Rice Farmer

## Global economic meltdown ##

Interest rates will rise faster and higher than anyone expects (MoneyWeek)

Asia Economies Show Signs of Slowing (WSJ)

"Asia's emerging-market growth engines appear to be downshifting in the face of rising inflation and interest rate hikes."

"Germany is considering dropping its push for an early rescheduling of Greek bonds in order to facilitate a new package of aid loans for Greece, according to people familiar with the matter."

The Stupidity of Hope: Greece Is Still Going to Default (CNBC)

"Australia's economy may have suffered its biggest economic contraction in 20 years in the first quarter of 2011, data are indicating, as a string of natural disasters savaged exports in crucial industries such as coal."

"Europe's financial problems aren't confined to Greece and a reorganization of the continent's banking system is necessary, Laurence D. Fink, chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc. (BLK), said in a Bloomberg television interview today."

A perfect storm for local shippers (Korea)
"Rising fuel costs, piracy, a lack of capacity contribute to losses in Q1"

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##
Karzai: NATO risks being seen as 'occupying force'

"As Mexico's drug cartels come under sustained attack by President Felipe Calderon's forces at home, several of them have started outsourcing. Los Zetas and the powerful Sinaloan cartel have been expanding their operations in Central America, where security forces often lack the resources to confront them."

## Global unrest ##

"Inner Mongolia is China's biggest coal producing region and the protests come as severe power shortages loom ahead of the summer peak energy season."

Teen gangs disrupt holiday beach-goers (US)

"The gang members are part of a group of more than 1,000 teenagers, mostly 14-19 years old, who used Facebook and other social media Web sites to organize violent gatherings on Carson Beach in South Boston, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

## Energy/resources ##

"The development represents a new challenge for the United States, which has repeatedly tightened sanctions on Iran over its nuclear energy program."

Iran oil output 'may drop drastically by 2015'
" Iran's oil production may fall to 2.7 million barrels per day within five years unless 150 billion dollars is invested in its energy sector, a top official said in a report on Monday."

"Manila is investing in offshore mobile power plants to ease the country's chronic energy shortages, which even affect Manila."

Vietnam May Delay Raising Power Prices
"Vietnam, battling Asia's highest inflation rate, may put off increases in electricity prices even as the country faces "chronic" power shortages."

Startup turns trash into oil (video)

Where does the trash come from? I rest my case. -- RF

## Got food? ##
Food prices 'will double by 2030', Oxfam warns

## Environment/health ##
WHO: Mobiles 'may cause brain cancer'

Killer bacteria claims 16th victim in Europe
"Unprecedented E. coli outbreak may involve 2 strains; more than 1,000 people in at least 8 countries; Germany hardest hit"

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##
Cyber weapons 'now integral part of Britain's armoury'

## Japan ##

"Japan's Aa2-rated debt was placed under review Tuesday for a possible downgrade, Moody's Investors Service said."

Reactor in Shimane delayed for safety work
"Chugoku Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it will delay the launch of commercial operations of one of its reactors now under construction in Shimane Prefecture because it has to add measures against possible tsunami."

Toshiba to set 2-3 weeks summer holidays amid power shortage
"Toshiba Corp said Tuesday it will introduce two- to three-week summer holidays between July and September at its offices and production bases to cut electricity consumption in the service areas of Tokyo Electric Power Co."

Turning the Lights Off in Tokyo… On Purpose (includes video)

"Already many escalators at train stations in Tokyo are at a standstill, and some elevators are shut down. Many buildings are also keeping their lights off, and their hallways dark."

## China ##

"If the Chinese economy is really so strong, why are Chinese regulators preparing a bailout of bad loans made to local governments that may amount to almost a half trillion dollars?...

"Keep in mind that China's official GDP is just short $5 trillion, which means that this bailout is almost 10 percent of the size of the entire economy. The total amount of local government debt is around 10 trillion yuan and could rise as high as 12 trillion by the end of year, Reuters reports."

"Falling land prices may prompt Chinese property developers to write down the value of their assets, forcing a sober reassessment for those with vast land holdings, according to a survey released Monday by Credit Suisse."

"A total of 6 billion cubic meters of tap water are lost through leaking pipes every year in China, a country that faces chronic water shortages."

China too is plagued with crumbling urban infrastructure. -- RF

## UK ##
Royal Navy rents Norwegian ship to protect Falklands

## US ##

Cargo Theft: The New Highway Robbery (BusinessWeek)

"'You name it, they're taking it,' says Susan Chandler, executive director of the American Trucking Assn.'s Supply Chain Security and Loss Prevention Council. 'Do I think there's a surge? Absolutely.'"

Welcome to the New World Order of chaos and lawlessness. -- RF

Let me repeat: This is not a "double dip." It's a continuation of the overall downward trend. -- RF

"State parks across the country are looking at serious cuts in services, fee increases or even closures as lawmakers look for ways to deal with their budget crises."

## Global economic meltdown/dollar dump ##

Greece set for severe bail-out conditions (FT)
"European leaders are negotiating a deal that would lead to unprecedented outside intervention in the Greek economy, including international involvement in tax collection and privatisation of state assets, in exchange for new bail-out loans for Athens."

Panic Capital Flight in Greece, Depositors Yank 1.5 Billion Euros in 2 Days;EU Wants Severe Bail-Out Conditions Including International Tax Collection (Mish)

Tensions Worsen Between Berlin and European Central Bank (Spiegel)

China Behind Massive Foreign Buying in Japanese Bonds
"China is stepping up buying in Japanese government bonds, particularly notes with less than one year to maturity, market players say, in what looks like a fresh drive to diversify its ballooning foreign reserves after U.S. government bill yields fell."

Country regions' needs ignored: mayors (Australia)

Just as in the US, there's no more money left to spend on regions with low population density. -- RF

"Are the derivatives regulated? No. Are you still getting growth in derivatives? Yes."

"HSBC Holdings PLC plans to offer customers in Australia yuan-denominated financial products as part of the bank's efforts to roll out services using China's currency across the region."

Saudi moves to limit foreign workers' permits
"Saudi Arabia's labor minister says the kingdom will not renew work permits of expatriate workers who have been in the country for six years or more, a step aimed at boosting job opportunities for Saudis."

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##

Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says? (The Independent)
Six killed as Yemeni forces fire at protesters in Taiz

## Global unrest ##

Latest developments in Arab world's unrest (AP)

Inner Mongolia protests prompt crackdown
"Hu Chunhua, Communist party chief in Inner Mongolia, orders censorship of information and clampdown on visitors."

Unrest biggest threat to business (Gulf News)

"Gulf Air, Bahrain's loss-making national carrier, said it had laid off 200 employees and bookings were down a quarter following political and social unrest in Bahrain and the region."

## Energy/resources ##
Weathering The Storm: Above-Normal Hurricane Season Predicted

Eskom walks tightrope to avoid power cuts (South Africa)

"With minimal spare capacity, an ageing infrastructure and the economy picking up, the company is walking a tightrope in its battle to prevent load shedding, when power utilities, long starved of investment, cut back supply."

"Malaysia raised electricity tariffs and the price of natural gas for the power sector as rising oil and gas prices have made its subsidy burden 'unsustainable.'"

## Got food? ##
Crop prices need to fall along with the rain

We had damn well better hope not. -- RF

World's largest E coli outbreak kills 14 in Germany
"More than 300 seriously ill in Germany as E coli bacterium spreads to other northern European countries."

Farmers fear potentially crushing impact of carbon tax (Australia)

## Environment/health ##
Mercury, PCBs widespread in sport fish along California's urban coastline, survey finds

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##
Iran Vows to Unplug Internet

"Despite four decades of detailed warnings, industrial civilization has failed to turn aside from self-destructive policies of exponential growth and dependence on nonrenewable resources. At this point, stark limits of time and resources as well as a failure of political will make attempts to prevent the fall of industrial society an exercise in futility. Individuals, small groups, and communities can still prepare for the approaching crises by mastering low-tech survival skills now to lay foundations for a sustainable society in the future."

## Japan ##
Fukushima Risks Chernobyl 'Dead Zone'

"Radioactive soil in pockets of areas near Japan's crippled nuclear plant have reached the same level as Chernobyl, where a "dead zone" remains 25 years after the reactor in the former Soviet Union exploded."

No restart for south Japan reactors until safety assured
" Two nuclear reactors shut for maintenance in southern Japan will not be allowed to restart until Tokyo officials answer questions on safety policy, Saga prefecture's governor Yasushi Furukawa said on Monday."

Japan fails in promise to rehouse 30,000 victims
"The Japanese government has failed to live up to its promise to provide 30,000 temporary housing units for people who lost their homes in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, or who have been evacuated from villages close to the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant."

## China ##
Beijing loses its allure as grads put off by expense, pressures

Over-reliance on US dollar (China Daily)

OK, they bit the bullet, but now comes the inflation. -- RF

## UK ##

It's speculators. -- RF

## US ##
New Mexico pushes ahead with spaceport despite setbacks
I'm speechless. -- RF

"Swimming pools are being closed; recreation centers are locking their doors; library summer reading programs are suffering; openings for short-term jobs have evaporated."

Another chapter in the story of how rural and low-population regions are being abandoned. -- RF

"New York City's billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced plans to cut nearly $100 million from the city's libraries."

## Global economic meltdown/dollar dump ##
UAE mulls plan to buy Chinese currency

"The UAE Central Bank has held talks about buying Chinese assets as it mulls diversifying some of its foreign exchange reserves away from the US dollar."

"Tunisia's government said it needs $125 billion in funding over the next five years to finance a massive economic programme aimed at boosting growth and cutting unemployment, state-run news agency TAP said on Sunday."

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##

"North Korea is close to completing a giant naval base near its sea border with South Korea, a government source told Yonhap Sunday."

Afghan police chief attack planned abroad: government
" Afghan leaders on Sunday appeared to accuse Pakistan of harboring insurgents behind a suicide bombing that killed one of the most powerful men in northern Afghanistan."

## Global unrest ##

Saudi Arabia Scrambles to Limit Region's Upheaval (NYT)

Greeks vent anger at entire political class
"Tens of thousands of Greeks vented their anger at the nation's political classes in Athens on Sunday, staging the biggest in a week of protests as the government seeks backing for yet more austerity."

Morocco police use truncheons to break up protest
"Police used truncheons to break up an anti-government protest in Morocco's commercial capital, Casablanca, Sunday and dozens of people were injured, Organizers said."

## Energy/resources ##

"A sharp rise in domestic government spending by Saudi Arabia and other key Arab oil exporters threatens to upset the mutually beneficial relationship they've kept for decades with energy consumers worldwide."

Tamping down unrest costs a lot of money. -- RF

Oh, brother. -- RF

Consumer Corner: What's the real answer to replacing oil? (UPI)
"The darlings of the alternative energy debate long have been wind, solar and biofuels. But how practical is it to replace oil consumption?

"Meteorologists believe that changes to the Atlantic jet stream could alter the pattern of winds over the next 40 years and leave much of the nation's growing army of power-generating turbines becalmed."

Phantom Efficiencies: US Economy Still Running Very Slow (Gregor Macdonald)

"The US economy has derived phantom 'efficiencies' by plugging into cheap global labor – not cheap global energy."

"U.S. airlines burn an average of 22 gallons of fuel for every 1,000 miles each passenger flies. At $3.03 a gallon, airlines are currently spending $330 per passenger just on fuel for a 4,950-mile transcontinental round-trip."

## Environment/health ##
German E. coli outbreak serious, European experts say

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##
Lockheed-Martin Attack Signals New Era of Cyber Espionage (PC World)

Vladimir Putin hints at Dominique Strauss-Kahn conspiracy
"Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, has hinted that Dominique Strauss-Kahn may be the victim of a conspiracy to force him from the head of the IMF."

Because it has a lot more to do with business than with security. -- RF

## Japan ##

Japan Fears Investment Outflows in Quake's Aftermath (WSJ)

"Even before the disaster, Tokyo had lost the hotly contested race to become Asia's financial center, with bankers migrating at a rapid clip to both Hong Kong and Singapore. Global giants such as Procter & Gamble Co. have farmed out certain divisions from Japan to Singapore over the years. This type of movement—given Japan's weak economic outlook and its shrinking population—is likely to continue."

## China ##

## UK ##
Long-term unemployment hits high - IPPR think tank

## US ##

Flash mob business theft rising with new attack in New York City
Flash mob violence and robberies are just another sign of impending chaos and lawlessness. -- RF
Trucker disappears with $400K in crab meat

"A truck carrying $400,000 worth of Russian king crab from Los Angeles to Seattle has disappeared, apparently the work of an organized crime ring, police said."

## Global economic meltdown ##
Greece denies missed fiscal targets, EU bickers

Turning Points of Empire's End? (Daily Bell; an interesting read)

"A massive downsizing of the multi-billion dollar Dubailand project is needed to fit in with the "harsh realities" of Dubai's battered real estate market, according to Business Monitor International."

Why Global Infrastructure Is A $6 Trillion Opportunity
Absurd. The world can't even maintain what's built already. -- RF

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##

"Police corruption is so rampant in this city of four million that government officials believe at least half of the force is on the payroll of the gangs."

"A suicide bomber killed one of the most powerful men in north Afghanistan on Saturday, underlining the spread of insurgent violence in once peaceful parts of the country and casting a shadow over plans for Afghans to take control of security"

China reprimands Vietnam over offshore oil exploration
"China criticized Vietnam on Saturday for its offshore exploration of oil and gas in the contested South China Sea after Hanoi complained that three Chinese patrol boats had challenged a Vietnamese ship."

## Global unrest ##

China police seal off restive Inner Mongolia towns
"Police sealed off parts of two county seats in China's Inner Mongolia for a second day Saturday in what residents described as a kind of martial law after protests triggered by the death of a Mongolian herder run over by a Chinese truck driver."

## Energy/resources ##

North Sea oil production shows biggest fall on record
Peak oil and the Fall of the Soviet Union: Lessons on the 20th Anniversary of the Collapse (TOD)

Councils warn street lights could go out (Australia)

## Got food? ##
Russia to lift grain export ban after harvest increase

Inundated fields add to stressful spring for beleaguered farmers (Canada)

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##
Hackers Breached Security Networks Of U.S. Military Contractors, Says Source

## Japan ##
Shirakawa Warns Against Losing Market Trust Amid 'Very Serious' Fiscal State (Nikkei)

## China ##
35 million people affected by drought

## UK ##
Street lights to switch off this summer

## US ##

The U.S. Postal Service Nears Collapse (BusinessWeek)
Valero, Marathon, BP Start Texas Refineries After Power Loss

"A blackout in Texas City, Texas, may be the latest in a series of power failures caused by lack of rain, which helps clear electrical lines of deposits, according to Terry Hadley, a spokesman for the Public Utility Commission."

City institutes voluntary water rationing (Texas)

Parks around the US face economic stress this Memorial Day
"Visitors to national and state parks on Memorial Day may face reduced hours and services. States have budget problems, and national parks have nearly $11 billion in deferred maintenance."

"A nationwide shortage of high gas-mileage used cars has driven up prices for many models, making it cheaper to buy a new car in some cases, automotive experts say."

## Global economic meltdown/dollar dump ##

Past Peak Oil - Why Time Is Now Short (Chris Martenson)

Welcome To Hyperinflation Hell: Following Currency Devaluation, Belarus Economy Implodes, Sets Blueprint For Developed World Future (Zero Hedge)
IMF may block aid payments to Greece, Juncker warns

Japan's nuclear troubles extend into Russia
"The Russian used auto industry relies on used car shipments from Japanese companies that have dried up since the March earthquake and problems at the Fukushima plant."

"The European community needs to find ways to decouple economic growth from the rate of resource consumption to advance a green economy, an official said."

Last-ditch effort to keep the Ponzi scheme afloat. -- RF

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##
Clinton in Pakistan, presses for more to quash

Israel struggles to stop weapons smuggling at sea
"Israel's navy is casting its net wider and deeper in an effort to stop Gaza militants from receiving weapons by sea, a difficult mission made harder, Israel says, by political turmoil in Egypt and the Egyptian decision to fully reopen its border crossing with Gaza."

Do the China-Pakistan pipeline shuffle
"From the Gwadar port complex to fighter jet sales, strained relations between the US and Pakistan are benefiting China."

## Global unrest ##

Latest developments in Arab world's unrest (AP)

"Hundreds of demonstrators mobbed government buildings and burned police cars in southeastern Peru on Thursday as a protest against mining firms intensified 10 days before a presidential election."

## Energy/resources ##
## Got food? ##
Analysis: Bidding War Heats Up For Low U.S. Corn Supplies (Reuters)

"A bidding war is heating up among users of corn in the United States as livestock feeders and ethanol makers scramble to lock in supplies before extremely low stocks run dry by this summer.

"And it could escalate even more with any delay in harvesting the crop in the flood-ravaged U.S. South, or if China steps into the market to buy the grain held over from last year's harvest, as persistently rumored."

"URUAÇU, Brazil — When the Chinese came looking for more soybeans here last year, they inquired about buying land — lots of it."

An obvious sign of food desperation among China's leadership. -- RF

## Environment/health ##

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##
The domino effect of IT failure

## Japan ##

This sounds like a good thing, but substantial food and fuel inflation could be the coup de grâce. -- RF

This represents the last throes of the dying industrial system, a waste of money and energy that could be put to far better uses. Needless to say there will be massive cost overruns, and the project will never be completed. And how do they intend to feed the prodigious power consumption of this monster? These are times when countries around the world, including Japan, face crippling power shortages. -- RF

There will be heavy reliance on construction in a desperate bid to keep the economy going. -- RF

Of course there is still the problem of where to dispose of the contaminated goo. -- RF

## China ##
Copper Premiums in China Advance to Seven-Month High as Demand Recovers

Analysis: Power crisis may force China to face inflation demons (Reuters)

"Confronting a huge and growing power crisis, China faces a painful choice: either allow a summer of blackouts or swallow a dose of inflation."

Just deny the problem. -- RF

## UK ##
Bank of England's Spencer Dale warns of hard times

## US ##

Some Regions Of US Completely Abandoned
MUST READ. Such a short article, but the implications are enormous. Here we can actually see how the United States is beginning to fall apart. These are the first regions where economic depression will evolve into chaos and lawlessness. And it will happen in other countries, too, as energy becomes too expensive to hold them together. -- RF
Supreme Court upholds Arizona law designed to thwart illegal workers
Michigan changes fracking laws

"We have even more 'too big to fail' institutions; more politically interconnected, very deep and wide institutions that could create another systemic event."

Housing Apocalypse Tomorrow – 675,000 homes in foreclosure have made no payment in over two years. The never ending pipeline of troubled real estate. (Dr. Housing Bubble)

## Global economic meltdown ##
China to Buy Europe Bailout Bonds

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##

"Pakistan's government has told the United States to halve the number of military trainers it has stationed in the country."

Iraq's Sadr rallies supporters against U.S. troop extension
"Anti-U.S. Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr brought thousands of Shi'ite supporters onto the streets of Baghdad on Thursday in a show of force against any extension of the U.S. military presence in Iraq past a year-end deadline."

Militiamen celebrate hatred of America (video)

Moqtada al-Sadr's troops aren't just a ragtag bunch of men with nothing but a charismatic leader. Here you can see they are dressed in uniforms and have received military drill. Further, by basing himself among the poor, al-Sadr is able to tap into a huge explosive pool of discontent. -- RF

## Global unrest ##

Georgian protest crushed as president blames Russia
"Georgian riot police used teargas, water cannon and rubber bullets on Thursday to halt five days of demonstrations against President Mikheil Saakashvili, who blamed the unrest on Russia."

## Energy/resources ##

Speculator Ghosts in the Oil Machine (More great observations from Gregor Macdonald)

"Persistent strength in the price of oil has once again unleashed maximum nonsense about the influence of speculators. Yes, it's painful that oil never returned to earth after its 2004 repricing. But, in the search for an explanation, substituting the arcane for the obvious will not help: speculators did not create 5-6 years of flat to falling global oil production. Furthermore, as oil made its way from below $25.00 to its new level at $100.00, more of the world's cheap oil from old reservoirs was swapped out for the new. Given that this new oil is much harder to extract, the world economy is lucky that oil remains so cheap. $100 is a bargain."

The Implications of the Fukushima Accident on the World's Operating Reactors (video)

## Got food? ##
India not to allow wheat, rice export from govt stocks

Farmers kiss rice harvest goodbye (China)

## Environment/health ##

Scientists doubt methane from BP oil spill is 'nearly all gone'
Brazil does away with laws to protect large swaths of rainforest
"Brazil's powerful agricultural sector has scored a major victory, with the approval by the lower house of Congress of a reform that would open up some protected forests to cropland and ranchers."

E.coli warning after Germany outbreak (UK)

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##

## Japan ##

Cut, cut, cut. -- RF

"Radiation from Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is accumulating in marine life off Japan's coast above legal limits for food contamination, Greenpeace said Thursday."

Toshiba backpedals on nuclear energy strategy
"With countries around the world rethinking their energy policies, Toshiba Corp. has been forced to retreat from its ambitious plan to sell nuclear reactors overseas and will focus more on renewable energy."

## China ##
China Steel Output May Fall From June on Power Cuts, Platou Says

Shanghai to ensure residents'power supply
"Shanghai power authorities have signed electricity use agreements with thousands of local enterprises to ensure residential compounds do not suffer blackouts in the summer, despite the 1.1 million kilowatt shortage the city is expected to experience."

Power shortages may close department stores (Shanghai)

Are China's Factories Running out of Power? (Jeff Rubin at Financial Sense)

Fuel surcharges rise for the 3rd time this year
"Fuel surcharges for domestic flights rose again Thursday due to an increase in the procurement costs of aviation fuel, The Beijing News reported."

## UK ##
Councils urged over 'threatened' local roads

## US ##
Las Vegas to build 500ft Ferris wheel, bigger than London Eye

More wreckage to decorate the post-industrial world. -- RF

Manufacturing growth slows to near zero in Fed's Kansas City district
"Manufacturing expansion plunges from 14 to 1 in a single month. Trend of manufacturing slowdown is consistent with reports from other Federal Reserve districts."

## Global economic meltdown ##

"The US and Japan 'have yet to produce credible medium-term plans' to stabilise their debt, while other countries need to provide more clarity on how their fiscal consolidation targets will be met."

"Gold is gaining currency -- quite literally. On Monday, the European Parliament announced that it will allow central counterparties, or CCPs, to use gold as collateral."

## Fault lines/flashpoints/military ##

Chaos swirls in Yemen's capital as government buildings burn
"Yemen's capital city sank toward anarchy Tuesday as rival armies fought pitched battles in a neighborhood of middle-class homes and government offices in the worst violence to sweep this city since anti-government protests began nearly four months ago."

China's growing presence in Africa (Reuters report)

## Global unrest ##

Unrest in China after Mongol herder's death: group (AFP)
"Hundreds of ethnic Mongols have protested in China this week over the killing of a shepherd that has sparked online calls for even bigger future demonstrations, human rights organisations have said."

## Energy/resources ##

This sounds great... but it's actually just another component in the dying industrial system. -- RF

## Got food? ##
Locusts: looming in central Asia (FT)

"So severe is the situation that the FAO is launching a battle against locusts amid warnings that global food inflation has hit poorer countries in central Asia and the Caucasus particularly hard and could stoke social and political tensions like those in the Middle East."

Hedge fund managers pour assets into farmland as doomsday food scenario approaches
Food Inflation Accelerating as Nestle, McDonald's React to Commodity Surge
"U.S. food-price inflation may top the government's forecast as higher crop, meat, dairy and energy costs lead companies including Nestle SA, McDonald's Corp. (MCD) and Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFMI) to boost prices."

## Environment/health ##
Tuberculosis on the rise in France

## Intelligence/security/internet/systemic breakdown ##

Data Centers: The Energy Problem (US)

"According to a recent report from Pike Research on cloud computing and energy efficiency, data centers consumed 201.8 TWh (terrawatt hours) in 2010 and energy expenditures reached $23.3 billion. That's about the same amount of electricity needed to power 19 million average U.S. households."

"The single greatest conceit of the Status Quo in the U.S., China and Euroland is that systems and trends can be tightly controlled. That conceit is slowly being revealed as hubris, as all sorts of things are spinning out of the control of the centralized authorities and financial elites in each geopolitical power center."

## Japan ##

There has been a decades-long campaign against vending machines. -- RF

How incredibly shortsighted. In the near future people will be ripping this junk up to free up the farmland. The day will come when people will gladly eat in the dark. -- RF

## China ##
China fears soaring inflation could bring street protests

Defying Planners, China's Utilities Cut Electricity Production (NYT)
"The companies say they face financial ruin if the government continues to tightly limit the prices they can charge customers."

## UK ##

## US ##

"Orders for U.S. durable goods dropped more than forecast in April, reflecting a slump in aircraft demand and disruptions in supplies of auto parts stemming from the earthquake in Japan."

Report: 'Unacceptable threat' from spent-fuel pools at US nuclear power plants
"Overcrowded spent-fuel pools at US nuclear power plants pose an 'unacceptable threat to the public,' says risk assessor. Much of the leaked radiation from Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi came from spent-fuel pools."

Home deconstruction: Can an entire house be recycled?
"Deconstruction of a home to reuse or resell its materials is gaining popularity as a more environment-friendly alternative to demolition. Sometimes it even saves money."

It's the wave of the future. -- RF

"You may think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) says it's worse than you've heard.

"Congress is set to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the surveillance law as early as Thursday. But Wyden says that what Congress will renew is a mere fig leaf for a far broader legal interpretation of the Patriot Act that the government keeps to itself — entirely in secret. Worse, there are hints that the government uses this secret interpretation to gather what one Patriot-watcher calls a "dragnet" for massive amounts of information on private citizens; the government portrays its data-collection efforts much differently."