2012 arrives...

<center><br /><a href="http://www.goodlightscraps.com/new-year-glitters.php" title="Animated New Year Glitter Graphics"><br /><img alt="New year glitter comments, animated newyear gif scraps, happy new year wishes" border="0" height="320" src="http://www.goodlightscraps.com/content/new-year-glitters/new-year-glitter-1.gif" width="320" /></a></center><center><br /><a href="http://www.goodlightscraps.com/"></a></center><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">...and <i>A Month of VERTIGO </i>is about to begin...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></span></div>

The Lady Eve (author) 2012 arrives...

...and A Month of VERTIGO is about to begin...

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year blogger friends :).<br /><br />I wanted to swing by real quick this morning to wish you and your family the very best for 2012!<br /><br />As I look back on this blog in 2011, I am pleased with the progress I've made in my weight loss journey, and I know I owe a chunk of that progress to those of you who read and comment.  <i>You </i>keep me going.  <i>You </i>keep me accountable.  <i>You </i>make me want to come back here to own up to my setbacks, or celebrate with you in my successes.  Thank you for taking time out of your day to read and/or comment and share your encouraging words.  It is <b>always </b>appreciated.<br /><br />I will leave you with some of my favorite posts of 2011:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/11/it-all-started-with-new-tradition.html">It All Started With a New Tradition</a>.  The engagement story :).<br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/drawing-inspiration-from-places-other.html">Drawing Inspiration From Places Other Than the Scale.</a>  The story behind what really got my butt kicked into gear to lose this weight once and for all.  <br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/setting-goals-for-2011.html">Setting Goals for 2011.</a>  The start of my plethora of 5Ks in the spring and early summer.  So proud of myself for that.<br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/05/march-of-dimes-march-for-babies-5k.html">March of Dimes March for Babies 5K</a>.  A first hand look at how the money raised for organizations like this can really make a difference.<br /></li><li><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-do-you-want-to-lose-weight.html">Why Do You Want to Lose Weight?</a> An outline of my reasons.  I plan to do a follow up post on this to reflect on what goals, if any, I achieved on this list in 2011.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8YRHfjBRkCIoAtZnrSTBG2l74971guy2VF_bKSnECGpfpY6WPBuerjXDu7e1lg7xm5WYMToRC4iR7aPJ_xpOh2FEULqwHp7wNioXMLSZz1yffwSdNsoR6Mi4RF9__nawPPjYTklJ-eY/s1600/christmas+flower+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8YRHfjBRkCIoAtZnrSTBG2l74971guy2VF_bKSnECGpfpY6WPBuerjXDu7e1lg7xm5WYMToRC4iR7aPJ_xpOh2FEULqwHp7wNioXMLSZz1yffwSdNsoR6Mi4RF9__nawPPjYTklJ-eY/s400/christmas+flower+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Cheers to the best year yet to come for both you and me! Wishing you and yours a blessed 2012!<br /><br /><br />

Holidays New Years Eve Happy New Year!

Happy New Year blogger friends :). I wanted to swing by real quick this morning to wish you and your family the very best for 2012! As I loo...

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It's going to be a long and busy day

Just had breakfast of an egg, thin slice of Canadian bacon and English muffin. It as a frozen store brand, Fred Myers here, but probably Kroegers in the rest of the world. It was a "Lite" version at 220 calories. Not sure of Points since not in Weight Watcher scan app, and I'm too rushed (or lazy) to put in the PointsPlus app. Love these app. Sort of tasty, fast breakfast.<br /><br />Great visit with my sister last night. She couldn't stop crying when she saw me. I told her I sure hoped they were tears of happiness and not sadness. She laughed.<br /><br />Husband is here and we're heading out to see my sister this morning, then appointments and then the house (the dreaded house and mass of paperwork).<br /><br />No internet until I get home on Sunday morning.<br /><br />Happy New Year!

It's going to be a long and busy day

Just had breakfast of an egg, thin slice of Canadian bacon and English muffin. It as a frozen store brand, Fred Myers here, but probably Kro...

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Weigh In + Weekly Goals + More Christmas Celebrations

Well the verdict is in.... I am up 0.5 lbs and I'm okay with that.  After the serious eating challenges I've had almost the entire month of December, I'm not fretting about 0.5 lbs.  I know that things will start to move in the right direction this week!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR2fz6ykPOlqqtwQS8_iJgypy3me7h40U-Z9dMOyf1FUR88WXLFQ0VN3q5CU93JWxXqvJyOmIitVRDFryAGVY34YmrK4x2TmqUiVfEv76UBvZ-dI59lLrBFPzveVnU8vob32OevtIYLE/s1600/christmas+gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR2fz6ykPOlqqtwQS8_iJgypy3me7h40U-Z9dMOyf1FUR88WXLFQ0VN3q5CU93JWxXqvJyOmIitVRDFryAGVY34YmrK4x2TmqUiVfEv76UBvZ-dI59lLrBFPzveVnU8vob32OevtIYLE/s400/christmas+gifts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sad that Christmas is over though</td></tr></tbody></table>As I stated <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/12/merry-christmas-week-recap.html">the other day</a>, this Christmas was awesome.  They seem to get better and better each year!  Despite my <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-day-at-time.html">battles</a> with the baking, I am still glad I did it because the recipients seemed so grateful.  Plus, there is something about putting in some hard work and seeing the smiles it brings to people's faces that make it all worth it :).  <br /><br />Together, Joel and I made this red velvet cake that we took to his grandparents on Christmas day.  It was quite a hit!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTznu2aWyrAWhKEiZMLsIcCc80Fa1K2TJXwo453qxnfTjoK-NQuA-nS7aPJ0roH6CsDQ1AZvdqt2Q-OSDz9Y80pKjgszKRiZlNE7rYLIaMCOP31kSMn3WLycNXPieTTSbK82B6hDc1ShY/s1600/red+velvet+cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTznu2aWyrAWhKEiZMLsIcCc80Fa1K2TJXwo453qxnfTjoK-NQuA-nS7aPJ0roH6CsDQ1AZvdqt2Q-OSDz9Y80pKjgszKRiZlNE7rYLIaMCOP31kSMn3WLycNXPieTTSbK82B6hDc1ShY/s400/red+velvet+cake+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I did the baking and the white icing, Joel hand drew & iced the reindeer and Noel.<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3COfPJwlTX8EOZT5FXjJIXDmeKI7znMxnxQSo1VS1NUxc-_JEkSPJX0IiSyYEa_BJU2KMYyveTTdMdsWSy9SJS0_d5Y74cADWoPJUkIOlSvdc6CUMOhZ8CAqU_ekHiyjMisnyhVOlULw/s1600/bhg+red+velvet+cake+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3COfPJwlTX8EOZT5FXjJIXDmeKI7znMxnxQSo1VS1NUxc-_JEkSPJX0IiSyYEa_BJU2KMYyveTTdMdsWSy9SJS0_d5Y74cADWoPJUkIOlSvdc6CUMOhZ8CAqU_ekHiyjMisnyhVOlULw/s400/bhg+red+velvet+cake+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The only thing I would do differently in regard to this cake was bake it for less time.  It was a little on the dry side, but overall, not bad for my first try at red velvet.<br /><br />Another rewarding part of Christmas is giving to my niece and nephew.  It's so cool watching them open their gifts and seeing their reactions.<br /> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_-S2AIUqj7O2a201lHUid2I5Np4nuLh-9bOVE5VKP3XBS_qTUUa2AoNqsgxxcAS-8Yk4vQBjsxCD3AhdjMvH6utxrE2afwIsDqg7boXChxo-BcJOhyphenhyphenp8CwrGmO4BfXnQlaedCB4gIbk/s1600/rexon+bumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_-S2AIUqj7O2a201lHUid2I5Np4nuLh-9bOVE5VKP3XBS_qTUUa2AoNqsgxxcAS-8Yk4vQBjsxCD3AhdjMvH6utxrE2afwIsDqg7boXChxo-BcJOhyphenhyphenp8CwrGmO4BfXnQlaedCB4gIbk/s400/rexon+bumbo.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rexon in his new Bumbo with a book, of course :)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYFdtSf0HMUTrgCo9T_PPoDiAX-GaoGO3cQwUpStsNCWJcBRvvwSqmaAOWo8AZeL4WmkxcDW5BXRfmv5UYmRzsYHX9mfKUws_ZmDKqmmvzsSjJRB5G_ON4IKQcAa2r-1U07qcCy2K19g/s1600/christmas+2011+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYFdtSf0HMUTrgCo9T_PPoDiAX-GaoGO3cQwUpStsNCWJcBRvvwSqmaAOWo8AZeL4WmkxcDW5BXRfmv5UYmRzsYHX9mfKUws_ZmDKqmmvzsSjJRB5G_ON4IKQcAa2r-1U07qcCy2K19g/s400/christmas+2011+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, hey Merlin!</td></tr></tbody></table>Oh yeah, and then there was Dad and one of his new toys - the self-proclaimed Gift of the Year...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfeagDyI1-CFCM9rNaAKYWdpIdcj26x1Z67_F1zVZPIUAPVhiqrKCY9vVYaqBAqOIgVGuqbl9y6vyICyhTwtdxb7wHFtq3foSf-eyGmGvUxd5Uf8WLb4VAQc3TdOnKSLInW49LURkVok/s1600/dad+wii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfeagDyI1-CFCM9rNaAKYWdpIdcj26x1Z67_F1zVZPIUAPVhiqrKCY9vVYaqBAqOIgVGuqbl9y6vyICyhTwtdxb7wHFtq3foSf-eyGmGvUxd5Uf8WLb4VAQc3TdOnKSLInW49LURkVok/s400/dad+wii.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Also, another decision that was made final this week was our wedding date:  <b>October 6, 2012</b>!  We made our deposit on Wednesday when I took my parents to see the wedding venue.  I'm so glad and relieved that the venue has been decided upon and we can begin to proceed with photographer and dj selections.<br /><br />On to the weekly goals! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPHHXZcGayhBxS9vC7YcoFq6_ZHzGYSWuOo-BlOdbMWpof09vHPM20Oa2UQfXqzy0bmBTUxveiaJW5X_APpzAfF_nB2GxclJGudMWazU-Mg7SUXmA6CUvvFRcVYsiloZLUl2ZEVaEQ0A/s1600/weight-watchers-diet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPHHXZcGayhBxS9vC7YcoFq6_ZHzGYSWuOo-BlOdbMWpof09vHPM20Oa2UQfXqzy0bmBTUxveiaJW5X_APpzAfF_nB2GxclJGudMWazU-Mg7SUXmA6CUvvFRcVYsiloZLUl2ZEVaEQ0A/s1600/weight-watchers-diet.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Goals for the week:</span></b><br />Stay within daily Points+ allowance (39) for 5 of the 7 days. If I have to delve in to the Weekly Points+ allowance, I want to use no more than 34 of them, leaving a balance of 15. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b style="color: blue;">Potential Challenges + Solutions:</b></div><ol><li><b>New Year's Eve:</b> I think I will be safe on the menu part since I am preparing the food, but the alcohol consumption will be a challenge.  </li><li><b>Going over daily Points+ allowance:</b>  Back to this again.  As I've stated before, I struggle with this every week.  I have a 4 day weekend coming up ahead of me and with that time I plan to construct a menu for the upcoming week to keep me well on track.     </li></ol><b style="color: blue;">Planned Activity: </b><br />I'm sticking to 2 days of activity this upcoming week again.  If I do more, then that's a bonus.  The activity of choice will most likely be the elliptical.<br /><br />Speaking of activity options, Joel and I had started the <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/08/august-goals.html">New Rules of Lifting challenge</a> back in August.  I really enjoyed this because it shook up the dull cardio routine that I had been doing for almost 8 months straight.  We slacked off on the challenge big time in October and November, only completing Stage 1.  Last week, while on lunch at work, I read through Stage 2 and once again I'm intimidated.  Many of the moves seem like they will be difficult to learn, and I'm not too excited about re-acclimating myself to the meat-head side of the gym. It will be even worse this time of year, with all the New Year's resolution people.  Dang it.  We desperately need to get our butts back in gear with the weight lifting - it was really helpful and it broke up the same, dull routine of cardio.  I just can't find the motivation to do it.<br /><br /><b>What are your plans for New Year's Eve? </b> Almost every year since I've lived in the DC area, my parents come between Christmas and NYE and we end up doing nothing.  So lame we are. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIOIH16mT__FflnxQcAsABWxOdraNmbzauLUwvyw2vLyFa5UENCGHGn_Wn1L3xymqzJpOZj5zM6bNYDB8mRiXMhx8EicqifK3E6HHThk2-5g_NoBSKz3kimNqHhK381zCDcO_LejLMWI/s1600/NYE+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIOIH16mT__FflnxQcAsABWxOdraNmbzauLUwvyw2vLyFa5UENCGHGn_Wn1L3xymqzJpOZj5zM6bNYDB8mRiXMhx8EicqifK3E6HHThk2-5g_NoBSKz3kimNqHhK381zCDcO_LejLMWI/s400/NYE+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NYE two years ago... LAME</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This year, Joel doesn't have to work for once, and so we want to at least go out to a bar for a few drinks and then come back here to hang out.<br /><br />Happy New Year to you and your family!

Christmas Weekly Weight Watchers Goals Weigh In + Weekly Goals + More Christmas Celebrations

Well the verdict is in.... I am up 0.5 lbs and I'm okay with that.  After the serious eating challenges I've had almost the entire m...

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IMF Seeks Collective World Bailout

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now IMF Seeks Collective, World Bail-Out of Europe</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">via The Daily Bell</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">December, 2011 – by Staff Report</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>IMFwants the world to save Europe .. Christine Lagarde., the managing director of the IMF, said the escalating crisis now needed to be addressed as "collectively as possible" ... The European financial crisis is "escalating" and is so serious that it is unlikely to be solved by eurozone countries alone, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday night. British taxpayers are now likely to be involved in an internationally co-ordinated bail-out led by the International Monetary Fund [IMF] for countries in the single currency. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the IMF, said the escalating crisis now needed to be addressed as "collectively as possible". Without action, the world faces the spectre of a 1930s-style depression, she said. – Montreal Gazette/UK Telegraph </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dominant Social Theme:</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> Unshackle the IMF to save the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Free-Market Analysis:</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> Right on schedule, the International Monetary Fund's Christine Lagarde has emerged to call for a united, Western effort to salvage the Eurozone and perhaps the euro.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is entirely predictable in our view and has to do with the larger strategy of the Anglosphere power elite, which is to create a worldwide economic crisis in order to provide the requisite centralizing solution. If one wants to create global governance, a few "eggs" may have to be broken in the process.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, as we've pointed out before, the preference of the powers-that-be would be to keep the EU together and expand it, along with the euro. But the alternative course has its attractions, too, if one is trying to build world government. Out of chaos ... order.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And here comes the IMF. It is no surprise that the International Monetary Fund is raising its profile once again. It was developed after World War II as part of a larger global-government-in-waiting. In fact, the history of the modern age is the history of wars and economic depressions, each leading to greater sociopolitical and economic centralization.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have come to call this trend "directed history" because not only do the results seem predictable but so do the events leading up to them. It is just as Shakespeare once said: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Only he didn't mean that history was being organized and directed from the top. But in the 19th and 20th centuries anyway that certainly seems to have been what happened. From the American Civil War on, especially, one can see the centralization of society advance, not only in the US but throughout the West.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Through the twin tools of war and central banking, a power elite located in the City of London with subsidiaries in DC, and the Vatican has advanced global governance step by step.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">It has used dominant social themes in order to frighten Western middle classes into giving up power and wealth to specially created globalist facilities. The most pervasive political tool is the UN, and its funding source is the central banking mechanism. The IMF is a large part of the mechanism as well. Here's some more from the article:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Mrs Lagarde spoke out after other European countries indicated that they were unlikely to back a new treaty designed to shore up the single currency. Hungary and the Czech Republic said they would not agree to any new deal that involved European-wide taxes. David Cameron has already vetoed any British involvement. Yesterday, the head of the IMF described the prospects for the global economy as "quite gloomy".</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"There is no economy in the world, whether low-income countries, emerging markets, middle-income countries or super-advanced economies that will be immune to the crisis that we see not only unfolding but escalating," Mrs Lagarde said."If the international community doesn't work together, the risk from an economic point of view is that of retraction, rising protectionism, isolation.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"This is exactly the description of what happened in the Thirties and what followed is not something we are looking forward to." She added: "It is not a crisis that will be resolved by one group of countries taking action. It is going to be hopefully resolved by all countries, all regions, all categories of countries actually taking action."</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">We can see from this excerpt how direct Lagarde is being. From our point of view, the economic crisis is a manufactured one, but it doesn't matter much. Once a war or economic crisis has been created, the next steps flow logically from what has occurred. The opening is there for the taking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And she is surely playing her part. She is quoted as comparing the Euro-crisis to the ancients' Gordian Knot and the need for concerted action as Alexander's sword. "[It starts] with those at the centre [and then includes] the support of the international community probably channeled through the IMF."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">She is already focused on the channeling as well, explaining that both European and non-European countries will be asked for more money. "What is happening now is that conversations, contacts are taking place between the fund and its membership about the scale and the amount in which this could be brought to a conclusion," according to an IMF spokesperson.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And so it builds. Suddenly the IMF, which the powers-that-be have already designated as a kind of world central bank, is in charge of collection efforts to save the EU. In fact, the EU doesn't need salvaging, nor does the euro. If both foundered and failed, the world would pause for a few moments and then go on.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion: But without a crisis there can be no further centralization. And without further centralization there can be no world government. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

IMF Seeks Collective World Bailout

Now IMF Seeks Collective, World Bail-Out of Europe via The Daily Bell December, 2011 – by Staff Report IMFwants the world to save Europe .....

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Fairbanks, Alaska...hell has frozen over

I'm in the hotel dining room and just had a quick dinner of a salad and a hamburger patty. I took off the bun, and just ate the patty with the lettuce and tomatoes. I said no fries and a salad instead, they still  brought the fries and the salad. They're the skinny, seasoned fries and look really salty. I didn't eat any, didn't really even want them. I honestly can't remember the last time I ate beef. Actually, it tasted pretty good.<br /><br />About Fairbanks, the most God-forsaken place I've ever been when it's thirty-three degrees below zero. I can't believe I lived in the interior Alaska for thirty years before I left here. I forgot how miserable it is when it's this cold. It literally hurts.<br /><br />It was pitch dark when I got here at 3:30pm, and so cold I thought I had frostbite by the time I got the car scraped off (covered in ice and snow). It has awesome heated seats...a new requirement for any future Fairbanks rental cars in the winter. <br /><br />I had a bit of an anxiety attack on the plane. Actually, I had it at work before I left for the airport and it just continued on the plane. A sort of mental breakdown after reading an email from my brother (who I thought liked me). He said I was too hard on my crazy niece, and our sister would want me to be kind to her and help her. I couldn't stop crying. This same thing happened to me after I think my third trip up here. Where the tears wouldn't stop and my heart ached with pain.<br /><br />Honestly, I'm out of kindness, forgiveness and love when it comes to my niece. She's attacked me for the last time, and I will not fall for the false sweetness which turns to mean, hateful and very hurtful behavior.<br /><br />I saw a quote in the Oprah January magazine that I left up in the room. Basically, it was about running away from toxic people. I get that. My niece is toxic. If I was to put a label on her, I would guess it's bipolar. I'm not sure, but there's definitely something wrong with her.<br /><br />My husband is flying in later tonight. Thanks to Sarah's comment, we'll be having a bonfire of paperwork outside at my sister's house. She doesn't have a fireplace, but she has a 123 acres of land, no neighbors and the house sits on a river. Lots of snow too. Of course, not sure how I'll be able to handle the -40 temperature since her place is always ten degrees colder than in town.<br /><br />Thanks you guys for all your kind comments. Your support and kindness continues to amaze me.<br /><br />I'm off to see my sister. I hope I don't cry when I see her. It's just so sad, but it's life and I have to make the best of it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Fairbanks, Alaska...hell has frozen over

I'm in the hotel dining room and just had a quick dinner of a salad and a hamburger patty. I took off the bun, and just ate the patty wi...

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SYRIA - CAUSE AND EFFECT

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>NO PROVE - NO VERIFICATION </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since the beginning of the uproar in SYRIA, mainstream media, political analysts etc. have been speculating about the cause and effect, the SYRIAN upraise has and will have  in the region, as well as who or what is behind it, and last but not least, why. Subsequently conspiracy theories such as US intelligence services involvement, foreign mercenary infiltration, PSY- OPS etc. have been on the rise. The fact is that none of the mainstream media reports can be verified or considered impartial, thus we are exposed to speculations and conspiracy theories, none of which we are able to confirm.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GEO STRATEGIC NIGHTMARE  </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7M8Ktu9zNdUQjJMiB5Y3_U10y_INuneRyrPegfd0NkEPfatbqlB2xVlPzMQqesIQzajsEeqN18x2vUpc5S7YzZ3kIQvk-uudKuvDXEcN4o1DuF79rsYrOjUv_00nsnJcLeMW0FbmtBY/s1600/Syrian+Israeli+border+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7M8Ktu9zNdUQjJMiB5Y3_U10y_INuneRyrPegfd0NkEPfatbqlB2xVlPzMQqesIQzajsEeqN18x2vUpc5S7YzZ3kIQvk-uudKuvDXEcN4o1DuF79rsYrOjUv_00nsnJcLeMW0FbmtBY/s320/Syrian+Israeli+border+map.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Geo strategically speaking, tumbling the Syrian government does not make sense. I have posted numerous articles about this topic on this blog. If the ASSAD regime is removed, ISRAEL’S worst nightmare will come true: Civil War in a neighboring Muslim country. Enough that EGYPT has become a geo strategic uncertainty factor for ISRAEL. ISRAEL can hardly afford an unstable EASTERN frontier. Such scenario will be a strategic and tactical nightmare.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">One should not forget that although SYRIA and ISRAEL are technically still at war, the frontier  between the two countries has been the most stable one in the entire Middle East, thus all the speculative theories of ISRAEL and other US friendly ARAB countries trying to tumble the Assad are irrational. One can argue that SYRIA’S close ties with IRAN are one of the reasons ISRAEL and the US would like to see the Assad regime tumble, even so it is much easier for ISRAEL to clutch onto the current status quo, and live with the fact that IRAN is influencing SYRIA, rather than face a country in civil war which subsequently will end up being a FUNDAMENTALIST ISLAMIC state. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">So much as for rational thinking, but if looking at the entire situation from another angel, ISRAEL could shift its geopolitical doctrine towards a "irrational" one and support a regime change in SYRIA in order to gain a Geo-strategic advantage. ( The details of which will be analyzed in due cause on this blog )     </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ARAB LEAGUE, GATEWAY FOR ASSAD TO EMERGE WITH MINIMUM COLLATERAL DAMAGE?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">First feedback's from the ARAB LEAGUE s observer mission suggest that their observations and opinions are used as a gateway for the ASSAD regime to emerge with minimum collateral damage in order to sustain geo - strategic stability in the region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>IS THE TRANS ARABIAN PIPELINE “TAPLINE” THE ANSWER TO THE WHY</b>?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWCSISKPf1WTYEX_BmCtwUFxs9LqVeIN0jKcJYzB-GVe-eMUWaxzhXYFAlpT0PU36sf7DX11TsnyFUPKlxLiOp6ZD8_BMLs_Em9sDJ0GXV0P1mFtuaBe_Nwm9U9dakTxQNZ4qLVCGsYo/s1600/440px-Tapline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWCSISKPf1WTYEX_BmCtwUFxs9LqVeIN0jKcJYzB-GVe-eMUWaxzhXYFAlpT0PU36sf7DX11TsnyFUPKlxLiOp6ZD8_BMLs_Em9sDJ0GXV0P1mFtuaBe_Nwm9U9dakTxQNZ4qLVCGsYo/s400/440px-Tapline.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The TRANS-ARABIAN Pipeline Company, a joint venture by STANDARD OIL OF NEW JERSEY (ESSO), STANDARD OIL OF CALIFORNIA (CHEVRON), THE TEXAS COMPANY (TEXACO) and SOCONY-VACUUM OIL COMPANY (MOBIL), was a major factor in economic development of LEBANON after independence and especially in the emergence of the south, Tapline was an important industrial adventure in global trade, the petroleum industry and AMERICAN - MIDDLE EAST politics.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The company which started operations in 1950 was the largest oil pipeline of its time, transporting SAUDI ARABIAN oil from the gulf fields to the terminal at ZAHRANI south of SAIDA, where it was shipped to the markets of EUROPE and the eastern UNITED STATES seaboard. At the peak of its operations in 1950, Tapline is said to have transported up to 30% of ARAMCO’S production of SAUDI ARABIAN crude, which amounted to 300,000 barrels per day which was increased by adding some additional pumping stations to 500,000 barrels per day.<br /><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The pipeline was originally planned to run from SAUDI ARABIA'S ABQAIQ oil fields to the port of HAIFA in ISRAEL where there already was a modest terminal facility for a pipeline from the Kirkuk oil fields in IRAQ. The conflict between the BRITISH MANDATE and the ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE movement had the Tapline Company surveying alternate routes already in 1946. These routes were all aimed at circumventing Palestine territories . "TRANS-JORDAN" appeared also at the time to be a country to be avoided. The final route went through JORDAN, over the GOLAN HEIGHTS in SYRIA - and not without some political consequences - to end at SIDON in LEBANON. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SYRIAN PARLIAMENTARY OBJECTIONS NECESSITATED THE CIA-AIDED 1949 COUP</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">SYRIAN parliamentary objections necessitated the CIA-aided 1949 coup in order to secure "right of way" over the GOLAN HEIGHTS. The end of pipeline operations were also instigated by sabotage and related problems with the portion passing over the Heights in the climate of political turmoil after the 1967 occupation by ISRAEL. All oil transportation in the western (SYRIAN and LEBANESE) portions of the line ceased in 1976. That portion of the line was evacuated of all crude oil and the installations in LEBANON were handed over to the LEBANESE government in 1983. <br /><span class="hps">Despite these</span> <span class="hps">problems, the</span> Trans Arabian <span class="hps">pipeline is considered a potential</span> <span class="hps">export route</span> <span class="hps">for</span> <span class="hps">crude oil transport</span> <span class="hps">from the</span> <span class="hps">PERSIAN GULF region</span> <span class="hps">to EUROPE and</span> <span class="hps">the UNITED</span> <span class="hps">STATES.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="hps">An analysis</span> <span class="hps">has</span> <span class="hps">shown that the</span> <span class="hps">transport</span> <span class="hps">cost via the Tapline through HAIFA to EUROPE is</span> <span class="hps">up to 40</span> <span class="hps">percent</span> <span class="hps">lower</span> <span class="hps">than by tankers</span> <span class="hps">through</span> <span class="hps">the SUEZ CANAL.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="hps"> </span> </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Worthwhile to monitor is why British and USA mainstream media keep up negative reporting on the Syrian issue, despite being supporters of the Arab League observer mission, thus sparking new and controversial theories and assumptions. Cause and Effect!</span></div>

SYRIA - CAUSE AND EFFECT

NO PROVE - NO VERIFICATION  Since the beginning of the uproar in SYRIA, mainstream media, political analysts etc. have been speculating abou...

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Common interview questions -- and how to answer them effectively

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/0s/ar5l53269b3z1khpzh0s.gif?time=6/7/2011%2011:29:31%20am" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/0s/ar5l53269b3z1khpzh0s.gif?time=6/7/2011%2011:29:31%20am" /></a></div><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: -30px;"><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #ff7700; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></h1></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Robert Half International</span></b><br /><br /><div class="cbmsnArticleImage">Every hiring manager has a different set of go-to interview questions. In a recent survey by our company, we asked more than 650 managers in the United States and Canada to name the single question they ask that provides the most insight about a job applicant. Responses ranged from classic queries ("Where do you see yourself in five years?") to less-traditional ones ("How would you describe yourself in five words?").</div></div><div class="ArticleContent" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While there's not always one right way to answer an interview question, some approaches are better than others. Here are some questions from the survey that you may face in your next interview, along with tips on how -- and how not -- to answer them:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>"Can you tell me a little about yourself?"</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Do:</b> Prepare for this popular question -- which is often the first one asked -- by developing an incisive summary of your career. Your sound bite should be succinct but include enough detail about your pertinent skills, work experience, accomplishments and goals that the hiring manager can quickly see what you bring to the table.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Don't: </b>Give your life story, discuss leisure pursuits or describe aspects of your professional background that aren't relative to the position you're interviewing for.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>"Why do you want to join our company?"</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Do:</b> Walk into the interview with beyond-the-basics knowledge of the firm. Read the company's website, marketing materials and relevant news stories to gain a good grasp of its mission, history, reputation and corporate culture. The more information you collect, the more specific you can be about why you're an excellent fit.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Don't:</b> Answer in the context of your financial needs. Saying "I hear you provide good pay and benefits" or "Frankly, I need a job" won't score you any points.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>"What's your biggest weakness?"</b><br /><b>Do:</b> View this as an opportunity to demonstrate your self-awareness, sincerity and problem-solving prowess. Mention an area where you could improve and spotlight the steps you've taken to do so.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here's an example: "In the past, I sometimes overextended myself. Reading time-management books has helped me, though. Now, I make prioritized to-do lists, I've learned it's OK to delegate and I volunteer for extra projects only when I'm caught up on core responsibilities."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Don't: </b>Offer a transparently fake flaw ("I care too much about my work!") or pretend to be perfect ("Weaknesses? None come to mind."). And, of course, don't be your own worst critic by citing countless shortcomings.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>"Where do you see yourself in five years?"</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Do:</b> Position yourself as an ambitious but flexible realist. One way to do this is to speak of your desire to continually take on broader responsibilities and grow professionally no matter what role you're in. You also might emphasize your commitment to lifelong learning by mentioning your interest in attaining advanced industry certifications.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Don't:</b> Focus on an overly lofty objective. For instance, boldly proclaiming you intend to be the firm's next CFO when you're an entry-level accounting candidate certainly shows drive, but it's not a practical five-year objective. In addition, steer clear of fanciful daydreaming ("I'll be counting my lottery winnings on a Hawaiian beach").</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>"Why are you looking to leave your current employer?"</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Do: </b>The interviewer is trying to figure out if you truly want the position, or if you're looking for any way out of a bad job. As such, reiterate what you like about the role you're seeking rather than gripe about the one you hope to vacate. Make it clear you're chasing a great opportunity, not running away from an unpleasant situation.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Don't:</b> Speak ill of your current employer. Regardless of how unhappy you are with your job or company, never act bitter or resentful in an interview. Hiring managers seek candidates who are loyal, positive-minded and team-oriented. They aren't inclined to hire people they perceive to be potential headaches.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally, despite your best efforts, you can't anticipate every question you'll be asked.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"How would you define your personality in one word?" or "How will you behave if you get blamed for something you didn't do?" were just two of the unique questions that popped up in our survey of hiring managers.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">If an interviewer throws you a curveball, maintain eye contact, take a deep breath and pause to consider your response. Many of your competitors will fluster easily. Set yourself apart by keeping your cool in the hot seat.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, please visit <a href="http://www.roberthalf.com/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">www.roberthalf.com</a>. For additional career advice, follow us on Twitter at<a href="http://www.twitter.com/roberthalf" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">www.twitter.com/roberthalf</a>.</i></div></div>

Common interview questions -- and how to answer them effectively

Robert Half International Every hiring manager has a different set of go-to interview questions. In a recent survey by our company, we asked...

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Really? Fairbanks again?!

I swear I have the most dysfunctional, crazy, weird family in the world, and I don't mean that in a good way.<br /><br />After weeks of listening to the whining and complaining about cleaning out their mother's house, one of my nieces (the most crazy of the crazy) called me yesterday (the first time since she changed all her phone numbers a month ago). She demanded to be paid for her time for helping her mother by cleaning out her mother's house, as well as for her gas for driving the six miles to the house.<br /><br />Oh.My.God. Are you serious?  Yes, she was serious and NO-FREAKING-WAY will she get paid. I don't get paid and darn it...you don't get paid. May I remind you, this is for your mother! I'm just totally flabbergasted over this latest event. Who are these people?! Their mother, my sister, practically dedicated her life to them and this is how they repay her?<br /><br />After contacting my attorney, I decided to fly up to Fairbanks tomorrow night. Friday morning I'm having all the locks changed on my sister's house. Then I'm meeting with an auctioneer at the house to discuss how to go about auctioning off all my sister's personal belongings and household items, then to the realtor to sign the listing agreement. My brother will visit the house once a week to make sure it's okay.<br /><br />The children...they are DONE. I don't want to hearing about it anymore. They seem to take joy in telling me what a mess it is and how they're mother had a shopping problem and how hard they're working. I've had enough. Keep in mind these aren't young people, they're between the ages of 46 to 49 and neither of my nieces even have jobs.<br /><br />Here's the forecast for Fairbanks, and where my sister's house is located twenty-three miles out of Fairbanks it's always ten degrees colder. That would make it a low of -46 degrees. Yuk.<br /><img alt="" 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" /><br /><br />I'm probably going to stay at my sister's house, which is going to be very weird. No internet, TV, or phone (and my cell phone barely works out there), I had it all turned off to save money. The main reason I'm staying there is I'm on a shredding mission while I'm there, to shred as much paperwork as possible in a day and a half. My sister doesn't own a shredder. That alone should tell you something.<br /><br /><br />The diet and exercise<br />Still at it, gym every day as usual. I didn't track my food today, but I don't think I ate enough because my family situation was stressing me out. The worst thing about going to Fairbanks is that I'll miss my Saturday Weight Watcher meeting. Very frustrating. <br /><br />The good thing about this trip, I get to see my sister, even if it is for a short time. I really miss her.

Really? Fairbanks again?!

I swear I have the most dysfunctional, crazy, weird family in the world, and I don't mean that in a good way. After weeks of listening t...

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The Economists Sorry Journalism

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BCo7DCRc20O6zIQUsUfce2ygMZimGwB4XUzjB5gvKGMZMmznjHy4BbiwJk-Tbq-Cc2M44Tr8SNXiv8jxqRCZCk_C6GbfBlR7LaeEacmWoLCEi3z3SOTuS1lUDL20AfaT6gVU6Exk6s0/s1600/EconomistOrPropagandist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BCo7DCRc20O6zIQUsUfce2ygMZimGwB4XUzjB5gvKGMZMmznjHy4BbiwJk-Tbq-Cc2M44Tr8SNXiv8jxqRCZCk_C6GbfBlR7LaeEacmWoLCEi3z3SOTuS1lUDL20AfaT6gVU6Exk6s0/s400/EconomistOrPropagandist.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Argentine Bashing </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">(Spanish version will follow in due course.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Reading “The Economist” on ought to believe that its articles are of highest quality and objectivity. Unfortunately this is not the case when it comes to topics related to Argentina. For years “The Economist” has made it a habit of bashing Argentina. Every single article about Argentina is negative, lacks objectivity and distorts facts. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking closer at “The Economists” true agenda, it becomes evident that it follows a political cause, influenced and dictated by powerful political entities that are unhappy with Argentine politics and subsequent economic success by defied international economic doctrines. This clearly upsets power-brokers, for it jeopardizes their geopolitical and economic agendas in the region. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Due to its stagnating economy The United Kingdom is desperate to venture out into “new territories”, thus the ongoing Malvinas (Falkland) dispute with Argentina and the possibilities of large oil and gas findings around the disputed Islands as well as having a footstep in the door  to the Antarctica, once natural resources explorations is about to start. Thus the cause becomes obvious as to why corporate media such as the “The Economist” use manipulative journalism and flatly reject impartial news coverage.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">“The Economist” is a mouthpiece of influential Anglo American entities, thus its articles are focused on free-market and business issues only within the larger context of Western military and economic powers. The need for state control in all matters, and especially regulation, is  fundamental of any Economist commentary. This is because certain powerful eco – political entities desire the growth of nation-states and regulatory democracy in order to provide the basis to achieve up-solute eco-political control.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Economists latest article on Argentina is a perfect example on how bias the magazine is when it comes to Argentine related issues. (Comments on article are posted in yellow beneath each paragraph.)</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">On 17 December 2011 The Economist wrote:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Argentina’s president</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Cristina prepares to defy gravity  </i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The president begins her second term facing an economic slowdown. She will meet it with a mixture of rhetoric, controls and austerity</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The headline in itself is hypocrisy at its best. How can the <i>Economist </i>know how the Argentine Government will tackle alleged economic slowdown? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Dec 17th 2011 | BUENOS AIRES | from the print edition </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>SHE owed her crushing victory in a presidential election in October to the economy’s vigorous growth and to public sympathy over the sudden death last year of her husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A<span style="color: blue;">lleging that the president owed her victory to public sympathy over the death of her husband showcases how the article lacks objectivity and deliberately tries to manipulate opinions. Could it be that the overwhelming victory was because the government initiated a social welfare program that benefited the poor working class all over the country? Naturally such deeds are not noteworthy for the </span><i style="color: blue;">Economist</i><span style="color: blue;">, for it tampers with its eco – geopolitical doctrine!</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cristina Fernández inaugurated her second term as president on December 10th still dressed in widow’s black and glorifying her husband’s name almost as of a deity. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For an renowned news magazine, which the <i>Economist</i> claims to be,  focusing on what and why the president is wearing widows black seems pathetic</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>and showcases only how prejudice the magazine is. Objective professional journalism does not need to focus on banalities, even if the magazine is not a supporter of the government or the country.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Her message was triumphalist. Contrasting Argentina with Europe and the United States, she crowed: “They govern with growth targets for the financial sector …and we govern with growth targets for work and employment.”</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>It must be a bitter pill to swallow for the Anglo American financial power elite, otherwise the <i>Economist </i>would not use disrespectful terminology such as “<u>she crowed</u>”. This shows that objective journalism is not a stronghold of magazine!! Obviously growth targets for work and employment are not in the interest of corporate media outlets of which the <i>Economist</i> obviously is part of! </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Those words may come back to haunt her. Ms Fernández is starting her second term in very different circumstances from the first, back in 2007. Argentina’s hectic growth was built on a weak currency (a legacy of default and devaluation in 2002), booming world demand for its agricultural commodities, strong growth in neighbouring Brazil, and a huge increase in government spending. Those tailwinds have now died down, or risk doing so. World commodity prices are no longer rising. Brazil’s economy has stalled. After years of high inflation at home the peso is no longer weak, and extravagant subsidies mean there is little or no scope for further fiscal stimulus.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>About 4 years ago the <i>Economist</i> also predicted that the government would face difficulties due to declining demand in agricultural commodities. The paper also criticizes the government for not cutting subsidies, now that the government initiated subsidies cuts; the <i>Economist</i> held an online survey, questioning the Argentine Government, and its implementation of subsidy cuts, deeming that they are not appropriately administered !!!!! Needless to say that the <i>Economist </i>published an article on subjects matter prior to the survey!!! Manipulative journalism I would say! </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The government still denies that inflation is a problem. For years it has fiddled the numbers: officially, inflation is just under 10%, but independent economists put it closer to 25%, even though many energy and public-transport tariffs have long been frozen. Ms Fernández did admit that Argentina has a “competitiveness problem”. But the government’s solution looks to be a retreat into mercantilism, restrained by hints of realism.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The inflation topic of Argentina is arguably an issue that needs to be addressed but then the <i>Economists</i> should not forget to look at its own doorsteps, where inflation is quoted at 5.4%, according to The Office of National Statistics!!!!, so most likely one should add a few % to that figure as well. Argentine current Public Debt to GDP ratio equals 41.53% versus that of the UK of 83.70%. External Debt to GDP Ratio: ARG 36.75% versus that of the UK to 472.92%. Source: (<a href="http://www.usdebtclock.org/world-debt-clock.html#">http://www.usdebtclock.org/world-debt-clock.html#</a>) </b></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This year the UKs debt burden will grow by £167.9 billion.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>In November officials announced timid steps to cut subsidies that now amount to 4.2% of GDP. Some large firms, along with richer households, must now pay closer to the true cost of energy. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Above assumption clearly not reflects the entire truth. Lower and Middle class households are not affected by subsidy cuts. Small businesses saw a minimal increase in their utility bills, hardly affecting their budget. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Even so, to balance its books, the government will have to turn to the money markets during 2012, thinks Miguel Kiguel of Econviews, a consultancy. One sign that it is preparing the way is Ms Fernández’s appointment of Hernán Lorenzino, who is respected in financial markets, as economy minister.But these steps have been overshadowed by a tightening of controls aimed at curbing capital flight. In October the government ordered mining and energy firms to repatriate all their export dollars and citizens to justify every purchase of foreign currency. Tax inspectors were put in foreign-exchange bureaus. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Guillermo Moreno, the thuggish secretary for internal trade who has persecuted independent economists for their inflation estimates, has been put in overall charge of foreign trade too. Some importers have already been required to become exporters as well if they want to get hold of dollars.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The subject of capital flight is not an entire Argentine phenomenon, and occurs in many parts of the world, as is Protectionism. Objective journalism would try to use neutral wordings and not “thuggish” when commenting on a public figure, no matter how much one disagrees with the deeds of the person. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lower growth can probably be sold to Argentines provided that other countries are doing worse. The opposition is weak, divided or co-opted. But austerity, if it comes, will require Ms Fernández to adjust her political alliances. The trade unions have been warned that demands for big pay rises will be met by curbs on the right to strike. Ms Fernández reminded private businesses that they have done very well in recent years, and warned them not to “spit at heaven”. Having regained a congressional majority in the election, the government is now pushing through a measure to regulate newsprint, which arouses fears in newspapers that have been critical of the Kirchners.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The <i>Economist</i>, it seems, is also the mouthpiece of the Argentine political opposition as well as certain Media outlets, for it lashes out in all possible directions. If the article would have been written in an impartial and objective way, the journalist would have report the true reason behind the regulatory measures concerning Media bill. They neglects to mention that the Clarin Group together with La Nacion, hold a vast majority over “Newsprint”. In addition the “Clarin Group” owns a powerful TV and Internet empire which gives the group a quasi media monopoly in the country. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>In 2008 when Argentina’s output briefly shrank, the government balanced its books by nationalising private pensions. What might it take next? The potential targets are neither so easy, nor so rich. The risk now is that inflation and a rising current-account deficit will trigger a rush to buy dollars and a downward spiral of devaluation and price rises like the one that scarred the country in the 1970s and ‘80s. Ms Fernández’s government will hope that its controls can stave that off, at least until new finds of shale oil and gas can be developed. But one way or another, things look likely to get rougher in Argentina.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion: </span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrQJUEFLjL6wYullmF3iv5nU8mcInt-Dk-OtAgKW_3NgaoBaNBO8BBZN-mHJu5H68Tep8jeymp235dmKTjn25TtKh7uhgekXd6edli1DypFb4vWnayG6SV5w8a8T0Igs9nLvDnnuNpKE/s1600/Antarctica-620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrQJUEFLjL6wYullmF3iv5nU8mcInt-Dk-OtAgKW_3NgaoBaNBO8BBZN-mHJu5H68Tep8jeymp235dmKTjn25TtKh7uhgekXd6edli1DypFb4vWnayG6SV5w8a8T0Igs9nLvDnnuNpKE/s320/Antarctica-620.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a nutshell one would call the <i>Economists</i> views desperate “PROJECTIONISM” and wishful (bad) thinking. Agricultural commodity demand will most probably be somewhat lower than in recent past, but then again one has to bear in mind that the world needs to be fed, thus the need for agricultural commodities will not cease, thus making Argentina, a valuable assets for global food supplies and this is exactly why the <i>Economis</i>t and global eco- political power entities are eager to portray Argentina as a bad economic sample, for Argentina has defied the international monetary system and still succeeded to “eco-financially” prevail amidst the current eco – financial turmoil, thus corporate media such as the <i>Economist</i> will not lose a chance to portray Argentina in negative ways. In its last paragraph, the <i>Economist</i> revealed its true cause, namely what I have claimed many times; UK’S interest in the Southern Cones natural resources!</span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina, the land of Agriculture commodities, vast areas of fertile land, fresh water resources (the commodity of the future) and possible oil and gas findings in the South are the reason why the UK and other entities (IMF, World Bank, etc.) are desperate to gain eco political influence in the region in order to enforce upon Argentina their eco political doctrines and subsequently obtain the countries natural resources.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some reader’s comments regarding above article:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>If indeed there are elements of this article that point to legitimate macroeconomic concerns Argentina faces, it is worth looking back at the coverage of The Economist over the last 8 yrs. This publication has been predicting doomsday in the country more or less since 2004. Why? The country did not follow the prescriptions for austerity and financialization that The Economist has been recommending for years, the results of which are plain to see in Europe and the US today. Frankly, the entire worldview of this magazine has been so deeply discredited that it shocks me that anyone should take it seriously, particularly those with global investments.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Agreed, people who pay for this magazine don't seem to be too smart. The target customer base of the economist are IQ100+ wannabes.</i></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>If we equate Argentina's total growth over the last 8 years versus the economist expected growth, then this magazine ought to answer for about a 70% difference.</i></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>People at The Economist, If you are wrong once it's OK,<br />twice... maybe,<br />three times.. wait a minute<br />4 times.. maybe you should revise your methodology<br />5 times... you lie to us and you know it<br />6 times... you know you are lying and you do it because you have an agenda<br />7 times... you have an agenda and you are being paid to do lie despite all the embarrassment.<br />8 times... all of the above plus you don't have a lot of respect for your readers.</i></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Economist hasn't got an explanation for the success of Argentina, so The Economist denied Argentinian success.</i></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Maybe people who work for this magazine should watch things like this</i></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.usdebtclock.org/world-debt-clock.html#"><i>http://www.usdebtclock.org/world-debt-clock.html#</i></a></span></div><div style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_128111529"> </a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Or better yet, watch this one: <a href="http://www.debtbombshell.com/">http://www.debtbombshell.com/</a></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Al of what you say is absolutely true. However, companies, people and countries do not default on debt as a whim. or as policy. It is the result of trying every possible way to avoid it until there is no other way out. Another method of default or controlled default is to devalue your country's currency on a massive scale, such as what the UK did in the late 1940's and early 1950s when it owed Argentina at least $2 Billion USD. Granted they did not do this to "screw Argentina", but the fact remains that they must have tried every possible way to avoid bankruptcy, and unfortunately in the world of economics, few are the countries that have avoided debt default or bankruptcy proceedings but at such a great cost that it may have been cheaper to do so - like American Airlines this past week. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The UK economy is alive in name only due to the banking industry that attracts depositors from all over the world. Almost every good sold there is Made In China, and its current account deficit is covered only by massive borrowing, that will one day have to be repaid. It is only a matter of time before the UK and the USA will have to admit that with massive unemployment, diminished industry, and profits from non-productive speculative trade will not be enough to sustain their economies in the long run. I give the UK 5 years at most before the next crisis hits them such as the current one in the US.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

The Economists Sorry Journalism

Argentine Bashing (Spanish version will follow in due course.) Reading “The Economist” on ought to believe that its articles are of highest ...

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