It is a supreme and delicious irony that the U.S., which evidently directly and indirectly, has lectured "lesser" nations on operating their financial markets in a free and open manner should instantly intervene in the matter of L.T.C. What else is going on but simply a U.S. version of the Japanese "convoy" system? In the U.S., the catch phrase "systemic risk" is invoked to excuse this activity in the same way that the magical phrase "the national security" is used to justify some violent, extralegal action. Well what, pray tell, do the Japanese see when the suggestion is made to them that their banking system should be permitted to become unraveled and that their entire economy should suffer the consequences? They see a path other than the "Japanese way", they see "systemic risk".
As others on this board have observed, after some premonitory rumblings, an earthquake has occurred in the world's financial markets. There is a /second order/ effect to the L.T.C. and New York Fed. matter that we should all consider, however. Acute observers have had suspicions for years that U.S. markets were not operating quite as "freely" and openly as public officials might like us all to believe. Cynicism in that regard will now spread and many more people will begin to trust less. Governments elsewhere have already induced this distrust in their markets, of course, most nosily in Malaysia. Hong Kong, the free enterprise bastion of the East, has changed but at least has been open about the matter. That growing awareness that "something is going on" in U.S. markets and that the fat cats have the power to and will guard themselves will begin to have its own long term, profound effect on where and how people place their money.
"Bungie Jumping - All welcome"........
So.... off they went into town to find the nearest pet shop....
"Two Buggies please", they ordered, and again set off, to find the nearest cliff......
So.... Paddy puts one buggie on his left shoulder, the other on his right. He stares over the cliff, and says to Mick:
"I'm off", and jumps off the cliff...........SPLAT, dead......
Mick looks down in disbelief:
"To be sure, this Buggie Jumpin is f**ken dangerous".........
Och aye the noooooooooo
Last night the stars were especially brilliant - about 30 miles from nearest city. Saw the milky way -- a rare occurrence for me.
Fish jumping out of the water at sunrise to escape the bigger ones -- fresh water bass about 18 inches, carp about 4 feet in the cool clear water. Refreshing experience -- and about the only way I get get away from my work, which is usually 7 days a week. Was able to handle an emergency last night without coming in.
Beautiful but cloudy this morning -- mist over the lakes like the Adarondacks in upper New York State. Anyone been in Keene Valley, or Ausable Club? Worth a visit, especially in leaf season. Hope to get back there someday.
Expect to see rain here sometime tonight or early tommorrow from Hurricane Georges. Will be soggy for several days.
Parents of one of my lab associates refused to evacuate New Orleans with the rest of the crowd. They live just behind the 6 foot levy on Lake Ponchartrain. Now they have panicked, and want to leave. My associate suggested that they drive instead to a local hospital and park 2 or 3 stories up -- and wait in the waiting room for Georges to blow over. Hope the emergency power is not on the ground floor -- it often is. Could be interesting even at the hospital if the tidal surge floods out the emergency generators. Remember a hospital during Hurricane Hugo that had that problem. The other problem was that the reserve fuel tanks only had electrial pumps. When the emergency power went down due to flooding, they has two problems -- flooded generator basements, and no fuel. One unsung hero kept the hospital open by setting up some water pumps, and got them going my mechanically pumping some jury rigged fuel supplies. Took hours to get the water level down so that the regular system started up again.
Good thing the other 3 hurricanes may not reach the West Indies or continental US. Guess La Nina has hit us with a vengeance.
May be worth while to look back in history to years when La Nina especially bad to see the effect on the subsequent winters. Unusually cold and snowy? I don't know -- might also be unusually cold and dry.
What are some of the greatest problems facing the human race that we
must surmount to survive?
I. Financial -- destructive effects of fiat currency eating away at our
economic fabric. Result -- no resources for needed projects.
II. Social -- Our inability to resolve our differences peacefully - war or threat of war increasing. Our tendency to greed and selfishness.
III. Environmental -- Overpopulation, inefficient use of limited
resources.
IV. Isolation -- We live only on one small blue planet. Unwise given
human nature.
These topics are too broad for a brief discussion, but it suffices to say that a major problem with us humans is that we let corrupt leaders guide us, rather than guide ourselves. Humans tend not to object to slowly creeping loss of freedoms, as long as the process is slow. We have the disturbing tendency to adapt to higher taxes, and hour-long commutes, and working two jobs day and night, with spouse having to work too. We must become more active in the political forces that shape our lives, and prevent the fiascos all over the world that our leaders are forcing upon us.
Many nations look to the United States for spiritual leadership, and guidance -- as we are one of the most longer lasting and successful democracies of the world. I am embarrassed to be an American given who inhabits our White House. Even more unfortunate when I know that he is a very talented individual -- probably one of the most well-read and facile presidents we have ever had. Too bad he has no integrity.
Most of our problems could be resolved if we insisted on electing responsible leaders with integrity, and made a 'Manhattan project' out of developing alternate energy and 'free energy'. Our future is in the stars, for more reasons than one. One being that we are running out of resources on this little planet, and we are at risk for ruining the world we have.
Our window to the stars would probably open in 10-20 years after we focused on studing the 'free energy' technology, as this seems to be the secret to the alien technology which drives the craft that occasionally visit this earth. Our governments refuse to release these secrets due to the desire to control. It will not be until these secrets are freely distributed over the net that the future of the human race will be assured.
Interesting, isn't it that if we can overcome our tendency toward greed, and generously release secrets over the net, we can reach the stars? I think there is a lesson there for us, if we can only learn it. The universe is ours -- to be shared with other intelligences, no doubt. But we cannot have it until we grow up a bit more. Hope I will be part of this, and I can see us overcome our problems before I die.
The intelligence and spirit of we humans should not be wasted, bottled up on this little planet. All we need to do is freely share information around the world, and wake up to the fact that our leaders can only do what we let them do. We can shape our future to be whatever we want it to be -- we always could. All we need to do is grow up -- and we need to do it very soon.
I suspect that a major factor in her behavior has to do with her desire to get continued medical coverage for her Parkinson's. The US government has very generous pensions for career workers. Someone like Janet Reno, and many others are undoubtedly trying to 'hang in there' long enough to get the retirement packages that they think they can get.
I would not let my illness get in the way if I had to compromise my integrity. Not worth it. If you have integrity, and you do not obey your own internal compass, you will destroy yourself, healthcare or no.
I would gladly pay my share for Janet Reno's medical care, if I could be assured that she would do the right thing, and stop getting in the way. I'm not so sure anymore that she has the integrity herself that merits my support. Still some questions about Waco. Did she contribute to that fiasco, or was it out of her control? Don't know, but I don't think history will take kindly to her actions to protect WJC, and block investigations of criminal activity.
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