Friday, May 24, 2013

Bernanke out by August, QE ends, rates up: Crash

Bernanke out by August, QE ends, rates up: Crash - Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch:
"The Fed “won’t be able to keep a lid on interest rates forever.” So “large money managers such as BlackRock, TCW Group and Pimco are getting ready for the day when rates take their first turn higher. It isn’t coming anytime soon, these investors say. But when it does, they worry, the ascent will be swift and steep.”

Get defensive now, start preparing for a crash ... later is too late

Get it? Rates will go up. Way up. Very fast. 
And America’s 95 million Main Street investors will be unprepared. Markets will crash. Like 1994’s 24% bond crash after Fed rate increases, notes Wirz.

The big players say the crash “won’t happen soon.” Don’t believe them. They’re betting with trillions. And they are hedging their bets, already preparing for “when rates take their first turn higher,” because rates will soar “swift and steep,” and when that happens it will be too late to prepare."

BBC political editor Nick Robinson's extraordinary apology after backlash against 'Muslim appearance' comment about Woolwich killers

BBC political editor Nick Robinson's extraordinary apology after backlash against 'Muslim appearance' comment about Woolwich killers | Mail Online:
"The BBC's political editor has apologised for directly quoting a Whitehall source who described the Woolwich killers as being 'of Muslim appearance'.
Nick Robinson said he was sorry for using the phrase, which 'was both liable to be misinterpreted and to cause offence', during the BBC News at Six broadcast yesterday."

I-5 bridge collapses over Skagit River; possibly triggered by truck

I-5 bridge collapses over Skagit River; possibly triggered by truck | The Today File | Seattle Times:
"The bridge, built in 1955, has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data, but 759 bridges in the state have a lower sufficiency score."

Thursday, May 23, 2013

London, a Deeper Horror Than We Might Think

London, a Deeper Horror Than We Might Think - Simon Conway - Page 1
And I know in my heart that if you transplanted that atrocious scene on a London street yesterday, to an American street today, then the outcome would have been entirely different. People, as they did in Boston, would run TOWARDS the danger.
So what happened yesterday? What could possess a crowd to watch two men with knives and machetes hack to death another human being? And why was the only reaction to pull out phones and shoot pictures and video? How could these people then wait 20 minutes for the police to show up without any attempt to take down these terrorists?
It took most of the day for me to reach my conclusion, but I have arrived at something that is really quite uncomfortable - more so because we here in the United States are currently headed down the same path. We might be 10 or 15 or even 20 years away, but unless we change direction then we too will simply record an event and do nothing to try and save another human being.
What am I talking about? Some of you might call it socialism, but whatever label you give it, Britain is now a country that is completely dependent on government. Government will take care of me; government knows best; government has my best interests at heart; government will be here in 20 minutes to deal with these terrorists.

11 Public Universities with the Worst Graduation Rate

11 Public Universities with the Worst Graduation Rate:
"1. Southern University at New Orleans, Louisiana
Graduation rate: 4%

Sweden riots expose ugly side of 'Nordic model'

Sweden riots expose ugly side of 'Nordic model' - Yahoo! News Canada:
"Sweden received 43,900 asylum seekers in 2012, a nearly 50 percent jump from 2011 and the second highest on record.
Nearly half were from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia. Many native Swedes worry welfare could become unaffordable if the trend continues."

911 Dispatcher Tells Woman About To Be Sexually Assaulted There Are No Cops To Help Her Due To Budget Cuts

911 Dispatcher Tells Woman About To Be Sexually Assaulted There Are No Cops To Help Her Due To Budget Cuts « CBS Seattle
“Uh, I don’t have anybody to send out there,” the 911 dispatcher told the woman. 
“You know, obviously, if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away? 
Do you know if he’s intoxicated or anything?”

The woman told the dispatcher that Bellah previously attacked her and left her hospitalized a few weeks prior to the latest incident. 
The dispatcher stayed on the phone with the woman for more than 10 minutes before the sexual assault took place.
“Once again it’s unfortunate you guys don’t have any law enforcement out there,” the dispatcher said, according to Oregon Public Radio.
The woman responded: “Yeah, it doesn’t matter, if he gets in the house I’m done.”

See how much your Michigan hometown grew or shrank in 2012 (database)

See how much your Michigan hometown grew or shrank in 2012 (database) | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:

People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests

People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests:
".....points to the fact that women of high intelligence tend to have fewer children than do women of lower intelligence.
This negative association between I.Q. and fertility has been demonstrated time and again in research over the last century."

Propaganda: NPR Incorrectly Claims IRS Has Nothing to do With Obamacare

Propaganda: NPR Incorrectly Claims IRS Has Nothing to do With Obamacare:
"Conway also reminded host Conan why Obamacare was upheld by the Supreme Court last year.
It wasn't upheld under the Commerce Clause but under the federal government's taxing powers.
"So, the same IRS that is playing politics with people's lives and their applications will also have some kind of authority over what happens with healthcare," she said.
As they came upon a break, Conan's reply was a succinct--and wholly wrong--"No, it won't."

Texas, Red States Beat Blue States On Jobs, Growth In Past Decade

Texas, Red States Beat Blue States On Jobs, Growth In Past Decade - Investors.com:
"Michigan came in dead last."

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The Manhood of the West

Belmont Club » The Manhood of the West:
"The attackers knew they were actors in a drama — as keenly watched in their communities as on the BBC.  And in that other audience they were asking, “how will the locals behave”.
We know now.
And that other audience may derive an entirely different lesson from this tableau.
“See? 
Only their women act like men. 
They follow orders. 
They are nothing any more — these Westerners. 
They are a civilization whose core has been destroyed.”
And would they be right?
Who will be the judge?"

Inconvenient weather fact: Frequency of violent tornadoes like the one in Oklahoma has been declining, not increasing

Inconvenient weather fact: Frequency of violent tornadoes like the one in Oklahoma has been declining, not increasing | AEIdeas:
tornado
"There’s just one small, inconvenient problem with making a connection between climate change and an increasing frequency of violent tornadoes – the link doesn’t actually exist."

Zero conservatives selected to deliver 2013 commencement speeches at Ivy Leagues

SURVEY: Zero conservatives selected to deliver 2013 commencement speeches at Ivy Leagues

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Spain's Angry and Unemployed Young Men

RealClearWorld - Spain's Angry and Unemployed Young Men:
"The oddest moment came when we reached a tollbooth not too far from Madrid.
There was only one booth open and when we pulled up there was no one in it and no coin or credit card slot. We waited, then we left.
Perhaps the attendant was in the bathroom.
Perhaps the revenue didn't justify paying a toll taker.
Perhaps this was one of the austerity measures they had taken.
I will never know.
What I do know is that the drive had a sort of post-apocalyptic feel, except that it was very clean. "

Ten Thousand Commandments: Regulations Increasingly Used to Enact Measures Voters Wouldn't Approve

Ten Thousand Commandments: Regulations Increasingly Used to Enact Measures Voters Wouldn't Approve | Competitive Enterprise Institute:
"According to the new edition of the report, released today by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Americans spend an estimated $1.8 trillion a year to comply with federal regulations.
For the first time, that’s more than half the level of total federal expenditures. 
Agencies spend $61 billion per year just to administer and enforce federal regulations—a 50 percent increase in the last decade."

‘When Fascism Comes to America . . .’

‘When Fascism Comes to America . . .’ | National Review Online

1975 : Tornado Outbreaks Blamed On Global Cooling

1975 : Tornado Outbreaks Blamed On Global Cooling | Real Science

Fatkinis By GabiFresh & swimsuitsforall: A Bikini Line For Plus-Sizes

Fatkinis By GabiFresh & swimsuitsforall: A Bikini Line For Plus-Sizes:
"Now, with the advent of “fatkinis” and this amazing collection that resulted from Gabi Gregg and swimsuitsforall collaborating, it’s easy for anybody between a size 10 and 24 to find gorgeous bikinis."

Awesome. Scammers faking disabilities to cut lines

Awesome. Scammers faking disabilities to cut lines « Hot Air:
"I’ve been witness to this myself on multiple occasions, the most recent being this January. I was flying to Atlanta by way of Detroit. In the Motor City I was waiting with two colleagues when I saw an older – though not that much older than me- couple come to the boarding area. They were a well dressed, genteel seeming African American couple, with the woman pushing the man in a wheelchair. I was immediately moved to feel a bit sorry for them having to cram onto a flight while dealing with the infirmities which can accompany our golden years. After wheeling up and checking with the gate agent, it turned out that they were moved in to early, preferred boarding and upgraded to the front of the plane. It was a feel good moment for everyone.

I was in zone 2 for that flight and happened to follow not far behind them through the entry ramp. Reaching the end, the gentleman hopped up out of the wheelchair, grabbed both of the carry-on bags from his wife (again, a gentlemanly move) and proceeded to move to their upgraded seating, tossing the bags up into the overhead compartment and taking his seat, the wheelchair left forgotten on the jetway"

District Spent $20K Per Student, Had Rodents In the Schools, Holes In the Ceiling and Walls

District Spent $20K Per Student, Had Rodents In the Schools, Holes In the Ceiling and Walls [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"Though the Highland Park School District spent $19,634 per pupil in 2010-11, which was the highest in the state, district schools were so mismanaged that they had rodents in the classrooms, holes in the ceilings and walls, and horrendous filth in the bathrooms."

Flint emergency manager wants to hike city income taxes

Flint emergency manager wants to hike city income taxes | MLive.com:
"Emergency manager Ed Kurtz told MLive-Flint Journal on Monday, May 20, that a 0.5 percent income tax increase to Flint residents and a 0.25 percent increase to workers living outside the city would generate $7 million in revenue annually.
The current rate is 1 percent for Flint residents and .05 percent for those living outside the city.
....."The city faces a $19.1 million combined deficit from 2012.

Gun control: Cartridge ID law to take effect

Gun control: Cartridge ID law to take effect - SFGate:
"Worse yet, Michel said, manufacturers will be unwilling to add this expensive feature to guns sold in a single state, and will instead keep manufacturing weapons for the other states, where demand already far exceeds supply.
The effect, he said, would be a ban on new semiautomatic handguns in California, which the NRA will challenge in court."

Monday, May 20, 2013

Last time CO2 was this high, the world was underwater? NO, actually

Last time CO2 was this high, the world was underwater? NO, actually • The Register:
"....the problem with this is that over these sorts of timescales, areas of the Earth's crust rise and fall as much as the sea does.
And nobody thus far has taken account of that - it has just been assumed that the rocky coasts have remained fixed with respect to the centre of the Earth, which means that the studies thus far have been - basically - wrong.
"No prediction of ancient ice volumes can ever again ignore the Earth's interior dynamics,” says Rowley."

DSM-5 | The Book of Woe

Book Review: DSM-5 | The Book of Woe | Saving Normal - WSJ.com:
"But he concludes that the truth needs to be told: Even in the hands of "honest and eloquent men" such as Dr. Frances, he writes, "psychiatric diagnosis is built on fiction and sold to the public as fact."

In-Flight Thieves Targeting Airline Travelers’ Carry-On Bags

In-Flight Thieves Targeting Airline Travelers’ Carry-On Bags « CBS Boston:
 "Travel experts such as Hobica say theft on planes is a growing problem, with bags getting swiped, valuables stolen and pockets picked.
Jewelry, money and medications are often the sought-after prizes, Hobica said."

What's behind the U.S. military's climbing suicide rate?

What's behind the U.S. military's climbing suicide rate? - The Week:
"Exposure to combat doesn't explain all of it. While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries both may contribute to suicidal behavior, the Pentagon data shows that half of those who committed suicide were never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and 80 percent of them never even saw combat."

Red Tails and Tall Tales

Red Tails and Tall Tales - Taki's Magazine:
"Not to be quieted by accusations of Tuskegee Airmen Denialism, Haulman would author the small tract Nine Myths About the Tuskegee Airmen that pretty much shoots down all the lies sold as truth to keep the Red Tails story flying."

Climate slowdown means extreme rates of warming 'not as likely'

BBC News - Climate slowdown means extreme rates of warming 'not as likely':
"Scientists say the recent downturn in the rate of global warming will lead to lower temperature rises in the short-term.
Since 1998, there has been an unexplained "standstill" in the heating of the Earth's atmosphere.
Writing in Nature Geoscience, the researchers say this will reduce predicted warming in the coming decades.
But long-term, the expected temperature rises will not alter significantly."

D.C. man won't face gun charges for shooting pit bull attacking boy

D.C. man won't face gun charges for shooting pit bull attacking boy - Washington Times:
"Authorities last week made an agreement not to prosecute a Northwest D.C. man who used his unregistered handgun to kill a pit bull in order to stop it from mauling a child in his neighborhood.
As part of the agreement, Benjamin Srigley, 39, was required to pay a $1,000 fine but will not have criminal charges filed against him for the three unregistered firearms and the ammunition that investigators found in his possession, said Ted Gest, a spokesman for the office of the attorney general. "