Sunday, May 17, 2009

Take Your Pick: "Plummet" or "Plunge"

From Jenna Orkin:

Europe
Eurozone Economy Suffers Dramatic Plunge
Europe in Deepest Recession Since War as Germany Suffers
Witnesses Say Police Posed as G-20 Protesters (from Rice Farmer)
Switzerland: Foreign Worker Numbers May be Cut (from Rice Farmer)

US
Five Economic Storms Raging Now! (from Rice Farmer)
480 Trucking Companies Go Out of Business in First Quarter
An indication of the depth of the recession. If the trucks ain't rolling, the goods ain't being bought.
Freddie Mac Loses $9.9 Billion (from Rice Farmer)
GM, Chrysler, to Cut Up to 3000 Dealers
Crude Defies Bearish Report
Carlyle Group Pays $20 Million to End Cuomo Inquiry
A little more than 1% (one seventy-fifth) of the amount ($1.5 billion) they manage for pensions.
Go-Between Tied Funds to Carlyle
SEC Lawyers Probed for Insider Trading
New York City Official is Obama Pick for CDC
Any New Yorkers who are cheering about this have short memories. Commissioner of the City's Department of Health since January, 2002, Frieden led its efforts to support the lies and bogus cleanup of the EPA following 9/11.
Swine Flu Not an Accident from a Lab, WHO Says
Doth they protest too much?
Mexican Data Say Migration to US Has Plummeted
A Leader of Veterans Exposed as a Fraud
A casual reader scanning the headlines might be excused for believing that this guy actually was a veteran. But no. He was posing as one and in the process of achieving some real goals for veterans, (the guy had some altruistic impulses along with narcissistic ones) ultimately smeared them.

However, the terms of the headline do their share to undermine the reputation of veterans and further the cause of whittling away their scant benefits.
For First Time, More Americans Now "Pro-Life" than "Pro-Choice"
GOP's Jon Huntsman To Be Ambassador to China
Dr. Rand Paul (Son of Guess Whom) to Run for Senate
Buffett Scoops Up Bank, Railroad Stocks (from Rice Farmer)

Torture/War
New Iraq Prison Abuse Photographs
Warning: this slideshow contains graphic and disturbing images.
CIA Rebuffs Cheney Over Interrogation Documents
Cheney Suggested Waterboarding Iraqi Prisoner
US House Approves Iraq/Afghanistan Funding
House appropriations chairman, Democrat David Obey reiterated his concern about the possibility of achieving real success in Afghanistan. "I have a profound doubt that he can succeed. Not because of any problem with his policy, but because I am dubious that there are the tools available in that region for us to succeed using any policy," he said.

KUCINICH: This supplemental [bill] keeps us involved in Iraq and it sets up an un-ending occupation of Afghanistan."

Russia
Russia Unveils New National Security Strategy (from Rice Farmer)
Russia to Charge NASA $51 Million Per Space Flight

Middle East/Asia
Saudi Must Rein in Soaring Power Consumption
India Sends Foreign Workers Back Home (from Rice Farmer)
Japan, Canada, Ink Deal on Air Force Refueling
Blurring the Boundaries: Genders Merging
First step, vegetarianism. Next thing you know, he's worrying about his nail polish.

Climate Change
Climate Change Could Speed Up as Pollution Decreases
From the Ronald Reagan "Trees pollute" and the G.W. Bush "Bring 'em on" school of environmental science.
A Market in Forests?
"Each year a forest the size of Bavaria disappears."

And...
Folk Songs of the Far Right Wing

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re: the new Gallup poll concerning the percentage of Americans claiming to be pro-life. In any statistical measure, there is a factor called "standard error of measurement", whereby the true result of an inquiry is considered to be between 2 percentage points above or below the results obtained. They could have called people predomininantly conservative areas this time. Just like with the last two election results, 50% is such a handy number. All it takes is a few votes/respondants to throw the outcome. Now we can expect some kind of government ruling on abortion because now a "majority" of Americans are against it, right? Some pundit was saying statistics show the elderly are faring well in the current economy. Get ready for cuts in programs for seniors. Some kid at K-Mart told me that the bank officials getting the bailout bonuses really deserve them because they're all just poor little old men who essentially work for nothing. It's all in how you spin the data.

Pandabonium said...

Mike - I hope the earthquake did no more to you than topple a few books.

Speaking of books, your earth shaking "A Presidential Energy Policy" arrived today. Well laid out and very readable. A clever format for getting the message across to anyone. Thanks! I'm continuing to send gift copies.

businessman said...

I always liked the quote I heard that said, "78% of statistics are made up."

los doggies said...

Hey there!!!
I'm still waiting on my Presidential Energy Policy book which I ordered over a fortnight ago, without any confirmation save for my bank account being depleted. Hmm, the official page has been down for a while now, and I believe Mike's facebook page has also vanished. Does anyone care about any of this? You guys make it really hard to be your biggest fan. I just wish someone would let me know if my books will ever come?

HAS ANYONE OUT THERE RECEIVED THE BOOK FROM RUBICONWORKS?

Really pathetic.

Jenna Orkin said...

los doggies

yes some people have received their copies as they've reported in comments here.

the last update i got was that some glitches are getting ironed out. neither mcr nor i have received our copies but we have no doubt we will. mcr reports reasons to be v. optimistic about this book. details to follow.

F.Kamilov said...

This "lady men" phenomenon is not at all abnormal! In English, the word "cissy" or "sissy" is used to describe it; in the post-WW2 or "postmodern" globalised western world which is "high" on its pertroleum "fix" among several other drugs - such behaviours are mostly caused by postmodern proclivities and outlooks. They flourish because of the liberal, politically correct attitudes regarding such abberations or deviations. But then such deviations are normal everywhere in the world - and have been since time immemorial.
An interesting case is that of the Indian subcontinent's ancient society, towards which many in your part of the world look for wisdom. Here, "lady men" or "ladettes" practically form a separate social caste, called "Hijras" (or "Eunuchs"). In the tribal and feudal days of old, when alpha men dominated and dictated every aspect of human social life and women were kept separate - as they still do in a lot of places like in traditional eastern and Muslim societies - these hijras used to be employed as guards and servants in the "zenana" or ladies' quarters of the houses and palaces; this was because the jealous males in authority were confident in knowing that their suppressed female relations could not have secret sex with these neuter gender wretches. Nowadays, the hijra caste still exists, and hires itself out in society by singing and dancing as substitutes for females at marriages and other happy occasions. This is especially so in societies like the Afghan where women are kept segregated and permanently secluded, so the men there make do with songs and dances by these "substitute women"! To me, such attitudes are the height of perversion, but to you "postmodern" guys it may not be, since you seem to accept and defend anything.

kiki said...

when i think of all the work Mike has done, how many years he has continued the work - how much time and energy he has spent sharing with all of us - how much misery he has continued to press on through - how much work Jenna does - how many contributions by so many others - well, a few glitches aren't going to dismay me - my gratitude continues unabated - hugs for Mike, Jenna, rags and all my fellow contributors to this blog :-)

Jenna Orkin said...

los doggies:

mcr has asked that you send me your address so he can send you an autographed copy of the book.

my email is jennakilt@aol.com

Pandabonium said...

Ladylike men in Japan? Don't worry about me! 'Cause I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK!

John Kelty said...

Brazil and China eye plan to axe dollar

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/996b1af8-43ce-11de-a9be-00144feabdc0.html

agape wins said...

I pre-ordered my three books on the 30th, it took about 3 wks, & they arrived "overnight". It seems to be huge backorder/communication glitch.
Now with everything down communication is out, we need a show of hands, ya or nay on delivery, and any other problems, We want the system to work as flawlessly as possible, it will encourage repeat orders, I ordered 3 copy's through a local bookstore, they said the link to wholesale was confusing, with the discount eaten up by the shipping; they ordered through Amazon, & advised me to order on line in the future!! So much for keeping everything local, business', money, & jobs. there has to be a place & time to return home, see this link:

http://article.wn.com/view/2009/05/13/Environmental_alarms_raised_over_consumer_electronics/

Mike covers this in APEP, I have been prepared for years; now I know how ill prepared I really am!!

"We" each of "US" has to choose when to take charge of the future/release the Dead,dying past!

I checked with my library about the copy I took them, & was informed it normally took 3 to 5
MONTHS to process new books, they said because of it's relevance, they "would try" to speed things
up.

I purchased a Kindle, now I must decide which, technology or print, is more destructive of our future.
What do I destroy for my selfishness/convenience; how much does this convenience for others damage "MY" future, is this my Mushroom cloud? Amae/Dependency.

agape wins said...

F.Kamilov,

Again the East/West thought process difference, I think I get what you are saying, but you are dwelling too much in the past,
humans have, & are still evolving. I think of myself as more Female/right Brain than Alpha/Macho Male.
My brain development took place when most men were off to war, my exposure was to the Right Brain Mindset.
Therefore I never developed a Superior attitude.

"In the tribal and feudal days of old, when alpha men dominated and dictated every aspect of human social life and women were kept separate - as they still do in a lot of places like in traditional eastern and Muslim societies."

Women, & Children who should be, & are capable of rational decision, are still "property" in the minds of otherwise intelligent males. They are still underpaid , Circumcised/militated, abused, & sometimes Murdered while Society looks the other way.

"To me, such attitudes are the height of perversion, but to you "postmodern" guys it may not be, since you seem to accept and defend anything."

"Sissy", "Gay", "Socialist", "Conservative", "perversion", & even "postmodern", are morphing as we write, taking on different
meanings; even in different areas of the USA!
In times past, Energy/power was defined by the size of of your "Tool", that day is gone, thank GOD.
The most prized "Eunuch's" were those capable of Satisfying/teaching the harem,yet producing no offspring, some
were more dedicated to their "Hijas", than their "Husband". There Defiantly are " neuter gender wretches" today,
they fill a "nitch", if you will, & do more than "sing & Dance"!
If you eliminate everyone who is different than you, what HELL would you have?
Yours for clearer understanding of our total Dependency!

Anonymous said...

Mike and Jenna, I got my book through Amazon within four-five days after ordering. I'm half-way through. Polished off the chapter on agriculture. Gulp! My gut feelings were grim about our near future. It was confirmed. "Eating Fossil Fuels" is one of the most compelling essays I've ever read regarding agriculture. Thank you for including it. So much to digest. The book is like a middleweight fight. Lots of punches and action. On top of all the grim facts and stats of our topsoil depletion, peak oil, and increasing population, also figure in fewer and fewer farmers each year. That will add to our increasing problem of feeding everyone. We should all be growing our own food. I also anticipate a huge reduction of livestock, mainly cattle as they eat far more than other meat. Will we become more herbivorous rather than carnivorous out of need or out of necessity? Hmm.

businessman said...

There are only nine customer reviews of Mike's book on Amazon.com as of right now. Since Amazon represents such a tremendous amount of book volume, get over there and write a review if you've read Mike's book.

Jenna Orkin said...

friends

PLEASE don't send in your comments three, four or five times.

you know who you are.

ecosutra said...

What do you all think of my press kit release letter, this is the first one sent.

"Available June 1st"

I want to make this most important announcement. My name is Russell Berns, and I have produced a Permaculture Design Course with Geoff Lawton - 50 hours of Permaculture instruction from perhaps the most significant ecologist of our time.  This design course will be instrumental in preparing people for the transition toward sustainability as we reach the the looming global environmental, social and economic tipping points of our time.

If you have not heard of Permaculture, it is a movement that is now feeding more people than Food Aid around the world. It a design science which repairs landscape while creating a sustainable soil for all to live.  For more information about Permaculture, please visit my website at http://www.ecosutra.com.
 
The urgency to spread this message increases with each and every day.  With the corporations and multinational news agencies misdirecting humanity with their own agendas, the struggle to bring this message mainstream continues unabated.]
 
Please direct your audience to the Permaculture Research institute, and help facilitate this transformational movement which has the potential not only to radically improve the quality of millions of lives, but to reverse the dangerous course of life on earth in general.

sunrnr said...

MI ordered mine pre-sale from RubiconWorks.com and received it within 7 days, no problem.

Taken in context with the postings Jenna keeps digging up makes things almost surreal at this point.

I'm ordering another one and sending it to President Obama.

Yikes!

Namaste

Gustav said...

Japan:
"Somehow, somebody decided to start this epidemic in very rich countries ... This helped all of us," said Health Minister Viliami Tangi. Japan openly claims, that the Swine-flu was intentionally released?

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE54F1WL20090518?feedType=nl&feedName=ushealth1100&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Paul Davis said...

Hi Jenna,

This news link is not quite the "returning home to die" that Mike predicted by close enough:

The pain in Spain proves too much as expat Britons pack their bags

tony said...

The Global Food Crisis
The End of Plenty
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/06/cheap-food/bourne-text

"It is the simplest, most natural of acts, akin to breathing and walking upright. We sit down at the dinner table, pick up a fork, and take a juicy bite, obliv­ious to the double helping of global ramifications on our plate. Our beef comes from Iowa, fed by Nebraska corn. Our grapes come from Chile, our bananas from Honduras, our olive oil from Sicily, our apple juice—not from Washington State but all the way from China. Modern society has relieved us of the burden of growing, harvesting, even preparing our daily bread, in exchange for the burden of simply paying for it. Only when prices rise do we take notice. And the consequences of our inattention are profound."

zeusij said...

I passed by a newspaper stand today and saw a front page story on reduction cuts and department mergers for our local police departments here in virgina.

Sebastian Ernst Ronin said...

Green Parties: A Shade of Bilderberg

On October 11, 2008 I published a post entitled Green Caveat Emptor. From the post: "Due to the Green global political agenda, what is most disturbing is the likelihood of the movement being a patsy for the Bilderberg Group."

With the global mandate of the Greens as per the Global Greens Charter, it was fair hypothetical comment to make. The hypothesis is now fact. On the list of attendees for Bilderberg 2009 held last week in Greece appears the name of Cem Ozdemir, Co-Leader of the German Green Party. One has to wonder if Mr. Ozdemir found himself seated beside Henry Kissinger and if their chit-chat may have touched upon the notion of useless eaters.

As things would have it, one day prior to gaining this knowledge I had just fired up a new Forum called Black Greens (with parallel blog) with the following mission tangents: Anarcho-Libertarian Roots, Post-Peak Oil Collapse, Life Boat Politics, Rough vs. Smooth Transition, Decentralization, Re-localization, Federal Party Censure, Bioregional Secession.

I guess there are no accidents and everything is always right on schedule. Nature carries a simple rule: adapt or perish. If NAmerican Greens can continue to embrace their political naivety is doubtful.

businessman said...

Something bizarre is happening today at Amazon.com. When I search under "Michael Ruppert" or "A Presidential Energy Policy", Michael's books appear way down on the list.

It used to be that when I searched under just "Michael Ruppert", both "A Presidential Energy Policy" and "Crossing the Rubicon" would come up at the top of the list, but that's not happening now.

I'm hoping this is just a temporary glitch in their system.

juanito68 said...

Los Doggies: i'm in the same case then you. I order it around April 30th!
When i wrote to them last week, they told me it should arrive by Friday. Which it hasn't yet. Like you, they already charge me for the book...
I'm confident but i will have been quicker to buy it at the bookstore...

zeusij said...

I had the same problem when I preorded my books. But I wrote to the company and they told me they should arrive middle of last week. And sure enough they did. I found it to be a good read and have given the other copies away. One person who i gave it to and read it is still lost. He still doesn't believe Peak anything and it didn't spark his interest enough to dig deeper. I am hopeful that the other copies I gave out have more luck.

Pandabonium said...

Gustav - Viliami Tangi is the Health Minister for Tonga, not Japan. The way the article was written makes it easy to misunderstand that point.

Odd comment just the same.