---
These two chapters (the last two in the book of Revelation) tell us exactly what to expect. To me they also clearly explain that Nibiru / Planet X / God & aliens / Annunaki / nephilim (Sumeria / Genesis) are explicitly linked..
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
---
Revelation 21-22
New International Version (NIV)
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits[d] thick.[e] 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[f] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Eden Restored
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
John and the Angel
6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[g] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Venus brightest in evening sky late April and early May
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This post was pilfered from EarthSky.org
---
The planet Venus reaches its “greatest illuminated extent” at the end of April 2012. Greatest illuminated extent means Venus’ lit side is covering a maximum area of sky, so it’s at or near this juncture that Venus shines at its greatest brilliancy in our sky. Are you seeing a very bright object low in the western sky after sunset? That’s Venus, appearing at its very brightest as the evening “star” throughout late April and early May.
Look outside shortly after sunset, and you can’t miss Venus. It’s an eerie light in the western sky. Venus’ brightness will surprise you if you’ve never noticed it before. It’s so bright that, around now, many people will report Venus as a UFO.
But this is no exotic or unidentified object. It’s simply our neighboring planet in orbit around the sun. On March 27, Venus passed a hallmark of its year when it appeared at its greatest elongation from the setting sun on our sky’s dome. Right now, Venus is approaching its greatest brilliancy in the western twilight sky. Venus’ illuminated portion covers the most sky on April 30 at 8 Universal Time.
In the coming week, Venus will shine at its maximum brightness, at -4.6 magnitude. How bright is that? That’s about 70 times brighter than Arcturus, one of the brightest stars in all the heavens – now in the east part of the sky at nightfall. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere – where Venus stays up for a few hours after nightfall – it might be possible to notice shadows cast by Venus. You’ll have your best chance to see shadows cast by Venus once the moon leaves the evening sky, starting the second week of May.
Phases of Venus Diagram
So Venus is about at its brightest in the evening sky. Yet – in what seems like a paradox – a telescope would reveal Venus now as a waning crescent. It looks like a tiny, featureless crescent moon. Because the orbit of Venus lies inside of Earth’s orbit, Venus goes through phases, much like our moon. Surprisingly, Venus’ disk appears only 28% illuminated right now, as seen from Earth. Venus appears at its brightest when it’s about one-quarter illuminated. How can it be shining at or near peak brightness when we’re seeing only a portion of its lighted hemisphere?
The answer is that – when Venus appears full as seen from Earth – it’s always much farther away, on the far side of the sun from us. That’s the only place it can be in order for its fully lighted disk to be facing our way. Full Venus = more distant Venus = fainter Venus overall.
Now Venus is on the same side of the sun as Earth. It will go between us and the sun on June 5-6, 2012. So a portion of the day side of Venus is turned away from us, and we see a crescent Venus. Yet Venus on the same side of the sun as us, and therefore closer. A telescope would reveal the crescent, but it would also show the crescent as very large. Thus Venus is brightest now.
Last transit of Venus in 21st century will happen in June 2012
By the way, in the weeks ahead, Venus will be coming closer still to Earth, but it will be showing us less and less of its lighted hemisphere (day side) as it prepares to pass between us and the sun.
Late April and early May present Venus’ maximum brilliance! Watch for Venus as a dazzling light in the west after sunset.
This post was pilfered from EarthSky.org
---
The planet Venus reaches its “greatest illuminated extent” at the end of April 2012. Greatest illuminated extent means Venus’ lit side is covering a maximum area of sky, so it’s at or near this juncture that Venus shines at its greatest brilliancy in our sky. Are you seeing a very bright object low in the western sky after sunset? That’s Venus, appearing at its very brightest as the evening “star” throughout late April and early May.
Look outside shortly after sunset, and you can’t miss Venus. It’s an eerie light in the western sky. Venus’ brightness will surprise you if you’ve never noticed it before. It’s so bright that, around now, many people will report Venus as a UFO.
But this is no exotic or unidentified object. It’s simply our neighboring planet in orbit around the sun. On March 27, Venus passed a hallmark of its year when it appeared at its greatest elongation from the setting sun on our sky’s dome. Right now, Venus is approaching its greatest brilliancy in the western twilight sky. Venus’ illuminated portion covers the most sky on April 30 at 8 Universal Time.
In the coming week, Venus will shine at its maximum brightness, at -4.6 magnitude. How bright is that? That’s about 70 times brighter than Arcturus, one of the brightest stars in all the heavens – now in the east part of the sky at nightfall. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere – where Venus stays up for a few hours after nightfall – it might be possible to notice shadows cast by Venus. You’ll have your best chance to see shadows cast by Venus once the moon leaves the evening sky, starting the second week of May.
Phases of Venus Diagram
So Venus is about at its brightest in the evening sky. Yet – in what seems like a paradox – a telescope would reveal Venus now as a waning crescent. It looks like a tiny, featureless crescent moon. Because the orbit of Venus lies inside of Earth’s orbit, Venus goes through phases, much like our moon. Surprisingly, Venus’ disk appears only 28% illuminated right now, as seen from Earth. Venus appears at its brightest when it’s about one-quarter illuminated. How can it be shining at or near peak brightness when we’re seeing only a portion of its lighted hemisphere?
The answer is that – when Venus appears full as seen from Earth – it’s always much farther away, on the far side of the sun from us. That’s the only place it can be in order for its fully lighted disk to be facing our way. Full Venus = more distant Venus = fainter Venus overall.
Now Venus is on the same side of the sun as Earth. It will go between us and the sun on June 5-6, 2012. So a portion of the day side of Venus is turned away from us, and we see a crescent Venus. Yet Venus on the same side of the sun as us, and therefore closer. A telescope would reveal the crescent, but it would also show the crescent as very large. Thus Venus is brightest now.
Last transit of Venus in 21st century will happen in June 2012
By the way, in the weeks ahead, Venus will be coming closer still to Earth, but it will be showing us less and less of its lighted hemisphere (day side) as it prepares to pass between us and the sun.
Late April and early May present Venus’ maximum brilliance! Watch for Venus as a dazzling light in the west after sunset.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
If YOU are stupid enough to do this you deserve to be f'ed over - Predatory Unethical Business Practices
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Predatory Business practices ARE this economy!
Oh Lord.. this one just about had me rolling in the floor laughing but ended up simply severely pissing me off..
I can't even find the text in the ad in a form I can copy on-line.. Only images of the ad..
This outfit called GreatCall is marketing an outrageously expensive cell phone to seniors presumably suffering from Alzheimer's..
Some basics first.. I'm not too proud to admit that I use StraightTalk from WalMart..
Some simple math shows that 1,000 minutes / $30.00 a month = 0.03 cents per minute. Plus you get 1,000 txts (plenty for us) and whatever amount of internet access we get (it's not used much). But ignoring the txts and internet access it's 0.03 cents per minute.. Keep these numbers in mind..
---
The ad we got [which I mysteriously am having a difficult time finding in a text version that can be copied] begins..
"Finally, a cell phone that's... a phone with rates as low as $3.75 per week! (Exclamation point theirs, not mine).
It's printed as a 3rd person ad which apparently is intended to appear as if written by an elderly American who has come across a great deal.. Brother..
I'll just type the damn thing out while waiting for my trades to work.. Brother.. Quotes & highlights and [comments] are mine.
"Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to "enter the digital age" and get a cell phone. My kids have been bugging me, my book group made fun of me, and the last straw was when my car broke down, and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones are so small I can't see the numbers, much less push the right one. They all have cameras, computers and a "global positioning" something or other that's supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to be able to do is talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren't much help. They couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were complicated, confusing and expensive... and the contract lasted for 2 years! I'd almost given up when a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now I have the convenience and safety of being able to stay in touch... with a phone I can actually use.
Sometimes I think the people who designed this phone and the rate plans had me in mind. [No f'ing doubt about it! LMAO] The phone fits easily in my pocket, and flips open to reach from my mouth to my ear. [old habits die hard] The display is large and backlit, so I can actually see who is calling. With the push of a button I can aplify the volume, and if I don't know a number, I can simply push "0" for a friendly helpful operator that will look it up and even dial it for me. The Jitterbug also reduces background noise, making the sound loud and clear. There's even a dial tone, so I know the phone is ready to use. [again, old habits die hard]
"Affordable" plans that I can understand - and no contract to sign! Unlike other cell phones, Jitterbug has plans that "make sense". [Sure.. they make sense if your prime objective is stealing fiat from old people who don't know better] Why should I pay for minutes I'm never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won't find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. [This would have been a good spot to talk about additional charges for those minutes but I guess they forgot..] Best of all, there is no contract to sign - so I'm not locked in for years at a time or subject to termination fees. [Are there any "other fees" that I WILL be charged??? Like perhaps the "one time" $35.00 activation fee?!] The U.S. - based customer service is second to none, and the phone gets service virtually anywhere in the country.
Call now and get a FREE gift when you order. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don't love it, just return it. Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. If you aren't as happy with it as I am, [Who TF ARE you anyway?!] you can return it for a refund of the purchase price. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts [expert con artists maybe?] are ready to answer your questions.
---
That was the ad..
Here's the rate plan..
Monthly minutes 50 [50!]$14.99, 100 minutes [for only] 19.99
Remember those StraightTalk numbers from before? 0.03 cents per minute NOT counting 1,000 txts and internet access, but only the 1,000 minutes for $30.00?
This GreatCall outfit [someone take out their website, come on! lol]] is trying to charge your mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather 0.20 per minute for the 100 minute plan and 0.30 cents per minute for the 50 minute plan! PLUS if you go over your minutes in the month additional minutes are charged at 0.35 cents per minute!
These ripoff con artists are charging TEN TIMES as much for a worthless phone that costs $99.00!
I suggest that THIS is a big part of what is WRONG with America today! When / if a company is allowed to commit fraud in this way in an attempt to prey on the elderly. Where is the oversight?! Is there none?! Is it wide open and anything goes?
To me this company exists only to score that one time, big score, $2,000.00 / $3,000.00 phone bill from unsuspecting elderly consumers.
This is about as predatory as it gets people!
Here's an on-line complaint I found that sums it up pretty well..
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Jitterbug Phone / GreatCall, Inc. Complaints & Reviews - Predatory Unethical Practices
Review all Jitterbug Phone / GreatCall, Inc. complaints
Jitterbug Phone / GreatCall, Inc.
Posted: 2010-11-07 by Unhappy Jitterbug Owner
Predatory Unethical Practices
Complaint Rating:
Company information:
GreatCall Inc. / Jitterbug Phone
United States
jitterbug.com
Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)!!
I purchased a Jitterbug phone as a gift. Jitterbug and GreatCall Inc. targets Seniors as their customer base (because of the elder-friendly designed large buttons and supposed ease of set-up and use of their phones). This phone is advertised as "Affordable, No Contract, Simple Phones". This is far from the truth. It seems that this company takes advantage of Seniors, because of their age and their vulnerability to be convinced/tricked/coerced into agreeing to things that they don't quite understand.
Here are the hidden fees which the customer is not made aware of when buying the phone:
1) A one-time $35.00 activation fee - (which you discover ONLY after purchasing and opening the box, after reading all included literature)
2) Additional fees for voice mail! Voice mail with any other mobile/cellular provider is inclusive with service.
3) Additional charges for operator assistance. 5 extra minutes are charged per call ($1.75), in addition to regular minutes used). One minute of use is 35¢. Customers are not aware of the high cost of each minute before signing up for a plan.
4) A voluntary recall on certain phone models. 9-1-1 emergency calls do not work with certain models.
For service and exchange, the customer assumes responsibility of paying for the return mailing of the phone (in like new condition) to the company.
5) Additional fees for:
a) Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
b) Components of the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
c) Federal Universal Service Fund Fee
d) State Universal Service Fund Fee
These charges are normally associated with local landline telephone fees. For a supposed "no contract" service, a physical address is required, as well as a billing address, AND credit card number, as well as other personal information.
If the Jitterbug / GreatCall Inc. / Verizon service is truly "Pay As You Go", then why are all of these ala carte charges hidden? Buried would be a more accurate description. These extra fees and charges were found after extensively plowing through all of the literature, and website links.
The activation fee and other surcharges were not even discussed or disclosed when I called Jitterbug's customer service number to activate the phone.
I assume that I would be "surprised" by these charges on my first billing to my credit card (as with other customers). Or perhaps the other customers did not notice the additional charges. This wreaks of predatory business practices. To prey on the elderly (the majority on fixed incomes) is a terrible breach of trust, and a crime.
Shame on Jitterbug and GreatCall, Inc.!!
Did I mention that this service is a monopoly? These Jitterbug phones cannot be used (unlocked for use) with other mobile / cellular providers.
I am now stuck with a phone that I cannot return, and do not want to use because of their practices.
Comments United States
Predatory Business practices ARE this economy!
Oh Lord.. this one just about had me rolling in the floor laughing but ended up simply severely pissing me off..
I can't even find the text in the ad in a form I can copy on-line.. Only images of the ad..
This outfit called GreatCall is marketing an outrageously expensive cell phone to seniors presumably suffering from Alzheimer's..
Some basics first.. I'm not too proud to admit that I use StraightTalk from WalMart..
Some simple math shows that 1,000 minutes / $30.00 a month = 0.03 cents per minute. Plus you get 1,000 txts (plenty for us) and whatever amount of internet access we get (it's not used much). But ignoring the txts and internet access it's 0.03 cents per minute.. Keep these numbers in mind..
---
The ad we got [which I mysteriously am having a difficult time finding in a text version that can be copied] begins..
"Finally, a cell phone that's... a phone with rates as low as $3.75 per week! (Exclamation point theirs, not mine).
It's printed as a 3rd person ad which apparently is intended to appear as if written by an elderly American who has come across a great deal.. Brother..
I'll just type the damn thing out while waiting for my trades to work.. Brother.. Quotes & highlights and [comments] are mine.
"Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to "enter the digital age" and get a cell phone. My kids have been bugging me, my book group made fun of me, and the last straw was when my car broke down, and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones are so small I can't see the numbers, much less push the right one. They all have cameras, computers and a "global positioning" something or other that's supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to be able to do is talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren't much help. They couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were complicated, confusing and expensive... and the contract lasted for 2 years! I'd almost given up when a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now I have the convenience and safety of being able to stay in touch... with a phone I can actually use.
Sometimes I think the people who designed this phone and the rate plans had me in mind. [No f'ing doubt about it! LMAO] The phone fits easily in my pocket, and flips open to reach from my mouth to my ear. [old habits die hard] The display is large and backlit, so I can actually see who is calling. With the push of a button I can aplify the volume, and if I don't know a number, I can simply push "0" for a friendly helpful operator that will look it up and even dial it for me. The Jitterbug also reduces background noise, making the sound loud and clear. There's even a dial tone, so I know the phone is ready to use. [again, old habits die hard]
"Affordable" plans that I can understand - and no contract to sign! Unlike other cell phones, Jitterbug has plans that "make sense". [Sure.. they make sense if your prime objective is stealing fiat from old people who don't know better] Why should I pay for minutes I'm never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won't find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. [This would have been a good spot to talk about additional charges for those minutes but I guess they forgot..] Best of all, there is no contract to sign - so I'm not locked in for years at a time or subject to termination fees. [Are there any "other fees" that I WILL be charged??? Like perhaps the "one time" $35.00 activation fee?!] The U.S. - based customer service is second to none, and the phone gets service virtually anywhere in the country.
Call now and get a FREE gift when you order. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don't love it, just return it. Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. If you aren't as happy with it as I am, [Who TF ARE you anyway?!] you can return it for a refund of the purchase price. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts [expert con artists maybe?] are ready to answer your questions.
---
That was the ad..
Here's the rate plan..
Monthly minutes 50 [50!]$14.99, 100 minutes [for only] 19.99
Remember those StraightTalk numbers from before? 0.03 cents per minute NOT counting 1,000 txts and internet access, but only the 1,000 minutes for $30.00?
This GreatCall outfit [someone take out their website, come on! lol]] is trying to charge your mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather 0.20 per minute for the 100 minute plan and 0.30 cents per minute for the 50 minute plan! PLUS if you go over your minutes in the month additional minutes are charged at 0.35 cents per minute!
These ripoff con artists are charging TEN TIMES as much for a worthless phone that costs $99.00!
I suggest that THIS is a big part of what is WRONG with America today! When / if a company is allowed to commit fraud in this way in an attempt to prey on the elderly. Where is the oversight?! Is there none?! Is it wide open and anything goes?
To me this company exists only to score that one time, big score, $2,000.00 / $3,000.00 phone bill from unsuspecting elderly consumers.
This is about as predatory as it gets people!
Here's an on-line complaint I found that sums it up pretty well..
---
Jitterbug Phone / GreatCall, Inc. Complaints & Reviews - Predatory Unethical Practices
Review all Jitterbug Phone / GreatCall, Inc. complaints
Jitterbug Phone / GreatCall, Inc.
Posted: 2010-11-07 by Unhappy Jitterbug Owner
Predatory Unethical Practices
Complaint Rating:
Company information:
GreatCall Inc. / Jitterbug Phone
United States
jitterbug.com
Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)!!
I purchased a Jitterbug phone as a gift. Jitterbug and GreatCall Inc. targets Seniors as their customer base (because of the elder-friendly designed large buttons and supposed ease of set-up and use of their phones). This phone is advertised as "Affordable, No Contract, Simple Phones". This is far from the truth. It seems that this company takes advantage of Seniors, because of their age and their vulnerability to be convinced/tricked/coerced into agreeing to things that they don't quite understand.
Here are the hidden fees which the customer is not made aware of when buying the phone:
1) A one-time $35.00 activation fee - (which you discover ONLY after purchasing and opening the box, after reading all included literature)
2) Additional fees for voice mail! Voice mail with any other mobile/cellular provider is inclusive with service.
3) Additional charges for operator assistance. 5 extra minutes are charged per call ($1.75), in addition to regular minutes used). One minute of use is 35¢. Customers are not aware of the high cost of each minute before signing up for a plan.
4) A voluntary recall on certain phone models. 9-1-1 emergency calls do not work with certain models.
For service and exchange, the customer assumes responsibility of paying for the return mailing of the phone (in like new condition) to the company.
5) Additional fees for:
a) Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
b) Components of the Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge
c) Federal Universal Service Fund Fee
d) State Universal Service Fund Fee
These charges are normally associated with local landline telephone fees. For a supposed "no contract" service, a physical address is required, as well as a billing address, AND credit card number, as well as other personal information.
If the Jitterbug / GreatCall Inc. / Verizon service is truly "Pay As You Go", then why are all of these ala carte charges hidden? Buried would be a more accurate description. These extra fees and charges were found after extensively plowing through all of the literature, and website links.
The activation fee and other surcharges were not even discussed or disclosed when I called Jitterbug's customer service number to activate the phone.
I assume that I would be "surprised" by these charges on my first billing to my credit card (as with other customers). Or perhaps the other customers did not notice the additional charges. This wreaks of predatory business practices. To prey on the elderly (the majority on fixed incomes) is a terrible breach of trust, and a crime.
Shame on Jitterbug and GreatCall, Inc.!!
Did I mention that this service is a monopoly? These Jitterbug phones cannot be used (unlocked for use) with other mobile / cellular providers.
I am now stuck with a phone that I cannot return, and do not want to use because of their practices.
Comments United States
Monday, April 23, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Here's why I shorted $GBPUSD
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Click to enlarge
GBPUSD Daily
GBPUSD h1
Not saying it will work.. just saying I'm trying it ;)
Happy trading & happy weekend to all
Greg
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The earth to be destroyed again?
---
Some prophecy.. Sounds like trouble brewing LMAO
From bibleplus.org
The earth to be destroyed again?
Isa. 24:17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. 18Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. 19The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. 20The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls --never to rise again. 21In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.
Isa. 27:10 The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. 11When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. 12In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one.
Some prophecy.. Sounds like trouble brewing LMAO
From bibleplus.org
The earth to be destroyed again?
Isa. 24:17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. 18Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. 19The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. 20The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls --never to rise again. 21In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.
Isa. 27:10 The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. 11When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. 12In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one.
Pink Floyd's Welcome to the machine - Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
---
Pink Floyd's Welcome to the machine
---
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been.
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and 'Scouting for Boys'.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn't like school, and you
know you're nobody's fool,
So welcome to the machine.
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine.
---
In addition to Tool, Pink Floyd often seems to have something to say about who we are, where we are heading, and here, that there definitely is a higher power involved.
In reference to "You dreamed of a big star"
---
Wormwood in the Bible
Although the word wormwood appears several times in the Old Testament, translated from the Hebrew term לענה (la'anah), its only clear reference as a named entity occurs in the New Testament, in the Book of Revelation: "And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon a third of the rivers, and upon the springs of water; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and a third of the waters became Bitter; and many people had died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:10, 11 - KJV).
[edit]Interpretations of Revelation 8:10
Certain commentators have held that this "great star" represents one of several important figures in political or ecclesiastical history,[2] while other Bible dictionaries and commentaries view the term as a reference to a celestial being. A Dictionary of The Holy Bible states, "the star called Wormwood seems to denote a mighty prince, or power of the air, the instrument, in its fall."[3]
More here
---
As I have stated many times before, I believe there is a strong possibility that aliens / angels have, and still do to this day, live among humans, guiding us where possible through science, art, philosophy, music, etc..
Some bible "verses" which include all three: wisdom, knowledge & understanding
Exodus 31:3
and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—
Exodus 35:31
and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—
1 Kings 7:14
whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.
Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Isaiah 11:2
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
Greg
Pink Floyd's Welcome to the machine
---
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been.
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time,
Provided with toys and 'Scouting for Boys'.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didn't like school, and you
know you're nobody's fool,
So welcome to the machine.
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star,
He played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the Steak Bar.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar.
So welcome to the Machine.
---
In addition to Tool, Pink Floyd often seems to have something to say about who we are, where we are heading, and here, that there definitely is a higher power involved.
In reference to "You dreamed of a big star"
---
Wormwood in the Bible
Although the word wormwood appears several times in the Old Testament, translated from the Hebrew term לענה (la'anah), its only clear reference as a named entity occurs in the New Testament, in the Book of Revelation: "And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon a third of the rivers, and upon the springs of water; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and a third of the waters became Bitter; and many people had died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:10, 11 - KJV).
[edit]Interpretations of Revelation 8:10
Certain commentators have held that this "great star" represents one of several important figures in political or ecclesiastical history,[2] while other Bible dictionaries and commentaries view the term as a reference to a celestial being. A Dictionary of The Holy Bible states, "the star called Wormwood seems to denote a mighty prince, or power of the air, the instrument, in its fall."[3]
More here
---
As I have stated many times before, I believe there is a strong possibility that aliens / angels have, and still do to this day, live among humans, guiding us where possible through science, art, philosophy, music, etc..
Some bible "verses" which include all three: wisdom, knowledge & understanding
Exodus 31:3
and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—
Exodus 35:31
and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—
1 Kings 7:14
whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all the work assigned to him.
Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Isaiah 11:2
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
Greg
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
God is the source of creation Was / is Planet X / Nibiru His tool?
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There is so much astonishing historical evidence about the human race, where we came from, that it's inconceivable that we not know and understand more than we do about ourselves.
---
---
From WikiPedia
According to Sitchin's interpretation of Mesopotamian iconography and symbology, outlined in his 1976 book The 12th Planet and its sequels, there is an undiscovered planet beyond Neptune that follows a long, elliptical orbit, reaching the inner solar system roughly every 3,600 years.
This planet is called Nibiru (although Jupiter was the planet associated with the god Marduk in Babylonian cosmology).[5] According to Sitchin, Nibiru (whose name was replaced with MARDUK in original legends by the Babylonian ruler of the same name in an attempt to co-opt the creation for himself, leading to some confusion among readers) collided catastrophically with Tiamat (a goddess in the Babylonian creation myth the Enûma Eliš), which he considers to be another planet once located between Mars and Jupiter. This collision supposedly formed the planet Earth, the asteroid belt, and the comets. Sitchin states that when struck by one of planet Nibiru's moons, Tiamat split in two, and then on a second pass Nibiru itself struck the broken fragments and one half of Tiamat became the asteroid belt. The second half, struck again by one of Nibiru's moons, was pushed into a new orbit and became today's planet Earth.
According to Sitchin, Nibiru (called "the twelfth planet" because, Sitchin claimed, the Sumerians' gods-given conception of the Solar System counted all eight planets, plus Pluto, the Sun and the Moon) was the home of a technologically advanced human-like extraterrestrial race called the Anunnaki in Sumerian myth, who Sitchin states are called the Nephilim in Genesis. He wrote that they evolved after Nibiru entered the solar system and first arrived on Earth probably 450,000 years ago, looking for minerals, especially gold, which they found and mined in Africa. Sitchin states that these "gods" were the rank-and-file workers of the colonial expedition to Earth from planet Nibiru.
Sitchin wrote that Enki suggested that to relieve the Anunnaki, who had mutinied over their dissatisfaction with their working conditions, that primitive workers (Homo sapiens) be created by genetic engineering as slaves to replace them in the gold mines by crossing extraterrestrial genes with those of Homo erectus.[6][7] According to Sitchin, ancient inscriptions report that the human civilization in Sumer, Mesopotamia, was set up under the guidance of these "gods", and human kingship was inaugurated to provide intermediaries between mankind and the Anunnaki (creating the "divine right of kings" doctrine). Sitchin believes that fallout from nuclear weapons, used during a war between factions of the extraterrestrials, is the "evil wind" described in the Lament for Ur that destroyed Ur around 2000 BC. Sitchin states the exact year is 2024 BC.[8] Sitchin says that his research coincides with many biblical texts, and that biblical texts come originally from Sumerian writings.
---
If you like really weird reading material [like I do! LMAO] here is a page full of Anunnaki
Greg
There is so much astonishing historical evidence about the human race, where we came from, that it's inconceivable that we not know and understand more than we do about ourselves.
---
---
From WikiPedia
According to Sitchin's interpretation of Mesopotamian iconography and symbology, outlined in his 1976 book The 12th Planet and its sequels, there is an undiscovered planet beyond Neptune that follows a long, elliptical orbit, reaching the inner solar system roughly every 3,600 years.
This planet is called Nibiru (although Jupiter was the planet associated with the god Marduk in Babylonian cosmology).[5] According to Sitchin, Nibiru (whose name was replaced with MARDUK in original legends by the Babylonian ruler of the same name in an attempt to co-opt the creation for himself, leading to some confusion among readers) collided catastrophically with Tiamat (a goddess in the Babylonian creation myth the Enûma Eliš), which he considers to be another planet once located between Mars and Jupiter. This collision supposedly formed the planet Earth, the asteroid belt, and the comets. Sitchin states that when struck by one of planet Nibiru's moons, Tiamat split in two, and then on a second pass Nibiru itself struck the broken fragments and one half of Tiamat became the asteroid belt. The second half, struck again by one of Nibiru's moons, was pushed into a new orbit and became today's planet Earth.
According to Sitchin, Nibiru (called "the twelfth planet" because, Sitchin claimed, the Sumerians' gods-given conception of the Solar System counted all eight planets, plus Pluto, the Sun and the Moon) was the home of a technologically advanced human-like extraterrestrial race called the Anunnaki in Sumerian myth, who Sitchin states are called the Nephilim in Genesis. He wrote that they evolved after Nibiru entered the solar system and first arrived on Earth probably 450,000 years ago, looking for minerals, especially gold, which they found and mined in Africa. Sitchin states that these "gods" were the rank-and-file workers of the colonial expedition to Earth from planet Nibiru.
Sitchin wrote that Enki suggested that to relieve the Anunnaki, who had mutinied over their dissatisfaction with their working conditions, that primitive workers (Homo sapiens) be created by genetic engineering as slaves to replace them in the gold mines by crossing extraterrestrial genes with those of Homo erectus.[6][7] According to Sitchin, ancient inscriptions report that the human civilization in Sumer, Mesopotamia, was set up under the guidance of these "gods", and human kingship was inaugurated to provide intermediaries between mankind and the Anunnaki (creating the "divine right of kings" doctrine). Sitchin believes that fallout from nuclear weapons, used during a war between factions of the extraterrestrials, is the "evil wind" described in the Lament for Ur that destroyed Ur around 2000 BC. Sitchin states the exact year is 2024 BC.[8] Sitchin says that his research coincides with many biblical texts, and that biblical texts come originally from Sumerian writings.
---
If you like really weird reading material [like I do! LMAO] here is a page full of Anunnaki
Greg
Friday, April 13, 2012
The fourth #angel is upon us..
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Revelation 8:12
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Revelation 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
The Fourth Trumpet
Read the whole book Free download 2008 - God's
Final Witness
Revelation 8:12
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Revelation 12:4
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
The Fourth Trumpet
Read the whole book Free download 2008 - God's
Final Witness
The bible is FULL of references to Planet X!
---
Search for yourself on Bible Gateway
---
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Genesis 7:21
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
2 Samuel 22:8
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
Psalm 18:7
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Psalm 46:6
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
Psalm 68:8
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Psalm 99:1
The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Isaiah 10:14
And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
Isaiah 14:9
Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
Isaiah 24:19
The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
Jeremiah 46:8
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
Jeremiah 49:21
The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.
Jeremiah 50:46
At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.
Anunnaki & Nibiru The Return - A PUFOIN Perspective
Enoch & the Watchers
Giants Nephilim and Anakim
Greg
Search for yourself on Bible Gateway
---
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Genesis 7:21
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
2 Samuel 22:8
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
Psalm 18:7
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Psalm 46:6
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
Psalm 68:8
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Psalm 99:1
The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Isaiah 10:14
And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
Isaiah 14:9
Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
Isaiah 24:19
The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
Jeremiah 46:8
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
Jeremiah 49:21
The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.
Jeremiah 50:46
At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.
Anunnaki & Nibiru The Return - A PUFOIN Perspective
Enoch & the Watchers
Giants Nephilim and Anakim
Greg
Does #God know things we don't?
---
Deu 29:29
The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.
Deu 29:29
The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Saw this on @CNBC this morning #economy
---
I'll provide a link to the video in a few moments..
But this morning I heard former assistant treasury secretary Kashkari say..
"While we are looking for a new engine of economic growth"
This should be a warning to everyone..
I would rephrase that sentence to say..
"While we are [desperately] looking for a new engine of economic growth [with which to blow the next bubble]"
You can find the quote at 6 minutes 22 seconds into this video on CNBC
Do we really need a new bubble to drive credit / debt expansion further?
We currently have the healthcare industry, including insurance companies, who have created such a huge bubble that no normal citizen of the United States can any longer afford the services they offer. Hence we end up with the POTUS passing new laws mandating consumer spending for same services. Like so many other industries they seem to be consciously destroying their own customer base, pricing themselves right out of business.
We have commodity bubbles with gas projected to be as high as $4.50 a gallon by June of 2012.
This because the Federal Reserve is handing out FREE fiat to Too Big To Fail banks and Primary Dealers, you know, like MF Global, with which to buy commodities, while also intentionally devaluing the dollar.
The politicians in Washington act as if there is little we can do about high gas prices.. Bullshit.. The politicians merely run cover for the Federal Reserve. It's a tax, it's all a tax. The Federal Reserve has complete control over the value of our fiat currency, that's why we HAVE a fiat currency by decree. So it can be manipulated by the Federal Reserve Bank.
Any time consumer spending threatens to drop off and affect corporate profits the Federal Reserve Bank, with the blessings of congress, can simply FORCE higher consumer spending by intentionally creating inflation.
Utilities, student loans, credit cards, sub-prime lending.. Everything about this economy is dependent upon bubbles, exponetial credit expansion forever..
So I would say to Mr. Kashkari, Thank you.. but we have enough "engines of growth" or "bubbles" as it is.. I, for one, don't think we should be desperately searching for a new one.
Greg
I'll provide a link to the video in a few moments..
But this morning I heard former assistant treasury secretary Kashkari say..
"While we are looking for a new engine of economic growth"
This should be a warning to everyone..
I would rephrase that sentence to say..
"While we are [desperately] looking for a new engine of economic growth [with which to blow the next bubble]"
You can find the quote at 6 minutes 22 seconds into this video on CNBC
Do we really need a new bubble to drive credit / debt expansion further?
We currently have the healthcare industry, including insurance companies, who have created such a huge bubble that no normal citizen of the United States can any longer afford the services they offer. Hence we end up with the POTUS passing new laws mandating consumer spending for same services. Like so many other industries they seem to be consciously destroying their own customer base, pricing themselves right out of business.
We have commodity bubbles with gas projected to be as high as $4.50 a gallon by June of 2012.
This because the Federal Reserve is handing out FREE fiat to Too Big To Fail banks and Primary Dealers, you know, like MF Global, with which to buy commodities, while also intentionally devaluing the dollar.
The politicians in Washington act as if there is little we can do about high gas prices.. Bullshit.. The politicians merely run cover for the Federal Reserve. It's a tax, it's all a tax. The Federal Reserve has complete control over the value of our fiat currency, that's why we HAVE a fiat currency by decree. So it can be manipulated by the Federal Reserve Bank.
Any time consumer spending threatens to drop off and affect corporate profits the Federal Reserve Bank, with the blessings of congress, can simply FORCE higher consumer spending by intentionally creating inflation.
Utilities, student loans, credit cards, sub-prime lending.. Everything about this economy is dependent upon bubbles, exponetial credit expansion forever..
So I would say to Mr. Kashkari, Thank you.. but we have enough "engines of growth" or "bubbles" as it is.. I, for one, don't think we should be desperately searching for a new one.
Greg
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Here's the #trade $AUDJPY long m15
---
Click to enlarge
I gotta go watch Survivor..
Happy pipping ;)
Click to enlarge
I gotta go watch Survivor..
Happy pipping ;)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
JEEZE! You f'ing SHEEPLE!
---
Its human nature and its psychological proven fact: we humans are a social animal and we seek other peoples approval by showing them we are just like them.
Hence, it follow if everyone is saying the same thing we naturally have a tendency to agree with everyone else. Following the crowd is the easiest and safest option- we have less chance of look foolish or the odd one out having a different opinion from everyone else. After all, they can't all be wrong. Yes its safe to say we have the need to be liked and like everyone else and not be in the minority. In general we are conformists. Even the non-conformists are conform to other none-conformists. Ask your self who do you follow on Facebook or Twitter? The answer will be in general you follow other people like yourself who have similar interest and opinions.
Call it a human flaw if you wish but this flaw has been exploited by Cameron and co via the help of his buddies in the media- by giving the impression that "everyone" knows and its a given fact that the last goverment created the financial mess, deficit and they created biggest debt and deficit in the whole wide universe. This a not a knew strategy by the Tories. No, it was last exploited by Thatcher and her friends in the media by constantly telling us the people want or believe a certain thing and the people expect and want us to do this that another etc etc. Its not a technique they invented either- they stole the idea from a gang of unsavery characters in the 1930's- there are no prises for guessing who.
People in the media like to sanatise it by calling it spin but does it really matter how they label it when the technique and its intended results are the same- to conform to a opinion in order to sell their policies.
If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. George S. Patton.
Grabbed this off Scoop
Its human nature and its psychological proven fact: we humans are a social animal and we seek other peoples approval by showing them we are just like them.
Hence, it follow if everyone is saying the same thing we naturally have a tendency to agree with everyone else. Following the crowd is the easiest and safest option- we have less chance of look foolish or the odd one out having a different opinion from everyone else. After all, they can't all be wrong. Yes its safe to say we have the need to be liked and like everyone else and not be in the minority. In general we are conformists. Even the non-conformists are conform to other none-conformists. Ask your self who do you follow on Facebook or Twitter? The answer will be in general you follow other people like yourself who have similar interest and opinions.
Call it a human flaw if you wish but this flaw has been exploited by Cameron and co via the help of his buddies in the media- by giving the impression that "everyone" knows and its a given fact that the last goverment created the financial mess, deficit and they created biggest debt and deficit in the whole wide universe. This a not a knew strategy by the Tories. No, it was last exploited by Thatcher and her friends in the media by constantly telling us the people want or believe a certain thing and the people expect and want us to do this that another etc etc. Its not a technique they invented either- they stole the idea from a gang of unsavery characters in the 1930's- there are no prises for guessing who.
People in the media like to sanatise it by calling it spin but does it really matter how they label it when the technique and its intended results are the same- to conform to a opinion in order to sell their policies.
If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. George S. Patton.
Grabbed this off Scoop
THIS is a #recovery?!
---
This post was grabbed from The Joplin Globe
Check out the highlighted portions, bold, and see if it sounds like a recovery to you?!
---
April 9, 2012
Crowder College tuition to increase next fall
By Josh Letner
news@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Crowder College Board of Trustees is in hopes of less pain than initially anticipated via state budget cuts, but has approved a 5.5 percent, in-district tuition increase that will take effect next fall.
Crowder President Alan Marble said the recent tuition action was a response to several years of shrinking state subsidies.
“It’s a long-term situation,” he said. “We received about $4.9 million in 2001 and had half as many students. Now we’re receiving $4.2 million and we’re looking at an eight percent cut. Our percentage of state funding is at a historical low. Fifteen years ago it wasn’t unusual for us to receive about 45 percent of our funding from the state, but this year we’ll be well below 20 percent.”
The increase approved calls for a 5.5 percent boost of $4 per credit hour for the current in-district tuition of $73 to $77, a 5 percent boost of $5 per credit hour for out of-district students from $100 to $105, and a 4.7 percent hike of $6 per credit hour for out-of-state students from $128 per hour to $134.
Rep. Mike Kelley, of Lamar, a member of the House Committee for Education Appropriations, said representatives chose to eliminate Gov. Jay Nixon’s proposed cuts in the House’s draft budget that is currently under consideration in the Senate.
“We are currently funding our colleges and universities at levels lower than what we were a decade ago, so it’s not going in the right direction,” Kelley said. “As you continue to increase the cost of higher education, it makes it harder to have an educated work force.”
Representative Tom Flanigan, of Carthage, said the reduced funding for colleges and universities is a result of a struggling economy. He said that by stabilizing funding levels, the House is trying to encourage residents to invest in higher education.
“I think it’s a trend in the economy more than anything else,” he said. “When the economy starts to pick back up things are bound to improve, but until then, if we can maintain the present level I think that creates certainty and people will be more likely to continue their education.”
Like state officials, Marble said Crowder’s administration has tried to do everything possible to address shrinking revenue.
“We have been very frugal in how we have operated,” he said. “We don’t pay the highest salaries around. We have tried to combine and not duplicate things wherever possible, and we have opened up several locations to help increase enrollment and tuition revenue.”
While government and institutions try to tighten their belts, the financial burden of higher education is increasingly coming to rest on the shoulders of students like 30-year-old Joe Wiliams, a non-traditional student from Neosho. Williams said higher tuition will only make his life more difficult.
“Times are tight,” he said. “Obviously, the higher the tuition gets, it’s going to make it harder, not only for adult students, but for traditional students as well who might not get (financial aid). It makes it harder for them or their parents to pay tuition.”
Marble said he can empathize with students who may be operating on tight budgets.
“I’ve been a student before,” Marble said, “and you’re never happy about a tuition increase, but letting the institution go down the tubes is not a good option either, so I think the students are very understanding and realize that we raise tuition as a last resort.” <-- I add BS
For his part, Williams is taking a pragmatic view of the increase.
“Nobody’s happy about increasing what we have to pay, but Crowder’s still the lowest tuition in this area by far.”
Budget background
In January, Gov. Jay Nixon proposed a 12 percent cut in higher education funding for fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1. Nixon proposed cutting $89 million from four-year institutions and $16.9 million from two-year institutions. In February, Nixon scaled back the proposed cuts to 8 percent, or $66 million before sending his proposed budget to the House.
---
It certainly SEEMS that the EASY way for everyone to increase revenue is through inflation!
Dumb asses continue to price themselves right out of business as they BLOW MORE BUBBLES!
Greg
This post was grabbed from The Joplin Globe
Check out the highlighted portions, bold, and see if it sounds like a recovery to you?!
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April 9, 2012
Crowder College tuition to increase next fall
By Josh Letner
news@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Crowder College Board of Trustees is in hopes of less pain than initially anticipated via state budget cuts, but has approved a 5.5 percent, in-district tuition increase that will take effect next fall.
Crowder President Alan Marble said the recent tuition action was a response to several years of shrinking state subsidies.
“It’s a long-term situation,” he said. “We received about $4.9 million in 2001 and had half as many students. Now we’re receiving $4.2 million and we’re looking at an eight percent cut. Our percentage of state funding is at a historical low. Fifteen years ago it wasn’t unusual for us to receive about 45 percent of our funding from the state, but this year we’ll be well below 20 percent.”
The increase approved calls for a 5.5 percent boost of $4 per credit hour for the current in-district tuition of $73 to $77, a 5 percent boost of $5 per credit hour for out of-district students from $100 to $105, and a 4.7 percent hike of $6 per credit hour for out-of-state students from $128 per hour to $134.
Rep. Mike Kelley, of Lamar, a member of the House Committee for Education Appropriations, said representatives chose to eliminate Gov. Jay Nixon’s proposed cuts in the House’s draft budget that is currently under consideration in the Senate.
“We are currently funding our colleges and universities at levels lower than what we were a decade ago, so it’s not going in the right direction,” Kelley said. “As you continue to increase the cost of higher education, it makes it harder to have an educated work force.”
Representative Tom Flanigan, of Carthage, said the reduced funding for colleges and universities is a result of a struggling economy. He said that by stabilizing funding levels, the House is trying to encourage residents to invest in higher education.
“I think it’s a trend in the economy more than anything else,” he said. “When the economy starts to pick back up things are bound to improve, but until then, if we can maintain the present level I think that creates certainty and people will be more likely to continue their education.”
Like state officials, Marble said Crowder’s administration has tried to do everything possible to address shrinking revenue.
“We have been very frugal in how we have operated,” he said. “We don’t pay the highest salaries around. We have tried to combine and not duplicate things wherever possible, and we have opened up several locations to help increase enrollment and tuition revenue.”
While government and institutions try to tighten their belts, the financial burden of higher education is increasingly coming to rest on the shoulders of students like 30-year-old Joe Wiliams, a non-traditional student from Neosho. Williams said higher tuition will only make his life more difficult.
“Times are tight,” he said. “Obviously, the higher the tuition gets, it’s going to make it harder, not only for adult students, but for traditional students as well who might not get (financial aid). It makes it harder for them or their parents to pay tuition.”
Marble said he can empathize with students who may be operating on tight budgets.
“I’ve been a student before,” Marble said, “and you’re never happy about a tuition increase, but letting the institution go down the tubes is not a good option either, so I think the students are very understanding and realize that we raise tuition as a last resort.” <-- I add BS
For his part, Williams is taking a pragmatic view of the increase.
“Nobody’s happy about increasing what we have to pay, but Crowder’s still the lowest tuition in this area by far.”
Budget background
In January, Gov. Jay Nixon proposed a 12 percent cut in higher education funding for fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1. Nixon proposed cutting $89 million from four-year institutions and $16.9 million from two-year institutions. In February, Nixon scaled back the proposed cuts to 8 percent, or $66 million before sending his proposed budget to the House.
---
It certainly SEEMS that the EASY way for everyone to increase revenue is through inflation!
Dumb asses continue to price themselves right out of business as they BLOW MORE BUBBLES!
Greg
Face it.. we're kaput - Isaiah 24:17 Terror, & the pit, & the trap, R upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth
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ka·put [kah-poot, -poot, kuh-]
1. ruined; done for; demolished.
2. unable to operate or continue: The government and financial system are suddenly kaput.
---
Isaiah Chapter 24 יְשַׁעְיָהוּ
א הִנֵּה יְהוָה בּוֹקֵק הָאָרֶץ, וּבוֹלְקָהּ; וְעִוָּה פָנֶיהָ, וְהֵפִיץ יֹשְׁבֶיהָ. 1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
ב וְהָיָה כָעָם, כַּכֹּהֵן, כַּעֶבֶד כַּאדֹנָיו, כַּשִּׁפְחָה כַּגְּבִרְתָּהּ; כַּקּוֹנֶה, כַּמּוֹכֵר, כַּמַּלְוֶה כַּלֹּוֶה, כַּנֹּשֶׁה כַּאֲשֶׁר נֹשֶׁא בוֹ. 2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
ג הִבּוֹק תִּבּוֹק הָאָרֶץ, וְהִבּוֹז תִּבֹּז: כִּי יְהוָה, דִּבֶּר אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה. 3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and clean despoiled; for the LORD hath spoken this word.
ד אָבְלָה נָבְלָה הָאָרֶץ, אֻמְלְלָה נָבְלָה תֵּבֵל; אֻמְלָלוּ, מְרוֹם עַם-הָאָרֶץ. 4 The earth fainteth and fadeth away, the world faileth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do fail.
ה וְהָאָרֶץ חָנְפָה, תַּחַת יֹשְׁבֶיהָ: כִּי-עָבְרוּ תוֹרֹת חָלְפוּ חֹק, הֵפֵרוּ בְּרִית עוֹלָם. 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statute, broken the everlasting covenant.
ו עַל-כֵּן, אָלָה אָכְלָה אֶרֶץ, וַיֶּאְשְׁמוּ, יֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ; עַל-כֵּן, חָרוּ יֹשְׁבֵי אֶרֶץ, וְנִשְׁאַר אֱנוֹשׁ, מִזְעָר. 6 Therefore hath a curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth waste away, and men are left few.
ז אָבַל תִּירוֹשׁ, אֻמְלְלָה-גָפֶן; נֶאֶנְחוּ, כָּל-שִׂמְחֵי-לֵב. 7 The new wine faileth, the vine fadeth; all the merry-hearted do sigh.
ח שָׁבַת מְשׂוֹשׂ תֻּפִּים, חָדַל שְׁאוֹן עַלִּיזִים; שָׁבַת, מְשׂוֹשׂ כִּנּוֹר. 8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
ט בַּשִּׁיר, לֹא יִשְׁתּוּ-יָיִן; יֵמַר שֵׁכָר, לְשֹׁתָיו. 9 They drink not wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.
י נִשְׁבְּרָה, קִרְיַת-תֹּהוּ; סֻגַּר כָּל-בַּיִת, מִבּוֹא. 10 Broken down is the city of wasteness; every house is shut up, that none may come in.
יא צְוָחָה עַל-הַיַּיִן, בַּחוּצוֹת; עָרְבָה, כָּל-שִׂמְחָה, גָּלָה, מְשׂוֹשׂ הָאָרֶץ. 11 There is a crying in the streets amidst the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
יב נִשְׁאַר בָּעִיר, שַׁמָּה; וּשְׁאִיָּה, יֻכַּת-שָׁעַר. 12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten unto ruin.
יג כִּי כֹה יִהְיֶה בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ, בְּתוֹךְ הָעַמִּים, כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת, כְּעוֹלֵלֹת אִם-כָּלָה בָצִיר. 13 For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples, as at the beating of an olive-tree, as at the gleanings when the vintage is done.
יד הֵמָּה יִשְׂאוּ קוֹלָם, יָרֹנּוּ; בִּגְאוֹן יְהוָה, צָהֲלוּ מִיָּם. 14 Those yonder lift up their voice, they sing for joy; for the majesty of the LORD they shout from the sea:
טו עַל-כֵּן בָּאֻרִים, כַּבְּדוּ יְהוָה; בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם, שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. {ס} 15 'Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the regions of light, even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.' {S}
טז מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ זְמִרֹת שָׁמַעְנוּ, צְבִי לַצַּדִּיק, וָאֹמַר רָזִי-לִי רָזִי-לִי, אוֹי לִי; בֹּגְדִים בָּגָדוּ, וּבֶגֶד בּוֹגְדִים בָּגָדוּ. 16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: 'Glory to the righteous.' But I say: I waste away, I waste away, woe is me! The treacherous deal treacherously; yea, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
יז פַּחַד וָפַחַת, וָפָח; עָלֶיךָ, יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ. 17 Terror, and the pit, and the trap, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
יח וְהָיָה הַנָּס מִקּוֹל הַפַּחַד, יִפֹּל אֶל-הַפַּחַת, וְהָעוֹלֶה מִתּוֹךְ הַפַּחַת, יִלָּכֵד בַּפָּח: כִּי-אֲרֻבּוֹת מִמָּרוֹם נִפְתָּחוּ, וַיִּרְעֲשׁוּ מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ. 18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the terror shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the trap; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake;
יט רֹעָה הִתְרֹעֲעָה, הָאָרֶץ; פּוֹר הִתְפּוֹרְרָה אֶרֶץ, מוֹט הִתְמוֹטְטָה אָרֶץ. 19 The earth is broken, broken down, the earth is crumbled in pieces, the earth trembleth and tottereth;
כ נוֹעַ תָּנוּעַ אֶרֶץ כַּשִּׁכּוֹר, וְהִתְנוֹדְדָה כַּמְּלוּנָה; וְכָבַד עָלֶיהָ פִּשְׁעָהּ, וְנָפְלָה וְלֹא-תֹסִיף קוּם. {ס} 20 The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, and swayeth to and fro as a lodge; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. {S}
כא וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, יִפְקֹד יְהוָה עַל-צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם; וְעַל-מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה, עַל-הָאֲדָמָה. 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
כב וְאֻסְּפוּ אֲסֵפָה אַסִּיר עַל-בּוֹר, וְסֻגְּרוּ עַל-מַסְגֵּר; וּמֵרֹב יָמִים, יִפָּקֵדוּ. 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be punished.
כג וְחָפְרָה הַלְּבָנָה, וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה: כִּי-מָלַךְ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם, וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו, כָּבוֹד. {פ} 23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders shall be Glory. {P}
ka·put [kah-poot, -poot, kuh-]
1. ruined; done for; demolished.
2. unable to operate or continue: The government and financial system are suddenly kaput.
---
Isaiah Chapter 24 יְשַׁעְיָהוּ
א הִנֵּה יְהוָה בּוֹקֵק הָאָרֶץ, וּבוֹלְקָהּ; וְעִוָּה פָנֶיהָ, וְהֵפִיץ יֹשְׁבֶיהָ. 1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
ב וְהָיָה כָעָם, כַּכֹּהֵן, כַּעֶבֶד כַּאדֹנָיו, כַּשִּׁפְחָה כַּגְּבִרְתָּהּ; כַּקּוֹנֶה, כַּמּוֹכֵר, כַּמַּלְוֶה כַּלֹּוֶה, כַּנֹּשֶׁה כַּאֲשֶׁר נֹשֶׁא בוֹ. 2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
ג הִבּוֹק תִּבּוֹק הָאָרֶץ, וְהִבּוֹז תִּבֹּז: כִּי יְהוָה, דִּבֶּר אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה. 3 The earth shall be utterly emptied, and clean despoiled; for the LORD hath spoken this word.
ד אָבְלָה נָבְלָה הָאָרֶץ, אֻמְלְלָה נָבְלָה תֵּבֵל; אֻמְלָלוּ, מְרוֹם עַם-הָאָרֶץ. 4 The earth fainteth and fadeth away, the world faileth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do fail.
ה וְהָאָרֶץ חָנְפָה, תַּחַת יֹשְׁבֶיהָ: כִּי-עָבְרוּ תוֹרֹת חָלְפוּ חֹק, הֵפֵרוּ בְּרִית עוֹלָם. 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statute, broken the everlasting covenant.
ו עַל-כֵּן, אָלָה אָכְלָה אֶרֶץ, וַיֶּאְשְׁמוּ, יֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ; עַל-כֵּן, חָרוּ יֹשְׁבֵי אֶרֶץ, וְנִשְׁאַר אֱנוֹשׁ, מִזְעָר. 6 Therefore hath a curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth waste away, and men are left few.
ז אָבַל תִּירוֹשׁ, אֻמְלְלָה-גָפֶן; נֶאֶנְחוּ, כָּל-שִׂמְחֵי-לֵב. 7 The new wine faileth, the vine fadeth; all the merry-hearted do sigh.
ח שָׁבַת מְשׂוֹשׂ תֻּפִּים, חָדַל שְׁאוֹן עַלִּיזִים; שָׁבַת, מְשׂוֹשׂ כִּנּוֹר. 8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
ט בַּשִּׁיר, לֹא יִשְׁתּוּ-יָיִן; יֵמַר שֵׁכָר, לְשֹׁתָיו. 9 They drink not wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to them that drink it.
י נִשְׁבְּרָה, קִרְיַת-תֹּהוּ; סֻגַּר כָּל-בַּיִת, מִבּוֹא. 10 Broken down is the city of wasteness; every house is shut up, that none may come in.
יא צְוָחָה עַל-הַיַּיִן, בַּחוּצוֹת; עָרְבָה, כָּל-שִׂמְחָה, גָּלָה, מְשׂוֹשׂ הָאָרֶץ. 11 There is a crying in the streets amidst the wine; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
יב נִשְׁאַר בָּעִיר, שַׁמָּה; וּשְׁאִיָּה, יֻכַּת-שָׁעַר. 12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten unto ruin.
יג כִּי כֹה יִהְיֶה בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ, בְּתוֹךְ הָעַמִּים, כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת, כְּעוֹלֵלֹת אִם-כָּלָה בָצִיר. 13 For thus shall it be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples, as at the beating of an olive-tree, as at the gleanings when the vintage is done.
יד הֵמָּה יִשְׂאוּ קוֹלָם, יָרֹנּוּ; בִּגְאוֹן יְהוָה, צָהֲלוּ מִיָּם. 14 Those yonder lift up their voice, they sing for joy; for the majesty of the LORD they shout from the sea:
טו עַל-כֵּן בָּאֻרִים, כַּבְּדוּ יְהוָה; בְּאִיֵּי הַיָּם, שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. {ס} 15 'Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the regions of light, even the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the isles of the sea.' {S}
טז מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ זְמִרֹת שָׁמַעְנוּ, צְבִי לַצַּדִּיק, וָאֹמַר רָזִי-לִי רָזִי-לִי, אוֹי לִי; בֹּגְדִים בָּגָדוּ, וּבֶגֶד בּוֹגְדִים בָּגָדוּ. 16 From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: 'Glory to the righteous.' But I say: I waste away, I waste away, woe is me! The treacherous deal treacherously; yea, the treacherous deal very treacherously.
יז פַּחַד וָפַחַת, וָפָח; עָלֶיךָ, יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ. 17 Terror, and the pit, and the trap, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
יח וְהָיָה הַנָּס מִקּוֹל הַפַּחַד, יִפֹּל אֶל-הַפַּחַת, וְהָעוֹלֶה מִתּוֹךְ הַפַּחַת, יִלָּכֵד בַּפָּח: כִּי-אֲרֻבּוֹת מִמָּרוֹם נִפְתָּחוּ, וַיִּרְעֲשׁוּ מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ. 18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the terror shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the trap; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake;
יט רֹעָה הִתְרֹעֲעָה, הָאָרֶץ; פּוֹר הִתְפּוֹרְרָה אֶרֶץ, מוֹט הִתְמוֹטְטָה אָרֶץ. 19 The earth is broken, broken down, the earth is crumbled in pieces, the earth trembleth and tottereth;
כ נוֹעַ תָּנוּעַ אֶרֶץ כַּשִּׁכּוֹר, וְהִתְנוֹדְדָה כַּמְּלוּנָה; וְכָבַד עָלֶיהָ פִּשְׁעָהּ, וְנָפְלָה וְלֹא-תֹסִיף קוּם. {ס} 20 The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, and swayeth to and fro as a lodge; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again. {S}
כא וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, יִפְקֹד יְהוָה עַל-צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם; וְעַל-מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה, עַל-הָאֲדָמָה. 21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
כב וְאֻסְּפוּ אֲסֵפָה אַסִּיר עַל-בּוֹר, וְסֻגְּרוּ עַל-מַסְגֵּר; וּמֵרֹב יָמִים, יִפָּקֵדוּ. 22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the dungeon, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be punished.
כג וְחָפְרָה הַלְּבָנָה, וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה: כִּי-מָלַךְ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם, וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו, כָּבוֹד. {פ} 23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders shall be Glory. {P}
Alternative #news - Be #smart
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This is a great post, here's a link to the rest of it on market-ticker.org Be sure to check it out.
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This is a great post, here's a link to the rest of it on market-ticker.org Be sure to check it out.
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Monday, April 9, 2012
Isn't this being charged TWICE?! City of: Joplin
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Here is the source link for the story below
This "news" makes no sense to me.. Isn't it the job of the utility companies to bill their own customers?
Now the city of Joplin is taking over the billing duties at a cost of an estimated $165,000.00 per year. That's after the initial start up phase which is expected to cost $273,000.00 in the first year.
My beef is won't Joplin be using taxer payer money to pay for a billing system with which to charge tax payers?
WTF???
Isn't this just crony capitalism on display?
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April 8, 2012
Joplin to take over sewer, trash billing
By Debby Woodin
Globe Staff Writer
JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin residents will see a change later this year in how they are billed for sewer and trash service.
The city will issue its own bills for those services, taking over from Missouri American Water Co., said Leslie Jones, the city’s finance director.
“The water company will quit in December, but it will take us that long to get it all set up,” Jones said. “But they did give us longer than all the other cities because of the tornado. And we can do it early if we get it ready, but we have to have it done by Dec. 14.”
The water company, which handles bills for many cities in its service area, has made a business decision to phase out that part of the business as it changes software, said Matt Barnhart, operations manager for the water company’s Joplin branch.
“We’re changing all of our operating software, so we decided to look at different software companies. We elected to not add that option,” Barnhart said. “We felt it was better for us as a business to provide quality water and sewer services and to get out of the billing business.”
Barnhart said the company will work with the city to make the changeover seamless for local residents.
“We’ll work with the city and individuals 100 percent to make sure they have all the information they need to make the transition,” he said.
Jones looked at the costs of having another company bill for the city and the alternative of hiring an employee to do the billing in-house. Several companies she checked turned down the job or would only sell software to do the billing. Two companies estimated what they would charge to do the billing at $237,600 and $248,400, or $1.10 to $1.15 per bill. By Jones’ estimates, the city could do the billing at about 76 cents per bill after paying the initial start-up costs. If the final costs are different from the estimates, the billing cost could change, Jones said.
Jones estimated the cost for the city to do its own billing the first year at $273,000. About $100,000 of that would be the cost to purchase the software. There would be some other one-time costs, Jones said, and the annual cost after those start-up costs would be about $165,000. There will be about 18,000 bills a month to issue and collect, Jones said. The biggest cost would be postage to mail the bills at about $97,000.
The City Council has authorized Jones to proceed with arrangements to do the work in-house.
She said arrangements will tentatively be made for residents to pay the bills by mail, at City Hall or online, but those details will have to be worked out later.
The city will still assess sewer charges based on an average of the amount of water used by individual customers. The water company will supply that figure to the city for each customer annually.
If the sewer and trash bill is not paid, the water company will disconnect water service to that address for the city, Jones said.
A date for the conversion will be announced later.
New approach
The city started billing for sewer and trash service through the water company in 1998.
Here is the source link for the story below
This "news" makes no sense to me.. Isn't it the job of the utility companies to bill their own customers?
Now the city of Joplin is taking over the billing duties at a cost of an estimated $165,000.00 per year. That's after the initial start up phase which is expected to cost $273,000.00 in the first year.
My beef is won't Joplin be using taxer payer money to pay for a billing system with which to charge tax payers?
WTF???
Isn't this just crony capitalism on display?
---
April 8, 2012
Joplin to take over sewer, trash billing
By Debby Woodin
Globe Staff Writer
JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin residents will see a change later this year in how they are billed for sewer and trash service.
The city will issue its own bills for those services, taking over from Missouri American Water Co., said Leslie Jones, the city’s finance director.
“The water company will quit in December, but it will take us that long to get it all set up,” Jones said. “But they did give us longer than all the other cities because of the tornado. And we can do it early if we get it ready, but we have to have it done by Dec. 14.”
The water company, which handles bills for many cities in its service area, has made a business decision to phase out that part of the business as it changes software, said Matt Barnhart, operations manager for the water company’s Joplin branch.
“We’re changing all of our operating software, so we decided to look at different software companies. We elected to not add that option,” Barnhart said. “We felt it was better for us as a business to provide quality water and sewer services and to get out of the billing business.”
Barnhart said the company will work with the city to make the changeover seamless for local residents.
“We’ll work with the city and individuals 100 percent to make sure they have all the information they need to make the transition,” he said.
Jones looked at the costs of having another company bill for the city and the alternative of hiring an employee to do the billing in-house. Several companies she checked turned down the job or would only sell software to do the billing. Two companies estimated what they would charge to do the billing at $237,600 and $248,400, or $1.10 to $1.15 per bill. By Jones’ estimates, the city could do the billing at about 76 cents per bill after paying the initial start-up costs. If the final costs are different from the estimates, the billing cost could change, Jones said.
Jones estimated the cost for the city to do its own billing the first year at $273,000. About $100,000 of that would be the cost to purchase the software. There would be some other one-time costs, Jones said, and the annual cost after those start-up costs would be about $165,000. There will be about 18,000 bills a month to issue and collect, Jones said. The biggest cost would be postage to mail the bills at about $97,000.
The City Council has authorized Jones to proceed with arrangements to do the work in-house.
She said arrangements will tentatively be made for residents to pay the bills by mail, at City Hall or online, but those details will have to be worked out later.
The city will still assess sewer charges based on an average of the amount of water used by individual customers. The water company will supply that figure to the city for each customer annually.
If the sewer and trash bill is not paid, the water company will disconnect water service to that address for the city, Jones said.
A date for the conversion will be announced later.
New approach
The city started billing for sewer and trash service through the water company in 1998.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Current situation $AUDJPY m1
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Either way a break of this m1 triangle may give immediate direction..
Caution
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Click for larger image
Either way a break of this m1 triangle may give immediate direction..
Caution
---
Click for larger image
See what the bible says about #LIARS
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Brought to you by.. Bible Gateway
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Psalm 26:4
I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites.
Psalm 43:1
[ Psalm 43 ] Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.
Psalm 55:23
But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me.
Psalm 63:11
But the king will rejoice in God. All who trust in him will praise him, while liars will be silenced.
Psalm 101:7
I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.
Psalm 116:11
In my anxiety I cried out to you, “These people are all liars!”
Psalm 120:2
Rescue me, O LORD, from liars and from all deceitful people.
Psalm 140:11
Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.
Proverbs 6:12
What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars,
Proverbs 17:4
Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.
Proverbs 29:12
If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked.
Isaiah 44:25
I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.
Isaiah 57:4
Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars!
Jeremiah 9:2
Oh, that I could go away and forget my people and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert. For they are all adulterers— a pack of treacherous liars.
Jeremiah 27:10
They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.
Jeremiah 27:14
Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.
Hosea 7:1
[ Israel’s Love for Wickedness ] “I want to heal Israel, but its sins are too great. Samaria is filled with liars. Thieves are on the inside and bandits on the outside!
Zephaniah 3:4
Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.
Malachi 3:5
“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
1 Timothy 1:10
The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
1 Timothy 4:2
These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
Titus 1:12
Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”
Revelation 2:2
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
Revelation 3:9
Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
Revelation 21:8
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Brought to you by.. Bible Gateway
---
Psalm 26:4
I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites.
Psalm 43:1
[ Psalm 43 ] Declare me innocent, O God! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.
Psalm 55:23
But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me.
Psalm 63:11
But the king will rejoice in God. All who trust in him will praise him, while liars will be silenced.
Psalm 101:7
I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.
Psalm 116:11
In my anxiety I cried out to you, “These people are all liars!”
Psalm 120:2
Rescue me, O LORD, from liars and from all deceitful people.
Psalm 140:11
Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.
Proverbs 6:12
What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars,
Proverbs 17:4
Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.
Proverbs 29:12
If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked.
Isaiah 44:25
I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.
Isaiah 57:4
Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars!
Jeremiah 9:2
Oh, that I could go away and forget my people and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert. For they are all adulterers— a pack of treacherous liars.
Jeremiah 27:10
They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.
Jeremiah 27:14
Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.
Hosea 7:1
[ Israel’s Love for Wickedness ] “I want to heal Israel, but its sins are too great. Samaria is filled with liars. Thieves are on the inside and bandits on the outside!
Zephaniah 3:4
Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.
Malachi 3:5
“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
1 Timothy 1:10
The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
1 Timothy 4:2
These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
Titus 1:12
Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”
Revelation 2:2
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
Revelation 3:9
Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
Revelation 21:8
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
This mornings $EURJPY long #trades #FX
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Bought 9 times 5 wins, 3 losses & 1 B/E net +78.71 pips
Click for larger image
Bought 9 times 5 wins, 3 losses & 1 B/E net +78.71 pips
Click for larger image
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Here's where you are wrong Fisher.. @DallasFed
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Dallas Fed Fisher said..
"Our businesses are poised to take off," he said. "They're lean, they've got enormous productivity, they've cut their costs to the bone...We're in awfully good shape, and we're in much better shape, I would argue, than our counterparts overseas."
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Here's where you're wrong..
"They're lean, they've got enormous productivity, they've cut their costs to the bone...
All of the above is due to the same thing it's always due to.. When the economy crashed what did big business do?
They got "lean" - Meaning they fired workers
They increased productivity - Meaning they fired workers
They cut costs - Meaning they fired workers
You KNOW it's different this time!
After the 2000 crash the jobs did NOT come back. After the 2008 crash the jobs are NOT coming back. You are SHRINKING the economy! You seek to sweep the unemployed, the foreclosed, the homeless, under the rug. Throw them under the bus. And for what purpose?
As always, to save your solely credit expansion / bubble, debt based, ponzi scheme, nothing BUT F.I.R.E. economy!
We don't CARE anymore! We don't WANT it anymore! You can KEEP your consumerism!
Now what?
Flush it all away?
LMAO
Greg
Dallas Fed Fisher said..
"Our businesses are poised to take off," he said. "They're lean, they've got enormous productivity, they've cut their costs to the bone...We're in awfully good shape, and we're in much better shape, I would argue, than our counterparts overseas."
---
Here's where you're wrong..
"They're lean, they've got enormous productivity, they've cut their costs to the bone...
All of the above is due to the same thing it's always due to.. When the economy crashed what did big business do?
They got "lean" - Meaning they fired workers
They increased productivity - Meaning they fired workers
They cut costs - Meaning they fired workers
You KNOW it's different this time!
After the 2000 crash the jobs did NOT come back. After the 2008 crash the jobs are NOT coming back. You are SHRINKING the economy! You seek to sweep the unemployed, the foreclosed, the homeless, under the rug. Throw them under the bus. And for what purpose?
As always, to save your solely credit expansion / bubble, debt based, ponzi scheme, nothing BUT F.I.R.E. economy!
We don't CARE anymore! We don't WANT it anymore! You can KEEP your consumerism!
Now what?
Flush it all away?
LMAO
Greg
Lifting the Veil - Really good video
---
You may click here to view the video source if you prefer
(Grabbed this from the comment section..)
"A system of Elite rule, which is a little more soft-core than the type of Elite rule we would see under a military dictatorship for instance, but what we are under - a Polyarchy is that the basic socioeconomic system does not change, it does not become democratised, wealth is not redistributed downward. You don't see a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources.
So that is the key: Socioeconomic Dictatorship and Free Elections."
Every right thinking individual knows this statement to be true.
The real hope is that we will in the short term start to act on that.
Look at how the Ruling Class which pretends to support Democracy has turned its back on the ordinary people of Libya.
---
Source link
You may click here to view the video source if you prefer
(Grabbed this from the comment section..)
"A system of Elite rule, which is a little more soft-core than the type of Elite rule we would see under a military dictatorship for instance, but what we are under - a Polyarchy is that the basic socioeconomic system does not change, it does not become democratised, wealth is not redistributed downward. You don't see a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources.
So that is the key: Socioeconomic Dictatorship and Free Elections."
Every right thinking individual knows this statement to be true.
The real hope is that we will in the short term start to act on that.
Look at how the Ruling Class which pretends to support Democracy has turned its back on the ordinary people of Libya.
---
Lifting the Veil from S DN on Vimeo.
Source link
Monday, April 2, 2012
I've been working on the #music list for my funeral some lately..
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No, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon ;) But here's what I got so far ;)
You are more than welcome to come for the music only if you want.. I promise I won't give a fuck ;)
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Knock knock knocking on heavens door - Guns & Roses version
See you on the other side - Ozzy
TOOL-EULOGY(Lyrics)
Sarah Mclaughlin - In the arms of an angel (This was played at my grand mother's funeral, God bless her soul)
Free Bird
God bless all ;)
Greg
No, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon ;) But here's what I got so far ;)
You are more than welcome to come for the music only if you want.. I promise I won't give a fuck ;)
---
Knock knock knocking on heavens door - Guns & Roses version
See you on the other side - Ozzy
TOOL-EULOGY(Lyrics)
Sarah Mclaughlin - In the arms of an angel (This was played at my grand mother's funeral, God bless her soul)
Free Bird
God bless all ;)
Greg
Reality check
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Source link on financialarmageddon.com
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March 27, 2012
'Surreal'
It's a good thing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the man who saved our economy, is in charge. Otherwise I might be a bit concerned about these three (and many other) bailouts-in-the-making:
"FHA Bailout Risk Looming Larger After Guarantee Binge: Mortgages" (Bloomberg)
The Federal Housing Administration won’t be able to earn its way to financial health this year, increasing the chance it will need a taxpayer bailout, based on an updated forecast from Moody’s Analytics, which provides the agency’s housing-market analysis.
The U.S. government mortgage-insurer, which guarantees $1.1 trillion in home loans, had been counting on “robust growth” in home prices to help rebuild its insurance fund after paying out $37 billion to cover defaults the past three years, according to its annual report to Congress, filed in November.
It won’t get that growth until 2014, according to the latest outlook from Moody’s Analytics. Prices will fall 3 percent in fiscal 2012 before growing 1.4 percent in 2013 and 6.5 percent in 2014, said Celia Chen, a Moody’s Analytics housing economist who updated her estimate after providing the housing-market forecast for the FHA’s annual actuarial report.
“The FHA’s economic projections are surreal,” said Andrew Caplin, a New York University economics professor who has testified to Congress on the agency’s finances. “They must believe there will be very few readers in Congress able to critically review such a complex report.”
In their annual review, the FHA’s actuaries -- risk analysts who specialize in insurance -- used earlier projections that called for increases of 1.2 percent in 2012 and 3.8 percent in 2013. The agency, which backs mortgages that cover as much as 96.5 percent of a home’s value, is sensitive to changes in home prices. While the insurance fund’s 2012 outlook called for net growth of about $9 billion, that will drop if home prices decline, according to the FHA’s November report.
"The First Crack: $270 Billion In Student Loans Are At Least 30 Days Delinquent" (Zero Hedge)
Back in late 2006 and early 2007 a few (soon to be very rich) people were warning anyone who cared to listen, about what cracks in the subprime facade meant for the housing sector and the credit bubble in general. They were largely ignored as none other than the Fed chairman promised that all is fine (see here). A few months later New Century collapsed and the rest is history: tens of trillions later we are still picking up the pieces and housing continues to collapse. Yet one bubble which the Federal Government managed to blow in the meantime to staggering proportions in virtually no time, for no other reason than to give the impression of consumer releveraging, was the student debt bubble, which at last check just surpassed $1 trillion, and is growing at $40-50 billion each month. However, just like subprime, the first cracks have now appeared. In a report set to convince borrowers that Student Loan ABS are still safe - of course they are - they are backed by all taxpayers after all in the form of the Family Federal Education Program - Fitch discloses something rather troubling, namely that of the $1 trillion + in student debt outstanding, "as many as 27% of all student loan borrowers are more than 30 days past due." In other words at least $270 billion in student loans are no longer current (extrapolating the delinquency rate into the total loans outstanding). That this is happening with interest rates at record lows is quite stunning and a loud wake up call that it is not rates that determine affordability and sustainability: it is general economic conditions, deplorable as they may be, which have made the popping of the student loan bubble inevitable. It also means that if the rise in interest rate continues, then the student loan bubble will pop that much faster, and bring another $1 trillion in unintended consequences on the shoulders of the US taxpayer who once again will be left footing the bill.
"More Municipalities Betting on Pension Bonds to Cover Obligations" (Los Angeles Times)
Local governments are increasingly borrowing money to plug shortfalls in their employee pension funds by exploiting a loophole in federal law. Market experts say the risks and long-term costs are frequently ignored.
-- NEW YORK Struggling to pay employee pensions, local governments are increasingly borrowing money to cover their obligations — exploiting a loophole in federal law that allows them to issue taxable bonds without seeking voter approval.
Oakland took a bet on its pension fund that ended up costing the city an estimated $245 million — nearly a quarter of its annual budget. That hasn't stopped the city from looking to try its luck one more time.
The bets are being made using an exotic but increasingly popular financial instrument known as a pension obligation bond. Cities, counties and states use the bonds to take out high-interest loans from private investors to plug shortfalls in their employee pension funds.
If the pension funds make smart investments with the borrowed money, the returns can help pay the interest due to borrowers and sometimes even spin off some extra cash to pay pension costs. If they don't, the bonds can create additional costs for taxpayers, put the retirement funds of teachers and firefighters in jeopardy, and, in the worst case scenario, force municipalities into bankruptcy.
Municipal finance experts are sounding alarms about the practice, saying that local elected officials are taking unnecessary risk because they are afraid to anger voters by raising taxes. There is also the risk of instigating powerful public employee unions if pensions are cut.
"There are communities that just do not want to make the hard choices, even though it means the choices in the future will be worse," said Robert Doty, a municipal finance consultant in Sacramento. "They are just going to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole."
But Apple closed up on the day, so that's all that matters -- right?
Source link on financialarmageddon.com
Source link on financialarmageddon.com
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March 27, 2012
'Surreal'
It's a good thing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the man who saved our economy, is in charge. Otherwise I might be a bit concerned about these three (and many other) bailouts-in-the-making:
"FHA Bailout Risk Looming Larger After Guarantee Binge: Mortgages" (Bloomberg)
The Federal Housing Administration won’t be able to earn its way to financial health this year, increasing the chance it will need a taxpayer bailout, based on an updated forecast from Moody’s Analytics, which provides the agency’s housing-market analysis.
The U.S. government mortgage-insurer, which guarantees $1.1 trillion in home loans, had been counting on “robust growth” in home prices to help rebuild its insurance fund after paying out $37 billion to cover defaults the past three years, according to its annual report to Congress, filed in November.
It won’t get that growth until 2014, according to the latest outlook from Moody’s Analytics. Prices will fall 3 percent in fiscal 2012 before growing 1.4 percent in 2013 and 6.5 percent in 2014, said Celia Chen, a Moody’s Analytics housing economist who updated her estimate after providing the housing-market forecast for the FHA’s annual actuarial report.
“The FHA’s economic projections are surreal,” said Andrew Caplin, a New York University economics professor who has testified to Congress on the agency’s finances. “They must believe there will be very few readers in Congress able to critically review such a complex report.”
In their annual review, the FHA’s actuaries -- risk analysts who specialize in insurance -- used earlier projections that called for increases of 1.2 percent in 2012 and 3.8 percent in 2013. The agency, which backs mortgages that cover as much as 96.5 percent of a home’s value, is sensitive to changes in home prices. While the insurance fund’s 2012 outlook called for net growth of about $9 billion, that will drop if home prices decline, according to the FHA’s November report.
"The First Crack: $270 Billion In Student Loans Are At Least 30 Days Delinquent" (Zero Hedge)
Back in late 2006 and early 2007 a few (soon to be very rich) people were warning anyone who cared to listen, about what cracks in the subprime facade meant for the housing sector and the credit bubble in general. They were largely ignored as none other than the Fed chairman promised that all is fine (see here). A few months later New Century collapsed and the rest is history: tens of trillions later we are still picking up the pieces and housing continues to collapse. Yet one bubble which the Federal Government managed to blow in the meantime to staggering proportions in virtually no time, for no other reason than to give the impression of consumer releveraging, was the student debt bubble, which at last check just surpassed $1 trillion, and is growing at $40-50 billion each month. However, just like subprime, the first cracks have now appeared. In a report set to convince borrowers that Student Loan ABS are still safe - of course they are - they are backed by all taxpayers after all in the form of the Family Federal Education Program - Fitch discloses something rather troubling, namely that of the $1 trillion + in student debt outstanding, "as many as 27% of all student loan borrowers are more than 30 days past due." In other words at least $270 billion in student loans are no longer current (extrapolating the delinquency rate into the total loans outstanding). That this is happening with interest rates at record lows is quite stunning and a loud wake up call that it is not rates that determine affordability and sustainability: it is general economic conditions, deplorable as they may be, which have made the popping of the student loan bubble inevitable. It also means that if the rise in interest rate continues, then the student loan bubble will pop that much faster, and bring another $1 trillion in unintended consequences on the shoulders of the US taxpayer who once again will be left footing the bill.
"More Municipalities Betting on Pension Bonds to Cover Obligations" (Los Angeles Times)
Local governments are increasingly borrowing money to plug shortfalls in their employee pension funds by exploiting a loophole in federal law. Market experts say the risks and long-term costs are frequently ignored.
-- NEW YORK Struggling to pay employee pensions, local governments are increasingly borrowing money to cover their obligations — exploiting a loophole in federal law that allows them to issue taxable bonds without seeking voter approval.
Oakland took a bet on its pension fund that ended up costing the city an estimated $245 million — nearly a quarter of its annual budget. That hasn't stopped the city from looking to try its luck one more time.
The bets are being made using an exotic but increasingly popular financial instrument known as a pension obligation bond. Cities, counties and states use the bonds to take out high-interest loans from private investors to plug shortfalls in their employee pension funds.
If the pension funds make smart investments with the borrowed money, the returns can help pay the interest due to borrowers and sometimes even spin off some extra cash to pay pension costs. If they don't, the bonds can create additional costs for taxpayers, put the retirement funds of teachers and firefighters in jeopardy, and, in the worst case scenario, force municipalities into bankruptcy.
Municipal finance experts are sounding alarms about the practice, saying that local elected officials are taking unnecessary risk because they are afraid to anger voters by raising taxes. There is also the risk of instigating powerful public employee unions if pensions are cut.
"There are communities that just do not want to make the hard choices, even though it means the choices in the future will be worse," said Robert Doty, a municipal finance consultant in Sacramento. "They are just going to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole."
But Apple closed up on the day, so that's all that matters -- right?
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