A Mind, Even a Vastly Over Rated Mind, Is a Terrible Thing To Lose

Quick Michelle, call the Presidential shrink. Phone in a new prescription. Do something. Your husband has taken complete leave of his senses. He has become delusional. He may have lost his mind.

President Obama was at a Jeep Wrangler factory Friday proclaiming that American business is "back." The recovery is on! http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/03/news/economy/obama_autos/index.htm President Obama did not mention the 15-25 million manufacturing jobs we have lost over the last 10 years. Or the real and actual 20% unemployment rate in the U.S. Obama did not mention his airtight plan for returning those jobs. All that project management he works on while vacationing in Europe and playing golf.  Or his staunch leadership in steering the most dysfunctional Congress toward deep budget cuts. 

I have never heard anyone accuse Barack of being a workaholic or an overachiever.

So the government threw billions at bankrupt automakers, hosed a few thousand bondholders, violated the Constitution, stole taxpayer money to do it and kept the democratic union voting blocks at GM and Chrysler intact. All this for a 15MPG 35k Jeep Wrangler? Big deal. Ya know,  if I throw a few million at some crappy business here in Boise- I'll bet they can survive a little longer. Maybe some buggy whip factory. Maybe at that import business that closed just down the street from me. Then I can loudly proclaim that Boise business is booming! It won't matter if they actually sell anything- they can just live off my largesse until it runs out a few years down the road after I am gone.

Those bailouts? It's just like UNEMPLOYMENT for BUSINESSES! Free money! Pinning hopes on Jeep Wranglers or incredibly over priced pieces of shit like the 50k Chevy Volt. Great strategy. Maybe I will buy a couple of them with all of my spare cash. Double down for about 1500 dollars worth of monthly car payments.

Somebody please help our President. He has lost his mind and forgotten where he placed it. I hope he finds it soon.

The Smartest Guys in the Room, the Bankers Are Scratching Their Heads- Still Waiting for the Gold Bubble to Burst

There is no fucking bubble.

You see, bankers issue this worthless fiat currency. They want you to use that stuff. The competition, real money, has been gold and silver for centuries. That is the stuff that lasts....unfortunately all fiat currency returns to it's intrinsic value. Zero.

When they unearthed King Tutankhamun, they did not see his sarcophagus stuffed with worthless paper currency. The death chamber did not contain some Egyptian fiat. They found gold. Weird huh?

The "smart money" has been telling us for the last three years that the gold "bubble" is going to burst. Let me state this emphatically. There is only one way for gold to go. Up. Because all that's left in a bankrupt paper world is the ability to print more worthless paper. Hold off that economic boogie man as long as they can. Gold simply has an inverse relationship to fiat. Print more fiat, gold goes up. Simple as that.

For those of you on the sidelines...watch gold go parabolic when QE3 gets announced later this year. At that point, even the drooling idiots will be able to see the end of the dollar and our imminent bankruptcy. You will not be able to buy gold for under 2k an ounce. Perhaps higher.

One last thing. The bankers aren't the smartest guys in the room. A monopoly over our currency and the ability to print it- should never be mistaken for intelligence. Self centered-ness and greed, stealing from people, doesn't have a damn thing to do with intelligence. It never has.

Ray Lewis Now Engaging in Extreme Makeover

I love football. I loved playing football. Especially on the defensive side. My favorite player of all time, Ronnie Lott, walked into the Woodside Bakery (near Redwood City) a couple of years ago and nearly gave me a heart attack.

Ray Lewis is easily one of the best defensive football players I have ever seen. His presence on the football field has changed the outcome of a lot of games. The Ravens won a Superbowl with Lewis. Lewis has now vowed to help a 10 year old boy who lost his entire family in a terrible car accident. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Ray-Lewis-vows-to-help-10-year-old-survivor-of-t?urn=nfl-wp2343

A little over a decade ago, Lewis was a co-defendant in a murder case. Interestingly enough, Lewis was given one of the greatest sweetheart deals of all time. Plead to a misdemeanor, get a slap on the wrist, and testify against your co-defendants. Lewis was more than happy to take that deal. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/2000/06/04/lewis_agreement/

The problem with killing someone is that you can't ever make it right. You can throw money at the surviving family I suppose, but you can't give a human being his life back. What Ray Lewis and his friends did over a decade ago- was deplorable.

Co-defendant cases are a bitch to prosecute. I understand that. There is a piece of me that still wants Lewis to pay for what he did. Funny how the rich and famous always find a way out. I hope that Lewis can re-capture a little of the human decency he lost outside that Atlanta nightclub a little over a decade ago. Maybe a few more random acts of kindness will help him. I hope so.

Update On The Frankenstein Gold Challenge

Back on Feb 15th...I issued a challenge. You could invest 30 thousand dollars in any savings account in the United States.

I was going to buy one ounce of gold for 1424.00. Over the next 4 months, on Jun 15, we would see which item had the best return. Your 30k, or my ounce of gold. With 12 days to go, the gold is worth a gain of 119.00. At 1.10%, your 30k savings account made you 130.00.

It's neck and neck.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any takers. http://thecivillibertarian.blogspot.com/2011/02/take-frankenstein-government-gold.html

This Is How the Government Rigs the Unemployment Number

I knew today's unemployment number was going to be craptastic...but I thought it would be even worse than it was...a paltry 55k jobs. All of them service jobs. (Think McDonalds)

I turned to ZeroHedge. Sure enough, the Bureau of Labor Statistics fudged the number so badly- using the birth death model- that they spun the report positive. Truth is... the number was far worse than the reported one. Our statistical information has no integrity whatsoever. It has become nothing but propaganda. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/birthdeath-adjustment-206000

Eight Straight Weeks of 400,000+ New Unemployment Claims...Something Wicked This Way Comes

The problem with greed gone wild is that eventually it has to end. The cash buffet that the elite and big banks have been gorging themselves on will be over soon. QE2 is ending in a few weeks.

So just what will our financial masters use for an encore? What do they do next? They are now trying to finance and add another 2.4 trillion in debt when 3.5 million more Americans aren't paying taxes- this over the last eight weeks.

Think about this.

The only collateral the United States has when issuing treasury debt is the promise that American people will work, get taxed, and pay the interest and debt off. That's it. What happens when we can't even do that? Well, you are witnessing it now. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/another-economic-disappointment-initial-claims-422k-expectations-417k The economic masters of the universe are trying to hold this debt implosion off until after the 2012 elections but this time...I don't think they can. QE3 is the only tool left. That's right...manufacture more money out of thin air.

This is what happens when failed businesses are not allowed to fail. This is what happens when taxpayers get plundered for trillions by sympathetic politicians paying off bankers. Our system is irretrievably broken.

Most people don't have the time to pay attention to this. Sadly, they are too busy trying to make a living so that Uncle Sam can waste their tax money. They are not going to see this coming until it's here.

Is It Legal? Who Cares?

I stumbled onto this blog. This author talks about life in a post rule of law America. The one that we are living in now. Excellent piece.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175398/tomgram:_engelhardt,_welcome_to_post-legal_america/

Why Sarah Palin Is Simply Not Viable As a Presidential Candidate

First some caveats.

I like Sarah Palin. She is attractive, outdoorsy, and comes from my adopted state of Idaho. Ethically and morally- I think she tries to do the right thing. I certainly don't see her as some sort of genius type nor do I think it takes a genius to be President. In fact, Mr. Obama, allegedly the smartest guy in any room, is a perfect example that intelligence (real or perceived) does not always translate into success. Particularly if that intelligence is misdirected or wasted.

For those that have followed me, I am a recovering independent. I started life as an independent and now am a devout Libertarian. I don't like the Republican Party and I sure as hell can't stand Democrats. I don't get caught up in partisan politics. I am proud to say that I didn't vote for either Obama or McCain. I voted for a guy named Bob Barr.

My problem with Palin is the same problem I have with Obama. Inexperience. Not only do both of these people have shadowy resumes'- they have no proven track record of performance. In fact, I think the two of them are very similar in a number of ways. That Palin resigned as Governor is problematic. I think she has the right to quit- but is that what she does when the going gets tough? What kind of message does that send?

This country is in dire need of a hero. Somebody with a proven track record of accomplishment and success. Somebody with personal courage and project management skills that can take a look at the mess we are in and plot a solution. We certainly don't have that now, and Palin doesn't exactly have the resume' that gets my blood flowing.

People seem to either love or hate Sarah Palin. I have never seen anyone in politics generate that kind of extreme emotion. Rarely do I hear someone say they don't have an opinion about her. At this point, I view Palin as simply a distraction and a non-starter. All things considered, I don't see how she can compete in a climb to the top of any nominating heap. I don't think America has the luxury of time nor can we risk another lost 4 years on a candidate with a suspicious resume or one who generates gridlock every where she goes. I like Sarah but feel certain that the juice simply ain't worth the squeeze.

First Day All Year That Markets Actually Trade Based On Existing News and Data

Wow. For three weeks markets have simply ignored all bad news. Lots of it.

Today, in a stunning turnaround, equity markets are actually trading down based on bad news. This type of behavior hasn't been seen since the beginning of QE2. It is truly bizarre to watch markets actually behave according to news and data. Media types now asking if this is a double dip recession.

Nope. It's the same old one- minus the secret loans and FED counterfeiting. After 4 years, you'd think folks would catch on...but maybe not. http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/01/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm

Hardly News: Raising the Debt Ceiling 2.4 Trillion Dollars Gets Trounced in the House

Raising the debt ceiling 2.4 trillion- puts another hike in the debt ceiling beyond that of the 2012 election. Not one observant citizen is surprised by that. We cannot pay existing principal. In fact- no attempt has been made to pay down principal. That cannot occur until cuts in spending are made and we can free up money to pay principal. Until then, our government (in essence) has a liar's loan. An interest only loan. Like Countrywide used to make.

The latest round of foolishness here. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2011/05/debt_ceiling_vo.shtml

That reminds me. I need to get some more silver.

Chevy Dealers Skimming Tax Credit, Selling Used Volts

Hard to believe that car salesmen would do unscrupulous shit like stealing 7500 dollar tax credits and then selling Chevy Volts as used. At full bore retail.

The disaster that is Government Motors and their flagship Chevy Volt just never seems to end. The world's most over priced P.O.S. car now being used to fleece taxpayers. Let the government run any kind of business and they can find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory- every time. Head shaking at the link. http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2011/05/investigation-finds-chevy-volt-tax.html

Can We Haz June Now?

I've been waiting for the end of June for at least 8 months. That is when the FED runs out of free money (permanent open market operations, 600 billion) to give the primary dealers and banks. At that point, the end of June, somebody is going to have to buy equities and buy our trillions of refinanced debt. Just to keep our markets afloat.

So just who is gonna buy a stock market that is 5000 points too high already and who is going to buy our treasury debt?

Could it be a glowing Japan with their 200% debt levels? Will it be the UK and their austerity and debt levels? Will it be a retracting China who wants the Yuan to be the reserve currency? Answer- None of the above. Nobody with half a brain would buy the debt of a bankrupt country that is yielding a whopping 3%. Especially when most of the countries that generally buy that debt are as bankrupt as we are. The two countries with relatively strong economies, India and China, really don't have much incentive to help us out.

The "economists" and Ben Bernanke say our economy can float on it's own. Bet me. Here's another deep thinker...drinking the FED's kool aid. I just have to embed this snip, so I can remember this JP Morgan forecaster in a few months when they roll out QE3 and silver ratchets up to 75 bucks an oz.

QE3?
Our answer is: no. We think it is very, very unlikely. In a nutshell, we don't think the inflation or inflation expectations data are near the point where the Fed would consider further large-scale asset purchases, and even if the inflation data were to start to move in that direction the potential political fall-out is so great that the Fed would be extremely reluctant to purchase more assets.

Get a load of that last line. Purchase assets. That's rich.

Big Pharma and Jimmy the Pot Dealer

Last night, I was watching television when an ad came on from one of the big pharmaceutical companies regarding one of the latest new diseases, Peripheral Artery Disease or P.A.D. Here's a link that describes it. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/PeripheralArteryDisease/Peripheral-Artery-Disease_UCM_002082_SubHomePage.jsp

Ten years ago, I had never heard of P.A.D. Basically, P.A.D. is just another symptom of aging. So why has it become such a big deal now? Well, because big pharma found a drug for it, that's why.  They are marketing it directly to you and instilling some new found fear.

I have often thought that the only difference between legal and illegal drug dealers is the government and the FDA. Illegal drugs tend to be more dangerous- although many legal drugs like Phen-Phen have killed thousands of people prematurely and every week there seems to be a new class action lawsuit versus various prescription drugs advertised on television.

Illegal drug dealers make gobs of money with profits margins well beyond 1000% percent. They market their drugs to unconscious people who have difficulty dealing with life without altering their state of consciousness. Getting people addicted, repeat customers, is the key to the success of  illegal drug dealers. The downside risks are jail and death. But apparently those risks are acceptable to people in the illegal drug trade like Jimmy the neighborhood pot dealer.

Big pharma, or the legal drug dealers, also make profit margins well beyond 1000%. Their profit margins are justified by their alleged "research and development" costs. They are given "patent protection" by the government which is just a euphemism for stealing from patients. They have an extensive lobbying network which has been quite successful at convincing lawmakers to enrich their businesses at the expense of patients. They market their drugs to people who fear death and will do anything possible to extend their lives. Big pharma gouges the hell out of people in countries like the U.S. for their drugs, yet sells the same drugs in places like Mexico for 1/10th the price. That way American consumers and health plans can subsidize the health needs of places like Mexico.

What is the difference between being physically addicted to drugs or mentally addicted to drugs? Answer- there is no difference. If you believe you need something to survive you will use it. If a doctor told you that your chances of survival increase greatly with Abraxane, you will most likely use Abraxane. If you are well off and insured, your doctor might not even mention the generic Taxol- which is much cheaper. Ask yourself, why do doctors prescribe expensive drugs like Abraxane when the cheaper and generic drug Taxol is just as effective?  Read this...http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/business/yourmoney/01drug.html?pagewanted=print

Although that article is 5 years old, you'll note that over 20,000 people were prescribed Abraxane as opposed to Taxol. It's always about money and ripping off the public legally. If unscrupulous people can find a way to legally steal from people who do not know any better- they do. And in that way...big pharma is no different than your neighborhood pot dealer. Not one bit. One has the blessing of government and the other does not.

I find it absolutely fascinating that the government removed tobacco and alcohol (at least for awhile) from television advertising yet allows big pharma to sell every kind of drug that they can think of. They market directly to people watching TV so that they can run to their physicians and get "hooked" up.  Big pharma creates a need or uses fear to sell us everything from sleeping pills, anti depression psychotropics, sexual stimulants, or drugs for P.A.D. Sometimes they just sell us hope.

Should big pharma be allowed to directly market drugs to the public? To reach out to as many people as possible, to create a need in us to buy their product, to addict us or make us repeat customers, and to gouge us for as much money as humanly possible. One method of delivery uses pushers and mules- the other uses pharmaceutical reps and doctors.

In the end I suppose, it's just about choices. I like the reassurance of knowing that the FDA  at least tries to keep the consuming public as safe as possible. What I find deplorable is the willingness of big pharma to exploit human frailty and to offer hope of relief as long as you can afford their outrageous prices. There is something very sick about people that would take advantage of the injured and dying in such a way. Or the mentally or emotionally ill. And as much as I have always supported free markets and capitalism- robbing people of their last remaining money at a time in their lives when they may not have the capacity to earn any more money just kind of makes me sick. Or transferring the outrageous costs of prescriptions to our insurance pools and forcing the rest of us to pay. It's just atrocious. Life, I think, should not be contingent on whether you have enough money to keep it.

When I go to the doctor, afraid to die, and he prescribes Abraxane- I don't question it. I don't want to die. Even if it costs me everything I have. That sure as hell doesn't make it right. With Jimmy the neighborhood pot dealer, at least it seems like the stakes aren't so dire and he isn't trying to bankrupt me. I have a choice. For some odd reason, sometimes I have more respect for guys like Jimmy in Oakland Raiders T-shirts  than I do for pharmaceutical reps with ties on. Odd, I know.

Obama Ends 15th Vacation in Office, Tours Joplin, Missouri

I've never quite seen anyone like Obama. It's as though he simply doesn't give a shit about anything.

He has played golf well over 50 times, I can't count the number of vacations he takes, his life is like one big party. After wrapping up his European tour, he has finally seen fit to come back to the United States and tour the devastation in Joplin, Missouri. Before they clean it up, that is.

Interestingly enough, Obama had very little support from the Joplin area in his campaign. Don't think  for a second he's not aware of that. Surprised that he has decided to grace them with his presence. I am always in awe when an event like the Joplin tornado occurs. Does it ever cross Obama's mind to cut one of his vacations short and at least create the appearance that he cares a little bit about events in the U.S?

Obama calls Joplin a "national tragedy." http://abcnews.go.com/US/president-obama-calls-tornado-ravaged-joplin-missouri-national/story?id=13714380 My idea of a national tragedy occurred when we elected Obama. Three years of wasted time and the fourth is on the horizon.