Southern California US Collapsing Poverty

I wanted to share these videos with you to show you how Southern California looks now, not because I agree completely with what George4Title says on his videos. I do agree with some of his thoughts and opinions but not with everything. However, what I like about his videos is that he exposes the reality that the United States of America (current Empire falling) is going through.

George shows what main stream media deoesn´t: the extreme poverty and the decadence that reigns in many cities of Southern California and other states of the US. He shows you in his videos one very important thing that MSM refuses to do: the truth of a society financially and socially collapsing; a society that once upon a time (not long ago) was a super-power, now it has its citizens eating from garbage trash cans, living along the rivers, homeless with and without tents, people protesting (Occupy Wall Street) without real knowledge and creating chaos, violence.

NOTE: I do not support mass revolt and do not support mass boycotting. I like to have a simple life myself but that doesn´t mean that I have to convince people to do what I do. I live my life how I want to and everybody else can decide how to live their own. None of my business. I do give my opinion about MSM and agree that they suck, I give my opinion about many other things I don´t like, but I don´t tell people what to do. I pursue REAL freedom for me and everybody else around me.

Lance Armstrong VS Herbert Spencer

I gave up having heroes who are still breathing and alive, just gave up. They conduct their lives in such a way that, eventually, they disappoint me, and frankly I don´t want to be hurt anymore.
That is why I am giving up on Lance Armstrong. But don´t take me wrong, I still admire his courage as a cancer survivor and as the great cyclist that he was for 7 years in the Tour de France.
But let us not forget that many other professional cyclists were fantastic not only in the Tour de France but in all Grand Tours, and others, they shined in many international professional cycling races and the Grand Tours too. Lance Armstrong only focused on the Tour de France, and he did great, no doubt, and for that he still has my admiration but he is not my hero anymore.

TDK 11,000 Layoffs Worldwide - Bloomberg

TDK Corp. (6762), the world’s biggest maker of magnetic heads for disk drives, plans to cut about 12 percent of its workforce and sell its organic light-emitting diode display business, after profit plunged.
About 11,000 jobs may be eliminated as net income dropped 74 percent in the six months ended Sept. 30, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement today. The company will also sell some unused assets worldwide and reduce fixed costs, it said.

Derivatives MF Global Finance Files Bankruptcy | ZeroHedge

Game Over. And in the meantime, we get the following report from a media source: "CME’s acting like the MF Global thing just happened. They’re haphazardly locking traders out who clear with MF, blocking access to the floor of not just MF Global employees but people who clear through them. As a result, nobody wants to leave the floor and nobody who still has access wants to trade just to get locked out."


From: http://ping.fm/lwF1G

Currency War USD Yen Euro - Businessweek

Japan sells trillions of Yen to make it less strong, and as a result of this, the USD is going up and getting stronger than a weight-lifting guy on steroids.

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- The yen dropped as Japan stepped into foreign-exchange markets to weaken the currency for the third time this year after its gains to a postwar record threatened an export-led economic recovery.


“I’ve repeatedly said that we’ll take bold action against speculative moves in the market,” Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi said to reporters today in Tokyo after the government intervened unilaterally. “I’ll continue to intervene until I am satisfied.”

Great Britain Becomes Cycling Queen! - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

This is a great article about how British cycling has evolved and created fantastic cycling winners around the world road cycling championships. It is a story of triumph and power, an article about proving that when there is real love for a sport, it can be done!
Congratulations, Britons! 

Early in my career, I was involved in the following exchange in an interview:


Q: Cycling is still a minority sport in the UK, despite the good performance by British riders on road and track in the past few years. Does that bother you?


A: No, not really. You are not going to get British people doing it because it is just too hard. If you go to schools you just see loads of overweight kids walking around. British people are just eating bad food and turning into blobs. If you want them to go out and do a sport where they have got to flog themselves for 200 kilometres, they are not going to do it. So it is not going to get bigger. It is not going to become a big sport, unfortunately.

China Not A Eurozone Savior

BEIJING: Europe should not expect China to ride to the rescue as its "savior" from the debt crisis, though Beijing will do what it can to help a friend in need, the state-run news agency said in a commentary on Sunday.

The head of Europe's rescue fund sought to entice China on Saturday to invest in the facility by saying investors may be protected against a fifth of initial losses and that bonds could eventually be sold in yuan if Beijing desires.

Motorola Mobility Eliminates 800 Jobs - Bloomberg

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the mobile-phone maker that agreed to be bought by Google Inc. (GOOG), expects to incur $31 million in costs as it cuts 800 jobs, according to a regulatory filing.
The pretax costs include $27 million in severance and $4 million for closing facilities and will be recorded this quarter, Libertyville, Illinois-based Motorola Mobility said yesterday in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Rasmussen Waiting For November Verdict | Cyclingnews.com

Alex Rasmussen must continue to wait until November 17 to see what sanction he will face after receiving three warnings in an eighteen-month period for missing out of competition doping controls.

Adolf Merkel vs Angela Hitler Take your pick! - ZeroHedge

This is too good to not share it with you, guys.

One would think that considering that their debt, or rather about 60% of it, was haircut over the past 2 days, the Greeks would be grateful to Germany who not only orchestrated this transaction over the vocal protests of her French vertically challenged counterpart, but effectively has pledged a substantial portion of German GDP to preserve not only the Greek welfare state but soon that of all the other European countries. One would be wrong.


The Mail reports:
Greeks angry at the fate of the euro are comparing the German government with the Nazis who occupied the country in the Second World War.
Newspaper cartoons have presented modern-day German officials dressed in Nazi uniform, and a street poster depicts Chancellor Angela Merkel dressed as an officer in Hitler’s regime accompanied with the words: ‘Public nuisance.’


It gets worse:
Opposition parties blasted the landmark agreement, with conservatives warning it condemned the country to ‘nine more years of collapse and poverty’.
But it is the fury of ordinary Greeks which is raising eyebrows.
Greek government officials who agreed to the belt-tightening moves have been portrayed in cartoons giving the Nazi ‘Sieg Heil’ salute.

Whirlpool Closing Plant 1,000 Layoffs | MyFox Memphis | Fox 13 News

Whirlpool Corp. announced Thursday it will close its refrigerator plant, long the most important employer in Fort Smith, next year, putting 1,000 people out of work.

The company issued a statement blaming the closure on a decrease in demand for side-by-side refrigerators and price pressure from competitors.

Max Keiser Collapse Guaranteed!

I love Max Keiser´s passion for economics and geo-political issues around the globe. I have to say that, as a medical doctor I was never interested in economy, until the financial recession started to hit hard in my neck of the woods, 2006. Then, I started to ask myself questions and my inquiring mind wanted to find out the root of the economic problem; it just didn´t look like a "normal" cyclical financial recession to me. So I started to investigate and learn about economy, global history, wars, you name it, and of course, I found Max Keiser, for what I am extremely grateful.

Jeff Sachs Price of Civilization Bloomberg

Great interview, short and to the point on Bloomberg. Worth your time.

Looking Beyond Europe | ZeroHedge

As we come to terms with the new reality (or perhaps same old reality) that governments will do anything to maintain the status quo, Goldman Sachs took a step back this morning to consider what is worth focusing on in the medium-term.

A Budget of Dumb Asses 2011

This kind of medical doctor is the one that makes me embarrassed in case that some of my patients bring his name to my attention.
His foul language (even when this article is directed to physicians and not to patients) is low class and reflects a terrible lack of manners.


And, I do not agree with his medical opinion in many of his points in his article. He doesn´t give coherent nor scientific explanations in his ranting; he does not elaborate on the chemistry, physiology nor on the etiology of any of his points.

A Budget of Dumb Asses 2011
Mark Crislip, MD, Infectious Diseases, 12:20PM Oct 16, 2011


It is October and that means two things return: The Great Pumpkin and a Budget of Dumb Asses. Since I am traveling to Boston for SnooseFest 2011, er I mean IDSA, it is time for a pre-owned blog entry. No new entries until after Oct 24 or so.

ASX trading suspended 'indefinitely' | News.com.au

Australian stock market has being halted due to technical difficulties right now


All markets in inquire mode.

ALL trading on the Australian stock exchange has been halted indefinitely.
Technical difficulties at the Australian Securities Exchange has interrupted share trading this morning.
It is not clear when trading will resume

More to come...

From: http://ping.fm/uef9l

Novartis Cuts 2,000 U.S. Jobs, Add Staff in China - Businessweek

Novartis AG, Europe’s second-biggest pharmaceutical company, plans to eliminate 2,000 jobs in Switzerland and the U.S. and add employees in China and India to offset the effect of drug-price reductions.

UNI Museum may close after 119 years | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs

Officials at the University of Northern Iowa have proposed closing the school’s museum and dispersing the collection to various storage areas across campus, according to a none-to-pleased press release from the Iowa Museum Association.

“The loss of this museum’s educational programming and its collection would impact the entire state,” IMA director Cyndi Sweet said, detailing a few of the collection highlights: the restored Marshall Center Schoolhouse, more than 12,000 artifacts from rural schools and a statewide oral-history project, with contributions from generations of Iowans and UNI alumni.

What Have We Gotten For The Trillion Dollars We Have Spent On Wars In Afghanistan, Iraq And Libya?

Over a trillion U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent on wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Whether you are for the wars or against the wars, it is important for all of us to step back and evaluate what we have really gotten for all of that money. In Libya, we have actually helped al-Qaeda forces that were shooting at U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan take over the country.

US Cops Controlling Brutality Evidence

US police is trying to control the information that is in the Internet and wants to make Google and YouTube to remove videos that show evidence of police brutality.

Flat tax countries include Bulgaria, Mongolia, Iraq - The Tell - MarketWatch

Flat-tax systems such as the one being proposed by GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry have been adopted in 23 countries, according to Wikipedia.

The list is dominated by former Soviet bloc nations with a few notable outliers such as Iraq, Guernsey and Jersey.

Replacing $1 bill with coin could save $5.6 billion ? USATODAY.com

WASHINGTON – A proposal to phase out the $1 bill and replace it with a $1 coin could be gaining currency as the "supercommittee" looks to find ways to save the government money.

Lobbying interests on both sides are ramping up their efforts in the expectation that Congress could decide the issue after more than 25 years of debate. Mining interests, vending companies and mass transit agencies support the coin. Paper and ink producers and some small retailers oppose it.

XO Cuts 400 Jobs Layoffs

XO Communications plans to lay off as many as 400 employees, according to sources close to the company. XO spokesman Chad Couser said he had “no comment" when asked about possible job cuts.

The telecommunications provider scheduled a conference call last Friday to discus the topic, one person said.

Marisol Guadalupe Wins Gold PanAm Guadalajara 2011

Marisol Guadalupe Romero, Mexican runner from Mexico City wins gold in the 10,000 meters few minutes ago. But she didn´t run, she flew, she was so fast she past twice the slowest runner along the 400 meters track. 

My hat is off to Marisol, because she did not have any support from any government sport agency, she just put herself through personal training, qualified for the Pan American Games Guadalajara 2011 and won!

This is real proof that when we really want something, there is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING that can stop us from conquer it!

The Collector Movie Promotes Animal Abuse

The Collector Movie is a terrible film, probably, one of the worst ones I have ever seen. It is a total disgrace, promotes animal abuse and the horror is pathetic, poor, simplistic and boring. I am an animal lover and I am against any kind of animal abuse of any form, even though the filmmakers of this stupid movie do not use a real cat for the torture, the message implied is NAUSEATING and I hate the screenplay writers, the actors and everyone who participated in this low life movie. Oh man, in cases like this I wish I could have the power to put an Italian or Spanish curse on the people who made this movie. The reality is that the only thing I can do is not to watch anything these people make in the future. Assholes! I am not even put a link to this movie, since I don´t want to give them more publicity. So, if you want to watch a video about it, you can Google it, but if you love pets like I do, just take my word for it, I don´t want you to feel sad watching and hearing animal abuse.

Watch Merkozy Cracking Up Following Question If Italy Can Implement Reforms | ZeroHedge

Even our non-polyglot readers will have zero problems understanding the response (in French) by Merkozy, when asked during the press conference, whether Italy, which has the second largest debt load in Europe at $2.2 trillion and inches behind German, will succeed in implementing promised 'reforms.' The wholesale laughter 19 seconds in the the clip, by not only the entire audience, but by Merkel and Sarkozy pretty much explains what the "next steps" in Europe are as the continent has now given up any pretense it is even trying to keep a serious facade on the upcoming serial defaults... and why 10 Year BTPs will need much more than just the SMP, EFSF and the hand of god to stay above 90 in the coming week.

From: http://ping.fm/gpl55

California Prison 26000 People Layoffs - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Friday began issuing 26,000 layoff-warning notices as the prison system prepares to adjust to a new law that shifts lower-level offenders to county jails.

The Sacramento Bee first reported the layoff notices ( http://bit.ly/nMRkJH). It's still unclear how many employees will actually be laid off because some can opt to take positions at understaffed facilities, said spokesman Paul Verke.

The corrections department began issuing notices to employees with fewer than 10 years of service across a wide range of job classifications. Under state law and union contracts, the actual layoffs cannot begin for 120 days, which would be Feb. 29.

A second round of layoffs will begin next March, Verke said.

Employees in some jobs also can opt to transfer to understaffed prisons in Folsom, Susanville, Crescent City, Soledad and Vacaville.

The department also set up a website ( http://ping.fm/8KGMQ) where employees can see which positions are affected and where there are job openings.

From: http://ping.fm/sB1LB

CDC US Excessive Alcohol Drinking - Boston.com

The toll of excessive drinking works out to about $2 per drink, in terms of medical expenses and other costs to society, according to a new federal research.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study calculated societal costs from binge and heavy drinking beyond what consumers pay at the bar or liquor store. It’s the first such federal estimate in more than a dozen years.

The study looked at costs that included — among other things — lost work productivity, property damage from car crashes, expenditures for liver cirrhosis and other alcohol-associated medical problems, and money spent on incarceration of drunk drivers and criminals using alcohol.

The CDC estimated excessive drinking cost society nearly $224 billion in 2006, the most recent year for which all necessary statistics were available. That worked out to about $1.90 per drink, 80 cents of which was spent by federal, state or local governments, the researchers estimated. The rest came from drinkers, their families, private health insurers, employers, crime victims and others.

Most of that was related to binge drinking, in which four or five alcoholic beverages are consumed on one occasion.

“Binge drinking results in binge spending,’’ said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.

CDC officials noted that while some health benefits have been associated with, say, a glass of wine each day, there are no health benefits linked to excessive drinking. They also said the new study likely represents an underestimate of the total cost.

Smoking has been estimated to cost society about $193 billion annually. An older study estimated the cost of not exercising to be around $150 billion.

The study was released Monday by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

From: http://ping.fm/yZEOe

The Coming Derivatives Crisis That Could Destroy The Entire Global Financial System

Most people have no idea that Wall Street has become a gigantic financial casino. The big Wall Street banks are making tens of billions of dollars a year in the derivatives market, and nobody in the financial community wants the party to end. The word "derivatives" sounds complicated and technical, but understanding them is really not that hard. A derivative is essentially a fancy way of saying that a bet has been made. Originally, these bets were designed to hedge risk, but today the derivatives market has mushroomed into a mountain of speculation unlike anything the world has ever seen before. Estimates of the notional value of the worldwide derivatives market go from $600 trillion all the way up to $1.5 quadrillion. Keep in mind that the GDP of the entire world is only somewhere in the neighborhood of $65 trillion. The danger to the global financial system posed by derivatives is so great that Warren Buffet once called them "financial weapons of mass destruction". For now, the financial powers that be are trying to keep the casino rolling, but it is inevitable that at some point this entire mess is going to come crashing down. When it does, we are going to be facing a derivatives crisis that really could destroy the entire global financial system.

The Salvation Army Clubs Closing Friday - Louisville News Story - WLKY Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Salvation Army will officially shut down operations at four local Boys and Girls Clubs Friday.
The organization cites money as the main reason.
One of the clubs on the chopping block is in the 5000 block of East Indian Trail.

Saint Vincent Hospital Lays Off 117 | Worcester Business Journal

Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester laid off 60 employees effective last night, eliminating 117 positions in total, a hospital spokesman confirmed this morning.
The layoffs range from nursing personnel to personal care attendants, technologists and some management positions, said Vanguard Health Care spokesman Dennis Irish, who called the layoffs "unfortunate and regrettable."

Vitals - Organic eggs recalled after 6 reported illnesses

Minnesota health officials are investigating six cases of salmonella poisoning linked to organic eggs.
The Department of Agriculture said the contaminated eggs were traced to the Larry Schultz Organic Farm of Owatonna, where testing confirmed the presence of salmonella bacteria. The farm has issued a voluntary recall of the eggs and is cooperating with the Minnesota agriculture probe.

Lance Armstrong Racing XTERRA Triathlon

Lance Armstrong is getting ready to participate in the XTERRA off-road triathlon in Maui, Hawaii, coming up this Sunday October 23.
These are some of the comments he made to the press. Very interesting words coming from the Cycling King of the French Road of our times, the one and only, Lance Armstrong. Man, I just love this guy, as a cyclist and as a cancer survivor (as a business man he is a disaster!).

“I thought, ‘This is terrible, why would I want to go do this for when I am 40 years old?' I could be doing other things,” Armstrong said Wednesday. “I took a few days and thought about it and started training again and thought, ‘Maybe I should at least focus on this, do some specific work, do some intensity, try to at least adapt to what the race is like.”

“I think my form will be completely different than what it was in Utah,” Armstrong said. “But then again . . . Nobody peaked in Ogden, everybody is peaking here.”

“I will be happy going out there and giving it my best,” Armstrong said. “Maybe that is top five, maybe it is top 10. It could be better, I don't know. That is why we have the race so we can find out.”

“I'd be really happy if I won it, so I guess that means I'd be surprised,” he said. “Shocked is probably too big of a word, or too strong a word, but, yeah, I'd be very pleasantly surprised.”

“I'm just a retired guy who likes to ride his bike,” he said. “The vibe here is a little more laid-back, a little more relaxed, which is good for me. It is not like I'm jumping into full-distance Ironman in Kona for my first race where everybody wants to kill the guy next to them. ... Listen, if I didn't enjoy the training, the racing, being here, I wouldn't do it. Nobody's paying me to come here. Nobody is saying, ‘You have to go there.' This is something I choose to do.”

Source linking

The New Reality For U.S. Cities: No Money For Street Lights, Roving Packs Of Wild Dogs And Open-Air Drug Markets

If you want to know what the early stages of an economic collapse look like, just walk around some of the downtown areas of our major cities. Today, nearly all large U.S. cities are either flat broke or they are on the way to being flat broke. Yes, New York City and Washington D.C. (and a few others) are still doing fairly well, but for most U.S. cities economic reality is catching up with them very quickly. Right now, there are a number of major cities that are so broke that they cannot keep the street lights operating. Down in St. Louis, parents in some areas are carrying golf clubs with them as they walk their kids to school in order to fend off roving packs of wild dogs. In other major U.S. cities, open-air drug markets conduct business without fear. All over the United States, cities that used to be clean and prosperous and full of hope are now being transformed into post-industrial wastelands. We are certainly not in "Mad Max" territory yet, but it doesn't take too much imagination to see where all of this is headed.

Greek Riots Are Back Livestreamcams

The Parliament is putting new austerity measures on the Greek citizens, since the IMF (International Monetary Fund), Sarkozy and Merkel announced that they don´t have any more money to give to Greece. Violent Riots have erupted and more likely the Greek government will run out of money by the end of this month.

All sectors, from dentists, state hospital doctors and lawyers to shop owners, tax office workers, pharmacists, teachers and dock workers walked off the job ahead of a Parliamentary vote Thursday on new austerity measures which include new taxes and the suspension of tens of thousands of civil servants.

Greek Riots turn violent
Greek Live StrikeCam at Syntagma Square
Watch Live

EU Ending Food Aid Homelessness

The European Union will be ending the Food Aid program they have right now due to the severe financial struggle they are experiencing. Homelessness and hunger will definitely increase, and with those factors starvation, crime and disease will rise. Prepare accordingly; if you are smart enough to understand global economics and geo-social-political issues of the world, you better prepare.

The 9-9-9 Plan: Is The Herman Cain Tax Plan A Good Idea?

According to ABC News, an average family of four with a yearly income of just under $50,000 (i.e. the median household income), would pay approximately $2,725 more to the federal government in taxes under the 9-9-9 plan.

Well, that doesn't sound good.

That doesn't sound like a recipe for economic recovery.

Deutsche Bank To The Rescue

Don´t mess with the boys and girls at ZeroHedge!

From Deutsche Bank: "The PrimeX indices have experienced a sharp decline since the beginning of October despite an 11% rally of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the biggest two-week rally since 2009. The price drop can be viewed as a catch-up to the overall market selloffs following investors’ growing fear over the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, increasing likelihood of a global recession, and a weak US housing market.

Canadian Cycling Team Wins Gold PanAm 2011

Female Canadian cycling team wins gold in Cycling Track. It was an awesome performance by them against the Cuban cycling team, which got silver and Colombia got bronze. Something very important to mention is that the Colombian cycling team has a 42 year old female cyclist. My hat is off to her.


NOTE OF INTEREST: 
Canada's team members Laura Katherine Brown, Jasmin Glaesser and Stephanie Roorda. Canada's team set a new Pan American Games' record!

Gimnast Cynthia Valdez Wins Gold - ESPN Deportes

El día de hoy, la gran gimnasta Cynthia Valdez gana medalla de oro en los XVI Panamericanos Guadalajara 2011.

GUADALAJARA -- Después de haber ganado la medalla de plata en el All-Around Individual de la gimnasia rítmica, la tapatía Cynthia Valdez consiguió la mejor calificación en el Aro para hacerse de la medalla de oro en una prueba en la que puntuó 25.800 , esta tarde en el Complejo Nissan de Gimnasia.

Nancy Contreras and Gaxiola Win Bronze in Velodrome- Deportes

GUADALAJARA, México, Oct. 17, 2011.- Las mexicanas Nancy Contreras y Daniela Gaxiola obtuvieron la medalla de bronce en la velocidad por equipos, al derrotar a Estados Unidos en las pruebas de pista de los Juegos Panamericanos 2011.

La dupla nacional detuvo el reloj en 34.617 segundos, en tanto que el binomio estadounidense de Elizabeth Carton y Madelyne Godby hizo 34.993 segundos, mientras que Venezuela se quedó con el oro y Colombia con la plata.

From: http://ping.fm/vy9Kk

Philips Layoffs 4,500 Jobs Globally - Businessweek

Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Philips Electronics NV, the Dutch maker of lighting equipment, medical devices and consumer electronics, said it plans to cut 4,500 jobs globally, of which 1,400 will be in the Netherlands, as part of a plan to lower costs by 800 million euros.

Lowes Closing 20 Stores Layoff 1950 - TheStreet

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) announced today the company is closing 20 underperforming stores in 15 states. Ten locations closed at the end of business Sunday, October 16. The remaining 10 locations will close within approximately one month, following an inventory sell-through.

In addition, after completing a comprehensive review of its pipeline of proposed new stores, the company announced it has discontinued a number of planned new store projects. Lowe’s now expects to open 10 to 15 stores per year in North America from 2012 forward, compared to a prior assumption of approximately 30 stores per year. The company is on track to open approximately 25 stores in 2011, as planned.

Fascist Citi Bank Arrests Customers

This video does not need any introduction, it speaks for itself: Fascism right there, and the bank guards acting like the Gestapo. Unbelievable!

Occupy London Protest Clashes Fights

As in Rome, London protesters are mad at the banking system and their government. This Occupy rallies are going global. And as I said before: I am glad that people are finally waking up, I just wish that this awakening doesn´t become a global bloodshed!

Occupy Rome Protest Turns Violent

Protesting against the banking system is under way in the US and Europe, as I write. Some Occupy Groups  say their protesting is peaceful, but it seems to me that violence has started to erupt in Italy.
Personally, I am all for freedom of speech, but I am not for violence and destruction. But people are mad, all over the world, they are mad because they have been lied to by the powers that be, by the governments of the world, main stream media, and they do not see any brilliant future for themselves or their children.

But I wonder, shouldn´t we all have asked questions long time ago about the real truth of the global economic system, questions about how the ones that really govern the world manage the finances and social political issues of humanity? I did, I asked, investigated, did a lot of research and still do. My skepticism about what I had been told and taught grew within the years, but I always kept and still keep an open mind about everything. I do not follow any group of any kind, instead, I make my own decisions after reading different opinions, no matter how contradictory they are.

Anyways, I hope this violence does not spread all over the world; however, I am glad that people are finally waking up, I just wish that this awakening doesn´t become a global bloodshed.

IMF needs around $350 billion more capital: G20 source - Yahoo! News

PARIS (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund may need a capital injection of about $350 billion to give it more firepower to fight economic crises, an emerging market G20 source said on Friday.
The senior delegation source said that any recapitalization would not be part of a plan the euro zone aims to present later this month to stem its deepening debt crisis.
A second source at the G20 finance chiefs' talks in Paris cautioned that there was little chance of an agreement on any capital increase being agreed at their two-day meeting.

Ten vanishing American restaurant chains - Business - Retail - Food Inc. - msnbc.com

Due to the Modern Day Depression we live in, restaurants are no longer "recession proof"

These are America’s disappearing restaurant chains.

1. Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern
2. Ground Round Grill & Bar
3. Bakers Square
4. Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar
5. Don Pablo’s
6. Gloria Jean’s Coffees
7. Big Boy
8. Tony Roma’s
9. Country Kitchen
10. Black Angus Steakhouse

From: http://ping.fm/I3sOz

Initial jobless claims above 400,000 - Oct. 13, 2011

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The number of Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits dipped slightly but remained over 400,000, according to a government report.
There were 404,000 initial unemployment claims filed in the week ended Oct. 8, the Labor Department said Thursday, down 1,000 from the prior week's revised 405,000.
Economists had forecast initial claims to rise to 406,000, according to a consensus estimate compiled by Briefing.com.
"The pace of layoffs has nudged up a bit, but we are not seeing a new wave of job losses here," said Ian Shepherdson, Chief U.S. Economist for High Frequency Economics. "Hiring has probably deteriorated more than firings, though, so payrolls will remain soft, but this could have been much worse."

But the bigger picture is pretty bleak. New claims for unemployment benefits have stuck around or above 400,000 since early April, a level economists often say is too high to signal the unemployment rate will come down anytime soon.


The hardest hit states were California and North Carolina, which respectively saw an increase of more than 2,500 and 3,300 in initial claims in the week ended Oct. 1, the latest week available.

From: http://ping.fm/JpmCY

Diagnose Image Take A Challenge II

This medical challenge is for the medical doctors who come to my blog; the rest of you, enjoy and learn.

DIAGNOSE

1. Scleroderma
2. Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis
3. Syphilis derma -complications
4. Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy
5. Grave´s Disease
6. Eosinophilia Myalgia Syndrome

Fitch Downgrades UBS, Many Others, Puts Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Goldman, BNP, Deutsche Bank, SocGen And Others On Watch Negative | ZeroHedge

Since one can not get a downgrade of a bank during market hours for fears of springing who knows what circuit breakers, Fitch had to wait until just after the market close to release its latest market surprise which consisted of a "watch negative" announcement on the following banks Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman, Morgan Stanley; others it just slashed some by multiple notches, among which: Landesbank Berlin IDR downgraded to A+ from AA-; Lloyds Banking Group IDR downgraded to A from AA-; RBS IDR downgraded to A from AA-; and most importantly UBS IDR downgraded to A from A+. The reason for the action: "the ongoing Eurozone crisis continues to feed intense market speculation regarding the potential or bank recapitalisation schemes. Therefore for the near term the agency is maintaining a 'single A' range support rating floors for banks in its highest rated Eurozone countries." The Euro is not liking this announcement one bit.

The banks impacted by these rating actions are as follows:

Bank of America
Barclays Bank plc
BNP Paribas
Credit Suisse AG
Deutsche Bank AG
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Morgan Stanley
Societe Generale
Fitch expects to resolve the Rating Watch Negative within a short time frame and to take corresponding rating actions where warranted.

From: http://ping.fm/R4OmZ

Bank Layoffs Exceed 100,000 - World Business News - CNBC

Banks are shedding jobs worldwide as stricter regulations and a tough second quarter for trading income take their toll on investment banking units in particular.

JPMorgan [JPM 31.35 -1.85 (-5.57%) ] said on Thursday it would cut 1,000 jobs from its investment banking division over the next 18 months.

The layoff plan brings staff cuts announced this year or reported to be in the works at U.S. and European banks to just over 100,000 — some to be lost over the course of three- or four-year programs.

Many, including Royal Bank of Scotland [RBS 7.72 -0.51 (-6.2%) ], Lloyds Banking [LLOY-GB 34.26 -1.985 (-5.48%) ], Citigroup [C 27.61 -1.59 (-5.45%) ] and Bank of America [BAC 6.22 -0.36 (-5.47%) ], had already cut thousands of jobs after the financial crisis.


Banks Job Cuts 

HSBC (HSBA-GB) 30,000
BANK OF AMERICA (BAC) 30,000
LLOYDS BANKING (LLOY-GB) 15,000
UBS (UBS) 3,500
BARCLAYS (BARC-GB) 3,000
INTESA SANPAOLO 3,000
ABN AMRO 2,350
MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA 2,200
NORDEA 2,000
ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (RBS) 2,000
CREDIT SUISSE (CS) 2,000
BANK OF NY MELLON (BK) 1,500
RABOBANK 1,200
BANCO POPOLARE 1,120
GOLDMAN SACHS (GS) 1,000
JPMORGAN (JPM) 1,000
DEUTSCHE BANK (DB) 500

From: http://www.cnbc.com/id/44892356

8 Shot Dead in Seal Beach CA Hair Salon

8 people die in Seal Beach, CA hair salon two hours ago. It seems that things are getting pretty crazy everywhere, aren´t they? I wonder if Gerald Celente is going to be right again: "When people have nothing to lose...they lose it".

One suspect, described as a white man, heavy set, with a beard, was detained in a white pickup truck about a half-mile from the scene during a traffic stop. The man was ordered out of a vehicle, from which witnesses said police recovered several guns. The suspect may have been wearing body armor and other protective clothing, according to police. The suspect did not resist arrest, police said. A motive was not immediately known. 

Source: 8 Killed in Shooting at Seal Beach Hair Salon | NBC San Diego

Chapman Coffee House Closing | News - The Orange County Register

ORANGE – Chapman Coffee House will close on Oct. 28, but patrons say they're losing more than a good buzz.
A Bible-study group will have to find a new place to meet. Saturday Morning Shakespeare Readings will need a new stage. And Greg Goyins, a graying, 45-year-old film student at nearby Chapman University with obvious difficulties fitting in, will need a new place to belong.

Applebee's closing Powell restaurant - Business First

Applebee’s is in one less Central Ohio neighborhood.
Franchisee Thomas & King Inc. on Wednesday announced the closing of its 9762 Sawmill Parkway restaurant in Powell.
“We believe that the 11 other restaurants we operate in Columbus are sufficient to handle the demand in that market,” General Counsel Jonathan Weatherby said in a release.

Pennsylvania'city Files for Bankruptcy - Bloomberg

The city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, facing a state takeover of its finances, filed for bankruptcy protection following a vote by the City Council, according to a lawyer for the council.
Mark D. Schwartz, a Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania-based lawyer and former head of municipal bonds for Prudential Financial Inc.’s mid-Atlantic region, said he filed the documents by fax to a federal bankruptcy court last night. The filing couldn’t be confirmed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Harrisburg.

US Senate Approves China Yuan Bill, House Fate Unclear - CNBC

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a controversial bill to punish China over its currency in an effort to save American jobs, sending it to the House of Representatives where its fate is uncertain.

The legislation, which Beijing has warned could spark a trade war, would allow the U.S. government to slap countervailing duties on products from countries found to be subsidizing their exports by undervaluing their currencies.

ZeroHedge | On a long enough timeline the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

Once again, the latest fire and brimstone sermon by Marc Faber is absolutely spot on, starting and ending with his "policy" recommendation for what the US needs:


"I will tell you what the US needs. The US needs a Lee Kwan Yew who stands in front of the US and tells them, listen you lazy bugger, now you have to tighten your belts, you have to save more, work more for lower salaries and only through that will we get out of the current dilemma that essentially prevents the economy from growing." 

No money printing, no extensive protests, no excuses. Of course, this would have to accompany a global overhaul of the system, something Zero Hedge has been advocating since day one, as it is impossible to reform this broken system from within: "The problem i have with the investment universe is that i find it difficult to envision how the US and western Europe can return to healthy sustainable growth without a complete purge of the financial system and some type of catalyst. Something that restores some measure of social cohesion among people; it could be hyperinflation, a complete credit market collapse, widespread sovereign defaults, civil strife, major military confrontation.” Alas, in that he is also correct, and as we said back in early 2010, when the current episode of extend and pretend ends and the can kicking exercise finally fails, next up is war.

From: http://ping.fm/pPYKk

Giro D'Italia Stages Also Leaked? | Cyclingnews.com

Michele Bufalino says stages were also made publicly available on RCS Sport

After the earlier announcement today that ASO had inadvertently leaked the 2012 Tour de France details on the letour.fr website, the same may have also happened with the 2012 Giro details.

According to Michele Bufalino, the man responsible for the reporting on 'motorised push bikes' scandal, the route was made available on an English section of the main Giro website.

Millions could lose unemployment benefits in 2012 - Oct. 11, 2011

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Millions of unemployed Americans are waiting for Congress to do something other than trade barbs over their job creation plans.
If lawmakers don't act soon, the jobless see their unemployment checks start to disappear come January.
More than 6 million Americans are set to lose federal unemployment benefits in 2012, with 1.8 million running out in January alone, according to new figures from the National Employment Law Project.

Paris-Tours 2011 Greg Van Avermaet

Paris-Tours 2011 ends today with a fantastic win by Greg Van Avermaet. Greg is still a considered a junior but he is so strong and with a great form on the bike that he reminded me of the good times of Lance Armstrong.
This video is 10 minutes but if you really love cycling as much as I do, 10 minutes is not long enough. So, click and enjoy it. There is a small crash almost at the end and the final moments are just breathtaking!



PT 2011 por cyclingvids

The Depression: If Only Things Were That Good - CNBC

Oh geez, main stream media is just saying what alternative media has been saying for at least 5 years now. Duh!
This Modern Day Depression is going to be way worse than the Great Depression of the 1930´s.
Let us not forget that the 1930´s Great Depression was not the first one. Most people do not know this because most people do not like to investigate and ask questions -study, learn.

Underneath the misery of the Great Depression, the United States economy was quietly making enormous strides during the 1930s. Television and nylon stockings were invented. Refrigerators and washing machines turned into mass-market products. Railroads became faster and roads smoother and wider.

Corporations Plus Government Equals Fascism

OccupyWallStreet movement has gone nationwide in the United States of America. They say they are "mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore"

Routine Prostate Cancer Screening in US Not Necessary

But of course! Now that money is scarce (like in a DEPRESSION, hello!), essential medical diagnostic procedures will not be "necessary" anymore in the US.
Well, thank goodness I practice in Mexico and I educate my patients appropriately. My patients are the core of my medical practice and they are very important to me, so yes, I will still order prostate cancer screening to all my patients who need it, either because I think they do or because they ask for it. 

October 7, 2011 — Routine screening for prostate cancer using the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test will no longer be recommended in the United States, where it is currently used more than in any other country in the world. As a result, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men.


The recommendation against routine screening with the PSA test comes from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), and was to have been published October 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, but the entire draft paper was leaked and posted October 6 on the Cancer Letter Web site, in "an egregious breach of our embargo and media policies," according to the journal. The news has since been widely disseminated on the Internet; as a result, the journal published the paper early.

Feds Ban Over-the-Counter Asthma Inhalers Over Environmental Concerns | Fox News

Hundreds of thousands of asthma sufferers who use an over-the-counter inhaler will be compelled to seek a more costly prescription device by the end of the year, when the federal government plans to ban them over environmental concerns.
The Food and Drug Administration last week began a media push to get the word out about the looming phase-out. After Dec. 31, the epinephrine asthma inhaler known as Primatene Mist will no longer be available.
The product is currently the only FDA-approved over-the-counter inhaler and is being taken off the shelves because it uses something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant -- the substance is considered harmful to the ozone layer.

The State Worker: State business insurer laying off up to 1,800 employees

The quasi-public State Compensation Insurance Fund is planning to lay off between 1,500 and 1,800 employees in jobs that officials say have been crowded out by evolving technology and business practices as the insurer battles for market share and to hold down its expenses.

State Fund estimates it will save $150 million per year in employee costs. It's the first time the organization has announced layoffs since the Great Depression.

Moody's Downgrades UK Financial Firms - BBC News

The ratings agency said it now believed the government was less likely to support firms that got into trouble.

However, the firm emphasised that the downgrades did not "reflect a deterioration in the financial strength of the banking system".

Fitch Cuts Italy Spain Credit Ratings on European Debt Crisis - Bloomberg

Italy and Spain had their long-term issuer default ratings cut by Fitch Ratings, which cited factors including their vulnerability to the “Euro zone crisis.”
Italy had its foreign and local currency long-term issuer default ratings cut to ‘A+’ from ‘AA-,’ while Spain had the same set of ratings cut to ‘AA-’ from ‘AA+.’ The outlook for both is negative.

Esprit Shuttering All 93 North American Stores - CoStar Group

With its business in North America losing money despite continued efforts and investment, Hong Kong-based Esprit had decided to divest its business.

The planned divestment mainly involves closing down 93 directly managed retail stores in North America.

Esprit is also exiting retail operations in Spain, Denmark and Sweden.

In its most recent fiscal year, Esprit's North American operations lost $39.6 million before store closure costs.

Esprit's expansion in the future will be focused on the opportunities in Europe and China.


From: http://ping.fm/9zJET

Ruins of the American Empire 2011

These videos reflect the reality that many towns in United States of America are currently experiencing, but main stream media doesn´t want you to know, report on it nor talk about it. But isn´t the same story all around the world? It´s not only the American Empire collapsing, but the rest of the globe with it, little by little, painfully so, for some it´s worse than for others.

Friendly's files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closes 63 restaurants | masslive.com

The company cited the challenges of the current economic downturn, significantly increased costs in commodities such as cream, high rents and "current unrelated liabilities" in its decision to make the Chapter 11 filing.

The company closed 63 "underperforming" restaurants as part of the restructuring efforts, including 5 restaurants in Western Massachusetts: Federal Street in Greenfield; East Street in Chicopee; Wilbraham Road in Springfield; Main Street in Ware; and Westfield Street in West Springfield.

BBC to cut 2,000 jobs but no services to close - FT.com

The BBC is to cut more than 2,000 jobs from its workforce of about 18,000 as it struggles to meet the demands of a 20 per cent cut in its spending power over the next five years.
The publicly-funded broadcaster will not close any services, despite reports of threats to the future of the television channels BBC2 and BBC4 as well as some radio stations, according to two people who have seen the proposals.

Diagnose Image Take A Challenge I

This medical challenge is for the medical doctors who come to my blog; the rest of you, enjoy and learn.

Diagnose:

1. Zidovudine exposure
2. Hematoma
3. Clot
4. Alkaptonuria
5. Subungueal Melanoma
6. Addison´s Disease
7. Ungueal fungus

Chinese Filthy Fish Shrimp and Food in general - Food safety - msnbc.com

ALERT: Avoid at all cost to buy and eat any food product coming from China. If you love yourself and your family, do not consume filthy Chinese food. The conditions they are raising fish (chicken, red meat, pork meat, vegetables and fruit) are absolutely disgusting, and by consuming these unsanitary products you put yours and you family health in danger.

Filthy seafood infected with bacteria or tainted with drugs and antibiotics banned in the U.S. is finding its way onto the plates of Americans, according to state and federal officials, consumer advocates, academics and food safety experts.

US Meltdowns and the world goes with it!

George reports again about reality, not about false data that main stream media loves to feed us with.

Economic collapse is going on in California, yes, but it is not the only states going in shambles, nor the US the only country with an economy that is cracking, the countries of Europe and Asia are suffering immensely as well.

Would this problem hit Latin América? Of course, we live, very unfortunately, a destructive globalization financial system that is going to affect all countries of the world. Hopefully, the severity of the financial collapse won´t be so bad as it is going to be in other countries in the world.

Omega Pharma Mark Cavendish News | Cycling Weekly

They say: Mark Cavendish is HOT property!  And I agree whole heartily.

The new round of rumours link the Manx sprint sat to the Belgian Omega Pharma-Quick Step team. The rumours were fuelled by the announcement on Monday that Cavendish's HTC-Highroad bike sponsor Specialized has inked a deal with Omega Pharma for 2012 - and Specialized are said to be Cavendish's bike of choice.

Moody's Downgrades Italy From Aa2 To A2, Negative Outlook - Full Text Of Three Notch Downgrade | ZeroHedge

And here we go again. Ironically, this is nothing. Wait until S&P, which just telegraphed very loudly the next steps earlier, puts France on downgrade review...

Moody's downgrades Italy's government bond ratings to A2 with a negative outlook

Prime-1 ratings affirmed

Barnes & Noble at Gateway Mall closing - The Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona

The Prescott Gateway Mall is losing one of its original tenants.

Barnes & Noble on Monday afternoon confirmed plans to close the store after nearly 10 years at the shopping center.

Shari says goodbye to business - www.record-bee.com

LAKEPORT -- Shari's Secret Garden, a fixture on Main Street in downtown Lakeport for more than 17 years, will be closing its doors at the end of October.

Owner Shari James opened the store in 1993 along Third Street, across the street from Museum Park, before moving into her current location across the street at 240 N. Main St. the next year.

"People are sad that we're leaving," James said.

US Stocks Fall, S&P Enters Bear Market Territory - CNBC

Stocks fell at the open Tuesday, with the S&P trading in bear market territory since its highs in April, amid growing concerns that a possible default in Greece would lead to another European banking crisis.

Rivaroxaban versus Warfarin in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation - NEJM

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Rivaroxaban versus Warfarin in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
Manesh R. Patel, M.D., Kenneth W. Mahaffey, M.D., Jyotsna Garg, M.S., Guohua Pan, Ph.D., Daniel E. Singer, M.D., Werner Hacke, M.D., Ph.D., Günter Breithardt, M.D., Jonathan L. Halperin, M.D., Graeme J. Hankey, M.D., Jonathan P. Piccini, M.D., Richard C. Becker, M.D., Christopher C. Nessel, M.D., John F. Paolini, M.D., Ph.D., Scott D. Berkowitz, M.D., Keith A.A. Fox, M.B., Ch.B., Robert M. Califf, M.D., and the ROCKET AF Steering Committee for the ROCKET AF Investigators
N Engl J Med 2011; 365:883-891September 8, 2011
BACKGROUND
The use of warfarin reduces the rate of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation but requires frequent monitoring and dose adjustment. Rivaroxaban, an oral factor Xa inhibitor, may provide more consistent and predictable anticoagulation than warfarin.

Flood of food imported, just 2 percent inspected - Health - Food safety - msnbc.com

You need to be careful when you go to your grocery store and make sure that what you buy is made in the country where you live. I do no buy anything imported to Mexico from China, that´s for sure. All the food I buy is made locally. Be careful and check, and double check those MADE IN...tags on the food containers, bags, etc. 
Stay safe and healthy.

EAST LOS ANGELES, Calif. — At a sprawling warehouse here, two investigators from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration watched intently as 50 boxes of preserved bean curd from China were emptied into a grinding machine.

One of Heinz plants in S.J. closing | Recordnet.com

Get your ketchup ready, ladies and gentlemen!

By The Record
October 01, 2011 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - One of two remaining H.J. Heinz Co. plants in San Joaquin County will close Dec. 2.

Benefits Shut Off for 41,000 Michigan Welfare Recipients -- Society's Child -- Sott.net

Detroit has been hit hard by the economic depression going on since March 2009, the detritus around the empty buildings is creating some airborne disease. With the benefits shut off for 41 thousand Welfare recipients, I just can imagine how the environment with terrible unhealthy conditions that exist now, are only going to worsen there.
My thoughts: these Welfare cuts in Michigan are just the tip of the iceberg. Hope not, but I´m afraid I am right.
Good luck to all and my best wishes.

On Saturday, Oct. 1, 41,000 Michigan welfare recipients will lose cash benefits in the amount of approximately $515 each. Gov. Rick Snyder capped maximum welfare payments at 48 months. Several Michigan recipients filed a class action lawsuit to overturn the four-year cap.

McEwen charges to victory in Tournai - Yahoo! Eurosport

The Australian timed his sprint to the line perfectly, overtaking Team Sky's CJ Sutton and powering home ahead of Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli).

5 questions with Lance Armstrong | Deseret News