Thanks, SD, funny how the UK refusing to join the EU suddenly seems like a good thing. If it were being reported by Faux channel, no doubt that would be pointed to as the reason for the EU being in trouble now.

Mornin’, pups

Good Morning All…Rain & fog here…NPR has good review fo Newt’s past. Nothing to make one think any better….

Yeah, what’s going on in Europe is going to have a profound impact on our economy in the not-so-distant future.

I don’t imagine there’s much there to redeem his past behaviour, both personal and political.

In more voter news, the ACLU filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging Wisconsin’s voter ID law.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Wisconsin and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty today filed a federal lawsuit charging that Wisconsin’s voter ID law is unconstitutional and will deprive citizens of their basic right to vote. The lawsuit is the only active federal challenge against a voter ID law, the most common type of legislation that is part of a nationwide attack on the right to vote.

Good morning, pupses, and thank you, SD.

Looking forward to watching the entire Larry Wilkerson interview. Thanks for giving The Real News some wider exposure.

“The International Monetary Fund slashed its growth forecasts for Greece and warned that ever-deepening recession was making it harder for the debt-ridden country to meet the tough deficit reduction targets under its austerity programme.”

And looky here:

Poul Thomsen, the IMF mission chief in Greece was quoted as saying:

I think one of the things we have seen in 2011 is that we have reached the limit of what can be achieved through increasing taxes,” Poul Thomsen, the IMF mission chief in Greece, told reporters in a conference call.

Greece’s austerity program “has relied, in our view, too much on taxes and I think one of the things we have seen in 2011 is that we have reached the limit of what can be achieved through increasing taxes,” Thomsen said. “Any further measures, if needed, should be on the expenditure side.”

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/12/from-bad-to-worse-for-the-imf.html

No taxes, cut cut cut. Sound familiar?

What, nothing about Liz’s jewels?

The IMF is the best friend Grover Norquist ever had.

It’s altogether funny, watching the fundies overlook the Newt’s real life for the prospect of seeing him dump on the Prez.

Good morning all and thanks SD.

Morning Joke is all over Newts ass.

The deer in the fishing boat is a wow. Who knew deer would swim in the ocean.

There’s nothing on CNN’s site, either. I can’t believe it. NPR headlines carried a piece about them.

I wanna know how the hell they got out there.

Mutants.

They’re big at BBC. I have a longtime fascination with the Rio Concho River pearls.

One of the lawyers for the ACLU was on Countdown last night. Pretty good interview but the lawyer (I can’t recall his name at the moment) said the it wasn’t a concerted effort by legislators to enact these laws. Keith called him out on it. I think they need a lawyer with more skepticism.

It always amazes me that no matter how far to the right bibi goes, there are people farther. Scares me, too. The settlers are Bibi’s tea party, he needs their votes.

Wonder what that fellow was using for bait, that he caught a deer. :-)

Boxturtle (And what on earth prompted those deer to swim out that far?!?)

Mornin all. Rainy and cool in St. Louis.

They were probably starving and the repubs took away their food stamps.

Mornin’ everyone. Liz’s jewels? Have I been asleep and missed a big story or something?

Definitely coming back later to watch the Wilkerson video.

Krugman says we are headed for a depression, regardless of what it’s called now.

And we had lots of rain overnight. No snow in the forecast!™ (Which is what I’m calling the two inches that fell last week.)

yeah, but what will the impact be?

I can’t predict. Assume that Greece fails. Direct US bank exposure to that is minimal. But how will that effect our dealings with the big European banks? No more overnight loans? Would they still purchase the complex financial instruments that are a major part of Big Banks Business? What about CDS/CDO?

Too many open questions, not enough information in the public domain.

Boxturtle (I think we’re just going to have to watch and see)

This will be an interesting case to follow. The outcome has far-reaching implications.

“We may be able to create money via spreadsheet but we’re not gonna get fed that way.”

Apt formulation. Going to adopt it as my email sig line. Just hoping “Southern Dragon” has nothing to do with the Ku Kluxing anyone.

It would be nice if Current would put Countdown up like M$NBC puts up Maddow, with all segments available the day after broadcast. Excerpts ain’t cuttin’ it.

Greece can’t even collect it’s taxes. How can he claim that increasing revenue doesn’t work if it hasn’t been tried?

Greece would be better off to tell the Euro to take a flying leap. If the greek citizens were allowed to vote for it, that’s what they’d say.

Boxturtle (which is why they killed that referendum)

Sorry, it’s this fixation with our river in TX, Rio Concho, that produced pearls that made it to the Spanish crown, then to Liz. Got a good price for some.

We’re told expect storms.

G’morning, all. At least the dear deer and the bear were nice to see. The rest is pretty much a repeat of all that is going on. Yesterday Wilkerson was on Daily Briefing on WBAI, right after Amy.

European markets are falling now. The TBTF are getting antsy because they know it is going to hit them HARD! My predictions for what it is worth is that BofA and Citi are going down the drain unless Bernanke gets on his knees again and we the people end up increasing that Monster eat you up Deficit again to save the Bankstas.

Withdrawing our institutions, one by one, from the predatory reaches of for-superprofit-capitalism, creating real use and sustainable exchange value for food clothing shelter AND love, is the only way out.

Judge dismisses legal challenge to Plan B, may review FDA decision

U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman in Brooklyn agreed with the government that the request to hold the FDA in contempt was “moot” because the agency had reviewed a petition by family planning groups to make Plan B available without a prescription and had concluded Monday that there was insufficient evidence to do so.

Science caves in to political pressure, again. Shades of the excommunication of Galileo.

Hopefully no Christie will happen along and start selling off the Golden Mask of Agamemnon etc.

Comment from my conservative neighbor: “he has a lot to ask forgivness for, but he’s still better than Obama”.

Boxturtle (I agree with 50% of what he said)

Yeah, that was my first thought too. Howthehell did four deer get in the ocean? Almost makes me wonder if they were rounded up and dumped there.

I read yesterday that it’s not so much the banks but the firms they’ve formed partnerships with. If enough of the banks’ clients are affected it can’t but affect the banks.

Good Morning Everyone,
Thanks for the stories, SD. I’m going to watch the Larry Wilkerson talk later too. I like him.
But, I really like the rescued deer story too! This is the kind of story that doesn’t usually get a follow up. I’d love to hear some sort of zooligist or someone to get a theory or two.

I thought you could watch whole episodes online but maybe I am mistaken.

When KO was on MSNBC his complete show would run about an hour after the live broadcast was over. I used to watch him that same evening if I was still up after 10 p.m. or so. Rachel’s crew never had (or has) her show up until the next day. I’ve pretty much stopped watching both, except occasionally when I think of it.

Guess I’ll fire up Teh Google and see what I can find. Don’t wanna be uninformed, don’tcha know.

Deer do swim. Perhaps something scared them into the water and forced them to stay out until a current took them. When I lived in Schenectady, there was a deer, a doe as I recall, that lived on an island in the middle of the Mohawk River. A person could stand on the bank and watch it swim from the island to land or the other way.

I live in a heavily deer populated area. Four years ago when we had the largest drought ever it left little in the way of nuts and berries during summer and fall for them to eat.

You would be surprised at what deer will do when they are starving.

Hey Ho, OmAli,
Missed you yesterday here. Did you get your hands all nice and dirty?

Sadly, what the ‘conservatives’ by all right should be called is ‘reactionaries’ – as what they think is all a reaction to what they’re force fed at Faux.

Yeah, I think it will be a bloodbath. I don’t think there will be a bailout unless there’s a couple of banksters scalps as part of the deal. Naturally, Obama will return the scalps later when attention is eleswhere.

Boxturtle (No bailout unless No Bail!)

Excerpts are all I’ve been able to find.

And did your conservative neighbor have any specific reason for that? Like being President while black, for instance? Does your conservative neighbor swallow all of the reichwing propaganda about Obama?

(And I’m no Obama supporter, but NEWT? IOKIYAR, I guess.)

First segment on democarcynow was Russia. Interesting factoid: Russia now has largest number of internet users in Europe, 51 million, recently surpassing Germany.

The native in me is hungering for the scalps! Seriously! Until we manage to get some of the most important scalps and put in real regulation nothing will change.

How many arms do The Vampire Squid and it’s ilk have? And where do they go? A VERY valid question, answers not publically available.

Nobody but an MOTU has the data needed to have a chance to make a decent prediction. And all they’re getting from their models is “Bad, very bad. Sell everything and move into gold”.

Boxturtle (Platinium is also attractive)

Very interesting. Thanks for the info.

Might want to add that that the 51 million probably includes a fair number of advanced military hackers.

Not gold on paper. Get the real goods as in bars and those little ingets they use in Dubai.

MF Global is second segment on dn. Nomi Prins is guest.

I have an RSS feed in my toolbar, and it plays the videos from a menu. We may not be missing much — 6 or 7 clips a day usually, including WPITW. Always one from “Countdown producer Joe Lapointe” — Rachel does that too, and her producer might be a great producer but he’s lame in the videos and I always skip that clip. Why do these people want to give their show producers airtime? (Grumble)

Abortion is his single issue. Anybody who isn’t anti-abortion they will not vote for. And he’s sure that Obama has already raised his taxes and will do so again.

Boxturtle (Honestly, you get more accurate information from advertising than from fox)

Internet usage in Russia is in response to censorship on state TV. Putin doesn’t know a thing about internet.

And what are the gold buyers gonna do when they need something more liquid and the price starts to drop like a stone when people start selling?

Actually, the safest way to do it is to buy old US coins in low grade. That’s the only “bullion” that was not taken by Roosevelt.

They sell for a little above melt.

Boxturtle (Eagles, maples leafs, and krugerrands are considered bullion)

Is Putin the Russian equivalent of Ted Stevens?

tejanarusa, after I made a comment on the Diner yesterday, I immediately had to leave so I never saw your comment until this morning. Thanks for asking; we are down to two indoor kitties and one stray (he seems to be slow in the mornings because it is about 20 deg F.), but is pretty regular coming around 4 PM for supper. The bear video has a link by SD at comment #3 in yesterday’s Diner thread; really cute.

Prins argues that Corzine expected bailouts in Europe didn’t happen when he expected them, and so had to use clients monies to cover his bets. Prins also argues that Corzine was doing his own trades on his Blackberry at the end.

They’ll go bust. But that’s not likely to happen. Gold bullion is VERY liquid right now. Go into your local coin shop and they’ll be buying and selling around spot.

Gold, silver and Platinium will be the last to crash. If they crash.

Boxturtle (All have significant industrial uses)

How many arms do The Vampire Squid and it’s ilk have?

Funny short article by Taibbi yesterday you might want to read:

Occupy Wall Street: The ‘Squidding’ of Goldman, Sachs

Funny update at the bottom: a vid from the Taiwanese animators at Big Apple TV.

That’s really hilarious, in light of serial infidelity.

I also found a few clips about Bart, the grizzly used in the movies. Doug Seus got him as a really young cub and trained him. Wonderful clips but the legacy clip will make ya cry.

Hej, demi, just popping in and out this morning. Yes, dirty hands and pretty grimy all over. Lots going on, repotting, wreath making for fund raiser, general greenhouse cleaning. Brought home some leftover rosemary that I’ll root and repot. Hope your day was a good one, also?

The dealers are sure after gold around here. Even have a kiosk in the mall that has a big sign “best prices paid for gold” on it. And at least one shop has hired someone in a costume with a sign to stand on the street corner and bounce and wave the sign. I’d be annoyed, but it’s a job of sorts for someone.

He must have keyed in the wrong entry on his Blackberry. Oops! Bye-bye $1.2 billion.

I don’t want to give that kind of advice for hedging your future. If you are going to buy gold, just don’t buy the paper but the real stuff.

If I were to advise you on protecting yourself and your future here are a few things to think about:

LAND, lots of land with timber, water and mineral rights intact.
Heirloom seeds
Tools and tractors
Building supplies
water purification systems
Air filtration
Animal Dung

Okay, don’t throw wet noodles or dry sponges at me. I’m being Cerealy Serious!

Prins: 700 arrest in Occupy movement country wide, 0 on Wall St.

Somehow I thought Newtie had pro-choice skeletons in his closet back when. Of course he’s a Catholic now (until another politically attractive affiliation comes along).

making it harder for the debt-ridden country to meet the tough deficit reduction targets under its austerity programme.”

Austerity this, Kleptocrats.

Morning SD & Pups of Fire.

Interesting (if a bit dry) piece with Ron Suskind. The takeaway is that Timmeh Geithner is the Mother of All Snakes in this crew. He should have been fired years ago.

Is Prins on DN this morning?

Yes, a good one. For some reason I’m being fairly productive these days. *g*

Ooooooo! I knew it! Otherwise they would not be feeding us the Euro fear here in the US.

Newter is pro-whatever it takes to get him elected.

He’s fooled around a lot, but he hasn’t had an abortion.

She used a lot of King David parallels. The preachers have found a loophole the can fit Newt through.

Boxturtle (I still think newt is gonna flame out)

Heirloom seeds would be first on my list.

Yep.

His current wife might want to invest in 24/7 security and a taster since he signed the no cheat pledge.

A little light reading on Newter’s Wifebot.

I saw Suskind on book TV last weekend. He didn’t pass my smell test. His Geithner case seems ridiculous-made to give everyone else in O’s economics team a pass, including O himself. I just don’t believe Geithner has the power Suskind attributes to him, while acknowledging he’s the last O econ adviser left standing.

Think there’s a much larger, hidden story, but don’t know what it is.

Yep! Mine too. Gotta eat you know. After that it would be the air filters and water purification.

Yes, 2nd segment, as I mentioned in 61.

Unspoken in that segment, but implied, is that Corzine’s ex-collegues were covering for him during the hearing. Imagine that.

3d segment on dn is indefinite detention.

made to give everyone else in O’s economics team a pass, including O himself.

Interesting observation. It is also interesting that Timmeh is still standing. It is plausible that there could be another story stuffed way down in the basement…

listening to her husband, Newt, quote Abraham Lincoln and Albert Camus

That’s a strange combo. Wonder if he talked about Camus’ essay about witnessing an execution by guillotine.

Now that’s even more funny, try a few King David parallels on their dictator-socialist-dark-colored line of thought.

I’ll go for the land and animal dung.

All these things go together, you know.

whowouldathunkit?

Sheesh! Of course they are. Their tails are on the line too. Er, that is if anyone on the Congressional committe has a set or a brain.

No guaranty, but my instincts on these kinds of issues are pretty good. Suskind’s pompous demeanor did not help his credibility.

I recall Timmeh readying himself to leave but Barak Mussolini told the world no that would not happen. Also, if you remember he himself is in control of the oversight, little that it is on the Dodd-Frank regulation program.

Since geithner is wall street’s boy and 0 is wall street’s also, I think that tim is there to guide 0 along the way and wall st wants him there to keep an eye on 0, and told them both in no uncertain terms.

Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks Suspect, Seen As Patriot And Traitor

The petitioners in the ACLU suit: WI citizens.

Morning Pups,

You betch’um, Red Ryder

Absolutely!

No matter what the jerks in DC do, we gotta take care of ourselves. Also, the land issue is what serious investors are going for. Unless we have the climate change volcanic explosions, we don’t have any more land. It’s not easy to make. :-D

The preachers have found a loophole the can fit Newt through.

Now there’s a metaphor. Must be a b-i-i-ig loophole.

Great link. Thanks.

IMO, it can all be explained by O’s fear of losing money (campaign contributions) from FIRE. O has been thinking about his re-election from day one. Even his backstabbing on the public option can be explained by money.

There’s a simple story behind ALL of it: Preserving his huge take from FIRE in 2012. YMMV.

Occam’s Razor.

Robin Givhan used to write for the Detroit Free Press many moons ago. Lightweight. But then the article isn’t heavy stuff.

Callista has the same glassy eyes as Bachmann. Like a Stepford Wife or something.

I think that’s the crux. To hear Suskind tell the story, everyone else on O’s team wanted a variation on the theme of saving Wall St., but Geithner held out for the ‘purest’ bailout. In Q&A, Suskind was asked why O keeps Tiny Tim around. The A was wandering, but boiled down to something like O really likes him, or gets along with him, or trusts him, or something fuzzy like that. Where what you type, Wall St. looting the economy, is the real agenda.

The chat logs, which the military says are authentic, were first published by Wired.com, which got them from Lamo

From the HuffPo link and I have to say that if Lamo is not present at this pre-trial hearing and questioned then it will be deemed a farce by me. There are way too many unanswered questions and links between the two and how Lamo got the FBI involved.

His treatment of Warren and the failure of HAMP can also be explained by his lust for (campaign) money from TBTF banks, insurance companies, and large corporations.

Geithner’s just the messenger.

The job of every GOP wife is simply to gaze attentively and adoringly at her husband while he makes speeches.

Boxturtle (I see Callista and my first thought is Tammy Fay)

Rereading Street’s first book about O & his fin backers. Details one didn’t pick up or remember the first time, something about a Canadian revealing in emails that were made public (or something like that) that O’s rhetoric on some issue should not be taken seriously, he really didn’t mean it. Story of his whole prez run. Lots of winks, nods, backstage communications to supporters that O doesn’t mean what he says. GS was his largest donor in 2008.

Also didn’t retain from first read that O’s support of coal ind comes from his senate run & supporting southern IL coal. Then it turned out that the beneficiary of whatever the legislation was would benefit western U.S. coal, so O changed his vote.

The exact reasons why we should never believe anything the man says. If seeing with your own lying eyes didn’t make that clear enough.

Golden Mask of Agamemnon

It can make a great gift for Christmas.

Speaking of which, the worldly possessions of the ex-President of Guess Jeans were seized recently in Montreal on behalf of his creditors, whom he stiffed from several hundred million dollars in California. What he has up here is something like $150 million in luxury condos in the city a handful of Warhols, Pollacks, and God knows what else for his private viewing. The usual automobile collection. The courts are giving his loot back on the ground that California can’t claim them. He might be interested in an Agamemnon mask.

The photos I’ve seen make her seem almost robotic, not adoring. Like a wind-up doll. But maybe what I’ve seen is many publications of the same photo.

And helmet hair, like all of the spokesmodels on the local news.

BoxTurtle,

American Made:

http://www.filtrationgroup.com/

O seems to be the most obvious of all prez in selling his vote to the highest bidder. Some have been able to hide it more cleverly, like Clinton.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

US KIA Afghanistan: 1,855

US KIA Irak: 4,484

Afghan, Iraki and Pakistani casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M

US MBS 2011: 43,028 and counting

The Way It Goes

No war but class war

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things

Namaste

Never. Give. Up.

Yep.

thanks again for sharing the Corzine info. I was thinking that in the back of my mind. You confirmed it for me.

Corzine up at another hearing today.

No need for me to watch now. It is all clear in my mind thanks to you and DN!

IMF chief to seek support from Latin America’s largest economies to contain Europe’s debt crisis.

http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/business/2011/12/12/2186.html

Transferring the elite’s losses to the European hoi polloi isn’t enough to save the sinking ship. Brazil’s and Mexico’s commoners now must also ensure the elite remain.

People all across the globe will be seeking the scalps of TBTF and their partners in crime.

This is pretty interesting.

The elite are going to steal the resources of the 99% no matter what. I think that is one reason that the ‘law enforcement’ rank and file are not on the side of the OWS people. The ‘law’ people realize that they will be needed to keep the demonstrators down for the elite, and they will be well rewarded for the job. With the ‘disappear’ legislation on the books, we have become a third world nation and are still in a downward spiral. The only difference between us and Syria is that very few, relatively speaking, have been killed here. We have all of the rest in place. The voting in 2012, and after, may not be of any value except as a facade.

Don’t agree about the only difference between us and Syria. The real difference is the ability of PTB to put down insurection. Much more advanced weapons, hardware and intellegence operations here.

But don’t you think those things are being used, or planned, against the 99% if we get too far out of line, and posse comitatus be damned?

True about the advanced stuff, but I was speaking of the overall ideology and goals. It may be that the advanced stuff has held down the fatalities so far, but I think that it will get worse as food prices go up and availability goes down, and money gets tighter and tighter with banks going under and saving get tied up.

corzine is former ceo gold sacks; he’ll be ok in the future — just taking a hit for the team by being a distraction from what the other gold sacks hand is doing ….

by the way, you all realize that gold sacks computers run the dow? gold sacks put $80 billion on Greece books to get them in EU. plug gold sacks into any political economic situation and mystery solved. see above comment re gold sacks was o’s biggest buyer

There is no doubt in my mind. I can actually see a time in the not too distant future that our rank and file military has decide, on an individual and group level, fire on protesting American citizens or not.

Sorry for missing your point. Bottom line for me; I’m deeply concerned about our future.

Over 700 Occupy arrested so far and 0 Wall Streeters. It may be slow in building but disatisfaction and hopelessness are in fact building. History does a good job of showing what desperate populations do.

Would be nice if this case would break right up to Wanker himself right now. Chris Liebenthal’s is THE blog and THE person in the know with the ever widening web of leads in this case that to my understanding is an investigation into possible illegal campaigning activities when Wanker was Milwaukee County chief executive.

Posse comitatus was dead letter law from the day it was passed.

Good morning, Pups. The slow-motion unraveling of the civilized world continues apace. Nice to be with good company, though. Just a cup of coffee with a squirt of hemlock for me, please.

I have long thought Walker a punk and an asshole. Would love to see a felony conviction.

If you get Current TV watch the new Vanguard special on the 99%. I watched it last night pretty amazing video inside Zuccotti park. My 2 cents.

WHY can’t Greece collect its taxes? This is in fact a common problem in many countries, especially poor countries. (A problem in rich ones, too, but there it’s largely the rich who evade them.)

People fling around this notion of the scofflaw Greeks and their taxes without much thought. But it has plenty to do with the ease with which the rich can avoid taxes or hide taxable income and the critical fact that the poor and middle class DO NOT BUY INTO THE NATIONAL PROJECT, or the bogus “representative” democracy that they are saddled with, in which in fact they are largely powerless. Start creating direct democracy and people will see why and how they should buy into the idea of taxes, an institution that is historically tied up with development of a certain kind of control of the populace, especially subsistence farmers (many tax systems have been designed to force them into capitalism).

Will try to get to it later. (working)

Thanks

Sorry no prob. Have a great day.

ons..I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I think he is an asshole and a punk and I would l ove to see multiple felony convictions. It’s Christmas…..maybe Santa will help.

Without a doubt. Anyone who doesn’t think so is in denial, IMO.

Interesting….. THAT guy looks guilty of something for sure. And I’m not saying that just because of the orange jumpsuit.

Uplifting – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8C-qIgbP9o&feature=share
Worth the time to watch.

I did refer to it as “light reading.” And Callista is definitely a Stepford Wifebot.

Speaking of Stepford Wives, where is Martha Mitchell when we need her?

Excellent!! Thanks.

That was fantastic. I am going to bookmark that one and will send it along to friends.

Whoa, better get busy on the mugs and tea cups, lots of tea cups today. Let’s see: They are all pretty boring today :)

It’s getting to be that time of year, so here is Walking in the Air from The Snowman.

Leave my mug, I haven’t finished my hemlock yet. How ya doin’, Omgirl?

I’m good, thanks :)

How are you? And how is that sweet puppy Riley?

Put that down! You are going to have the Health Dept. on us if I have to bury you out back.

Nah, we’ll cook ‘im up and serve ‘im to the Health Dept people.

Thank you for that smile.

lol

You won’t ever have to bury me out back, darlin’. Just throw me into the large stew pot. What went around will come around.

The esteemed proprietor, way ahead of me once again lol.

Don’t know whether to hug the two of you, or bang your pointy little heads together.

Gotta go have this hair shaped up. If I don’t get back this evening, someone turn out the lights.

love you guys,

ohmmm

I vote for the hug. If only cuz I hear SD has a very hard head. No comment on the pointy part. ;-) Back at you with the love, big-time.