemende Marokkaan, met drie winkels, een voetbalteam en waar mogelijk investeringen in Marokko.
ZA 21-11-2009 16:05 Ned.2: Soho Road – Birmingham, Hansworth
Een vanuit de Sikh tempels gedomineerde winkelstraat, waarin West-Indische migranten van weleer het onderspit delven tegenover de opkomende Aziatische winkeliers. In de straat figureren Parminder Badial van BX, de jongste telg van een sterke Sikh ondernemersfamilie, Maria Davids, een Jamaicaanse, die met haar Davids Backery zo’n beetje de enige ‘zwarte’ winkel van de straat is en Delores en Hector Pinkney, beiden West-Indisch, beiden werkzaam in de straat en beiden actief betrokken bij de ontwikkelingen van de buurt.
ZA 28 -11-2009 16:05 Ned.2: Keupstrasse – Keulen
Een 100% Turkse winkelstraat met het volledige Turkse politieke, etnische en religieuze spectrum van dien. Naast het Turkse ondernemerschap en de plaats van Turken in Duitsland, toont de Keupstrasse alle actuele registers van de Turkse staat. In beeld komen Haydar Erdoğdu, een zelfbewuste Turkse ondernemer, een aleviet en daarmee een strijder van het eerste uur en de zussen Hűlya en Zűlya Ŏzdag van de Konditorei Hassan Ozdag, twee onafhankelijke Turkse vrouwen die niet alleen de grote concurrentie uit de winkelstraat weerstaan, maar ook pal moeten staan voor hun individualiteit.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. consumer sentiment soured in early November on grim job prospects while a larger-than-expected trade deficit had analysts scaling back estimates for third-quarter U.S. economic growth.
The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said on Friday its preliminary index of sentiment for November fell to 66.0, the lowest since August, from 70.6 in October. This was well below economists’ median expectation of a reading of 71.0, according to a Reuters poll.
“Importantly, the decline in confidence was already in place before the announced increase in the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent on November 6,” the Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said in a statement, adding “the likelihood that the sentiment index would drift even lower in the months ahead cannot be easily dismissed.”
Within the survey, the 12-month economic outlook fell to its lowest since April.
Separately, the government reported the U.S. trade deficit widened in September by an unexpectedly large 18.2 percent, the biggest monthly jump in 10 years, as oil prices rose for a seventh straight month and imports from China increased.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick has the crucial info! LISTEN UP!!!!!
Talking to reporters about the überly-astronomical 10.2% U.S. unemployment rate, Mr. Braintrust blah blah’d:
“You’re going to have problems with delinquencies of credit card loans, consumer loans, people won’t be able to pay their mortgages. Some banks are going to continue to be troubled by bad loans.”
YA THINK?!?!?
Crickety cripes!
If all ya gotta do to head up the international agency tasked with floating finance to the fiscally famished is orate the ohmygodthatissofucking obvious to anyone within earshot — well you can color me qualified and sign my ass 20 kinds of UP for that shit!
Frealz!
That bitch banks more than $400,000 a year for spouting the self-explanatory?!
I want IN on that action!!!
I would love to get paid copious piles of cash to travel the world pointing out the patently perceptible, stating the ever-so simple and offering absolutely nothing in the way of intrinsic information!
I mean, it’s certainly gotta beat giving it away free like I currently do!
Yet arrest of illegal immigrants crossing have decreased by 23 percent this past year. A trend many attest to the faltering U.S. economy as well as the billions of dollars spent in “securing” our border with Mexico since September 11th.
The 10% unemployment rate and erosion of construction jobs that once lured many Latinos has certainly put downward pressure on immigration, but that’s not the whole story.
Let’s be honest.
Immigrant labor not only built this country, but also pulled it out of a great depression and an economy which was ravished by two world wars. However, the current financial crisis poses new challenges to immigrants and natives alike. Particularly when it comes to entrepreneurship, and more precisely – the accessibility of credit/funds to create new business ventures.
The post-recession economy could be a tremendous opportunity for Latinos, if only the financial doors were open.
Everyone knows that credit is tight, but it’s even tighter for Latinos.
How tight you ask?
Well, less than a 10th of 1 percent of available credit goes to Latino business men and women. A staggeringly low number considering Latinos will comprise a majority of the labor force in the U.S. within the next 20 to 30 years.
If you want to grow an economy…why not put money into the hands of those bi-cultural Latinos who have the flexibility to navigate and manage the increasingly multicultural U.S. economy?
Want to hear something crazy…
The current and expected growth amongst Latinos isn’t due to immigration, it’s due to natural birth in the country.
So how about we take some of the $10.9 billion we spent last year trying to build fences to keep Latinos out, and open up the financial doors to the Latino business men and women who will be the harbingers of growth in the post-recession economy. Just a thought.
No jobs? No problem. We’ll do what we’ve always manage to do…
Create opportunity.
Fence along the US-Mexico border, borders arrests have declined 23% from 2008 to 2009.
I have lived over half century, been through a few recessions and seen some things happen in my life. I am no different than most my age and there are quite a few of us around.
For some reason it appears the important stuff they aren’t publicizing anymore, they focus on what they think people want to read, instead of the stuff that is newsworthy.
It is almost as if the media is being manipulated.
I read an article by Dr. Doom today. He accurately forecast most everything that happened in 2007 and 2008, and started getting out of his “Doom” role a few months back and now is warning the world about the Mother of Carry Trades.
Being a non investor layman, I am seeing what he is describing happening with huge currency flows from commodities, to stocks, to currency, as if it didn’t know where to go and park for a while, as no place was secure.
Many companies beat profit expectations but in most cases the overall revenue is down. Unemployment is rising faster than expected, hitting 10.2% and I am reading more lay off notices. not only in America. but abroad.
No one mentions what technology has to do with all of this. I think that we have built a robotics world efficient enough to replace many occupations and now we are largely servicing one another and have job titles no one understands. Who needs them to survive?
It is not about optimism or pessimism, it is about reality. Maybe I’m wrong, I hope I am for the benefit of those who may suffer.
China took another stab at the US over the weekend in respect to the weakening dollar and told Uncle Sam to get its fiscal house in order. When the US currency drops, so does the value of China’s investments in the US.
After what happened after Wall Street buckled to its knees, I don’t think the Chinese will appreciate their investments disappearing in front of their noses.
No, I don’t understand this at all. Banks are getting money for next to nothing and loans are costing a lot more.
Maybe I should just not try to understand this. After all it isn’t doing me any good being right about the future, nothing I can do about it anyway.
Unfortunately in just the past couple of hours we’ve heard that the U.S. House of Representatives has sold out the American people once again and passed the health care bill. If there’s any positive outlook it’s that the vote was very close, 220 – 215. I know a long list of individuals in this country who are going to become unemployed very, very soon. All we need to concentrate on now is putting an increased amount of pressure on the Senate and hope that all faith hasn’t been completely lost in the entire Congress.
But while we’re on the subject, lets look at the facts surrounding this piece of legislation and what the media is deciding to withhold from us.
First of all the bill was approximately 2,000 pages, give or take a few hundred. I can guarantee with 90% certainty that not a single congressman has read this entire bill, not even John Stingell, the sponsor of this bill.
Then the hype that insurance companies are “critical” of this legislation when in reality, THEY WROTE IT! Who to benefit most then these corporations when having health insurance is MANDATORY and if you opt not to get it, you are taxed as a penalty.
Speaking of penalties… During Obama’s campaign during the 2008 election season, the now President repeatedly promised that the American people making $250,000 per year or less wouldn’t see an increase of a single penny in their taxes. They may not be direct, but when a company or an employer faces increased taxes and regulations that restrict business, those reduced profits become a burden upon the employees and customers. For example:
Employer Mandate Excise Tax (Page 275): If an employer does not pay 72.5 percent of a single employee’s health premium (65 percent of a family employee), the employer must pay an excise tax equal to 8 percent of average wages. Small employers (measured by payroll size) have smaller payroll tax rates of 0 percent (<$500,000), 2 percent ($500,000-$585,000), 4 percent ($585,000-$670,000), and 6 percent ($670,000-$750,000).
Individual Mandate Surtax (Page 296): If an individual fails to obtain qualifying coverage, he must pay an income surtax equal to the lesser of 2.5 percent of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) or the average premium. MAGI adds back in the foreign earned income exclusion and municipal bond interest.
Excise Tax on Medical Devices (Page 339): Imposes a new excise tax on medical device manufacturers equal to 2.5 percent of the wholesale price. It excludes retail sales and unspecified medical devices sold to the general public.
Just because these taxes aren’t listed underneath Federal Income Tax and Social Security on your paycheck doesn’t mean they aren’t being passed on to you eventually. So much for promises, right?
Then there’s the public option. Oh yes, the new bureaucracy that an aide for a representative in Arizona told me personally had “majority support.” An option, that even if it was remotely a positive thing, is actually unavailable to 200 million Americans. Wow. Great. And the confusion of funding doesn’t make it any more appealing, the politicians can’t even come to a consensus on whether abortions are covered under this plan.
And is anyone aware of how this bill infringes on our liberties? Does anyone care that Congress has no authority what so ever to manage health care? According to James Clyburn, Congress is well aware that most of what they do is not authorized by the Constitution. Is anyone really surprised by their ever-increasing cocky attitudes?
I agree that health reform is needed on a monumental scale in this country. A hospital stay shouldn’t cost anywhere near $100/hour, especially with the poor quality of their food. But the answer isn’t government intervention. More control by Washington will be a medical disaster. Look at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). How well does the government handle that fiasco? Or how about nationalizing Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and AIG? Look how successful those companies are doing today (or not). Or maybe the most helpful, the bailout packages. Remember how we were told the economy would collapse and the stock market would plunge if we didn’t pass the bill? Well… it’s a year later and unemployment has only increased ever since (government says 10.2%, other sources say 17+%).
I beg the public not to panic and support a bill that no one has read nor anyone truly understands. This massive bill is the complete wrong direction for us to take. If we’re ever going to get medical prices under control and limit the power insurance companies have over us we must eliminate the insurance companies in question. They are the cause of the inflated medical costs and premiums. This problem started with the creation of HMO’s (which happened to be by the government) and it will end when they do.
Think before we act. That should be common sense, the very fact that it must be stressed is appalling.
No matter how you slice it, this is just frightening.
