SC:Failed - Called It - Now I See...LIARS and CROOKS

The Super Committee did nothing, just as I predicted. What's more it reflects that our so-called leaders who are nothing more than rich elite, will only seek personal gain, re-election and maintaining the status quo for their perspective political parties until the next crisis arises to which they will try to achieve more of the same. The problem is the next crisis is here. It showed its face in Europe with the "new" solution to the sovereign nation debt situation. The idea is the same one that I predicted in my unpublished book which kills my internal self because I will not only not receive any credit for the warning, but my solutions to help America to answer these crooks is collecting dust along with it.
ONE WORLD ORDER
These are the super rich, mostly descendants of the aristocracy who under the concept of a One World Order for peace under their rule will help everyone. Yeah, it will bring the working men & women of the world back to feudalism with them in charge. They will have a new world currency to which the banks will dictate how much each nation can spend, on what it can spend it on and what and how much it can produce. The system uses central banks to which they have completed the first stage. The Euro is stage two. You see, last week the banks offered more money for the debt nations if they surrendered their sovereignty. This is the danger! You give up any rights to bankers who are just greedy, moral-less people seeking a return to the aristocracy and feudalism under the disguise of democracy. Please, for the sake of world freedom, just say NO!
Government Jobs
Part of the disguise to our decaying society and our declining standard of living has been the rise of government jobs. These are federal, state and local. They pay a higher wage than the private sector and a package of benefits that suggest a rising middle class which for appearances covers all bases except the Occupy Wall Street came along and soon these discrepancies will come to light. For those who understand the situation like Stephan Moore in his Wall St. Journal article points out that more Americans work for the government than construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities COMBINED! Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local government is the $1 trillion a year for pay and benefits of its employees. By the way 37 states have pensions that are unfunded and I don't give a damn about those people even though I will feel and understand their pain. They have been taking all these years while the rest of us have suffered. Sorry, that is the way I feel about it. It is up to you to force your state to honor your benefits, not the nation. 
This is the collusion that government produces that works for the One World Order scheme. The second? The lie of free trade. It is their cornerstone to cause the decay in the U.S.  If and when we collapse, the rest of the world will fall into place. Europe is just paving the roadway system that our corrupt leaders will turn to when our nation faces its financial nightmare called our debt which Mayer Rothschild stated back in Napoleon's time, "give me control of a nation's money, and I care not who makes the laws."
How Do They Know
...because every time there is risk in the marketplace, it turns to the dollar. Folks, the dollar is rising because of all the risks being created in Europe and today the banks came out with their plan. You see, no one wanted to buy the dollar because of all our debt, however if and this is what I hope for, that the Euro fails then all these banks will suffer unless they have some dollars to cover their assets which will decline in relationship to the dollar. So, our Fed is supplying dollars incase they need them if all hell breaks loose in Europe. By having dollars it will balance out any loses with the Euro or in any basket of currencies. Our Fed is corrupt and it is their strength in these emergencies.
Meanwhile
...back at the ranch people are doing what these same people want them to do - consume and apparently pepper spray is the best buy in town, whether you're at Walmart, UC Berkeley or Wall Street. Did you get a rash? Try VIOXX. Oh, wait! Merck recalled it and they paid a huge fine, but admitted no guilt. Never could understand how a company can commit a felony and not close shop? The Republicans have the nerve to want no rules and regulations and yet, this stuff happens year in and out. Crooks!
And the Beat Goes On
Over 40% of the students in Detroit don't graduate. Over 50% of Hispanics don't graduate and everyone goes to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday(I like that idea)and Cyber Monday.
 By the way bank prosecutions are down under both political parties tenure's. Didn't we just experience the worst financial crisis? Bernie Madoff and others?  Yeah! No rules and regulations or water down whatever ones got through. This is our leaders?! ...And then, we keep the Sabanes-oxley act which only hurts small startups which results in less competition to the conglomerates and didn't prevent the disasters that Enron left us exactly ten years ago this week.
Stress Test for Banks
It's coming and isn't it funny that the Fed pushes this one day and the next, announces a world cooperation to exchange currency swaps, cutting the price to exchange money. And at the same time the rating agencies finally did their job and downgraded the banks, which our Fed counter acted upon. Speaking of the stress test, this time it is set to imagine 13% unemployment which is closer to the present situation, but will reflect a future time when they will admit it it is that high, however it will be more like 17% at that time. It's coming people. Prepare! Don't waste your money on another stupid gadget. Sorry, that is what I see coming down the pike.
LIARS and CROOKS: See Merck above or Newt Gingrich who consulted with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac people to the tune of over $1 million and he calls the other Republican candidates doing the request of lobbyist. He is the only candidate that is clean. Ha! Get out of town! End the Fed!

ECONOMIC PNEUMONIA...LIARS and CROOKS

Last week a number of things took place. We had a once only calendar date of 11-11-11 or we thought because that date happened in the middle ages and before that in 11 A.D. Nevertheless, the number eleven is associated with insightfulness. If you were around a gambling institution like Vegas, I'm sure six aces on the slot machine indicated a jackpot and you don't need any intellectual to explain what insights await you. The next day was "Pneumonia Day" which was marked by having the vaccine given to poor countries of the world to prevent the virus that also visits the world usually during late fall. 
In government it is time for the annual budget and their own version of a fungus. Our government budget is projected to run in the red to the tune of $1.3 trillion. The government also has a second set of books which contain unfunded liabilities of the first book. This total reaches $53 trillion or around $175,000 per person. Do you have yours,'cause I sure as hell don't have mine. What happened?
Third World Doctors
There is a disease called bonds. You print a piece of paper that says you owe $1.3 trillion and you close the book until next year. They use to call that a banana republic. When these economic doctors are asked how our economy looks and when will things get better? They offer this diagnosis. We will grow out of it. Unemployment will gradually get better. The housing market will stabilze. Our prescriptions which includes a jobs plan, expanding of our exports with low fiancing will allow our economy to recover. LIES! They have not addressed the cause of the virus. They only have tried the ancient practices that should be banned like in the middle ages when doctors used leeches or believed in spontaneous generation. How about this doctor of economics, Larry Summers who says,"debt got us into this mess and debt will get us out of it." How about uncle Ben who gave this medical answer of deceit, "it will take around five years for unemployment to return to the lower previous levels." What he was really saying is the boomers will be retiring during the next five years and hopefully those jobs will open up for the unemployed.
REAL WORLD
People lose their homes if they don't pay their mortgage. In the middle ages they put you in debtor prison. Economic responsibility means you only buy what you can afford. If you use the credit card, there will be interest expense added to the bill. Use appropiately is the...
Economic Vaccine.
Our government is corrupt. They not only have spent money recklessly, but have maintained an ideology since the Marshall Plan that is flawed. This is the cause of all the disease of deficit spending.
They have not protected the American worker which is a violation of the constitution to promote the general welfare. Do you want to know why stimulus failed? It is because over the years the recipients of these government contracts to provide work has changed. In the good-old-boy days the only worry about a government contract was how much off the top the man would take. We could benefit from American made equipment, but no longer. Today, foreign companies with foreign made equipment are getting those deals leaving crumbs for our workers. This is how bad out-sourcing has become added to the lie of free trade. And then of course, they put all this negative into bonds which has a very present day affect: the destruction of the dollar which is also in violation of the constitution.
BIG PICTURE
If you look at our government report card since the Marshall Plan, debt stands out. There have been three generations. We had years of growth. We had innovation, but we have NEVER put a dent into the debt ledger column. Today, we hope that GDP grows at a meager 2%. Do you want to know the rate that debt expands? It is at 8%. We are losing every second of our lives. The only way that it can be reduced is to have a surplus and then, pay it down. There has been only one month in the year within which the government has a surplus and that is April. That was then, today even April runs a deficit.
CBO Report
I looked at a ten year span to cover both political parties. The first yearly budget that I checked was in 1996 under Rubin. He stated that our government was in the red to the public for $5.3 trillion. He did not mention the debt held by foreigners. He did not mention unfunded liabilities. Then, I ckecked the budget in 2006 which estimated the debt to be at $9 trillion. They did mention that if you added the unfunded liabilities the total reaches $53 trillion and that is five years ago and I might add that President Bush stated in 2001 that the debt would be cut in half, however it doubled. Debt has expanded 73% and it is compounded. Every facet of our government is corrupt. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac needed $169 billion bailout in 2008. Don't worry that will be enough. We will get better. Yeah, last week they asked for $7 billion more, pushing the on going total past $200 billion and get this the CEO gets paid $33 million. For what? To lose billions. Get out of town! Bottom line: End the Fed! Do not vote for any candidate that is a Democrat or Republican. Occupy Wall Street needs to declare a new political party of the people, by the people and for the people.
LIARS and CROOKS: Dr.Michael Salemi of North Carolina University who said,"Ron Paul is illiterate because he believes in the gold standard." Yeah, I should believe in fiat money that is worthless money and that gets devalued every day making life in the misery index off the charts. I'm illiterate too. This is an economic professor/doctor and I can't get my book published.

Europe: Next Crisis - A NO Vote= Stagflation Reality...LIARS and CROOKS

The news from Europe that it indeed had reached a "Grand Plan" sparked a worldwide rally in stocks, especially in the financial industries. The idea is the lending institutions holding Greek paper would receive 50% less on the current loans and with everyone providing more money to control any other outbreaks of financial contagion all would be fine and these very same lending institutions would recover the losses through new loans and having the safety net of the rescue fund. What the plan lacks of course is a finalized agreement on paper and on Tuesday the Greek government decided to put it up as a national vote. Needless to say, panic hit the world markets and for desert MF Golbal declares bankruptcy. This is only surface problems, as none of these world expert economist or central bankers have the foresight to see what is happening at the moment. The current trend in world prices will destroy their projections on income and growth and as for future expenses, all the unfunded obligations will multiply because of present price increases. And of course, I can't get my book published.
Future is Here
All the Western Nation's are deep in debt, nothing new here, but the debt that I refer to is unfunded obligations which are debts that will be coming forth in the near future which will crush all the so-called facts and figures that they just released in Europe and soon to be released by the Super-Committee in the U.S. on November 23rd, next month. This turkey can be basted, have all the herbs & spices, but it is spoiled poultry and no chef in the world can save it.
5Xs GDP
At the moment the strongest nation in Europe is Germany, but few realize that Germany is racking up many unfunded obligations and all these resue packages is adding to their dilemna as well as all the other members of the Euro. Germany has a future of 418% more debt than its GDP and it will be coming due. Things like funding companies, pensions, insurance to projects, past bonds that are maturing. France is worse. They will have 549% of debt to GDP that is coming due. And these are the leaders of Europe?
Who is going to bailout the bailouters?
The U.S. is in the same boat. Our future debt is 5-times our present GDP and we face a series of conundrums. One, our revenues are falling, but our spending is increasing. We spend $3 dollars while we only collect $2 dollars out of every $5 dollars. At the moment it adds up to $46,000 per person. Do you have yours? I don't. This is worse than the Titanic. This boat sinks off the entry into the water. The second issue is the very tricks and schemes that our government uses to steal our money makes them blind to their actions. They did not see the housing bubble. Why? There schemes showed housing as a rising sector for employment and not a runaway price bubble. What I'm referring to is the government agencies that report the different aspects of our economy. For instance, the consumer price index. This has been massaged so much that it is nothing but bureaucratic B.S. They do not include food and energy because they say they are too volatile. Yeah, they keep rising! They say for instance, a new house rose in price, but it is actually cheaper because it has new efficient appliances. Yes, we should build more. We will get better employment numbers. More revenues. Idiots!
And the other reason that they don't see problems is because the appointees are selected by "soft" money who do the status quo bidding. This is why MF Global failed even though the rating agencies just supported one of their bond offerings.
Corruption!
Bottom line: government uses this logic from these people to lower the projections of inflation. Inflation, according to the government and the Fed is within their guidelines of 2% to 3%. Meanwhile, we all know that gas is up $1.19 this year, coffee, sugar, food all up 200% and this brings me to the conclusion that we are in a stagflated economy which is the worse economy. Stagflation means things that are needed like food and energy along with everything else rise in price, while our wages remain stagnant or decline. I already provided food and energy and a trip to the supermarket will confirm the prices, so let us look at the other side of the equation. We have 14 plus million people unemployed. We have another 6 million underemployed which means stagnant to lower wages with everyone else other than the rich in the same boat. The only reason no one has reached this conclusion is because it looks different than the 1970s version of stagflation.
STAGFLATION MILENNIUM
One of the disguises is from the food industry. They feel the price increases, but they choose to hold them as a "cost bubble." They have limited their price increases, but they have resorted to one of their favorite tricks, size.
In Food It Matters.
They present the same size can, package or box, however if you look closer you will see that it contains less product. The 16 ounce can now only has 12 ounces of product which in my math is 25% less and there is your cost bubble. They also have utilized the discount stores with oversize packaging. You buy in bulk. It is great for them because they sell more product whether you need that much or not and they only have to ship it in one size which lowers their cost.
The government uses the Fed in the same way. They need money and no one will buy their bonds except the Fed who prints more money which dilutes the purchasing power of our dollar and this is stealing. In fact, even if you use their cheating, lying figures that the government releases for your future retirement, this is the bottom line: For every $100,000 that you save, in ten years, it will only purchase $77,000. The reality is inflation is over 9% which lowers your $100k down to $37K. How do you like that math? The dollar has fallen 66% in relation to the Euro since 2002. That is why we need to End the Fed!
Final Comundrum
When you add the unfunded liabilities like social security with its 77 million baby boomers, Medicare, Freddie&Fannie Mae and all the rest to the present deficit, it is clear that we are the worst nation on earth and no one will help us. Keep in mind that the Euro idea is to combat the U.S. in world trade. It is in our best interest that it fails along with all the other emerging nations who at the moment are making plans to replace the dollar as the worlds reserve currency. No one is our friend in reality. Globalization is a lie that promotes the outsoucing of jobs, ruins our standard of living and destroys our dollar.We may need world trade is some things and instances like resourced starved nations, food shortages, however no one needs to make something that you can make yourself. If we allow the two corrupt political parties to maintain their power structure, we are doomed to suffer a decade of stagflation and things will only get worse. We need to end the Fed! We need to form a new political party that represents the thinking of Jefferson and Madison. We need to Evolve Our Democracy.
LIARS and CROOKS: The Fed who will give us more suffering as on Halloween Night this year our debt will surpass our GDP. Our government gives treats to the rich and tricks to the rest of us.

Financial's Rally on Voodoo=LIARS and CROOKS

The bulls engineered a winning streak of four weeks in a row on the stock market. This weeks earnings in the financial sector highlighted the rally, although one of their biggest guns, Goldman Sachs reported a loss. It didn't matter. The sector led the charge and awaits the news across the pond on the euro bailout. If the Europeans do like our Fed, this rally will continue.
He who pays the Singer, calls the Song
And what does the Fed do, pray tell? It is one of the complaints that I mention in my unpublished book, THE EVOLUTION OF DEMOCRACY: the Book of Multiple Ideas and Predictions(cheap plug). In it I mention that one of the problems with gold even when we were on the gold standard was that gold does not pay any interest. I offered the idea that we should have written a law stating that banks had to accept our gold and pay interest on it in the same relationship as if it was paper money. The concept continues to say that the very same banks could get credit with this gold as a temporary solution if a question were to arise on the banks credit worthiness. They could add the gold deposits to their leverage and buy time to actually purchase their own gold. I also offered the idea that foreign governments should not be allowed to exchange their credits for our gold even though the exchange ability would always exist for our citizens. My thinking is that their economies are fiat and therefore not fair to exchange on a dollar-per-dollar basis. I think that the Chinese have read enough of my articles to gleam this idea and they might use it some day. In any case back to the rally last week. Bank of America reported a big profit and the stock popped, however this is how fiat central bankers play tricks on evaluations. They allowed Bank of America and all the other banks to use an accounting voodoo to balance their books.  Let me give you an example that you all can understand.
Selling Your Home
You paid x amount of dollars, however the financial crisis has lowered the prices for homes in your area. You could be under water or economically just fine, it doesn't matter. What matters is what the market is paying for homes in your area at the moment. You can ask whatever you want, but reality is what someone will pay and that is the bottom line. Now, Bank of America as well as as all the other banks hold mortgages in their books for these very same homes in your area and mine. Many of these homes are delinquent and many more are under water along with the rest of us who are up to date on our mortgage. The government and the Fed allows these banks to self value the asset value of these mortgages. Bank of America said they were worth way more than the market evaluations of the same properties. Where is accountability? This is a lie which corresponds to the same lie of fiat money. It is based on trust and confidence of the American system. It is not backed by some tangible asset like gold to go along with the American system. The government is trying to win the confidence of the stock market which it hopes will sway the public. Yeah, but will it stop the falling values of homes? Will it find you a livable paying job? They write the rules that allow them to control the system, however the same system in Europe tells you that socialist capitalism does not work unless your currency is strong and their currency is a lie.
Speaking of Lies. This weeks Liars and Crooks goes to Citigroup who paid $285 million dollar fine this week in relationship to their dealings with financial assets during the financial crisis. They packaged mortgage securities that they knew were worthless and in fact they made bets against these same securities on the side. I ask this question. If they were found guilty of deceit or failure of fiduciary obligations to which a citizen would lose their license besides the fine, why are they allowed to be still in business? It is not just them. There are countless cases in the books where people died from bad drugs, poisoned water, et al, and yet, these same companies are allowed to continue operations without a civil obligation to the public. These companies don't argue the accusation, they just pay the fine whereas a citizen would be put in jail under a felony and his business closed. They write the rules for themselves and not what is fair and just. Occupy Wall Street here is a focal point for your anger. End the Fed!

Bernanke Law, Holder's Law,Interesting Facts=LIARS and CROOKS

Didn't make it down to Wall St. to support and work with the protesters because I don't have a printer, however I will work on it. Nevertheless our Federal Reserve and its lead singer, Helicopter Ben supplied fresh ammunition on why the Fed should be terminated. Arnold is back making movies and this would be the biggest blockbuster in the sequence of the deadly robot flicks. I can picture it, "Arnold Terminates The Fed." Until then, this is the present. According to the Financial Service Regulatory Relief Act of 2006, the Federal Reserve cannot pay more than the general going rate in the market based on the Treasury Bill. The Fed under Bernanke have been paying banks to sit its short-term reserves with the Fed at .25% which is 25 times the amount of the three month treasury bill which pays interest at .01%. This is another example of SOCIALISM for the banking industry.
GUN SALES TO MEXICO
were approved by the Justice Department and the BATF. These are automatic weapons and they were sold to bidders who included street gangs and drug cartel members. Immediately, the Attorney General denied the knowledge of the "Fast and Furious" sale program, however CBS News reported that they have a memo from a local agent questioning the sales program and it is addressed to the attorney general. Yeah, I'm innocent until proven guilty, but I bet that they didn't arrest Holder.
For the WALL ST. PROTESTERS
Here is something to give you some direction. It is a great quote by Joseph Sobran,"Politics is the conspiracy of the unproductive but organized against the productive but unorganized."
All of the above fall into our category of LIARS and CROOKS including these facts: the percentage of millionaires in Congress is 50 times greater than the general population. That spells class warfare as the rich only do for the rich which explains everything. Since 1913 when the Fed was founded our national debt has exploded 4700 times higher than it was before the Fed. I heard Mitt Romney was going to get tough with China on trade if he is elected president. As of now, our biggest export to China is scrap and trash. What is he going to do, add do-do in a brown bag along with the other junk? At least the issue is on the table and we all should be thankful for that improvement.

Recent Predictions, Mkt. Selloff Pt-2...LIARS and CROOKS

Did I call the bounce? You betcha! Now, I see a quick reversal down to 1100 S&P and as always, check the volume at that swing point. This is probably going to be a quick and short trip down because among many factors it is earning season. You must "always" remember that the market is biased to the up-side. The effects of earning season along with company guidance will probably cause many knee jerk reactions, but again, to the up-side. At this time I would also quantify my call on the bounce. The S&P did not reach my minimum estimate of 1180 and the Dow transports did not reach 4600. This is a warning signal that the range which is what you should be playing is changing. This adds to a forecast of a mixed and dangerous market. The overall trend is still down, but a strong earning season will cause another sharp bounce up. I think that the best strategy is to hold off and see how the market looks after some positive and negative earning reports. Patience is a virtue which very few possess. I know I was looking at the computer too much and it played havoc on my emotions. St.Theresa where are you?
OCCUPY WALL ST.
Instead of looking at my computer I should have set my stop and went down to Wall St. to support the protestors. I'm thinking of going down there next week if they are still keeping the struggle front and center. Who better to give direction, but yours truly. I'm thinking of taking a chance and offering them one chapter of my work for guidance. Maybe they will get in my corner. I find a publisher and then, I could afford to fight for America and our citizens. Nevertheless, I did see on the news another one of my predictions is beginning. The first stone was thrown by the police lowering their batons on the heads of some protestors. Once a rock is thrown, it cannot stop the next one. My prediction of cannibalization is on the horizon. There was also another incident with pepper spray, however cooler heads have prevailed for the moment...
LIARS and CROOKS:Under Title Code 31 of the U.S. Code requires an annual physical inventory of  our gold, however the U.S.Mint and Treasury Dept. have refused to allow it. This has been going on a very long time. In fact, the Congressman of Kentucky where Fort Knox and our gold is supposedly kept was notified by a resident of his state that truckloads was seen leaving the fort at odd hours of the night. He requested an investigation and he was stonewalled. In another incident in October of 2001 an Asian gold refinery received a gold shipment of 60 metric tons, however after being checked, many bars did not contain gold, but had gold plate over tungston. Tungston has the same weight per size as gold and this has fooled many people many times. In this case the Chinese noted that the gold had a stamp on the bar that showed it had originated from Fort Knox.  How about asking Geithner the next time he appears before Congress? End the Fed! Sebastian

A Quick Primer on Market Selloff...LIARS and CROOKS

There are a lot of dichotomies within the stock market that affect its direction from either bears or bulls. The two groups have two groupings within each. There are those who follow the fundamentals of a company. Are sales up? Profit margins? Future demands? Who did the S&P downgrade? At the moment the European financial crisis affects their decisions along with the emerging markets led by China. The other side are technicians who make their decisions by looking at charts, irregardless of the company. There is one common denominator for both: market trend which could be up, down or sideways. I can tell you. It is down.
Gospel
The market direction is the first thing you need to know before you make a market decision. If you already have a position in a company, it breaks down to your situation like taxes, are you under water, is the dividend too important to lose if you sell. These things are personal and I won't delve on them.
The recent sell off actually began last March when the market corrected. It did this on high volume.
Gospel according to JFL
Volume in my estimation is one of the most important aspects of the market. People can say whatever they want about the market. It is rigged. It's a racket. It's only for the rich and insiders. Whatever! Volume will show you everything because it includes everybody. You can beat the big guys by learning candlestick charting with volume indicators. Institutions are like hugh ships. They cannot turn on a dime. Think Titanic. Whether selling or buying, they have to move millions of shares which can change the direction of any stock. You and I only have a few shares to sell or buy. Individuals do not cause a change in market trends. Institutions do. This takes us to the point.
MONEYBALL
It is the same concept from the movie. It is something that I have mentioned many times. Everything has a range. Personally, I follow gold on principle. I follow oil because it is a necessity. Food is just as important except I don't know enough to make money in the market from it. In any case, I track oil companies with charting. I record the volume at high and low closing, looking to find the "sweet spot" for my entry. When a company hits the bottom of its range, I buy. I sell before it comes close to its top in down markets like today. I do the opposite in up markets. You can make more money in markets today because you can play the volatility quicker than the big boys. You just have to be patient and go a little at a time. Do not go "all in."
What To Expect
The market will bounce next week. Why? The market hit its low in 2009 on the S&P with almost 4 billion shares trading. Last week the market could not even reach 2 billion shares trading. This volume amount translates into telling you that less than half of the market believes in this downturn. Bottom line: if the upward bounce can get momentum it would be like Mariano Rivera putting out the fire with a save. However, if the volume is not strong, then the market will retest last weeks low of 1100 on the S&P. I think it will break through to test the next support range at 1020 S&P. At that point we get to play the whole scenario again with volume being the real answer. Go! Make some money.
LIARS and CROOKS: How about government spending? Obama says he has a plan. The Republicans say they have a plan. This is reality. They both lie!
The Inspector General did a research on some of the spending habits of the Justice Department, concentrating on food costs. This report includes the Bush administration as well as the Obama's. The inspector found excess everywhere. In 2008 under President Bush, they spent $47.8 million on food. In 2009 under President Obama, they spent $73.3 million on food. Who are they feeding? Nothing like spending other peoples money with no accountability. For example, they would have a snack during a conference and have some popcorn at $32 a pop, soda at $12 a glass or a candy bar at $16 apiece. Cut costs! Leadership! BS is more like it.