tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post4048489286619666077..comments2024-03-28T21:41:52.558-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: China Trade Surplus VanishesDeuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-33294217125959918902012-03-13T23:24:45.464-04:002012-03-13T23:24:45.464-04:00One hell of a night for SANTORUM.
Bob, and his po...One hell of a night for <i>SANTORUM</i>.<br /><br />Bob, and his political insiders from the Brain Trust, now predict, with 83% certainty, that <i>SANTORUM</i> will be the Republican nominee.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-76438223679446880532012-03-13T23:24:41.196-04:002012-03-13T23:24:41.196-04:00One hell of a night for SANTORUM.
Bob, and his po...One hell of a night for <i>SANTORUM</i>.<br /><br />Bob, and his political insiders from the Brain Trust, now predict, with 83% certainty, that <i>SANTORUM</i> will be the Republican nominee.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-42083335671809777042012-03-13T21:50:30.779-04:002012-03-13T21:50:30.779-04:00Update: Romney told CNN earlier that Santorum is a...<i>Update: Romney told CNN earlier that Santorum is at “the desperate end of his campaign.” Right message, wrong target.</i><br /><br />If Santorum comes out on top in both Miss and 'bama, he will have a hell of a lot of fun with this quote.<br /><br />:)Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-68948305046049774462012-03-13T21:50:27.661-04:002012-03-13T21:50:27.661-04:00Update: Romney told CNN earlier that Santorum is a...<i>Update: Romney told CNN earlier that Santorum is at “the desperate end of his campaign.” Right message, wrong target.</i><br /><br />If Santorum comes out on top in both Miss and 'bama, he will have a hell of a lot of fun with this quote.<br /><br />:)Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-87345723004080485322012-03-13T21:28:08.623-04:002012-03-13T21:28:08.623-04:00That was from bob's link FYIThat was from bob's link FYIAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-52141496223045222632012-03-13T21:26:46.571-04:002012-03-13T21:26:46.571-04:00It’s a truism that conventional armies cannot win ...<i>It’s a truism that conventional armies cannot win revolutionary wars—that for all their resources and firepower, they will be defeated by guerrilla insurgencies. This lesson of Vietnam is rarely questioned, but it is false. Under Johnson and Westmoreland we lost a war the establishment said we were winning. Under Abrams and Nixon we won one they said we were losing. The Vietnam war tells us a lot more about American government and popular perception than it does the quest for a victory of arms.</i><br /><br /><i>Conventional armies can easily defeat revolutionary ones if they adapt to their means and methods. (We did it in Afghanistan in 2001, for instance.) <b>Our armies lose, though, because our governments are incapable of pursuing victory in revolutionary war—which requires the methods that built the great colonial empires and are no longer palatable to the society that our wealth and relativism have created.</b></i><br /><br />-Robert Messenger (2010)<br /><br />Sounds like fighting words to me. At a minimum, he is faulting government, the modern incarnation. At most, he is condemning all of this country - institutions, culture, and people - for evolving in a direction that does not support colonialism; use of "relativism" strongly suggesting an anti-progressive bias. Somewhere in the middle is an ill-defined argument for nation-building.<br /><br />McChrystal has a point:<br /><br /><i>Caution and cynicism are safe, but soldiers don’t want to follow cautious cynics. They follow leaders who believe enough to risk failure or disappointment for a worthy cause.</i><br /><br />That kind of brings us back full circle to the hated Powell Doctrine.<br /><br />It would be the height of absurdity to assume that the various war colleges and war gaming institutions have not studies the required intersections suggested by the DIME acronym. So optimal strategies are abandoned why?<br /><br />The ME was and is all about money - and oil. I do not believe that the role of religion will become fully apparent until the historical dust settles, but my guess is that the final assessment will include something along the lines of religious conflict as an excuse to further the revolutionary objectives of archaic societies under pressure to self-sustain in a world for which they were not prepared. When all else fails, fight. What more enduring incentive than a god?<br /><br />All of which is a springboard off of Desert Rat's contention that the Mad Mullahs intentionally attacked with the sole purpose of financially draining the Great Satan by permanently planting their military in the desert sands of the ME. I am not completely convinced, but there is little doubt in my mind that *some entity* wanted USA "over there."<br /><br />Shorter version is that I agree with Rufus - out tomorrow. I remember Trish used to post too-cryptic-for-me reasons why USA military presence was important but my IQ digits didn't wrap around the argument. Then again, I note, as wretchard recently admitted, there is much about 9/11 that will never be made public during our lifetimes. Major Cypher.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-23257045245751427762012-03-13T21:25:26.519-04:002012-03-13T21:25:26.519-04:00Garment, footwear and electronics manufacturers op...<i>Garment, footwear and electronics manufacturers operating in Indonesia from South Korea, Taiwan and Japan say they are now thinking of taking their factories elsewhere. Some said they fear more wage increases as local politicians try to win votes in elections scheduled over the next two years.<br /><br />"The government is forcing us to accept this" higher minimum wage, said Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Employers' Association of Indonesia, which is one of Indonesia's largest business associations and has been involved with the wage negotiations. "Some [foreign] companies are telling me they will leave now."<br /><br />But with wages now rising in so many places at once, unhappy companies may have few places to escape.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-51540059964530667292012-03-13T20:21:03.555-04:002012-03-13T20:21:03.555-04:00Girl Prank<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwXq9SeBi9k" rel="nofollow">Girl Prank</a>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-58771471377540579182012-03-13T20:11:20.961-04:002012-03-13T20:11:20.961-04:00Really Good Article About France and Vietnam<a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/theirs-do-and-die?page=1" rel="nofollow">Really Good Article About France and Vietnam</a>Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-86525454388097400632012-03-13T20:11:17.367-04:002012-03-13T20:11:17.367-04:00Really Good Article About France and Vietnam<a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/theirs-do-and-die?page=1" rel="nofollow">Really Good Article About France and Vietnam</a>Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04145155737835511824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-92150331122806429982012-03-13T20:02:03.476-04:002012-03-13T20:02:03.476-04:00Rebuild A Jeep Under 4 Minutes<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=lgwF8mdQwlw&feature=player_embedded" rel="nofollow">Rebuild A Jeep Under 4 Minutes</a>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-91480824584678840632012-03-13T19:52:09.596-04:002012-03-13T19:52:09.596-04:00On this day in 2008, gold prices on the New York M...<i>On this day in 2008, gold prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit $1,000 an ounce for the first time ever.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-25367832007357019392012-03-13T19:43:23.348-04:002012-03-13T19:43:23.348-04:00Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "If David Ca...<i>Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "If David Cameron and George Osborne are going to spend the week before the Budget in America, they should use the trip to ask President Obama for some economic advice.<br /><br />"While Britain's economy has stalled and unemployment has reached a 17-year high, the US economy is strengthening and the jobless rate has come down to a three-year low.<br /><br />"The US government's more balanced and steady approach to deficit reduction up to now means they have more than recovered all the output lost in the global recession, while in Britain we are still almost 4% below our pre-crisis peak."</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-73884256217649418882012-03-13T19:40:04.681-04:002012-03-13T19:40:04.681-04:00Regardless of who wins, the rules of delegate allo...<i>Regardless of who wins, the rules of delegate allocation virtually guarantee that nobody will be walking away with a major haul from either state. Thus, this battle, while interesting by itself, is likely to reinforce the dominant theme that has emerged in the 2012 primary: Mitt Romney is not the runaway consensus choice of his party, but he's ahead in the delegate count and has a major structural advantage.<br /><br />Today’s result should also buttress the widespread belief that Gingrich’s campaign has become quixotic. Pulling less than 40 percent in the Deep South – which is Gingrich’s home region and full of voters who are most inclined to his candidacy – would be yet another signal that his campaign has run out of steam.<br /><br />Whether or not he drops out is a different matter altogether, but a weak showing in Alabama and Mississippi (even if he manages narrow victories in both states) will reinforce the idea that he has no viable path to the nomination.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-11317615631544532752012-03-13T18:55:55.820-04:002012-03-13T18:55:55.820-04:00The Federal Reserve on Tuesday cleared the way for...<i>The Federal Reserve on Tuesday cleared the way for many of the nation's biggest banks to raise dividends and buy back shares as it released the results of its latest round of "stress tests."<br /><br />Yet four financial companies were singled out because they would struggle to maintain key capital ratios during an adverse economic and financial backdrop: Citigroup Inc., SunTrust Banks Inc., MetLife Inc. and Ally Financial Inc.</i>samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11856051164644278989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-23206890569933933172012-03-13T18:27:57.584-04:002012-03-13T18:27:57.584-04:00Wha'd I miss? :)Wha'd I miss? :)Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-24953103235681229332012-03-13T18:21:12.730-04:002012-03-13T18:21:12.730-04:00??Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-79890837768241236002012-03-13T17:37:03.704-04:002012-03-13T17:37:03.704-04:00No irony for you south of the Mason-Dixon line :-)...No irony for you south of the Mason-Dixon line :-)Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-22130350884116314092012-03-13T17:36:04.184-04:002012-03-13T17:36:04.184-04:00cool.cool.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-48323502855345758312012-03-13T17:34:57.542-04:002012-03-13T17:34:57.542-04:00From Rockman at TOD:
aws - Yep. Just yesterday I ...From Rockman at TOD:<br /><br /><i>aws - Yep. Just yesterday I killed another NG drilling prospect I had budgeted for this year. Even with our success rate there comes a point when it's better to just keep the capex in the bank. Even though we're getting great prices (usually La. Light Sweet) for condensate the bulk of the production is NG. But it's an old cycle that won't be denied. It will take a few years for the production drop to show up after this price collapse. Given how much of the current NG market is from shale plays with high decline rates the fall off in production may be much great than some anticipate.</i>Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-73712373484967830562012-03-13T16:11:31.776-04:002012-03-13T16:11:31.776-04:00There it is - nice round even number.<a href="http://www.superawesomepics.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Panter.jpg" rel="nofollow">There it is - nice round even number.</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-90048611488461054232012-03-13T16:07:26.330-04:002012-03-13T16:07:26.330-04:00Celebrity Convictions:
A trip to the big house wo...<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/73863.html" rel="nofollow">Celebrity Convictions:</a><br /><br /><i>A trip to the big house would be humbling for anyone, but it is a particularly degrading ordeal for a man who until a short while ago dreamed of being president. To find out what Blagojevich can expect inside, POLITICO talked with ex-pols who served time behind bars about how best the disgraced 55-year-old Chicago native can survive prison.</i><br /><br /><i>And nothing will be more difficult than the first day, they said.</i><br /><br />...<br /><br /><i>Cianci, who continues to maintain his innocence, said, “I mean, there is life after death.”</i><br /><br />14 years seems a bit much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-81527924917441705912012-03-13T16:01:48.100-04:002012-03-13T16:01:48.100-04:00The race is on:
The Obama administration needs to...<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73412.html" rel="nofollow">The race is on:</a><br /><br /><i>The Obama administration needs to win over at least one conservative Supreme Court justice to save its health care reform law and it’s pulling out the stops to get one.</i><br /><br />...<br /><br /><i>A long shot? Maybe, but it’s the only shot the administration has on a court dominated 5-4 by conservatives.</i><br /><br /><i>Here’s the pitch they’re making to Kennedy, Roberts and Scalia ...</i><br /><br />Scalia has nine kids.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-59922221560239467222012-03-13T15:01:00.010-04:002012-03-13T15:01:00.010-04:00It's the CDS exposure not the debt, but the be...It's the CDS exposure not the debt, but the bets on the debt:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article33140.html" rel="nofollow">The Money Masters are Living in Fear:</a><br /><br /><i>If you look at the highlighted area, you will see that the total value of Credit Default Swaps for 2011 is a staggering $32,409 BILLION dollars! That is $32 TRILLION, with a “T”! To put this into perspective the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States in 2010 — the total value of all the goods and services generated in the entire country that year — was $14.6 trillion. The amount of credit default swaps held by the banks dwarfs the entire economic output of the United States. There is no way in hell that these banks could ever pay even a small fraction of these claims. The TOTAL amounts of derivatives is a staggering $707 TRILLION plus a measly few hundred billion more. This entire system is a house of cards just waiting for a single card to fall. There is not enough money on this planet to cover these contracts.</i><br /><br /><i>A report by the Comptroller of the Currency has the nation’s five largest banks — JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, HSBC, and Goldman Sachs — holding nearly 95 percent of the industry’s total exposure to derivatives contracts. This means the 5 largest banks are on the hook for over $30,000 billion for just the CDS they issued.</i><br /><br />So when Jamie Dimon flips a "Whatever" in the general direction of Greece, it's hard to imagine what he's thinking. Unless the game is rigged.<br /><br /><a href="http://english.pravda.ru/business/finance/21-02-2012/120566-greece_wall_street-0/" rel="nofollow">How Greece Could Take Down Wall Street:</a><br /><br /><i>It could, at least, unless the casino is rigged. Whether a "credit event" is a "default" triggering a payout is determined by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), and it seems that the ISDA is owned by the world's largest banks and hedge funds. That means the house determines whether the house has to pay.</i><br /><br />It's morbidly fascinating. Staring into the abyss.<br /><br />Ann Barnhardt thinks that the MF Global event was an attempt to take over the CME. Ann is a little too far out in the deep end for me, but one can't help but share a sense of pending disaster, which I hear in the strident ideological warfare as Washingtonians position themselves for the coming shock wave(s).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-15452809793220341172012-03-13T14:43:13.508-04:002012-03-13T14:43:13.508-04:00Rufus: The thing is, there are so many things shoo...<b>Rufus:</b> <i>The thing is, there are so many things shooting at the economy, it almost seems unreasonable to think that "something" isn't going to hit it.</i><br /><br />Oil stocks are so TwenCen.<br /><br /><b>Apple (AAPL) stock continues to soar into the stratosphere, finally closing on Monday at $552.00 a share, which is an all-time record for the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer company. Monday's high now puts Apple's market cap over $514 billion, which now exceeds Exxon's market cap -- the No. 2 company, currently standing at $403 billion -- by more than $100 billion.</b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com