March 29, 2011 posts

Business / Economic / Financial

[ This link to a somewhat more cumulative blog posts page will precede current days news since most all topics remain current in terms of impact and longer-term effect and can be searched by topical index term more easily. The same is provided since the blog site http://alpeiablog.blogspot.com has just been censored as to size by google which is typical for google as nsa / cia / gov’t shill as more are becoming aware of. The same is true for microsoft, another co. that’s seen their best days and relies on the government to maintain their monopoly. Up to now the better page http://www.scribd.com/alpeia is provided for ease of formatting and clarity thereby while the Washington Post page is the real deal but without formatting http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- srv/community/mypost/index.html?plckPersonaPage=PersonaComments&plckUserId=alpeia&newspaperUserId=alpeia (Only up to 3-11-11-you must be logged in - (Washington Post) [ Comments COMMENTS ARE CLOSED WHILE WE UPGRADE OUR SYSTEMS ] the comments are no longer archived on their site ) . The following is the cumulative archive of blog posts / topics for 2010 as the new year starts anew (and archived by quarter): http://albertpeia.com/December312010postsarchive.htm or PDF formatted version
http://albertpeia.com/December312010postsarchive.pdf ]

House GOP leaders turn to Dems for deal(Washington Post) [ Of Dees, Dems, Does, and Gops … Sounds like a plan … Not! … The people are still hoping, praying … will their dream come true? … Government shutdown looms-Paul Kane (Washington Post) [ Shutdown? ... One can only hope, and pray ... after all, they can't muck up what they're not in session to f*** up ... Government shutdown looms Paul Kane (Washington Post) ]Unable to find consensus within their own ranks, House Republican leaders have begun courting moderate Democrats on a budget deal to avoid a government shutdown next week.

On NBC, the missing story about GE (Washington Post) [ Ya think! … Seriously though, this is as important a story as can be since these scenarios have been a significant problem for the pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. for quite some time. After all, there are no Washington Posts in the Northeast to cover their denizens quite like the Washington Post fearlessly covers theirs (ie., that not too long ago story of the ubiquity of top level clearances, 'cia ops / covers' (real estate / businesses), in the Washington metropolitan area, literally putting their lives on the line so to speak. In the northeast, sinkholes new york (they even did a book 'The Wall Street Gang' and movies, ie., 'Gangs of New York', fact-based 'Goodfellas', etc.) / mob infested jersey (I've not been to chicago, but count them in here) particularly, it's what is not said that invariably stands out to the substantial detriment of the rest of the nation. The day in, day out continued churn and earn wall street fraud at a total cost yet to be fully realized by the rest of the nation to support those lavish / overly high-cost lifestyles will not make for front-page reading in the wall street journal, new york times, etc., nor the lead story if at all on the 6 / 11 o'clock news. Therein lies the rub, and the need for alternate media sources so castigated and belittled by the main-stream news media, particularly in those regions which have a lot to hide (and not talk about). Sadly, the internet is increasingly targeted toward the end of silencing those who brave to tell the truth. One might hope that The Washington Post might enter the televised news sphere with waivers based on national need.] “NBC Nightly News” didn’t report on the fact that its parent company paid no federal taxes last year.

Drop in home prices raises fear of double dip (Washington Post) [ Fear of double dip? We're in a continuing dip that never really ended with obfuscations of reality including more insurmountable debt and fed-based manipulations (Dave explains infra) Case-Shiller Chairman: Here’s Why the Housing Market Recession is Not Over Wall St Cheat Sheet 'Welcome to 2003! The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index 10-City Composite was down 2% and the 20-City Composite fell 3.1% in January on a year-over-year basis. On a monthly basis, the 10-City Composite was down 0.9% and the 20-City Composite fell 1.0% in January versus December 2010.

San Diego and Washington D.C. were the only two markets to record positive year-over-year changes. However, San Diego was up a scant 0.1%, while Washington DC posted a healthier +3.6% annual growth rate. The same 11 cities that had posted recent index level lows in December 2010, posted new lows in January.

David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s commented:

“Keeping with the trends set in late 2010, January brings us weakening home prices with no real hope in sight for the near future. With this month’s data, we find the same 11 MSAs posting new recent index lows. The 10-City and 20-City Composites continue to decline month-over-month and have posted monthly declines for six consecutive months now.

These data confirm what we have seen with recent housing starts and sales reports. The housing market recession is not yet over, and none of the statistics are indicating any form of sustained recovery . At most, we have seen all statistics bounce along their troughs; at worst, the feared double-dip recession may be materializing. ..., but both series have moved closer to a confirmed double-dip for six consecutive months. At this point we are not too far off, and that is what many analysts are seeing with sales, starts and inventory data too...' M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ ]

Rebels in ‘tactical’ retreat as leaders meet (Washington Post) [ Tactical … riiiiight! … Well, that sounds like a plan … right out of the manuals on trench warfare from WWI … works every time … you know, those manual tactics … meanwhile, back at the other american induced wartime disasters ...

Iraqi insurgents kill dozens in Tikrit

Taliban seizes eastern Afghan district

Drudgereport: Inflation worries push consumer confidence lower...
Home prices STILL falling in cities...
13% of all U.S. homes are vacant...
REBELS ON THE RUN
OBAMA DEFENDS...
'World Conscience'...
New Committee to Set Libya's 'Political Direction'...
U.S. says rebels may sell oil?
Brits fear becoming another Iraq...
Gadhafi tells West to halt 'barbaric genocide'...
Camp Lejeune Marines sent to Libya...
Clinton, Hague meet senior 'rebel' figure...
Intelligence shows 'flickers' of al Qaeda...
MAG: NEW 'KILL TEAM' PHOTOS RELEASED...
REPORT: U.S. soldiers hacked off part of dead man's skull?
HORROR: Cut off 15-year-old boy's finger and kept as trophy...[We all knew the u.s. Military was recruiting / is now composed of felons, war criminals, etc.; but clearly, these are the blatant signs of serial killers – then that 360 tons of $100 bills still missing in Iraq, etc., serial thieves, particularly at the top down.)...
VIDEO: Two on motorcycle gunned down...***WARNING: GRAPHIC***
PHOTOS...
500,000 MARCH IN LONDON TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS...
Turns violent; Anarchists blitz the Ritz...
ANARCHY IN THE UK
NOT DAYS, NOT WEEKS -- LIBYA OP TO LAST MONTHS...
NATO likely to expand mission...
Energized Muslim Brotherhood eyes a prize...
Unrest in Syria, Jordan Poses New Test...
Clinton: U.S. won't intervene...
REPORTER CONFINED IN CLOSET DURING BIDEN'S FLA FUNDRAISER...
'Extremely inappropriate'...
OBAMA DEFENDS...]

Libyan rebels flee under fire from a key town in eastern Libya as world leaders convening in London insisted that Col. Moammar Gaddafi step down but offered no new suggestions for how to dislodge him from power.

Chemist charged with insider trading (Washington Post) [ This remains incredulous to me. Everyone but the big boys / frauds!Not just corruption, but bad time /resource management.The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario).

High oil price rally! Come on! What total b*** s***! Previous rally sparked by upward revision of GDP by the scandal-scarred commerce department? You can’t believe anything these desperate self-servers say! This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally on more bad/worse than expected news (consumer confidence down) provides an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! Fed to hold regular news conferences (Washington Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street … you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ ] Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive. States target jobless benefits (Washington Post) Durable goods (leading indicator) 200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding BOB PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows ] The government charged a chemist at the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday with insider trading.

High oil price rally! Come on! What total b*** s***! Previous rally sparked by upward revision of GDP by the scandal-scarred commerce department? You can’t believe anything these desperate self-servers say! This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally on more bad/worse than expected news (consumer confidence down) provides an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario). Fed to hold regular news conferences (Washington Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street … you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. What do you expect these incompetent, fraudulent criminals / accomplices to say? That they haven't the slightest clue what they're doing and the damage they've already done? Come on! The more they speak, the less you really know; and, to borrow from that old saying / cliché … how do you know they're lying?... answer: 'their lips are moving'... They lie all the time … sometimes even when they don't have to. M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ ] Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive. States target jobless benefits (Washington Post) [ Sounds like a plan … from h**l … after all, beyond the rhetoric, propaganda, fake data / reports, etc., the only real manufacturing going on in pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america is ever more worthless fiat paper currency, new fangled wall street paper / securities / toxic asset bubble-frauds, etc.. Unemployment numbers from the labored labor department? The ‘expiration / stopped looking, everyone’, at best. How can anyone believe anything the pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. government says. Durable goods (leading indicator) 200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12% and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk? … wise to lighten up some into strength ... BOB PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ] ] Michigan moves to cut its unemployment program despite troubling jobless rates.

Oil Up, Stocks Up - How Long Can this Continue? Maierhofer, On Tuesday March 29, 2011, 12:40 pm EDT

Yesterday, oil was an economic indicator promising prosperity. Today, oil is the biggest scapegoat around.

On December 22, 2010, the following headline graced the Wall Street Journal: 'Oil back at $90 as growth gains pace.' The commentary expressed this upbeat message: 'The recovery in oil prices is an encouraging sign of world growth.'

Triggered by the glaring disconnect between fact and financial reporting, I felt compelled to comment on the nuisance and point out the obvious danger of rising oil prices (see article 'Rising asset prices cannibalize U.S. growth').

Even the media has caught on by now. On March 1, Reuters ran the following article: 'Wall Street slammed as oil fuels recovery worries.' The commentary was less upbeat: 'Stocks dropped as investors worried that rising oil prices could choke the economic recovery.'

Rather than squeezing facts into a mold to fit financial reporting, let's take a look at the real correlation between oil and stocks.

The Real Correlation Between Oil and Stocks

The general wisdom is that rising oil prices hamper the economy and/or stocks. But that's only true to a certain extent. Since 2009, the price of crude oil tripled while the S&P (SNP: ^GSPC) doubled. High oil didn't seem to affect The S&P. The Dow Jones (DJI: ^DJI) and Nasdaq (Nasdaq: ^IXIC) didn't seem bothered much by rising oil either.

It is only after oil surpasses a certain undefined and ever changing 'pain threshold' that all of a sudden oil turns into a killer of economic activity.

To a certain extent, high oil prices contribute to high stock prices. The energy sector accounts for 13.10% of the S&P 500. As oil prices go, so go energy stocks and a strong energy sector can boost the overall market's performance.

Again, there comes a point when the backlash of rising oil prices trumps the boost from the energy sector.

What about Falling Prices

Thus far we've talked about rising prices. How do falling oil prices affect the economy? In 2008 oil topped at $147 a barrel. When oil rolled over, the S&P traded around 1,400. Over the coming year oil prices tumbled nearly 78%.

According to Wall Street's logic, stocks should have gone through the roof. The ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter bucked conventional 'wisdom' and predicted a decline of all asset classes across the board.

Along with oil, the S&P went on to lose an additional 50% while the commodity sector got more than cut in half.

This phenomenon of lock-step behavior by asset classes that normally boom and bust at different times, has been a common theme since the 2007 market top. Will it occur once again in 2010?

General Trading Tips

Oil is a tough market to trade. Geopolitical developments can void an otherwise solid set up.

Oil linked ETFs like the United States Oil Fund (NYSEArca: USO - News) and iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil ETN (NYSEArca: OIL - News), often suffer from contango and do not fully replicate oil's performance. Case in point, since 2009, USO and OIL doubled in price while oil prices tripled.

Another way to gain exposure to oil prices is by betting on the energy sector. The Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLE - News) is the biggest broad energy ETF, but it is not alone.

Some focus on oil and gas exploration (NYSEArca: XOP - News), others on oil equipment and services (NYSEArca: IEZ - News).

But buying oil stocks comes with exposure to the same kind of risks and perks as buying any other stocks, whether it's oil stocks, gold (NYSEArca: GLD - News) or financial stocks (NYSEArca: XLF - News).

Regardless of your bias, beware of headline-based buying. More often than not, when the financial media exacerbates a trend, it may not go on for too much longer…'

Case-Shiller Chairman: Here’s Why the Housing Market Recession is Not Over Wall St Cheat Sheet 'Welcome to 2003! The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index 10-City Composite was down 2% and the 20-City Composite fell 3.1% in January on a year-over-year basis. On a monthly basis, the 10-City Composite was down 0.9% and the 20-City Composite fell 1.0% in January versus December 2010.

San Diego and Washington D.C. were the only two markets to record positive year-over-year changes. However, San Diego was up a scant 0.1%, while Washington DC posted a healthier +3.6% annual growth rate. The same 11 cities that had posted recent index level lows in December 2010, posted new lows in January.

David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s commented:

“Keeping with the trends set in late 2010, January brings us weakening home prices with no real hope in sight for the near future. With this month’s data, we find the same 11 MSAs posting new recent index lows. The 10-City and 20-City Composites continue to decline month-over-month and have posted monthly declines for six consecutive months now.

These data confirm what we have seen with recent housing starts and sales reports. The housing market recession is not yet over, and none of the statistics are indicating any form of sustained recovery . At most, we have seen all statistics bounce along their troughs; at worst, the feared double-dip recession may be materializing. A few months ago we defined a double-dip for home prices as seeing the 10- and 20-City Composites set new post-peak lows. The 10-City Composite is still 2.8% above and the 20-City is 1.1% above their respective April 2009 lows, but both series have moved closer to a confirmed double-dip for six consecutive months. At this point we are not too far off, and that is what many analysts are seeing with sales, starts and inventory data too.

Looking across some of the markets, we see that with a January 2011 index level of 99.59, Atlanta has joined Cleveland, Detroit and Las Vegas as markets where average home prices are now below their January 2000 levels. Washington DC appears to be the only market that has weathered the recent storm. While it was up only 0.1% for the month of January, it’s annual rate was a relatively healthy +3.6%, it is still +10.7% above its March 2009 low, and ranks number one among the 20 markets as its average value is almost 85% above its January 2000 level.”

S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices

[chart]

S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices Cont.

[chart]

Metro Prices

[chart]

Metro Prices Cont.

[chart]

Let’s see if the market can continue climbing the wall of worry despite the continued hit to real estate (NYSE:IYR).'

Short-Term, High Probability Mean-Reversion Indicator: EWY Is Overbought; VIX Hits Historical Extreme Crowder '...I do believe we are in for quite the tumble in the months ahead...' 'The trading day yesterday began with a small bounce higher which lasted through most of the day. During the final hour sellers finally stepped in and pushed the market lower.

Could we see lower prices ahead?

I stated the following this weekend:

There are lots of bearish signs moving into the market. Over the past week, the VIX has gone from more than 30% above its average to more than 15% below. In the past this type of volatility in volatility has been overwhelmingly bearish. If you just look at 15% both ways there are eight instances when this type of movement has occurred and only once was it bullish for the market one month later.

Furthermore, the major market indices are overbought on a short-term basis and nearing overbought on an intermediate time frame.

Couple all of the aforementioned with upcoming negative seasonality and you can quickly see where I am going. All I can say is keep selling premium and remain cautious.

I do believe we are in for quite the tumble in the months ahead. For those of you who follow the q-ratio, you know that we have pushed to historic levels and that spells trouble going forward.

The good thing is, the High-Probability, Mean-Reversion strategy doesn’t care about the long-term movement of the stock market or if it moves up or down. All it cares about is taking advantage of extremes in the ETFs I follow.

The current trade is profitable and if the bears take over Tuesday we could have the best trade so far in the portfolio. So far, the performance has been amazing.

Short-Term High-Probability, Mean-Reversion Indicator – as of close 3/28/11

[chart]

Disclosure: I am short SPY’

Housing Continues To Be An Ominous Sign For Stocks Hanlon 'Everyone knows that housing was at the epicenter of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Too many people were granted too many mortgages with too little down payment, at too low of interest rates.

The housing industry met all that with too many homes, townhouses and condos. A bubble grew and popped, and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men are having trouble putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.

It was recently reported by Corelogic that the equity securing mortgages associated with home owners that are behind in payments is $750 billion less than the mortgage values. Of course there are millions of mortgage loans that are current, and millions of mortgages that are very well secured by substantial positive equity; but the mortgage picture and housing remain a very weak part of the economy.

Some say that housing is economically important, but not so important as to be a necessity to economic recovery and continued expansion. The argument goes that housing represents a very small portion of GDP and therefore its impact is not as important as tax rates, economic stimulus, interest rates, trade, defense spending, consumer behavior, unemployment, etc.

Here at Hanlon, our favorite tool for investment management is reviewing the charts. To us, the charts tell the purest, most factual story. Charts represent the price history of investments and the economy, reflecting every opinion of every person that has capital at their disposal and the decisions they make with that capital. Currently, the charts are generally telling a positive story about the stock market and risky asset classes in general, although the Japan nuclear incidents are very much impacting that market as well as some others.

The trends, technicals and breadth all continue to show signs of potential further gains in many risky asset classes. We continue to remain bullish on risky asset classes until the charts tell us differently, which can happen at any time. I know you don’t like to read that. You want more certainty and insight into the future. Sorry, we do not do that; instead we take it all one day at a time, ready to make substantial changes if necessary to attempt to mitigate downside risk.

Recently a chart caught my eye and I share it with you below. It is a chart of the S&P 500 Index plotted against the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Clearly there is some type of correlation occurring between these two indices. Specifically, from this chart alone, you can see that housing tends to lead stocks. In some instances housing leads as much as two years prior and in others perhaps a couple months or quarters.

See how the HMI forecasted the S&P 500 Index drop before 2000? The bottom and rise before 2003? The drop in 2007? But alas, where is the HMI forecast for a rise in S&P 500 Index that started in 2009? There is none. Housing has gone flat-line, at best, like in the emergency room when the staff doctor, with paddles in hand, yells “clear!”

Being students of the charts, and of course of history itself, we are aware that there are long periods of time, anywhere from 10 to 20 years or longer, where the major equity indices do not break above previous highs. These periods are not so much caused by a lack of earnings growth; instead they are normally caused by a compression of P/E ratios. The P, price, must fall, while the E, earnings, continues to grow. Many believe that the high of the year 2000 was a “ringing in a new market era” and thus began one of these long periods of time where the major equity indices do not set new highs.

S&P 500 Index vs. NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) 1988 – 2011

[chart]

If that is true, then the stock market highs we saw in 2000, which were revisited in 2007, could be the highs for years to come. Yes, there were slightly new highs in 2007, ever so slightly for some of the major domestic equity indices, but not by much. You can see the range bound nature of the S&P 500 Index on the chart above.

Perhaps housing is providing us some insight as to what the future holds for equities. If so, the end of this latest equity appreciation may not be that far off and a tactical navigation out of equities into better performing, better relative strength asset classes might be around the corner.'

(3-29-11) Dow 12,279 +81 Nasdaq 2,756 +26 S&P 500 1,319 +9 [CLOSE- OIL $104.45 (-54% for year 2008) (RECORD TRADING HIGH $147.27) GAS $3.65 (reg. gas in LAND OF FRUITS AND NUTS $4.00 REG./ $4.05 MID-GRADE/ $4.20 PREM./ $4.27 DIESEL) / GOLD $1,417 (+24% for year 2009) / SILVER $37.00 (+47% for year 2009) PLATINUM $1,735 (+56% for year 2009) Metal News for the Day / DOLLAR= .70 EURO, 82 YEN, .62 POUND STERLING, ETC. (How low can you go - LOWER)/ http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update 10 YR NOTE YIELD 3.45% …..… AP Business Highlights ...Yahoo Market Update... T. Rowe Price Weekly Recap – Stocks / Bonds / Currencies - Domestic / International This Is a Secular Bear Market and The End of Buy and Hold … and Hope MARKET MANIPULATION AND HOW THE LATEST BUBBLE-FRAUD PRE-COMING CRASH IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED 3-11-10 The bull market that never was/were beyond wall street b.s. when measured in gold Property Values Projected to Fall 12% in 2010 Jan 31, 2010 THE COMING MARKET CRASH / CORRECTION 1-28-10 Maierhofer (01-15-10) 11 Clear Signs Economy Sinking Economic Black Hole 1-22-10: 20 Reasons Why The U.S. Economy Is Dying And Is Simply Not Going To Recover 1-7-10 Crash is coming! ‘WORST ECONOMIC COLLAPSE EVER’ Must Read Economic / Financial Data This Depression is just beginning The coming depression… thecomingdepression.net The Next Wave of Collapse is Coming Sooner than you think Sliding Back Into the Great Depression ABSOLUTELY, ABSURDLY, RIDICULOUS! SELL / TAKE PROFITS WHILE YOU CAN SINCE MUCH, MUCH WORSE TO COME!

National / World

CIA Operative Appointed to Run al-Qaeda Connected Libyan Rebels Kurt Nimmo | Khalifa Hifter has worked for the CIA for over two decades.

US NATO Commander Admits Al-Qaeda Linked To Libyan Rebels Steve Watson | US says it is still considering arming Gaddafi opposition.

Japanese PM: ‘Maximum Alert’ Over Fukushima Nuke Crisis RTTNews | Japanese government in a state of maximum alert over high-level radiation.

In 2009 Gaddafi Proposed Nationalizing Libya’s Oil Kurt Nimmo | Transnational oil corporations and banksters don’t take kindly to the “N” word — nationalization.

Globalist Bid To Ban Cars Is Part Of “Planned-Opolis” Agenda Paul Joseph Watson | Only the elite will be allowed to drive vehicles, while the rest of the population will be tightly regulated.

U.S. says Libyan rebels may sell oil The United States on Monday gave a green light to sales of Libyan crude oil from rebel-held territory, giving a potential boost to forces battling Muammar Gaddafi.

Susan Rice: Obama Administration Has Not Ruled Out Military Support for Libyan Rebels U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice says the Obama administration has not ruled out military support for the Libyan rebels.

Kadhafi tells West to halt ‘barbaric genocide’ Colonel Moamer Kadhafi urged world powers meeting Tuesday in London to end their “barbaric” offensive against his oil-rich country as his forces beat back a rebel push on his home town Sirte.

EPA to Help Mainstream Media Obscure The Truth About Radiation Exposure to Americans As Americans focus on March Madness and Dancing With the Stars instead of the radioactive plume spreading all across the country, the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is attempting to make the mainstream media cover up of the Fukushima cloud a bit easier.

The CIA’s Libya Rebels: The Same Terrorists who Killed US, NATO Troops in Iraq 2007 West Point Study Shows Benghazi-Darnah-Tobruk Area was a World Leader in Al Qaeda Suicide Bomber Recruitment.

Israel considering annexing West Bank settlements (AP)

Drudgereport: Inflation worries push consumer confidence lower...
Home prices STILL falling in cities...
13% of all U.S. homes are vacant...
REBELS ON THE RUN
OBAMA DEFENDS...
'World Conscience'...
New Committee to Set Libya's 'Political Direction'...
U.S. says rebels may sell oil?
Brits fear becoming another Iraq...
Gadhafi tells West to halt 'barbaric genocide'...
Camp Lejeune Marines sent to Libya...
Clinton, Hague meet senior 'rebel' figure...
Intelligence shows 'flickers' of al Qaeda...
MAG: NEW 'KILL TEAM' PHOTOS RELEASED...
REPORT: U.S. soldiers hacked off part of dead man's skull?
HORROR: Cut off 15-year-old boy's finger and kept as trophy...[We all knew the u.s. Military was recruiting / is now composed of felons, war criminals, etc.; but clearly, these are the blatant signs of serial killers – then that 360 tons of $100 bills still missing in Iraq, etc., serial thieves, particularly at the top down.)...
VIDEO: Two on motorcycle gunned down...***WARNING: GRAPHIC***
PHOTOS...
500,000 MARCH IN LONDON TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS...
Turns violent; Anarchists blitz the Ritz...
ANARCHY IN THE UK
NOT DAYS, NOT WEEKS -- LIBYA OP TO LAST MONTHS...
NATO likely to expand mission...
Energized Muslim Brotherhood eyes a prize...
Unrest in Syria, Jordan Poses New Test...
Clinton: U.S. won't intervene...
REPORTER CONFINED IN CLOSET DURING BIDEN'S FLA FUNDRAISER...
'Extremely inappropriate'...
OBAMA DEFENDS...
'America has played a unique role as an anchor of global security'... NOT IN OVAL OFFICE...
NETS BALKED AT PRIMETIME ADDRESS...
HILLARY OFF TO LONDON TOWN...
WAR COST: $600 MILLION, IN 6 DAYS...
Radiation levels at nuclear plant reach new highs...
100,000X NORMAL...
Radioactive Water Extends One Mile Into Ocean...
Trace Amounts Found in Florida...
At the gates of stricken Fukushima nuke plant...
Radiation levels highest since crisis began...
'Bad Readings' Plague Effort...
Concern grows over sea contamination...
Tokyo blackouts to resume Monday...
Radioactivity detected in China...
And Nevada... And SC, Fla... And Mass...
Gaps in US radiation monitoring system revealed...
Four of EPA's 11 Sensors in CA Were Down...
Obama says he didn't know of fed op smuggling guns into Mexico...
SOROS GROUP PLOTS 'GUERILLA WAR', 'SABOTAGE' ON FOXNEWS...
AL QAEDA FIGHTERS JOIN LIBYAN REBELS...
'Al Qaeda snatched missiles'...
Boehner: Obama needs to 'provide clarity' on military objective...
U.S. officials assisted visit by Gadhafi son just before uprising...
Despite airstrikes, Tripoli residents live in terror...
British Minister Warns of Another Lockerbie...
'Black Swan' double claims Portman did only 5% of dance shots...'The ballerina who served as a dancing double for Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winnning role in Black Swan tells EW she has been the victim of a “cover-up” to mislead the public about how much dancing Portman actually did in the film. “Of the full body shots, I would say 5 percent are Natalie,” says Sarah Lane, 27, an American Ballet Theatre soloist who performed many of the film’s complicated dance sequences, allowing Portman’s face to be digitally grafted onto her body. “All the other shots are me.”

Lane’s claim follows a March 23 L.A. Times article in which Portman’s fiancé and Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied said Lane’s work in the film was far less significant. “There are articles now talking about her dance double [American Ballet Theatre dancer Sarah Lane] that are making it sound like [Lane] did a lot of the work, but really, she just did the footwork, and the fouettés, and one diagonal [phrase] in the studio,” he said. “Honestly, 85 percent of that movie is Natalie.”

Lane disagrees. “The shots that are just her face with arms, those shots are definitely Natalie,” she says. “But that doesn’t show the actual dancing.” Lane admits that she was never promised a particular title for her six weeks of work on the film, though she was disappointed to see that she is credited only as as “Hand Model,” “Stunt Double,” and “Lady in the Lane” (a brief walk-on role).

Lane also says that Black Swan producer Ari Handel specifically told her not to talk about her work to the press, even though she claims there was no such stipulation in her contract. “They wanted to create this idea in people’s minds that Natalie was some kind of prodigy or so gifted in dance and really worked so hard to make herself a ballerina in a year and a half for the movie, basically because of the Oscar,” says Lane. “It is demeaning to the profession and not just to me. I’ve been doing this for 22 years…. Can you become a concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you’re a movie star?”...'

Eye on entertainment (Washington Post) [ I don't ordinarily 'do entertainment' but I'm compelled to comment that I was taken in on the following (I was somewhat amazed by what I falsely presumed to be Portman's 'quick study' ballet performance … not! … eh ... what can you expect from someone born in israel.), but not taken in as so many in the latter concerning that highly publicized 'threat to society'; the infamous Lindsey Lohan. 'Black Swan' double claims Portman did only 5% of dance shots...'The ballerina who served as a dancing double for Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winnning role in Black Swan tells EW she has been the victim of a “cover-up” to mislead the public about how much dancing Portman actually did in the film. “Of the full body shots, I would say 5 percent are Natalie,” says Sarah Lane, 27, an American Ballet Theatre soloist who performed many of the film’s complicated dance sequences, allowing Portman’s face to be digitally grafted onto her body. “All the other shots are me.”

...

Lane disagrees. “The shots that are just her face with arms, those shots are definitely Natalie,”..But that doesn’t show the actual dancing.” ..

Lane also says that Black Swan producer Ari Handel specifically told her not to talk about her work to the press, even though she claims there was no such stipulation in her contract. “They wanted to create this idea in people’s minds that Natalie was some kind of prodigy or so gifted in dance and really worked so hard to make herself a ballerina in a year and a half for the movie, basically because of the Oscar,” says Lane. “It is demeaning to the profession and not just to me. I’ve been doing this for 22 years…. Can you become a concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you’re a movie star?”' ]

Lohan rejects judge's plea offer in theft case (AP) [ It is common practice in the entertainment industry for 'loaners' far more expensive than the subject 'costume piece' here, to garner the benefit of the 'show and tell', particularly for this little hole in the wall in Venice. I mean, come on; this was hardly a surprise taking in a bustling store overrun by customers. Then there are the 'evidentiary' problems attendant to the venal motives of the store itself and monies received. In all, one must conclude that these invariably corrupt judges / prosecutors as corrupt steve the cooley (check out those land deals) like to bully the girls, ie., Lindsay Lohan, Winona Ryder, etc.. I'm not going to mention the guys of late who got a pass. Blatant misogyny? What else can you call it; particularly since they're letting scores of far more serious criminals out of jail, and we all know the numbers of serious violent criminals walkin' the streets with impunity in so-cal. Paris Hilton prosecutor arrested for buying cocaine (Reuters) ]

The Obama doctrine (Washington Post) [ The 'wobama doctrine'? Also known as 'b*** s***' or 'bush s***'. Distinctions without a significant difference, one thing is certain. Mr. Milbank's article is nauseating.]Where Bush was all bright lines, Obama is subtle and situational.

Obama vigorously defends Libya intervention (Washington Post) [ I have nothing but disrespect for anyone who even listened to 'wobama the b' for b*** s***. After all, his teleprompter (in whatever form) was working overtime. Not that I'm enamored by that mental case Gadaffy (who forgot to duck) who was taken into that war criminal american fold (war criminal bush / now wobama) fairly recently as a 'partner in the war on terror' … riiiiight! … There is nothing failed presidents like wobama, bush, et als can say that's worth hearing. One word could have explained all … 'oil'. Criminal american values … what, despotic saudi arabia, war crimes nation israel, etc.? Apparently, unless their criminal, they're not american values. Drudgereport: MAG: NEW 'KILL TEAM' PHOTOS RELEASED...
REPORT: U.S. soldiers hacked off part of dead man's skull?
HORROR: Cut off 15-year-old boy's finger and kept as trophy...[We all knew the u.s. Military was recruiting / is now composed of felons, war criminals, etc.; but clearly, these are the blatant signs of serial killers – then that 360 tons of $100 bills still missing in Iraq, etc., serial thieves, particularly at the top down.)...
VIDEO: Two on motorcycle gunned down...***WARNING: GRAPHIC***
PHOTOS...
500,000 MARCH IN LONDON TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS...
Turns violent; Anarchists blitz the Ritz...
ANARCHY IN THE UK
NOT DAYS, NOT WEEKS -- LIBYA OP TO LAST MONTHS...
NATO likely to expand mission... No UN mandate to attack Gaddafi forces: Russia Russia said on Monday attacks on forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi amounted to intervention in a civil war and were not backed by the U.N. resolution authorising no-fly zones.

‘Death Squad’: Full horror emerges of how rogue U.S. brigade murdered and mutilated innocent Afghan civilians – and kept their body parts as trophies Shocking new details emerged today of how American troops formed a ‘death squad’ to randomly murder Afghan civilians and mutilate their corpses.

Defense Secretary: Libya Did Not Pose Threat to U.S., Was Not ‘Vital National Interest’ to Intervene Gates said that Libya did not pose a threat to the United States before the U.S. began its military campaign.

Gingrich admits to a double flip-flop on Libya intervention Newt Gingrich can’t make up his mind.

] The president delivers an expansive rationale for intervention in civil conflicts, arguing the mission was undertaken with the US’ closest allies.

Tech firms hiring White House staffers (Washington Post) [ Those who can, do. Those who can't, work for the u.s. government, then u.s. companies for access to the government (contracts, protection from prosecution (wall street / goldman, etc.), etc.). This incestuous relationship has not been successful for the nation, but has been lucrative for the criminal few involved. Indeed, I can personally attest with enough knowledge and experience that american technology is horrendous and typifies that old GM failed strategy of 'planned obsolescence'. Moreover, at best, america merely assembles foreign made components for the moniker 'made in the usa'; but, not because they want to, but because at best that's all they can do, and not so good at that. What america is good at is pervasive corruption in virtually anything you can think of. Criminal america's defacto bankruptcy is testament to that. / Black Swans Everywhere Nyaradi 'Black swans seem everywhere as we have a nuclear accident in Japan, war and revolutions in the Middle East, demonstrations in Britain, and a looming U.S. Government shut down on April 8th. At Wall Street Sector Selector, we remain in the defensive mode, as black swans fly across the globe...' / Weekly Indicators: Accumulating Signs of a Slowdown Stewart 'In the rear-view mirror department, 4th quarter 2010 GDP was revised back up to 3.1%. Monthly data reported this past week, however, was depressing. New home sales were recorded at an all-time low, although balanced against December's big uptick, the last three months are still better than the three months previous to them. More ominous, however, was the big decline in consumer confidence, and in particular expectations about the future. These are the worst in 2 years, and are a leading indicator. Durable goods also came in very weak...' / Bank Failure Friday Slows Despite Increased Problem Banks Suttmeier 'The FDIC List of Problem Banks rose by 24 in the fourth quarter to 884 from 860, which is 11.5% of the 7,657 FDIC-insured financial institutions, yet the FDIC has slowed the pace of closing problem banks on Bank Failure Friday...' / The Stock Market Is In A State Of Denial- infowars.com Those of you who watch financial TV or read the financial media have probably heard the current market referred to as the “nothing matters” market since it is supposedly ignoring a spate of negative news.

] The revolving door between the federal government and U.S. tech companies isn’t new.

GOP has plan for Fannie, Freddie (Washington Post) [ They have a plan ... sounds like a plan ... By george, they think they have a plan ... Yes, it is 'Alice in Wonderland' time in america ... they're late, they're late, for a very important date ...] Government shutdown looms-Paul Kane (Washington Post) [ Shutdown? ... One can only hope, and pray ... after all, they can't muck up what they're not in session to f*** up ... Government shutdown looms Paul Kane (Washington Post) [

Treasuries Decline After Bullard Says Fed Should Review QE2 Bloomberg | Treasuries fell, pushing 10-year yields to the highest in more than two weeks.

The Week Ahead: Brace for a Setback

Fed Ponders Actions While Global Economy Reels The US dollar continues under acute pressure, as the world seeks an alternative reserve currency. The days and years of manipulation, fraud and criminal behavior are fast coming to an end.

400,000 Protest Budget Cuts, Anarchists Rampage in London The Guardian | Largest mass protest since the anti-Iraq war march in 2003.

G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether NY Times | Worldwide profits: $14.2 billion; U.S. profits: $5.1 billion; tax liability: zero.

Consumers have a beef with Fed over inflation Food riots, deposed Middle Eastern despots and now this? Last week, a Texas man brandishing an assault rifle was involved in a three-hour shoot-out with police and had to be subdued with tear gas after ordering seven Beefy Crunch Burritos at a Taco Bell drive-through and being informed that their price had risen from 99 cents to $1.49.

IMF Prepares For “Threat To International Monetary System” Back in April 2010, before Waddell and Reed sold a few shares of ES, effectively destroying the market on news that Europe was insolvent, we made the following observation: “The IMF has just announced that it is expanding its New Arrangement to Borrow (NAB) multilateral facility from its existing $50 billion by a whopping $500 billion (SDR333.5 billion), to $550 billion.”

Household wealth down 23% in 2 years – Fed A rare survey of U.S. households, first performed in 2007 but repeated in 2009 in order to gauge the effects of the recession, reveals the median net worth of households fell from $125,000 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009.

The Stock Market Is In A State Of Denial Those of you who watch financial TV or read the financial media have probably heard the current market referred to as the “nothing matters” market since it is supposedly ignoring a spate of negative news.

] Bills seek to hike fees charged to borrowers and take other steps to shrink the companies.

Black Swans Everywhere Nyaradi 'Black swans seem everywhere as we have a nuclear accident in Japan, war and revolutions in the Middle East, demonstrations in Britain, and a looming U.S. Government shut down on April 8th. At Wall Street Sector Selector, we remain in the defensive mode, as black swans fly across the globe.

On My Radar
Another volatile week is now in the books and yet another lies ahead (click to enlarge). [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/28/saupload_spx032611.png ] Chart courtesy of Stockcharts.com

In the chart of the S&P 500 above, we see that Friday’s close brought a “shooting star” which is composed of a gap higher at the open, higher prices during the day and then a close near the open. Within the context of an uptrend, this is a bearish pattern, as buying momentum petered out during the day.

We also see overhead resistance just ahead at the 1320-1330 level, while MACD at the bottom would contradict the bearish signs with a turn up and signal cross, albeit one that is still below the “0” line.

On the Bullish Percent Chart below, we see that supply dominates the market and that the index is in a "bear alert" and still close to overbought levels near 70% (click to enlarge). [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/28/saupload_222.png ] Chart courtesy of Stockcharts.com

So on a technical basis, things appear to be mixed to bearish, notwithstanding last week’s snapback rally.

On the fundamental front, the news was mixed, as well:

Bullish News: GDP revised upward from 2.8 to 3.1%, Unemployment Claims down.

Bearish News: February Existing Home Sales down, New Home Sales at record lows, Durable Goods Orders down, Michigan Consumer Sentiment down.

Around the world, the drama continued in the Middle East as the rebels gained the upper hand in Libya, thanks to the NATO (read U.S.) no fly zone and bombing against Gaddafi assets, while Syria probably deserves to be bombed, as well, with Friday demonstrations leading to security forces firing into and killing numerous members of the civilian crowd.

In Europe, a quarter million people gathered in Britain to protest the "austerity" proposals while Portugal suffered credit downgrades, spiraling bond costs and seemed to accelerate on its wild ride towards an ECB bailout.

The sad drama in Japan continues to unfold as the nuclear plants appear to be yet uncontrolled with 1200 times the legal limit of radiation being measured in the sea near the plant. (Somehow 1200 times the legal limit remains below the level considered harmful to humans and the Japanese fishing industry.) Now it appears that a leak at one of the reactor cores is possible and the U.S. military is considering mandatory evacuations of its mammoth Yokosuka naval base.

Damage estimates put the disaster at the level of four Katrinas, making it the most expensive natural disaster the world has ever seen, and global car production is being impacted both in Japan and at home as supply chains shut down.

1/3 of global auto production could be impacted with a total of approximately 5 million cars not being built this year out of a planned 72 million. Toyota (TM) is shutting down domestic manufacturing in Japan along with shuttering factories in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, GM shut a plant in Louisiana and Ford (F) is closing one in Belgium.

The Canadians ousted their government, apparently not wanting to be outdone by the Portuguese who's leader resigned earlier in the week over the Parliament's rejection of the austerity plan to curb their deficit.

With demonstrations in Britain, the downfall of the government in Portugal and growing unrest in Germany, one can only conclude that this whole austerity idea isn't going down too well on the Continent.

Of course the same could be said of our situation here in the United States where the news is less dramatic but still volatile.

President Obama will face the nation on Monday night to explain/justify the Libyan operation while Congress grapples with the budget morass and faces a rapidly approaching deadline of April 8th at which point the government officially runs out of money and faces a shutdown.

And let's not forget the small item that "Obama Care" will be 8% more expensive than forecast and that there's a $2.3 Trillion gap between the U.S. Congressional Budget Office's estimates of the budget deficit over the next ten years of $9.5 Trillion versus the White House estimate of $7.2 Trillion.

But what's $2.3 Trillion among friends, and who's counting anyway as Dr. Bernanke continues buying nearly all of the U.S. Treasury bonds that come up for sale in these "Alice in Wonderland" days.

The black swans continue flying, and more and more the story becomes a simple war between the central banks of Europe, Japan and the United States and the black swans that circle the globe.

The Week Ahead

A huge week of data lies ahead that clearly have the power to move the markets up or down. Friday will be a monster with news on employment, manufacturing construction spending and car sales.

Monday: February Personal Income, February Personal Spending, January Pending Home Sales

Tuesday: January Case/Shiller Home Price Index, March Consumer Confidence

Wednesday: March Challenger Job Cuts, March ADP Employment

Thursday: Initial Unemployment Claims, Continuing Claims, March Chicago PMI, February Factory Orders

Friday: March Non Farm Payrolls, March Unemployment, March ISM, February Construction Spending, April Car/Truck Sales

Sector Spotlight

Leaders: (NYSEArca: ECH) iShares Chile (NYSEArca: EZA) iShares South Africa, (SLV) iShares Silver)

Laggards: (NYSEArca: TLT) iShares 20 Year Treasury (NYSEArca: REM) iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage REIT ...'

Weekly Indicators: Accumulating Signs of a Slowdown Stewart 'In the rear-view mirror department, 4th quarter 2010 GDP was revised back up to 3.1%. Monthly data reported this past week, however, was depressing. New home sales were recorded at an all-time low, although balanced against December's big uptick, the last three months are still better than the three months previous to them. More ominous, however, was the big decline in consumer confidence, and in particular expectations about the future. These are the worst in 2 years, and are a leading indicator. Durable goods also came in very weak. While this is a volatile indicator, over the last 6 months it has trended sideways. Did I mention that this is also a leading indicator? In short, oil's choke collar is biting into the economy.Turning now to the high-frequency weekly indicators:The BLS reported that Initial jobless claims last week were 382,000. The 4 week average is 385,000. This is the fifth week in a row that this number has been initially reported below 400,000. This bodes well for the next payrolls report.On the other hand, oil was trading at about $105.65 a barrel Friday midday, the third full week it has been above $100. It remains at a level above 4% of GDP. There WILL be a significant economic damage and I believe we are now observing the start of that damage. Gas at the pump declined $0.01 last week to $3.56 a gallon. Gasoline usage again was slightly lower than last year. I expect this comparison to deteriorate so long as the oil price spike continues.Railfax was up 5.7% YoY. Baseline traffic is now no higher than last year's levels, and cyclical traffic is only slightly higher. Waste materials are now below last year's levels. Shipments of motor vehicles, however, continued to improve YoY. Intermodal freight's rate of advance over last year declined last week. With the exception of motor vehicles, rail freight is now also signalling a significant slowdown.The Mortgage Bankers' Association reported an increase of 2.7% in seasonally adjusted mortgage applications last week. This series has meandered generally in a flat range since last June. On the plus side, this is the longest time since 2006 that this series has gone without a major decline. Refinancing also increased another 2.7%, but despite that remains near its lows since last July.The American Staffing Association Index remained at 91. This series has stalled at the 90-91 level for 6 weeks. It is signalling stagnation, not growth, and is stalled relative to its pre-recession peak.The ICSC reported that same store sales for the week of March 19 rose 3.0% YoY, and decreased -0.1% week over week. Shoppertrak reported a 4.0% YoY gain for the week ending March 19, and a WoW gain of 3.9%. Unlike almost every other series, these two series' YoY comparisons have been improving over the last month.Weekly BAA commercial bond rates declined -.10% to 5.98%. This compares with a -0.15% deline in the yields of 10 year treasuries to 3.29%. Both series are down from recent highs. This was the second week in which the relative move in corporate bonds signalled weakness.M1 was unchanged w/w, up 0.5% M/M, but up a strong 9.0% YoY, so Real M1 is up 7.8%. M2 was down -0.3% w/w, up 0.3% M/M and up 4.6% YoY, so Real M2 is up 2.4%. M2 is back into the "yellow zone" below 2.5%, but M1 is still strongly in the "green zone" as it has been for several years.Adjusting +1.07% due to the recent tax compromise, the Daily Treasury Statement showed that for the first 17 days of March, $135.5 B was collected vs. $134.6 B a year ago, for a gain of +0.6% YoY. For the last 20 days, $162.1 B was collected vs. $150.9 B a year ago, for a gain of $11.2 B, of over 7.4%. I suggest using this series with extra caution, because the adjustment for the withholding tax compromise is only a best guess, and may be significantly incorrect.For the first time since mid-2010, the LEI may have a negative month in March. Consumer confidence, durable goods, and (Feb.) housing permits are all down strongly. The stock market and money supply look like they will record essentially neutral readings. Only the bond spread yield and initiall unemployment claims look like strong positives. It is worth noting, on the plus side, that ECRI's growth indicator continues to be positive, and they are not revising their forecast of continued growth. Neverthelss, as I said at the outset, it appears that the Oil choke collar is indeed beginning to constrict the economy.Finally, the Census Bureau reported Friday that the Latino population has increased to 50.5 million people, or about 16% of the total US population. All of which make Los Estados Unidos the third most populous Latin American country after Brazil and Mexico (surpassing Argentina and Columbia).'

On Investor Uncertainty, Stock Market Fluctuations and Unemployment Hansen 'Uncertainty causes most to delay decisions relating to their future.

Investors in the last few weeks faced with uncertainty following the Japanese tsunami and reactor meltdown have jumped in and out of stocks.

Dave Rosenberg at Gluskin Sheff this past week detailed the differences in risk to investors in 2011 compared to 2010. Uncertainty, appears to be on the rise.

click to enlarge images [chart http://albertpeia.com/z_pimco11-3-23-2011.png ]

My colleague Ellen Beeson Zentner, Vice President & Senior U.S. Macro Economist at Bank of Tokyo – Mitsubishi (BTMU) pointed out certain correlations this week between stock market volatility and jobs.

Volatility, especially in the stock market, is a bad thing. If it rises sharply, and persists, it has the ability to be a job killer and exhibits the same affect on business investment as well. The most recent example can be taken from the European debt crisis, which flared in April 2010. The labor market had just turned in early 2010 and job growth looked to be accelerating (see Graph II), then stock market volatility spiked and by May businesses had slowed hiring in the face of the uncertain economic outlook. Just as happened during the EU debt crisis last year, we don’t believe businesses will conduct layoffs if volatility continues. Rather, it would result in a slowdown in hiring as plans are put on the back-burner.

[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/27/saupload_z_weekly11.png ]

There is no question uncertainty is rising. The question we should be asking is how much of this uncertainty translates to business. Looking at Dave Rosenberg’s list of risks, many appear to be investor risks.

The global economy is not gearing up in anticipation of breakout growth. Companies are faced with rising commodity prices – and it does not take a genius corporate executive to know rising material and component prices are major headwinds.

The predominant risk to business is rising commodity prices at a time there is little wage growth in the advanced economies. Consumers as a group remain near their debt limits – and rising costs translates to more selective spending.

Econintersect suggests that commodity prices themselves may be the natural global economic regulator at this juncture – and not the economy killer suggested by some. With business already lean and mean, price movements slow and speed up economies without destructive gutting seen in 2008.

Business that has survived the Great Recession is operating with excess capacity and cash, and can adjust for price inflation – all while maintaining a profitable bottom line.

And with any luck get a few major technological breakthroughs along the way. Nothing spurs business more than exploring ways to reduce costs.

Economic News this Week:

Econintersect’s economic forecast for March 2011 points to a moderately improving economy with all segments of its non-monetary index positive. This week the Weekly Leading Index (WLI) from ECRI declined slightly from 7.1% to 6.5%. This level implies the business conditions six months from now will be approximately the same or slightly improved compared to today. [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/27/saupload_z_weekly_indexes1.png ]

Initial unemployment claims in this week’s release was essentially unchanged due to backward revision to previous weeks. The data for the last two months as been quite noisy, and it remains important to follow the four week moving average for analysis of unemployment to smooth out the reporting idiosyncrasies. Overall, the trend line for jobs loss is improving – and is now roughly the same as mid-2008.[chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/27/saupload_z_unemployment1.png ]

The data released this week is considered positive and consistent with Econintersect’s January, February and March forecasts of slightly to moderately improving economic conditions overall. All data – except housing – remains up year-over-year (YoY) – although less good as it is being compared to relatively strong 2010 data. All trend lines continue to show continuing YoY growth.

Weekly Economic Release Scorecard:

Item	Headline	Analysis
Final 4Q2010 GDP	Revised Up	GDP has gone from 3.2% (advanced) to 2.8% (2nd release) – and now the final release is 3.1%
February Durable Goods	Down	Not necessarily down – just less good
Federal Reserve 2010 Financial Statement		Compare QE1 to QE2
Global Economic Assessment		Questions whether anyone can correctly assess risk in 2nd half of 2011
Future Jobs Growth		CBO envisions a 2000 decade tepid jobs growth until 2021
February Truck Tonnage	Down	Up YoY, data just less good than January
February New Home Sales	Down	Worst data ever
Electric Generation Fuel Comparisons		Compared Coal to Uranium as tomorrow’s fuels
Japan’s Meltdown		How it effected consumer metrics
February Existing Home Sales	Down	Yes, down YoY against a 2010 incentive driven home sales month
February CFNAI	Down	Up because of backward revision
Big Banks		Explores limits of large banking institutions globally
Micro-Cap Stocks		Clive Corcoran finds Micro-caps are outperforming
Hated Investments		Jeffrey Dow Jones explores profiting from investments most hate
Investing Week		Jeff Miller maintains investors must look beyond the headlines
Stock Market Prices		Erik McCurdy argues the market may be beginning a topping process
Libya		Elliott Morss questions what drove international involvement in Libya.
Economic Chernobyl		Rick Davis compares the elements of the Chernobyl meltdown to the USA economic situation
USA Treasuries		GEAB believes the USA treasury market will collapse in 2011 for a variety of reasons
UM Consumer Sentiment	Down	Plummets 77.5 to 67.5

Bankruptcy this Week: Epic Energy Services and its subsidiary, Epic Integrated Services, GeoPharma

Failed Banks this Week: [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/27/saupload_z_failed_banks.png ]

Bank Failure Friday Slows Despite Increased Problem Banks Suttmeier 'The FDIC List of Problem Banks rose by 24 in the fourth quarter to 884 from 860, which is 11.5% of the 7,657 FDIC-insured financial institutions, yet the FDIC has slowed the pace of closing problem banks on Bank Failure Friday. As the first quarter draws to an end the FDIC has closed only 26 community banks year to date, including one last Friday.
Since the end of 2007 the FDIC has closed 348 banks on the way to my predicted 500 to 800 bank closings into 2012 / 2013. Many of the remaining community banks have the same overexposures to commercial real estate loans including construction & development loans that cause the 348 banks to fail. If the banking system was improving the number of problem banks would be declining not rising.
There are 1265 community banks that remain overexposed to C&D loans and another 1358 that are overexposed to CRE loans excluding C&D loans. This includes nonfarm and nonresidential real estate loans. The total of 2623 community banks is 34.3% of all banks that still needs to unwind risk exposures.Looking at pipeline risk, which is the ratio of CRE loans to CRE loan commitments, 4479 community banks have a pipeline that’s 80% or more funded, which is 58.5% of all FDIC- insured financial institutions. Such a high ratio indicates that borrowers are late in making loan payments.
Total assets in the banking system declined $51.8 billion in the fourth quarter 2010 with C&D loans down $32.5 billion. Even so C&D loans still total $321.6 billion with nonfarm, non-residential real estate loans at $1.07 trillion. Potential problem loans thus total nearly $1.4 trillion, which continues to show considerable stress in the banking system. This stress translates into tighter lending standards with banks with these overexposures reluctant to lend.You cannot have a job-creating sustained economic recovering with the housing market depressed and with continued stress in the banking system.Not helping matters is fact that US Treasury yields are on the rise once again. On March 16 the yield on the 10-Year US Treasury note was as low as 3.139. Last Friday’s close was 3.443. This is pushing up mortgage rates once again.In March we learned that existing home sales declined 9.6% in February with New Home Sales plunging 16.9% to a record low. Home prices fell 5.2% year over year. This is a major economic risk.

Stocks Remain Overvalued Fundamentally -- We are not operating under a ValuEngine Valuation Warning, but 59.4% of all stocks are overvalued. In addition all 16 sectors are overvalued with five by double-digit percentages.'

The Behavior of U.S. Treasury Yields Post Bernanke’s QE2 Wall St Cheat Sheet 'The behavior of Treasuries (NYSE:TLT) is an area of special interest in light of the Fed’s second round of quantitative easing, which was formally announced on November 3rd. The first chart shows the percent change for a basket of eight Treasuries since November 4th. Yields had risen dramatically since then. However, we’ve saw an accelerating reversal from mid-February until March 16th. But St. Patrick’s Day was the beginning of a renewed rise in yields...[charts]'

Inconvenient Economics: Despite QE2, Disposable Income Drops - Wiggin 'Gold slumped about $25 over the weekend. At last check, the spot price was $1,421 per ounce. Silver, too, got whacked early on but recovered and at $37.17, it remains $3 above where it was only a month ago.

We’re sure traders are covering bets and taking profits, but we detected another sell signal for the yellow metal, and it’s a specious one, at best.

“Stock prices rose and long-term interest rates fell when investors began to anticipate the most recent action,” Fed Chair Ben Bernanke wrote in a Washington Post Op-Ed following the announcement of QE2 last November. “Higher stock prices will boost consumer wealth and help increase confidence,” he continued, “which can also spur spending.”

If Joe Wage Earner sees a bigger 401(k) balance, the theory goes he’ll go out to Home Depot and redo the kitchen.

Indeed, with the S&P above 1,310, the “wealth effect” does seem to be at play once again. Consumer spending rose 0.7% last month, the largest increase since October 2010. Add to that the fact that most Americans got their Social Security withholding slashed by one-third starting the first of the year, thanks to the stimulus rushed through Congress at the end of last year, and the Fed governors want you to know it.

Philadelphia Fed chief Charles Plosser hinted at monetary tightening in the “not-too-distant future.” last Friday afternoon. “The economy has gained significant strength and momentum since last summer and seems to be on a much firmer foundation going forward,” he said.

On Saturday, St. Louis Fed chief James Bullard, reading from the same playbook, went a step further. He let it drop that QE2 might be wound down before its scheduled June 30 end date because “the economy is looking pretty good.”

The dollar index has even popped, firming to 76.4, a full point higher than it stood at this time a week ago, when it touched a 15-month low.

Unfortunately, disposable income, with “inflation” factored in, fell 0.1% last month, according to the Commerce Department. It’s the first drop since September. Consumer prices for gas and food rose in February at their fastest clip since July 2008.'

Treasuries Decline After Bullard Says Fed Should Review QE2 Bloomberg | Treasuries fell, pushing 10-year yields to the highest in more than two weeks.

The Week Ahead: Brace for a Setback

Fed Ponders Actions While Global Economy Reels The US dollar continues under acute pressure, as the world seeks an alternative reserve currency. The days and years of manipulation, fraud and criminal behavior are fast coming to an end.

400,000 Protest Budget Cuts, Anarchists Rampage in London The Guardian | Largest mass protest since the anti-Iraq war march in 2003.

G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether NY Times | Worldwide profits: $14.2 billion; U.S. profits: $5.1 billion; tax liability: zero.

Consumers have a beef with Fed over inflation Food riots, deposed Middle Eastern despots and now this? Last week, a Texas man brandishing an assault rifle was involved in a three-hour shoot-out with police and had to be subdued with tear gas after ordering seven Beefy Crunch Burritos at a Taco Bell drive-through and being informed that their price had risen from 99 cents to $1.49.

IMF Prepares For “Threat To International Monetary System” Back in April 2010, before Waddell and Reed sold a few shares of ES, effectively destroying the market on news that Europe was insolvent, we made the following observation: “The IMF has just announced that it is expanding its New Arrangement to Borrow (NAB) multilateral facility from its existing $50 billion by a whopping $500 billion (SDR333.5 billion), to $550 billion.”

Household wealth down 23% in 2 years – Fed A rare survey of U.S. households, first performed in 2007 but repeated in 2009 in order to gauge the effects of the recession, reveals the median net worth of households fell from $125,000 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009.

The Stock Market Is In A State Of Denial Those of you who watch financial TV or read the financial media have probably heard the current market referred to as the “nothing matters” market since it is supposedly ignoring a spate of negative news.

Portugal Latest Stop on Euro’s On Well-Traveled Path to Failure As the world’s eyes remain riveted on disaster and recovery in Japan and political upheaval in the Mideast, Eurozone nations continue their struggle to salvage the euro.

Glenn Beck And The Federal Reserve Last Friday, Glenn Beck did an entire show on the Federal Reserve. It had been a highly publicized show and many people were wondering how Beck was going to handle the subject.

Fed Ponders Actions While Global Economy Reels The US dollar continues under acute pressure, as the world seeks an alternative reserve currency. The days and years of manipulation, fraud and criminal behavior are fast coming to an end.

National / World

MELTDOWN: Plutonium Found In Soil At Fukushima As Cover Up Continues Steve Watson | Deadly radioactive water leaking into soil and ocean.

Soros’ Media Matters Declares War On Alternative Media Kurt Nimmo | Alex Jones and the Alternative media are more of a threat to the establishment than any number of corporate media coiffured talking heads.

Pseudo-Intellectual Hit Piece Emblematic Of Crumbling Elitist Media Paul Joseph Watson | New York Magazine smear portrays Alex Jones as paranoid, Fox News-wannabe while assuring readers that malevolent global elite doesn’t exist.

Soros Libs Engage in Agit-prop Sabotage Against Fox and Conservatives Infowars.com | Democrats and libs declare guerrila warfare against the First Amendment.

Nuclear Expert Calls Global Warming Alarmist Monbiot “Criminally Irresponsible” For Downplaying Fukushima Prominent nuclear and radiation expert Dr. Christopher Busby has slammed British global warming alarmist George Monbiot as being “criminally irresponsible” for writing a series of articles for the Guardian in which Monbiot downplays the threat of radiation from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in a bid to shore up his claims about man-made climate change being a far deadlier concern.

Highly radioactive water spreads at Japan plant Highly radioactive water has leaked from a reactor turbine building at a stricken nuclear plant in Japan, the operator said Monday, adding to fears the liquid is seeping into the environment.

Radiation levels at Japan nuclear plant reach new highs As radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant reached a new high Sunday, workers contended with dark, steamy conditions in their efforts to repair the facility’s cooling system and stave off a full-blown nuclear meltdown.

No UN mandate to attack Gaddafi forces: Russia Russia said on Monday attacks on forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi amounted to intervention in a civil war and were not backed by the U.N. resolution authorising no-fly zones.

‘Death Squad’: Full horror emerges of how rogue U.S. brigade murdered and mutilated innocent Afghan civilians – and kept their body parts as trophies Shocking new details emerged today of how American troops formed a ‘death squad’ to randomly murder Afghan civilians and mutilate their corpses.

Ron Paul Calls for End to Empire in N.H. Visit Voters who are hoping for a more bipartisan approach to problem solving in Washington, D.C. might not like what they hear from Congressman Ron Paul.

Defense Secretary: Libya Did Not Pose Threat to U.S., Was Not ‘Vital National Interest’ to Intervene Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that Libya did not pose a threat to the United States before the U.S. began its military campaign against the North African country.

Gingrich admits to a double flip-flop on Libya intervention Newt Gingrich can’t make up his mind.

TV Ads Normalize Thuggish TSA Behavior Kurt Nimmo | Corporate advertising makes light of Gestapo behavior.

When Does a Nuclear Disaster End? Never Tony Cartalucci | It will be hundreds of years before the area around the destroyed reactor is inhabitable again.

Poll: U.S. Will Send Ground Forces into Libya Kurt Nimmo | Russian intelligence believes coalition of globalists will send ground troops into Libya next month.

Fukushima Reactor 2: Radiation 10 Million Times Above Safe Level Infowars.com | IAEA has warned the crisis could go on for months.

A Simple Way To Resolve The True Radioactivity At Reactor 2 Zero Hedge | Here is a simple way to clear up the flap over the earlier “false” reporting on whether or not TEPCO screwed up.

Weather Models Show High Levels of Radiation Entering U.S. from Japan Kurt Nimmo | UN bureaucrat says radiation release could go on for months as authorities are clueless on how to stop the disaster.

Censored TV Ad Banned from Airwaves Infowars.com | A television ad that features Alex Jones’ narration has been banned from broadcast.

TEPCO Admits To Another Cover Up As Radioactivity Appears in Seawater Zero Hedge | Radioactivity at a concentration 1,250.8 times than the legal limit.

Libyan Rebel Leader Admits Connection to CIA al-Qaeda Asset in Iraq Kurt Nimmo | It turns out the Libyan rebel commander is al-Qaeda, that is to say an intelligence operative.

Ron Paul On Libyan Attack Infowars.com | Appearing on CNN, Paul roundly criticized Obama’s war against the people of Libya.

Drudge: Reporter Confined in Closet During Biden Fundraiser

Drudge Report | Orlando Sentinel reporter confined in a closet this week to keep him from mingling with high-powered guests gathered for a Democratic fundraiser.

Sarkozy the Zionist Threatens Arabs with Death and Destruction

Pentagon to Target Populated Urban Areas in Libya Kurt Nimmo

Censored TV Ad Banned from Airwaves A television ad for EndofAmericaVideo.com that features Alex Jones’ narration has been banned from broadcasting on nearly every major cable and satellite network.

Nearly Half of U.S. EPA’s West Coast Radiation Monitors Might be Out Sick Eight of the EPA’s 18 West Coast monitors might not be working!

Lack of data from Japan distresses nuclear experts Nuclear scientists and policy experts say the quality and quantity of information coming out of Fukushima has left gaping holes in their understanding of the nuclear disaster nearly two weeks after it began.

High radiation levels at Japanese plant raise new worry Highly radioactive water has been found at a second reactor at a crippled nuclear power station in Japan, the plant’s operator said, as fears of contamination escalated two weeks after a huge earthquake and tsunami battered the complex.

Radioactive Cesium With A Half-Life Of Approximately 30 Years Is Being Released At About 60 Percent Of Chernobyl Levels Why does it seem as though the nuclear crisis in Japan just keeps getting worse with each passing day? TEPCO has announced that extremely radioactive water is now leakingfrom reactors 1, 2, and 3 at their damaged nuclear complex.

GoogleEarth Based 3D Map Of Real-Time Radioactivity Distribution In Japan; Projected Global Radioactivity Dispersion Confirming that in a time of instantaneous crowdsourced information distribution and analysis, any attempt by a government to institute an information blackout of any nature is doomed to failure, is the following amazing Google Earth-based 3D interactive map of Geiger readings from Japan.

Libyan Rebel Leader Admits Links To “Al Qaeda” Fighters The commander of anti Gaddafi rebels forces in Libya has admitted that among the ranks of those fighting against the government are islamic militants who have fought and killed US troops in Iraq, otherwise known as “al qaeda” fighters.

Gates Instructs Syrian Military to Impose Color Revolution As we have documented, the so-called popular revolutions spreading across the Middle East are orchestrated affairs unleashed by the globalists, their NGOs, and agencies of the U.S. government.

Paul Watson: Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking Paul Watson sits in for Alex and leads the discussion on the latest developments in Japan.

Will Financial Problems In Portugal Cause The European Debt Crisis To Spiral Out Of Control? Most Americans have no idea just how bad the financial problems over in Europe are right now. The truth is that the entire European financial system is teetering on the brink of disaster.

Libya: The Objective of “Humanitarian Bombing” is Death and Destruction The objective of the media disinformation campaign is to blatantly obfuscate the loss of life of civilians. Western media reports on casualties are heavily convoluted. Tomahawk missiles and aerial bombings are upheld as instruments of peace and democracy. They do not result in civilian deaths.

Gaddafi: America’s easy target? The US opts not to interfere in the internal affairs of its allies in the region, no matter how grave the situation becomes.

Barack Obama to lawmakers: We won’t kill Qadhafi President Barack Obama told congressional leaders there are no plans to use the U.S. military to assassinate Libyan strongman Muammar Qadhafi — despite the administration’s policy of seeking regime change in the North African country — according to sources familiar with a Friday White House Situation Room briefing.

Libyan rebels regain Ajdabiya after RAF Tornado jets wreak havoc on Gaddafi’s heavy units Libyan rebels have regained control of the eastern gateway city of Ajdabiya after international airstrikes on Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.

Deaths reported as demos held in Syrian cities Protesters took the streets in a number of Syrian cities Friday to demand major change, dismissing promises of reforms by the authorities as rights activists reported deaths in police shootings.

NATO Airstrike in Afghanistan Claims Civilians A NATO airstrike targeting Taliban fighters accidentally killed and wounded an unspecified number of civilians Friday in the southern province of Helmand, one of the most insecure regions in the country, NATO officials said on Saturday.

Celente: Would US target Libya if they had broccoli instead of oil? Fresh air strikes have rocked the Libyan capital Tripoli, with reports of more civilian casualties. Gerald Celente from the Trends Research Institute says NATO is just a cover for the U.S. and the Libyan mission is about gaining control of the country’s oil.

Farage: Rompuy Says Libya Attack About “Regime Change” The UN says it’s alarmed by the looming humanitarian crisis in Libya. Officials warn food supply lines have been disrupted and over three hundred thousand refugees have already fled the country. Nigel Farage, MEP and leader of the UK Independence Party, believes the whole military strategy in Libya has not been thought through.

NATO Aggression on Yugoslavia: Challenging an Illegal War The Centre for Research on Globalization presents Diana Johnstone, filmed in Belgrade, Serbia at the March 24, 2009 commemoration of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia.

Europe wrestles with debt crisis (Washington Post) [ Yet they're doing these wars like they have money to burn. And, at the rate they're printing these fiat currencies, burning will be about all the worthless paper will be good for.

350 British special forces already deep inside Libya… and more are ready to be deployed Hundreds of British troops have been deployed deep inside Libya targeting Colonel Gaddafi’s forces – and more are on standby.

Drudgereport: MOODY'S THREATENS TO DOWNGRADE BRITAIN'S DEBT...
STUDY: US Finances Rank Near Worst in World...
Libya Mission 'clouded by confusion'...
White House: Days, not weeks...
France: Weeks, not days...
Dem Rep: Obama told me US would be 'in and out'...

How Can America Create Wealth If Our Industrial Base Is Destroyed? Any economy that constantly consumes far more wealth than it produces is eventually going to be in for a very hard fall. Many point to relatively stable GDP numbers as evidence that the U.S. economy is doing okay, but the truth is that we have had to borrow increasingly massive amounts of money to keep GDP numbers up at that level.

Beware the Fed Driven Market Parnell ' A review of the headlines heading into trading on March 23, 2011 was notable:

* Portugal braces for government collapse over austerity vote

* Ireland’s 10-year bond yield hits record at over 10%

* Bombing in Israel bus station

* Yemen’s pro-U.S. leader in talks on exit

* U.S. new home sales lowest on record, prices fall to December 2003 levels

* Federal Reserve rejects Bank of America dividend raise

Investment markets do not like uncertainty. And on any normal trading day, simply one of these headlines alone might provide justification for stock investors to take pause and reevaluate risk exposures...'

Censored TV Ad Banned from Airwaves [ This presentation is really quite good; indeed, so good, I archived it on my website out of fear of censorship / blacklist / ban. Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video on the economic / financial collapse from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website; also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view, must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 ( 374mb ) Written text of presentation (without pictures / charts)

Fears grow about reactor leak (Washington Post) [ Not to be alarmist for the sake of fear-mongering; but clearly, as indeed they should. This is a very big deal. Drudgereport: Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. Debt ... [ Not only selling ... they won't be buying! ]...
Dangerous breach suspected at Japan nuke plant...
WATER RADIATION 10,000X NORMAL...
Japan Quietly Evacuates Wider Radius From Reactors...
Toll rises to 27,000 dead, missing...

Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking Paul Joseph Watson | Has cover-up of leakage been ongoing since massive March 14 explosion?

Radiation: Nothing to See Here? Administration spokespeople continuously claim “no threat” from the radiation reaching the US from Japan, just as they did with oil hemorrhaging into the Gulf. Perhaps we should all whistle “Don’t worry, be happy” in unison. A thorough review of the science, however, begs a second opinion.

As TEPCO Reports Increased Possible Radiation Release, Japan Expands Voluntary Evacuation Radius To 30 km The latest news from Fukushima continue progressing from bad to worse. Which of course means that the (physical) silver lining around the mushroom cloud will be that much more potent: after all, the greater the destruction, the higher the Russell 2000. Just ask the Keynesians.

Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking While the mass media has all but dropped its interest in the Fukushima crisis to focus on Libya and meaningless side-issues like the death of Elizabeth Taylor, the nuclear nightmare only worsens, as Japanese authorities admit that reactor number 3, which is the only reactor to contain MOX plutonium, is now leaking.

U.S. Consumer Sentiment Fell More Than Forecast in March Bloomberg

Household wealth down 23% in 2 years – Fed A rare survey of U.S. households, first performed in 2007 but repeated in 2009 in order to gauge the effects of the recession, reveals the median net worth of households fell from $125,000 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009.

The Stock Market Is In A State Of Denial Those of you who watch financial TV or read the financial media have probably heard the current market referred to as the “nothing matters” market since it is supposedly ignoring a spate of negative news.

As Adjusted Monetary Base Rises By Half A Trillion In 2011, Treasury Runs Out Of Debt Ceiling Delay Measures

Gold And Silver Are Thriving While The U.S. Dollar Is Dying Have you heard the news? Gold hit another new record high on Thursday. It reached $1447.40 before settling back a bit. Most people responded to that news with a yawn.

Reexamining human nature [ Reexamining? Just don't look too closely; else there goes your book. 'Dark side of human nature', a cliche. 'Man's inhumanity to man', a recurring theme bandied about for so long it's now a proverb. Emotion / reason, character / IQ; such mental masturbation ignores stark realities, the most prominent of which is that in evolutionary terms vis-a-vis the species, though I hate to be the spoiler, 'time has run out'. After all, in the last analysis, what can you really expect from a species derived from apes, notochordates, and initially single celled organisms. One might even say in light of such humble beginnings, 'hey, not bad!' I would not be one of them. ( Neanderthals, Humans Interbred, DNA Proves

You're a Neanderthal: Genes say yes — a little bit (AP) Neanderthals and people interbred, fossil analysis finds For more info on man’s humble beginnings, see here http://www.albertpeia.com/anthroindex1.htm [ I’m adding this here, having seen while flipping channels an anthropologist talking up somewhat speciously the brain size of Neanderthals. The important but missed point here was potential ‘brain-power’ unrealized. Think of it this way: In the life-threateningly cold climes they inhabited, pre-occupation with warmth, fire, wood for fire, food, mere survival usurped all their waking moments. Have you ever tried to study, learn, think clearly (and new thoughts / neurogenesis thereby) under such harsh and perilous conditions; successfully? Neither could they. ]

FOUND: MISSING LINK BETWEEN APES AND MAN.... These stories, and the many like it, are old news and I subscribe to the more studied view that there is no “missing link” per se and in my view they are distinctions without significant differences.

10-5-09 Postscript: Professor *****,
I felt compelled to thank you again for the add; not to curry your favor but indeed to express profound thanks inasmuch as this is probably the last formal course at a formal educational institution I'll ever take; and among the most important. While I had bought at discount a library-discarded 1993 Anthropology by Embers text, though meaning to read same never quite got to it. I am astounded by the substantial amount of time involved in the evolutionary process, not that I ever stopped to think about it, and one must come away with the sense of 'and all that...for this?'. This course should be required curriculum along with psychology, sociology, etc., but probably won't be owing to what is, as it should be, a very humbling educational experience for any member of the human race.
Regards,
Al Peia ). ] In “The Social Animal,” David Brooks reveals what it means when emotion clashes with reason and character is at war with IQ.

350 British special forces already deep inside Libya… and more are ready to be deployed Hundreds of British troops have been deployed deep inside Libya targeting Colonel Gaddafi’s forces – and more are on standby.

Japanese officials expand evacuation zone around the crippled nuclear plant.

How much does war really cost? (Washington Post) [ This is a question much like that poignant, famed response of J. P. Morgan to a question of a similar vein (whether the inquirer could afford buying a boat); the answer being if you have to ask you most assuredly can't (afford it). The nation is defacto bankrupt, after all. These wars have not been worth doing at all except for those few war profiteers, military industrial complex, israel, zionists, neocons, etc.. Yeah, it's actually worse here in terms of insurmountable magnitude.(Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘ ). That wobama is a failed president, there is no question. Yet, the gop's 'never saw a war / conflict they didn't like' for the sake of the military industrial complex, war profiteers, israel, war criminals, the few, etc., despite the defacto bankruptcy of the nation is quite beyond the pale. ‘US is broke, dollar down, yet policy is to divide & conquer’ RT | America is getting involved in another long-term war, which will ruin its economy. US Approaching Insolvency, Fix To Be ‘Painful’: Fisher CNBC | The United States is on a fiscal path towards insolvency and policymakers are at a “tipping point,”. Kucinich: War is a swamp, Obama Libya action unconstitutional Drudgereport: FED: US Approaching Insolvency... ]

Household wealth down 23% in 2 years – Fed A rare survey of U.S. households, first performed in 2007 but repeated in 2009 in order to gauge the effects of the recession, reveals the median net worth of households fell from $125,000 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009.

The Stock Market Is In A State Of Denial ... ignoring a spate of negative news.

As Adjusted Monetary Base Rises By Half A Trillion In 2011, Treasury Runs Out Of Debt Ceiling Delay Measures

OPINION | If a war is not worth a tax, or spending cuts, then perhaps it is not worth doing at all.

How Can America Create Wealth If Our Industrial Base Is Destroyed? Any economy that constantly consumes far more wealth than it produces is eventually going to be in for a very hard fall. Many point to relatively stable GDP numbers as evidence that the U.S. economy is doing okay, but the truth is that we have had to borrow increasingly massive amounts of money to keep GDP numbers up at that level.

Come on! Upward revision of GDP by the scandal-scarred commerce department? You can’t believe anything these desperate self-servers say! This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally on more badworse than expected news provides an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario). Fed to hold regular news conferences (Washington Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street … you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. What do you expect these incompetent, fraudulent criminals / accomplices to say? That they haven't the slightest clue what they're doing and the damage they've already done? Come on! The more they speak, the less you really know; and, to borrow from that old saying / cliché … how do you know they're lying?... answer: 'their lips are moving'... They lie all the time … sometimes even when they don't have to. M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ ] Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive. States target jobless benefits (Washington Post) [ Sounds like a plan … from h**l … after all, beyond the rhetoric, propaganda, fake data / reports, etc., the only real manufacturing going on in pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america is ever more worthless fiat paper currency, new fangled wall street paper / securities / toxic asset bubble-frauds, etc.. Unemployment numbers from the labored labor department? The ‘expiration / stopped looking, everyone’, at best. How can anyone believe anything the pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. government says. Durable goods (leading indicator) 200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12% and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk? … wise to lighten up some into strength ... BOB PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ] ] Michigan moves to cut its unemployment program despite troubling jobless rates.

Come on! Upward revision of GDP by the scandal-scarred commerce department? You can’t believe anything these desperate self-servers say! This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally on more badworse than expected news provides an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario). Fed to hold regular news conferences (Washington Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street … you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. What do you expect these incompetent, fraudulent criminals / accomplices to say? That they haven't the slightest clue what they're doing and the damage they've already done? Come on! The more they speak, the less you really know; and, to borrow from that old saying / cliché … how do you know they're lying?... answer: 'their lips are moving'... They lie all the time … sometimes even when they don't have to. M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ ] Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive. States target jobless benefits (Washington Post) [ Sounds like a plan … from h**l … after all, beyond the rhetoric, propaganda, fake data / reports, etc., the only real manufacturing going on in pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america is ever more worthless fiat paper currency, new fangled wall street paper / securities / toxic asset bubble-frauds, etc.. Unemployment numbers from the labored labor department? The ‘expiration / stopped looking, everyone’, at best. How can anyone believe anything the pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. government says. Durable goods (leading indicator) 200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12% and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk? … wise to lighten up some into strength ... BOB PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ] ] Michigan moves to cut its unemployment program despite troubling jobless rates.

Don't Fight the Fed: Dave's Daily 'Some good earnings from software leader Oracle and upwardly revised GDP (mostly on expanding inventories) helped markets rally modestly Friday. Most important, $20 billion in POMO this week tells the tale for markets and bulls. It seems the world can blow up and bulls would still be chucking it in there as long the man with the big stack has their backs. Consumer Sentiment was lower since oil prices over $100 are off-putting to say the least and home prices continue to suffer. With commodity prices still rising it's uncertain whether corporations will be able to pass these higher costs to end users or consumers. If they can, we have inflation that only rigged government data can deny. The dollar rallied modestly but commodities still rallied overall while bonds fell slightly. Volume continues to dry-up but I suppose most investors pay little heed to this bearish condition. Who's buying? Those lucky Primary Dealers (dba, Da Boyz) with free stake money from Uncle Sugar. Breadth per the WSJ was positive. As quickly as we were short-term oversold last week, we're now at neutral to a little overbought.'

Beware the Fed Driven Market Parnell ' A review of the headlines heading into trading on March 23, 2011 was notable:

* Portugal braces for government collapse over austerity vote

* Ireland’s 10-year bond yield hits record at over 10%

* Bombing in Israel bus station

* Yemen’s pro-U.S. leader in talks on exit

* U.S. new home sales lowest on record, prices fall to December 2003 levels

* Federal Reserve rejects Bank of America dividend raise

Investment markets do not like uncertainty. And on any normal trading day, simply one of these headlines alone might provide justification for stock investors to take pause and reevaluate risk exposures. So with six such major headlines in a single day, it would have been more than reasonable to expect that stocks might head lower for the trading session, as investors would be inclined to take some money of the table as they analyze the implications of some if not all of these events. And such risk aversion would be particularly prudent in a stock market that has nearly doubled since the March 2009 lows and has risen by over +30% in a virtual straight line since last summer.

When trade opened Wednesday morning at 9:30AM, a pullback was exactly what we saw, as the market quickly dropped by roughly -1%. But once we entered the second hour of trading, the downward trend suddenly reversed. By 10:30AM, the market showed signs of bottoming. And through the remainder of the morning and the rest of the trading day, the market elevated steadily higher to end the day up +0.5%. The fact that the market ended up on a day when a variety of new and meaningful risks bubbled to the surface certainly raises an eyebrow. After all, whether it's to the upside or the downside, you want to make sure your in a market that is acting at least somewhat rationally.

Trading days just like yesterday have become all too familiar over the last few years – down at open on negative news, bottom mid morning, rally through the remainder of the day to end higher. This raises the obvious question – what is happening around 10:30AM that sparks this market resilience to shake off any and all signs of worry and start ascending higher? The answer – the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Nearly every trading day, the Fed conducts Permanent Open Market Operations (POMO) starting at 10:30AM as part of their latest $600 billion asset purchase plan widely known as “QE2”. Between 10:30AM and 11:00AM, the Fed buys anywhere between $5.5 billion to $8.5 billion in U.S. Treasury securities from financial institutions such as the major banks. So by late morning on any given trading day, we have financial institutions that suddenly have a load of cash that they just received from the Fed and now need to do something with it.

A good chunk of this money has been finding its way into investment markets including stocks, which helps ignite the reversal and propel stocks higher. In other words, the Fed has essentially become the marginal buyer of stocks through their Open Market Operations.

click to enlarge [chart]

This process has two key implications going forward. First, the Fed’s QE2 is set to run through June 30, 2011. As long as QE2 is running – we are currently around $360 billion, or 60%, through QE2 through today with 98 calendar days left before June 30, 2011 – it is reasonable to expect these mid-morning reversal up days will continue to occur with regularity regardless of what risks the world throws at it. Second, the daily marginal buyer for stocks is set to go away once QE2 ends.

Thus, a day like Wednesday that opens down but reverses and heads higher is likely to become a day that opens lower and accelerates to the downside as the day progresses. It is also worth noting that the infamous stock market flash crash occurred on May 6, 2010 ...'

G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether NY Times | Worldwide profits: $14.2 billion; U.S. profits: $5.1 billion; tax liability: zero.

How Can America Create Wealth If Our Industrial Base Is Destroyed? Economic Collapse | Any economy that constantly consumes far more wealth than it produces is in for a very hard fall.

U.S. Consumer Sentiment Fell More Than Forecast in March Bloomberg | Gasoline prices hovering near the highest levels since October 2008 are straining the finances of American households.

Household wealth down 23% in 2 years – Fed A rare survey of U.S. households, first performed in 2007 but repeated in 2009 in order to gauge the effects of the recession, reveals the median net worth of households fell from $125,000 in 2007 to $96,000 in 2009.

The Stock Market Is In A State Of Denial Those of you who watch financial TV or read the financial media have probably heard the current market referred to as the “nothing matters” market since it is supposedly ignoring a spate of negative news.

As Adjusted Monetary Base Rises By Half A Trillion In 2011, Treasury Runs Out Of Debt Ceiling Delay Measures Something very notable happened today receiving exactly zero recognition by the mainstream press: the process of winding down the Supplementary Financing Program ended, with either zero (assuming the entire $25 billion in 56 Day CMB matured without rolling) or $5 billion (as per the Treasury’s disclosure), remaining under the SFP.

Gold And Silver Are Thriving While The U.S. Dollar Is Dying Have you heard the news? Gold hit another new record high on Thursday. It reached $1447.40 before settling back a bit. Most people responded to that news with a yawn.

National / World

Censored TV Ad Banned from Airwaves [ This presentation is really quite good; indeed, so good, I archived it on my website out of fear of censorship / blacklist / ban. Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video on the economic / financial collapse from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website; also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view, must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 ( 374mb ) Written text of presentation (without pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm ] Infowars.com | A television ad that features Alex Jones’ narration has been banned from broadcast.

United Nations Nuclear Bank Cassandra Anderson | The UN nuclear bank is another piece of UN Agenda 21, the blueprint for total control and depopulation.

Libyan Rebel Leader Admits Links To “Al Qaeda” Fighters Steve Watson | Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi admitted that he had previously recruited fundamentalists to fight in Iraq.

Gates Instructs Syrian Military to Impose Color Revolution Kurt Nimmo | Defense Secretary joins globalist NGOs and calls for Syrian government to be deposed.

Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking Paul Joseph Watson | Has cover-up of leakage been ongoing since massive March 14 explosion?

Libyan Rebel Leader Admits Links To “Al Qaeda” Fighters The commander of anti Gaddafi rebels forces in Libya has admitted that among the ranks of those fighting against the government are islamic militants who have fought and killed US troops in Iraq, otherwise known as “al qaeda” fighters.

Gates Instructs Syrian Military to Impose Color Revolution As we have documented, the so-called popular revolutions spreading across the Middle East are orchestrated affairs unleashed by the globalists, their NGOs, and agencies of the U.S. government.

Farage: Rompuy Says Libya Attack About “Regime Change” The UN says it’s alarmed by the looming humanitarian crisis in Libya. Officials warn food supply lines have been disrupted and over three hundred thousand refugees have already fled the country. Nigel Farage, MEP and leader of the UK Independence Party, believes the whole military strategy in Libya has not been thought through.

Libya: The Objective of “Humanitarian Bombing” is Death and Destruction The objective of the media disinformation campaign is to blatantly obfuscate the loss of life of civilians. Western media reports on casualties are heavily convoluted. Tomahawk missiles and aerial bombings are upheld as instruments of peace and democracy. They do not result in civilian deaths.

Radiation: Nothing to See Here? Administration spokespeople continuously claim “no threat” from the radiation reaching the US from Japan, just as they did with oil hemorrhaging into the Gulf. Perhaps we should all whistle “Don’t worry, be happy” in unison. A thorough review of the science, however, begs a second opinion.

As TEPCO Reports Increased Possible Radiation Release, Japan Expands Voluntary Evacuation Radius To 30 km The latest news from Fukushima continue progressing from bad to worse. Which of course means that the (physical) silver lining around the mushroom cloud will be that much more potent: after all, the greater the destruction, the higher the Russell 2000. Just ask the Keynesians.

Japanese Authorities Admit Deadly MOX Plutonium Reactor Is Leaking While the mass media has all but dropped its interest in the Fukushima crisis to focus on Libya and meaningless side-issues like the death of Elizabeth Taylor, the nuclear nightmare only worsens, as Japanese authorities admit that reactor number 3, which is the only reactor to contain MOX plutonium, is now leaking.

350 British special forces already deep inside Libya… and more are ready to be deployed Hundreds of British troops have been deployed deep inside Libya targeting Colonel Gaddafi’s forces – and more are on standby.

How Can America Create Wealth If Our Industrial Base Is Destroyed? Any economy that constantly consumes far more wealth than it produces is eventually going to be in for a very hard fall. Many point to relatively stable GDP numbers as evidence that the U.S. economy is doing okay, but the truth is that we have had to borrow increasingly massive amounts of money to keep GDP numbers up at that level.

Syrian Uprising Is Latest Globalist-Backed Coup d’état “A prominent Syrian opposition figure says the country is “a bomb, ready to explode” as protesters demand freedom and an end to president Bashar al-Assad’s “cancerous regime,”" reports Australia’s ABC News.

American Interventionism: Protecting the Profit Machine America is the spawn of empire building and from the start has itself engaged heavily in that activity. In nearly all cases it has shown a preference for bribery, coercion, intimidation and force over diplomacy and cooperation.

Economic Terrorists: That’s You Turban wearing cavemen were never what the “War on Terror” was about.

Saudis want their troops out of Bahrain Hundreds of Saudi anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in the country’s Eastern Province, condemning the kingdom’s military intervention in Bahrain.

Follow The Fall Of The Canadian Government Live The no confidence vote in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Canadian government is expected to start momentarily. Just like two days ago when Portugal fell, this event will likely be seen as a buying opportunity of both the USDCAD and the CADUSD.

US May Supply Gaddafi Rebels With Weapons Western diplomatic sources have confirmed to Sky News that the US is considering the legality of arming the Libyan rebels.

No-fly zone next in Belgium?! Clashes as police disperse mass protests Police and protesters have clashed in Brussels, as European Union leaders are gathering there for a fresh attempt to address the EU’s year-long debt crisis.

Egypt to protest against anti-protest law The new decree-law issued by the cabinet yesterday draws the ire of activists and labourers who plan to take their objections to the street in massive protests on Friday.

Money Trouble Ahead: 15 Indications That Bad Times Are About To Hit The U.S. Economy 2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The American Dream
March 23, 2011

2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The price of oil is soaring, the U.S. housing market is experiencing huge problems, the cost of living in America recently hit a new record high and each week the globe seems to become even more unstable. How much pounding can our fragile economic system take before it completely collapses? As the price of oil goes even higher, it is going to cause economic growth to slow down and it is going to cause the prices of the things that we all buy at the stores to go up at the same time. It is very likely that we are entering a period of “stagflation” similar to what we experienced in the 1970s. This is going to cause a huge amount of money trouble for millions of American families. Already there are vast numbers of American families that are barely making it every month. Tens of millions of Americans are already receiving government assistance. So what is going to happen when the next financial crash happens and we experience yet another major economic downturn?

The truth is that the financial system was never “fixed” after the crash of 2008. If anything, it is more vulnerable today than it was back then. Even as you read this, major imbalances are building up in the global financial system, and at some point a “tipping point” will be reached.

Once that tipping point is reached, it will not be too long before the U.S. economy experiences the next wave of economic problems. Perhaps we will be fortunate and it will not be as bad as the 2008 crash. Perhaps this next wave will be even worse than 2008 was. Only time will tell.

But all of the warning signs are there. The following are 15 indications that bad times are about to hit the U.S. economy….

#1 The price of gasoline is about to cross the psychologically-important $4 a gallon threshold in some areas of the United States. For example, the average price of gasoline is now $3.977 in San Diego County and it is $3.955 in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

#2 The price of oil moved up close to the $105 mark by the end of the day today, and that means that more gasoline price increases are likely on the horizon for American consumers.

#3 In February, food prices in the United States rose at the fastest rate in 36 years.

#4 According to the U.S. Labor Department, the cost of living in the United States hit a brand new all-time record high in the month of February.

#5 According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of previously existing homes in the United States dropped a stunning 9.6 percent in February. The National Association of Realtors also has announced that the median home price is the lowest it has been in 9 years.

#6 The U.S. is already in the midst of a real estate crash that never seems to end, but many are warning that it is about to get even worse. For example, prominent housing analyst Gary Shilling is warning that U.S. housing prices are likely to drop another 20 percent.

#7 According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, at least 8 million Americans are at least one month behind on their mortgage payments at this point.

#8 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new building permits declined 20.5 percent in February on a year over year basis. According to John Carney of CNBC, a huge decline in building permits is usually an indication that a recession is coming….

All nine recessions since 1959 have seen a year over year decline in building permits. In eight of the last nine the annual rate of change hit negative 20 percent or lower, and the economy went into a recession.

#9 31 percent of the homeowners that responded to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey indicated that they are “underwater” on their mortgages.

#10 Millions of American families are drowning in debt and debt collectors are becoming increasingly aggressive. According to a new Federal Trade Commission report, consumer complaints about debt collectors rose by 17 percent last year.

#11 Meredith Whitney is warning that even though it may take longer than she originally projected, we are still going to see a wave of municipal bond defaultsworth hundreds of billions of dollars.

#12 The war in Libya is putting upward pressure on the price of oil, it is yet another drain on U.S. government finances, and it is raising tensions across the globe. Vladimir Putin has called the NATO operation in Libya a “crusade” and China is calling for an immediate cease-fire. Financial markets do not like instability of this nature.

#13 The rest of the Middle East is melting down as well. More than 40 demonstrators have been killed in Yemen and the president of that country has declared a state of emergency. Government buildings are still being set on fire in Egypt. Ivory Coast is in the midst of a full-blown revolution, and there are ongoing protests in about a dozen other nations across North Africa and the Middle East. This is really bad for global economic stability.

#14 The damage from the tsunami in Japan continues to affect more American Workers. GM has just announced that they are going to temporarily lay off workers at a Buffalo engine plant due to a shortage of parts from Japan. When supply chains are going to get fully back to normal is anyone’s guess. GM has also temporarily shut down a facility in Shreveport, Louisiana due to supply problems.

#15 There continue to be indications that the amount of radiation being released by the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants is much higher than we have been led to believe. The following is an excerpt from a recent report by NHK World….

“Japan’s science ministry says radiation exceeding 400 times the normal level was detected in soil about 40 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The ministry surveyed radioactive substances in soil about 5 centimeters below the surface at roadsides on Monday. The ministry found 43,000 becquerels of radioactive iodine-131 per kilogram of soil, and 4,700 becquerels of radioactive cesium-137 per kilogram about 40 kilometers west-northwest of the plant. Gunma University Professor Keigo Endo says radiation released by the iodine is 430 times the level normally detected in soil in Japan and that released by the cesium is 47 times the norm.”

400 times the normal level amount of radiation 40 kilometers from the plant?

That is something that should be taken very seriously.

Sadly, radiation levels continue to rise throughout northern and central Japan. If a significant amount of people have to be evacuated from Tokyo at some point that is going to be absolutely devastating for the global economy.

So what should Americans be doing? How can middle class families weather the storm that is coming?

Well, one thing that can be done is to start saving money and not spending it on frivolous things like new cars and international vacations. Many Americans did not learn the lessons of 2008 and they are running around blowing money as if the good times will never come to an end.

Also, now is a good time to get out of debt. Millions of American families are literally drowning in debt, and when the next financial crash comes it is the families that are overextended that will be the most financially vulnerable.

When you see a storm coming, the prudent thing to do is to make preparations. Most people believe what they want to believe, but anyone that cannot see the economic storm clouds on the horizon at this point has got to be pretty clueless.

Our entire economic system is slowly failing. Hopefully the folks running things will be able to hold the economy together for a while longer, but when you stop and think about who we have in charge, there are not many reasons to be optimistic.

Lohan rejects judge's plea offer in theft case (AP) [ It is common practice in the entertainment industry for 'loaners' far more expensive than the subject 'costume piece' here, to garner the benefit of the 'show and tell', particularly for this little hole in the wall in Venice. I mean, come on; this was hardly a surprise taking in a bustling store overrun by customers. Then there are the 'evidentiary' problems attendant to the venal motives of the store itself and monies received. In all, one must conclude that these invariably corrupt judges / prosecutors as corrupt steve the cooley (check out those land deals) like to bully the girls, ie., Lindsay Lohan, Winona Ryder, etc.. I'm not going to mention the guys of late who got a pass. Blatant misogyny? What else can you call it; particulary since they're letting scores of far more serious criminals out of jail, and we all know the numbers of serious violent criminals walkin' the streets with impunity in so-cal. Paris Hilton prosecutor arrested for buying cocaine (Reuters) ]

Drudgereport: Fears rise that Japan could sell off U.S. Debt ... [ Not only selling ... they won't be buying! ]...
Dangerous breach suspected at Japan nuke plant...
WATER RADIATION 10,000X NORMAL...
Japan Quietly Evacuates Wider Radius From Reactors...
Toll rises to 27,000 dead, missing...
Muslims beat, stomp effigy of Obama in protest...
GE pulls in $14B, makes $5B profit, pays $0 US taxes...
WH defends embrace of GE's CEO...
Immelt, Rangel in 'Harlem Horse Trade'...
UPDATE: Budget Impasse Increasing Risk of 'Shutdown'...
MOODY'S THREATENS TO DOWNGRADE BRITAIN'S DEBT...
STUDY: US Finances Rank Near Worst in World...
Libya Mission 'clouded by confusion'...
White House: Days, not weeks...
France: Weeks, not days...
Dem Rep: Obama told me US would be 'in and out'...
Pentagon: Likely to continue combat...
2,200 ground troops headed to region...
Quake toll rises to 27,000 dead, missing...
More U.S. states find 'traces' of radiation from Japan...
EPA: Some Air Monitors May Not Be Working Properly...
Global food scare widens...
FED: US Approaching Insolvency...
Oil closes above $105, highest level since Aug 2008...
New Home Sales Plunge; Hit Lowest Level Since Data Tracking Began in 1960s...
US gasoline inventories fall...
Neutron beam observed 13 times at crippled Fukushima nuke plant...
Fallout reaches Europe...
Concern in Tokyo over tap water...
Leading OBAMACARE Backer Considering Waiver for his City...
TOP GUN: As bombs drop, Spring Training (at baseball camp) for 'Lobotomy Joe' Biden...
Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Deaths of 3 Afghan Civilians...
PORTUGAL TEETERS AFTER FAILURE TO CUT DEBT...
International Bailout Only Option...
PM resigns...
WOBAMA: I'm keeping my Peace Prize ... (which as is so of 'wobama the b' {for b*** s***} means absolutely nothing) ...
BOMBED BUT NOT BROKEN
Obama seeks to break impasse...
Allies in disarray...
No one wants to run operation...
French PM: 'We are not at war'...
DEM LAWMAKER: IMPEACH OBAMA...
US rescue chopper shoots 6 villagers welcoming pilots of downed jet...
UPDATE: Soldier to Plead Guilty in Afghan Murder Case...
Will testify against fellow 'kill team' troops...
Mainstream media ignores 'trophy' photos; White House mum...
Oil tops $105 per barrel...
Ex-President of Israel Sentenced to Prison for Rape...
Violence warning in UK as unions plan mass march Sunday...

Fed to hold regular news conferences (Washington Post) [ Wow! Just what everyone needed … more spoon-fed b*** s*** / jawboning by the flawed, flatulent, faultful fed … for the sake of fraudulent wall street … you do remember those 'no-recession' jawbone sessions that sent the prior bubble expanding faster than 'the big bang' itself … until every got and continues to get banged from the last bubble-fraud crash. What do you expect these incompetent, fraudulent criminals / accomplices to say? That they haven't the slightest clue what they're doing and the damage they've already done? Come on! The more they speak, the less you really know; and, to borrow from that old saying / cliché … how do you know they're lying?... answer: 'their lips are moving'... They lie all the time … sometimes even when they don't have to. M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ ] Chairman Bernanke’s move is part of efforts by the central bank to make the institution appear less secretive.

Japan fears for food, water supplies (Washington Post) [ Well, if Japan doesn't, who will? Certainly not america, in america, where fears are never concerns till they've become realities in their rears. ] As the number of deaths from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami officially exceeded 10,000, the struggle to prevent more radiation from escaping continued. Chernobyl-Style Yellow Rain Causes Panic In Japan Paul Joseph Watson | Authorities assure alarmed citizens yellow powder is pollen, but victims of Chernobyl radiation were told the same thing. Fukushima Radiation Spreading To More U.S. States Steve Watson | EPA says some air monitors might not be working properly. Apple Rejects iPhone 4 Radiation Metering App Matt Ryan | Radiation metering app demonstrates iPhone releases increased amount of radiation when struggling to find signal. Chernobyl-Style Yellow Rain Causes Panic In Japan Radioactive yellow rain that fell in Tokyo and surrounding areas last night caused panic amongst Japanese citizens and prompted a flood of phone calls to Japan’s Meteorological Agency this morning, with people concerned that they were being fed the same lies as victims of Chernobyl, who were told that yellow rain which fell over Russia and surrounding countries after the 1986 disaster was merely pollen, the same explanation now being offered by Japanese authorities. Fukushima Radiation Spreading To More U.S. States Radiation from the ongoing disaster in Japan is spreading throughout the United States, and while the EPA says the levels are not dangerous, it also admits that some of its radiation-tracking air monitors may not even be working. Radioactive Iodine In Fukushima Seawater Highest Ever, Reactors 5 And 6 Now Leaking Too And while futures rise as the market anticipates the latest central bank intervention to paper over the global financial insolvency, the radioactive fallout from Fukushima continues to worsen as Iodine 131 levels in the seawater hits the highest since the start of the crisis. Fukushima Radiation Release Rivals Chernobyl The radiation released by the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant already rivals and in one sense exceeds the Chernobyl catastrophe according to Austria’s Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, even as media spin downplays the severity of the crisis despite the fact that the problems at the plant show no signs of abating.

For loyalists, a state of perpetual revolution (Washington Post) [ And, for defacto bankrupt america / americans, a state of perpetual war … and, on how many fronts? … eh … what the heck … who's countin' … certainly not capital hill et als; you know, all that money the nation doesn't even really have but keep spending. How will this all end … not well … not well at all! ] Six days into the allied bombardment of Libyan military targets, it is clear that Moammar Gaddafi can count on the fierce loyalties of at least a significant segment of the population. School Shooting Exercise Portrays Student as Anti-Illegal Immigration Terrorist Kurt Nimmo | Scenario depicts racist student with access to a cache of guns and IEDs shooting Latino student. Globalist Coalition Claims “Precision” Bombs Do Not Kill Libyan Civilians Kurt Nimmo | CNN and the corporate media are trying their darnedest to put the best face on Obama’s illegal attack.White House: Libya fight is not war, it’s ‘kinetic military action’ Byron York | “Military steps — and they can be kinetic and non-kinetic.” Camp Lejeune Marines To Libya To Strike At Qadhafi Forces WCTI | We’ve seen Camp Lejuene Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan and now they are joining the fight against Libya.‘Libya war could last 30 years’ Mail Online | Ministers admitted they have no idea how long military operation against Gaddafi could take.Globalist Coalition Claims “Precision” Bombs Do Not Kill Libyan Civilians CNN and the corporate media are trying their darnedest to put the best face on Obama’s illegal attack against the people of Libya under the auspices of the United Nations and its bankster overlords.Critics: Iowa terror drill portrays immigration foes as killers Foes of illegal immigration are up in arms over plans for a weekend disaster exercise in western Iowa with a fictitious scenario in which white supremacists shoot dozens of people amid rising tensions involving racial minorities and illegal immigrants.Orwell Rolls In His Grave: White House: Libya fight is not war, it’s ‘kinetic military action’ In the last few days, Obama administration officials have frequently faced the question: Is the fighting in Libya a war? From military officers to White House spokesmen up to the president himself, the answer is no. But that leaves the question: What is it?Gas to Hit $5 Per Gallon Before Summer Oil industry experts warn that the price for a gallon of gas will reach $5 before summer. They blame the unfolding conflict in Libya and across the oil-producing Middle East for exploding prices.

States target jobless benefits (Washington Post) [ Sounds like a plan … from h**l … after all, beyond the rhetoric, propaganda, fake data / reports, etc., the only real manufacturing going on in pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt america is ever more worthless fiat paper currency, new fangled wall street paper / securities / toxic asset bubble-frauds, etc.. Unemployment numbers from the labored labor department? The ‘expiration / stopped looking, everyone’, at best. How can anyone believe anything the pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. government says. Durable goods (leading indicator) 200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally provides an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario). Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12% and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk? … wise to lighten up some into strength ... BOB PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ] ] Michigan moves to cut its unemployment program despite troubling jobless rates.

World finds less solace in dollar (Washington Post) [ No mystery here … Not even a long time coming in light of america's very real defacto bankruptcy; particularly as the same old / same old plunder of this and other nations by, you guessed it, the same old / same old. Money Trouble Ahead: 15 Indications That Bad Times Are About To Hit The U.S. Economy 2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead...just as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The American DreamMarch 23, 20112011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The price of oil is soaring, the U.S. housing market is experiencing huge problems, the cost of living in America recently hit a new record high and each week the globe seems to become even more unstable. How much pounding can our fragile economic system take before it completely collapses? As the price of oil goes even higher, it is going to cause economic growth to slow down and it is going to cause the prices of the things that we all buy at the stores to go up at the same time. It is very likely that we are entering a period of “stagflation” similar to what we experienced in the 1970s. This is going to cause a huge amount of money trouble for millions of American families. Already there are vast numbers of American families that are barely making it every month. Tens of millions of Americans are already receiving government assistance. So what is going to happen when the next financial crash happens and we experience yet another major economic downturn?The truth is that the financial system was never “fixed” after the crash of 2008. If anything, it is more vulnerable today than it was back then. Even as you read this, major imbalances are building up in the global financial system, and at some point a “tipping point” will be reached.Once that tipping point is reached, it will not be too long before the U.S. economy experiences the next wave of economic problems.... as the 2008 crash... Perhaps this next wave will be even worse than 2008 ...But all of the warning signs are there. The following are 15 indications that bad times are about to hit the U.S. Economy...'] Usually considered a safe haven in times of turmoil, the dollar is down against a basket of other currencies

Unemployment numbers from the labored labor department? The ‘expiration / stopped looking, everyone’, at best. How can anyone believe anything the pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt u.s. government says. Durable goods (leading indicator) 200% worse than expected, stocks rally. ‘ February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj …’ This is the grim economic reality [ http://albertpeia.com/grimreality.htm ]. This manipulated bubble in this secular bear market based on b*** s*** alone and today’s suckers’ rally provides an especially great opportunity to sell / take profits while you still can since there's much worse to come! The frauds on wall street et als should be criminally prosecuted, jailed, fined, and disgorgement imposed (this would also help significantly the hapless, hopeless budget scenario). M&A, Ben Resuscitate Bulls: Dave's Daily 'If you can keep interest rates this low this long, its inevitable cheap financing can allow companies to start cobbling each other up. Further Ben's policies allow companies like IBM to sell bonds at 1% and buy back shares with the proceeds (total paper bubble-scam). POMO is occurring almost daily and Primary Dealers can buy back their shares and pay dividends with what essentially is taxpayer money--nifty trick eh? With all the geopolitical and nuclear events going on little noticed was Fed "stress tests" of financial institutions to see if they were healthy enough to buy back shares and pay dividends. Making the matter sinister and less transparent is their gag order on the entire process. The Fed also has some toxic waste they'd like to sell you… (see infra)’ Looking Like A Good Time To Sell Into Strength - Harding ‘Many important global stock markets, including China, Brazil, India and Hong Kong, have been in fairly significant corrections since November, down between 12% and 17%. Their major concerns have been rising inflation and the resulting monetary tightening by their central banks to combat the inflationary pressures...So was this week’s stumble the beginning of a more serious correction? The events and reports this week did provide more evidence that the stock market may be ahead of reality regarding prospects for the economy, and therefore corporate earnings, going forward, which should at least limit the market’s upside potential. Limited upside potential equals more downside risk? It might be wise to lighten up some into strength that may develop over the next few days during the ‘monthly strength period.’ BOB PRECHTER: We're Still In A Massive Bear Market And Stocks Will Crash To New Lows New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ]

February Durable Goods Orders Disappoint NEW YORK (TheStreet) Bharatwaj-- New orders for durable goods dropped in February, led by a drop in demand for machinery and defense capital goods. The Census Bureau said on Thursday that new orders dropped 0.9% to $200 billion in February, disappointing expectations for a 1.1% increase. Excluding the volatile transportation sector, new orders dropped 0.6%, following a 3.6% decrease in January. Economists were expecting new orders excluding transportation to increase by 1.8%, according to consensus estimates from Briefing.com.

New orders for defense capital goods dropped 25%, while demand for defense aircraft and parts fell 18%. Excluding defense, new orders for durable goods increased 0.4%.

New orders for machinery declined for the second consecutive month by 4.2%, the largest decrease outside of defense. Orders for primary metals dropped 2.1% and communications equipment fell 2.3%.

Nondefense new orders for capital goods- a proxy for growth in business investment- jumped 2.5% to $69.1 billion; shipments increased 1.1% to $66.2 billion.

Futures were paring gains in premarket trading. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF(DIA_) was up 0.5%, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF(SPY_) and the PowerShares QQQ(QQQ_) were rising about 0.5% and 0.5% respectively. The SPDR Industrials ETF(XLI_) was, however, up 0.8%.--

New Home Sales at Record Low, TIPs on the Move Inflation Trader 'The good news about housing is that it has fallen so far that a contraction in that sector doesn’t have the same impact it once did. Yesterday New Home Sales for February were reported at 250k (annualized, seasonally adjusted), yet another record low (see Chart below, click to enlarge). [chart http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/24/saupload_nhsl.png ]

A new record low for New Home Sales. Construction won't be adding to GDP yet.

Keep in mind that this is with mortgage rates that are as low as they have been in a couple of generations at least. Now, some of this is caused by the fact that there are still plenty of distressed sales in the market for Existing Homes. Some of it may also be due to the fact that the actual inventory of new homes that are for sale has also fallen to near-record lows, and are easily at new lows when population-adjusted (see Chart below, http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/3/24/saupload_bfm5ff4.png )...!

Say what you will about the crazy overbuilding in the mid-2000s; the homebuilders have cut back on new building drastically, which is a precondition for the sector’s eventual recovery. It would almost be worth taking a look at home building stocks, if TOL wasn’t trading at a P/E of 3,382:1 (only 294:1 on estimated earnings!). (It’s trading at 2.3x sales; at its peak in 2005 it was only 1.9x. Now, you may say “sure, but keep in mind right now you’re at trough sales.” Fair enough, but revenues are down 75% from their 2006 level, and there won’t be another boom like that one for a long time. Suppose sales double from here. You’re still paying 1.65x sales, which is more expensive than the company has been since 1994, with the exception of the bubble top. And it’s by no means assured that home construction is going to boom in the short run, especially when interest rates start to rise again. (There are surely better shorting candidates, don’t get me wrong: I just mention this because I was looking at it thinking it might be a buy candidate. It’s not).

Besides the Home Sales data, there was little news out. There was nothing new from Portugal. Crude oil rallied 1.7% (now $105.75/bbl) and industrial metals jumped 2.3%. 10y note yields rose 2bps to 3.35% and are seemingly stabilizing now that the last frightening week or two is behind us. TIPS yields rose for the fourth day in a row; the 10y now stands at a still-slender 0.95%. Don’t read too much into the selling of TIPS here and the selloff in 10y inflation swap rates from 2.87 to 2.66 over the last couple of weeks. There is an $11bln reopening of 10-year TIPS today, and some of what we were seeing yesterday was dealers trying to set up for that auction. There is concern in some quarters that the low yields will make it hard for the government to sell $11bln TIPS. Remember, though, that the level of rates also indicates the supply/demand balance. TIPS yields are low because there is no net supply from the Treasury (thanks to the Fed, and there has been ample demand to push yields down this far. It may be that this auction pukes, but it has been difficult for a while to bet that inflation-linked bonds were going to sell off for any appreciable period. There is positive net demand as money continues to flow into inflation-linked bond funds, and no net supply. I wouldn’t be short TIPS here except to set up for the auction (indeed, one dealer pointed out that the current 10y TIPS are actually “on special” in the repo market, which almost never happens in TIPS and suggests there is actually a short base).

Also today, the Feb Durable Goods report (Consensus: +1.2%, +2.0% ex-Transportation) is due out. Remember the last one was disappointing and led to some downward revisions to Q1 GDP estimates as a result. Initial Claims (Consensus: 383k) will also be announced.'

UPDATE 1-Outflows rise for U.S. domestic equity funds-Lipper Bases' Mar 24, 2011

* U.S. domestic equity fund net outflows of $3.9 bln

* Non-domestic equity fund net inflows of $1.4 bln

* Japanese equity fund inflows of $785 million

(Updates with Fidelity's explanation of high yield fund shift;

clarifies that high yield bond fund outflows were not a

record)

NEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. equity focused mutual

funds saw an increase in net cash outflows for the week ended

March 23, $3.9 billion versus $2.4 billion in the prior period,

data from Thomson Reuters Lipper service showed on Thursday.

Overall, U.S. domiciled equity funds had net outflows of

$2.4 billion, a sharp increase over the $268 million in net

redemptions the prior week.

Exchange traded funds, such as the SPDR S&P 500 fund (SPY),

which had the biggest outflows of $2.9 billion this week, are

generally thought to be used as short-term trading tools for

institutional investors, thereby creating big swings in fund

flows.

Excluding the activity of ETFs, domestic equity funds would

have had net outflows of $124 million, indicating that both

institutional and retail investors were net sellers.

Among the major equity sectors, the biggest net outflow

came from the large-cap growth/value arena, with nearly $6

billion in cash pulled out. Investors, on net, pulled cash from

financial, healthcare, technology and utility funds.

In contrast, non-domestic equity funds had inflows of $1.4

billion, marking a third straight week of fresh cash.

Taxable bond funds took in $965 million, a steep drop off

from the prior week's $2.7 billion of new cash.

"On the positive side, taxable bond funds took in cash.

People are still feeling like they cannot completely trust what

is going on in places like Japan. This looks like a duck and

cover move," said Tom Roseen, senior analyst at Lipper.

After a record week of inflows for Japan-focused funds,

investors kept pumping cash into that sector of the market and

placed an additional $785 million in, bringing the streak of

fresh money to 15 out of the last 16 weeks.

Once again the majority of inflows for Japan-focused

investors in the U.S. market went into the iShares MSCI Japan

Fund (EWJ), which had inflows of $603 million. Total assets

under management in the fund, $7.3 billion, are the highest

since last August 2008.

(For a graphic showing net inflows/outflows and total

assets under management in the ETF, click on

r.reuters.com/kab78r )

"Some people say the big drop in Japanese share prices

provided buying opportunities. On the flip side, the only way

to short a fund is via ETFs and there's an argument out there

that that is what's occurring, that institutional investors are

creating inventory for the investors to allow shorting. So

we'll see," said Roseen.

In the tax-free municipal bond sector the negative flows

continued for a 19th consecutive week with $640 million in net

redemptions. The cumulative total outflow of cash from the muni

bond sector is $29.14 billion.

In what may be a harbinger of some repair in the battered

mortgage industry, funds that hold mortgage backed securities

took in fresh cash for the first time in 15 weeks. Net inflows

totaled $38.8 million and marked only the second time in the

last 24 weeks the sector had net new money committed.

Emerging market equity funds made it three weeks in a row

and improved over the prior period, respectively taking in $221

million versus $78 million.

HIGH YIELD

Corporate high-yield bond funds experienced their second

consecutive week of outflows, coming after 14 straight weeks of

net new cash moving into the sector. However the figure of $2.8

billion in net redemptions comes with a major health warning.

Nearly $2 billion of that reported outflow was ascribed to

the class-F shares of both the Fidelity High Income fund and

the Fidelity Capital & Income fund.

A Fidelity spokeswoman explained that the assets of the two

fund's class-F shares were shifted into Fidelity's new Series

High Income fund, and did not leave the high yield sector.

The class-F shares of these two high-yield bond funds were

liquidated and closed. The transition was completed on March

14.

Given Fidelity's explanation, Lipper is now estimating net

redemptions for the week ended March 23 were around $800

million, and were not a record.

The weekly Lipper fund flow data is compiled from reports

issued by U.S.-domiciled mutual funds and exchange-traded

funds. The weekly data goes back to 1992.

The following is a broad breakdown of the flows for the

week, including exchange-traded funds:

Sector Flow Pct Total Share

Change Change Assets Class

(in $ billions) In Assets Count

==============================================================

All Equity Funds -2.428 -0.09 2,721.773 10,006

-Domestic Equities -3.863 -0.20 2,018.548 7,608

-Non-Domestic Equities 1.435 0.21 703.225 2,398

All Taxable Bond Funds 0.966 0.08 1,273.651 4,002

All Money Market Funds -8.689 -0.35 2,496.695 1,535

All Municipal Bond Funds -0.640 -0.20 312.873 1,568

(Reporting by Daniel Bases; Editing by Andrew Hay and Diane

Craft and Carol Bishopric)'

Portugal's Sovereigns Downgraded, Spanish Banks Guillotined

Household wealth down 23% in 2 years – Fed

Meredith Whitney Slashes Morgan Stanley Earnings Estimate, Doesn’t Feel The Need To Explain Herself

Tanks Outside Cairo Stock Exchange as Market Plunges Bloomberg | Stock exchange cordoned by military police and tanks.

‘US is broke, dollar down, yet policy is to divide & conquer’ RT | America is getting involved in another long-term war, which will ruin its economy.

US Approaching Insolvency, Fix To Be ‘Painful’: Fisher CNBC | The United States is on a fiscal path towards insolvency and policymakers are at a “tipping point,”.

Euro’s Collapse Is Not ‘Unthinkable’: Warren Buffett Warren Buffett told CNBC Thursday that the collapse of the euro zone’s single currency is far from “unthinkable.” “I know some people think it’s unthinkable…I don’t think it’s unthinkable,” Buffett said in an interview.

Investment Legends – “Dollar Collapse Inevitable” What will happen to the U.S. economy and the dollar in the near term? Will inflation increase dramatically? What is the outlook for gold, and where should you put your money? BIG GOLD asked a world-class panel of economists, authors, and investment advisors what they expect for the future. Caution: strong opinions ahead…

The Road of Inflation Will Only End in Tears Cycles and booms and busts just don’t happen. They are planned that way. In the late 1990s Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan commented on irrational exuberance and said he hoped the market would cool down.

18 Reasons Why You Can Stick A Fork In The New Home Construction Industry If you make your living by building or selling new homes in the United States, you might want to consider taking up a different career for a while.

National / World

School Shooting Exercise Portrays Student as Anti-Illegal Immigration Terrorist Kurt Nimmo | Scenario depicts racist student with access to a cache of guns and IEDs shooting Latino student.

Globalist Coalition Claims “Precision” Bombs Do Not Kill Libyan Civilians Kurt Nimmo | CNN and the corporate media are trying their darnedest to put the best face on Obama’s illegal attack.

Chernobyl-Style Yellow Rain Causes Panic In Japan Paul Joseph Watson | Authorities assure alarmed citizens yellow powder is pollen, but victims of Chernobyl radiation were told the same thing.

Fukushima Radiation Spreading To More U.S. States Steve Watson | EPA says some air monitors might not be working properly.

Apple Rejects iPhone 4 Radiation Metering App Matt Ryan | Radiation metering app demonstrates iPhone releases increased amount of radiation when struggling to find signal.

White House: Libya fight is not war, it’s ‘kinetic military action’ Byron York | “Military steps — and they can be kinetic and non-kinetic.”

Camp Lejeune Marines To Libya To Strike At Qadhafi Forces WCTI | We’ve seen Camp Lejuene Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan and now they are joining the fight against Libya.

‘Libya war could last 30 years’ Mail Online | Ministers admitted they have no idea how long military operation against Gaddafi could take.

Chernobyl-Style Yellow Rain Causes Panic In Japan Radioactive yellow rain that fell in Tokyo and surrounding areas last night caused panic amongst Japanese citizens and prompted a flood of phone calls to Japan’s Meteorological Agency this morning, with people concerned that they were being fed the same lies as victims of Chernobyl, who were told that yellow rain which fell over Russia and surrounding countries after the 1986 disaster was merely pollen, the same explanation now being offered by Japanese authorities.

Fukushima Radiation Spreading To More U.S. States Radiation from the ongoing disaster in Japan is spreading throughout the United States, and while the EPA says the levels are not dangerous, it also admits that some of its radiation-tracking air monitors may not even be working.

Globalist Coalition Claims “Precision” Bombs Do Not Kill Libyan Civilians CNN and the corporate media are trying their darnedest to put the best face on Obama’s illegal attack against the people of Libya under the auspices of the United Nations and its bankster overlords.

Critics: Iowa terror drill portrays immigration foes as killers Foes of illegal immigration are up in arms over plans for a weekend disaster exercise in western Iowa with a fictitious scenario in which white supremacists shoot dozens of people amid rising tensions involving racial minorities and illegal immigrants.

Radioactive Iodine In Fukushima Seawater Highest Ever, Reactors 5 And 6 Now Leaking Too And while futures rise as the market anticipates the latest central bank intervention to paper over the global financial insolvency, the radioactive fallout from Fukushima continues to worsen as Iodine 131 levels in the seawater hits the highest since the start of the crisis.

Orwell Rolls In His Grave: White House: Libya fight is not war, it’s ‘kinetic military action’ In the last few days, Obama administration officials have frequently faced the question: Is the fighting in Libya a war? From military officers to White House spokesmen up to the president himself, the answer is no. But that leaves the question: What is it?

Gas to Hit $5 Per Gallon Before Summer Oil industry experts warn that the price for a gallon of gas will reach $5 before summer. They blame the unfolding conflict in Libya and across the oil-producing Middle East for exploding prices.

Fukushima Radiation Release Rivals Chernobyl The radiation released by the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant already rivals and in one sense exceeds the Chernobyl catastrophe according to Austria’s Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, even as media spin downplays the severity of the crisis despite the fact that the problems at the plant show no signs of abating.

Lohan rejects judge's plea offer in theft case (AP) [ It is common practice in the entertainment industry for 'loaners' far more expensive than the subject 'costume piece' here, to garner the benefit of the 'show and tell', particularly for this little hole in the wall in Venice. I mean, come on; this was hardly a surprise taking in a bustling store overrun by customers. Then there are the 'evidentiary' problems attendant to the venal motives of the store itself and monies received. In all, one must conclude that these invariably corrupt judges / prosecutors as corrupt steve the cooley (check out those land deals) like to bully the girls, ie., Lindsay Lohan, Winona Ryder, etc.. I'm not going to mention the guys of late who got a pass. Blatant misogyny? What else can you call it; particulary since they're letting scores of far more serious criminals out of jail, and we all know the numbers of serious violent criminals walkin' the streets with impunity in so-cal. Paris Hilton prosecutor arrested for buying cocaine (Reuters) ]

Drudgereport: MOODY'S THREATENS TO DOWNGRADE BRITAIN'S DEBT...
STUDY: US Finances Rank Near Worst in World...
Libya Mission 'clouded by confusion'...
White House: Days, not weeks...
France: Weeks, not days...
Dem Rep: Obama told me US would be 'in and out'...
Pentagon: Likely to continue combat...
2,200 ground troops headed to region...
Quake toll rises to 27,000 dead, missing...
More U.S. states find 'traces' of radiation from Japan...
EPA: Some Air Monitors May Not Be Working Properly...
Global food scare widens...
FED: US Approaching Insolvency...
Oil closes above $105, highest level since Aug 2008...
New Home Sales Plunge; Hit Lowest Level Since Data Tracking Began in 1960s...
US gasoline inventories fall...
Neutron beam observed 13 times at crippled Fukushima nuke plant...
Fallout reaches Europe...
Concern in Tokyo over tap water...
Leading OBAMACARE Backer Considering Waiver for his City...
TOP GUN: As bombs drop, Spring Training (at baseball camp) for 'Lobotomy Joe' Biden...
Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Deaths of 3 Afghan Civilians...
PORTUGAL TEETERS AFTER FAILURE TO CUT DEBT...
International Bailout Only Option...
PM resigns...
WOBAMA: I'm keeping my Peace Prize ... (which as is so of 'wobama the b' {for b*** s***} means absolutely nothing) ...
BOMBED BUT NOT BROKEN

Obama seeks to break impasse...
Allies in disarray...
No one wants to run operation...
French PM: 'We are not at war'...
DEM LAWMAKER: IMPEACH OBAMA...
US rescue chopper shoots 6 villagers welcoming pilots of downed jet...

UPDATE: Soldier to Plead Guilty in Afghan Murder Case...
Will testify against fellow 'kill team' troops...
Mainstream media ignores 'trophy' photos; White House mum...
Oil tops $105 per barrel...

Ex-President of Israel Sentenced to Prison for Rape...
Violence warning in UK as unions plan mass march Sunday...

[I have been under constant barrage / hack / intrusions which has my antivirus working overtime and flashing saves from a multitude of threats. I think this particular thrust by what I reasonably suspect to be paranoid american / israeli criminals / lunatics was probably affected particularly by that blazing full ‘supermoon’, but continues when for now just limited moments I’m logged into windows xp, literally a virus magnet/so-called op system. I thereupon downloaded and installed linux / unbuntu 10.10 (most recent) which also makes available an ‘installer’ (separate download, both free from their official website - http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download ) that facilitates essentially a dual boot (you may choose your operating system for the session – windows or linux/ubuntu). Works like a charm and I strongly recommend it. Microsoft’s a dyingosaur american monopoly company which is an american tale and story of america as a pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt, dying / declining nation.]

Fears grow of humanitarian crisis in Libya (Washington Post) [ Ya think? Based on … that familiar template we now know as Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., and let's not leave out the beneficiary of all such 'preoccupation'; viz., pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america … Money Trouble Ahead: 15 Indications That Bad Times Are About To Hit The U.S. Economy 2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The American Dream
March 23, 2011 2011 is shaping up to be a really bad year for the U.S. economy. There are all kinds of indications that big trouble is ahead. So far financial markets are weathering all of the chaos around the world fairly well, but just as there were huge flashing warning signs before the 2008 financial crisis there are also huge flashing warning signs now. The price of oil is soaring, the U.S. housing market is experiencing huge problems, the cost of living in America recently hit a new record high and each week the globe seems to become even more unstable. How much pounding can our fragile economic system take before it completely collapses? As the price of oil goes even higher, it is going to cause economic growth to slow down and it is going to cause the prices of the things that we all buy at the stores to go up at the same time. It is very likely that we are entering a period of “stagflation” similar to what we experienced in the 1970s. This is going to cause a huge amount of money trouble for millions of American families. Already there are vast numbers of American families that are barely making it every month. Tens of millions of Americans are already receiving government assistance. So what is going to happen when the next financial crash happens and we experience yet another major economic downturn?

The truth is that the financial system was never “fixed” after the crash of 2008. If anything, it is more vulnerable today than it was back then. Even as you read this, major imbalances are building up in the global financial system, and at some point a “tipping point” will be reached...'] Aid organizations scramble to prepare for large-scale relief operations, as fears grew of a potential humanitarian crisis in a key city besieged by government forces.

New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ] 'As you must know, many major indices are price weighted and the DJIA takes the lead in this regard. Six of the highest priced stocks Wednesday (IBM, BA, CAT, DVX, MMM & UTX) provided most of the gains. Stocks were lower most of the morning, but volume seemed light, offering an opportunity for buyers to push prices higher. The theme for bulls was reconstruction in Japan even though EWJ (iShares Japan ETF) finished the day slightly lower. ETFs like XLB (SPDR Materials Sector ETF), SLX (Van Eck Steel ETF) and XME (SPDR Metals & Miners) have the "stuff" needed for reconstruction. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd ("I want me some more me!") Blankfein was on the witness stand today. He confirmed director Rajat Gupta violated "confidentiality" by tipping off hedge fund trader Raj Rajaratnam regarding Buffett's investment in his company. Also in the financial sector, the Fed announced it would not permit BAC to payout a dividend post the recent ("covered-up") bank stress tests. This rightly drove shares of many financial companies lower. Further, it should drive taxpayer's nuts that a Fed "gag order" restricting disclosure of stress test results exists. This is taxpayer money after all. Meanwhile, speaking of the Fed we had two days of POMO resulting in $15 billion in fire power for trading desks of Primary Dealers including GS. The poor ADBE outlook lingered over tech but traders always seem to find a way to discard bad news and shift focus elsewhere. Of course, this can only be done so long. Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! Energy markets were higher despite higher inventories. OPEC spokesmen stated Tuesday they're comfortable at $120. How about you? Gold and silver hit fresh highs, while the euro dropped on Portugal, base metals rallied and bonds were slightly lower. Volume was once again light while breadth per the WSJ was unremarkable...' ]

Sec. Gates reassures Egypt over war in Libya (Washington Post) [ Well, there you go. If Gates says it; well, it must be true … riiiiight! Gates’s message (Washington Post) [ Which one? And I don't mean which gates. I mean which message? It's hard to keep up, especially if you have a good memory and remember what the meaning of the word 'is', is. Candor? CIA man gates? Are you just funnin' with us? Come on! Wake up! Oh wait … here's an incisive statement you can take to the bank … Uncertain outlook for Middle East: Gates [Sounds like a plan!] (Reuters) Overseas official trips amidst crises (Washington Post) [ It’s really quite incredible indeed. It was the espn basketball brackets that got me … so stereotypical … I mean what are they thinking, or not. Riiiight! Not! Well, gates is gone and as a cia man, what he says means absolutely nothing … they kind of pride themselves on that … On the receiving end you gotta think they’re already checking air force one’s return trip schedule hoping to ‘hold out’ and escape potential invasion themselves … After all, what nation in the world can or does trust desperate, meaningfully lawless, pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america … oh yeah, maybe fellow war crimes nation israel and orwellian, me-too old-biddy britain.… Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and Africa Christian Science Monitor - In a speech to cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Gates's message was clear: The US military services, as well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better ways of foreseeing and preparing for ... Gates Tells US Army to Take New Approach Voice of America Warning Against Wars Like Iraq and Afghanistan New York Times [ Better said, than unsaid; but, methinks a bit late for that in light of pervasively corrupt, defacto bankrupt america’s consummate decline and fall! If only they had listened and not shot at the messenger … things could have been different! ] ]As war clouds gathered over Libya on Friday, the U.S. commander in chief and his defense secretary were each preparing to leave Washington to visit places far removed from any military operations. ] The defense secretary is a voice of candor on the Mideast.

Germans pull forces out of NATO as Libyan coalition falls apart Mail Online

‘Libya war could last 30 years’ Mail Online | Ministers admitted they have no idea how long military operation against Gaddafi could take.

You Tube Admits To Freezing View Count On Biden Impeachment Video

National Guard Called Up for Libyan Intervention

New homes are bad deals in some areas (Washington Post) [ If it only was just the new homes being bad deals in some areas … and if it only was just real estate and not, ie., grossly over-valued u.s. stocks, which rallied on the much worse than expected news, etc.. Post 'The rise (in stocks) came in spite of record low new-home sales data and continued worry about the European debt crisis.' Select Stocks Boost Markets: Dave's Daily [ Dave: '...Economic data focused on New Home Sales which were down nearly 17% causing the Homebuilder ETF (XHB) to rally. I kid you not! ...' ]

Portugal’s government collapses (Washington Post) [ Here we go again … that so-called dominoe effect we thought we left behind in Vietnam; yet, truth be told, we have near 50 such dominoes here in the pervasively corrupt / defacto bankrupt disunited states of america. Yeah, it's actually worse here in terms of insurmountable magnitude.(Davis ‘… This is how we pay off our current debts and I think bondholders are simply happy to get anything out of a country that admits it owes $15Tn (1/4 of global GDP) but probably owes closer to $60Tn (entire global GDP) in the form of unfunded liabilities. The funniest thing about this (and you have to laugh) is to see Conservative pundits get on TV and talk about how we need to cut $100Bn worth of discretionary spending to "fix" this (while continuing to spend $1Tn on the military and $1Tn on tax cuts for the top 1% each year). There is no fixing this and even a Republican said you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. THIS HOUSE OF CARDS IS TEETERING FOLKS – PLEASE BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! ‘ ). That wobama is a failed president, there is no question. Yet, the gop's 'never saw a war / conflict they didn't like' for the sake of the military industrial complex, war profiteers, israel, war criminals, the few, etc., despite the defacto bankruptcy of the nation is quite beyond the pale. ‘US is broke, dollar down, yet policy is to divide & conquer’ RT | America is getting involved in another long-term war, which will ruin its economy. US Approaching Insolvency, Fix To Be ‘Painful’: Fisher CNBC | The United States is on a fiscal path towards insolvency and policymakers are at a “tipping point,”. Kucinich: War is a swamp, Obama Libya action unconstitutional Amid the ongoing coalitional bombardment of Libya it turns out President Obama may have had no constitutional authority for ordering US military involvement. Drudgereport: FED: US Approaching Insolvency... DEM LAWMAKER: IMPEACH OBAMA.. ]

Portugal’s parliament rejects an austerity plan, pushing the country closer to an international bailout and triggering another test of Europe’s ability to deal with an ongoing debt crisis.

Related: Graphic: Europe's financial contagion

3 Reasons to Exit the Market Now Martchev 'NEW YORK (TheStreet) - A S&P 500 futures trader once told me: "After a sharp sell-off, the bounce leading to a first kiss of a 20-day moving average from below is a short sale." But, I had to ask, "Why?" "That's how it is," he said with a typical New York City assertiveness and did not elaborate...'

U.S. cracks down on bribery abroad (Washington Post) [ But keep up the bribery back home since they (the injustice department et als) all have their hands out one way or another, directly or indirectly, sooner or later, for a piece of that ever more elusive, depreciating, if not vanishing american pie. Justice Department, SEC charge companies such as IBM, GE, Alcatel-Lucent, Halliburton, Tyson Foods, etc., for offenses abroad. See … if only these companies could move worthless paper like fraudulent wall street …!

Obama Laments He’s Not President Of Communist China [ Time to relieve wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) of his burden by impeaching / removing him from office without delay! He may not have been the first black president (Clinton is generally considered the first black president by blacks and whites alike, a moniker Clinton accepted and wore proudly – that 18% vote), but he is certainly the last! Drudgereport: City Lowers Police Testing Standards Because Not Enough Blacks Passed... Under pressure from Obama administration... Illinois mayor says Obama still owes city $55,457... Obama to party with Washington reporters... Golf in the afternoon... ] Weekly Standard | “Mr. Obama has told people that it would be so much easier to be the president of China.” Dave’s Daily: ‘…Where is the president? This has been a universal question raised by both right and left. Obama appeared on ESPN to go over his NCAA basketball bracket, is hosting a $30K a plate fund raiser in Harlem and heads this weekend to Rio. The president's disconnect is beyond belief and his ears have turned to tin…’ Obama Plays While Japan Begs for Help [ ‘Wobama the b’ (for b*** s***) is a typical ‘***************’ … Go ahead, fill it in … whatever comes to mind … don’t feel guilty, he’s already a failed president who should be impeached / removed from office without delay and a total incompetent and fraud. ] Paul Joseph Watson & Alex Jones | With the world on fire, the President goes AWOL again … ’ Financialization and Our Increasingly Unstable Economy Roche ‘I finally got around to seeing the movie Inside Job, the story behind the credit crisis and winner of the Academy Award for best documentary. It’s very good and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it. It will certainly infuriate you. The movie doesn’t place nearly enough blame on homeowners, but all in all it does an excellent job of showing how Wall Street and government have become overrun by deregulation and sheer greed. A combination of flawed economic theory and greed have combined to create the beast that we now call a “functioning” economy. The worst part of it all is that President Obama, who vowed change, has done almost nothing to fix any of it and in fact continues most of the policies that helped get us here in the first place. …’ ‘INSIDE JOB’ Ferguson wins Oscar for Documentary on the unprosecuted massive extant fraud in the (many) TRILLIONS by the frauds on wall street ( and declares with oscar in hand that not one high level wall street exec has been prosecuted … despite ‘earning’ billiions from the fraud ), the commentator / experts recommend getting rid of the corrupt eric holder ( now what do holder and wobama have in common … is it wall street money ………… is it a proclivity for jive-talking / b*** s*** ………all of the above, some of the above ……….. or is it something else …… here’s a hint - UPDATE: MORE CLAIMS OF RACE BIAS AT JUSTICE... CIVIL RIGHTS PANEL TO PURSUE FED PROBE IN BLACK PANTHER CASE... ‘In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and white victims ...’ US v. AZ... Cases against Wall Street lag despite Holder’s vows to target financial fraud Washington Post | Obama has promised to hold Wall Street accountable for the meltdown. ) (see this film, I strongly recommend the complete documentary – the following is a preview/summary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffHFjlqIzKE&feature=related


[Here’s an archived version

’Inside Job’ New Documentary Exposes Wall Street Fraud And How Banksters Continue To Steal Our Money

Web site Link / Path to archived file: http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.flv [45mb ]

http://www.albertpeia.com/insidejob.mp4 [ 65mb ] ]

] Former general counsel inherited part of a Bernard Madoff account.

Ethics code urged for Supreme Court (Washington Post) [ Sounds like a plan! Come on! Wake up! After all, what can you expect from two guidos from ‘jersey (alito and scalia, colloquial – note that I have refrained from using what some might consider disparaging terms as w*p*, gui***s, or da***s … and let me state for the record that I truly loved and respected my grandmother who was 100% Italian/Bari,Italy and as well my grandfather/Lake Como,northern Italy with greek ancestral roots and I thereby claim standing/right to posit the criticism in light of my direct experience. ). How ‘bout starting with enforcing laws as to judges, liars, etc., within the very corrupted american illegal system; and, particularly bribes which in one form or another are rampant . I don’t know about Thomas ( 3-4-11 Throw Clarence Thomas Off the Bench (The Daily Beast) ) , but I do know about alito and ‘jersey … :

October 15, 2010 (*see infra)

Steven M. Martinez, Assistant Director In Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigation, USDOJ
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1700

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Dear Sir:

I enclose herewith 3 copies of the within DVD rom autorun disk (which will open in your computer’s browser) as per your office’s request as made this day (the disk and contents have been scanned by Avast, McAfee, and Norton which I’ve installed on my computer to prevent viral attacks / infection and are without threat). I also include 1 copy of the DVD as filed with the subject court as referenced therein (which files are also included on the aforesaid 3 disks in a separate folder named ‘112208opocoan’). The (civil) RICO action (as you’re aware, the RICO Act is a criminal statute which provides a civil remedy, including treble damages and attorney fees, as an incentive for private prosecution of said claims probably owing to the fact that the USDOJ seems somewhat overwhelmed and in need of such assistance given the seriousness and prevalence of said violations of law which have a corrupting influence on the process, and which corruption is pervasive). A grievance complaint against Coan was also filed concurrently with the subject action and held in abeyance pending resolution of the action which was illegally dismissed without any supporting law and in contravention of the Order of The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District Connecticut. The files below the horizontal rule are the referenced documents as filed. (Owing to the damage to the financial interests of both the U.S. and the District of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, viz., Los Angeles, the Qui Tam provisions of the Federal False Claims Act probably would apply and I would absent resolution seek to refer the within to a firm with expertise in that area of the law with which I am not familiar).

The document in 5 pages under penalty of perjury I was asked to forward to the FBI office in New Haven is probably the best and most concise summary of the case RICO Summary to FBI Under Penalty of Perjury at Their Request (5 pages) [ ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf http://albertpeia.com/ricosummarytoFBIunderpenaltyofperjury.pdf ].

The correspondence I received from the Congresswoman by way of email attachment (apparent but typical problem with my mail) along with my response thereto is included on the 3 disks as fbicorrespondencereyes.htm . With regard to the calls to the FBI’s LA and New Haven, CT offices: There was one call to the LA office and I was referred to the Long Beach, CA office where I personally met with FBI Agent Jeff Hayes to whom I gave probative evidentiary documents of the money laundering which he confirmed as indicative of same (he was transferred from said office within approximately a month of said meeting and his location was not disclosed to me upon inquiry). The matter was assigned to FBI Agent Ron Barndollar and we remained in touch for in excess of a decade until he abruptly retired (our last conversation prior to his retirement related to the case and parenthetically, Rudy Giuliani whose father I stated had been an enforcer for the mob to which he registered disbelief and requested I prove it, which I did – he served 12 years in prison, aggravated assault/manslaughter? – and no, there is no Chinese wall of separation – Andrew Maloney’s the one that prosecuted gotti).

In contradistinction to the statement in said correspondence, there is a plethora of information including evidence supporting the claims set forth in the RICO VERIFIED COMPLAINT (see infra). Such includes and as set forth in the case, inter alia,

· A judgment had been entered in my favor in the case, United States District Court Case #3:93cv02065(AWT)(USDCJ Alvin Thompson), worth approximately now in excess of $300,000 remains unaccounted for and which could be used for payment to creditors, Los Angeles, etc..

· Counsel Robert Sullivan on my behalf documented by way of certification upon investigation that Alan Shiff, USBCJ, had falsely stated a dismissal upon which false statement he predicated a retaliatory and spurious contempt proceeding against me causing substantial damage, and for which he sought Judicial Notice of those and related proceedings as did I in some of my filings.

· The Order of Dismissal With Prejudice by Alan Shiff, USBCJ, owing to Defendant Coan’s failure to file anything whatsoever by the court’s deadline causing creditors and me substantial damages: [ Shiff Order of Dismissal With Prejudice on Coan’s Failure to File Page 1 Page 2 ]

· Defendant Coan had filed an action against me to prevent me from suing him which necessitated me to fly to Connecticut for a hearing before The Honorable Robert N. Chatigny, Chief Judge, USDC, District of Connecticut, who denied Coan’s requested relief as to Coan but precluded my action against Shiff (although there is no immunity, judicial or otherwise, for criminal acts, ie., fraud connected with a case under Title 11, USC, etc.) . [ transcript in pertinent part - crossexamofcoanbypeia.pdf ]

· Newly appointed judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump’s sister, was assigned the RICO case despite the conflict of interest in light of hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal (drug) money being laundered through the Trump casinos by the RICO defendants, and despite my motion to recuse her which motion she heard herself and denied, and U.S. Trustee Hugh Leonard with whom I met personally refused to join or file a separate motion to recuse and not long thereafter left said office for private practice at Cole, Shotz, et als on retainer with the RICO defendants as his primary client.

· Probative and evidentiary documents, affidavits, exhibits, including those turned over to FBI Agent Jeff Hayes in Long Beach, CA, had been given to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lacey with whom I met personally at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, N.J., at which time Samuel Alito was U.S. Attorney, and went over said documents and their probative value with him. Within approximately a month thereafter upon inquiry I was told that Jonathon Lacey was no longer with the office, that the file/documents could not be located, and that there was no further information available concerning contacting him or his location. I thereupon delivered by hand, copies of said documents to the office of then U.S. Attorney Alito, addressed to him, with assurance they would go directly to him. In addition to being inept [ I looked in on the one mob case he had brought, bungled, lost (accidently on purpose?) since I was suing some mob-connected under RICO and the court (I had known / previously met outside of court the judge Ackerman through a client) was absolute bedlam and a total joke since incompetent corrupt Alito brought in all 20 mob defendants (rather than prosecute one or a few to flip them first) who feigning illness had beds/cots in the courtroom along with their moans during testimony and had the jury in stitches. As much as I hate the mob, it truly was funny, if not so tragic.], Alito is also corrupt (and maybe corrupt because he is inept). After a reasonable (but still rather short) time I called to determine the status and was told that Alito was no longer with the Office of the U.S. Attorney, that he was (appointed) a federal judge, and that neither the documents nor any file or record of same could be located. Alito did parley the same / cover-up into quid pro quo direct lifetime appointment to the Court of Appeals, 3^rd circuit, despite the absence of judicial experience or successful tenure as U.S. Attorney (Maryanne Trump Barry as well). This is the same Sam Alito that now sits on the purported highest court in the land. The real application of the illegal rule ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.

There is applicable insurance / surety coverage and neither LA, nor creditors, nor I should continue to have been damaged by this brazened corrupt and illegal scenario, which should be resolved in accordance with the meaningful rules of law apposite thereto.

Sincerely,

Albert L. Peia

611 E. 5^th Street, #404

Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 219-**** (cell phone)

(213) 622-3745 (listed land line but there are unresolved problems with the line, computer connection may be the reason but I hesitate to chance greater non-performance / worsening by their ‘fix’ so cell phone best for contact).

] Group of law professors' appeal comes after controversies involving travel and appearances at political events by several justices.

Why your local Hospital could soon shut down (Ad) http://www.stansberryresearch.com/pro/1011PSIENDVD/LPSILC43/PR [ The instant video on the economic / financial collapse from Stansberry and Associates is so well researched and succinctly presented that I’ve archived same on my website; also, because the facts and views presented comport with the facts and views I’ve presented on my site which I believe to be correct. This is a must-view, must-see that I strongly recommend!
The complete url: http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.flv ( 146mb – approx. 1 hr. 17 min. ) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrysinvestmentadvisory.mp4 ( 374mb ) Written text of presentation (without pictures / charts) http://www.albertpeia.com/stansberrypresentation.htm ]

The following pages for referenced topics / links:

http://www.albertpeia.com/currentopics2ndqtr10108.htm
http://www.albertpeia.com
http://www.albertpeia.com/alresume.htm

http://www.albertpeia.com/wallstreetlunacy2ndqtr10108.htm

http://www.scribd.com/alpeia

You may post a comment on my blog on any topic: http://alpeiablog.blogspot.com