According to an analysis by the Associated Press of S&P's 500 companies, which had the same CEO for 2009 and 2010 and using a formula which adds up salary, perks, bonuses, preferential interest rates on pay set aside for later, and company estimates for the value of stock options and stock awards for the day granted for the top 50 CEOs of this group. They did not call me. Did they check out with you? In any case, this represents "our" economic recovery. By the way, I know that these guys are fair and when you returned to work, I'm sure that your salary and "check" increased in the same percentage ratio as these leaders. In addition, I'm sure that these same companies increased their profits to the same ratio along with their stock performance. It goes without saying. Right? Also, to limit space, I only used a few of the top 50.
Philippe Dauman, Viacom, $84.5 million, up 149 percent.
David Zaslav, Discovery Communications, $42.6 million, up 265 percent.
Robert Iger, Walt Disney, $28 million, up 30 percent.
David Simon, Simon Property(malls), $24.6 million, up 430 percent.
Ahmet Kent, Coca-Cola, $19.2 million, up 30 percent.
Glenn Britt, Time Warner Cable, $17.3 million, up 10 percent.
David Snow, Medco Health Solutions, $16.4 million, up 23 percent.
Like I asked, how much of a wage increase did you receive?
LIARS and CROOKS: good old "helicopter" Ben held his first Fed newscast after their meeting last week. He admitted there was a little inflation, but it would soon dissipate. Funny, but the CPI does not include food and energy. I guess that last year(2010)when gas was high at $2.68 per gallon and now, approaches $4.00 per gallon and food(up 25 percent), forget about it, we're all on a diet for now, cause' our Fed leader said that these false signs of his spending by the Fed will soon disappear and he supports a "strong" dollar which is down from its purchasing power(joke) of .89 cents to .72 cents. You do the math.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wake Up Call...and Liars and Crooks
S&P rating agency gave the US government the first ring to get up and straighten out its financial house with a downgrade warning. Congress had two answers. One, from the Democrats by President Obama and one from the Republicans by Congressman, Ryan. Neither will solve the financial deficits facing our government and ultimately, our economy. No one ever mentions the military budget which is over $700 billion. Both parties refer to the recent compromise on the debt ceiling which is also a shame when you consider this fact. The interest on the deficit amounts to $2 million dollars per hour or $48 per day or $336 million per week and equals $1.344 billion a month.
The IMF let the phone ring off the hook(no one picked it up)with this piece of info. Within the next two years the global banking industry will need to roll over one-quarter of their respectice GDP value in new loans to stay solvent. This is hugh when you consider all the sovereign debt nations plus our individual states not to mention the rebuilding of Japan will all be vying for the same buyers of bonds to continue the staus quo. Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!
LIARS and CROOKS: Secretary of Treasury, Geithner who said that our deficits pose no danger to our nation, economy or the status of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. Funny, as he was saying this in a China resort town, the BRIC nations plus one, South Africa were discussing how to use another currency besides the US dollar.
The IMF let the phone ring off the hook(no one picked it up)with this piece of info. Within the next two years the global banking industry will need to roll over one-quarter of their respectice GDP value in new loans to stay solvent. This is hugh when you consider all the sovereign debt nations plus our individual states not to mention the rebuilding of Japan will all be vying for the same buyers of bonds to continue the staus quo. Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!
LIARS and CROOKS: Secretary of Treasury, Geithner who said that our deficits pose no danger to our nation, economy or the status of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. Funny, as he was saying this in a China resort town, the BRIC nations plus one, South Africa were discussing how to use another currency besides the US dollar.
Monday, April 11, 2011
JAPAN: An Idea for the Obstacle...also new feature LIARS and CROOKS.
Before I lay out my suggestion I must confess this personal conviction - I am against nuclear energy. It is bad science. This is the facts. While a nuclear plant omits little air pollution while it is functioning, it always bears danger. Do we need to be reminded of Chernobyl and the 2365 years that this area will be uninhabitable? Now, we can add the 2400 years from the Fukushima Power Plant. It has destroyed the agriculture and fishing industry in this area of Japan. The pro-nuclear people will try to spin it saying things like, "the technology is better today and we have learned from past mistakes." Yeah, right, but the fact is one mistake destroys forever! And the mistakes keep happening. In addition, while the plant is working, it produces a by-product that is TOXIC. These spent rods need to be stored and no one really has addressed this issue, including our now closed(due to safety)Yucca Mountain facility.
With this in mind let us recap the Japanese disaster. After the incident, the TEPCO authorities stated that if power were available, they could restart the cooling system. Implying that all will be well. After they received electrical power, it was admitted that dangerous gases were present and it will take another week or two. Implying that all will be well.
It Was Simple Math
We called it. You cannot pour 12 ounces of coffee into a 10 ounce cup. Two ounces will spill. You don't have to be a physicist or an electrical engineer to figure that if 5x the amount of seawater is poured on the reactors to cool it, the results will spill 4x over and onto the surrounding ponds and land, contaminating the area. In addition, seawater erodes the rods causing more leaking into the environment. The next area was the ocean. The decision? The radioactive water had to be dumped into the ocean to get to the really dangerous water in the storage tanks and TEPCO would bring in a new cooling system which will take as long as six months(nice time spread in a crisis). The local ocean water is now 3,335 times over the safe limit and contains radioactive iodine, plutonium and cesium - all TOXIC.
Next week, the TEPCO people will have a new plan with the implication that all will be well. It calls for the Russian ship that filters radioactive water and nuetraizes it, or so they say. On Tuesday, the twelve of April, the Japanese government raised the nuclear warning to the highest number - 7. It's about time to call a spade a spade. The disaster is as bad as Chernobyl in leaking radioactivity into the air. Wall Street better wake up. The insurance claims will be off the chart. The supply line will have serious problems and the IMF downgrading Japan's economy from 1.6 GDP to 1.4 is a joke to the golbal economy. Stop implying all is well. It is a lie.
Well, and that's a deep topic, all is not well. The truth is it will take a decade to be able to safely sink this death plant into the earth and seal it, hopefully preventing further erosion, decay and pollution. Here is my plan.
Start preparing a train rail that goes directly inland to a grave that needs to be dug into the local mountain area. They need to build a HUGH facility in this mountain side because my plan calls this site to be the world's first dump site for spent rods whereby the Japanese nation could charge rent for storing the toxic residue. They will have ten years to get it ready and they should use this time to develop their robotic industry because this work will be extremely dangerous for humans.
ROBOTS NEEDED
As stated this will be dangerous work and robots could do the heavy lifting to place the debris of Fukushima onto the rail line to ship it inland to its grave site. Humans will be needed and if you take the job DEMAND a health plan, 'cause you are gonna need it.
NEW FEATURE: LIARS and CROOKS(one line dedicated to the title bearer)
This week: Ben Bernanke and the FED. It is no wonder that Ben did not want to reveal the truth about who got TARP aid because 70% of the $110 billion went to foreign banks. Our tax money to friends and cronies of the banking industry where they keep the profits and socialize the losses. END THE FED!
With this in mind let us recap the Japanese disaster. After the incident, the TEPCO authorities stated that if power were available, they could restart the cooling system. Implying that all will be well. After they received electrical power, it was admitted that dangerous gases were present and it will take another week or two. Implying that all will be well.
It Was Simple Math
We called it. You cannot pour 12 ounces of coffee into a 10 ounce cup. Two ounces will spill. You don't have to be a physicist or an electrical engineer to figure that if 5x the amount of seawater is poured on the reactors to cool it, the results will spill 4x over and onto the surrounding ponds and land, contaminating the area. In addition, seawater erodes the rods causing more leaking into the environment. The next area was the ocean. The decision? The radioactive water had to be dumped into the ocean to get to the really dangerous water in the storage tanks and TEPCO would bring in a new cooling system which will take as long as six months(nice time spread in a crisis). The local ocean water is now 3,335 times over the safe limit and contains radioactive iodine, plutonium and cesium - all TOXIC.
Next week, the TEPCO people will have a new plan with the implication that all will be well. It calls for the Russian ship that filters radioactive water and nuetraizes it, or so they say. On Tuesday, the twelve of April, the Japanese government raised the nuclear warning to the highest number - 7. It's about time to call a spade a spade. The disaster is as bad as Chernobyl in leaking radioactivity into the air. Wall Street better wake up. The insurance claims will be off the chart. The supply line will have serious problems and the IMF downgrading Japan's economy from 1.6 GDP to 1.4 is a joke to the golbal economy. Stop implying all is well. It is a lie.
Well, and that's a deep topic, all is not well. The truth is it will take a decade to be able to safely sink this death plant into the earth and seal it, hopefully preventing further erosion, decay and pollution. Here is my plan.
Start preparing a train rail that goes directly inland to a grave that needs to be dug into the local mountain area. They need to build a HUGH facility in this mountain side because my plan calls this site to be the world's first dump site for spent rods whereby the Japanese nation could charge rent for storing the toxic residue. They will have ten years to get it ready and they should use this time to develop their robotic industry because this work will be extremely dangerous for humans.
ROBOTS NEEDED
As stated this will be dangerous work and robots could do the heavy lifting to place the debris of Fukushima onto the rail line to ship it inland to its grave site. Humans will be needed and if you take the job DEMAND a health plan, 'cause you are gonna need it.
NEW FEATURE: LIARS and CROOKS(one line dedicated to the title bearer)
This week: Ben Bernanke and the FED. It is no wonder that Ben did not want to reveal the truth about who got TARP aid because 70% of the $110 billion went to foreign banks. Our tax money to friends and cronies of the banking industry where they keep the profits and socialize the losses. END THE FED!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Our Democracy...Heading towards Tyranny
Summer time. You and your family are driving out into the country. You make a pit stop. Your kid uses his cell phone to click a passing cow, sheep or horse along a nearby fence. He posts it on his Facebook site or maybe uses it for a classroom exercise concerning the environment or similar aspect. Next stop? Your kid goes to JAIL for committing a FELONY according to a bill that is moving around NOW in Congress. That's right! Talk about using the law to suppress opposition like the abuses that occur on farms, especially pig or chicken butchering locations, growing facilities or combination of the two. You see a cow wavering, falling down not able to stand on its own - you take a picture of it and inform the authorities. Now what? You committted a FELONY with this new bill. This is how the wealthy and the connected use their influence in our so-called democracy. We need a new political party that reflects the thinking of Jefferson and Madison. We need the NEO-FEDERALIST! End the FED!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Spring Training, March Madness - to the scoreboard
It's that time of year and after this past winter, which was really rough, hope springs eternal, again this spring. I guess the Groundhog was right with its call for an early spring. Of course, if your a Cubs fan, it has been four score or more than one lifetime since claiming the trophy at the big dance, however new year no fear.
The pundits control the media and according to them, its all good and even with the unrest in the Middle East. They say $4.00 per gallon won't hurt the economic recovery. Maybe not for those overpaid government employees, but its killing me. Speaking of which, there seems to be some disturbance outside the ballpark. People with signs yelling about collective bargaining, but that is our second game, Public versus Private. Now, a recap of the action so far.
Old "Helicopter" Ben took the mound and has his Fed ahead of the Consumers early in the game. The Fed scored a run in January although the Consumers had the bases loaded with the highest rate of inflation for food costs, but Ben didn't allow a run to score even when the Food & Agricultural Organization for the United Nations said food inflation hit a new record. Ben got this "hot" prospect to tap-out to the mound.
The Fed scored another run in February as Ben spoke to Congress and passed any blame on the dollar to government's lack of discipline in regards to spending deficits. Ben retired the Consumers, 1-2-3. So, after two innings the Fed lead it, 2-0. It looks like the Fed will repeat and another long season for the Consumers, both literally and figuratively. By the way China has been traded. It is warming up in the bullpen. It went from a food exporter to the world's largest importer of food. Good news for the farm belt, but demand causes prices to rise and inflation always comes along for the ride. Ask anyone in the Middle East. Can Ben hold down this prospect? And look who is in the game out in left after being "left out" for so long. Yes. For the first time since "Reconstruction," cotton is back. It has looked good in camp and broke the record for price in over 150 years. Wow! It reminds me of the line by Phil"the scouter"Rizutto in Meat Loaf's song, PARADISE by the DASHBOARD LIGHT, "this rookie makes things happen." ...On to the top of the third. Leading off for the Fed, QE2...
In other sport news March Madness begins next week after the invitations go out this weekend. The field will be expanded and all I have to say at this time is - "GO IRISH!" Of course the big dance has never been won by the Irish and our greatest basketball coach, John Wooden would say,"failure is not always fatal, but not willing to change can be." I bet those words of wisdom are not on any governmental bulletin board or how about this from Alexis de Tocqueville, "In a revolution(big dance), as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end." Wonder what old Ben is planning? Peace, Love. JFL.
The pundits control the media and according to them, its all good and even with the unrest in the Middle East. They say $4.00 per gallon won't hurt the economic recovery. Maybe not for those overpaid government employees, but its killing me. Speaking of which, there seems to be some disturbance outside the ballpark. People with signs yelling about collective bargaining, but that is our second game, Public versus Private. Now, a recap of the action so far.
Old "Helicopter" Ben took the mound and has his Fed ahead of the Consumers early in the game. The Fed scored a run in January although the Consumers had the bases loaded with the highest rate of inflation for food costs, but Ben didn't allow a run to score even when the Food & Agricultural Organization for the United Nations said food inflation hit a new record. Ben got this "hot" prospect to tap-out to the mound.
The Fed scored another run in February as Ben spoke to Congress and passed any blame on the dollar to government's lack of discipline in regards to spending deficits. Ben retired the Consumers, 1-2-3. So, after two innings the Fed lead it, 2-0. It looks like the Fed will repeat and another long season for the Consumers, both literally and figuratively. By the way China has been traded. It is warming up in the bullpen. It went from a food exporter to the world's largest importer of food. Good news for the farm belt, but demand causes prices to rise and inflation always comes along for the ride. Ask anyone in the Middle East. Can Ben hold down this prospect? And look who is in the game out in left after being "left out" for so long. Yes. For the first time since "Reconstruction," cotton is back. It has looked good in camp and broke the record for price in over 150 years. Wow! It reminds me of the line by Phil"the scouter"Rizutto in Meat Loaf's song, PARADISE by the DASHBOARD LIGHT, "this rookie makes things happen." ...On to the top of the third. Leading off for the Fed, QE2...
In other sport news March Madness begins next week after the invitations go out this weekend. The field will be expanded and all I have to say at this time is - "GO IRISH!" Of course the big dance has never been won by the Irish and our greatest basketball coach, John Wooden would say,"failure is not always fatal, but not willing to change can be." I bet those words of wisdom are not on any governmental bulletin board or how about this from Alexis de Tocqueville, "In a revolution(big dance), as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end." Wonder what old Ben is planning? Peace, Love. JFL.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
INFLATION: Who to Blame?
Our government, Ben Bernanke and his back up group, the Fed, openly declare that there is no inflation to speak of. They claim it is in their guidelines of .02%. Of course, they don't include food and energy in their stats. Must be nice never to be cold, hungry, or drive a car?
Old Ben will appear twice this week before our elected leaders. He will defend his QE2, questions about inflation in the face of a rapid rise in oil prices due to the Middle East contagion and future plans to keep our economy growing and lower unemployment. Will anyone ask him how the government declared that our GDP grew at 3.5% in the fourth quarter, pushing the stock market higher, when it just got revised DOWN to 2.4%?
Old Ben has been under attack over his printing policy to buy Treasuries, help the banking industry and flooding the market with new money. It is not just in this blog. The Wall Street Journal gave a catcall too by declaring his policy to be inflationary as the "Bernanke Premium." China, as well as all the emerging market countries scream over his printing policy. In fact, it is hard to find anyone in his corner except President Obama which needs a cheaper dollar to create more exports in hope of finding new jobs to get reelected. Does anybody do anything because it is right anymore? Yes, Ben, everyone is wrong and you are right. Ha!
There were 24 food riots around the world in 2009 and similar numbers in 2010. Food exporting countries halted their exporting to avoid having their own nation go hungry. They generally subsidize food within their respective nations, but with sovereign debt issues, this too is under pressure. Their cry is this. With the excess of dollars in the marketplace, these countries have to devalue their currency in order to maintain their market niche. This causes inflation to their individual nations. It is a race to the bottom value in world currencies. The present Middle East unrest started over inflation. Bernanke says it is not his policy that causes this inflation, but the rise in commodities which these nations export. Hey, they're both right except Bernanke is taxing all Americans because we are paying more for food and energy. Oh, yeah, Ben does not count that as inflationary. END THE FED! START A NEW POLITICAL PARTY! One that represents the truth and has integrity to do the right thing for America based on the Founders ideas of Madison and Jefferson. We need the NEO-FEDERALIST! NOW!
Old Ben will appear twice this week before our elected leaders. He will defend his QE2, questions about inflation in the face of a rapid rise in oil prices due to the Middle East contagion and future plans to keep our economy growing and lower unemployment. Will anyone ask him how the government declared that our GDP grew at 3.5% in the fourth quarter, pushing the stock market higher, when it just got revised DOWN to 2.4%?
Old Ben has been under attack over his printing policy to buy Treasuries, help the banking industry and flooding the market with new money. It is not just in this blog. The Wall Street Journal gave a catcall too by declaring his policy to be inflationary as the "Bernanke Premium." China, as well as all the emerging market countries scream over his printing policy. In fact, it is hard to find anyone in his corner except President Obama which needs a cheaper dollar to create more exports in hope of finding new jobs to get reelected. Does anybody do anything because it is right anymore? Yes, Ben, everyone is wrong and you are right. Ha!
There were 24 food riots around the world in 2009 and similar numbers in 2010. Food exporting countries halted their exporting to avoid having their own nation go hungry. They generally subsidize food within their respective nations, but with sovereign debt issues, this too is under pressure. Their cry is this. With the excess of dollars in the marketplace, these countries have to devalue their currency in order to maintain their market niche. This causes inflation to their individual nations. It is a race to the bottom value in world currencies. The present Middle East unrest started over inflation. Bernanke says it is not his policy that causes this inflation, but the rise in commodities which these nations export. Hey, they're both right except Bernanke is taxing all Americans because we are paying more for food and energy. Oh, yeah, Ben does not count that as inflationary. END THE FED! START A NEW POLITICAL PARTY! One that represents the truth and has integrity to do the right thing for America based on the Founders ideas of Madison and Jefferson. We need the NEO-FEDERALIST! NOW!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
PREDICTION / FUTURE SHOCK: Return to McMansion
I just read, THE BIG SHORT by Michael Lewis. In it he mentioned that a Mexican strawberry picker making $14,000 per year was able to secure a loan for $724,000 to buy a "McMansion." Of course, his moment-in-the-sun has set. He is not alone. McMansions are available throughout the country under foreclosure and now, you can get one for $350,000 or less. They usually come with 5-bedrooms and 5-baths, family room, living room, dining room, extra large kitchen and swimming pool among its features. Back to that in a minute.
A housing report released this past week stated that there is an uptick in building permits which provided a spark for the present stock market rally. A closer look reveals that 80% of the new dwellings are multi-family. Builders are not building new single family homes. They know no one is buying. They also know that there is going to be a big spike in foreclousures as the banks clean up their robo-signing mess and other mistakes. We are talking about five million homes and that is a lot of people going from ownership to rental status. This is the second part of the equation.
At present, rental occupancy is low due to the recession, but rents are still high in relationship to the cost of financing a mortgage because rents were rising during the housing bubble. With mortgage rates under 5% you can control a $100,000 for less than $500. per month. I live in Orlando,Fl. and a studio here rents for over $500. per month. Yes, I know real estate is local in nature and renting costs are different, but the insight provides a reference point. This is the third block in the equation.
Our Federal Government is not responsible and a crisis is coming with our dollar because of politics, self-interest like the banking industry, insurance companies, the military, et al. They all go to bed saying,"I want..." and wake up saying, "Give me..." Our dollar is the reserve currency of the world and Americans do not understand the value of this aspect. By 2015, our budget will eat all the government revenues with just the entitlements(Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid) and the interest on our present deficits. We are in BIG, BIG TROUBLE! Another block under the equation.
Finally, there are many people like the One World Order, nations like China and others who aren't our friends. They will seek to change the dollar from its reserve status for a new world reserve currency. The best we can hope for at that time is a basket of currencies, of which the dollar is one. When this comes to pass, inflation will soar to more like hypa-inflation. Gasoline will hit $10. per gallon and food, forget-about-it. Crime will be off the charts and if you are renting in one of these communities, you will feel like a prisoner in your home. Unemployment or what the government reveals to be unemployment, will be in excess of 15%. Welcome to Future Shock...or you can prepare now with my solution.
Buy an McMansion with your extended family. I'm talking your cousins, aunts, grandparents, best friend. The payments will be lower than renting and because of the large lots associated with these homes, the back yard can grow food by the unemployed in this household. You will live in a relatively safe environment and when things stabilize(possibly five years)the household unit can share in whatever gains will come from the sale of the home. There are limited choices. The other choice? Buy gold!
A housing report released this past week stated that there is an uptick in building permits which provided a spark for the present stock market rally. A closer look reveals that 80% of the new dwellings are multi-family. Builders are not building new single family homes. They know no one is buying. They also know that there is going to be a big spike in foreclousures as the banks clean up their robo-signing mess and other mistakes. We are talking about five million homes and that is a lot of people going from ownership to rental status. This is the second part of the equation.
At present, rental occupancy is low due to the recession, but rents are still high in relationship to the cost of financing a mortgage because rents were rising during the housing bubble. With mortgage rates under 5% you can control a $100,000 for less than $500. per month. I live in Orlando,Fl. and a studio here rents for over $500. per month. Yes, I know real estate is local in nature and renting costs are different, but the insight provides a reference point. This is the third block in the equation.
Our Federal Government is not responsible and a crisis is coming with our dollar because of politics, self-interest like the banking industry, insurance companies, the military, et al. They all go to bed saying,"I want..." and wake up saying, "Give me..." Our dollar is the reserve currency of the world and Americans do not understand the value of this aspect. By 2015, our budget will eat all the government revenues with just the entitlements(Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid) and the interest on our present deficits. We are in BIG, BIG TROUBLE! Another block under the equation.
Finally, there are many people like the One World Order, nations like China and others who aren't our friends. They will seek to change the dollar from its reserve status for a new world reserve currency. The best we can hope for at that time is a basket of currencies, of which the dollar is one. When this comes to pass, inflation will soar to more like hypa-inflation. Gasoline will hit $10. per gallon and food, forget-about-it. Crime will be off the charts and if you are renting in one of these communities, you will feel like a prisoner in your home. Unemployment or what the government reveals to be unemployment, will be in excess of 15%. Welcome to Future Shock...or you can prepare now with my solution.
Buy an McMansion with your extended family. I'm talking your cousins, aunts, grandparents, best friend. The payments will be lower than renting and because of the large lots associated with these homes, the back yard can grow food by the unemployed in this household. You will live in a relatively safe environment and when things stabilize(possibly five years)the household unit can share in whatever gains will come from the sale of the home. There are limited choices. The other choice? Buy gold!
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