Russian Equipment in the Crimea – 2/25/14

Posted on February 26, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2ptvoXOZDs

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Mortgage Applications Plunge Most In 3 Months; “Purchases” Collapse To 19 Year Lows

Posted on February 26, 2014 by DRenegade

Despite the surge in “seasonally-adjusted new home sales”, un-seasonally-adjusted mortgage applications tumbled 8.5% this week, the biggest drop in 3 months as the modest January bounce has been almost entirely unwound. This pushes the broad MBA mortgage applications index down to near its lowest in 14 years. However, the home-purchase index continues to collapse. Purchase applications are down 30% from their May highs plunging in the last few weeks to their lowest level since 1995. Must be the weather, eh? Or is it like Bob Shiller warned yesterday, the unwind of “bubble thinking,” especially as “gains are slowing from month-to-month and the strongest part of the recovery in home values may be over.”

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Presenting the #1 financial haven for dictators and criminals

Posted on February 26, 2014 by DRenegade

by Simon Black

Pop quiz: When really nasty criminals and dictators want to hide their illicit gains, which country do they go to?

I’ll make this easy for you– multiple choice:

a) Switzerland
b) British Virgin Islands
c) Hong Kong

With all the drama, history, and stigma surrounding Switzerland, most people would choose (A).

Yet over the last few years, Switzerland has worked hard to shed this reputation, even going so far as to propose laws making it easier for them to freeze dictators’ funds.

But in reality, the correct answer to the question is (D), none of the above. It’s the United States of America.

Despite being at the forefront for every other country in the world to eradicate banking privacy, the US government has hardly done a thing about the huge cracks in its own banking system… at least when it comes to foreigners.

Many states ranging from Delaware to New Mexico boast corporate entities that can be completely private, especially for foreign shareholders.

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Putin Launches Military Drill In Western, Central Russia; Ruble Drops To Lowest Since 2009

Posted on February 26, 2014 by DRenegade

Lest it be confused that Russia has somehow forgotten about the Ukraine coup, and that it no longer concerns the bread basket (and key gas pipeline hub) of Europe a core strategic resource, moments ago Russian wire services blasted the following diplomatic summary of Russian bullish grace in a china store:

  • PUTIN ORDERS URGENT COMPREHENSIVE CHECKS OF TROOPS’ COMBAT READINESS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL MILITARY DISTRICTS, AND OF AEROSPACE, AIRBORNE TROOPS, LONG-RANGE AND MILITARY TRANSPORT AVIATION – SHOIGU

Bloomberg adds the following:

  • President Vladimir Putin issued orders to conduct immediate check of combat-readiness of central, western military districts, test of air defense, airborne troops, aviation, Interfax reports, citing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
  • Test began at 2pm local time today: IFX
  • Exercise to be conducted Feb. 26-March 3 in 2 stages
  • Commander-in-chief ordered test of military capability to react to “crisis situations, posing a danger to the country’s military security,” Shoigu is cited as saying
  • Second test phase will include tactical exercises involving Northern, Baltic Fleets

Reuters adds:

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The Constitution Failed

Posted on February 26, 2014 by DRenegade

Constitution_of_the_United_States,_page_1

See additional comments on Tea Party Nation.

Whether the Constitution failed or not, the article below makes a valid point concerning our current conditions. Our founding fathers warned us about the circumvention of the Constitution and the necessity to have a moral people in order to keep our Republic. Unfortunately, those warnings become the very foundation on the destruction of our Liberty by the people who now represent our “government”. Here is one set of warnings from Thomas Jefferson’s newspaper in 1792: Rules for Changing a Limited Republican Government into an Unlimited Hereditary One.

Did the Constitution fail? Of course. It is a contract between the People and a limited federal government: “We the People” are the first three words. The government broke the contract which nullifies the entire document. Once the people allowed the first breach (arguably Marbury v. Madison in 1803), the end result became inevitable. 

Did the Constitution fail? I would submit that the cause of the failure of the Constitution is not the framework but the people. Once the people gave up their natural rights to a federal government, the contract became nothing more than a mandate to enslave us. And there is no other word than slavery to describe the state of anyone who is paying taxes to support a majority of the “people” through entitlements and government workfare.

So how do we regain our Liberty? I once heard an attorney who argued in the U.S. Supreme Court give us one answer. Take the Constitution as written and throw it out the window. Take a blank piece of paper, write down the Constitution as originally written and add the following: THIS TIME WE MEAN IT.

David DeGerolamo

The Constitution Failed

By Ryan McMaken

If you’re still wondering if the US Constitution of 1787 failed to protect liberty, then just look around you. That scrap of parchment is an obvious failure. The US government is the hugest government in the world and meddles in the lives of its citizens (and people worldwide) in every way imaginable. The government accepts no limits on its power whatsoever. The president rules by decree.

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Tepco Says Fukushima Radiation ‘Significantly’ Undercounted

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

Tokyo Electric Power Co. is re-analyzing 164 water samples collected last year at the wrecked Fukushima atomic plant because previous readings “significantly undercounted” radiation levels.

The utility known as Tepco said the levels were undercounted due to errors in its testing of beta radiation, which includes strontium-90, an isotope linked to bone cancer. None of the samples were taken from seawater, the company said today in an e-mailed statement.

“These errors occurred during a time when the number of the samplings rapidly increased as the result of a series of events since last April, including groundwater reservoir leakage and a major leak from a storage tank,” according to the statement.

It will run new tests of the samples taken from April to September 2013 and will publish corrected beta radiation readings. Outside experts were being sought in Japan and internationally to cross-check analysis results and review Tepco’s measurement methods, the company said.

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Lego Politics: Assemble the Perfect Candidate for 2016

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx84jdZ-h7Y

From YouTube:

Trifecta assembles the next president of the United States using nothing but Legos and inspiration from the Lego Movie. Hear about the backstory, character and attitude of the next Lego constructed leader of the free world.

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How to Beat Coming Killer Food Shortages

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

killer-food-shortages-2

 A pipe emerges from dried and cracked earth that used to be the bottom of the Almaden Reservoir on January 28, 2014 in San Jose, California. Now in its third straight year of drought conditions, California is experiencing its driest year on record, dating back 119 years, and reservoirs throughout the state have low water levels. Santa Clara County reservoirs are at 3% of capacity or lower. (Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)

by Holly Deyo

Government has lost its mind. It is no more evident than their decision last week to cut off water to America’s food basket. Squeezed by the worst-ever drought in the state’s history, California is dying of thirst. Crushing news was delivered to farmer’s that no water would be coming from the Federal government. This dreaded decision was compounded by the Sierra Mountains getting just 25% of normal snowpack. There is no water to replenish already dangerously low reservoirs, so no water for farmers.

Despite recent storms, it’s done nothing to alleviate the staggering dryness. California needs snow. Desperately. Down bursts can’t soak into parched, concrete-like soil so it rolls off, unused, into sewers and drainage ditches. Snowpack melts slowly and is easily funneled into reservoirs and sinks into land and eventually groundwater basins.

killer-food-shortages-5

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The Secret Appeal of Politics

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

FREEMANSPERSPECTIVE

politicians

The Internet is full of stories about politicians acting badly and doing the opposite of what they promised. Talk radio is full of the same things, all day, every day. Even around office water coolers, almost everyone will admit that politicians are liars and thieves.

Given all of this, it’s rather bizarre that people still believe and obey the bums. If we knew such things about a neighbor, would we continue to take them seriously?

Yet, for some reason, politicians get a permanent pass on anything stupid they do.

The first reason for this is simply that most people have been bamboozled. They were taught that government is necessary and that without it, we’d all be ignorant savages, eating whatever few berries and roots we could scrounge… that without government nothing would be built, nothing invented, and nothing taught.

That’s all propaganda, of course, paid for by the people it praises. But, it’s what we were all taught and it’s hard for people to let it go, no matter how stupid it is.

The second reason is that people are afraid. We all know why.

None of that, however, is what I want to cover today. Instead, I want to look at the subtle reasons why people can’t let go of “politics.” These reasons are very powerful, but they lie beneath the surface and are harder to identify than self-serving, government-funded BS.

Reason #1: I Can Blame Anyone but Me

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Another Example of Islam as a Peaceful Religion

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

Nigerian Islamists kill 59 pupils in boarding school attack

Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram shot or burned to death 59 pupils in a boarding school in northeast Nigeria overnight, a hospital official and security forces said on Tuesday.

“Some of the students’ bodies were burned to ashes,” Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai said of the attack on the Federal Government college of Buni Yadi, a secondary school in Yobe state, near the state’s capital city of Damaturu.

Bala Ajiya, an official at the Specialist Hospital Damaturu, told Reuters by phone the death toll had risen to 59.

“Fresh bodies have been brought in. More bodies were discovered in the bush after the students who had escaped with bullet wounds died from their injuries,” he said.

Rafai, who had given an earlier estimate of 29 killed, said all those killed were boys. He said the school’s 24 buildings, including staff quarters, were completely burned to the ground.

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North Carolina School District Cutting Substitute Teachers’ Hours Due To ObamaCare

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOIR7dKJ2Qg

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At least they admitted the truth and did not sign the waivers stating that the cuts were not due to Obamacare.

David DeGerolamo

Posted in Editorial, Education | 1 Comment

Ukraine Calls Russia’s Bluff, Slashes Nat Gas Imports By 80%

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

Twice in recent years, Russia has suspended gas supplies, or notably raised prices, as the somewhat well-known “trump card” of Russia’s oil and gas supply to Ukraine (and Europe for that matter) remains Putin’s easiest option for clenching his iron-first against the divided nation. Following a pre-emptive move in November by Ukraine to diversify its energy supply,  Russia had reduced the price of gas for the highly indebted Ukraine in December (to entice Ukraine under Russia’s wing); but, after recent events, Dmitry Medvedev signaled on Monday that the price could be raised again. However, today we find that Ukraine’s state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, has slashed gas imports from Russia’s Gazprom by  stunning 80% in February as Ukraine tries to show Russia it can’t be pushed around… of course, with limited (and more expensive) alternative supplies, we fear this could well shoot them in the foot.

This action is similar to that taken in November (before the EU accession discussion)…

Russia and Ukraine waged two gas wars over prices in the winters of 2006 and 2009 (which lasted 3 weeks) over a claim Ukraine was late in paying.

…

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said that if Gazprom refuses to revise its contract, Ukraine would stop importing gas from Russia. In a step away from energy dependence on Russia, last week Ukraine signed a $10 billion shale gas deal with Chevron.

Ukraine is speeding up its effort to diversify its supply, and has looked at different exporters, fracking, new offshore projects in the Black Sea, as well as new LNG terminals and pipelines to diversify supply. Ukraine imports more than half of its gas from Russia, but under Viktor Yanukovich’s leadership, has intentionally scaled down Gazprom imports 40 percent over ‘unfair prices’.

And now today,

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Devaluing the Mediterranean to Third World Status

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFAtUQAGZrw

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Obama Is Preparing the Military for Martial Law

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8vLon9nIOY#t=12s

h/t Wes R.

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When Will Obama Read the Writing on the Wall?

Posted on February 25, 2014 by DRenegade

022414.jpg

UKRAINIAN EX-PRESIDENTIAL AIDE ANDRIY KLYUEV HAS BEEN WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE, NOT CLEAR IF HE IS WITH YANUKOVICH

Source

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I believe we will be forced to make a choice between an American Revolution and a French Revolution. I pray our decision will be the first step to regaining our morality.

David DeGerolamo

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