Mover Mike

map 1.1 2008/03/31 05:54:11 45.137N 120.935W 14.7 12 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.4 2008/03/30 18:08:47 45.120N 120.939W 8.1 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.0 2008/03/30 02:09:01 45.362N 121.694W 3.4 19 km (12 mi) SSW of Parkdale, OR

map 1.9 2008/03/29 09:38:55 45.119N 120.917W 15.2 14 km ( 9 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Us? Socialists?  :)

100% Preventable! Americans continue to pay the bloody price for open borders. When will the madness end?

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Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:

The Federal Reserve's ever-increasing "short-term" lending to major commercial and investment banks, described in the news report appended here, is starting to recall the boast of Barrick Gold a few years ago that its huge gold loans were "evergreen," written for 15-year terms but always allowed to be extended for another year every year.

Barrick's suggestion was that its gold loans never had to be repaid — that they were gold loans from central banks and that the central banks did not want their gold back, that the central banks wanted instead for the gold price to be suppressed. By contrast, demanding repayment of the gold loans would cause a short squeeze in the gold market and send the price soaring. That's what central bank gold sales seem to be: not delivery of new gold into the market but cash settlement of old gold loans that can't be repaid without causing that short squeeze.

For who else would want to "lend" gold on the virtually indefinite terms available to Barrick? Who else would even be able to lend gold this way? Who else would want to do so? And what purpose could such loans have other than to suppress the price?

Does the Fed want its burgeoning loans to the commercial and investment banks repaid? Probably not any time soon, for all these "short-term" billions can be deployed to rig a lot of markets — not just the mortgage derivatives markets that are the center of attention but very possibly the commodities markets as well. Thus these loans would become just like the funds in the Fed's pool of repurchase agreements with the Fed's primary dealers in New York, a pool of funds that now stands near $300 billion. These funds too are nominally "temporary" loans, but the pool never goes back to zero or even close. To the contrary, it is usually growing and has nearly doubled over the last six months — and its only purpose is market rigging.

News organizations and Congress have not yet realized the purposes to which infinite money may be put and so haven't begun questioning all the money being flung around. But it's not about free-market capitalism; it's what's called lemon socialism, wherein private interests take any profits and the public assumes any losses.

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.

Update:

General Electric (GE) plans to raise cash — $1 billion to $3 billion — from outside investors to begin investing in commercial real estate and other properties through newly established real estate investment funds.

[...]

"We think it'll be a good time to take advantage of pricing adjustments," said Joe Parsons, chief executive of GE's recently initiated global investment management division.

Here's the latest twitch from government officials and immediately shot down:

Der Spiegel magazine reported in a preview of its latest edition that Finance Ministry State Secretary Werner Gatzer had proposed selling part of the central bank's gold reserves, currently worth around 65 billion euros (51.5 billion pounds).

According to the plan, the proceeds could then be either invested to earn interest or debt could be paid off freeing up cash that would have been used to for interest payments, the magazine said, citing unidentified participants in a March 13 meeting of budget experts.

The result: the canary warning is subdued, confidence is hurt, margin accounts suffer and the insiders rush in and scoop up cheap Gold. Now, we are told the FED needs more power! More power to help the insiders and to screw the public.

In its general sense, fascism (small "f") means state control over the individual and the economy using regimentation and regulation. While similar to state socialism in its authoritarianism, fascism prefers state control over ostensibly private property rather than nationalization.

In The Oregonian, first Matt Welch, editor in chief of Reason magazine, wrote a column entitled The myth of a maverick. In the article, Welch writes, "...in both legislation and rhetoric, Mr. McCain has consistently sought to restrict the very freedoms he once exercised, in the common national enterprise of “serving a cause greater than self-interest.”

“We are fast becoming a nation of alienating individualists, unwilling to put the unifying values of patriotism ahead of our narrow self-interests,” Mr. McCain warned in a speech during his 2000 presidential campaign.

I have railed against the FED often, writing that since 1913 when the FED was created, financial crises have not been avoided, one of the reasons the FED was created, instead we've had a depression, inflation, resulting in a 95% fall in the currency, and skyrocketing debt. Now we want to give the FED sweeping new powers to deal with the mortgage crisis which is a result of the FED's policies.

The sweeping new powers include:

• fix "regulatory gaps and redundancies"


• "market stability regulator" - GATA has argued for some time that the Plunge Protection Team (PPT) and the Working Group for Financial Markets interfere in our financial markets capping the price of Gold and preventing market corrections.


• broad authority to require information from all participants in financial markets and a right to collaborate with other regulators in writing the rules that companies and institutions must follow. - This would mean that the FED could raid any finacial institution, hedge fund or private investment group for priviledged information


• it should have some authority over the investment banks - not since the 1930s has this area been regulated.


• an optional federal charter for insurance companies.

  The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Democratic Rep. Barney Frank, last week said Congress should seriously consider giving a federal agency the power to monitor all risk in the financial system and act when necessary, regardless of its corporate form.

  George Ure writes at UrbanSurvival.com the FED (a cartel of banks) seized control of the currency in 1913. "It's about to seize Wall Street."

  Oh, and in dabbling their toes in owning (as securities pledge against loans) CMO's and such, the Fed may also have tipped its hat that it's getting into real estate ownership.

  Ure argues that 'market stability' is really price fixing!

  The convergence I see is the sweeping FED powers combined with a malignant form of "patriotism" giving us a totalitarian country far removed from the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

  Related Posts (on one page):

  1. POMOs Hit $99 Billion In March!
  2. GE To Buy Commercial R.E.!
  3. Germany To Sell Gold. Right!
  4. The Road Taken To Serfdom

BARTIROMO: "How do you plan to change the tax code when it comes to capital gains? How high will that 15 percent rate go?"

Sen. OBAMA: "Well, you know, I haven't given a firm number. Here's my belief, that we can't go back to some of the, you know, confiscatory rates that existed in the past that distorted sound economics. And I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was the 28 percent. I would--and my guess would be it would be significantly lower than that. I think that we can have a capital gains rate that is higher than 15 percent. If it--and if it, you know--when I talk to people like Warren Buffet or others and I ask them, you know, what's--how much of a difference is it going to be if it's 20 or 25 percent, they say, look, if it's within that range then it's not going to distort, I think, economic decision making. On the other hand, what it will also do is first of all help out the federal treasury, which is running a credit card up with the bank of China and other countries. What it will also do, I think, is allow us to make investments in basic scientific research, in infrastructure, in broadband lines, in green energy and will allow us to give us--give some relief to middle class and working class families who have been driving this economy as consumers but have been doing it through credit cards and home equity loans. They're not going to be able to do that. And if we want the economy to continue to go strong, then we've got to make sure that they're getting a little relief as well."

Here's a rundown of countries and their rates courtesy of Wikipedia:

Argentina - There is no capital gains tax charged in Argentina.

Australia - 50% capital gains tax discount

Belgium - There is no capital gains tax.

Brazil - Capital gains tax is set at 15%.

Bulgaria - There is no capital gains tax.

Canada - Currently 50% of capital gains are taxed

China - Flat 10% of capital gains taxed with traded equities being exempt.

Denmark - Share dividends and realized capital gains on shares are charged 28%

Ecuador - Ecuador does not have capital gains tax for income gained abroad.

Estonia - All earned income from capital gains is taxed the same as regular income, the rate of which currently stands at 21% and is expected to drop to 20% by 2009.

Finland - The capital gains tax in Finland is 28% on realized capital income.

France - Capital gains tax is a flat 16%, with an annual exclusion or allowance of €5600. Residents pay an additional 11.6% 'Social Charges', non-residents are not liable to this

Germany - There is currently no capital gains tax after a holding period of one year for shares

Hong Kong - no capital gains tax.

Hungary - Since 1st of September 2006 there is one flat tax rate (20%) on capital income.

Iceland - In Iceland there is a 10% tax on realised capital gains.

India - Long term capital gains from equities are not taxed.

Ireland - There is a 20% tax on capital gains The tax rate is 23% on certain investment policies, and rises to 40% on certain offshore gains when they are not declared in time.

Italy - Capital gains are taxed at a flat 12.5%.

Japan - In Japan, there are two options for paying tax on capital gains. The first, Withholding Tax (源泉課税, Withholding Tax?), taxes all proceeds (regardless of profit or loss) at 1.05%. The second method, declaring proceeds as "taxable income" (申告所得, "taxable income"?), requires individuals to declare 26% of proceeds on their income tax statement.

Malaysia - There is no capital gains tax for equities

Mexico - There is a capital gains tax, rate unknown

Netherlands - There is no capital gains tax

However a "theoretical capital yield" of 4% is taxed at a rate of 30%.

In other words, all property and savings (with the exception of owner-occupied dwelling, pensions, approved "green" investments and monies below a certain threshold) are taxed at 1.2% as a substitute for capital gains tax.

Also, dividends and "proceeds (Dutch: vervreemdingswinsten) from significant stakes" (e.g. 5% or more of the ownership of a company) are taxed at 25%. So the latter can be seen as a capital gains tax.

Norway - The individual capital gains tax is 28%.

Poland - Since 2004 there is one flat tax rate (19%) on capital income.

Portugal - There is a capital gains tax on sale of home and property. Any capital gain (mais-valia) arising is taxable as income.

Currently, for stock held for more than twelve months the capital gain is exempt. The capital gain of stock held for shorter periods of time is taxable on 10%.

Russia - The capital gains tax in Russia is 13% for tax residents and 30% for non-residents.

Singapore - There is no capital gains tax in Singapore.

South Korea - Capital gains tax in South Korea is 11% for tax residents for sales of shares in small- and medium-sized companies. Rates of 22% and 33% apply in certain other situations.

Sweden - The capital gains tax is 30% on realized capital income.

Switzerland - There is no capital gains tax in Switzerland for residents.

Thailand - There is no separate capital gains tax in Thailand. All earned income from capital gains is taxed the same as regular income.However, if individual earns capital gain from security in the Stock Exchange of Thailand, it is exempted from personal income tax.

United Kingdom - All individuals are exempt from CGT up to a specified amount of capital gains per year. For the 2007/8 tax year this "annual exemption" is £9,200.

Why should China, Hong Kong and Russia have lower CGT rates lower than the seat of Capitalism?

At the center of the new ring is Kristin "Billie" Davis, a busty bottle blonde who hails from a (r)ough-and-tumble California trailer park. She has a reputation for hard-partying, shameless self-promotion and a rumored 10,000-name-long client list

I love this caption to the photo: "Davis' lawyer said his client is a former hedge-fund worker."

First Hillary says hedge fund workers aren't doing real work, even though Chelsea Clinton works for a hedge fund, and now this. You can tell former hedge fund worker Davis is pure evil. Look at the upside down cross!

She does have beautiful blue eyes.

Kristin Davis Ex-Gov Spitzer Mover Mike

Update:

Banks Sued Over Clear Channel
The dispute over Clear Channel escalated as private-equity firms filed suit, seeking to force lenders to fund the $19 billion buyout. A failed deal could cost Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners nearly $1 billion combined.

Last year, (Thomas H.) Lee's $508 million investment in Refco, formerly the largest independent futures brokerage, seemed like a winner.

Refco Thomas H. Lee Partners Clear Channel

Update:

Now the NY Times reports an independent report commissioned by a division of the Justice Department concludes “improper and imprudent practices” by New Century were condoned and enabled by its auditors, KPMG.

The 580-page report documents how New Century lowered its reserves for loans that investors were forcing it to buy back even as such repurchases were surging. Had it not changed its accounting, the company would have reported a loss rather a profit in the second half of 2006. The company first acknowledged that its accounting was wrong in February 2007 and sought bankruptcy protection less than two months later as its lenders stopped doing business with it.

The profit was important because it allowed executives to earn bonuses and convince Wall Street that it was in fine shape financially when in fact its business was coming apart, the report contended.

Another indication that the rush to open online stores is failing. Maybe the competition is too fierce or the margins too low. What ever the case Pier 1 Imports with 1,000-plus stores is no slouch in retailing.

However, in a piece The Debt Shuffle by Jesse Eisinger, Eisinger's concludes:

The picture emerging is that of an investment bank that is dancing as fast as it can

• Lehman’s balance sheet isn’t shrinking, as we’d expect. - Other financial institutions are taking down their exposure right now amid the market turmoil to be prudent
• Lehman got more leveraged, not less. - The investment banks “gross” leverage hit 31.7 times equity, up from the fourth quarter and way up from last year’s 28.1.
• Lehman includes debt in its calculation of equity. Say what?
• Lehman reaped substantial earnings gains because investors thought it is more likely to go bankrupt.
• Lehman’s write-downs seem tiny. - The bank only wrote these assets down by 3 percent. And its Level III assets —the hardest to value portion of these instruments—were written down by only the same percentage.

If Lehman fails, how much will the FED have to spend this time and will JP Morgan ride again to the rescue?

map 1.9 2008/03/29 09:38:55 45.119N 120.917W 15.2 14 km ( 9 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 2.3 2008/03/29 08:28:24 45.124N 120.937W 15.2 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

UPDATE:

map 1.7 2008/03/28 20:25:54 45.112N 120.945W 8.2 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/28 18:34:03 45.119N 120.947W 9.6 12 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/28 04:23:22 45.116N 120.945W 10.9 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.8 2008/03/27 17:13:22 45.126N 120.921W 15.7 14 km ( 9 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

UPDATE:

map 2.5 2008/03/26 13:40:53 44.473N 122.877W 24.7 1 km ( 1 mi) SSW of Sodaville, OR

map 1.6 2008/03/26 12:52:52 45.122N 120.930W 12.7 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

UPDATE:

map 2.2 2008/03/25 19:33:31 45.126N 120.936W 16.3 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.5 2008/03/25 15:23:30 45.119N 120.929W 12.7 14 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 2.2 2008/03/25 10:32:28 45.007N 120.950W 19.3 15 km (10 mi) W of Shaniko, OR

map 1.3 2008/03/23 03:07:04 45.133N 120.924W 14.1 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Update:

His post ran in March 22, 2006 entitled Market Psychology or The Wall Of Worry. In the piece he is bullish about the market and the U.S. economy with these points:

1. Today, PE's are down, companies have strong balance sheets, and tons of cash laying around burning a hole in the pockets of management.
2. Whatever happens in Iran and Iraq is already discounted in the market
3. A recession? Maybe, maybe not. But probably not this year so a non-starter to the market.
4. Inverted yield curve which means short term rates are higher than long term rates. I will make it a neutral to the market.
5. Inflation and/or deflation--when you get one, people worry. When you get the other, people worry. However, even terrorists want to live here.
6. A new Fed chief? The new boss looks pretty much like the old boss.
7. GM is a dinosaur waiting to expire. (If they expire)the impact will be significant (especially if you are a UAW member) but not earth shaking.
8. The perennial weak dollar. Here's the news. The dollar is up, not down.

I challenged him on the credit worthiness of major companies saying, "As a result of GE's restatement of its financial information in its amended 2004 Form 10-K dated May 6, 2005, readers should no longer rely on our previously filed financial statements and other financial information for the years and for each of the quarters in the years 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2001. Readers should also no longer rely on our previously announced results for the first quarter of 2005."

I challenged him on the USD saying, "What you had is a mini rally in a bear market from 80 to 91, after a fall from 120 to 80, Big deal! Now it appears to be rolling over. I won't even bother to critique the rest of your points"

Looking back on Uncle Bill's post he was pretty accurate. The DJIA closed March at 11195. (See Chart) It has been over 14000 and even though the first two months have been rough and volatile, it still closed Friday at 12410. (See Chart)

The USD is a different story.

See Chart

In fact, the USD was only in a rally, as I said, and has since fallen to 71!

Now, Uncle Bill is mostly right. One would think, however, that the falling dollar will have consequences for interest rates, inflation and our ability to fund our deficits. That's what gets played up in the press and that's why we should continue to read Uncle Bill for the other side. His comment to me however was uncalled for.

Today's press release explains:

FORBES.COM TO LAUNCH BUSINESS AND FINANCE BLOG NETWORK

Nicholas Ricci Tapped as General Manager, Sales for the Blog Network & Forbes Audience Network

NEW YORK, NY (March 24, 2008) – Today Forbes.com, home page for the world’s business leaders, announced the creation of a Business and Finance Blog Network, comprised of a community of pre-screened, influential business and financial blogs.

The Blog Network’s content will focus on senior business decision makers and high-net-worth investors. Topics will be relevant to the banking, trading, hedge fund management, affluent investing, and senior business decision-making communities. Participation in the network is by invitation only, and all blogs are vetted by Forbes.com editors for appropriate content, and to ensure that they are in keeping with the Forbes editorial brand. (Emphasis added)

The network will allow advertisers to target a highly engaged, exclusive niche audience of senior business decision makers and affluent investors easily and effectively. Four hundred-plus blogs have already joined the network, with many more expected to sign on before the official launch in the next few weeks.

“There is no denying the growing importance and influence of blogs within the media landscape,” said Forbes.com President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Spanfeller. “Forbes.com can ensure advertisers are reaching a hard-to-find and very desirable audience within safe, well-lit environments by exclusively inviting ‘best of breed’ business and investing bloggers to our new Business and Finance Blog Network.”

Nick Ricci has been appointed General Manager, Sales. He will be responsible for overseeing the sales, marketing and promotion for the Blog Network as well as the Forbes Audience Network (FAN), which launched in November 2007. Nick joins Forbes.com from About.com, where he served as Senior Vice President, Sales and Ad Operations. He has also held senior sales management and marketing positions at Times Mirror Magazines, Cox Interactive Sales, and Hachette Filipacchi Media US. Nick is already in the process of hiring and building a dedicated network sales team.

“I’m thrilled that Nick has joined Forbes.com to oversee the sales efforts for the Blog Network,” added Spanfeller. “He is a seasoned executive with several years of sales and marketing experience who will play a key role in driving the network’s success.”

In the famous Obama speech, he referred to his grandmother, who was white, as a "typical white person"! Now I'm sure if John McCain had referred to Obama as a "typical black person" the wrath from the MSM would have peeled the paint off nearby buildings. No such firestorm has been directed at Obama. Instead, those who support him have said great things about the speech. In fact, the speech sent a shiver up the leg of the star of Hard Ball.

With that background Kimsch is now offering TWP* T-shirts and related accessories:

*Typical White Person

Update:

Election 2008: Is there a candidate for us?

100% Preventable! Americans continue to pay the bloody price for open borders. When will the madness end?

Download the show for your Ipod here

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy.

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Technorati Tags: illegal immigration, deportation, rule of law, invasion, insanity, mexico, execution, murder for hire, el salvador, open borders, border security,

map 1.3 2008/03/21 10:41:07 45.135N 120.944W 18.8 12 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/21 07:27:29 45.129N 120.936W 14.0 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.6 2008/03/20 13:05:04 45.130N 120.967W 8.2 10 km ( 6 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

The one difference in the recent quakes: they are closer to Maupin (6 Miles) and shallower (8.1 KM)

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Bass Energy, and partner Robert Harrison, have the money, the leases and the drilling permit. Now they are just waiting on a rig.

Lehman borrowed the money through the facility, which was announced over the weekend and makes money available to securities firms on much the same conditions as the Fed's discount window, late on Tuesday, the paper reported, citing an unnamed person familiar with the transaction.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Goldman Sachs Group Inc is likely to tap the facility before the end of the week.

With regulators essentially ready to bail out just about any financial institution facing crippling capital pressures, the worst is yet to come.

...today’s talk focuses on National City Corp. and Washington Mutual Inc.

The stocks of both regional banks have been hammered — National City’s because of rumors it has put itself on the sales block and WaMu’s because its debt rating was cut on Friday to one step above junk status. Moody’s predicted WaMu would have to set aside $12 billion of loan-loss reserves, far more than previously predicted.

Though I don’t have a great sense for the potential fallout at Nat City, I have heard some talk that WaMu is technically insolvent. The issue revolves around the Seattle-based bank’s mark-to-market strategy for its whole loan and mortgage portfolio.

Of WaMu’s $328 billion of assets at yearend, 22% are non-real-estate-related. That leaves $256 billion worth connected to prime single-family residence and mortgage-backed securities, home equity and consumer loans, multi-family and commercial real estate, and subprime mortgages.

The way I understand it, WaMu only needs to mark down its loans to market value once they become "substandard." At that point, I’m afraid, it would be too late.

The collection of influential characters who now work, have worked, or have invested in the group would make the most convinced conspiracy theorists incredulous. They include among others, John Major, former British Prime Minister; Fidel Ramos, former Philippines President; Park Tae Joon, former South Korean Prime Minister; Saudi Prince Al-Walid; Colin Powell, former Secretary of State; James Baker III, former Secretary of State; Caspar Weinberger, former Defense Secretary; Richard Darman, former White House Budget Director; the billionaire George Soros, and even some bin Laden family members. You can add Alice Albright, daughter of Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State; Arthur Lewitt, former SEC head; William Kennard, former head of the FCC, to this list. Finally, add in the Europeans: Karl Otto Poehl, former Bundesbank president; the now-deceased Henri Martre, who was president of Aerospatiale; and Etienne Davignon, former president of the Belgian Generale Holding Company.

Somehow this mission statement is passe:

Carlyle states that its "mission is to become the premier global private equity firm and to generate extraordinary returns while maintaining our good name and the good name of our partners. Toward that end, we have established a family of funds in the Carlyle name and a network of offices around the world. We maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct and employ a conservative, proven and disciplined approach to investing.

Its public offering raised $670 Million which was used to buy $22 Billion of subprimes. That's leverage of 32:1. It seems that Carlyle Capital and Eliot Spitzer have one thing in common. They both believed they wouldn't get caught.

Carlyle Capital Carlyle Group Mover Mike

Analysts at Deutsche Bank sent an alert to their clients saying, "Lehman is not Bear." They cited Lehman's higher levels of liquidity, the support it has from its counterparties, its higher level of diversification, and the experience of Lehman's CEO as reasons for its opinion.

Third in a three part series on reconquista: the bottom line!

Our good friends are honored by the SPLC, color us green with envy!

100% Preventable! Americans continue to bear the violent consequences of open borders, when will the madness end?

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map 1.1 2008/03/19 02:11:48 45.122N 120.930W 19.1 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.3 2008/03/18 22:05:28 45.130N 120.926W 15.3 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

UPDATE 3-18-08:

map 1.8 2008/03/17 19:11:31 45.133N 120.943W 13.5 12 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.5 2008/03/16 21:55:35 45.129N 120.941W 15.3 12 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/16 09:56:49 45.131N 120.939W 14.0 12 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.0 2008/03/15 22:40:12 45.126N 120.935W 11.9 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Update:

Update:

In January of 2008 2007, Bear Stearns (BSC) was trading at $170 per share. As I noted here, it dropped almost 50% on Friday to $30. At $30, the market was saying BSC, a firm that had been business for almost 85 years, a firm that never had a losing year, a firm that was 1/3 owned by the employees, was worth over $4 Billion.

Over this weekend the PTB met and rescued the world from a bankruptcy and JP Morgan bought BSC for $2 a share or about $236 Million. Think of the ruined lives, the dreams up in smoke, the possible personal bankruptcies to follow such a devastating development. Think of the possible repercussions even the saving of BSC will have on other financial firms. It makes me gag!

Update:

Sunday’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Event showcased a strong spring ‘08 line by Clancey.

Do you see what I see? The model on the left is yesterday's stock market, pre-2008, confident, sexy, self-assured as opposed to the model on the right, post 2008, cautious, protective, sensible even prudish.

The fact that both can exist at the same time suggests investors haven't come to terms with the chaos in the financial markets and the risks to their personal finances.

Fashion Mover Mike

In the U.S number system (the British system is even worse) we work as follows:

Million - 1,000,000

Billion - 1,000,000,000

Trillion - 1,000,000,000,000

Quadrillion - 1,000,000,000,000,000

Quintillion - 1,000,000,000,000,000,000

Sextillion - 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

for comparison, in seconds

Million - 11.5 days

Billion - 31.7 years

Trillion - 31,700 years

Quadrillion - 31,700,000 years

Quintillion - 31,700,000,000 years

Sextillion - 31,700,000,000,000 years

Last week, it was a $200 billion cash-for-bond swap for the banks.

This week, it was a $200 billion bond-for-bond swap for the big investment houses.

Gold FED Mover Mike

MAP 4.2 2008/03/15 17:53:39 42.559 -126.696 10.0 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON

MAP 5.9 2008/03/15 14:44:39 42.487 -126.663 10.0 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON

For more see the New York Post Pics.

Ashley Dupre Ex-Gov Eliot Spitzer (D) Mover Mike

Bear Stearns plunges 50% in opening minutes and rattles the market. Rumors have rebounded across the country that the "Bear" was dying.

The company (Bear Stearns) has struggled since the middle of 2007 due to the fallout in the mortgage and credit markets. Last summer, two hedge funds worth billions of dollars managed by Bear Stearns collapsed because of bad bets on securities backed by subprime mortgages -- loans given to customers with poor credit history.

Bear Stearns (BSC) JP Morgan Chase (JPM) Mover Mike

map 1.4 2008/03/14 20:45:26 45.124N 120.931W 13.5 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

UPDATE:
map 2.3 2008/03/13 18:15:06 45.128N 120.943W 14.7 12 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

UPDATE: Antelope, OR is just due south of maupin

map 2.4 2008/03/13 18:15:03 44.917N 120.956W 27.1 18 km (11 mi) W of Antelope, OR

map 2.1 2008/03/13 01:10:10 45.114N 123.027W 22.6 9 km ( 6 mi) NW of Brooks, OR

map 1.4 2008/03/12 12:08:51 45.127N 120.939W 16.5 12 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.8 2008/03/11 23:27:24 45.136N 120.955W 13.1 11 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/11 22:28:58 45.124N 120.953W 14.8 12 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.5 2008/03/11 15:04:46 45.660N 122.911W 23.9 10 km ( 6 mi) NE of North Plains, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/10 15:13:03 46.066N 122.818W 7.6 6 km ( 4 mi) ENE of Prescott, OR

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Update:

The Wall Street Journal has a different take saying the press was complicit as "enablers." The question many are asking, "How could this happen to a straight shooter?" Kimberley A. Strassel writes

The former New York attorney general never believed normal rules applied to him, and his view was validated time and again by an adoring press.

Yet from the start, the press corps acted as an adjunct of Spitzer power, rather than a skeptic of it. Many journalists get into this business because they want to see wrongs righted. Mr. Spitzer portrayed himself as the moral avenger. He was the slayer of the big guy, the fat cat, the Wall Street titan -- all allegedly on behalf of the little guy. The press ate it up, and came back for more.

NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) Mover Mike

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a Pentagon news conference that he accepted the request ofAdm. William Fallon, commander of the U. S. Central Command, to resign and retire from the Navy, agreeing that the Iran issue had become a distraction. But Gates said repeatedly that he believed talk of Fallon opposing Bush on Iran was mistaken.

[...]

Fallon was the subject of an article published last week in Esquire magazine that portrayed him as at odds with a president eager to go to war with Iran. Titled "The Man Between War and Peace," it described Fallon as a lone voice against taking military action to stop the Iranian nuclear program.

Adm. William Fallon Iran Mover Mike

When I mention Mazatlan to people, I hear about some book written by ex-pats living in Mexico or I hear about someone contemplating moving to Mexico. Bev and I had dinner with friends that vacationed in Mexico four years ago, now they have a house in San Miguel de Allende and are planning to pull up stakes and move there permanently in the next year or so.

I got to wondering, how many Americans have moved there? This table is courtesy of the 2000 census, the last information we have available and available at LifeTwo.com:

The report states:

...there is very little actual research done on the demographics of the US citizens abroad or their settlement choices. Howerver, combining host-country with US census information, it is clear that citizens over 50 are a growing number in the exodus.

[...]

None of the data above captures the second-home buyers, a segment of the real estate market that is growing at very high rates in both Mexico and Panama, and which would be interesting to add on.

I found this map showing where ex-pats are living at Latin Lista:

Popular destination points for American retirees in Mexico.
(Source: Migration Policy Institute)

Here are two books, one I've read and one I'm currently reading:

"The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico: The Expatriate's Guide to Moving, Retiring, or just hanging out" by Doug Bower and Cynthia, M. Bower

"On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel" by Tony Cohan

And today I heard about "Lost and Found in Mexico", A Documentary Film by Caren Cross.

Are we thinking of following in so many footsteps? Right now it is just an idea that will take much investigation. I'll keep you informed of our progress.

Sen. Hillary Clinton NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) Mover Mike

Through Golden Bond we found Ralph, cared for at the time by Janie and her husband in Ashland. After meeting Ralph, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. He was everything we wanted and we adopted him. To this day, Ralph still puts a smile on my face at the prospect of being greeted by this big goofball.

Now you can help support this great organization here in Oregon. The 2008 calendar is available. For $10.00, you can "Share the joy of seeing our Golden Bond rescue dogs... Each month features photos of our rescue dogs submitted by their Golden Bond adopters, along with their endearing story."

Click the Image to order

"The average price of imported crude oil soared to a record $84.09 a barrel in January. That pushed the country's imported crude-oil bill to an all-time high of $27.1 billion in January."

Monthly Trade Deficit

America is spending and sending almost $1 Billion a day to oil producers around the world, in many cases funding governments that are unfriendly or hostile to our interests. We should demand that our government find a solution to this problem.

Credit default swaps (CDS) measuring bankruptcy risk on Bear Stearns debt rocketed from 246 points to 792 on fears that it had been unable to raise capital to cover mortgage losses and was preparing to invoke Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The DJIA closed down over 153 points, "breaking through the crucial support line of its January lows."

Bank of America said the Fed would have to cut rates to 1.5pc by the middle of the year. The futures markets have begun to price in the serious possibility of a 100 basis point drop next week.

Bear Stearns (BSC) Credit default swaps Mover Mike

map 2.5 2008/03/10 11:06:53 45.128N 120.953W 17.5 11 km ( 7 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 1.7 2008/03/09 06:02:08 45.126N 120.929W 16.4 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR

map 2.3 2008/03/07 16:11:53 44.237N 118.213W 8.1 24 km (15 mi) S of Unity, OR

map 1.9 2008/03/07 12:01:28 44.239N 118.204W 2.3 23 km (14 mi) S of Unity, OR

map 2.4 2008/03/07 11:42:10 44.249N 118.236W 6.7 22 km (14 mi) S of Unity, OR

Maupin Earthquake Mover Mike

Update:

Again and again, the senator was portrayed as a manager who valued loyalty and familiarity over experience and expertise.

Sen. Hillary Clinton Sen. Barack Obama Mover Mike

Reconquista Pt 2: A look at how ethnocentric American non profits are part of Mexico's lobbying machine.

And a video reminder of reconquista statements uttered over the years for the nonbelievers.

And 100% Preventable! Americans continue to suffer and die due to open borders. When will the madness end?

Download the show for your Ipod here.

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy.

If you’d like to join find out how right here.

Technorati Tags: illegal immigration, deportation, mexico, podcast, vlog, diggers realm, invasion, reconquista, icirr, junta del progresso, chrla, peter schey, armando navarro,

If you fear high gas prices and high oil prices, don't. The high prices are seeding a rush of cars with new technology that get incredible miles per gallon without sacrificing speed and looks, like the one pictured above.

That is the Fisker Karma, "a sports car that runs for a year on one tank of petrol."

The makers of the Fisker Karma say that unheard-of level of fuel efficiency is entirely possible if you only drive the car up to 50 miles a day, using just the battery, and remember to recharge it at night.

The car can go from 0-60mph in just six seconds and has a top speed of 125mph - although only in "sport" mode, when the juice kicks in to help power the engine.

Fisker Karma Automobiles Mover Mike

Earlier in the week, seismographs in the southern Hood Canal area began recording bursts of low-level shaking associated with what is called an episodic tremor-and-slip event. If this episode behaves true to form, the tremor will move north beneath the Olympic Mountains and across to Vancouver Island during the next two to three weeks.

[...]

Slow-slip events, or silent earthquakes, occur at a depth of about 25 miles and can last for several weeks. Though they are unfelt by humans, they can release as much energy as a large earthquake.

Slow-slip events Earthquake episodic tremor-and-slip event

The chart shows that annualized consumer spending, based on January, was over $10 Trillion, a rise from December's annualized spending, but look at the increase from December in annualized spending on "Gasoline & other motor fuel", 39.2%! January oil prices may have averaged about $92 to 93 per BBL. Now we are setting oil records almost daily. The latest price is about $106. The amount of consumer spending may go up in the near future, but an increasing amount is going for fuel.

There's hope, if you are a high end retailer. The second chart is a picture of the affluent, defined here by either incomes over $150,000 or assets of $250,000, and the wealthy, defined by assets over $1 Million.

While the affluent may pull back on their spending, the wealthy look to increase spending.

Consumer Spending Fuel Prices Mover Mike

Now that the their actions have consequences, many want to change the rules. Many Democrats want to find some solution to the problem and would consider letting the two states vote in the convention. To me there is no problem. Follow the rules or live with the consequences. How can there be a compromise?

Florida Michigan Primary Elections

map 1.5 2008/03/06 11:52:15 45.163N 120.914W 27.6 13 km ( 8 mi) E of Maupin, OR
map 1.3 2008/03/06 11:25:07 45.124N 120.930W 13.2 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR
map 2.1 2008/03/06 04:38:41 44.247N 118.231W 0.0 23 km (14 mi) S of Unity, OR
map 2.3 2008/03/06 04:07:10 44.242N 118.242W 3.2 23 km (14 mi) S of Unity, OR
map 2.0 2008/03/05 17:07:08 44.229N 118.230W 3.1 25 km (15 mi) S of Unity, OR
map 1.6 2008/03/05 10:35:38 45.120N 120.940W 8.3 13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Maupin, OR
map 2.4 2008/03/05 09:57:39 44.758N 117.168W 2.4 1 km ( 1 mi) S of Richland, OR
map 1.8 2008/03/05 00:11:02 44.244N 118.246W 8.1 23 km (14 mi) S of Unity, OR

Maupin Earthquake Unity Oregon

Thornburg Mortgage Inc. lost more than half its market value after the home lender failed to meet $270 million of margin calls and a Citigroup Inc. analyst said bankruptcy is possible.

Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (TMA) Citigroup Inc. (C) Mover Mike

MAP 5.1 2008/03/03 15:44:49 43.900 -128.297 10.0 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON

Map of historic

Oregon Earthquake Mover Mike

Reconquista: what is it? Who's behind it? Should you be worried? First in a three part series.

New media: let's get to work!

100% Preventable! Americans continue to suffer and die at the hands of illegal aliens, when will the madness end?

Download for your Ipod here.

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you’d like to join find out how right here.

Technorati Tags: illegal immigration deportation invasion vlog podcast rape pedophile mexico reconquista

Our hospitals are compelled by law to treat illegal immigrants in their emergency rooms without charge. One after another, they are going bankrupt and closing their doors.

Major Business Publications

Regular TV Meets Online TV

Online Specials

Just say hello to your wife and kids occassionally!

Update:

13 Unconventional Factors that Affect the Dollar By Adam Kritzer

20 Surprising Ways High Oil Prices Affect the Global Economy By Jessica Hupp

10 Countries That Benefit from the Falling Dollar

Gramm, a former economics professor, retired from the Senate in 2002 and has been an investment banker at UBS. He joined old friend McCain’s then-floundering campaign in July and helped turn it around.

“If McCain follows Gramm’s counsel, and most of his current positions are vintage Gramm indeed, his policies as president would represent not just a sharp departure from the Bush years, but an assault on government growth that Republicans have boasted about, but failed to achieve, for decades,” Fortune magazine observes.

...McCain now support extending the Bush tax cuts he twice voted against. But unlike Bush, he would seek to drastically cut spending.

“McCain’s main objection when Congress passed the tax cuts was that we didn’t have spending controls,” Gramm told Fortune.

Based on the following chart showing the Bush tax cuts shifting more of the burden to the rich, you have to ask who are the Democrats shilling for if the tax cuts are repealed?

BTW, I saw one of my liberal friends at the dog park today and asked if she had decided on a candidate. She said she is going to vote Obama. Then she said McCain really scares her. I said, knowing she hates Bush, "He can't be scarier than Bush, can he?" "Oh no he's worse, she said, "he's really scary!

Libs, you gotta' love them!

Sen. John McCain Bush Tax Cuts Mover MIke

Update:

Michael Hall emailed me about the 6.0-magnitude earthquake in Wells, Nevada. He writes, "There was a lot more damage in the NV quake than I knew of until I saw this: Bend man helps Nevada earthquake victim.

Parts of the oldest section of Wells were devastated and to top it off,

Federal Emergency Management Agency has declined to provide help because damage to private property didn't reach the agency's required limits.

More help is on the way today, with about 500 volunteers converging on Wells to begin rebuilding. "These people are coming from just literally all over the country," Supp said. "It's going to be a drywaller's paradise here in the next few months."

One group headed to Wells will be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is expected to send about 300 volunteers from stakes in Elko, West Wendover and outlying areas, including cities in Utah.

Wells Chamber of Commerce
(775) 752-3540, fax to pax: (775) 752-2172
or email to coc@wellsnevada.com