Friday, February 05, 2010

Well, daaaahhh. Who exactly WAS governor? And why did she quit, because he did?



Sarah Palin the RNC Spiritual Leader. What next? And she was suppose to be a Vice President? I mean, what the heck? She didn't care enough about her country to say, "No, I don't think I am qualified."

There are huge ethics violations here. He had ACCESS? I don't think so.


John McCain has a LOT of explaining to do !!!

Palin e-mails reveal a powerful 'first dude' (click title to entry - thank you)

E-mails obtained from the state of Alaska under public records law show that Todd Palin was deeply involved in state business while his wife was governor. Copies of about 1,200 e-mails -- some sent on private accounts -- show that he was "involved in a judicial appointment, monitored contract negotiations with public employee unions, received background checks on a corporate CEO, added his approval or disapproval to state board appointments, and passed financial information marked 'confidential' from his oil company employer to a state attorney," writes msnbc.com's Bill Dedman. The released e-mails also expose "behind-the-scenes preoccupations of the Palins," including family travel on state money, a tanning bed at the Governor's Mansion in Juneau and a Daily News gossip column. The state withheld 243 other e-mails from msnbc.com, claiming that Todd Palin was covered by executive privilege rules, but subject lines reveal his further involvement in state business.

It is all in how one views the world. If one measures the present by ONLY the past it is a grime look at the future.

Rate of inflation (Consumer Price Index - click here)

If I spent $20.00 in 2004 compared to my purchasing power in 2000 I would have to spend $21.94. An increase in inflation of 9.7%.

If I spent $20.00 in 2008 compared to my purchasing power of 2000 I would have to spend $25.01. An increase in inflation of 25%.

If I spent $20.00 in 2009 compared to my purchasing power in 2000 I would have to spend $24.92. An increase in inflation of 24.6%.

If I spend $20.00 in 2009 compared to my purchasing power in 2008 I would have spent too much because what cost me $20.00 in 2008 would only cost me $19.93 in 2009. A decrease in inflation of 0.4% or differently stated -0.4% inflation rate.

Cash for Clunkers (click here) Wraps up with Nearly 700,000 car sales and increased fuel efficiency, U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood declares program “wildly successful”

The state that received the MOST money for vouchers was TEXAS with a whopping $183,776,500 US.



Under the US Mint Act of 1792, the dollar was defined as 371.25 grains of silver. There are 480 grains in a troy ounce. Thus it took 1.3 US dollars to purchase a single troy ounce of pure siver. As of January 7, 2009 the price of a troy ounce of silver is US$11.22, representing a 89.5% drop in value!


Dollar Strengthens Versus Yen After Unemployment Rate Declines (click title to entry - thank you)

By Inyoung Hwang

Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar gained against the yen after a government report showed the U.S. unexpectedly lost jobs last month while the unemployment rate declined.

“Even though this isn’t good for the U.S., there’s a retrenchment that favors the dollar,” said David Tien, a money manager in New York at Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, which manages $19 billion in assets. “A lot of assets have been reallocated to riskier currencies, and a portion of that will need to unwound.”

The euro traded near an eight-month low against the dollar amid concern widening budget deficits in Greece and other European nations will stifle the region’s economic recovery. The Swiss franc fell from its highest level in 15 months against the euro amid speculation the nation’s central bank sold the currency to curb its strength....

The Greek issue is blow out of proportion. It is all politics laced with confidence. Greece is about 3% of the European Union while California is 6% of the USA, which does not cause the concerns Greece does. The IMF will assist in the supports to Greece. It is that the USA has been around longer with a longer track record than the European Union to some extent. The issue with Greece is over blown. It is all emotional nonsense.

IMF boss says ready to help Greece in debt crisis (click here)

The International Monetary Fund stands ready to help Greece solve the debt crisis that has alarmed bond markets and rocked the credibility of the European Union's shared currency, the head of the multinational lending agency said Thursday.

Speaking in an interview on French radio station RTL, Dominique Strauss-Kahn said he didn't believe Greece was heading for bankruptcy and expressed confidence that the government of Prime Minister George Papandreou would take the "necessary but extremely difficult" steps to solve the crisis.

"We are there to help," Strauss-Kahn said, "I have a mission on the ground to provide technical advice requested by the Greek government. And if we're asked to intervene, we will."...


Gold off lows as U.S. jobless rate drops (click here)

But dollar keeps pressure on precious metal following last session's slide

Feb. 5, 2010, 9:32 a.m. EST

By Nick Godt, MarketWatch

EW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures came off earlier lows on Friday after news of a drop in the U.S. jobless rate, but ongoing fear about sovereign debt in Europe still supported the dollar and kept the precious metal under pressure, following its biggest slide in sixteen months in the previous session.

The dollar came off highs but remained near a seven-month high, after the Labor Department said the unemployment rate fell to 9.7% in January from 10% in December.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected the unemployment rate to remain steady in double-digits....

Canada churns out 43,000 jobs

US Department of Labor Statistics (click here)

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 23 were in Oregon (+4,336), Puerto Rico (+2,439), and Hawaii (+18), while the largest decreases were in California (-22,674), Michigan (-11,757), North Carolina (-9,546), Georgia (-7,588), and Missouri (-7,577).



Economy creates a slew of part-time positions, sending the jobless rate down a notch to 8.3% (click title to entry - thank you)

Tavia Grant

Toronto Globe and Mail

Update

The Canadian economy created a stronger-than-expected 43,000 jobs in January, led by part-time work, the fourth employment gain in six months.

The country's jobless rates fell a notch to 8.3 per cent, a nine-month low, Statistics Canada said Friday.

It's a far cry from the same month last year, when employment in Canada plunged by 130,000 – the most on record. Though much of last month's gains stemmed from lower-paying part-time work, the private sector is now adding to payrolls.

“Part-time jobs are better than none,” said Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BAnk of Montreal in a note. Though jobs numbers have been bumpy in recent months, employment is now just 0.1 per cent below year-ago levels, “an amazingly quick turnaround from the dismal conditions of early last year, all things considered.”...