COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Saturday, February 01, 2014

Chink Ching


Currency crisis at Chinese banks 'could trigger global meltdown’

A rise in foreign funding at China's banks poses a threat for international lenders

9:30PM GMT 01 Feb 2014

The growing problems in the Chinese banking system could spill over into a wider financial crisis, one of the most respected analysts of China’s lenders has warned.

Charlene Chu, a former senior analyst at Fitch in Beijing and now the head of Asian research at Autonomous Research, said the rapid expansion of foreign-currency borrowing meant a crisis in China’s financial system was becoming a bigger risk for international banks.

“One of the reasons why the situation in China has been so stable up to this point is that, unlike many emerging markets, there is very, very little reliance on foreign funding. As that changes, it obviously increases their vulnerability to swings in foreign investor appetite,” said Ms Chu in an interview with The Telegraph.

Ms Chu has been warning since 2009 about the growth of a shadow banking system in China that has helped fuel the credit expansion seen in the country in the wake of the Western financial crisis.

However, fears are growing that the build-up of foreign borrowing by the Chinese, particularly in US dollars, is creating an even greater build-up of risk than that seen before the crisis of 2008.

Related Articles
  1. The $15 trillion shadow over Chinese banks 01 Feb 2014
  2. Currency wars loom as 'hot money' retreats 01 Feb 2014
  3. Emerging market stocks suffer huge sell-off 31 Jan 2014

Figures published by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in October showed foreign currency loans booked in China, as well as cross-border borrowing by Chinese companies, had reached $880bn (£535bn) as of March 2013, from $270bn in 2009.

Analysts say this figure is now likely to exceed $1 trillion and is continuing to grow, raising the prospect of the potentially dangerous vulnerability of the Chinese financial system to a rising dollar.

“It is very hard to work out the exposures of individual banks to the Chinese financial system, but it seems to us there are some very large numbers on some of the bank’s balance sheets,” said the analyst.

“Without a doubt, that has been on the rise [foreign currency borrowing] and was really starting to grow fast in the latter half of last year and it’s only going to continue. For the time being, it is only a fraction compared to the massive size of the financial sector, but still we’re talking about a growing amount of funding coming from offshore sources,” she said.
“You look at the exposure numbers from the BIS and the Hong Kong banks . .. you’re going to encounter a few [foreign] institutions that are going to have a sizeable exposure to China.”

George Magnus, senior independent economist at UBS, said the Chinese banking system resembled that of Japan during the 1980s in the years leading up to the country’s financial crash.

“If the dollar were to appreciate it could cause problems for those banks that have borrowed in dollars. Anywhere you have a banking system that uses a non-domestic currency, there is a possibility of a mismatch that could cause issues when the value of your liabilities runs away from you,” said Mr Magnus.


The BIS figures show foreign-currency loans are already at a decade high, though the body said there was no reason this should mean there was a “currency mismatch”.

163 comments:

  1. The "China is Blowin' Up" guys have got to be right, some day.


    Probly not T'day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, good to hear from you, Deuce.

      Tell us about your trip.

      Delete
    2. Yes did you visit the Normandy Cemetery? Did you visit Bremen?

      Delete
  2. Analysts say this figure is now likely to exceed $1 trillion and is continuing to grow, raising the prospect of the potentially dangerous vulnerability of the Chinese financial system to a rising dollar.


    the fed has printed, in the last 5 years over 18 TRILLION in dollars, in fact ole Ben's leaving the Fed with a record balance sheet of 4 trillion dollars. Quantitative easing is now at 65 billion a MONTH it begs the question...

    If China holds about 1 trillion dollars in US debt who cares?

    ReplyDelete
  3. QuirkSat Feb 01, 07:21:00 PM EST
    .

    Since this post was repeated from above I guess that means it's pretty important. But frankly, I assumed that it merely describes the plan that was there all along.


    Sorry for the repetition, but my computer failed to show a first successful posting.

    As to importance, I think so. You are entitled to your own feelings.

    ...goodness, a 6,000,000 person hegemon, which would include several million children and old folks...Hmm...Even Frederick the Great could not have pulled that off. Jews are good but not that good.

    Augustine and Aquinas both set out "just war" theories. Neither required a man to stand idly by after being threatened with attack and wait for his adversary to finish sharpening his sword. Both Augustine and Aquinas thought themselves pacifists (other than with heretics) and considered the ancient Christian pacifism preferable (turn the other cheek). Neither were fools, however, and knew that war was innate to H. sapiens. Their hope was to keep the carnage within morally defendable limits.

    Many of the early Zionists had hoped, with French and British oversight, to create in Palestine a multi-national state, where "Mohammedans", Christians, and Jews could live within a democratic republic. The practitioners of Islam quickly disabused them of such naiveté.



    On topic, I brought up the fragility of the Chinese banking system several weeks ago when trying to determine why the PLA had decided on its current bellicose actions in the Western Pacific. In my opinion, there is some disconnect between the PLA and the Party. China still does not have the strategic depth to successfully pursue its ambitions. Awaking to vigor the muted sense of Japanese superiority, while ill prepared, was imprudent.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It has been reported that as much as 40% of Chinese growth in infrastructure has been accomplished by Chinese quantitative easing of the yuan and questionable lending to select, connected developers...

    It's going to be interesting...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deuce,

    Welcome back to bedlam. In your stead, Teresita, Ash, and WiO did a commendable job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had just posted another'un and saw that Deuce was back, so I deleted it.

      Delete
    2. Well, you done a good job, Teresita.

      Delete
  6. Samurai Battle March

    Kodo - Spirit of Taiko

    Although the basic purposes of Kabuki are to entertain and to allow the actors to demonstrate their skills, there is a didactic element, an ideal represented by the notion of kanzen-chōaku (“reward the virtuous and punish the wicked”). Thus, the plays often present conflicts involving such religious ideas as the transitory nature of the world (from Buddhism), and the importance of duty (from Confucianism), as well as more general moral sentiments. Tragedy occurs when morality conflicts with human passions. Structurally, the plays are typically composed of two or more themes in a complex suji (plot), but they lack the strong unifying element for which Western drama strives. Kabuki plays include a variety of intermingled episodes which develop toward a final dramatic climax.

    Despite the ease with which it can assimilate new forms, Kabuki is a very formalized theatre. It retains numerous conventions adapted from earlier forms of theatre that were performed in shrines and temples.


    ...novelty is good...perfection is best...

    ReplyDelete
  7. allenSat Feb 01, 04:32:00 PM EST
    High Speed Threat
    Pentagon intelligence official says Chinese hypersonic weapon poses major challenge

    It has been the goal of the PLA to control the Western Pacific for years. What is to be done? Oh, that's right, we can send out John "Killer" Kerry to talk them to death. We can take pride in making it possible for a third world agrarian society to reach economic and military parity with us. Yeah, "We'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..."



    Well now, if the Chinese make it difficult for us to go in, we will have to make them come out, won't we?

    One square mile concrete launching pads would be inexpensive, yet highly effective launching pads for drones, aircraft, and other platforms. For those who doubt the use of floating concrete, check WWII, Allied harbors.

    One cannot blame the Chinese for the lack of respect they have for the US. Check the news: A piece of rock called Afghanistan has the US tied in knots; Iraq, e.g. Fallujah, is a joke, as it was from the beginning. Mr. Gates writes a book that makes the President of the US appear an indecisive whip, capable of killing only from a safe distance. We must show the Chinese, by some miracle of fate, that we are serious contenders. That will have to wait for another three years. Until then, I guess prayer is our only option.

    ReplyDelete

  8. Amanda Knox Interview


    I'm interested in your reaction to this, T.

    ...and anyone else, of course.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Knox made a huge mistake in saying she would not return to Italy without problems.

      Knox knows who killed the roommate. She played games and now has no way out of spending time in prison.

      The justice system in Italy may not be to our liking, but it bent over backward to get Knox off the hook.

      There was an innocent victim, who had the right to live a long, happy life.

      Delete
    2. "Knox made a huge mistake in saying she would not return to Italy without problems."

      You know more than me: I'm confused by that - If I'm that interested, I'll have to read more - unless you could easily elaborate.

      Delete
    3. My take is she cruised through life up to that point with far fewer problems/learning experiences than the vast majority of us.

      Delete
    4. She would return to Italy only kicking and screaming, as I recall. The authorities will have to force her.

      Delete
    5. Yep...But I don't think that will happen. She is attractive, you know, and there is a book and movie, and who can remember the name of the victim. Let's just move on.

      Delete
  9. It's been like I died......and drifted upwards......and, looking back and down.......I was able to see 'lower beings, blogging'.....but I could not sign in, till now........it was like being behind a glass partition......many times I cried "Ash, Ash, help me now......it's got fucked up again"......but no, my friend Ash did not respond, but, unaware of the watcher........picked his nose, and typed inanely.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Out of body" experiences are very common in cases of very extreme duress like that.

      Delete
    2. I daren't say what q and R2 were doing.....


      but I will say Knox will eventually walk.....is walking already.......I bet the Italian Supreme Court throws it out again, like last time, same reasons, faulty DNA etc.......

      Then, she has the argument that she is in double jeopardy according to our USA ways......she was found innocent once......

      Don't expect an end to this case any time soon, maybe not in your lifetime...

      Delete
    3. From a totally carefree life to something seemingly concocted by Camus.

      Delete
    4. I don't mean she's innocent. I don't know. Maybe she is as guilty as O.J.

      Delete
    5. There must be a lesson there someplace.
      ...but as Allen seemingly implies, she set herself up.
      And a life was extinguished.

      Delete
    6. You think OJ did it?

      That would put the Kibosh on Superbowl Eve.

      Delete
    7. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    8. She has lawyered up. As Bob says, I will probably not live to see the resolution. My sense is she will walk. Americans are not much for quadruple jeopardy.

      Sadly, a young woman lies buried who had done no wrong and her family will never know the truth or have justice.

      Delete
    9. Same M.O. ... knife......but orange juice is in prison, making license plates.....

      Delete
  10. "Boeing's 737 is the world's best-selling commercial jet, with more than 6,000 orders since the model was launched in 1965. "

    Man, I never woulda guessed it was that far back.
    Probly cause that was the only time I flew much, and the fleets were mostly still 727s.

    Most of my mistakes these days are because I fail to take into account how fucking old I really am.

    Doubt if any other Models been in production that long.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man.
      ___Leon Trotsky

      Delete
    2. I agree. It really does sneak up on one.

      Probably the only thing I'd ever agree on with Trotsky.

      He probably lifted it from some old Greek though, or from some myth or other.

      One just doesn't realize how true it is till it happens.

      Delete
    3. We spend a lifetime trying to deny it.

      Delete
    4. Practice doesn't make perfect.
      Then you die.

      Delete
    5. Re: Trotsky

      I never thought I would positively quote Trotsky, but when I think of the degradation of my body over the course of a year
      how can I not.

      Delete
    6. Things were doing fine.
      Then everything started to fall apart.

      Delete
    7. Those most aware among us, as also the aged, who may not be aware of much, all agree, death is, finally, best. Without it there could be no progress. Thus the proper understanding of baptism is not a washing away of sins, but a death and rebirth. That opens the road ahead.

      Delete
    8. Similar to the failed Shuttle re-entry, but witnessed by few.

      Delete
    9. The City of God:

      Only took St Augustine 22 books trying to take on the task:

      "Augustine provides a brief description of the contents of the work:


      However, this great undertaking was at last completed in twenty-two books. Of these, the first five refute those who fancy that the polytheistic worship is necessary in order to secure worldly prosperity, and that all these overwhelming calamities have befallen us in consequence of its prohibition. In the following five books I address myself to those who admit that such calamities have at all times attended, and will at all times attend, the human race, and that they constantly recur in forms more or less disastrous, varying only in the scenes, occasions, and persons on whom they light, but, while admitting this, maintain that the worship of the gods is advantageous for the life to come. But that no one might have occasion to say, that though I had refuted the tenets of other men, I had omitted to establish my own, I devote to this object the second part of this work, which comprises twelve books, although I have not scrupled, as occasion offered, either to advance my own opinions in the first ten books, or to demolish the arguments of my opponents in the last twelve. Of these twelve books, the first four contain an account of the origin of these two cities—the city of God, and the city of the world. The second four treat of their history or progress; the third and last four, of their deserved destinies.

      —Augustine, Retractions[5]"

      Delete
    10. I took on writing a large essay in an alcohol and Dexedrine fueled all-nighter.

      Ended up amusing my fellow "students" by performing one long circular "argument" that ended up back where I began.

      Don't remember what I ended up doing to skate through.

      Delete
  11. Headline on Drudge says Iraqi army prepares to storm Falluja.......should be interesting......big battle in a civil war...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Investments in Real Estate there probly haven't done real well.

      Not a great place to retire, either.

      Rinse and repeat.

      Delete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What will happen to the monograms?

      Delete
    2. My Immortal

      ...to the mother of my children...

      Delete
    3. I think you meant "monograph," right?

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  13. One of the things my aunt in her 90's said to me, more than thrice, was "Bob, it's just like it has all been a dream."

    Aha! It's said that a dream is dreaming us, and a dream may be dreaming the dream.....

    Joe Chung dreamed of a butterfly, then Joe Chung dreamed he was a butterfly dreaming of himself dreaming of a butterfly.....

    And we notice Joe was dreaming of a butterfly, and we know what that means......

    Mostly my aunt, especially towards the end, didn't seem to feel she was getting it across how much she loved me....."Bob, I LOVE you" she said again and again, insistent.

    So I take my stand, and believe, love is stronger than death.

    This is getting quite serious, I am heading to Fox News........

    ReplyDelete
  14. Remember how I showed that our debt service is only 2.5% of GDP?

    Care to guess what it was at the end of the "roaring 1990's?"

    4% of GDP.

    That's right; after two debilitating wars, the worst crash since the Great Depression, and 5 years of the Kenyan Communist in the White House, the "Debt Service" to GDP Ratio is only 62.5% of what it was in 1998.

    Treas Statement - 1998

    Nominal GDP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The World is not always as it is Sold to you.

      Caveat Emptor.

      Delete
    2. Interest rates will stay historically low forever, right?

      ...the end of history as we know it.

      Delete
    3. Graphs are funny things.

      1921-1932

      There are always excuses, but what goes up must come down.

      Delete
    4. Higher Interest Rates almost always signify the presence of more robust economic growth, with the lessened need for government spending on safety net programs (unemployment, welfare, etc,) and increased tax collections (if you can just keep the bush/neocon war machine out of the oval office, anyway.)

      Delete
    5. Obama gets credit for Sequestration, right?

      Delete
    6. Somebody posted that there have been 800 deaths and many more casualties in Afghanistan since 2011.
      (think it was Allen)

      Obama War Machine.

      Delete
    7. I give him credit for getting us the hell out of Iraq, and Afghanistan. And, Not getting us in Syria, and Iran.

      Delete
    8. Rufus IISun Feb 02, 12:59:00 AM EST
      Higher Interest Rates almost always signify the presence of more robust economic growth


      So when interest went to 17% for a home purchase all was well? I wish I had known that at the time.

      I will admit liking getting 15.5% for a one year CD.

      ...great times, those...

      Delete
    9. So those 800 aren't really dead?

      ...and no more will continue to occur on his watch?

      Delete
    10. You're wandering off the reservation, Doug. You want to turn everything into a screed about the hated darky. It's boresome.

      Delete
    11. Rufus IISun Feb 02, 01:13:00 AM EST
      You're wandering off the reservation, Doug. You want to turn everything into a screed about the hated darky. It's boresome.


      Is everything about color with you? Listen, the guy is my white brother. Got it? He is disliked for what he does, not for the color of his skin. He turned his back on our troops in Afghanistan and over 800 have died. You can have your "darky" hero if that's what you want. I just want our kids home and Bojangles Stalin out of the "White" House.

      Delete
  15. We were adjusting to completely coming off of Gold, and onto floating exchange rates, a transition made more messy by an Oil Shock, and Nixon's ill-thought out Wage and Price Controls.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, btw, if you'll check, GDP Growth wasn't all that bad under Carter; people seem to forget.

      Delete
    2. Rufus IISun Feb 02, 01:15:00 AM EST
      And, btw, if you'll check, GDP Growth wasn't all that bad under Carter; people seem to forget.



      Carter was white. That's bad.


      Delete
  16. .

    More importantly, an Ultra-Rare Gold-Colored Flounder was caught off the coast of Japan and the Japanese are pinning their Olympic hopes on the thought that it will bring them luck.

    [As an aside: it doesn't seem to have brought the flounder any luck. Go figure.]

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check out my graphlink at

      DougSun Feb 02, 12:43:00 AM EST

      Japan is headed for INTERESTing times...

      and no kids to take care of the elderly and pay the "debt service"

      Delete
    2. .

      Does it say anything about flounders being lucky?

      .

      Delete
    3. "In 2011 United States public debt-to-GDP ratio was about 100%. [2] The level of public debt in Japan in 2011 was 204% of GDP.[2] The level of public debt in Germany in the same year was 85% of GDP. [2]
      Almost a third of US public debt of USD $16 trillion is held by foreign countries, particularly China and Japan; the other 2/3rds are owned by US citizens, banks, corporations, and the Federal Reserve Bank. [3] Conversely, less than 5% of Japanese public debt is held by foreign countries.
      Particularly in macroeconomics, various debt-to-GDP ratios can be calculated. The most commonly used ratio is the Government debt divided by the gross domestic product (GDP), which reflects the government's finances, while another common ratio is the total debt to GDP, which reflects the finances of the nation as a whole."

      Delete
    4. So The Kenyan darkie increased the debt from 60 percent to 100 percent of GDP in three years!

      Quite a record to write home about.

      In RufusWorld

      Delete
    5. They're Floundering in Debt!

      Delete
    6. .

      But, let's forget the Kenyan Darky bullshit and concentrate on something really interesting.

      So, Michelle and Barack Obama: What IS the state of your union? Rumours their 21-year marriage has been racked by screaming rows, allegations of infidelity and a string of jealous fights

      Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2550129/So-Michelle-Barack-Obama-What-IS-state-union.html#ixzz2s9ERD3qf
      Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

      .

      Delete
    7. The ‘final straw’, apparently, was Michelle’s outrage when her husband publicly humiliated her by openly flirting and posing for his now infamous ‘selfie’ photograph with Denmark’s glamorous blonde Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.

      ---

      The Darkie can't keep his horny White Side in check.

      Delete
    8. "DECEMBER 21, 2013-JANUARY 4, 2014 Paradise lost: The couple arrive in Hawaii for Christmas but the body language during a basketball game in Honolulu is described as 'frosty'"

      ---

      Nice to know they were miserable while they inflicted themselves on Paradise.

      Delete
    9. "At her 50th birthday celebrations she was rarely by her husband’s side, with one guest saying: ‘She was working the room.

      She’s looking better than ever and was exuding a sexiness and confidence that wasn’t there before.

      ‘She’s come into her own. Only time will tell what happens next.’"

      ---

      I've found something to live for again.

      Thanks, Quirky

      Delete

  17. Israel enmeshed in complex Syrian refugee crisis


    Yossi Melman, a leading national security analyst who has written extensively about Syria, told the Post, “Zionism would not collapse if we accept 200 refugees. Why not?’”

    Say, "Please", scumbag, and shove that Zionist crap up your nose. We owe you nothing, so beg humbly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      A bit caustic I would say, especially since Melman is an Israeli merely expressing a view. If one reads his bio, there is nothing in it that suggests he should 'beg humbly'. IMO.

      .

      Delete
    2. QuirkSun Feb 02, 02:03:00 AM EST
      .

      A bit caustic I would say, especially since Melman is an Israeli merely expressing a view. If one reads his bio, there is nothing in it that suggests he should 'beg humbly'. IMO.


      You are entitled to your opinion. I am sure the "Zionist" stuff does not offend you; it does me. As long as he attempts to get propaganda points, he should be SOL. Just asking nicely will do.

      Delete
    3. .

      You are entitled to your opinion. I am sure the "Zionist" stuff does not offend you; it does me.

      Why?

      .

      Delete
    4. Photo

      ...anyother stupid questions...

      Delete
    5. Stick with Detroit. That is about all you can handle. I'll worry about Zionism and the morons who don't get the point.

      Delete
    6. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  18. I LOVED Carter. I LOVED paying 23% interest rates on my farm loans. I LOVED yanking away the wheat sales to Russia. I LOVED being punished for the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.

    And I WAS HOPING the KILLER RABBIT would drag his SORRY ASS to the BOTTOM OF THE POND.

    AND KEEP IT THERE.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Should a man in your condition be using capitals?

      .

      Delete
    2. Documentary -

      Jimmy Carter, Killer Rabbits, and UFO's (the real truth)

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfFX2StkACY

      (30 minutes so it's not for those with short attention spans like q, R2, Ash, etc)

      Delete
    3. ".

      Should a man in your condition be using capitals?

      ."

      ---

      He's on Calcium Channel Blockers and Beta Blockers, plus Lisinopril, so there's a chance he might not stroke out.

      Tonight

      Delete
    4. The lopsided ufo at about the 18 minute mark was known locally as the qufo, cause q is a kinda lopsided letter, and designates an alien lopsided dude.

      Delete
    5. I'm also on Mo'e Flow, which is supposed to totally empty the bladder before my radiation treatments and also allow me mo'e sleep at night.

      Delete
    6. The docs all agreed I didn't need any Cialis tho, just the Flow.

      Delete
    7. I said:

      "I'll go with the Flow"

      Delete
    8. Rad treatments for what?

      ...if I may be so rude to ask.

      Delete
    9. .

      :)

      What moron would spend 30 minutes of his waning years watching a video Jimmy Carter and a killer rabbit when he could instead be looking at this in the twilight of his life when he can

      Look at this

      Girl with a pearl earring

      or listen to this

      Clare de Lune

      .

      Delete
    10. Just don't wet the bed, the docs said. You'll be floatin' in a domestic Lake Superior they warned.

      Delete
    11. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" was in Atlanta last summer. I think she is in Italy now. She is mystical.

      Vermeer invented a mirrored magnifying machine to perfectly duplicate the ambient natural light from his palette. His work is incomparable, but surprisingly small scale. The "Girl" is only about 18" x 28", as I recall.

      The Prado holds the largest collection of Vermeers, which is not saying much since there are so few. Years ago, my son and I traveled to Madrid to see her (she was on loan) and the entire collection. We were terribly disappointed to discover that the collection had just been moved to the States for exhibition. Since the Prado has the largest collection of art in the world, we were well compensated for the trip.

      An annex to the Prado holds the royal armory. For those interested in art and weaponry, it is not to be missed. Give yourself a day; the collection is huge. This is ceremonial armor, weaponry, and cavalry equipage gathered from all over the Hapsburg Empire. It is indescribably beautiful.

      As an aside, van Leeuwenhoek and Vermeer were fast friends. Van Leeuwenhoek was executor to Vermeer’s estate when Vermeer suddenly died at 43, leaving a wife and 12-13 children. He was bankrupt and several paintings in progress were sold to help meet his debts. They are lost to history.

      Delete
  19. .

    And then you have this kid.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2550126/Is-Master-Mini-Monet-This-11-year-olds-paintings-fetched-1-5m-Weve-paired-six-works-priceless-masterpieces-Can-YOU-tell-apart.html

    Truly excellent, dude.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, I just discovered that if your using the Chrome Browser, you can select your "non clickable non links" right click, and you're off to wherever the link takes you.

      Google is God.

      ...and, they contribute their fair share to to those in pursuit of a Socialist Nirvana.

      Delete
    2. .

      Chrome also tracks your every move for both commercial and 'patriotic' reasons.

      .

      Delete
    3. I wonder if success will turn that young artist into a BieberClone?

      I'd bet not.

      Delete
    4. What if they're really just paint by numbers Pieces of S... ?

      Delete
    5. Why couldn't the bastards have put the answers beneath each picture?

      I may try to navigate that maze tomorrow.

      ...or not.

      Delete
    6. The last one has the answer pretty close.

      Monet seems a little more subtle in applying the oils, but that kid's horses are priceless.

      Delete
    7. The kid's on the opposite end of the artistic ability spectrum from me.

      Delete
    8. I do enjoy manipulating pictures pixel by pixel, though.

      ...or I did back when I did.

      Maybe I should get back to that instead of a hopeless pursuit of matching Allen's Monographs.

      "It was a Dark and Stormy Night..."

      Delete
    9. There is a novel that actually begins that way, "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine
      L'Engle.

      Delete
  20. .

    The reason Sho Sa...er...Deuce is no longer allowed into Japan.

    Thief brought to heel: arrested for stealing 450 pairs of high heel shoes from hostess clubs in Tokyo

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2550085/Thief-arrested-stealing-450-pairs-high-heel-shoes-hostess-clubs-Tokyo.html#ixzz2s9UDeP00
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "The gargantuan collection of shoes stolen by the man from various hostess and red light district clubs across Tokyo. He had also stolen a number of ladies cosmetics"

      ---

      A guy whose wife took off and left with his kids called Carolla and reported that unless and until he gets things straightened out with a divorce and custody, he's using her favorite UGG Boot as an artificial vagina.

      Delete
    2. Bob could use this one.

      "The toddlers' Classic provides all the same features and benefits as the grownup style but sized for your little one."

      Delete
    3. .

      His favorite UGG 'boot'?

      There appears to be some mixed messages being sent and I suspect there are more underlying causes than a divorce.

      Besides that, a boot, is the guy black?

      .

      Delete
    4. .

      "The toddlers' Classic provides all the same features and benefits as the grownup style but sized for your little one."

      I don't know. Still looks a little large for Bob but admittedly nicely shaped for a guy with Peyronie's disease.

      .

      Delete
    5. .

      The subject's fascinating and definitely worthy of further discussion but I need to get to sleep.

      Enjoy Maui Haole.

      .

      Delete
    6. "His favorite UGG 'boot'?"

      HER favorite boot.

      Revenge is best served and all that.

      Delete
  21. Man Washes Up In Marshall Islands After 16 Months Adrift

    A Mexican man who claims to have survived 16 months adrift on the Pacific was on Saturday regaining strength on a remote Marshall Islands atoll as a navy ship was sent to pick him up.

    The emaciated castaway, who identified himself as Jose Ivan when he washed up on Ebon Atoll on Thursday, told his rescuers he set sail from Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012 and has been floating on the ocean ever since.

    "We've been feeding him nutritious island food and he's getting better," Ebon Mayor Ione de Brum told AFP in a phone interview from the southernmost cluster of coral islands in the Marshalls.

    "He has pain in both knees so he cannot stand up by himself. Otherwise, he's OK."

    The man, with long hair and beard and dressed only in ragged underpants, was discovered when his 24-foot fibreglass boat with propellerless engines floated onto the reef at Ebon Atoll and he was spotted by two locals.

    Ivan said he had a companion who died several months ago, according to Ola Fjeldstad, a Norwegian anthropology student doing research on the atoll who spoke with the man Friday.

    The castaway indicated to Fjeldstad that he survived by eating turtles, birds and fish and drinking turtle blood when there was no rain.


    No fishing gear was on the boat and the man suggested he caught turtles and birds with his bare hands. There was a turtle on the boat when it landed at Ebon.

    De Brum said she and Ivan were communicating through drawings, since he cannot speak English and she cannot speak Spanish.

    "I've gotten to know him through pictures he's drawing," she said.

    "He said he was on his way to El Salvador by boat when it started drifting."

    But beyond that details of how and what happened remain sketchy.

    "It's been difficult trying to communicate with him," she added.

    Despite communication challenges, the Ebon Atoll community is doing its best to help him, bringing clothes, food and mosquito coils to ensure he is comfortable, she said.

    Officials with the police department's Sea Patrol in Majuro told AFP that the agency's surveillance and rescue patrol vessel left early Saturday to pick up Ivan and bring him back to the capital.

    The vessel was expected to arrive in Ebon Saturday night and depart for Majuro on Sunday.

    Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Gee Leong Bing said that as soon as Ivan arrives and his particulars can be verified, official contact would be made with Mexican government authorities to begin the repatriation process.

    There are virtually no islands in the more than 12,500 kilometre (8,000 mile) expanse of Pacific Ocean north of the equator between southern Mexico and the Marshall Islands.

    Had the drifter not washed onto the reef at Ebon, there is another 1,000 or so miles of open ocean before he might have made landfall in Papua New Guinea or the Solomon Islands.


    Stories of survival in the vast Pacific are not uncommon.

    In 2006, three Mexicans made international headlines when they were discovered drifting, also in a small fibreglass boat near the Marshall Islands, nine months after setting out on a shark-fishing expedition.

    They survived on a diet of rainwater, raw fish and seabirds, with their hope kept alive by reading the bible.

    Castaways from Kiribati, to the south, frequently find land in the Marshall Islands after ordeals of weeks or months at sea in small boats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of my favorite reads was Michener's "Rascals in Paradise"

      Delete
    2. .

      'Propellerless engines'?

      Cotter pins would likely have helped.

      .

      Delete
    3. "The castaway indicated to Fjeldstad that he survived by eating turtles, birds and fish and drinking turtle blood when there was no rain.

      No fishing gear was on the boat and the man suggested he caught turtles and birds with his bare hands. There was a turtle on the boat when it landed at Ebon."

      Delete
  22. Woulda made a Hell of a reality special if he'd just remembered to bring his smartphone to document the epic with pictures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...but then he probly woulda wussed out and called for the Coast Guard.

      Delete
  23. This post by q is really disgusting, and makes a new low -




    QuirkSun Feb 02, 03:37:00 AM EST

    .

    The reason Sho Sa...er...Deuce is no longer allowed into Japan.

    Thief brought to heel: arrested for stealing 450 pairs of high heel shoes from hostess clubs in Tokyo

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2550085/Thief-arrested-stealing-450-pairs-high-heel-shoes-hostess-clubs-Tokyo.html#ixzz2s9UDeP00
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    .
    Trying to give the dogs a false scent like that, and Deuce is our host.

    I watched q parade around trying on all those shoes just a short while ago.

    Was asking me which went best with his Polar Bear coat, and his new ear rings.

    I intercepted this message just earlier today:

    "Sniper 3 here. Info in from headquarters. q's seat is Row 8, Seat 54, Section L. You guys can triangulate that?"

    "Got it coach."

    "Perfect shot from here, boss."

    "I'm gonna move in behind the tuba section of the band. Perfect shot from there when the tubas are down."

    "Got it. Get some rest boys. Tomorrow is the day. Polar Bear time!"


    Son bitch damned near deserves it, too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Focus on Nigeria, continuing:

    Interfaith outreach in Nigeria: Muslims ransack Christian village, murder pastor

    Robert Spencer Feb 1, 2014 at 1:26pm Muslim persecution of Christians, Nigeria 7 Comments

    Jihad Watch

    nigeria

    No one cares. Caring might harm our wonderful interfaith “dialogue.” “Suspected extremists kill pastor in NE Nigeria,” from the Associated Press, February 1 (thanks to Twostellas):


    YOLA, Nigeria (AP) — A local leader says gunmen ransacked a mainly Christian village in Nigeria’s northeast, killing the pastor before being repelled by vigilantes.

    Madagali council chairman Maina Ularamu said Saturday the suspected Islamic militants also tried to burn down the village of Sabon Garin Yamdula during Friday’s attack, but vigilante youths firing guns set them to flight and soldiers later deployed. He said the pastor was rushed to the hospital but died.

    He could not confirm other casualties.

    In a separate attack, police reported that a bus Friday set off an improved explosive device on the highway through nearby Kuthra village, killing seven passengers.

    Thousands have been killed during a 4-year-old uprising by extremists who want Shariah law imposed across Africa’s biggest oil producer, which is divided equally between Christians and Muslims.
    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "before being repelled by vigilantes"

      " militants also tried to burn down the village of Sabon Garin Yamdula during Friday’s attack, but vigilante youths firing guns set them to flight"

      "vigilante" is something of a loaded word in our lingo.

      'Vigilant ones' is much better.

      At least the Christian youth seem to be fighting back.


      Delete
    2. "Christians, 0 Nigeria, 7"

      Delete
    3. Ok, "Muslims, 7"

      If we have to get picky.

      Delete
    4. It'll be one and the same, in no time.

      Delete
  25. Also from Jihad Watch -

    Hamas-linked North American Islamic Trust received thousands in farm subsidies, never produced any crops

    Robert Spencer Feb 1, 2014 at 8:23am Barack Obama, NAIT 10 Comments

    image5

    “NAIT’s farm subsidies stopped in 2008 during the trial and were first received again in 2011.” That was right around the time that the Obama Administration scrubbed all mention of Islam and jihad from counterterror training materials, while collaboration with groups linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood was in full swing in numerous government agencies. So this is no surprise. It is consistent with established administration policy.

    “Islamic group once tied to terror trial received thousands in farm subsidies, without growing crops,” by Emily Walker for FoxNews.com, February 1 (thanks to all who sent this in):


    An Islamic organization once listed by the Justice Department as a co-conspirator in a high-profile terror case is among many groups that have received thousands in federal farm subsidies, without producing any crops.

    The subsidies to the North American Islamic Trust are just a slice of the questionable payments that, as has been well documented, go to millionaires and non-farmers every year. But as Congress moves to rein in the program, these subsidies stand out considering the group’s involvement in the Holy Land Foundation case of 2008. During the trial, the group’s farm subsidies stopped, only to be reinstated after a federal judge cleared them.

    Records show that since 1998, the North American Islamic Trust has received over $10,000 across 34 separate taxpayer-funded programs. NAIT’s two relatively small land plots are tax-zoned as “agricultural” — but they aren’t developed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The group has been able to obtain farm subsidies legally without producing any crops because it is a nonprofit “charity group” landowner — so it received subsidies on top of being tax-exempt.

      “Organizations with no history in agriculture are getting in on taxpayer-provided farm subsidies,” said Adam Andrzejewski, founder of the transparency database OpenTheBooks.com and former Republican candidate for governor of Illinois.

      He said the NAIT’s subsidies are “probably legal,” adding: “The federal farm bill has become so large that it has nothing to do with ‘preserving the family farm’ or ‘creating a stable food supply’.”

      The North American Islamic Trust’s history is complicated — as the offshoot of the Muslim Students Association and its financial arm, NAIT was founded in 1973 by Middle Eastern-born college students. The majority of NAIT’s founders were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the group continues to be backed by Saudi Arabia. NAIT uses Shariah-approved investing with its own company, Allied Asset Advisors, to buy and pool mosques and community centers. Former Allied Asset Advisor board member, Jamal Said, preached the most conservative forms of Islam and was specifically named as a co-conspirator in the terror-funding case.

      In the Holy Land Foundation case of 2008, which prosecuted investors charged with sending money to Hamas, NAIT was named by U.S. federal prosecutors as a co-conspirator and an entity that is or was “a member of the Muslim Brotherhood” (the parent organization of Hamas).

      The Holy Land Foundation’s five accused individuals were sentenced for funneling $12.4 million to the terror group, which controls the Gaza Strip and is dedicated to the destruction of Israel. NAIT never was formally charged in the case.

      NAIT’s sheer size may have worked against it. An estimated one in five mosques in the United States is owned by NAIT; those properties are estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Several of these mosques, though, have been places of worship for those convicted in terror activities.

      But even before a verdict in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation case had been reached, NAIT appealed their co-conspirator status, saying that they had “suffered injuries” from a “public branding.”

      In October of 2010, the Fifth Circuit Court overturned the group’s “co-conspirator” status after NAIT’s appeal and pressure from the ACLU. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said “if NAIT could have been accurately characterized as a joint venture,” that “does not carry an inherently criminal connotation.”

      NAIT’s farm subsidies stopped in 2008 during the trial and were first received again in 2011.

      Every farm subsidy to the North American Islamic Trust has been received at the mailing address of the Islamic Center of Central Missouri Mosque, records show. The USDA lists the “farm location” as Boone County, Mo. But aerial searches of the “agricultural” properties owned by the North American Islamic Trust reveal that the plots are undeveloped, tree-dotted land combined to form just over 100 acres valued at about $59,000.

      The North American Islamic Trust and the Islamic Center of Central Missouri did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

      According to the USDA and OpentheBooks.com, about half of NAIT’s subsidies were “Direct Payments,” a program which costs taxpayers an annual $5 billion. By 2011, the North America Islamic Trust began obtaining subsidies under the auspice that it is a “church, charity, or non-profit organization.”…
      .

      Delete
    2. This news ought to piss R2 off if anything is ever going to do so.

      The world is waiting and watching for R2's reaction.

      Delete
  26. Our government is out of control.

    Check out the Gibson Guitar raid.

    Gibson, whose wood was perfectly legal, has the means to fight back.

    Think of it - thirty SWAT goons with automatic weapons, raiding a private company, on the unfounded theory the company is building guitars with a prohibited wood.

    Gibson is now making a 'government issue' called guitar with the same wood confiscated, as a collectors item, and a reminder to us all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Farmer BobSun Feb 02, 07:09:00 AM EST
      Think of it - thirty SWAT goons with automatic weapons, raiding a private company


      Your government is trying to condition the public to terror (ala Gestapo). The terror will escalate, until death and disappearance become the norm. Since the military is unreliable, police forces all over the country are being armored up as we speak. The lost campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have left plenty of surplus.

      Delete
    2. When Jews invoke the horrors of Nazi Germany for small potatoes stuff, they make the Shoah small potatoes, and play into the hands of those who would deny the genocide of 2/3 of European Jewry.

      Delete
    3. What's scary to me is that these tactics are TAUGHT.

      These guys aren't out of control. They have been taught.

      Just like your local cops have been taught to immediately establish control of the situation.

      This obviously makes some sense.......but it's being taken way way too far.

      The wrong wood?

      Why not send an inspector or two from Commerce in there?

      Why not buy some of the guitars straight from the factory and see from what the hell kind of wood they are constructed?

      Delete
    4. Why can't Gibson just start to think/vote right?

      Delete
  27. Amanda Knox Interview

    I'm interested in your reaction to this, T.


    If we roll over and allow her to be extradited to Italy, despite the double jeopardy, when Italy refuses to extradite our bad girls until we eliminate the death penalty, then we don't deserve to call ourselves a superpower anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was actually more interested in your personal thoughts, feelings, and a personality profile of the devilish little vixen.

      Delete
  28. yep only called me "KIKE" once!!!

    Once for extremely large values of none.

    ReplyDelete
  29. "Out of body" experiences are very common in cases of very extreme duress like that.

    My social security is having an out of trust fund experience.

    ReplyDelete
  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do old people stink more?

      Ask 'The Healthy Geezer', if not available, ask q, or R2........

      http://www.livescience.com/43008-older-people-body-odor.html

      (Hint: a shower a day and washing between the toes helps a lot)

      Delete
    2. Also, make certain you dress in clean clothes. Using yesterday's undies and t shirt can ruin all the effort.

      Which reminds me of this kid in high school.........but that's a long digression.

      O well, he stunk to high heaven. People complained. Teacher told him to shower each day. Still stunk to high heaven. Did you shower? Yes. Did you put on new clothes? No.

      Shower each day and put on new clothes, teach said, or you're outta here.

      Delete
    3. This would invoke extreme duress on the hot water and detergent bills.

      Sorry.

      Deal with it.

      Delete
    4. Also, daily showering cuts into invaluable blogging time/opportunities.

      Delete
  31. " militants also tried to burn down the village of Sabon Garin Yamdula during Friday’s attack, but vigilante youths firing guns set them to flight"

    "vigilante" is something of a loaded word in our lingo.


    If the Christians are fighting the Muslims, and some Marxists decide to join the fight, the mainstream media will say that some "freedom fighters have joined the resistance against both the vigilantes and the militants".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)

      You've got that about right.

      What if the Jews and some Idaho farmers join in? What's that called then?

      Delete
    2. Zionist Imperialists and Peckerwood Tea Baggers have joined the fight.......

      Delete
    3. Jews are bad-ass (everyone knows that from watching the chick on NCIS with the Israeli bra) but Idaho is Dan Quayle draft dodger territory. "The Potatoe State"

      Delete
    4. Smart ass.

      Potatoe is an alternative spelling of potato.

      Dan and I knew that.......now you do too.

      Delete
    5. "What if the Jews and some Idaho farmers join in? What's that called then?"

      A Hamantashen - Potatoe Fight

      Delete
  32. "At her 50th birthday celebrations she was rarely by her husband’s side, with one guest saying: ‘She was working the room.

    Sounds like a good way to get a case. Obama should have told her, "Don't be turning any here."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She could inaugurate the first state of the First Lady Address to the nation.

      Undressed.

      Delete
    2. ...and smiling, for a change.

      Delete
  33. Cyber Spark in the Negev

    http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/02/israel_the_innovative_nation.html

    Innovation.

    ReplyDelete