When can a live performance be better than the album? When it's Mariah Carey doing her best and singing her heart out.
THAT'S INSPIRATION
Everyone should try their best at whatever their heart is set on and give it all they got with all their might and hope for the best!
[Youtube] Mariah Carey singing Can't Let Go LIVE @ Soul Train 1991
* Click here for another great performance - SNL 1991 *
[Youtube] Mariah Carey - Close My Eyes (Tokyo 1998)
Thank you Mariah!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Ravi Batra on Thom Hartmann Show 05-27-2009
Here is Ravi Batra, the author of Greenspan's fraud, on Thom Hartmann's show, calling for a stock market drop steeper than the one we just went through. Currently, we are in the quiet phase, and the steep drop will begin in July. Once this slide begins, we'll hit depression around December. Ravi Batra recommends gold as dollar will devalue to previous levels to where it was a year ago (around 70). He also says the current run up in oil prices is due to speculation by Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch USING OUR BAILOUT MONEY AGAINST US!
[MP3] Ravi Batra on the Thom Hartmann Show 05-27-2009
[MP3] Ravi Batra on the Thom Hartmann Show 05-27-2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Case Against Shell: Murder, Exploitation, and Repression in the Niger Delta
What a coincidence! I post a video on Nigerian oil exploitation, and a day or two later, there's major coverage on it! (Of course I didn't have anything to do with it, but I'm glad about the good timing!)
A lawsuit in New York against Shell Oil for human rights abuses, including the the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa, has been delayed. It was supposed to proceed today, May 26, 2009.
"Wiwa v. Shell charges Shell with requesting, financing, and assisting the Nigerian military which used deadly force to repress opposition to Shell’s operations in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta. The lawsuit also charges Shell with conspiring with the Nigerian military dictatorship in the prosecution of the leaders of this movement – the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Shell bribed witnesses to give false testimony, ultimately leading to a death sentence for nine men, including acclaimed author, activist, and leader of MOSOP Ken Saro-Wiwa. On November 10th, 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were hanged."
There's supposed to be a gathering tomorrow in support of the Nigerians in New York. Attend it if you can! More info here!
Please watch the today's great coverage on Democracy Now!:
[Video] Democracy Now! 05-26-2009: Shell on Trial: Landmark Trial Set to Begin Over Shell’s Role in 1995 Execution of Nigerian Human Rights Activist Ken Saro-Wiwa
[Youtube] The Case Against Shell
A lawsuit in New York against Shell Oil for human rights abuses, including the the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa, has been delayed. It was supposed to proceed today, May 26, 2009.
"Wiwa v. Shell charges Shell with requesting, financing, and assisting the Nigerian military which used deadly force to repress opposition to Shell’s operations in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta. The lawsuit also charges Shell with conspiring with the Nigerian military dictatorship in the prosecution of the leaders of this movement – the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Shell bribed witnesses to give false testimony, ultimately leading to a death sentence for nine men, including acclaimed author, activist, and leader of MOSOP Ken Saro-Wiwa. On November 10th, 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were hanged."
There's supposed to be a gathering tomorrow in support of the Nigerians in New York. Attend it if you can! More info here!
Please watch the today's great coverage on Democracy Now!:
[Video] Democracy Now! 05-26-2009: Shell on Trial: Landmark Trial Set to Begin Over Shell’s Role in 1995 Execution of Nigerian Human Rights Activist Ken Saro-Wiwa
[Youtube] The Case Against Shell
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Nigeria, Oil, and Revolution - Documentary by Vanguard
I've been watching some of Vanguard's videos on youtube. They're quite good. This one is on Nigeria, it's oil exploitation, and the Revolution by the exploited.
See up close and personal how the local people live, their lands ruined by oil, and results of corruption by the Nigerian and the multinational corporations. They conveniently leave out the role if the US government, CIA,the IMF, and World Bank. Corruption is convenient in that profits are maximized by the foreign "investors".
[Youtube] Nigeria - Rebels in the Pipeline - Vanguard
See up close and personal how the local people live, their lands ruined by oil, and results of corruption by the Nigerian and the multinational corporations. They conveniently leave out the role if the US government, CIA,the IMF, and World Bank. Corruption is convenient in that profits are maximized by the foreign "investors".
[Youtube] Nigeria - Rebels in the Pipeline - Vanguard
They Live - the movie
Oh man, this is the best movie I've seen since The Network. It stars Rowdy Roddy Piper! It goes deep, and shows the media propaganda and the control by the elite. John Carpenter was ahead of his time! There's supposed to be a remake coming out soon!
[Google Video] They Live - full movie
[Google Video] They Live - full movie
Friday, May 22, 2009
Jesse Ventura interviewed by Howard Stern 05-19-2009
Jesse Ventura gets up close and personal on the Howard Stern show 05-19-2009. He's up here in Minnesota for the summer. He spends the winter down in Baja, the Cabo San Lucus area, Mexico.
[Youtube]Jesse Ventura is quite fascinating (Part 1/8)
Watch All 8 Parts here
[Youtube]Jesse Ventura is quite fascinating (Part 1/8)
Watch All 8 Parts here
John Perkins interviewed by Alex Jones 05-19-2009
Two of my favorites come together for 1 day! John Perkins and Alex Jones!
[Youtube] John Perkins on Alex Jones's Prison Planet show 05-19-2009 (Part 1/6)
Watch all 6 Parts here
[Youtube] John Perkins on Alex Jones's Prison Planet show 05-19-2009 (Part 1/6)
Watch all 6 Parts here
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Blood Coltan: Close up in the Congo
It's amazing to see how a mineral mined by individuals with a pickaxe and some shabby bags and a pair of legs supply the world Coltan.
If we're smart about these things and demand change in who supplies us these valuable minerals, we can provide a better world for everybody.
ENJOY YOUR IPODS AND IPHONES
[Youtube] Congo's Blood Coltan - A Preview
[Google Video] Blood Coltan: The source and the struggle in the Congo
If we're smart about these things and demand change in who supplies us these valuable minerals, we can provide a better world for everybody.
ENJOY YOUR IPODS AND IPHONES
[Youtube] Congo's Blood Coltan - A Preview
[Google Video] Blood Coltan: The source and the struggle in the Congo
Monday, May 18, 2009
Catherine Austin Fitts: The Viddler Show interview 05-01-2009
Catherine Austin Fitts interviews on The Viddler Show. Everything comes back to the red button issue. All the fraud and corruption out there is the symptom of people wanting to eat their cake regardless of how they get the cake. If society is immoral, it looks away when fraud and corruption presents itself. And there the root of all the problems. So everything you see around you has been the result of what the mind has cooked up.
I don't think it takes the majority of the people to make a change. I think getting 10-20% to change makes an impact great enough for there to be change. Just look at what 15% unemployment is doing to the economy and society.
The interview starts 51:00 into the video.
[Video] Catherine Austin Fitts interviews on The Viddler Show
I don't think it takes the majority of the people to make a change. I think getting 10-20% to change makes an impact great enough for there to be change. Just look at what 15% unemployment is doing to the economy and society.
The interview starts 51:00 into the video.
[Video] Catherine Austin Fitts interviews on The Viddler Show
Sunday, May 17, 2009
William K. Black: Paradigm Shift on Fraud 05-11-2009
This is probably THE BEST lecture of 2009. William Black lecture is the paradigm shift we've been looking for in order to decode and unravel the premeditated fraud that's been perpetrated upon us by the white collar criminals.
Old economic theories from college are worthless because they do not take into account fraud. Economics needs a way to recognize fraud patterns and taken them into consideration in the valuation of a firm.
Control fraud is where the executive at top, such as the CEO, takes advantange of a respectible firm's name in order to perpectuate fraud in an environment where fraud is not as readily suspect. The CEO will optimize the firm for his personal gain from the fraud. Assets that don't have a clear value are great vehicles for accounting fraud, wherein, they are used to easily inflate values. With fraud, the quickest way to make a buck is to grow quickly.
It is bad money that drives out good money. Gresham’s law - As a merchant, Greshman quickly came to understand that ‘bad money drives out good’ which is the basis of ‘Gresham’s law. I call this melimine economics. Rememeber that milk in China? The fraudulent melimine milk drove out legitimate competitiors providing a honest product. This is why fraud and criminality is so bad folks!!!
Bush destroyed America's systems capacity which is where regulators don't have ability or will to crack down on fraud as it develops.
We need to change. The public needs to stop nuetralization. That is the rationalization of fraudulent activities and not believing there was any criminal activity that occured. The excuses are such as: white collar crime is not real crime, the executives meant well, the executives went a bit overboard, it hard to conceptualize and treat them as criminals. The stereotype of a criminal is they dress badly and are involved low level crime such as stealing from the local department store.
Remember folks, the white collar crooks of 2000s thought this one all the way though. Like Bush, they committed the crimes because they thought they were immune and would get away with it.
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO BE FORWARDED TO THE VIDEO PAGES. I had trouble starting the videos. Click in the video's main screen to start the video and wait a bit.
William K. Black in Iceland: Paradigm Shift on Fraud 05-11-2009
Video1
Video2
Old economic theories from college are worthless because they do not take into account fraud. Economics needs a way to recognize fraud patterns and taken them into consideration in the valuation of a firm.
Control fraud is where the executive at top, such as the CEO, takes advantange of a respectible firm's name in order to perpectuate fraud in an environment where fraud is not as readily suspect. The CEO will optimize the firm for his personal gain from the fraud. Assets that don't have a clear value are great vehicles for accounting fraud, wherein, they are used to easily inflate values. With fraud, the quickest way to make a buck is to grow quickly.
It is bad money that drives out good money. Gresham’s law - As a merchant, Greshman quickly came to understand that ‘bad money drives out good’ which is the basis of ‘Gresham’s law. I call this melimine economics. Rememeber that milk in China? The fraudulent melimine milk drove out legitimate competitiors providing a honest product. This is why fraud and criminality is so bad folks!!!
Bush destroyed America's systems capacity which is where regulators don't have ability or will to crack down on fraud as it develops.
We need to change. The public needs to stop nuetralization. That is the rationalization of fraudulent activities and not believing there was any criminal activity that occured. The excuses are such as: white collar crime is not real crime, the executives meant well, the executives went a bit overboard, it hard to conceptualize and treat them as criminals. The stereotype of a criminal is they dress badly and are involved low level crime such as stealing from the local department store.
Remember folks, the white collar crooks of 2000s thought this one all the way though. Like Bush, they committed the crimes because they thought they were immune and would get away with it.
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO BE FORWARDED TO THE VIDEO PAGES. I had trouble starting the videos. Click in the video's main screen to start the video and wait a bit.
William K. Black in Iceland: Paradigm Shift on Fraud 05-11-2009
Video1
Video2
A&W commercial to exemplify 21st century fraud?
A&W commercial to exemplify 21st century fraud?
The crime: Premeditated financial fraud.
The perpetrator: Elite executives looking to make a quick buck and a quick getaway.
The victim: A trusting, unsuspecting public.
Look as the CDO is passed off into the victim's 401k fund. The victim welcomes it and unsuspectedly utilizes it whilst Ron Paul supporters look on in disgust at what just transpired.
[Youtube] A&W commercial to exemplify 21st century fraud
The crime: Premeditated financial fraud.
The perpetrator: Elite executives looking to make a quick buck and a quick getaway.
The victim: A trusting, unsuspecting public.
Look as the CDO is passed off into the victim's 401k fund. The victim welcomes it and unsuspectedly utilizes it whilst Ron Paul supporters look on in disgust at what just transpired.
[Youtube] A&W commercial to exemplify 21st century fraud
William K. Black: Bankruptcy for Profit 05-10-2009
William K. Black interviews on Silfur Egils in Iceland. There were a 1000 elite insiders prosecutions for fraud last time around. This time? Almost none. The weapon of choice is accounting fraud. The Bush administration didn't believe in regulation. The reason for the crises is fraud.
[Youtube] William K. Black interviews on Silfur Egils in Iceland 05-10-2009Video1 | Video2
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[Youtube] William K. Black interviews on Silfur Egils in Iceland 05-10-2009Video1 | Video2
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Hugo Chavez to setup regional currency for South America
Go Hugo Chavez! You have every right to create and use your own currency.
"REUTERS - An alliance of Latin American and Caribbean governments led by Venezuela will create a regional electronic currency that is expected to circulate by 2010, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday.
The leftist Chavez, who has called the global financial crisis the end of capitalism, has frequently urged allies to stop storing currency reserves in dollars and recently proposed creating an international currency backed by oil reserves.
Member nations of the ALBA, a trade bloc of Venezuela's allies including Bolivia, Nicaragua and Cuba, meet on Thursday to sign an accord creating the currency called the "sucre."
"Today the Sucre will be born," said Chavez, speaking on live television with Cuban President Raul Castro.
"In September, we should be ready to begin some pilot projects for exchange with that virtual currency ... by the first of January of 2010 we should have the system functioning," he said.
He did not offer more details on how the currency would work. In the past, Chavez has said the Sucre could one day become a physical currency.
The OPEC nation's finance ministry on Thursday said it hopes countries outside the ALBA trade bloc, including other nations in South and Central America and the Caribbean, will later join in using the currency.
Most Latin American countries store their reserves in U.S. dollars, though the greenback's steady decline in recent years and China's growing influence in the region have left countries seeking new ways to store cash.
Chavez has also championed the use of alternative "social currencies" used in barter-style markets of small Venezuelan communities as part of his self-styled socialist revolution he calls an alternative to global capitalism."
[Article] Chavez announces new Latin American currency
"REUTERS - An alliance of Latin American and Caribbean governments led by Venezuela will create a regional electronic currency that is expected to circulate by 2010, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday.
The leftist Chavez, who has called the global financial crisis the end of capitalism, has frequently urged allies to stop storing currency reserves in dollars and recently proposed creating an international currency backed by oil reserves.
Member nations of the ALBA, a trade bloc of Venezuela's allies including Bolivia, Nicaragua and Cuba, meet on Thursday to sign an accord creating the currency called the "sucre."
"Today the Sucre will be born," said Chavez, speaking on live television with Cuban President Raul Castro.
"In September, we should be ready to begin some pilot projects for exchange with that virtual currency ... by the first of January of 2010 we should have the system functioning," he said.
He did not offer more details on how the currency would work. In the past, Chavez has said the Sucre could one day become a physical currency.
The OPEC nation's finance ministry on Thursday said it hopes countries outside the ALBA trade bloc, including other nations in South and Central America and the Caribbean, will later join in using the currency.
Most Latin American countries store their reserves in U.S. dollars, though the greenback's steady decline in recent years and China's growing influence in the region have left countries seeking new ways to store cash.
Chavez has also championed the use of alternative "social currencies" used in barter-style markets of small Venezuelan communities as part of his self-styled socialist revolution he calls an alternative to global capitalism."
[Article] Chavez announces new Latin American currency
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis: Bailout sham and Cooperatives 05-15-2009
Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis discuss the biggest money trasnfer from the public to the rich in the history of the world, aka the bailout, also working with bossless in cooperatives. This is a way to avoid the Rentier tax.
The fun starts at 13:30 into the video!
[Realvideo] Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis: Bailout sham and Cooperatives 05-15-2009 (fast forward to 13:30)
[MP3] Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis: Bailout sham and Cooperatives 05-15-2009 (fast forward to 13:30)
The fun starts at 13:30 into the video!
[Realvideo] Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis: Bailout sham and Cooperatives 05-15-2009 (fast forward to 13:30)
[MP3] Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis: Bailout sham and Cooperatives 05-15-2009 (fast forward to 13:30)
Max Keiser: Radio Show 05-16-2009
Max Keiser's weekly radio show from the UK. This one's quite good on oligarcy and slavery.
[MP3] Max Keiser radio show 05-16-2009
[MP3] Max Keiser radio show 05-16-2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Charles E. F. Millard: Governement Pensions chief colluded with Wall Street
So the governement pensions chief want a spiffy job on Wall Street once he gets done with his government job? How does he go about it? By losing billions in public money in the stock market and informing Wall Street company insiders of the trades so they could get rich off the inside knowledge!
"Charles E. F. Millard, the former Lehman Brothers managing director who was the Bush administration’s director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. from May 2007 until President Obama took office on Jan. 20, dramatically changed how the agency invested its $64 billion insurance fund, shifting from a reliance mostly on conservative bonds to a strategy that put 55 percent of its portfolio in speculative investments such as stocks in emerging foreign countries, equity funds and real estate.
The insurance fund backs the pensions of 44 million Americans. But it had an $11 billion deficit and its stock-related investments plunged 23 percent as of last September, before the brunt of the market crash.
After the agency last fall hired the investment-banking firm Goldman Sachs to oversee a $700 million portion of the fund, Millard e-mailed with a Goldman executive about a Wall Street job, according to the report. The Goldman Sachs official responded that he had talked with a person at another firm ‘‘who really likes you and if times were better he would have hired you already.’’ The inspector general reported finding 29 emails documenting the effort of a Goldman Sachs official to help Millard ‘‘in his search for employment."
WHEN DOES THE CORRUPTION STOP?
[Article] Charles E. F. Millard, wolf in sheep's clothing, destroys billions in pension funds for personal gain
"Charles E. F. Millard, the former Lehman Brothers managing director who was the Bush administration’s director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. from May 2007 until President Obama took office on Jan. 20, dramatically changed how the agency invested its $64 billion insurance fund, shifting from a reliance mostly on conservative bonds to a strategy that put 55 percent of its portfolio in speculative investments such as stocks in emerging foreign countries, equity funds and real estate.
The insurance fund backs the pensions of 44 million Americans. But it had an $11 billion deficit and its stock-related investments plunged 23 percent as of last September, before the brunt of the market crash.
After the agency last fall hired the investment-banking firm Goldman Sachs to oversee a $700 million portion of the fund, Millard e-mailed with a Goldman executive about a Wall Street job, according to the report. The Goldman Sachs official responded that he had talked with a person at another firm ‘‘who really likes you and if times were better he would have hired you already.’’ The inspector general reported finding 29 emails documenting the effort of a Goldman Sachs official to help Millard ‘‘in his search for employment."
WHEN DOES THE CORRUPTION STOP?
[Article] Charles E. F. Millard, wolf in sheep's clothing, destroys billions in pension funds for personal gain
Joseph Stiglitz: We lost $359 of $700 billion TARP 05-14-2009
Economist Joseph Stiglitz says we have already lost $359 of the $700 billion of the first round of the TARP. The second round is seeing $.75 loss on every dollar.
Can it get any worse?
[Youtube] Joseph Stiglitz: We lost $359/700b of the first TARP 05-14-2009
Can it get any worse?
[Youtube] Joseph Stiglitz: We lost $359/700b of the first TARP 05-14-2009
Dr. Michael Hudson: Iceland and Neofeudalism
MUST LISTEN FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!! Folks you are not going to find this stuff ANYWHERE ELSE handed on a silver platter for you to consume.
"Foreign elites are pissed-off 'cause they are NOT getting enough for
selling out their own countries and are pissed at the working class for getting
TOO BIG A SHARE!!!"
[MP3] Dr. Michael Hudson: Iceland and Neofeudalism
[Youtube] Dr. Michael Hudson: Iceland's Centuries old Oligarchs looted Iceland
"Foreign elites are pissed-off 'cause they are NOT getting enough for
selling out their own countries and are pissed at the working class for getting
TOO BIG A SHARE!!!"
[MP3] Dr. Michael Hudson: Iceland and Neofeudalism
[Youtube] Dr. Michael Hudson: Iceland's Centuries old Oligarchs looted Iceland
Max Keiser: System of fiat currencies funds wars and atrocities PLUS fake Treasury Bonds?
Max Keiser oldie but goldie on fiat currency funding the wars and atrocities which we are so disgusted with:
[Youtube] Max Keiser: Fiat funds everything Video1 | Video2
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Max Keiser discusses counterfeit US Treasury bonds sold in the trillions of dollars by JP Morgan and money laudering through Israel
[Youtube] Max Keiser: Counterfeit US Treasury Bonds
[Youtube] Max Keiser: Fiat funds everything Video1 | Video2
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Max Keiser discusses counterfeit US Treasury bonds sold in the trillions of dollars by JP Morgan and money laudering through Israel
[Youtube] Max Keiser: Counterfeit US Treasury Bonds
Pelosi misled on waterboarding
My initial reaction to this is OH SHUT UP YOU LYING, COMPLICIT SACK OF ....! The jig is up Pelosi. Everyone can look through you now. You poor innocent thing! What has that bad man Bush done to you?
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
[Article] Pelosi says Bush team misled her on waterboarding
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
[Article] Pelosi says Bush team misled her on waterboarding
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Dr. Michael Hudson: Economics for Dummies
Dr. Michael Hudson: Bailout Kleptocracy and Rentier
Great stuff from Dr. Michael Hudson! You won't hear this stuff in college or in the mainstream media. This is ECONOMICS 101.
[Youtube] Michael Hudson: Who the bailout is bailing out. Hint: not you or me.
Rentier is the money extracted by the entrenched oligarchy who own the FIRE industries. It is a form of tax by the oligarchy on the poor and their production.
[Youtube] Michael Hudson: Rentier
[Youtube] Michael Hudson: Who the bailout is bailing out. Hint: not you or me.
Rentier is the money extracted by the entrenched oligarchy who own the FIRE industries. It is a form of tax by the oligarchy on the poor and their production.
[Youtube] Michael Hudson: Rentier
Dr. Michael Hudson: The Financial Barbarians at the Gate
Interesting interview by Dr. Michael Hudson on Guns and Butter show.
[MP3] Michael Hudson interview on Guns and Butter 04-15-2009
[MP3] Michael Hudson interview on Guns and Butter 04-15-2009
Small Banks: Hurt by the bailout
The small banks have to compete with the big ones. The small banks weren't involved with CDOS, MBS, subprime, derivatives, or any of the other casino capitalism scams. The small banks and credit unions are, for the most part, are still solvent and profitable. They have not asked for, nor needed, any taxpayer supplied TARP funds.
The taxpayers are subsidizing these big banks. The big banks can offer higher interest rates on savings and CDs vs the smaller banks, which makes it difficult for the smaller guys to attract capital.
[Youtube] Small bank CEO says bailout is creating an unfair playing field for the small banks
The longer video is available on CNBC.
Now the small banks have to pay higher FDIC premiums to subsidize the big banks. The higher FDIC premiums are causing small banks to show lower or even no profits for the year.
"“At DeMotte [State Bank, an 11-branch operation in the northwest part of Indiana, Bank President] Mr. Goetz is bracing for a steep increase in a crucial overhead cost: the bill from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is basically an insurance fund underwritten by banks.
Last year, DeMotte paid $42,000 into the fund. This year, because of failures in other parts of the country and particularly among national banks, that sum will rise to $500,000 or more.
“Isn’t that the American way?” he says, folding his arms. “Whoever is left standing, whoever was prudent, is always the one who has to pick up the pieces.”"
[Article] Small banks subsidizing big bank bad behavior thorugh higher FDIC premiums
The taxpayers are subsidizing these big banks. The big banks can offer higher interest rates on savings and CDs vs the smaller banks, which makes it difficult for the smaller guys to attract capital.
[Youtube] Small bank CEO says bailout is creating an unfair playing field for the small banks
The longer video is available on CNBC.
Now the small banks have to pay higher FDIC premiums to subsidize the big banks. The higher FDIC premiums are causing small banks to show lower or even no profits for the year.
"“At DeMotte [State Bank, an 11-branch operation in the northwest part of Indiana, Bank President] Mr. Goetz is bracing for a steep increase in a crucial overhead cost: the bill from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is basically an insurance fund underwritten by banks.
Last year, DeMotte paid $42,000 into the fund. This year, because of failures in other parts of the country and particularly among national banks, that sum will rise to $500,000 or more.
“Isn’t that the American way?” he says, folding his arms. “Whoever is left standing, whoever was prudent, is always the one who has to pick up the pieces.”"
[Article] Small banks subsidizing big bank bad behavior thorugh higher FDIC premiums
Local Currency: The Palmas in Brazil slums
A good article on local currency used in Brazil slums. The local banks fund local startup businesses. The currency is not impacted by economic crises.
[Article] Brazil slum local currency 'The Palmas' plays key role in local economy
DECENTRALIZE! DECENTRALIZE! DECENTRALIZE!
[Article] Brazil slum local currency 'The Palmas' plays key role in local economy
DECENTRALIZE! DECENTRALIZE! DECENTRALIZE!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Greg Palast: Denver Greenfestival 2009
Topics covered By Greg Palast at the Greenfestival 2009:
* 19.4% of Denver voters erased off the voting roles
* Eliot Spitzer hitjob
* Countrywide's $3 trillion a year subprime mortgage loan operation
* Ecuador and IMF secret agreement
* Larry Summers and Glass Steigal and the $100 million payout by Citibank.
[Youtube] Greg Palast at Greenfestival 2009
* 19.4% of Denver voters erased off the voting roles
* Eliot Spitzer hitjob
* Countrywide's $3 trillion a year subprime mortgage loan operation
* Ecuador and IMF secret agreement
* Larry Summers and Glass Steigal and the $100 million payout by Citibank.
[Youtube] Greg Palast at Greenfestival 2009
Alan Grayson
Wow! Check out Congressman Alan Grayson from the Orland Florida area! We need more just him in Congress!
[Youtube] Congressman Grayson
[Youtube] Congressman Grayson
Mussolini, Franco, Hitler and now Bush and Obama were chauffeured in this car up for auction
Following a great heritage and lineage, a car that had Mussolini, Franco, Hitler was recently tried out for joyrides in marches this decade by Bush and Obama. They were seen with their hands stiffly raised in a 45 degree slant towards the crowds.
NOW THIS SAME CAR IS UP FOR AUCTION. BE YOUR OWN DICTATOR IN THIS EXCLUSIVE RIDE
Btw, I threw in Bush and Obama into the mix. No presidents were harmed in the making of this blog entry.
[Blog Link] Dictator car up for auction
NOW THIS SAME CAR IS UP FOR AUCTION. BE YOUR OWN DICTATOR IN THIS EXCLUSIVE RIDE
Btw, I threw in Bush and Obama into the mix. No presidents were harmed in the making of this blog entry.
[Blog Link] Dictator car up for auction
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Corporate Hall of Shame 2009
Nominate the worst company of 2009 to the Corporate Hall of Shame 2009 on the Corporate Accountability International site.
Smithfield: Destroying the environment and livelihoods in Eastern Europe and around the world
So it turns out Smithfield pig meat costs $1.40/kg vs $2.50/kg from traditional pig cultivation. This is the cost after subsidies, environmental destruction, and the ruination of thousands of livelihoods. Is it worth it?
Here are some comments posted by readers of the Smithfield article in the NY Times:
"I am President of Waterkeeper Alliance an environmental group and a leader of a national coalition of family farmers, fishermen, environmental and animal welfare organizations, religious and civic associations, and food safety advocates who are fighting Smithfield Foods in the United States. During the past eighteen months, I have come to Poland twice to alert the Polish people about the dangers of allowing Smithfield a foothold in this country, most recently at the request of the Animal Welfare Institute.
Smithfield is one of a handful of large multinationals who are transforming global meat production from a traditional farm enterprise to factory style industrial production. Smithfield is the largest hog producer in the world and controls almost 30% of the U.S. pork market. Smithfield’s style of industrial pork production is now a major source of air pollution and probably the largest source of water pollution in America. Smithfield and its cronies have driven tens of thousands of family farmers off the land, shattered rural communities, poisoned thousands of miles of American waterways, killed billions of fish, put thousands of fishermen out of work, sickened rural residents and treated hundreds of millions of farm animals with unspeakable and unnecessary cruelty.
Although Smithfield, a Virginia-based meat packer, never before owned a farm, its CEO, Joe Luter, began buying up farms so that the company could control, as he likes to boast, all aspects of pork production “from piglets to pork chops.” Luter who describes himself as “a tough man in a tough business” lives in a $17 million Park Avenue mansion in New York. He is known for a ruthless style that maximizes profits by industrializing agriculture and eliminating both animal husbandry and the family farm.
North Carolina’s hog farmers have been replaced by 2,200 hog factories; 1,600 owned or indentured to a single multinational -- Smithfield Foods. Smithfield now controls 75% of hog production in the state. From North Carolina, Smithfield moved to Iowa, the number one hog producing state. As a result of factory farms, Iowa lost 45,000 independent hog farmers in recent years with half of the remaining 10,000 already controlled by Smithfield and a few other large corporations. Joe Luter told the Washington Post that Smithfield will turn “Poland into the Iowa of Europe.”
Smithfield uses its wealth to buy politicians, paralyze regulatory agencies and break health and environmental laws with impunity. In North Carolina, Smithfield made business partnerships with a powerful state senator Wendell Murphy and a powerful United States Senator Launch Faircloth who protected the company’s interests in local and federal legislatures. Using adept campaign contributions and such cunning alliances, the hog industry has been able to corrupt and control the North Carolina state senate. The state’s largest newspaper, Raleigh News and Observer, won the Pulitzer Prize for its five-part investigative report disclosing how the factory hog industry had captured and corrupted the state senate.
Politicians who oppose the hog barons are punished. When North Carolina’s Duplin County State Assemblywoman Cynthia Watson began speaking out against Smithfield’s impact on her farm community, the hog industry launched a savage multimillion dollar attack, spending as much as $10,000 a week for two years to destroy her reputation. As a result, she lost her election and the hog barons sent a message to all the senators in North Carolina that if you speak out against this industry or this company, we will punish you!
Citizens who protest get the same treatment. Typically, the industry launches its occupation by removing the democratic rights of local communities who refuse to site these facilities in their communities. In Iowa, North Carolina, Michigan and many other states and Canadian provinces, public officials have stripped local governments of their decision making powers over these facilities. Similarly, we have seen that in Poland, local officials who opposed Smithfield’s facilities have been overruled by national authorities. The industry routinely uses bullying lawyers and illegal intimidation, threats, harassment, and violence to terrorize and silence its critics including its own workers. A group of Nebraska citizens who made comments during a public hearing on a hog factory permit were sued by Nebraska’s largest livestock producer. Neighboring farmers are routinely sued for participating in public hearings or speaking out against the hog industry. Contempt for our laws and bullying are part of industry culture. Smithfield’s own records show that it has committed tens of thousands of violations of state and federal environmental laws. Indeed, recent court decisions indicate that hundreds of Smithfield’s facilities around the country are in almost daily violation of federal environmental laws.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Warsaw"
-----------
The current pandemic of Swine Origin Influenza Virus (SOIV- H1N1) should serve as a warning that unsafe agricultural and industry practices can be important factors in the origins of new zoonotic diseases which then spread from animal to human populations. (remember that the use of "downers" in cattle feed was a critical factor in the spread of Mad Cow Disease (BSE) in England?)
The family of influenza viruses depends upon dense host populations, whether they are avian, swine, or human. These density dependent diseases easily spread from one animal species to the next. This current SOIV H1N1 pandemic likely started in a densely overpopulated pig farm and then quickly spread into the densely overpopulated Mexico City.
Sometimes, just sometimes, people's health should take precedence over business profit.
As a footnote, it was most interesting to see the power of "Big Pork" in eradicating the word "swine" from this pandemic.
Changing the name will not stop a pandemic.
— Daniel, Lafayette Louisiana
------------
An excellent article which tells it like it is. And it is disgusting and embarrassing. This is what America has become. Shame. i consider such companies, and especially their greedy CEO's to be the new barbarians ruining now our whole world. THIS IS NOT PROGRESS. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF ALL THAT IS TRULY HUMAN AND HUMANE. What to do? Start locally. Avoid as much as possible anything produced by the Food and Agri Industrial Complex. Remember, what they produce will kill you.
— RICHARD GUSTAFSON, New York City
------------
How do companies like Smithfield hurt? Let me count the ways (and I'm bound to leave a few out):
1. Creates dense farm animal populations that cause:
a. injury to the animals,
b. the efficient spread of disease (to the animals and to humans), and
c. serious detriment to the environment, including but not limited to methane to be released into the atmosphere and waterway pollution.
2. Causes small sustainable family farms to either:
a. go totally out of business through harassment or price freeze-out, or
b. acquiesce to the agribusiness model, becoming either breeders or feeders and getting hooked into the subsidy game out of sheer desperation.
3. Warps the fabric of public debate by:
a. influencing politicians with campaign contributions to keep subsidies flowing, to write laws that permit cruel and inhumane treatment to fall within the ambit of "customary farm practices" and thus escape prosecution, and to turn a blind eye to everything damaging they do.
b. distorting media reportage on what is really going on by changing the subject. For example, telling people they won't get swine flu from eating pork (true) turns the public eye away from HOW swine flu spreads: through raising a million pigs in disgusting conditions.
Oh, yeah, they also produce cheap meat. And then people can afford to eat a lot of it. What does eating a lot of meat do?
4. Eating a lot of red meat and pork can kill you.
— michaelajb, New York City
------------
Six years ago (pre-Smithfield) I worked in Romania on behalf of an agribusiness firm that was entering the country. The level of interest and cooperation we received, as Americans, from Romanian locals was amazing. Predecessor American firms like Cargill, John Deere, and Pioneer had created enormous goodwill for the US through good business practices and quality products. Fast-forward to post-Smithfield. On a return trip in 2008 to Romania's ag regions, all had changed. Growers and co-ops were skeptical, gov't officials were not accessible. We were told to use an intermediary - which is code for a lobbying organization - which itself is code for ca$h. I call this the Smithfield-effect.
— GCE, New York, NY
------------
"In the United States, Smithfield says it has been a boon to consumers. Pork prices dropped by about one-fifth between 1970 and 2004, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, suggesting annual savings of about $29 per consumer."
It is infuriating to me that such a trivial benefit as an "annual savings of $29 per consumer" is used to justify the horrors of factory farming. We need to return to the thinking that meat is a luxury, and we have no right to demand that it be cheap and plentiful. Prices should reflect the REAL COST of raising an animal humanely, treating workers with respect, and minimizing environmental damage. A healthy attitude is to think of meat as a side - it does not have to be the principal dish at breakfast, lunch and dinner!
— Amara, New York
------------
The lack of genetic diversity in these herds will likely bring increased susceptibility to infectious agents. Once an infectious agent establishes itself in a single host, the entire population will have the same degree of susceptibility. This phenomenon is seen time and time again whenever monoculture agriculture is used. The current H1N1 outbreak is likely to be the tip of the iceberg.
— dek, Boston, Ma
[Article] Smithfield destroys Eastern Europe and everywhere else it exists
[Comments] Smithfield article
Here are some comments posted by readers of the Smithfield article in the NY Times:
"I am President of Waterkeeper Alliance an environmental group and a leader of a national coalition of family farmers, fishermen, environmental and animal welfare organizations, religious and civic associations, and food safety advocates who are fighting Smithfield Foods in the United States. During the past eighteen months, I have come to Poland twice to alert the Polish people about the dangers of allowing Smithfield a foothold in this country, most recently at the request of the Animal Welfare Institute.
Smithfield is one of a handful of large multinationals who are transforming global meat production from a traditional farm enterprise to factory style industrial production. Smithfield is the largest hog producer in the world and controls almost 30% of the U.S. pork market. Smithfield’s style of industrial pork production is now a major source of air pollution and probably the largest source of water pollution in America. Smithfield and its cronies have driven tens of thousands of family farmers off the land, shattered rural communities, poisoned thousands of miles of American waterways, killed billions of fish, put thousands of fishermen out of work, sickened rural residents and treated hundreds of millions of farm animals with unspeakable and unnecessary cruelty.
Although Smithfield, a Virginia-based meat packer, never before owned a farm, its CEO, Joe Luter, began buying up farms so that the company could control, as he likes to boast, all aspects of pork production “from piglets to pork chops.” Luter who describes himself as “a tough man in a tough business” lives in a $17 million Park Avenue mansion in New York. He is known for a ruthless style that maximizes profits by industrializing agriculture and eliminating both animal husbandry and the family farm.
North Carolina’s hog farmers have been replaced by 2,200 hog factories; 1,600 owned or indentured to a single multinational -- Smithfield Foods. Smithfield now controls 75% of hog production in the state. From North Carolina, Smithfield moved to Iowa, the number one hog producing state. As a result of factory farms, Iowa lost 45,000 independent hog farmers in recent years with half of the remaining 10,000 already controlled by Smithfield and a few other large corporations. Joe Luter told the Washington Post that Smithfield will turn “Poland into the Iowa of Europe.”
Smithfield uses its wealth to buy politicians, paralyze regulatory agencies and break health and environmental laws with impunity. In North Carolina, Smithfield made business partnerships with a powerful state senator Wendell Murphy and a powerful United States Senator Launch Faircloth who protected the company’s interests in local and federal legislatures. Using adept campaign contributions and such cunning alliances, the hog industry has been able to corrupt and control the North Carolina state senate. The state’s largest newspaper, Raleigh News and Observer, won the Pulitzer Prize for its five-part investigative report disclosing how the factory hog industry had captured and corrupted the state senate.
Politicians who oppose the hog barons are punished. When North Carolina’s Duplin County State Assemblywoman Cynthia Watson began speaking out against Smithfield’s impact on her farm community, the hog industry launched a savage multimillion dollar attack, spending as much as $10,000 a week for two years to destroy her reputation. As a result, she lost her election and the hog barons sent a message to all the senators in North Carolina that if you speak out against this industry or this company, we will punish you!
Citizens who protest get the same treatment. Typically, the industry launches its occupation by removing the democratic rights of local communities who refuse to site these facilities in their communities. In Iowa, North Carolina, Michigan and many other states and Canadian provinces, public officials have stripped local governments of their decision making powers over these facilities. Similarly, we have seen that in Poland, local officials who opposed Smithfield’s facilities have been overruled by national authorities. The industry routinely uses bullying lawyers and illegal intimidation, threats, harassment, and violence to terrorize and silence its critics including its own workers. A group of Nebraska citizens who made comments during a public hearing on a hog factory permit were sued by Nebraska’s largest livestock producer. Neighboring farmers are routinely sued for participating in public hearings or speaking out against the hog industry. Contempt for our laws and bullying are part of industry culture. Smithfield’s own records show that it has committed tens of thousands of violations of state and federal environmental laws. Indeed, recent court decisions indicate that hundreds of Smithfield’s facilities around the country are in almost daily violation of federal environmental laws.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Warsaw"
-----------
The current pandemic of Swine Origin Influenza Virus (SOIV- H1N1) should serve as a warning that unsafe agricultural and industry practices can be important factors in the origins of new zoonotic diseases which then spread from animal to human populations. (remember that the use of "downers" in cattle feed was a critical factor in the spread of Mad Cow Disease (BSE) in England?)
The family of influenza viruses depends upon dense host populations, whether they are avian, swine, or human. These density dependent diseases easily spread from one animal species to the next. This current SOIV H1N1 pandemic likely started in a densely overpopulated pig farm and then quickly spread into the densely overpopulated Mexico City.
Sometimes, just sometimes, people's health should take precedence over business profit.
As a footnote, it was most interesting to see the power of "Big Pork" in eradicating the word "swine" from this pandemic.
Changing the name will not stop a pandemic.
— Daniel, Lafayette Louisiana
------------
An excellent article which tells it like it is. And it is disgusting and embarrassing. This is what America has become. Shame. i consider such companies, and especially their greedy CEO's to be the new barbarians ruining now our whole world. THIS IS NOT PROGRESS. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF ALL THAT IS TRULY HUMAN AND HUMANE. What to do? Start locally. Avoid as much as possible anything produced by the Food and Agri Industrial Complex. Remember, what they produce will kill you.
— RICHARD GUSTAFSON, New York City
------------
How do companies like Smithfield hurt? Let me count the ways (and I'm bound to leave a few out):
1. Creates dense farm animal populations that cause:
a. injury to the animals,
b. the efficient spread of disease (to the animals and to humans), and
c. serious detriment to the environment, including but not limited to methane to be released into the atmosphere and waterway pollution.
2. Causes small sustainable family farms to either:
a. go totally out of business through harassment or price freeze-out, or
b. acquiesce to the agribusiness model, becoming either breeders or feeders and getting hooked into the subsidy game out of sheer desperation.
3. Warps the fabric of public debate by:
a. influencing politicians with campaign contributions to keep subsidies flowing, to write laws that permit cruel and inhumane treatment to fall within the ambit of "customary farm practices" and thus escape prosecution, and to turn a blind eye to everything damaging they do.
b. distorting media reportage on what is really going on by changing the subject. For example, telling people they won't get swine flu from eating pork (true) turns the public eye away from HOW swine flu spreads: through raising a million pigs in disgusting conditions.
Oh, yeah, they also produce cheap meat. And then people can afford to eat a lot of it. What does eating a lot of meat do?
4. Eating a lot of red meat and pork can kill you.
— michaelajb, New York City
------------
Six years ago (pre-Smithfield) I worked in Romania on behalf of an agribusiness firm that was entering the country. The level of interest and cooperation we received, as Americans, from Romanian locals was amazing. Predecessor American firms like Cargill, John Deere, and Pioneer had created enormous goodwill for the US through good business practices and quality products. Fast-forward to post-Smithfield. On a return trip in 2008 to Romania's ag regions, all had changed. Growers and co-ops were skeptical, gov't officials were not accessible. We were told to use an intermediary - which is code for a lobbying organization - which itself is code for ca$h. I call this the Smithfield-effect.
— GCE, New York, NY
------------
"In the United States, Smithfield says it has been a boon to consumers. Pork prices dropped by about one-fifth between 1970 and 2004, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, suggesting annual savings of about $29 per consumer."
It is infuriating to me that such a trivial benefit as an "annual savings of $29 per consumer" is used to justify the horrors of factory farming. We need to return to the thinking that meat is a luxury, and we have no right to demand that it be cheap and plentiful. Prices should reflect the REAL COST of raising an animal humanely, treating workers with respect, and minimizing environmental damage. A healthy attitude is to think of meat as a side - it does not have to be the principal dish at breakfast, lunch and dinner!
— Amara, New York
------------
The lack of genetic diversity in these herds will likely bring increased susceptibility to infectious agents. Once an infectious agent establishes itself in a single host, the entire population will have the same degree of susceptibility. This phenomenon is seen time and time again whenever monoculture agriculture is used. The current H1N1 outbreak is likely to be the tip of the iceberg.
— dek, Boston, Ma
[Article] Smithfield destroys Eastern Europe and everywhere else it exists
[Comments] Smithfield article
The Glass Fence we can't seem to break through
When is the Ron Paul going to break through the Glass fence that encircles the misinformed citizenry?
[Youtube] Glass Fence 1
[Youtube] Glass Fence 2
[Youtube] Glass Fence Finale
[Youtube] Glass Fence 1
[Youtube] Glass Fence 2
[Youtube] Glass Fence Finale
Friday, May 08, 2009
Bernie Madoff: $100,000 American Express bill for the month
Living high off the hog! Btw, what is that renewal fee that keeps showing up? what is he renewing with American Express?
[PDF] Bernie Madoff's 'Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous' $100,000 AMEX monthly bill
[PDF] Bernie Madoff's 'Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous' $100,000 AMEX monthly bill
Doctor offers flat-rate care: Government says NO!
A NY doctor offers flat-rate care for $79 a month for unlimited visits and care. Government does its due diligence and does it parts. It reprimands the doctor, telling him he's got to either change his policy or stop offering the plan.
"Dr. John Muney, president of AMG Medical Group, said he started the program in September after noticing that many of his patients were losing their jobs, and therefore, their health insurance coverage.
About 500 people have registered for Muney's $79-a-month plan, accounting for 15 percent of patients at the practice, which has offices in each of New York's five boroughs.
The monthly $79 fee -- roughly equivalent to the price of a Starbucks coffee a day -- covers unlimited preventive visits and onsite medical services such as minor surgery, physical therapy, lab work and gynecological care.
Ilana Clay, a 28-year-old who works in marketing for a jewelry firm, said she signed up in March because she could not afford her employer's health insurance, which would have cost around $300 a month.
"I hadn't been to a doctor in a couple of years at that point," she told Reuters. She had a scar removed in a quick onsite procedure that was covered by the plan.
Muney said another patient came in with a tumor on her finger: "Somebody else asked $3,000 to remove it. The first visit, we were able to remove it, 15 minutes it took us."
[Article] Doctor cares for $79 per month
"Dr. John Muney, president of AMG Medical Group, said he started the program in September after noticing that many of his patients were losing their jobs, and therefore, their health insurance coverage.
About 500 people have registered for Muney's $79-a-month plan, accounting for 15 percent of patients at the practice, which has offices in each of New York's five boroughs.
The monthly $79 fee -- roughly equivalent to the price of a Starbucks coffee a day -- covers unlimited preventive visits and onsite medical services such as minor surgery, physical therapy, lab work and gynecological care.
Ilana Clay, a 28-year-old who works in marketing for a jewelry firm, said she signed up in March because she could not afford her employer's health insurance, which would have cost around $300 a month.
"I hadn't been to a doctor in a couple of years at that point," she told Reuters. She had a scar removed in a quick onsite procedure that was covered by the plan.
Muney said another patient came in with a tumor on her finger: "Somebody else asked $3,000 to remove it. The first visit, we were able to remove it, 15 minutes it took us."
[Article] Doctor cares for $79 per month
Work and Pets: Picky Clientele
Why does this video remind of inconsiderate clients who find the slightest to complain about whilst you're working diligently on their project?
[Youtube] Picky clients
[Youtube] Picky clients
Banks defrauded themselves
That's amazing! What's amazing? The LA Times has the capability to do some investigation and analysis.
"The banks were "enablers that bankrolled the type of lending threatening the international financial system," according to the study being released today by the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based watchdog group.
"What happened to our largest financial institutions was very much a self-inflicted wound," said the center's executive director, Bill Buzenberg. "These banks owned many of the subprime lenders and financed their lending in order to get bundles of mortgage-backed securities that they could sell, reaping enormous profits."
The report noted that investment banks Lehman Bros., Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan and Citigroup "both owned and financed subprime lenders," and that others, including Goldman Sachs & Co. and Swiss bank Credit Suisse First Boston, were major financial backers of subprime lenders.
"It has a history," Davis said. "Subprime was driven by greed and big commissions, rather than by customer relationships." Another problem, Davis said, was that California and most other states have relatively weak supervision of mortgage lenders, which are not regulated like banks."
[Article] Banks pilfered from their own pockets
"The banks were "enablers that bankrolled the type of lending threatening the international financial system," according to the study being released today by the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington-based watchdog group.
"What happened to our largest financial institutions was very much a self-inflicted wound," said the center's executive director, Bill Buzenberg. "These banks owned many of the subprime lenders and financed their lending in order to get bundles of mortgage-backed securities that they could sell, reaping enormous profits."
The report noted that investment banks Lehman Bros., Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan and Citigroup "both owned and financed subprime lenders," and that others, including Goldman Sachs & Co. and Swiss bank Credit Suisse First Boston, were major financial backers of subprime lenders.
"It has a history," Davis said. "Subprime was driven by greed and big commissions, rather than by customer relationships." Another problem, Davis said, was that California and most other states have relatively weak supervision of mortgage lenders, which are not regulated like banks."
[Article] Banks pilfered from their own pockets
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Highway Robbery: Tenaha Texas
Why does this have the feel of the banker bailout? A class action lawsuit has been filed to recover the $3 million.
[Youtube] Highway Robbery in Tenaha, Texas
[Youtube] Highway Robbery in Tenaha, Texas
Pakistan: Drone Attacks fuel hatred
I guess it's okay to selective assassinate since Obama's running things. Drone attacks are much akin to bombing a whole bank full of hostages when the robbers are still inside. How about we take care of criminals by bombing their homes and not worry about the neighbors?
Pakistan Done Bombings fuel hatred
Pakistan Done Bombings fuel hatred
Pig Farming: Corporate vs Family owned
Would abuse happen as much on a family owned farm? Not only isn't the meat high quality but you are eating the stress and fear hormones.
[Youtube] Pigs abuse
Is it worth it to pay a bit more for family farmed products? You decide.
[Youtube] Family owned pig farm.
[Youtube] Pigs abuse
Is it worth it to pay a bit more for family farmed products? You decide.
[Youtube] Family owned pig farm.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Madoff: Airing the dirty laundry
Some revelations from Madoff's secretary. Why do they call them secretaries anyways?
"Bernard Madoff's longtime secretary said Wednesday that she believes the disgraced financier is not cooperating with authorities in order to protect others, and that he was a flirtatious boss who frequented massage parlors.
Eleanor Squillari, Madoff's secretary of more than 20 years, told NBC's "Today" that she thinks her former boss carefully orchestrated his arrest and that he's protecting others who might have been involved in his multibillion-dollar scheme by not cooperating with investigators. She declined to speculate as to whom he might be protecting."
[Article] Madoff was naughty
"Bernard Madoff's longtime secretary said Wednesday that she believes the disgraced financier is not cooperating with authorities in order to protect others, and that he was a flirtatious boss who frequented massage parlors.
Eleanor Squillari, Madoff's secretary of more than 20 years, told NBC's "Today" that she thinks her former boss carefully orchestrated his arrest and that he's protecting others who might have been involved in his multibillion-dollar scheme by not cooperating with investigators. She declined to speculate as to whom he might be protecting."
[Article] Madoff was naughty
AIG: Bonuses 4x bigger than reported
Another record year for bonuses! What recession? What depression?
Well isn't that special! AIG bonuses turn out to be 4x higher than reported! Furthermore, let's not mention that these bonuses were for a job well done for much needed essential financial services for our country!
"AIG now says it paid out more than $454 million in bonuses to its employees for work performed in 2008.
That is nearly four times more than the company revealed in late March when asked by POLITICO to detail its total bonus payments. At that time, AIG spokesman Nick Ashooh said the firm paid about $120 million in 2008 bonuses to a pool of more than 6,000 employees.
The figure Ashooh offered was, in turn, substantially higher than company CEO Edward Liddy claimed days earlier in testimony before a House Financial Services Subcommittee. Asked how much AIG had paid in 2008 bonuses, Liddy responded: “I think it might have been in the range of $9 million.”"
[Article] Lying scheming AIG okie-dokies its way into paying much higher bonuses than reported
Well isn't that special! AIG bonuses turn out to be 4x higher than reported! Furthermore, let's not mention that these bonuses were for a job well done for much needed essential financial services for our country!
"AIG now says it paid out more than $454 million in bonuses to its employees for work performed in 2008.
That is nearly four times more than the company revealed in late March when asked by POLITICO to detail its total bonus payments. At that time, AIG spokesman Nick Ashooh said the firm paid about $120 million in 2008 bonuses to a pool of more than 6,000 employees.
The figure Ashooh offered was, in turn, substantially higher than company CEO Edward Liddy claimed days earlier in testimony before a House Financial Services Subcommittee. Asked how much AIG had paid in 2008 bonuses, Liddy responded: “I think it might have been in the range of $9 million.”"
[Article] Lying scheming AIG okie-dokies its way into paying much higher bonuses than reported
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Pig Factory Farming: Was it worth it?
Mega pig farms destroy the environment with pig manure cesspools. The pigs are injected with all kinds of antibodies. Then there's the threat of pig viruses getting out into the population.
Was it worth it? Was all the chaos, fear, and economic damage caused by the swine flu worth saving $.50 on a pack of pork hot dogs or bacon? This swine flu outbreak caused economic losses of billions of dollars to Mexico and othe countries around the world. The pennies saved by consumers on through mass production pig farming techniques by agri-business were lost in a matter of minutes. Penny wise, pound foolish. Maybe paying more for products grown on family farms is a good idea after all?
[Youtube] Flu outbreak on Smithfield's pig farm? Video1 | Video2
.
[Youtube] Factory Hog Farming Part1 | Part2
.
Was it worth it? Was all the chaos, fear, and economic damage caused by the swine flu worth saving $.50 on a pack of pork hot dogs or bacon? This swine flu outbreak caused economic losses of billions of dollars to Mexico and othe countries around the world. The pennies saved by consumers on through mass production pig farming techniques by agri-business were lost in a matter of minutes. Penny wise, pound foolish. Maybe paying more for products grown on family farms is a good idea after all?
[Youtube] Flu outbreak on Smithfield's pig farm? Video1 | Video2
.
[Youtube] Factory Hog Farming Part1 | Part2
.
Farmer Suicides and the Monsanto connection
DEBT IS SLAVERY
Buy organic and buy local is what I say. Buying organic means you didn't give your money to Monsanto and their pesticides like Roundup. It also means they didn't make any money selling GMO seeds. Buying local means your money stays in the community and more of your money ends up in the farmer's pocket instead of that giant conglomerate that owns your supermarket.
I've found a couple of articles that explains how debt ensnarement destroys the farmer. Imagine having to give up your land that has been passed down the generations:
[Article] Debt ensnarement of the farmer by Monsanto
[Article] Dr. Mercola and Monsanto
Buy organic and buy local is what I say. Buying organic means you didn't give your money to Monsanto and their pesticides like Roundup. It also means they didn't make any money selling GMO seeds. Buying local means your money stays in the community and more of your money ends up in the farmer's pocket instead of that giant conglomerate that owns your supermarket.
I've found a couple of articles that explains how debt ensnarement destroys the farmer. Imagine having to give up your land that has been passed down the generations:
[Article] Debt ensnarement of the farmer by Monsanto
[Article] Dr. Mercola and Monsanto
Chrysler: Will NOT repay government bailout loan
Chrysler to NOT repay government bailout loan! How despicable Cerberus! The public helps these companies out and they spit on the benefactor!
I knew it! I knew it! It was a scam! The government loaned all these "companies" money to pay off all the connected insiders. Then the company declares bankruptcy and doesn't have to pay anything back. The big boys leave with the loot and the small guys are left holding an empty bag.
It's going to happen exactly like this with the TARP money and the big banks and AIG. Not to mention the $8 trillion in swapped MBS, CDOs and other worthless garbage that the FED has taken in as collateral! Declare bankrupcty and the company doesn't have to pay anyone back!
[Article] Chrysler to government: Go to hell! We're not paying back your bailout loans!
I knew it! I knew it! It was a scam! The government loaned all these "companies" money to pay off all the connected insiders. Then the company declares bankruptcy and doesn't have to pay anything back. The big boys leave with the loot and the small guys are left holding an empty bag.
It's going to happen exactly like this with the TARP money and the big banks and AIG. Not to mention the $8 trillion in swapped MBS, CDOs and other worthless garbage that the FED has taken in as collateral! Declare bankrupcty and the company doesn't have to pay anyone back!
[Article] Chrysler to government: Go to hell! We're not paying back your bailout loans!
Monday, May 04, 2009
Cindy Sheehan needs our help
Here is the email I received a few days ago from Cindy Sheehan. Her website is CindySheehansSoapbox.com:
May 2, 2009
Dear Friend,
It is so hard for me to ask for help.
My campaign for Congress against Nancy Pelosi may have been a naïve attempt to buck the fraudulent "two" party system and to get someone from SF8 in the House of Representatives that was actually from and for the people, but it was an honest attempt made with the best of intentions and the purest progressive platform from any of the candidates.
We did so many things right and I achieved ballot access against all of the odds, but the system is stacked against challengers or independent/3rd party candidates. If you don't have a trust fund, a political machine behind you or a wealthy husband, getting a place at our nation's political table is nearly impossible.
Since my son died, contrary to what people on the political right, or center have said, I have not done anything to benefit myself. I have not "used Casey's death" to enrich myself. Any money I received in insurance benefits from his death, or any money I earned from book fees or speaking engagements were almost all invested back into the movement for peace and justice, except for my minimal living expenses.
I find myself now in a financial jam along with many of you. During the campaign I went for about 9 months without a paycheck and my speaking agent dumped me because she was afraid of federal retribution. Campaigning is a full-time job, anyway, so a paying job is just not practical. I scrimped and used all of my savings and ran up my visa to the limit to be able to survive until I was able to be paid by the campaign beginning in August after I achieved ballot and oficial candidate status.
However, unbeknownst to me, I was supposed to stop getting a paycheck from the campaign as soon as the election happened (On November, as if the work ends on that day!) but my campaign committee kept paying me, now according to the FEC (Federal Elections Commission), I owe the campaign almost 10,000.00 or will be faced with civil/criminal penalties if I don't pay that money back.
I don't even have an extra 10.00 to give back to the campaign.
My book tour has been great at helping me pay my minimal personal expenses and I am still working really hard for peace and justice (I am writing from Madison, Wi, today). I have been working about 18 hours per day writing, traveling, speaking, doing clerical tasks, and trying to build the communities that we need to strengthen ourselves to be able to survive and thrive through these Robber Class nightmares
For the rest of the summer, I will be visiting about 24 more cities on my Myth America book tour and that tour is paying for itself from generous donations along the way. A seed was planted here in Madison yesterday to have some kind of mass protest in Dallas on August 6 (Hiroshima day and the first day I went to Crawford in 2005) to gather in front of the Bush's new place and try to "citizen's arrest" George Bush.
I cannot pay back the campaign myself, and I can't afford the fines the FEC will levy against me (am already dealing with a 10,000 fine levied against the campaign this week), nor do I want to go to Federal prison (for this), so I am reluctantly and with humility asking for your help. This nightmare has been personal, but the struggle is communal. Ironically, if I am able to pay the campaign back for my salary, which the FEC deems, "Personal use," I will be able to pay the 10,000 fine levied against the campaign.
I have given so much to this country, my son, my health, my money, my relationships, and I don't ask for much back.
Notwithstanding the exclusivity of the 18th Century language of the above quote from Thomas Paine, I am not a "Sunshine Patriot" and I am committed to doing everything in my capacity to fight for and with my fellow humans in this struggle to attain peace, justice, economic equality, environmental sustainability, and security for all, not just the Robber Class.
Paypal: Cindy@CindySheehansSoapbox.com
Check: (mail to):
Cindy Sheehan
55 Chumasero Dr. Ste 5D
San Franscisco, CA. 94132
Credit card: (On website) CindySheehansSoapbox.com
Thank you,
Love & Peace
Cindy
Who else is going to go up against that hack Nancy Pelosi? Who's values are inline with your values? Who's anti-war, anti-FED, anti-patriot act, anti-bailout? Who's fighting for you? Cindy Sheehan.
Once again, her website is CindySheehansSoapbox.com.
May 2, 2009
Dear Friend,
It is so hard for me to ask for help.
My campaign for Congress against Nancy Pelosi may have been a naïve attempt to buck the fraudulent "two" party system and to get someone from SF8 in the House of Representatives that was actually from and for the people, but it was an honest attempt made with the best of intentions and the purest progressive platform from any of the candidates.
We did so many things right and I achieved ballot access against all of the odds, but the system is stacked against challengers or independent/3rd party candidates. If you don't have a trust fund, a political machine behind you or a wealthy husband, getting a place at our nation's political table is nearly impossible.
Since my son died, contrary to what people on the political right, or center have said, I have not done anything to benefit myself. I have not "used Casey's death" to enrich myself. Any money I received in insurance benefits from his death, or any money I earned from book fees or speaking engagements were almost all invested back into the movement for peace and justice, except for my minimal living expenses.
I find myself now in a financial jam along with many of you. During the campaign I went for about 9 months without a paycheck and my speaking agent dumped me because she was afraid of federal retribution. Campaigning is a full-time job, anyway, so a paying job is just not practical. I scrimped and used all of my savings and ran up my visa to the limit to be able to survive until I was able to be paid by the campaign beginning in August after I achieved ballot and oficial candidate status.
However, unbeknownst to me, I was supposed to stop getting a paycheck from the campaign as soon as the election happened (On November, as if the work ends on that day!) but my campaign committee kept paying me, now according to the FEC (Federal Elections Commission), I owe the campaign almost 10,000.00 or will be faced with civil/criminal penalties if I don't pay that money back.
I don't even have an extra 10.00 to give back to the campaign.
My book tour has been great at helping me pay my minimal personal expenses and I am still working really hard for peace and justice (I am writing from Madison, Wi, today). I have been working about 18 hours per day writing, traveling, speaking, doing clerical tasks, and trying to build the communities that we need to strengthen ourselves to be able to survive and thrive through these Robber Class nightmares
For the rest of the summer, I will be visiting about 24 more cities on my Myth America book tour and that tour is paying for itself from generous donations along the way. A seed was planted here in Madison yesterday to have some kind of mass protest in Dallas on August 6 (Hiroshima day and the first day I went to Crawford in 2005) to gather in front of the Bush's new place and try to "citizen's arrest" George Bush.
I cannot pay back the campaign myself, and I can't afford the fines the FEC will levy against me (am already dealing with a 10,000 fine levied against the campaign this week), nor do I want to go to Federal prison (for this), so I am reluctantly and with humility asking for your help. This nightmare has been personal, but the struggle is communal. Ironically, if I am able to pay the campaign back for my salary, which the FEC deems, "Personal use," I will be able to pay the 10,000 fine levied against the campaign.
I have given so much to this country, my son, my health, my money, my relationships, and I don't ask for much back.
Notwithstanding the exclusivity of the 18th Century language of the above quote from Thomas Paine, I am not a "Sunshine Patriot" and I am committed to doing everything in my capacity to fight for and with my fellow humans in this struggle to attain peace, justice, economic equality, environmental sustainability, and security for all, not just the Robber Class.
Paypal: Cindy@CindySheehansSoapbox.com
Check: (mail to):
Cindy Sheehan
55 Chumasero Dr. Ste 5D
San Franscisco, CA. 94132
Credit card: (On website) CindySheehansSoapbox.com
Thank you,
Love & Peace
Cindy
Who else is going to go up against that hack Nancy Pelosi? Who's values are inline with your values? Who's anti-war, anti-FED, anti-patriot act, anti-bailout? Who's fighting for you? Cindy Sheehan.
Once again, her website is CindySheehansSoapbox.com.
Is your Charity Cheating you?
See the ranking of your local charity in charitynavigator.org. Are the efficient? Are they a front to cheat their donors? Check the reviews from other people.
What really stood out to me was the American Red Cross CEO was making $500,000+ per year salary? What the !@#$?
[Link] Charity Navigator
What really stood out to me was the American Red Cross CEO was making $500,000+ per year salary? What the !@#$?
[Link] Charity Navigator
Sunday, May 03, 2009
George Bush Sr: Jeb Bush for President in the future
George Bush Sr. would like to see Jeb Bush as President in the near future.
[Youtube] George Bush Sr: Jeb Bush for President
[Youtube] George Bush Sr: Jeb Bush for President
Howard Zinn: A People's History of American Empire
I finished Howard Zinn's book A People's History of American Empire a few months ago. It is the history that's been conveniently left out of school textbooks. It's written in comic book format. It's a must read!
[Youtube] Howard Zinn: A People's History of American Empire
"There's no one national interest. There's the interest of the President of the United States and the interests of the young person he sends to war. They are different interests, you see. There's the interest of Exxon and Halliburton and there's the interests of the worker, the nurse's aid, the teacher, the factory worker. Those are different interests. Once you recognize that you and the government have different interests, that's a very important step forward in your thinking. ... No, the government is not looking out for your interests. The government has its own interests, and they are not the interests of the people. Not just true in the United States. it's true everywhere around the world. ... That's why governments keep getting overthrown. Because people, at a certain point realize, hey, the government is not serving my interests. That's also why governments lie. ... Why do they lie? ... If they told the truth, they would be out of office."
[Youtube] Howard Zinn: Governments Lie!
[Youtube] Howard Zinn: A People's History of American Empire
"There's no one national interest. There's the interest of the President of the United States and the interests of the young person he sends to war. They are different interests, you see. There's the interest of Exxon and Halliburton and there's the interests of the worker, the nurse's aid, the teacher, the factory worker. Those are different interests. Once you recognize that you and the government have different interests, that's a very important step forward in your thinking. ... No, the government is not looking out for your interests. The government has its own interests, and they are not the interests of the people. Not just true in the United States. it's true everywhere around the world. ... That's why governments keep getting overthrown. Because people, at a certain point realize, hey, the government is not serving my interests. That's also why governments lie. ... Why do they lie? ... If they told the truth, they would be out of office."
[Youtube] Howard Zinn: Governments Lie!
Howard Zinn: Democracy is in the citizenry, not it's government
Howard Zinn in a speach:
"Democracy is not there. Democracy is not in the White House. We can't find democracy in Congress or Supreme Court. This is where democracy is (pointing to the protest crowd)... Places like this all over the country.
[Youtube] Howard Zinn: Democracy is in the citizenry, not it's government
"Democracy is not there. Democracy is not in the White House. We can't find democracy in Congress or Supreme Court. This is where democracy is (pointing to the protest crowd)... Places like this all over the country.
[Youtube] Howard Zinn: Democracy is in the citizenry, not it's government
Friday, May 01, 2009
Danny Gans: Dead at 52
Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans dies in his home at age of 52, from what looks to be breathing problems. There was no sign of foul play. He was the star performer at the Encore casino.
That's too bad, I wanted to go see him. Does anyone know how his show at the Encore was doing?
[Article] Danny Gans dead at 52
That's too bad, I wanted to go see him. Does anyone know how his show at the Encore was doing?
[Article] Danny Gans dead at 52
Dutch Royal Family: The Assasination Attempt 04-30-2009
A guy who lost his job tried to ram his car into the bus in which the Dutch Royal Family was travelling. People in the bus had a horrified look for a few moments. I think we're going to see more of this in the coming future.
[Youtube] Assassination attempt on the Dutch Royal Family (who are in the bus) by unemployed man
[Youtube] Dutch guy rams car into crowd
[Youtube] More footage
[Youtube] Assassination attempt on the Dutch Royal Family (who are in the bus) by unemployed man
[Youtube] Dutch guy rams car into crowd
[Youtube] More footage
Diane Feinstein: Corrupt Hack - Husband gets FDIC contract worth billions.
This is a week old story but I finally have some time to write about it.
The brain stumps of California keep voting this hack in (along with Barbara Boxer), even though she's voted FOR FISA, FOR the Patriot Act, FOR more and more war funding.
Get this: Her husband has made a fortune off war contracts. Well no wonder she voted to start wars and to fund them lavishly!
Wiki Entries:
In 1980, she married Richard C. Blum, an investment banker. In 2003, Feinstein was ranked the fifth-wealthiest senator, with an estimated net worth of $26 million.[6] By 2005 her net worth had increased to between $43 million and $99 million.[7] Her 347-page financial-disclosure statement[8] – characterized by the San Francisco Chronicle as "nearly the size of a phonebook" – draws clear lines between her assets and those of her husband, with many of her assets in blind trusts.[9]
Possible conflicts of interest
Feinstein has received scrutiny for her husband, Richard Blum's, extensive business dealings with China and her past votes on trade issues with the country. Critics have argued that Feinstein's support, as a member of the Senate's Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, of policies that may benefit her husband may raise the appearance of a conflict of interest.[45] Suburban newspaper Metro Silicon Valley reported in 2007 that Blum holds large investments in companies that have won large government contracts without competitive bidding. In April 2007, Feinstein's office denied there was a conflict of interest and stated that her departure from the subcommittee had nothing to do with the reports in the Metro weeklies.
As of December 2006, according to SEC filings and FedSpending.org,[46] three corporations in which Blum's financial entities own a total of $1 billion in stock won considerable favor from the budgets of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Washington Times reported in April 2009 that in October 2008, Feinstein had requested $25 billion in extra federal funding for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which days later granted real estate company Richard Ellis, on which Feinstein's husband serves on the board of directors, a contract to sell foreclosed homes on the FDIC's books.
[Article] Diane Feinstein's husband profitted of the war
And suddenly out of nowhere, her husband buy CB Richard Ellis stocks and they go up 40% because her husband's company got a fat (higher than normal commission laden) contract from the FDIC?
And I'm sure the Feinstein couple needs the millions more on top of their tens of millions they already have.
Talk about corrupt! Where is the outrage? Oh wait, she's a Democrat, so she can't be bad.
Diane Feinstein's husband lands a fat FDIC contract from thin air
The brain stumps of California keep voting this hack in (along with Barbara Boxer), even though she's voted FOR FISA, FOR the Patriot Act, FOR more and more war funding.
Get this: Her husband has made a fortune off war contracts. Well no wonder she voted to start wars and to fund them lavishly!
Wiki Entries:
In 1980, she married Richard C. Blum, an investment banker. In 2003, Feinstein was ranked the fifth-wealthiest senator, with an estimated net worth of $26 million.[6] By 2005 her net worth had increased to between $43 million and $99 million.[7] Her 347-page financial-disclosure statement[8] – characterized by the San Francisco Chronicle as "nearly the size of a phonebook" – draws clear lines between her assets and those of her husband, with many of her assets in blind trusts.[9]
Possible conflicts of interest
Feinstein has received scrutiny for her husband, Richard Blum's, extensive business dealings with China and her past votes on trade issues with the country. Critics have argued that Feinstein's support, as a member of the Senate's Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, of policies that may benefit her husband may raise the appearance of a conflict of interest.[45] Suburban newspaper Metro Silicon Valley reported in 2007 that Blum holds large investments in companies that have won large government contracts without competitive bidding. In April 2007, Feinstein's office denied there was a conflict of interest and stated that her departure from the subcommittee had nothing to do with the reports in the Metro weeklies.
As of December 2006, according to SEC filings and FedSpending.org,[46] three corporations in which Blum's financial entities own a total of $1 billion in stock won considerable favor from the budgets of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Washington Times reported in April 2009 that in October 2008, Feinstein had requested $25 billion in extra federal funding for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which days later granted real estate company Richard Ellis, on which Feinstein's husband serves on the board of directors, a contract to sell foreclosed homes on the FDIC's books.
[Article] Diane Feinstein's husband profitted of the war
And suddenly out of nowhere, her husband buy CB Richard Ellis stocks and they go up 40% because her husband's company got a fat (higher than normal commission laden) contract from the FDIC?
And I'm sure the Feinstein couple needs the millions more on top of their tens of millions they already have.
Talk about corrupt! Where is the outrage? Oh wait, she's a Democrat, so she can't be bad.
Diane Feinstein's husband lands a fat FDIC contract from thin air
Life and Debt: How the IMF destroyed Jamaica
See how the IMF systematically destroys the domestic production in Jamaica. Multiply this by 100s of nations. Ever wondered why illegal immigrants come to the USA for work? It's because subsidized crops from large agribusiness in the USA destroyed Mexican farmers as Mexican citizens bought the cheaper imported subsidised crops.
Anyways, there is an answer to all this! BUY LOCAL, BUY FROM SMALL FARMERS, BUY ORGANIC!! Pay a little more for a more stable domestic economy! The prices won't go up 50% next year either if you support your local small farmer. Buy from the local farmer's market. Click on LocalHarvest.org on the top right and enter your zipcode to find a local farmer's market or farm.
DO NOT LET THE IMF WIN. FIGHT BACK! IT's ECONOMIC WARFARE!
[Youtube] Life and Debt - Globalization and Jamaica
WHHOOOPS!! Looks like the videos got taken down due to copyright infrigement. Well, there's always torrents, right? Try Dailymotion below
[Dailymotion] Life and Debt - Part 1
[Dailymotion] Life and Debt - Part 2
Anyways, there is an answer to all this! BUY LOCAL, BUY FROM SMALL FARMERS, BUY ORGANIC!! Pay a little more for a more stable domestic economy! The prices won't go up 50% next year either if you support your local small farmer. Buy from the local farmer's market. Click on LocalHarvest.org on the top right and enter your zipcode to find a local farmer's market or farm.
DO NOT LET THE IMF WIN. FIGHT BACK! IT's ECONOMIC WARFARE!
[Youtube] Life and Debt - Globalization and Jamaica
WHHOOOPS!! Looks like the videos got taken down due to copyright infrigement. Well, there's always torrents, right? Try Dailymotion below
[Dailymotion] Life and Debt - Part 1
[Dailymotion] Life and Debt - Part 2
Max Keiser: Hedge Funds want Chrysler to file Bankruptcy
Well!! Those dastardly hedge funds will make more money off their bets if Chrysler goes bankrupt! Now isn't that special?
[Youtube] Max Keiser: Hedge Funds want Chrysler bankrupt
[Youtube] Max Keiser: Hedge Funds want Chrysler bankrupt
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