Wednesday October 22, 2008

GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks hit 4-year lows on economy fears (click here)
* Asian stocks slump on fears about global economy, earnings
* Credit spreads surge on Argentina pension move
* Dollar hits 2-yr high vs basket of currencies
* Oil slumps to below $70 a barrel
By Kevin Plumberg and Rafael Nam
HONG KONG, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Asian stocks slumped to their lowest since December 2004 on Wednesday as poor U.S. corporate results and falling commodity prices fanned worries of a protracted global economic slowdown.
The U.S. dollar surged to a two-year high against a basket of currencies on expectations that central banks around the world will react to slowing growth in their economies by catching up to this year's deep interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve....


Just because it appears as though the USA Dollar is gaining in value doesn't mean the global crisis is over. It simply means that ALTHOUGH all currency is suffering losses due to the way their governments have been dumping money into circulation, the USA is trading higher today. It means NOTHING to the fact the USA dollar has grossly lost value CONSISTENTLY over the past year.

The 'thing' is this, Wall Street will trade currencies for profit as a means to maintain an edge against 'losses.' It may be that the USA Dollar is gaining in strength simply because other currenies are simultaneously lossing value due to the actions of their governments to release funds to banks.

THE ACTUAL 'value' of the currencies globally are masked by the turbulent reaction of the markets to escalating devaluation of currency with ever increasing debt. For the USA Treasury and or Federal Reserve to view any of these increases in US Dollar 'revaluation' as something substantial while still dolling out billions upon billions of 'unsecured' deficit spending is simply going to bring a larger collapse to the USA Dollar as other currencies begin to realize their folly and start to rein in their deficit 'free fall.'

The current Administrations in DC are riding the 'potential' of sustaining a revaluation of the USA currency, when in FACT it is NOTHING but margin and attempting to justify their actions in doing so. This 'free handed frenzy' at the Fed has to stop.


More recently, however, the dollar has experienced a dramatic reversal of fortune (click here), as the economies of Europe and Asia weather the same economic storm that first hit the U.S. last year. Is the dollar just bouncing off its summertime lows, or is this rebound the beginning of a new upward trend?


This is an article from a year ago that illustrates better what I am trying to convey.

April 13, 2007
Surprise Currency Trends in 2007 (click here)
...The U.S. dollar, which is down 2.1% versus the euro, has dropped 4.4% against the Hungarian forint, one of Europe's most heavily indebted currencies. Also, the Norwegian krone, one of the better-managed European currencies and a major oil exporter, has gained 3.8% this year -- no surprise there. But look at the Turkish lira, an EU candidate over the next few years. The Turkish unit has rallied 2.9% in 2007 against the dollar. But the best-performing European currency is the Slovak koruna, up 5.1% this year. Now that's a surprise, considering what a tiny economy the Slovak Republic sports compared to her larger European majors....

The Fed and US Treasury needs to stop playing Russian Rolette with global currencies if we are to stop this slide. They can't keep 'upping' the odds by their continued dumping of monies into the economy. As the USA Dollar increases in value, it isn't because the economy or assets of the USA has improved. It is because everything else is devaluating as well based upon the increase of debt abroad to assist stabilizing the markets.

The point is that this 'strategy' is NOT a good one. It is devaluating global currency on a slippery slope to what they 'hope' is stabilization. There is no guarantee to that and it looks more and more like guess work all the time. This needs to stop to acquire a plateau.

The assets of countries are even in flux. If you look to the OPEC nations as they find the demand for their product dropping; oil will not serve as an asset that continues to add stability to any currency. As a matter of fact, two years ago at a global sustainability summit, the OPEC nations wanted to know what will be done to add support to their economies when oil was no longer in high demand.

It isn't as though these folks don't understand that CHANGE is needed in the energy sector. These countries are aware of the frank reality of Climate Change and contribute to the enthusiasm to finding better energy and transportation solutions.

But, from the perspective of having 'stable' currencies, when the assets of a nation change in value on a daily if not moment to moment basis there is no 'real' way to stop the roller coaster ENOUGH to counter destabilizing trends.

What appears to be 'attempts' by US Treasury and Federal Reserve to bolster stability is done with haphazard optimism than real understanding of what is actually going to bring about currency and economic stability. Its a strategy conceived and conducted in 'hope' without real foundation in reality.

The infrastructure of the USA must be rebuilt to re-establish a solid base of income to its Treasury through a sustainable widened base of taxes. That is ONLY done through job creation and a re-invigoration of the USA consumer economy.

IF the USA debt begins to look manageable 'in the long view', as its economic optimism takes place, the national debt can even begin to look like a surplus and inflationary trends can be headed off at the pass, as other countries such as China continue to grow its infrastructure to accommodate its own economy and prosperity fueled by 'internal' need of its people as they achieve higher levels of quality of life.

Feeding off economies whereby there is no sustainable growth or job creation isn't even treading water so much as continually losing ground to 'real currency value.'

Bernanke and Paulson are wrong. This has to stop. They can't continue to allow debt based on the value of 'air.'

Remember when Graham and his buddies began their deregulation mess in 1999? Well, guess what grew out of it?

DTCC is a holding company established in 1999 to combine The Depository Trust Company (DTC) and National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC). (click title of entry above)

DTCC of U.S. to Buy LCH.Clearnet for EU739 Million (Update1) (click here)
By Nandini Sukumar
Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. of the U.S. agreed to buy London's LCH.Clearnet Group Ltd. for 739 million euros ($951 million) to form the world's largest processor of trades in stocks, bonds, currencies and derivatives.
DTCC will buy all of privately held LCH.Clearnet for as much as 10 euros a share, the companies said in an e-mailed statement today. Euroclear, LCH.Clearnet's largest shareholder, with 15.8 percent, has agreed to support the merger ``in principle.''
LCH.Clearnet has come under pressure as some of its largest customers, such as Intercontinental Exchange Inc., Europe's largest energy market, and NYSE Euronext's Liffe derivatives market, prepare to defect. The company has also faced competition from new rivals in Europe, including DTCC. The combination comes as regulators seek a central clearing house for credit-default swaps after unprecedented volatility in markets worldwide....

One of the contributions to the collapse of the markets is a coveted past time "Naked Short Selling" - Here is a Wiki Short Course (click here)

...In the United States, naked short selling is covered by various SEC regulations which, as of September 2008, prohibit the practice.[2] In 2005, "Regulation SHO" was enacted to curb the practice, requiring that broker-dealers have grounds to believe that shares will be available for a given stock transaction, and requiring that delivery take place within a limited time period.[3][4] As part of its response to the crisis in the North American markets in 2008, the SEC issued a temporary order restricting fails to deliver in the shares of 19 financial firms deemed systemically important.[5] Effective September 18, 2008, amid claims that aggressive short selling had played a role in the failure of financial giant Lehman Brothers, the SEC made permanent and expanded the rules to remove exceptions and to cover all companies.[6][7]
Some commentators have contended that despite regulations, naked shorting is widespread and that the SEC regulations are poorly enforced, although the SEC has denied these claims. However, the SEC and others have also defended the practice in limited form as beneficial for market liquidity.[3] Its critics have contended that the practice is susceptible to abuse, can be damaging to targeted companies struggling to raise capital, and has led to numerous bankruptcies....

It's relative The Short (click here)
In finance, short selling or "shorting" is the practice of selling a financial instrument that the seller does not own at the time of the sale....

THE PROBLEM IS THIS. The Washington Republican Elite want people to believe that deregulation is the answer to all problems financial.

"W"RONG.

Deregulation CONTRIBUTES to global instability and abuses in the Financial Sector. Part of this 'movement' to deregulate at all costs, is based in frank greed !

We need to return markets to 'reasonable' growth rather than this 'Poker Game' that goes on today. I don't care if Wall Street is hitting its highest "Joy Button" since the markets exceeded $1000. It is causing grotesque problems in the lives of people and potentials of fiscal collapse of nations.

We need to stop providing impetus to instability. We need leadership with a steady hand and basic decency. In the case of DTCC, they will state they are not a regulatory agency and can't be responsible for issues relating to its 'clearing-house' activities. I basically find that an evasion of responsiblity by the courts, however, if institutions such as DTCC require regulation and guidance and complain they are not to blame because of the lack it, then let's provide exactly that and plenty of it ! We need a clear Democratic Majority in both houses and in the Executive Branch to bring this mess under control. The Republicans will never exhibit enough dicipline to do it themselves and the world is their osyter REGARDLESS of the state of the country or countries involved.

ENOUGH !!!

...DTCC subsidiaries clear and settle trades. (click here) Short selling and naked short selling are trading strategies regulated by the marketplaces and the SEC. DTCC is involved after a trade is completed at the marketplace. DTCC does not have regulatory powers or regulatory responsibility over trading or to forcing the completion of trades that fail. As the SEC has stated, fails can be the result of a wide range of factors.
The SEC has also pointed out that their efforts, in promulgating Reg SHO to effectively safeguard extended fails associated with short selling or naked short selling have been successful in achieving their goal....

The South African Rand shows high levels of instability. It has never been this bad.

The FTSE/JSE AFRICA ALL SHR over the last year (click here).

It is easy to tell when the global economy lost its footing. It started June 30, 2008.

One of the first places global instability is noted is in the chroncially turbulent African Rand. The Rand always is somewhat volatile simply because so much of its value falls in the area of commodities based in Consumer demands such as diamonds and oil. The fall of the Rand has never been this dramatic or profound. The global economy is a mess. Completely. We need a change in DC and we need it NOW !

...South Africa's currency also weakened as equities in Africa's biggest economy dropped. The benchmark FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index fell for a third day, headed for a fifth weekly decline. The rand had its biggest one-day slump since at least the end of apartheid in 1994, when it lost almost 18 percent on Oct. 15. Yesterday it reached the lowest level since August 2002....

Average Rates 2008

January
6.99369 ZAR (23 days average)

February
7.6579 ZAR (21 days average)

March
7.99206 ZAR (21 days average)

April
7.75848 ZAR (22 days average)

May
7.61 ZAR (22 days average)

June
7.93673 ZAR (21 days average)

July
7.61571 ZAR (23 days average)

August
7.66556 ZAR (21 days average)

September
8.0583 ZAR (22 days average)

October
9.30815 ZAR (15 days average)

With Presidential Polls indicating a seismic shift in DC demographics, the GOP has decided to 'take on the documentary' in a film entitled "Celcius 0"

BLOG: McCain backers heckle early voters (click here)
Monday, October 20, 2008
PRINCETON, W.Va. — Over the last few days I've been through Southwest Virginia, down in North Carolina and now back up into the mountains on the West Virginia side near Bluefield for some stories about the political climate in red states....



GOP shifts gears in voter registration battle with secretary of state (click here)
By William Hershey
Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
COLUMBUS — Ohio Republicans are bringing in state Attorney General Nancy Rogers and the U.S. attorney general in their ongoing squabble with Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner about mismatched voter registrations.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21, Republican David Myhal withdrew his lawsuit from the Ohio Supreme Court asking that Brunner be compelled to instruct county boards of elections not to process or count absentee ballots cast by voters registered after Jan. 1 before reviewing them for mismatches....



No match, no vote and other election myths dispelled (click here)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
(Bay News 9)--Pinellas County supervisor of elections Deborah Clark has heard the rumors circulating: no campaign clothing allowed at the polling place... your driver license address must match your address on file or you can't vote... absentee ballots aren't counted unless the race is close... and on and on and on.
"This type of thing happens every presidential election, but these rumors and other issues need to be cleared up," Clark said. "We don't want voters to be discouraged from voting by mail or going to the polls on Election Day."
Here are the most recent myths and issues, along with Clark's responses:
Someone came to my door offering to deliver my ballot to the Elections Office.
The Supervisor of Elections office was notified of two recent instances of individuals going door-to-door offering to deliver ballots to the Elections Office....

This is NOT good news, okay? NOT GOOD !

Yahoo Headquarters Tour @ Yahoo! Video


Sunnyvale, California is World Headquarters for Yahoo ! This is NOT good. NOT ! The Republicans are NOT doing good. I don't want to hear how Google is taking over the world ! The world is too big for Google to handle it all.

"W"rong !

There should be enough commerce for everyone to have viable profits and their consumers to be enjoying life. This is simply Republican agenda that doesn't work !

The Bottom LineYahoo! (click title of entey, thank you)
Earnings Plunge, Cuts 1,500 Jobs
Wendy Tanaka, 10.21.08, 5:11 PM ET
BURLINGAME, CALIF. -
Yahoo! said Tuesday that third-quarter earnings fell 64% on sluggish advertising revenue growth resulting from the economic slowdown.
The embattled Internet portal reported net income of 4 cents per share, or $54 million, on revenues of $1.79 billion--compared with net income of 11 cents per share, or $151 million, for the same period a year ago.
Third-quarter revenues grew just 1% to $1.79 billion from $1.77 billion in the same year-ago period.
The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company also announced job cuts of a least 10% of its 14,300 employees during the fourth quarter. The cuts are aimed at reducing the company's annual cost run rate of $3.9 billion by more than $400 million before the end of the year....

I mean you didn't think I was going to pass this one up, did you?

And it was looking so much better, too. When IN THE HELL is this Republican Money Printing Press going to realize they are doing the worst thing they can do by dumping a lot of empty US dollars in the market? When is that message going to ring loud and clear with these idiots in the Executive Branch ?

The Dow

9,033.66

–231.77

–2.50%



Nasdaq Composite Index
1,696.68
–73.35
–4.14%

S.&P. 500 Index
955.05
–30.35
–3.08%

Bovespa Index (Brazil)
38,962.58
–478.50
–1.21%

The Nikkei was up, but, they'll fall after today. The close on the Nikkei is about 2AM EST. So, we aren't really seeing the value from today's activities yet. Beside the Nikkei, CAC was up marginally by 0.78%. I think that is Germany and it closed at 11 AM EST.

Nikkei 225 Index
9,306.25
+300.66
+3.34%

The Bush Bunch need to be impeached. Don't just stop with ONE.

Caterpillar Shifts Into Low Gear (click here)
Melinda Peer, 10.21.08, 3:20 PM ET
With customers in some of the fastest-growing industries and more than half of sales coming from abroad, Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar is a good guide to the pulse of global economic conditions. So it's hardly good news that although the company restated year-end guidance, it now expects sales to flat-line in 2009 and has had to reduce its workforce.
Shares of Caterpillar slumped 5.1%, losing $2.07 to $38.83, during Tuesday's afternoon trading session....

They are doing it again ! I mean these lousy bozos have more tricks up their sleeve, the people of this country have no control over, than Kreskin.

Get them OUT of the White House, the Fed and any other institution that has collapsed in the last 24 months !

Enough already !


21 months ago: Although the Federal Reserve has become more open over the years, it is still one of the most mysterious Washington institutions. These photos from files or provided by the Federal Reserve are the people, who hold such power over each American's pocket book: from top left, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke; Federal Reserve Governor Susan Bies; Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn; Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh; Federal Reserve Governor Randall Kroszner; Michael Moskow, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; Federal Reserve Governor Frederic Mishkin; Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; William Poole, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Cathy Minehan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; Thomas Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Fed to buy commercial papers from money mkt mutual funds (click on title to entry, thank you)
Washington, Oct 21: The US Federal Reserve on Tuesday said it will buy commercial papers and deposit certificates, among others from the country's money market mutual funds, a move aimed at bolstering short-term liquidity in the system.
For the purpose, the Federal Reserve has created Money Market Investor Funding Facility (MMIFF), which would support a private-sector initiative designed to provide liquidity to the nation's money market investors.
The Federal Reserve in a statement said eligible assets would include US dollar-denominated certificates of deposit and commercial paper issued by highly rated financial institutions and having remaining maturities of 90 days or less.
Eligible investors would include US money market mutual funds and over time may include other US money market investors. "
The short-term debt markets have been under considerable strain in recent weeks as money market mutual funds and other investors have had difficulty selling assets to satisfy redemption requests and meet portfolio rebalancing needs.
"By facilitating the sales of money market instruments in the secondary market, the MMIFF should improve the liquidity position of money market investors, thus increasing their ability to meet any further redemption requests and their willingness to invest in money market instruments," the Fed said.
Under the programme, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York would provide senior secured funding to a series of special purpose vehicles to facilitate an industry-supported private-sector initiative.
Bureau Report

Flooding is going to be a chronic condition for Belize.

18 October, Belmopan, BELIZE -(Belizean.com) Massive flooding in the western and central areas of Belize has cut off many villages and towns from the rest of the country, led to emergency evacuations, loss of crops and the closure of most schools and the University of Belize. Tropical depression 16 crossed over the Central American region last week bringing most rivers in Belize to flood state. And new rains which started last night have lead to heavy flooding at the western border between Belize and Guatemala leading authorities from both countries to close the border crossing.


The Belizean people will require continuous assistance in order to maintain a homeostatic lifestyle. They need assistance on a continual basis from here on. Anything short of that is the Global Community's abandonment of them. The Belizean government needs debt relief to proper care for its populous.

If it were a larger country, with a larger population and several forms of economy, and alternative sources of income; it would be easier to have their needs contained within their own economy; but; Belize relies on tourism and some oil income as well as some agricultural exports. Due to the fact it has an impoverished economy and usually runs a small deficit annually, it is ill prepared from chronic issues as major flooding.


Belize is in the direct path of a chronic 'heat transfer system' that feeds off the Equator and delivers its heat to the Arctic Circle. In the satllite below, the 'very moist heat transfer system' over Belize resulted from a vortex just east of the USA New England States.


October 21, 2008
0630z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)



The westernmost town of Benque Viejo del Carmen which borders with Guatemala has been cut off from the main road network. The only bridge connecting western Belize to Guatemala through the town of Melchor de Mencos has sustained damage from debris brought down by the Mopan river which is in full flood stage. And the exit road from Benque Viejo del Carmen to the rest of Belize is under four feet of water and been closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Iraqi puppy adopted by soldier arrives in US

Mike Bell a member of a private security firm leads the Iraqi dog called Ratchet, as they wait at the Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008, ready to be flown to America after Ratchet was adopted by an American soldier. An animal rescue group flew into Baghdad Sunday to pick up the Iraqi puppy Ratchet adopted by U.S. soldier Army Spc. Gwen Beberg of Minneapolis, in a case that has highlighted U.S. military rules barring troops on duty from caring for pets, but Beberg complained that she couldn't take the animal home, and now it seems that she will be reunited with Ratchet.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The Wealth Program for Banks - Part II

Also known as, "Let's get more than our fair share before we leave office."


Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., walks to a motorcade after arriving with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush via the Marine One helicopter at the Naval Observatory, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008, in Washington. Paulson was returning from a weekend at Camp David. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari) (Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP)

We don't need stimulus.

We need jobs !

NO MORE DEFICIT SPENDING !!

Simulus packages do nothing but add SHORT TERM liquidity to markets and force the US dollar to tank.

What the USA needs is to widen its tax base. It can only do that by creating jobs that have REAL benefit and longevity to the economy. The forefront of change is to launch jobs in the Energy and Transportation sectors.

Spending for 'job stimulus' in areas of the American Landscape that desperately needs attention, is NOT deficit spending.

Creating jobs in venues of Energy and Transporation that will lighten the 'draw' on the 'POCKETBOOK' of the people of the USA will have a secondary effect of adding stimulus. Gee, people might even be able to pay for homes again.

What will follow is more disposable income to 'stimulus,' as at the same time increases occur to the tax base that will provide a way for the USA to pay down the debt and answer questions of better sources of energy and mass and personal transportation.

We already know these technologies exist and can be engaged in short periods of time. That needs to occur. What does not need to occur is 'blanket' spending for economic stimulus that only serves to increase the national debt with NO in relief in sight.

The economic stimulus that Bernanke and his peers CRAVE have become a bad habit as their decision making is based on 'emergency' rather than 'insight' via 'the long view.'

Basically, they have no talent so much as power.

John McCain is really reaching. He is defrauding the simply definition of the compassion of the USA.

There is something called SOCIALIZED DEMOCRACY and that is the aspect of the USA that makes it great.



John McCain is defrauding the election. He is doing it in may ways, but, one of his tactics that seems to be a favorite is to raise issues of fear.

The issues of the USA turning into a Socialist state are simply outrageous. The USA historically has been a nation that has treated its citizens with concern and to that end we have many socialized programs, the latest being a Wealth Program for Banks.

A favorite term the McCain Campaign likes to use is "Redistribution of Wealth." The USA has on many, many occassions done exactly that, the latest being a Wealth Program for Banks.

Sarah Palin has little room to speak when it comes to redistribution of the wealth. Her success as a woman in office comes from decades of work on the back of female entrepreneurs dating back to 'DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH PROGRAMS' from the 1960s. See, when 'Mainstream Jobs' are available only to men and there are women graduating from the nations universities due to judicial rulings of Gender and Sex Discrimination there needed to be a place where they can 'move on' to work in the careers of their choice.

Women today, including Nancy Pelosi (The first Woman Speaker of the House, might remember the 1960s better than some of her peers) are fortunate to have women that took plenty of ridicule in their day for taking 'the lead' to bring about change by petitioning government to facilitate them as entrepreneurs by sponsoring programs through Small Business Administrations and direct government funding in some cases that allowed them to make a living and change the face of opportunity for women.

The government funding came from places called TAXES. Yes, and even corporate taxes from the very corporations that oppressed the opportunites for women in the first place. Go figure, huh?

As women proved their ability to be successful in business they were brought into the ranks of corporations and hence the 'Final Glass Ceiling' that Hillary Clinton so much hoped to address.

So, for McCain to come out and state that 'Redistribution of Wealth' is a mistake, is simply Republican Dogma that is more a commitment to Right Wing Extremism than the reality of the USA and how socialized programs are applied to our democracy.

The Republican National Committiee and the McCain Campaign should be ashamed at their attempt of 'leverage' in redefining how America applies socialized principles to its democracy. It is simply fear mongering no different than their RoboCalls.

RoboCalls are an amazing reality to come to, when one realizes it is a machine that is reaching out to Americans to take seriously the view point of one person. That is an abuse of technology that it was never designed for, but, hey we have nuclear weapons as well. And today, thanks to Republicans we have nuclear weapons WITHOUT Non-proliferation Agreements.

Antarctica breast cancer survivor struck down again

October 17, 2008 - 5:16AM
SYDNEY - A doctor who diagnosed and treated her own breast cancer while working on an isolated station in Antarctica is facing another fight, this time against a brain tumour.
Dr Jerri Nielsen, a US physician and mother-of-three, took up a medical position at a research facility in the South Pole 10 years ago....

The weather in Antarctica has (Crystal Wind Chime) hotter temperatures across the continent than ever noted before.

Antarctica is experiencing Spring and will enter Summer in December, but, the heat noted across larger square areas of the continent than before.


October 19, 2008
1200 PM UTC
Antarctica (Click here for 24 hour - missing is 3PM and all of AM satellites)

Yesterday Vostok was reporting a temperature of -77 F. That is an increase in temperature of 12 degrees Fahrenheit in less than 24 hours.

Vostok

Local Time: 12:57 AM VOST on October 20, 2008
Lat/Lon: 78.4° S 106.9° E

Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
Temperature :: -65 °F / -54 °C
Conditions :: Heavy Blowing Snow
Humidity :: 42%
Dew Point :: -72 F / -58 C
Wind :: 18 mph / 30 km/h from the WSW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure : in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 1.0 miles / 1.0 kilometers
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m

October 18, 2008
0600 PM UTC
Antarctica

Yesterday Base Orcadas had a mean temperature of 29 F. That is a temperature increase of 15 degrees Fahrenheit in less than 24 hours.

Local Time: 5:07 PM GST
Lat/Lon: 60.8° S 44.7° W20 ft / 6 m
Elevation :: 20 ft / 6 m
Temperature :: 44 °F / 6 °C
Conditions :: Patches of Fog
Humidity :: 50%
Dew Point :: 32 F / 0C
Wind :: 6 mph / 9 km/h from the NW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 29.40 in / 996 hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 0.0 miles / 0.8 kilometers
Clouds :: Scattered Clouds 394 ft / 120 m (Above Ground Level)


October 18, 2008
1928 gmt
The satellite above clearly shows heat transfers arriving from the equator to Antarctica at 12 o'clock and 7 o'clock.

Antactica

Congratulations to the Obama Campaign and to Colin Powell for being a Mover and a Shaker

Thank you.



He has served many civilian leaders in the White House and knows when history is about to take a turn for the better. I honestly didn't expect this. We won't let him down.

...“I don’t believe [Palin] is ready to be president of the United States,” Powell said flatly. By contrast, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, “is ready to be president on day one.”
Powell also said he was “troubled” by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and Republicans’ recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, the founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.
Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.
“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.
“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”...

Chinese support for US economy (A Babe in the Woods)

I told you this was a sovereignty issue. The assets of the USA including Ports and their commerce are finding a fascination again by foreign markets.

This is the price the USA pays for deregulation and 'free will' markets with no taxes to pay the bills. Next will be auctions of USA assets until the only aspect of the country that defines it as sovereign is its Constitution. They didn't auction that off yet, did they?


From the Arab News

...The People’s Bank, for instance, refused $200 billion to help fund the US bank bailout. Such reluctance stems in part from their limited experience of global capital markets. Indeed when the subprime bubble burst, the Beijing authorities were being advised by Wall Street investment bankers on how they could reform their own banking and financial system to bring it into line with the US model. Some of those Masters of the Universe found that suddenly they did not have banks to fly home to, let alone valid credit cards to settle their five-star Beijing hotel bills.
The Chinese understandably must now doubt the validity of the expensive advice on reform they were being given. But the reality is that with some $1.38 trillion of dollar-denominated foreign currency reserves, the Chinese cannot afford to let the US economy sink.
A communist government has to bail out the capitalist system. But their assistance, as that of other sovereign wealth funds, ought to carry a price.
That price should include the removal of invisible barriers US legislators have erected to stop what they regard as key assets, such as their ports, coming under “suspect” foreign ownership. We all know how Dubai World Ports was forced to sell off its portfolio of US ports after it had acquired P&O.
The global economy has to work both ways, not just in favor of US investors. Now is the time to make this clear.

Every Solar Gavitational Phenomena has an Event Horizon

In a politically charged environment that is laced with obvious bigotry and racism, I tend to shy away from using the word 'black.' I mean that with the greatest sincerity. I have some trouble seeing the permission to expressions commonly used out of convenience. That said, this entry is not about politics and it should not be viewed that way, nor is it about physics from the stand point of science, but, perhaps a 'physics' that incorporates the math used by Wall Street when 'Event Horizons' occur.



Simulated view of a black hole in front of the Milky Way. The hole has 10 solar masses and is viewed from a distance of 600 km.<sup>[10]

This entry is about the 'bottomless pit' now casually called The Global Economy and the need for a brevity that brings productive dialogue to a public still struggling to grasp their governments radical approach to failing markets.

I called on media organization to bring brevity to their 'business' sections in having commentary that is meaningful and constructive while being conducted with processes that are 'outside of the box.' I didn't intend for that entry to be considered a potential 'trap' for lesser opinion to be ridiculed by what might be considered 'expert' opinion. I meant that entry to be a call to arms, of sorts.

I'll begin this by stating I am firmly committed to the opinion that any government intervention in a private market place, as Wall Street is, is simply wrong. I do not favor a bailout of Wall Street and in that comes the reality that banks needed to be more insightful when they went like sheep over the cliff with Countrywide Financial. Before doing so. Taking that leap of faith. They should have taken a step back from the brink and insured such radical decisions with Lloyds of London. I could not be more serious.

In a world as interconnected as we live in there is a clear reality that when a pin drops in London is is heard in Brisbane. Realizing all that is 'us' and how little is simply 'me' there needs to be a reality of a dangerous 'idea' that resolve to a negative outcome will simply destroy what civilization is all about and therefore 'knee jerk' reactions to jump to hyperspace and 'allow' government to actually 'bailout' a private entity for the sake of preventing further damage is a hideous game of 'fiscal rolette.' It is simply stupid to 'allow' government 'the foothold' to rule the financial markets. It is a never ending cycle and one laced with enormous pit falls that takes control away from those best to make decisions placing 'instead' that outcome in the hands pressured by politics.

Money is not politics regardless of its demand to pay for campaigns. Money is a country's tender. It is a 'landmark' of a country's wealth and well being. Nothing to be toyed with and CERTAINLY nothing to be used in experimentation as has occurred with Western governments in recent events.

The bailout undertaken by the USA government is nothing short of incompetent and the continued dictatorship by the USA Secretary of the Treasury to the banking sector is simply outrageous. If banks feel the need to 'fill their coffers' with liquidity rather than more lending then they should proceed and seek actions against the USA Treasury Secretary in the courts of law of the USA.

There is a danger to the continued debt allowed to take shape with the bailout and it is the 'slippery slope' of that decision compounded by the decision of other governments of The West to 'throw' a nation's legal tender at 'the problem.' It is NOT the right of a democracy's leadership to simply bring about such a policy of 'infusing' banks with simply more money when that money is doomed to be worthless.

The 'idea' that the USA government is continuing to compromise the financial markets is something to be taken with brevity by all institutions, even the ones that 'faired well' in this past emergency. Why? Because there is one thing in common that can disaffect EVERYONE and that is the value of the currencies of current democracies.

JUST AS A QUICK 'LOOK-SEE.'</sup>

Japan's Yen Posts Weekly Drop Versus Euro as U.S. Stocks Rally

By Ye Xie and Kim-Mai Cutler

Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The yen posted its first weekly decline against the euro in a month as a rally in U.S. stocks encouraged investors to buy higher-yielding assets funded by low-cost loans in Japan.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aTkK5FpSSpLo&refer=japan

Euro gains on dollar to US$1.3490
The Associated Press
Published: October 17, 2008

Frankfurt, Germany : The euro gained on the dollar Friday after Wall Street rebounded strongly overnight and Japan's market recovered from its historic fall in the previous session.

The 15-nation euro bought US$1.3490 in European morning trading, up from the US$1.3428 the night before in New York.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/17/business/EU-Euro-Dollar.php


There comes a time when the populous of a country has to state, 'we've had enough' of reckless fiscal policy and stop this idiocy.

There are basic 'flaws' in the USA Treasury Secretary's methodology.

His 'history' of success is mediocre at best.

The 'institutions' that are still on the outside of the 'failure chain' while involved in the dynamics of 'THE PLAN' deal in liquidity. Those same firms are entering the market place to 'deal with banks' in 'handling' their 'required' debt load.

What does that mean?

There is a preference by those that are managing this enormous debt in the Executive Branch of the USA to fashion 'banks' to serve as a clearinghouse to 'preferred' Liquidity Firms. I might add that those liquidity firms exist to service the military industrial complex of the USA.

This 'bailout' isn't allowing banks to re-establish their fiscal base, they are simply diving further into debt as required in accepting funds. Albeit, the 'new debt' is supposed to be 'better debt' and therefore in the 'long run' it is supposed to have a return, but, that return is so far out on 'the curve' that the recovery won't occur for decades and not simply a short run in the marketplace.

What will occur is the 'chronic' bailout of banks until the monetary structure of any country of The West is literally worthless. All the financial markets are more than willing to 'play the game' and see how it all turns out simply because they can and literally have to because governments are simply taking over their venues of freedom of transaction. To wait and see without profound insight and damn good math realizing margins and exponential failure on those margins is to realize the longevity of this failure and the complete and abject failure of THE PLAN.

There is something to be said about The Stock Market Crash as it played out so long ago. It was decisive, harsh and OVER with little intervention except for a President to give American Labor jobs to reinfuse NOT BANKS but the 'demand side' of the market place while the infrastructure of the USA improved and its 'fiscal' worth increased at the labor of its people. The 'old' Crash provided impetus for infrastructure rebuilding and placed 'the dollar' back on its feet when the country became more valuable to its currency.

<sup>The current 'bailout' is complete stupidity. It saps the value of the dollar without a return in a short course. As a result the 'confidence' so much talked about can't possibly occur unless it is among fools without hope and willing to travel a path as it is the only one available.

The debt load by all countries of The West needs to stop escalating, currency allowed to equilibrate for this episode of 'do something.'

Any further failure of the markets will occur without intervention, while the people of The West realize their choices in government just weren't what SHOULD have occurred when illegal wars and exorbitant expenditures result as 'bandaids' to incompetency in government. People have to realize politics is not a game and sometimes requires backbone of their representation when those incompetencies becomes common place and overlooked to the resolve of which brings impeachment.

The peoples of The West, which is something that can and should be addressed by the UN Security Council, have to realize there are 'instruments' within their constitutions and 'rules of law' that are SUPPOSED to be accessed to prevent gross incompetency and there are very real reasons why. They have to realize there is good leadership and bad leadership and I can't believe I have to consider my fellow citizen to be a person to educate to the ethics and morality of government where it departs from that of religion and faith.

Fiscal policy is NOT of God. It is of competency and morality that is grossly different than simply living by the Ten Commandments and when that 'integrity' is breached there are real consequences to the outcome of the well being of fiscal infrastructure to a country.

The common Editorial to the policies of the Bush Executive Branch would simply 'brush off' as a means of identity as 'hubris.' It was far more than that and this is the result. The legislations of McCain's economic advisors were a direct 'cause' of the current attack on the monetary systems of The West. That cannot be overlooked and to allow more of the same is to allow continued compromise to the fiscal infrastructure of the USA.

There are established entities in the USA, of which Credit Unions are just one, that have come away unscathed by the incompetencies of the Bush Executive Branch and Republican policy changes. That is an extremely valuable aspect to returning 'credit' to consumers and allowing confidence in home ownership. If the recklessness with the value of the currency continues, it can be stated there is no 'safe haven' to the people of a country and the worse of this mess is still to be realized.


KNOCK IT OFF !!!!</sup>

The consequences of Palin's Guilty Findings in regard to the Ethics Statute Violation is yet to be realized.

Palin violated Executive Branch Ethics Act (click here). She has complicated the 'disposition' of any firing of her former Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan.



The findings of the investigation aren't really that she is guilt free of breaking Alaskan statute, but, is indeed guilty of breaking the Ethics Laws governing her ELECTED position as Governor. The Public Safety Commissioner is NOT a political appointment as a cabinet officer would be.

There are definitive consequences to Palin's Ethics Violation. It raises the question, "Does Walter Monegan get his job back?"

It raises the question, "Is there impeachment of Palin that follows this investigation?"

It raises the question, "Is any action against Trooper Wooten considered 'null and void' due to the fact Walter Monegan was facing undue pressure from the Governor of Alaska?"

Basically, how much of the proceedings againt Wooten and Monegan is considered tainted and appealable due to the indiscretions of Palin?

Troopergate for Palin is not small issue. It points to abuse of power for personal satisfaction as a superior authority. If her actions are inappropriate it compromises her personally as well as The State of Alaska opening the possibilty of lawsuits by Wooten and Monegan.

How much has to be returned to these two men? Rank, status, retirement, benefits and possibly monetary considerations for pain and suffering. Due to the 'high profile' of this investigation, both Wooten and Monegan may no longer have viable career paths.

There was a lot of damage done by Alaskan Governor Palin. Who pays? The Alaskan Taxpayer?

I want to see all the e-mails from Sarah Palin, both official and personal regarding the prevention of classifying The Polar Bear in Alaska

Bush administration to Gov. Palin: Beluga whale in Alaska is endangered
Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin has questioned scientific evidence that the beluga whale population in the waters near Anchorage is declining. In fact last summer she urged the federal government not to list the whale as endangered, citing concerns of what a listing might do to the Cook Inlet economy.
But today the U.S. Government replied with a decisive counter, declaring the beluga whales in Alaska's Cook Inlet an endangered species. The findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration trigger a rigorous regimen to protect the whales, dwindled to an estimated 375 from their 1995 high of 653.
The decision by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service could trump a decision by the U.S. Interior Department to make oil leases available on Cook Inlet, where energy analysts see an estimated $1.38 billion worth of resources.
"In spite of protections already in place, Cook Inlet beluga whales are not recovering," said James Balsiger, NOAA's acting assistant administrator. The agency added that oil and gas exploration had hindered the whale's existence.
As the Associated Press noted, this is the second run-in Palin has had with the Bush administration over the Endangered Species Act. Earlier, the governor, now Republican vice presidential candidate, had asked the courts to overturn an Interior Department decision declaring polar bears threatened.
-- Johanna Neuman

Just a reminder to all those that have lost their way in the last eight years. Come HOME !!! We've been waiting for you.

The last couple of days it would seem The New York Times has found God.

...Based on the information that has come to light so far, the charges appear to be wildly overblown — and intended to hobble Acorn’s efforts....

Let's hope that trend continues at The New York Times. It's been a real bitch since that moron started work there...what's his name? Oh, yeah, Powell...Michael Powell.

Liberate The New York Times.

We are all pulling for you.

Has everyone watched and LISTENED to Michael Moore's Slacker Tour? In that film appears Viggo Mortensen stating that citizens of great democracies should be issued voter registrations automatically (along with their filing of drivers' license and/or draft status).

In the USA, every college student is required to file a draft form in order to receive financial assistance. Right or wrong, it goes on. There is no reason why any form where Americans come in contact with 'the system' doesn't require voter registration.

The New York Times very diplomatically evaded the finger pointing on this exploitation of a 'real issue' spun to defame a Presidential Candidate. The finger points directly at the inflammatory CNN and in this case Drew Griffin. It is irresponsible journalism, biased and exaggerated to cause harm to the character of a candidate. At this point with 'the truth' being known it is debateable at to whom the candidate slated for damage actually is.

HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, ha, ha, ah it feels so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JERKS !

...But for all of the McCain campaign’s manufactured fury about vote theft (and similar claims from the Republican Party over the years) there is virtually no evidence — anywhere in the country, going back many elections — of people showing up at the polls and voting when they are not entitled to.

Meanwhile, Republicans aren’t saying anything about another more serious voter-registration scandal: the fact that about one-third of eligible voters are not registered. The racial gaps are significant and particularly disturbing. According to a study by Project Vote, a voting-rights group, in 2006, 71 percent of eligible whites were registered, compared with 61 percent of blacks, 54 percent of Latinos and 49 percent of Asian-Americans.

Much of the blame for this lies with overly restrictive registration rules. Earlier this year, the League of Women Voters halted its registration drive in Florida after the state imposed onerous new requirements....