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The Blue Ridge Mountains are all beautiful, but if you drive that road through the mountains, you better have plenty of gas, food and drink, cause once you get in them you might not want to leave.
In wintertime, much of the road can be closed due to snow, or bad weather.
Enjoy the ride, sometimes you feel you are just driving a very long road with many turns, but again the scenery and overlooks are awesome.
Newly, I want to move down to The Blue Ridge but selling houses here is dead on arrival.
What 'part' did you like the most..? I'm aiming for Charlottesvelle.
TIA
Monday morning federal headlines - July 2
Monday - 7/2/2012, 8:17am ET
The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air.
• The federal government is open this morning, with a few exceptions. But employees are asked to telework if possible. You can also use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Non-emergency workers have to notify their supervisors if they want either of those options. Employees may also use annual leave, earned compensatory time office, or leave without pay. Emergency employees are expected to report on time. Hundreds of thousands of homes and commercial properties are still without power this morning after Friday night's storms. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Rockville is closed for the day. NASA Goddard Space Center is open under code blue. Most of the Army Garrison at Fort Belvoir will operate with only emergency-essential employees today. (Federal News Radio)
• The transportation bill sailed through both chambers of Congress on Friday. After months of contention and veto threats, both parties came together on the last day before their holiday recess. The bill became a catch-all for unrelated provisions, including a plan to allow partial retirements for some federal workers. A plan to keep student loan rates from doubling also passed. President Obama is expected to sign the bill this week. (Federal News Radio)
• TSA is in trouble with Congress. A House committee invited a senior Transportation Security Administration official to discuss its troubled Transportation Worker Identification Credential program. But Stephen Sadler, the TSA assistant administrator for Intelligence and Analysis, didn't come to the hearing. Members had to settle for two other witnesses, one from DHS policy and one from the Coast Guard. That didn't set well with the committee. Chairman John Mica of Florida called it appalling. He called a recess when the two subs couldn't answer questions about why TWIC is over-budget and years late. (Federal News Radio)
• A Senate panel is trying to make it easier for agencies to get rid of property they don't need. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed a bill requiring agencies to get rid of underused buildings within two years or risk not being able to get new property. The legislation would give weight to several things the Office of Management and Budget already does. It directs OMB to keep a scorecard of how well agencies are managing their property costs on Performance.gov. And it would make permanent a so-called property "SWAT" team at OMB. (Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee )
• The Justice Department has thumbed its nose at a House vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt. Deputy Attorney General James Cole sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, saying the department will take no steps to prosecute the contempt finding. He cites precedent going back to the Reagan administration. The contempt vote followed Holder's refusal to turn over certain documents related to a Justice Department gun tracing operation. But Boehner tells the Face-The-Nation Sunday talk show, the House will consider filing a civil suit to force disclosure of the documents. (Federal News Radio)
• A member of the National Guard or Reserve earns less when they're serving in a war zone than they do when they're at home training. An officer can make nearly twice as much doing drills on a Saturday or Sunday than being on active duty in Afghanistan. The Pentagon says the discrepancy makes sense. They say the higher pay for weekend training is an incentive for citizen-soldiers. But it's one of several issues detailed in a new report on the the complicated Guard and Reserve compensation system. (Federal News Radio)
• The soldier who shot his commander at Fort Bragg has died. The Army says doctors at a North Carolina hospital could not save Specialist Ricky Elder. They say Elder had been charged with stealing a toolkit worth $17,000 and was awaiting court martial. He was also facing charges of aggravated battery in his home town. Elder shot and killed his commander Lieutenant Colonel Roy Tisdalle Thursday during a safety briefing. Elder wounded another soldier before turning the gun on himself. The third soldier survived. . (Federal News Radio)
• A House panel is asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explain why one of its most sensitive labs continues to have security problems. In a letter to CDC leaders, the House Energy Committee says scientists at the emerging infectious disease laboratory work on anthrax bird flu and other diseases that could be used as biological weapons. The inquiry comes after USA Today obtained internal emails from engineers and safety personnel dating back to 2010. They reveal concerns about airflow systems not cleaning the air fire safety and unlocked doors. showing the labs remain unlocked. The CDC tells the newspaper that it has multiple layers of security that make it close to impossible for any unauthorized person to get lab materials. (USA Today)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The experts have certainly said it --
That default would ruin our credit.
But is the solution
In our Constitution?
What's more: Has our government read it?
By Joey Polansk
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News
July 2, 2012
Barclays chairman falls on his sword. Barclays (BCS) Chairman Marcus Agius has resigned in the wake of the Libor scandal, saying "the buck stops with me." The Bank of England could get sucked into the affair, as Barclays managers believed they were making false submissions under the instruction of Deputy Governor Paul Tucker. Meanwhile, the British government has ordered an independent review into the workings of interbank lending rate.
Germany's Linde to buy Lincare for $4.6B. Germany's Linde (LNAGF.PK), an industrial gas producer, has agreed to pay $4.6B to buy Lincare Holdings (LNCR), a provider of oxygen and respiratory services to in-home patients. The $41.50-a-share deal represents a 22% premium to Lincare's close on Friday. It may seem like a strange match but industrial gas suppliers have been pushing into the homecare market, which is growing 6%-9% annually.
Bristol-Myers, AstraZeneca to acquire Amylin in $7B deal. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) and AstraZeneca (AZN) have won the battle for Amylin (AMLN), agreeing to buy the diabetes drug maker for $31 a share - equivalent to a 10% premium to Friday's close. The total size of the deal is $7B and includes about $3.4B from AstraZeneca, which will expand its diabetes collaboration with Bristol-Myers. Amylin shares were +8.5% premarket.
Micron to buy Elpida for $750M plus $1.75B debt. Micron Technology (MU) has agreed to acquire Elpida Memory for about $750M. Under the deal, Micron will also pay the creditors of the bankrupt Japanese chipmaker $1.75B in annual installments until 2019. Micron shares were +1.6% premarket.
Dell seen confirming Quest offer. Dell (DELL) is set to announce as soon as this morning that it's buying Quest Software (QSFT), the WSJ reports. The final price for the deal isn't known yet, although Dell last week reportedly offered $2.3B, or $27.50 a share.
NY power utility shuts out workers. Consolidated Edison (ED) locked out 8,500 unionized workers after a collective bargaining agreement expired over the weekend and talks about a new contract broke down. The New York electricity utility, which has been drafting 5,000 managers to replace the workers, said the lockout won't prevent it from being able to provide enough power to cope with the increased demand brought by the city's heatwave.
Airbus plant could bring 3,000 jobs. Airbus (EADSY.PK) could reportedly create 400-500 permanent jobs at a $600M A320 assembly line it plans to open in Alabama 2017, and 2,500 construction positions to build the plant. That's not to mention any jobs in ancillary industries. An announcement could come today.
Storm downs Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services (AMZN) experienced a giant outage over the weekend, due to the storms that hit the East Coast. The breakdown affected Netflix (NFLX), Instagram, Pinterest, and many other clients. It was the second time AWS went down in June, and, together with a Thursday Salesforce.com (CRM) outage, drives home the reliability concerns some enterprises still have about cloud services.
Banks face wave of foreclosure regulation from states. California's legislature is due to vote today on new foreclosure requirements, with the state one of 25 considering fresh repossession rules. It's a trend the banks are strongly against, saying that the need to deal with different laws will increase costs for borrowers, introduce bottlenecks and hurt the fragile housing recovery.
Eurozone debt crisis continues to bite. Eurozone unemployment rose in May to hit another record of 11.1%, up from April's 11%. As usual, the figures were very ugly in the South, with Spain's rate 24.6% and Greece's 21.9%. Meanwhile, final Eurozone Manufacturing PMI came in at 45.1 in June, rounding off the weakest quarter in three years. Germany and France were among those to suffer contraction, and only Ireland and Austria enjoyed growth.
Chinese manufacturing also suffers. China's official PMI dropped to 50.2 in June - the slowest growth this year - from 50.4 in May vs. consensus of 49.9 and the HSBC reading of 48.2. The decline was driven by a fall in new export orders to the lowest since March 2009 as domestic and foreign demand wilted. More positively, sort of, Japan's Tankan survey of business sentiment improved to -1 in Q2 from -4 in Q1 and vs. an expected -3.
EU embargo on Iranian oil takes effect. EU oil sanctions on Iran came into full force yesterday as exemptions on some contracts and tanker insurance - which has been key in enforcing the embargo - expired. The IEA has forecast that the measures will remove around 1M bpd from oil markets. Brent oil surged 7.05% on Friday and WTI jumped 9.3%, although both were down premarket.
Today's Markets:
* In Asia, Japan flat. Hong Kong +2.2%. China flat. India -0.2%.
* In Europe, at midday, London +0.7%. Paris +1.4%. Frankfurt +1.1%.
* Futures at 7:00: Dow flat. S&P +0.2%. Nasdaq +0.1%. Crude -1.5% to $83.67. Gold -0.8% to $1591.60.
Today's economic calendar:
9:00 PMI Manufacturing Index
10:00 ISM Manufacturing Index
10:00 Construction Spending
1:15 PM Fed's Williams: 'Monetary Policy Since the Financial Crisis'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The experts have certainly said it --
That default would ruin our credit.
But is the solution
In our Constitution?
What's more: Has our government read it?
By Joey Polansk
Those old enough to remember know that NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was an alliance between Western Europe and the US against the threat of the Red Army overrunning Western Europe. The North Atlantic is a long, long ways from the Black and Caspian Seas. What is the purpose of Georgia being a NATO member except to give Washington a military base on the Russian underbelly?
The evidence is simply overwhelming that Washington--both parties--have Russia and China targeted. Whether the purpose is to destroy both countries or merely to render them unable to oppose Washington’s world hegemony is unclear at this time. Regardless of the purpose, nuclear war is the likely outcome.
Paul Roberts
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under Reagan
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2012/06/28/can-the-world-survive-washingtons-hubris/
What is exteme in this statement is my long standing position of most of Europe empty 2016 and remaining so still in 2025; and this due to fallout from a global war!
And add this from Roberts latest post!!!
-Moreover, the only financing the Washington criminals have is the printing press. In a subsequent column I will examine whether the US economy will complete its collapse before the war criminals in Washington can destroy the world.
West
Morning Lee, nice to see you posting.
Unemployment numbers on Friday, wondering how much this heat are effecting those numbers. Down here it is brutal, sure makes leaving the house difficult for many.
You keep posting, but it means nothing. The Afforadable Health Care Act is now the law of land, lets move on to the next issue, and trading stocks. !!
I watched your video, and you make something about 8 Billion in cuts, but it never mentions where the cuts will take place. The other thing is you are talking about 8 Billion, not very much money in today's grand Health debate. The latest figure is over 2 Trillion that Americans pay each year.
Trying to make people afraid of something is not the way of dealing with an issue, but this is Monday morning, and its time to get back to looking at charts and news that is relevant to today's trading.
ISM Mfg. Index and construcrion spending at 10:00.
<<< it may become necessary for us Americans to seek high qualiy healthcare abroad and/or off-shore. >>>
And where you can find high quality healthcare at an affordable price abroad will most likely be in one of those so called "socialistic" healthcare systems which you hate so much.
Ever wonder why our healthcare system ranks so low among modern industrialized countries, but at the same time costs more than anywhere else? It is because it's main purpose is not looking after the public's welfare. It has been designed to maximize profits for the healthcare industry (primarily the Pharmaceutical companies) while maintaining the illusion that it will provide good affordable healthcare for all. I live abroad now, and I use the healthcare system (what you might mistakenly call an "evil socialistic" one), and it is far more affordable and at least as good as what I've had in the US. At the same time, it is not as huge a drain on government finances as the healthcare system in the US is. There is also more emphasis on prevention, which saves health dollars. Prescription drugs cost much less.
I don't know if getting rid of Obamacare would be a step in the right direction or not, it all depends on what replaces it. What we had before was not working and pretty much everyone agrees changes must be made, but Obamacare is also flawed in many ways .... although perhaps it's a start in the right direction. I am not optimistic that we will get very far in the right direction though ... not as long as the Pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies etc. are the ones controlling what can and can't get through Congress.
It is just another example of what is bringing down our country ..... everything is done for the benefit of the special interests (who can buy off the Congress), with the welfare of the people taking on secondary (if that) importance. The government can't be everything for everybody, but it should at least be fair in how it goes about it. This problem with the system needs to be fixed first and foremost before tackling all the other big problems, or we wind up with a lot expensive programs which don't serve the people well (unless you think of Corporations as people, as the Supreme Court does).
Very long, over an hour, and interesting youtube about thorium nuke reactor. Low priority, for when you have time.
Another stark and brutally truthful posting. Keep up the thought provoking commentary!
ARNA Which Big Pharma Will Own The Next Weight Loss Blockbuster?
By Reza Ganjavi - June 30, 2012| Tickers: AMLN, ARNA, BMY, DNDN, LLY, JNJ, PFE
For Motley Fool
Reza is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=arna
Speculations are abundant around who and when Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA) will be bought out. Most investors that I've talked to believe a take over of Arena is inevitable, because
a) Arena has a block-buster-potential drug just approved by the FDA.
b) Big Pharma is in dire need of a lucrative acquisition to boost its pipeline. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, by 2015, top 10 Big Pharma stands to lose up to 40 percent of its revenue due to generics.
c) Arena sells pills which requires simple distribution, unlike therapies like Dendreon's (NASDAQ: DNDN).
d) Arena is grossly undervalued.
e) Arena owns all its intellectual property rights, globally.
Cash-rich, and pipeline-starved Big Pharma is looking for good deals and Arena seems to be a delicious target.
Business Week quoted Stephen Brozak, president of WBB Securities:
“In every single board room, you have instructions from the chairmen and chairwomen to the chief scientific officers to ‘Find me something like Arena with freedom to operate and without the licensing agreements’.
According to Sierra World Equity Review Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) "is already talking to Arena Pharmaceuticals".
The prospects for a bidding war is strong. Besides Pfizer, a number of other pharmaceuticals may join the race to take over Arena, including Arena's own Japanese partner, Eisai, Johnson and Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), and others.
BMS has just announced a deal to acquire diabetes drug maker Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMLN) in a $7 Billion deal that includes covering Amylin's net debt and a contractual payment obligation to Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). I anticipate a number of Big Pharmas will be talking with Arena in the coming months and I have every confidence that Arena's seasoned CEO Jack Leif will negotiate a great deal for the shareholders.
Eisai has a "standstill agreement" with Arena which prevents Eisai from purchasing Arena unless someone else tries to first. I don't think there will be a shortage of bidders for Arena. A couple of doctors I spoke to named Eisai and Pfizer as most likely candidates. Pfizer has a lot of experience in this market segment, and both companies could use a boost to their pipelines which are increasingly challenged by generics, specially, Eisai's. To quote a dear friend and Arena scholar James "Danny" Stevens:
"Pfizer through aggressive marketing and selling to the medical community made Lipitor into a huge blockbuster. It is very possible, they see that same potential with BelViq."
Prospects for a short squeeze given the astronomical short interest would further boost the price and inflame the bidding war.
Most of the discussion among investors is not around "if" but "when and how much".
The timing is anybody's guess, but some investors I've talked to believe it could happen before year's end as Big Pharma would be interested in sealing a deal before Arena signs up a European Partner so they wouldn't have to deal with Arena plus a third party, if Arena signs up with a distribution partner before a takeover deal.
I found it interesting that Arena's management made it clear in recent public communications that they have not yet chosen a partner for Europe perhaps implying that people should not assume Eisai is the European partner (as some investors have assumed).
As for the takeover price, it's difficult to say but I don't believe the Board of Directors would accept an offer under $40 per share.
To quote Will Rogers: "When congress makes a law, it's a joke, and when they make a joke it's a law." Ditto the Supreme Court.
Surely there is a better way than the ACA.
Jack
I regret that very few senior citizens will have the opportunity to watch this short (2:30) video.
Wall St Week Ahead: Can EU deal lift stocks for more than a day? BY Reuters Equity 10:30 AM ET 07/01/2012
By Angela Moon
NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished the first half of the year with a bang as investors welcomed news that the euro zone is a step closer to solving its 30-month-long debt crisis. Now for the question: Is this rally strong enough to last for more than a day?
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq posted their best daily percentage gains since December on Friday after an agreement by European leaders to stabilize the region's troubled banks, a pact that helped remove some of the uncertainty that has plagued markets.
"That is the major question. Can this fuel a longer-term rally? It can, but only to some degree if, over the weekend and the course of next week, we don't see any major push back or headlines that suggest that this deal is not going to happen," said Quincy Krosby, a market strategist at Prudential Financial.
"But I don't think this is a major game changer. I do, however, think that this is really the first time we got a relatively immediate answer to what they (the euro-zone leaders) are going to do about the issue."
Under pressure to prevent a catastrophic breakup of their single currency, euro-zone leaders agreed on Friday to let their rescue fund inject aid directly into stricken banks starting next year and intervene in bond markets to support troubled member-states.
They also pledged to create a single banking supervisor for euro-zone banks based around the European Central Bank in a landmark first step toward a European banking union that could help shore up struggling member Spain.
PARTY TIME
Wall Street's previous reaction to euro-zone bailout packages or other rescue plans had been somewhat muted. Initial gains would quickly disappear by the day's end as investors realized that there isn't a quick fix to the region's problems.
On Friday, it was a different story. The three major U.S. stock indexes jumped 1.5 percent to 2 percent shortly after the opening bell on news of the euro-zone agreement.
By the close, stocks ended at session highs with the major indexes up between 2 percent and 3 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average surged 277.83 points, or 2.20 percent, to end at 12,880.09. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 33.12 points, or 2.49 percent, to finish at 1,362.16. And the Nasdaq Composite Index shot up 85.56 points, or 3.00 percent, to close at 2,935.05.
For the week, the Dow rose 1.9 percent, the S&P 500 advanced 2 percent and the Nasdaq gained 1.5 percent.
For the month, the Dow added 3.9 percent, the S&P 500 rose 4 percent and the Nasdaq climbed 3.8 percent.
But for the second quarter, the Dow dropped 2.5 percent, the S&P 500 slid 3.3 percent and the Nasdaq lost 5.1 percent.
Despite the weak second quarter, the three major U.S. stock indexes wrapped up the first half of the year with decent gains: The Dow was up 5.4 percent, the S&P 500 was up 8.3 percent and the Nasdaq was up 12.7 percent.
"The next question is whether the ESM/EFSF will have enough capital and assuming they don't, will the ECB chip in by giving it a bank license, thus leveraging its size. That is yet to be determined," said Peter Boockvar, an equity strategist at Miller Tabak & Co in New York.
"For now, party on and turn that hourglass over as more time has been bought. But only the symptoms are being fought as the underlying disease of excessive debt and lack of growth still remains."
The leaders of the 17 European Union countries agreed on a series of short-term steps to shore up their monetary union and bring down the borrowing costs of Spain and Italy, seen as too big to bail out.
To that end, the euro zone's temporary European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) rescue funds will be used "in a flexible and efficient manner in order to stabilize markets" to support countries that comply with EU budget policy recommendations, a joint statement said.
Any market reaction to further developments this week could be exaggerated by lighter-than-usual volume. Wall Street trading desks may be more sparsely populated because it will be a short week. The U.S. stock market will be closed on Wednesday, the Fourth of July, in observance of Independence Day.
ALL EYES ON THE ECB
The market's focus will shift to the European Central Bank this week as investors wait to see whether it cuts interest rates to complement the measures taken by EU leaders to shore up banks and bring down borrowing costs for Spain and Italy.
Most economists polled by Reuters expect the ECB to cut borrowing costs on Thursday, July 5, at its meeting, which takes place against a darkening economic backdrop.
But internal resistance to the central bank reviving its bond-buying program remains high. The ECB has already loosened its collateral rules to make it easier for banks in Spain to access its funds.
"Investors have to be cautious because the market may be getting ahead of itself. We really don't have any details. The big question is still what direction the ECB takes" this week, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington.
"It's (the EU deal) certainly not a silver bullet for the debt crisis, but the market is kind of acting like it is. It may set us up for another push down in the weeks ahead."
Stocks had enjoyed a run earlier this month on hopes that global central banks would announce additional measures to stimulate economic growth, which has been tepid.
On June 20, the Federal Reserve extended its "Operation Twist" program to sell short-term securities and buy longer-term ones to keep long-term borrowing costs down. But investors were disappointed when U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who spoke at a news conference after the Fed's two-day policy meeting, gave few hints that further monetary stimulus was imminent, denting hopes of cheap money in the equities market.
European bond yields will be closely watched this week. Madrid will auction three-year, four-year and 10-year bonds at a primary auction on Thursday in another big test for Spanish yields that are still not far below 7 percent.
France will sell between 7 billion and 8 billion euros in long-term bonds on Thursday.
JUNE JOBS DATA AHEAD
This week's data includes the Institute for Supply Management's U.S. manufacturing index and construction spending on Monday, followed by factory orders and June car sales on Tuesday.
After Wednesday's holiday, investors will face a blitz of economic indicators. On Thursday, weekly jobless claims and mortgage data, ADP's private-sector payrolls report and the ISM's U.S. services-sector index will be released.
On Friday, the government's June nonfarm payrolls report will come out. Economists polled by Reuters have forecast a gain of 90,000 jobs, with the U.S. unemployment rate holding steady at 8.2 percent.
(Reporting by Angela Moon; Additional reporting by Steven C. Johnson; Editing by Jan Paschal)
You are once again engaging in the propaganda that would make Dr. Goebbles proud: the Party has brought prosperity to the Germany people; the Party heals the sick; the Party gives the unemployed jobs. . . never mind what the Party have to destroy in order to deliver the "achievements" . . . because of course you don't care about "costs."
How can "millions of people have been helped already"?? Were there medical specialists sitting on their hands doing nothing previously? Since doctors were always in short supply, every single one of those millions that you claim to have been helped had taken up the place of someone else, someone who could have paid for the bill with their own means without the need to push papers. Yes, that's the essence of government subsidy in a market that is already supply-constrained: it drives up the price of the service, takes the service from three people who could have afforded the care but now can't, and give it to one nominally targeted help subject, one bureaucrat responsible for pushing papers, and one politician/lobbyist that puts this corrupt system together.
Perhaps, millions of people have been helped: the grafters!
You are perhaps correct in bringing up FDR and LBJ for comparing legacy. FDR's legacy is looming big as the baby boomers retire and find their government retirement funds stolen and spent on wars; it took 70 years to expose the scam. LBJ's "grandchildren" are already on the street in those flash mob incidents; that took only 40 years. Obama's AHCA will probably take much less time yet to be exposed as a scam; the pace is picking up speed.
Apparently you have yet to learn that an attack is not always the best defense. Try harder and perhaps a glimmer of light will get through the fog that shrouds your better judgment.
Newly
You were building a "strawman". Then attacking it (strawman) is what you call correcting the record? You are really reaching here, Newly.
Your horsechit about self-destructive people is more of the same. Why not include Pharohs, etc.?
For the second time, why not just skip over my posts so you don't have to continue getting into something you know nothing about.
You said "if they cause you so much grief." I was merely correcting the record. I find self-destructive people who constantly inflict pain on themselves and blame everyone else for their misery hard to fathom.
Newly
When I did my '08 trip California to Halifax, I hiked some sections of the Appalachian Trail and discovered I am not the beach person I thought I was, but rather a mountain person. The highlight of that trip was my time on the Blue Ridge Parkway through Appalachia itself. That area touched my heart in a way no other has, though I've seen many beautiful places here and abroad. My heart is in the Blue Ridge, and that's where I want my ashes scattered by the winds when the time comes.
Newly
Did I suggest that my attitude caused you some grief???
And sometimes the pot around here needs stirring.
I'm jealous Newly.
Enjoy your trip.
I'm going back to the Appalachian trail in August to hike another 100 miles with my daughter.
Yes, of course, you are right. I tend to zone in on the principle of things, the philosophical angle, right and wrong, rather than the practical pragmatic application on a day-to-day basis. I have no viable solutions to suggest. Just sayin' I believe this country is, unfortunately, morally and ethically on the wrong path. I feel helpless to impact its journey, and concentrate on the smaller picture of taking actions to protect me and mine rather than finding solutions for the big picture that work for others.
Newly
I was in Canyon de Chelly a year or two ago, Lawtell. I enjoyed seeing it, but I don't believe I'd go there again. I'm short on time this trip as I have to be in Red Lodge, Montana for the funeral of a good friend on 7/14, so I have to be picky about where I spend the two weeks prior. From here (Grand Canyon) I go to Mesa Verde (have been there twice before, but very much wanted to see it again), then to Great Sand Dunes which I've never seen, up through Colorado Springs (hope the fires are contained by then) to Rocky Mountain National Park (never been there), then through Wyoming to Billings, Montana and on to Red Lodge for the funeral. After that it is either Yellowstone (been there many times) or Glacier (been there once before), or possibly both. Then cross the border to see Waterton and Lake Louise, then across the Trans-Canada Hwy. to Vancouver and Whistler. Looking to buy a property either in Whistler or possibly Vancouver Island.
Anyway, this is the general plan. We'll see how it actually plays out. . . Thanks for the input, though.
Newly
After friday's big move in the stock market, it sure would be nice to see some follow through, but most days I am watching and trading how the day palys out.
JPM moved down on friday's big move, so stok selection is always the key.
SMBL, and TTI have interesting charts, but just like many stocks I watch, this one came by a newletter that I get each Sunday night.
Just a reminder that the stock market is closed on JUly 4th.
Your attitude does not cause me grief, byankee, but I'm sure it causes you a lot of grief. You are a curmudgeon who loves stirring the pot.
Newly
I got no argument with what you said. It just isn't that important to me. I can see some principal to arguments from both left and right. Its what they are doing with the other hand that would worry me if I cared.
So some just don't plain like it (probably just because it benefits a black man in the whitehouse)-well, tough Chit!
Get over it, I say.
You will always have your way of thinking, as for me, I already know that millions of people have been helped already with their health issues, and thats all I ever cared about.
The Afforadable Health Care Act has already been implemented in so many ways, the rest will just be more add ons. But just like Social Security in FDR, or Medicare under LBJ, the Afforadable Health Care Act will be OBama's legacy in the decades to come.
You might think it can be overturned easily, just have an election that totally favors Romney and the Republicans, we will just have to wait till November for that decision.
Does that mean when the election is over, and things don't quite go your way, will you then start to see that this latest decision by the Supreme Court will be around alot longer than a few years.
I aree with you that everyone is always resposnible for his, or hers decision, but many times the individual is never in control of every situation that they encounter. I know you will probably take exception to this, but I worked in many factories that were extremely dangerous, especially the lumber ones up north, Internantional Paper as an example. I would look at that cigarette, and then see the smoke and soot all around me, and wonder which one would kill me first, but I was young and needed a job, so I made that choice.
But most people never really get to decide that much in life, as much as we all would like to, we all live in the times we live in, my Grandfathers, who left Europe in the 1860s and immigrate to America. It was there decision to come to America, and in each family were all those decisions to eventually bring each of us into this life.
Occassionly you do get a chance in life to begin to make a difference in the style of life you lead. But many times the individual must enecounter the hundreds of millions of other people who are also living there lives. You can always go off and try and live in the woods, but when you come back to the cities you learn how to adjust.
Everyone here thinks that companies are always so wonderful, and if they are left alone to just do business that things will just work out. Unfortunately, like we have learned just a few years ago, either it be Enron, or all of those banks, things are not always what they seem. So who compensates all of those millions of people who got screwed with thaose phony robo-signings. Sometimes we all need a government that tries to level the playing field, but even then, new problems can arise.
Lastly, if anyone thinks that everything is just random, thats fine, but there are some things that can be determined, a crooked businessman, or a crooked politician can always screw up an individual, but its real hard for an individual to stand up to either, but at least here in America we try.
Fabian Socialist Shaw put it right out there in the open:
"Death is the the final penalty of socialism"
May Day and the universal roots of Globalism & US Government Totalitarianism...
http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=28118670
<<"The difference is that while the competitive market place tends to ring cost savings out of the producers over time making the goods and services more and more affordable to everyone (think all the electronic gadgets over the decades, computers, laptops, notebooks, tablets) . . . whereas a government mandated monopoly tends to ring cost savings out of the consumers, making goods/services less and less accessible: think the skyrocketing cost of medical tech compared to no-government-license required conventional high tech; even a simple surgical knife now costs $900! and its not even made of as good material as the $9 kitchen knife.">>
Another excellent post...keep up the great work!
Insurance is a racket. It looks like the form of health care evolving here in the USA will be the worst of all worlds in terms of care and affordability.
Good-Bye American Dream.
Maybe it's just been an illusion (?) for a very very long time.
Another great post!
Please listen to the Michael Herzog radio show on the "health care" atrocities to come...
http://www.oraclebroadcasting.com/archives.php?stream=/americanawakening/americanawakening.2012-06-30_16k.mp3
Care to elaborate?
Screw them all. Go concierge healthcare if you can afford it and stay in the country:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-16/wealthy-families-skip-waiting-rooms-with-concierge-medical-plans
After last Thursday's Supreme Court decision, Michael spends the show primarily exposing the atrocities in the Obama Health Care bill and what we are to expect when it is fully implemented.
Michael Herzog "The American Awakening" Saturday June 12, 2012
http://www.oraclebroadcasting.com/archives.php?stream=/americanawakening/americanawakening.2012-06-30_16k.mp3
This is a GREAT LISTEN!
Great post!
I always thought the future was foretold in the 1973 classic film "Soylent Green"...
are you for real..? theres so much more to 'the debate' than your idiotic simplicity.
The Measured Man
Larry Smarr, an astrophysicist turned computer scientist, has a new project: charting his every bodily function in minute detail. What he’s discovering may be the future of health care.
By Mark Bowden
July/August 2012
Atlantic Magazine
The difference is that while the competitive market place tends to ring cost savings out of the producers over time making the goods and services more and more affordable to everyone (think all the electronic gadgets over the decades, computers, laptops, notebooks, tablets) . . . whereas a government mandated monopoly tends to ring cost savings out of the consumers, making goods/services less and less accessible: think the skyrocketing cost of medical tech compared to no-government-license required conventional high tech; even a simple surgical knife now costs $900! and its not even made of as good material as the $9 kitchen knife.
"Death panels" in any health care system are unavoidable as there will always be limits on benefits, resources, money, etc. I prefer to call this unpopular concept "life". To think private insurance is some sort of patriotic, flagged-draped, bottomless pit of unlimited free money is magical thinking. Equally misguided are those thinking that a system of "government controlled" healthcare would be much different. It takes a very evolved soul to resist a fear driven policy of wasteful health care spending. Suck it up and embrace the inevitable.
You are the one keep bringing up the topic after the ruling. In fact, you brought the topic up in the middle of the trading day as a political issue!
The economic consequence of the decision is not even getting started. The law is to go into effect in 2014. By then, it may well have been over-turned by a new Congress and/or new President.
"Our life time" for you depends on how long the death panel lets someone like you live. The demos certainly did not give up after the early 90's decision against centralized healthcare.
For the rest of us, if the law stays, it just means the US will become healthcare wasteland; just like subjects in all other jurisdictions that have implemented centralized healthcare mandate since the time of Hitler and Stalin, it may become necessary for us Americans to seek high qualiy healthcare abroad and/or off-shore.
and it may even happen before Nov
>>>If Obama and the Democrats truly were proud of the Affordable Care Act, if they really did think it was a winning issue, one would expect them to do nothing but “re-litigate” and “refight” it, especially in light of their victory at the Court. But after the obscene tweets and celebratory parties are over, the candidates who will talk the most about health care will be the ones most disappointed in Justice Roberts’s decision, and most eager to overrule Obamacare legislatively rather than judicially.<<<
there are several Dem senators up for election who would like to see this issue go away before Nov. Harry Reid may have to bring the house bill revoking Obamacare to a vote in an effort to save his job
As government grows larger and assumes more power, each of us become less free.
****************************
hard to argue with the principle
but we're so knee deep in socialized medicine what I see are a long list of bad alternatives to choose from within the constraints of CONTINUED "free" health care for the poor, elderly, virtually ALL city, county, state and federal government employees, including but not limited to military veterans, police, fireman, public utility workers, teachers, nurses, doctors and ALL the staff and administrators in all the buildings.........WAY past the tipping point! Add in on top of that that we also heavily subsidize the universities where many of the top hospitals are located and medical research takes place.........what's for the private market?
in other words we're so far from Libertarian, or free market concepts in health care/medicine it barely makes sense to refer back to them philosophically as any help with pragmatic solutions
I'd like to start with a clean chalk board too but I can't see how that's feasible.
Let me cut through the fog here and suggest that right/wrong is not the way to look at this debate. The crux of this issue has been for some time the question of whether/not the mandate was constitutional. We now know that it is "constitutional" and thus the rest of Obamacare is constitutional, as well.
Congress has passed this bill, president signed it into law and now the courts have passed on it. So some just don't plain like it (probably just because it benefits a black man in the whitehouse)-well, tough Chit!
Get over it, I say.
I have listened to the "Health Care Debate" here with some interest. I might as well piss everyone off and say I don't know who is right and probably the whole damn system is forked.
It is probably the inflating costs which are most prominent a problem, especially to the poor.
Then there is the natural culling of the species, evolution as an aside.
Yet the issue revolves around Insurance.
Insurance is when you bet against yourself.
All of the problems with everything are from the same root cause. It is systemic. Our form of government with the corruption and glad handing is a win for some and a loss for all others.
Why would you be shocked that some don't want to work or join the military. What is so good about a principality, government or culture that one should accept some bs premise and have to choose a team, left or right. Or, attend some match book school to buy a job.
I remember when everyone smoked and book matches had advertising, hence, match book school. There was rugged individualism, barely any tax on sin, smokes, alcohol etc. Now everyone pays, primes the pump and gets in line. Screw that chit.
The people who love the land are the ones hunched over and putting their hands into it. To the people who own the agribusiness it is just a tool the land and worker both.
What this country needs is a steep inheritance tax.
Till there is something to stur the pot it will continue to ferment. Eventually there will be a war, invasive species, desease,(sp?) pestelence (sp?)... reorganization and the experiment will start again.
So this Death Panel crap has started. If we don't vote this guy and his criminal cronies out of office this November then we will all die younger than we should as broke paupers as the country goes bankrupt.
******************
Those SOBs in Washinton DC ought to keep their filthy hands off our Medicare!!!
........seriously?
Well written. Too well written in fact. I call BS.
I don't believe anyone with an IQ in triple digits wouldn't instantly read through the inherent contradictions.
It's typical partisan nonsense aimed at the lowest common denominator. Wonder why there's no link, no name and it's being spammed into people's Email instead of BLASTED widespread on the national media?
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