Sunday, February 03, 2013
News Links, February 2-4, 2013
## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards ##
Australian Manufacturing Shrinks
"Australia's manufacturing sector contracted for the 11th straight month in January as the nation's producers found themselves squeezed between a slowing economy and a strong exchange rate, a performance gauge produced by an industry group showed."
Goodyear to shutter tire plant in France
Australian Manufacturing Shrinks
"Australia's manufacturing sector contracted for the 11th straight month in January as the nation's producers found themselves squeezed between a slowing economy and a strong exchange rate, a performance gauge produced by an industry group showed."
Goodyear to shutter tire plant in France
Brazil Has Jan Trade Deficit of $4.04 Billion vs. Dec Surplus of $2.25 Billion
Argentina Is First Nation Censured by IMF for Economic Data
Argentina Is First Nation Censured by IMF for Economic Data
Ship lending stuck in the doldrums: Citi
"Shipping companies will find it tough to borrow money again this year as a slump in the sector shows few signs of easing and regulators press banks to cut back lending, Citigroup's global head of shipping said. Traditionally a major source of funding for shipping companies, many European lenders are abandoning or scaling back this part of their business as regulators seek to make banks safer after the 2008 global financial crisis."
"Shipping companies will find it tough to borrow money again this year as a slump in the sector shows few signs of easing and regulators press banks to cut back lending, Citigroup's global head of shipping said. Traditionally a major source of funding for shipping companies, many European lenders are abandoning or scaling back this part of their business as regulators seek to make banks safer after the 2008 global financial crisis."
Demand too weak, travel firms have to sell tours at below cost prices (Vietnam)
Numbers racket in Argentina
"What is the country's actual inflation rate? That can be a dangerous question to ask these days."
Numbers racket in Argentina
"What is the country's actual inflation rate? That can be a dangerous question to ask these days."
Parents face laptop slug as funds run dry (Australia)
"THE federal government's scheme providing high school students with laptop computers is on the brink of collapse, leaving parents with hefty bills and educators with a chaotic start to the school year."
"THE federal government's scheme providing high school students with laptop computers is on the brink of collapse, leaving parents with hefty bills and educators with a chaotic start to the school year."
Extreme Sentiment: Barron's Cover "Get Ready for Record Dow - We Told You So"; Top Call
High anxiety in S Korea as won surges against yen
High anxiety in S Korea as won surges against yen
## Airline Death Spiral ##
'Slasher Walsh' Poised to Deepen Iberia Job Cuts as Talks Fail
Iberia unions plan strike after failed job talks
When will Saudia wake up from its prolonged slumber?
'Slasher Walsh' Poised to Deepen Iberia Job Cuts as Talks Fail
Iberia unions plan strike after failed job talks
When will Saudia wake up from its prolonged slumber?
Estonian Air makes last-minute attempt to avert pilots' strike
Boeing 787 Woes Stump Investigators Prolonging Grounding
Boeing 787 Woes Stump Investigators Prolonging Grounding
## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Canadians' possible role in Algeria attack of great concern to U.S.
It's possible to find "threats to the homeland" anywhere the US wants to intervene, for whatever reason. -- RF
Note that it's OK for the US to attempt to destabilize Iran, topple its government, and install a pro-US government, which is the real purpose of the sanctions. -- RF
Eye for an eye: rough justice in Mexico's Wild West
And this is just a preview of developments we shall witness throughout the world. -- RF
And this is just a preview of developments we shall witness throughout the world. -- RF
Assassination attempt in Armenia threatens stability
"An assassination attempt on a presidential candidate in Armenia has thrown this month's election into doubt and could threaten stability in the volatile Caucasus region that carries oil and natural gas to Europe."
"An assassination attempt on a presidential candidate in Armenia has thrown this month's election into doubt and could threaten stability in the volatile Caucasus region that carries oil and natural gas to Europe."
## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Colonial flags fly in Hong Kong as anger grows
"Sixteen years after Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, public discontent with Beijing is swelling and protesters have been rallying around an unexpected symbol - the British colonial flag."
Polish farmers protest sale of farmland to foreign multinationals
"Sixteen years after Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, public discontent with Beijing is swelling and protesters have been rallying around an unexpected symbol - the British colonial flag."
Polish farmers protest sale of farmland to foreign multinationals
## Energy/resources ##
The Perils of Ignoring the Water-Energy Nexus
"As we pump gasoline into our automobiles, we watch the register ring up dollars, but we don't see the water cost: some 13 gallons for every gallon of fuel."
Why the World May Never Experience a Shale Boom
"As we pump gasoline into our automobiles, we watch the register ring up dollars, but we don't see the water cost: some 13 gallons for every gallon of fuel."
Why the World May Never Experience a Shale Boom
U.S. to stay engaged in Mideast despite domestic energy boom, says top official
"A top U.S. energy official pledged Friday that the United States would stay engaged in the Middle East even if it nears energy independence thanks to an oil and gas bonanza at home."
"A top U.S. energy official pledged Friday that the United States would stay engaged in the Middle East even if it nears energy independence thanks to an oil and gas bonanza at home."
Such bald-faced lying! The US leadership knows its shale-energy boom is a flash in the pan, so the US needs to maintain its presence there. It was never about freedom and democracy; it has always been about energy. -- RF
"Peak oil solved" is another crock of baloney. The mere fact that humanity must chase after junk oil and work at crushing undersea depths is proof that the situation is getting desperate. The low-hanging fruit is mostly gone and we are now getting out our ladders to get at the high and half-rotten fruit. -- RF
Peak gold: Gold 'production cliff' ahead
Chevron stands off with LNG buyers over pricing, warns projects at risk
"Chevron Corp. is taking a hard line with Asian utilities and other potential buyers seeking cheaper prices on exports of liquefied natural gas from Canada's West Coast, warning that unless sales are indexed to oil prices 'the projects won't get built.'"
"Chevron Corp. is taking a hard line with Asian utilities and other potential buyers seeking cheaper prices on exports of liquefied natural gas from Canada's West Coast, warning that unless sales are indexed to oil prices 'the projects won't get built.'"
"Imperial Oil Ltd. boosted the price tag of its Kearl oil sands mine by $2-billion, the second major increase for the project and the latest cost increase to hit Alberta's energy industry."
Gas flaring at Bakken and Eagle Ford (Kjell Aleklett)
## Got food? ##
Yum! The McRib is Back, Get Yours Today (After You Find Out What's In It); The Secret's in the Sauce!
Detroiters Question "World's Largest Urban Farm"
"To many Detroit residents—and especially to its established urban gardeners—the approval of a large-scale urban farm raises serious questions about the future of food and land in the city."
## Lifestyle Solutions ##
Transition Free Press #1
## Environment/health ##
Harvard Study Confirms Fluoride Reduces Children's IQ
Yum! The McRib is Back, Get Yours Today (After You Find Out What's In It); The Secret's in the Sauce!
Detroiters Question "World's Largest Urban Farm"
"To many Detroit residents—and especially to its established urban gardeners—the approval of a large-scale urban farm raises serious questions about the future of food and land in the city."
## Lifestyle Solutions ##
Transition Free Press #1
## Environment/health ##
Harvard Study Confirms Fluoride Reduces Children's IQ
Coal Power and Air Pollution
## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##
US looking at action against China cyberattacks
## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##
US looking at action against China cyberattacks
"While the rest of America spent January debating new gun control laws, one government agency announced its plans to expand the use of high-capacity magazines, assault weapons, and even fully automatic machine guns. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the nation's nuclear plants, is seeking the firepower not for securing the plants themselves, but to defend their nuclear waste."
Danger does not compute in cyber war (Australia)
"THE number of serious cyber attacks investigated by Canberra's defence spy agency doubled last year, new figures show, as security experts warn of dangerous complacency in the Australian community about data protection."
"THE number of serious cyber attacks investigated by Canberra's defence spy agency doubled last year, new figures show, as security experts warn of dangerous complacency in the Australian community about data protection."
EU to set up euro-election 'troll patrol' to tackle Eurosceptic surge
"The European Parliament is to spend almost £2 million on press monitoring and trawling Eurosceptic debates on the internet for 'trolls' with whom to debate in the run-up and during euro-elections next year amid fears that hostility to the EU is growing."
"The European Parliament is to spend almost £2 million on press monitoring and trawling Eurosceptic debates on the internet for 'trolls' with whom to debate in the run-up and during euro-elections next year amid fears that hostility to the EU is growing."
U.S. keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble
"Oil-rich Texas has built more highways and bridges than any other state, but over the next two decades it will fall $170 billion short of what it needs to keep the sprawling network in good repair."
Viewpoint: The 'invention illusion' means new rarely is new
"Despite what marketers would have us believe, recycling inventions and the cross-pollination of technologies for new applications are at the heart of all developments in the 21st Century."
"Oil-rich Texas has built more highways and bridges than any other state, but over the next two decades it will fall $170 billion short of what it needs to keep the sprawling network in good repair."
Viewpoint: The 'invention illusion' means new rarely is new
"Despite what marketers would have us believe, recycling inventions and the cross-pollination of technologies for new applications are at the heart of all developments in the 21st Century."
## Japan ##
Debris removal underway at former no-entry zone
Radioactive debris will be burned! -- RF
Gas Stations, Refineries Closing Due to Drop in Demand
Japan Finance Minister Models Policy After 1930s Stimulus
Antipiracy bill drafted to let private armed guards defend ships
Runaway yen spurs business growth
"A sharply falling yen and rocketing stock prices, by-products of measures promised by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to end economic stagnation, are lifting many Japanese businesses, with many now reporting significantly rosier financial results."
Antipiracy bill drafted to let private armed guards defend ships
Runaway yen spurs business growth
"A sharply falling yen and rocketing stock prices, by-products of measures promised by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to end economic stagnation, are lifting many Japanese businesses, with many now reporting significantly rosier financial results."
Will "Lanzhou New City" be yet another ghost city? -- RF
## UK ##
'Bankruptcy lite' is up 7pc in a year
"The number of people applying for Debt Relief Orders, a cheaper form of bankruptcy for those with no assets, has risen 7pc since 2011, official figures have shown."
'Bankruptcy lite' is up 7pc in a year
"The number of people applying for Debt Relief Orders, a cheaper form of bankruptcy for those with no assets, has risen 7pc since 2011, official figures have shown."
Special forces face big cuts in support network
"The support network for Britain's special forces is facing major cutbacks with around 600 posts earmarked to be lost in a reorganisation to coincide with the military pull-out from Afghanistan."
"The support network for Britain's special forces is facing major cutbacks with around 600 posts earmarked to be lost in a reorganisation to coincide with the military pull-out from Afghanistan."
Alaska Mulls Oil Industry Tax Break to Boost Production
Farmers Begin Planting Hemp Under New Colorado Hemp Legalization
Farmers Begin Planting Hemp Under New Colorado Hemp Legalization
Number of unemployed veterans up 150,000 in four months
"The number of unemployed veterans rose above 800,000 in January, a spike that raises concerns about the long-term viability of efforts to find jobs for former military personnel."
"The number of unemployed veterans rose above 800,000 in January, a spike that raises concerns about the long-term viability of efforts to find jobs for former military personnel."
Pump, baby, pump! Dow Jones breaks 14,000 points
As U.S. becomes more fuel-efficient fund for roads/bridges nears empty
"The federal gas tax generates about $36 billion per year, but with spending outpacing that by several billion yearly, the Congressional Budget Office projected in January 2012 that the Highway Trust Fund would be running on empty by fiscal 2014."
"The federal gas tax generates about $36 billion per year, but with spending outpacing that by several billion yearly, the Congressional Budget Office projected in January 2012 that the Highway Trust Fund would be running on empty by fiscal 2014."
Jesse Jackson Proposes Creation of a New Lender
"At a three-day conference in New York that began on Wednesday, Mr. Jackson discussed a proposal for increasing the availability of capital by using pension money to make loans in low-income communities."
"At a three-day conference in New York that began on Wednesday, Mr. Jackson discussed a proposal for increasing the availability of capital by using pension money to make loans in low-income communities."
