Hello from Alaska!

I'm at my sister's house in Alaska and loving it! She lives 30 miles outside of Fairbanks, near Moose Creek. Very aptly named because there are moose everywhere here! I've seen four moose in two days. Sorry, I'd post pictures but I can't figure out how to do it on this stupid Apple computer. <br /><br />I love the summers here, except for the mosquitoes, which just about ate us alive yesterday. This is a very bad year for mosquitoes. They were so bad last night that I almost freaked out about it...and I'm from here!<br /><br />It was like we were being swarmed by mosquitoes, it was something out of a horror movie. Hundreds of them landing on any spot of bare skin they could find for a feeding frenzy. It was really awful. Then immediately afterward there was a huge rainstorm, so I'm wondering if that had something to do with it. I've never seen mosquitoes swarm like that and considering I grew up on a homestead up here, that's pretty amazing.<br /><br />Anyway, I love visiting with family. Today everyone is coming over, including all my nieces and their husbands, my brother and his wife, the grandkids and great-grandkids.<br /><br />Tomorrow my niece from New Jersey and her family will be arriving (on a 1:37am flight--yuk). I'm really excited about seeing them. We haven't seen them in over 20 years. We've been talking non-stop on the phone for two weeks, after reconnecting. They're super nice and really fun people.<br /><br />My brother has a big camping trip planned for some of us (my sister refuses to go--she's more of a RV kind of camper). We'll be going to a place called Ken's Pond, by Donnelly Dome (about 100 miles south of Fairbanks). Here's a video he took of it last year. It's remote with only one public use cabin that he's reserved for us, right on a lake. We have to use the 4-wheelers to get back to it. Hopefully, I'll have my own pictures of it when I get back.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J2W1xLvykhU?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><br /><br />Diet is going okay, but it could be better (I had three cookies last night). Exercise is non-existent since we sit around and visit all day, but I plan on walking down to the Tanana River today, about two miles down the road, if I can talk someone in to it. I might even go by myself. <br /><br />Anyway, I'm happy to be here. It's so relaxing, and I don't miss work at all. I finally feel myself letting go of the stresses of my job and that's a really good feeling.<br /><br />Happy 4th of July weekend!

Hello from Alaska!

I'm at my sister's house in Alaska and loving it! She lives 30 miles outside of Fairbanks, near Moose Creek. Very aptly named because there are moose everywhere here! I've seen four moose in two days. Sorry, I'd post pictures but I can't figure out h…

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Money makes the World go round …… and Politics

<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">US COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Paris Club, USA Agriculture Companies, and International Financial Speculators “grab” onto ARGENTINA</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Foreign interests on Argentina are increasing for its natural resources and farmland.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">New York’s highest court insists that ARGENTINA has to keep on paying interest rates on some bonds <u>even after they mature or investors demand their principal back earlier.</u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">US court ruling on ARGENTINE bond default and 101% annual interest rate payment allegedly influenced by THE PARIS CLUB and the IMF.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite being band from International Financial Markets ARGENTINES economy is growing tremendously.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The majority of large Agriculture Companies in ARGENTINA are from the USA and own vast pieces of fertile farmland, boosting their profits.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In view of the agriculture commodity boom, WALL STREET Speculators and brokers as well as US Rating Agencies try to manipulate politics and lobbyists in order to gain influence in ARGENTINE and LATIN AMERINCAN economy. </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Being banned from International “Casino Financial Markets” does not necessarily have to mean it is bad for the country. </span></li></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">AFTER DEFAULTING IN 2002, ARGENTINA</span></b> has turned its back on the IMF by paying off its debt with the fond in order to be able to free itself from restrictive terms, the IMF tired to impose on the country, in order to gain political as well as economic influence in the region.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">USA COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT – RULING INFLUENCED BY LOBBIES OF US AGRICULTURE COMPANIES, THE PARIS CLUB and IMF?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>The PARIS CLUB originally formed in 1956 because of the PERONIST UNREST in ARGENTINA also stepped in during ARGENTINA’S 2002 default, and since then is negotiation ARGENTINA’S bond default.<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Is it a coincident that suddenly the New York’s highest court, despite progress in negotiations between the PARIS CLUB and ARGENTINA, insists that ARGENTINA has to keep on paying interest rates on some bonds even after they mature or investors demand their principal back earlier? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The USA court ruling also indicated that interest rates as high as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">101% a year</b> on defaulted ARGENTINA dept were not unreasonable given the countries need for capital and default history. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTp0EUgVR9kuY70Mb4yRg81QJS4OV7y5xZFW8L59UdY_7cBv87xy-HE57Snh-Oa9nrXAFvpSuI3bKXg6GlBo7CsR8blZddCMWHqxd24DgZAzxzvitgGXJDlvDds27JxOZd4-KbZKzL-Vl/s1600/parisclub2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTp0EUgVR9kuY70Mb4yRg81QJS4OV7y5xZFW8L59UdY_7cBv87xy-HE57Snh-Oa9nrXAFvpSuI3bKXg6GlBo7CsR8blZddCMWHqxd24DgZAzxzvitgGXJDlvDds27JxOZd4-KbZKzL-Vl/s320/parisclub2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Could it be that this US court ruling is the response to a recent remark made by the ARGENTINE minister of economy, Amado BOUDOUs, emphasizing that ARGENTINA will not accept any deal with the PARIS CLUB which would harm its interest?  </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38hbQVFJwn8jiswU8Gq4FhGhp5hrGQM0dID4K6Koh3VunNDuGzJcU_VsAxQDF7k0zsUj0QlFoO69FKOVIpqJKLXLKstd5dOex93jj8H4vhf79n8H70_0zSMFx5Ya6R9DWUbp6QO1FCov0/s1600/222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Given the fact that the majority of foreign agriculture companies based in ARGENTINA are from the USA, with prominent names such as CARGILL, GENERAL MILLS, ADECOAGRO (George SOROS) to name but a few, which own vast amount of fertile farmland and who profit immensely from the current commodity boom, it becomes imminent that WALL STREET speculators, brokers and US RATING AGENCIES, closely related to THE PARIS CLUB and the IMF  try to protect and enlarge their interest in ARGENTINA by lobbing for a common cause.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">See <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/argentina-backs-bill-to-limit-foreign-land-owners-2011-04-27">http://www.marketwatch.com/story/argentina-backs-bill-to-limit-foreign-land-owners-2011-04-27</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Thus the comment, made by a Federal court in the USA comes as no surprise and one can assume that the PARIS CLUB and the IMF collaborate on this issue, thus threatening ARGENTINA with legal challenges if it tries to return to the international capital markets and refuse to “dance to their music”. The question is, is it really necessary for ARGENTINA to return to the International “CASINO Finance” markets? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">THINKING ”IN THE BOX” versus THINKING “OUT OF THE BOX”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Following traditional economic doctrine or in other words thinking “IN THE BOX”, economists and so-called financial experts will claim that there is no way a country will survive economically, if secluded from the international capital markets. Thinking however “OUTSIDE THE BOX”, in other words neglecting the doctrines laid upon us by the “WALL STREET establishment” one might come to the conclusion, that there is life and prosperity outside financial market doctrines. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">ARGENTINA’S economy, which is band from international financial markets, is currently growing at 7.5 %. (See <a href="http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/gdp_real_growth_rate.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.indexmundi.com/argentina/gdp_real_growth_rate.html</span></a>) Critics might argue that this is solely because of the agricultural commodity boom. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">ARGENTINA will continue to grow economically because of its vast amount of farmland and water and natural resources which are necessary to feed an increasing global population. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u><b>THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX </b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Your task: Link all 9 dots using four straight lines or less, without lifting the pen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyBEen_S5QHtQnvX54eR22pwpQiJtU4Ol7pwC8eIyRpkicWjkE7qGljcTCAquoW9n4Q5CpQ1uVynUOJrxKNVCRTCDYXGM1PSQPq3RN-fyd3Iq0aIGKKgH-ETIZLYDzqUM-DcxfTVKGwzw/s1600/Ninedots-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyBEen_S5QHtQnvX54eR22pwpQiJtU4Ol7pwC8eIyRpkicWjkE7qGljcTCAquoW9n4Q5CpQ1uVynUOJrxKNVCRTCDYXGM1PSQPq3RN-fyd3Iq0aIGKKgH-ETIZLYDzqUM-DcxfTVKGwzw/s200/Ninedots-1.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pEji-aZDqDL-U0E0i0O5JcU9mCFlWdXsh8TkF5_9CUQLjqwWpWREI2Ct1xNdykOMc9GejVt4dtX-bAixlg2MAyAVJXMk1RGzywJK_Pg1VQUIah3HurG1rXTYGawen8_X_mV3Ls2_9PGF/s1600/270px-Ninedots.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pEji-aZDqDL-U0E0i0O5JcU9mCFlWdXsh8TkF5_9CUQLjqwWpWREI2Ct1xNdykOMc9GejVt4dtX-bAixlg2MAyAVJXMk1RGzywJK_Pg1VQUIah3HurG1rXTYGawen8_X_mV3Ls2_9PGF/s200/270px-Ninedots.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

Money makes the World go round …… and Politics

US COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULTThe Paris Club, USA Agriculture Companies, and International Financial Speculators “grab” onto ARGENTINAForeign interests on Argentina are increasing for its natural resources and farmland.New York’s hi…

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The HilJoe Competition - Revitalized!

If you've been following along with my weight loss journey, you know that a few weeks ago Joel and I started a <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/little-competition-never-hurt-anybody.html">weight loss competition between us</a>.  And while our intentions were good, at the end of the day, our living arrangement at the time was preventing Joel from really committing to it.  And it wasn't just him, I tried hard during those 8 months of living with his mom to lose weight as well, and it simply wasn't happening, despite my awesome attendance at the gym 4-5 days/week.  There's a whole slew of excuses that I will save you from.<br /><br />So, now that we're out on our own again, and he has been able to join a gym now, the competition is back on track!  Below are our stats.  We weighed in on Friday, July 1 and this is what we're working with:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.beautyandwell-being.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/weight-scale-400x400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.beautyandwell-being.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/weight-scale-400x400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Joel (6'): 240.3</b><br /><b> Hilary (5'8"): 261.2</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">You'll notice that I gained 4 pounds since last week.  One explanation for this is definitely due to TOM.  Sure, it's not the reason for all 4 pounds gained, but I did hop back on the scale Saturday morning to find that I was 259.8.  I've been feeling super bloated over the last 2 days due to TOM and I'm not too concerned about the gain.  Yeah, I'm not pleased with it, but I literally just got myself back on track after the move.  I'm not worried - I know that the weight will start coming back off soon enough!<b> </b></div></div>

Gain HJ Competition The HilJoe Competition - Revitalized!

If you've been following along with my weight loss journey, you know that a few weeks ago Joel and I started a weight loss competition between us.  And while our intentions were good, at the end of the day, our living arrangement at the time was prev…

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