Janet Yellen to speak -- Tuesday

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wall Street waits for Janet Yellen -- Tuesday</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How will Janet Yellen affect the markets?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2Q3MvsV-LuvKRdORCTmTwjMZHN0CKHtKiL4EVzEF45uXjZa4hhsZ2vanecqGiBrIjbFWysXwKygLTnQzOju7WqioC-Wn-whMiDQIGIZtgr8V6sc3HI1f1hcAIPkYq4aWIN5RGxL2leI/s1600/JanetYellenPICmicrophone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2Q3MvsV-LuvKRdORCTmTwjMZHN0CKHtKiL4EVzEF45uXjZa4hhsZ2vanecqGiBrIjbFWysXwKygLTnQzOju7WqioC-Wn-whMiDQIGIZtgr8V6sc3HI1f1hcAIPkYq4aWIN5RGxL2leI/s1600/JanetYellenPICmicrophone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">  </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Watch Wall Street on Tuesday</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Will the stock market rally or crash?</b></span></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/itZgjBKSM88?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GOLD is in focus with Janet Yellen</b></span></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PwexcVrxzj4?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

Janet Yellen to speak -- Tuesday

Wall Street waits for Janet Yellen -- Tuesday How will Janet Yellen affect the markets?   Watch Wall Street on Tuesday Will the stock market...

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Georgia Congressman Larry McDonald (D) was too conspiratorial

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>He was killed in Korean Airlines Flight 007</b></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>"There is a real question in my mind that the Soviets may have actually murdered 269 passengers and crew on the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in order to kill Larry McDonald." -- Jerry Falwell, The Washington Post, September 2, 1983 </b></i></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/puNCkwjuxJ0?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

Georgia Congressman Larry McDonald (D) was too conspiratorial

He was killed in Korean Airlines Flight 007 "There is a real question in my mind that the Soviets may have actually murdered 269 passe...

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Former CIA Director And Ex-Gen. David Petraeus: Hillary Clinton Would ‘Make A Tremendous President’

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk8dwBzRxpmxe1PQ7JATyS5jkyv-qOw1QOe3tnl0TeR3xd-5sF6_Bs4SC9gWcV9wJ8kZcgF-Ud-DvaONRB610Af8zJLeMwCzcrQyGOmdYf5zfLqmRjrTnh9KJsyZlJvohHBV1OmZRXm52/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk8dwBzRxpmxe1PQ7JATyS5jkyv-qOw1QOe3tnl0TeR3xd-5sF6_Bs4SC9gWcV9wJ8kZcgF-Ud-DvaONRB610Af8zJLeMwCzcrQyGOmdYf5zfLqmRjrTnh9KJsyZlJvohHBV1OmZRXm52/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">U.S. Commander in Iraq General David Petraeus (L) greets Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) as he arrives to testify about the state of the war in Iraq before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington April 8, 2008.(Reuters / Jim Bourg)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ex-Gen. David Petraeus says Hillary Clinton would ‘make a tremendous President’ -- New York Daily News</b></span></div><br />The former commander and CIA Director made the laudatory comments in the new book, ‘HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton,’ to be released Tuesday.<br /><br />Former Army Gen. David Petraeus , who has traditionally stayed away from political endorsements, appears to be eager to support a Hillary Clinton candidacy, a new book alleges.<br /><br />“She’d make a tremendous President,” the former commander and CIA director reportedly says in the new book “ HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton,” by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes.<br /><br />“Like a lot of great leaders, her most impressive qualities were most visible during tough times,” Petraeus adds.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ex-gen-david-petraeus-hillary-clinton-tremendous-president-article-1.1607801">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: I guess he would not be surprised by <b><a href="http://freebeacon.com/the-hillary-papers/">this report.</a></b>

Former CIA Director And Ex-Gen. David Petraeus: Hillary Clinton Would ‘Make A Tremendous President’

U.S. Commander in Iraq General David Petraeus (L) greets Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) as he arrives to test...

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The Decline Of Puerto Rico

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YzNVhjhDWrE" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Economy and Crime Spur New Puerto Rican Exodus -- New York Times</b></span></div><br />SAN JUAN, P.R. — Alexis Sotomayor has many reasons to stay in Puerto Rico: his two children; his mother and their gossip sessions over plates of fried rice; and the balm of salt and sun that leavens his life on the island.<br /><br />But the artisanal soap business that Mr. Sotomayor built is barely hanging on amid rising costs and taxes, and sales that have sunk by 40 percent in five years. Crime is rampant; his girlfriend was nearly carjacked at gunpoint recently. So last month he boarded a flight to Orlando, Fla., to interview for a job at a rum distillery in the hope of joining the ever-growing Puerto Rican diaspora.<br /><br />“I don’t see it improving,” said Mr. Sotomayor, a 47-year-old chemical engineer. “I see it getting worse. It’s the uncertainty. What am I going to do — wait until it gets worse?”<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/us/economy-and-crime-spur-new-puerto-rican-exodus.html?_r=0">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> A family that I know quite well and who live on the islands (Bahamas) summed up Puerto Rico for me last year .... "Puerto Rico is completely broke, borrowing money for years to pay pensions and benefits while degrading the tax base that supported it all". In short .... a carbon copy of what happened in Detroit but on a grander level with almost everyone living on government handouts.

The Decline Of Puerto Rico

Economy and Crime Spur New Puerto Rican Exodus -- New York Times SAN JUAN, P.R. — Alexis Sotomayor has many reasons to stay in Puerto Rico: ...

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US Officials Blame China For The Rise In Tensions In The South China Sea

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IG_LElZbW6U" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>US Blames China For Rising Tensions In South China Sea -- Financial Times</b></span></div><br />High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cdc09e14-91a7-11e3-8fb3-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2stKTiHPV<br /><br />The Obama administration has significantly sharpened its rhetoric about China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea over the last week amid growing pressure from allies in the region for Washington to take a firmer line.<br /><br />In public statements in recent days, senior US officials placed the blame for tensions in the region solely on China and warned that the US could move more forces to the western Pacific if Beijing were to declare a new air defence zone in the South China Sea.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cdc09e14-91a7-11e3-8fb3-00144feab7de.html#axzz2st4qEMkH">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update</b>: <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-09/abe-aquino-views-on-china-unhelpful-says-u-dot-s-dot-general-carlisle">U.S. General Says China War Comparisons Unhelpful as Risks Rise</a> -- Bloomberg Businessweek<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: The Chinese are<b><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-09/abe-aquino-views-on-china-unhelpful-says-u-dot-s-dot-general-carlisle"> hitting back.</a></b>

US Officials Blame China For The Rise In Tensions In The South China Sea

US Blames China For Rising Tensions In South China Sea -- Financial Times High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share t...

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Is The U.S. Becoming A Drug Dependent Country?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QA_xdkyLlhBxDTbZzqGE7ybY2-tgk2OepJOWxnRsViIfO21xRK9nQQXf_uYn64cKlq0jpIeDwaMP0a2CGeuJlZdVAechjo_VZmEJbMoYISe_gcb0nIBL6OPrgW7Ye5JXif0udrV73GrS/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QA_xdkyLlhBxDTbZzqGE7ybY2-tgk2OepJOWxnRsViIfO21xRK9nQQXf_uYn64cKlq0jpIeDwaMP0a2CGeuJlZdVAechjo_VZmEJbMoYISe_gcb0nIBL6OPrgW7Ye5JXif0udrV73GrS/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>70 Million Americans Taking Mind-Altering Drugs -- WND</b></span></div><br /><i>Exclusive: David Kupelian tells untold story of nation's rapidly escalating drug dependence</i><br /><br />The heroin-overdose death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has caused the media to focus, however fleetingly, on America’s drug problem.<br /><br />News accounts of the Oscar-winner’s tragic demise typically reference the startling increase in heroin-related deaths in the last four to five years. The problem, reporters explain, is the vast number of Americans addicted to prescription pain meds like OxyContin, many of whom discover heroin to be both cheaper and easier to obtain than the prescription opioid drugs to which they initially became addicted.<br /><br />That’s accurate as far as it goes. But by following the trail further, we arrive at a place far more shocking and consequential. We discover that not only has the traditional distinction between illegal “street drugs” and legal “therapeutic prescription drugs” become so blurred as to be almost nonexistent, but between America’s twin drug epidemics – one illegal, the other legal – well over 70 million Americans are using mind-altering drugs. And that number doesn’t include abusers of alcohol, which adds an additional 60 million Americans. So we’re really talking about 130 million strung-out Americans. How is this possible?<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.wnd.com/2014/02/70-million-americans-taking-mind-altering-drugs/">Read more </a></b>....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> 130 million Americans abuse drugs and alcohol ?!?!?!?! A part of me says that such a number is not possible .... but when I reflect on the people that I know ..... hmmmm .....<br /><br /><b>Update</b>: With such stats I guess one should also not be surprised when some are openly wondering if President Obama<b><a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/02/was_obama_stoned_during_bob_costas_interview.html"> is one of them</a></b>.

drugs Is The U.S. Becoming A Drug Dependent Country?

70 Million Americans Taking Mind-Altering Drugs -- WND Exclusive: David Kupelian tells untold story of nation's rapidly escalating drug ...

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Pentagon Brass: Marine Corps Times Does Not Conform To The New Marine Corps Message

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUao4niqntDAW818MiPHM5P8IAu4DBiqUxOSGXUS2iXPiMCcx6OBaUNnp3WN-aDJhmN-DFUfVBOB3HtyVZuM3z23uD22Sm7dTfdbNrE6opwQ43fYoS1jcRecWEKG-gZNmbeGpz7em2L00J/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUao4niqntDAW818MiPHM5P8IAu4DBiqUxOSGXUS2iXPiMCcx6OBaUNnp3WN-aDJhmN-DFUfVBOB3HtyVZuM3z23uD22Sm7dTfdbNrE6opwQ43fYoS1jcRecWEKG-gZNmbeGpz7em2L00J/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Marine Corps Times First Casualty In Headquarters' War To 'Professionalize' -- Marine Corps Times</b></span></div><br />Independent newspaper does not conform to new Marine Corps message, brass says<br /><br />Marine Corps leaders have ordered the independent Marine Corps Times newspaper removed from its prominent newsstand location at base exchange stores worldwide and placed instead in areas away from checkout lines, where it is harder to find and fewer copies are available.<br /><br />The move raises troubling questions about motive and closely follows a directive prohibiting commanders from using budget funds to buy Marine Corps Times and a number of other publications.<br /><br />Marine Corps Times is widely recognized for its comprehensive coverage of the Corps, focusing on everything from career tracks, to pay and benefits, family and spouse issues, and employment after leaving the military.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20140209/NEWS/302090012/Marine-Corps-Times-first-casualty-headquarters-war-professionalize-">Read more </a></b>....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: This is not right.

Pentagon Brass: Marine Corps Times Does Not Conform To The New Marine Corps Message

Marine Corps Times First Casualty In Headquarters' War To 'Professionalize' -- Marine Corps Times Independent newspaper does not...

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Britain's MOD Admits That The RAF Has Fired Missiles In Afghanistan Using US Drones

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2RSKmZ9cTA7uw_kHtF1zql0rOlmVFgCNA6Xny50mGjBRWyMN2jELJtNMlQMfgN2KJNhUYmvziQ4SFiZQrBbnOGe46pB-kkvdWEv2dHOYL3j_wY6t3c3YqrzrwgH3Xg2Ey_qwzlktxG1K/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2RSKmZ9cTA7uw_kHtF1zql0rOlmVFgCNA6Xny50mGjBRWyMN2jELJtNMlQMfgN2KJNhUYmvziQ4SFiZQrBbnOGe46pB-kkvdWEv2dHOYL3j_wY6t3c3YqrzrwgH3Xg2Ey_qwzlktxG1K/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RAF Has Fired Missiles In Afghanistan Using US Drones, MoD Reveals -- The Guardian</b></span></div><br />MoD discloses for first time how British crews using unmanned US aircraft have launched missiles in conflict zones<br /><br />British pilots have launched at least 39 missile strikes against suspected Taliban insurgents from American drones based in Afghanistan, according to new figures.<br /><br />The details have emerged from the Ministry of Defence, which has for the first time disclosed how RAF crews using unmanned US aircraft have launched missiles in conflict zones.<br /><br />The MoD insists British drone pilots always operate under UK rules of engagement, whatever asset they are flying.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/09/raf-british-crews-missiles-afghanistan-us-drones-mod">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update</b>:<a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/02/10/350004/campaigners-slam-uk-us-use-of-drones/"> Campaigners condemns UK, US use of drones </a>-- Press TV (Iran)<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> I am surprised by this level of cooperation .... the U.S. military is very protective over who uses their drone fleet let alone another country's armed forces.

Britain's MOD Admits That The RAF Has Fired Missiles In Afghanistan Using US Drones

RAF Has Fired Missiles In Afghanistan Using US Drones, MoD Reveals -- The Guardian MoD discloses for first time how British crews using unma...

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The Olympics, American Idol and Valentine's Day

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Everyone crowded into the Love Shack for another epic episode of IWS Radio this week and things got heated up in a hurry! Oh yeah! Matt-Man and Jayman took some time to review the brutal cold and snow of the last two weeks since our last show. Matt has been shoveling snow non-stop for what seems like forever and Jay has to clear snow and ice off his car and just pray that it starts every other day. We’ve both had enough of this shit! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">We gave a special IWS Radio shout out to the one and only Jamie, our favorite Canadian who celebrated a birthday this week! Then, Jamie did a Love, Canadian Style report for us. Turns out those Canadians not only celebrate Valentine’s Day just like we do, they do it better. Of course they do! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">There was also a shout out to Redneckville, Arkansas’ very own Tessa Kate who made it to Hollywood on American Idol! With that comes not only the support of our vast and diverse worldwide audience, but a standing invitation to Tessa to come on the show anytime she likes! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtogUir5ELDRyoFhn4aAsfj9awda52o0HF_vAVtZUlYAdu1r7qCwiy_FAfXL9-VOOOBSfCWgOPl4DEdqkZNdVThx0vyomc4jMOcgKvcDjhHfUbtvT1xrnDsvUF0JnW81bjjO7AEtFQVTX/s1600/Tessa+Kate+American+Idol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtogUir5ELDRyoFhn4aAsfj9awda52o0HF_vAVtZUlYAdu1r7qCwiy_FAfXL9-VOOOBSfCWgOPl4DEdqkZNdVThx0vyomc4jMOcgKvcDjhHfUbtvT1xrnDsvUF0JnW81bjjO7AEtFQVTX/s1600/Tessa+Kate+American+Idol.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Then we got down and dirty talking about V-Day and all the good and bad things about this silly made up holiday. Okay, mostly the bad. In fact, there isn’t much good about it at all. We did give the guys some advice on how to try and make it a good day for their women, but we all know whatever they do, it won’t be enough. But, Bobby Kraft did explain how, with a little planning it could be a win-win situation! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The Schmoopster updated us on the wild and crazy times of an unemployed chick. She talked about how exciting it was to attend an Employment Seminar and all the wonderful folks she met. Oh! And a nice older gentleman who lives close to the Bagwine Digs who has taken a bit of a shine to Schmoop. What a sweet story that was! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Slyder Balzcock reported live from Sockeye, Russia located on the banks of the Yellow Sea to tell us what all is happening at the Olympics. Also a nice shout out from the IWS Radio crew to Olympic skater Gracie Gold who grew up mostly in a town not too far from Redneckville! We’re all pulling for you Gracie!!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xotQuvnl03qJpAlKSDs0rQlN1XSdJa5OV2rObzsYlzXOspimgGPpRTsfGcC2VwwXJQ9BM_LSj0jE_0Syj7Gopk60VbVwzxV9yjxVsZ9q8In_AWe8ijsrHZPWXi_P-u0FG6DAqd8Iv-pe/s1600/Gracie+Gold+Hot+Sexy+Skater+Olympics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xotQuvnl03qJpAlKSDs0rQlN1XSdJa5OV2rObzsYlzXOspimgGPpRTsfGcC2VwwXJQ9BM_LSj0jE_0Syj7Gopk60VbVwzxV9yjxVsZ9q8In_AWe8ijsrHZPWXi_P-u0FG6DAqd8Iv-pe/s1600/Gracie+Gold+Hot+Sexy+Skater+Olympics.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Paul Piatt brought his A-game this week with some really uplifting and hopeful poetry! Drew Peacock voiced an ad for Kinky Karen’s Good Vibrations stores! That was HAWT! And of course Joshua debuted his first every movie review! Since it was a Valentine’s Show he decided to review “Brokeback Mountain” and boy does that sound like a great movie! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Plus we took a call from Debbie in New Jersey and talked Superstorm Sandy, Chris Christie, riding the bus to school, Catholic school girls and their sexy uniforms and all kinds of other fun stuff! What an awesome person Debbie is! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">All that and soooooo much more y’all! Totally check this show out! Please?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://player.cinchcast.com/?show_id=6035813&platformId=1&assetType=single" width="400"></iframe><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;">Find Additional Comedy Podcasts with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid" rel="nofollow">IWS Radio</a> on BlogTalkRadio</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div></div>

The Olympics, American Idol and Valentine's Day

Everyone crowded into the Love Shack for another epic episode of IWS Radio this week and things got heated up in a hurry! Oh yeah! Matt-Man ...

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Day 3 - Show Luge in Primetime!

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I have a few overall thoughts when it comes to the figure skating free skate. Pardon me this one last piece; then I’ll try to move on to other relevant topics.</span></span></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-11368ef6-1a14-1140-73bb-75143d6fa2d5" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">When it comes to a team that overall showcases great talent, like Russia, this kind of an event is wonderful. Even if the skater isn’t the best overall, they can still generate lot of points for their team by finishing second or third. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Because of this, a strong team like Russia can pull out ahead early and make the rest of the competition a bit anticlimactic. The four rounds of free skates weren’t incredibly tense because the order never changed: Russia was first, Canada second, the US third, Japan fourth, and Italy fifth. The biggest worry was that the skaters would have an incredibly awful performance and their score would plummet. But most had moderate to extreme success, so nothing changed. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Some year there may be some actual tension, but this year the most exciting bits of the figure skating team event were the first days. The last day was a bit...meh. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Considering the United States, I (being such an esteemed figure skating talking head...maybe) question their choice to use Jeremy Abbot in the short program, especially since it put the US in a hole right away that Meryl Davis and Charlie White had to dig the team out of. Given his terrible international experience, was it really worth it to have him in the competition at all? </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now perhaps the US squad knew that Russia and Canada were powerful enough that it would require a miracle to overtake them, and they knew that it wouldn’t kill their chances to get bronze. But he </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">started </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">us off on the wrong foot, and that’s never good. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tonight, fellow men’s skater Jason Brown did his long program, which was great except for one fall. Not only did he perform great jumps, he also has great personality on the ice. His greatest flaw is that he doesn’t have a quad yet - something that probably helped the team choose Abbot as the short program skater. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Moving to the contest as a whole, it will be interesting to see how the skaters who competed this weekend fare in their own individual events. Those skaters who were shaky might be relieved at the chance to perform early and get the jitters out. Those who had great performances might have a hard time keeping up the momentum. And there are just some that will be amazing no matter what. (Yulia Lipnitskaya, anyone?)</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mini Blurbs</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today Bob Costas is reporting from…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the inside of a diamond mine! (I mean, just look at his desk!)</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The overnight viewing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Last night I woke up at 12:30 to watch part of the men’s downhill. I knew that race would be incredibly long, so I made an attempt to time my viewing just as American Bode Miller and Norwegian Aksel Svindal were racing. (The two were 15 and 18 down the hill, respectively out of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">50</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> skiers.) I actually did a great job in the timing, starting with number 13. I had just narrowly missed the 11th skier, Austrian Matthias Mayer, who took the lead then and waited somewhere close to three hours while everyone else failed to catch up with him.</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After my depressing viewing of men’s downhill, I went back to bed and woke up at 2:45 for the women’s slopestyle final run. I tuned in right away, not wanting a repeat of Sage Kotsenburg’s immediate lead that I happened to miss. I knew the drill and how things were scored this time around. I didn’t </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to this time, since all the best scores were submitted in the second run, but I was glad that Jamie Anderson took gold and my viewing was worth it.</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tonight I don’t plan to wake up at all - I need a night to catch up on sleep, and there’s no overnight events that pique my interest!</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally figured out the difference</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The difference between biathlon and cross-country skiing (besides the whole shooting-targets thing) is that in cross-country skiing, the athletes all start together, and the first to cross the finish line wins. (Except when it comes to time trials, but that’s a different animal.) In biathlon, skiers are staggered, so they all work on times. This is because there’s only so many shooting targets, and you can’t have twenty skiers come into the shooting range all at once! It does make biathlon way more confusing to follow, since some skiers are finishing when others haven’t even begun. I guess if I had to pick which one is better, I’d pick x-country because once racers cross the finish line, it’s clear who gets gold, silver, and bronze right away, and you can stop watching.</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Harry Potter is done</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Way back in Torino, when the Harry Potter books and movies were still new and fresh and the in-thing to do, Swiss ski jumper Simon Amann was called “Harry Potter on skis” because of his resemblance to the character, I guess. I couldn’t really see it. But he won both the normal and long jumping hills in 2006 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2010, which made him a real icon. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Unfortunately, his time at the top seems to be done. He took tenth in the event, while current world champion, Poland’s Kamil Stoch dominated. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Czech update</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Martina Sablikova took silver in the 3000m speed skating event. I could be disappointed, but gold was taken by a Dutch woman, so it works out either way for me! </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It was slopestyle athlete Sarka Pancochova gave everyone a scare when she fell during her run and smacked the back of her head on the snow, cracking her helmet. She was laying still on the snow for a few seconds, but she ended up getting up and finishing her run. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today’s roundup</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: women’s hockey (sorry Germany, it looked like you had a chance for two periods), men’s downhill skiing, women’s slopestyle, men’s x-country, women’s biathlon, figure skating - including men’s, women’s, and ice dancing events - men’s ski jumping, and women’s speed skating. (It is a LOT easier to watch everything in the Winter Games!) </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rhyming fun</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Meryl Davis’ mom’s name is...Cheryl. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That blasted nesting doll</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I swore it changed positions, and was very concerned for the crowd at slopestyle. That might have been the lack of sleep getting to me, because watching the event in Primetime, I see that there’s rails on either side of Creepy Nesting Doll (CND?) and the men went behind it and the women took the front. </span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Weather</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Unlike the last couple of days in Sochi, the clouds were very present in the mountains. Oddly enough, they were also very present here in Denver.</span></span></div><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comraderie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: It might be me, but I am noticing a lot more kinsmanship and frendliness between athletes. When it comes to snowboarding, it seems like they are all best friends. Jamie Anderson was one of the first people to give a big hug to Torah Bright when she finished her run. In ski jumping, the silver and bronze medalists lifted the gold medal winner up in the air. And then there’s the figure skating team event, which brings this article full circle!</span></span></div><span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">More fun with the kiddos tomorrow. And Uncle K - curling begins tomorrow!</span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjbfdnZfvPujTM5jgTRosL7iI0Z9BYAJXCf7LC3HXmLWFnL7tLGDzMLReUtMApcwr65s0724hd13o9XhZ4eFKsCiFmPTttmbWDBD10s9SLkwFnb0bSKnpVQapsGkhqrJHl0_m9tqhekg/s1600/olympic_rings_568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjbfdnZfvPujTM5jgTRosL7iI0Z9BYAJXCf7LC3HXmLWFnL7tLGDzMLReUtMApcwr65s0724hd13o9XhZ4eFKsCiFmPTttmbWDBD10s9SLkwFnb0bSKnpVQapsGkhqrJHl0_m9tqhekg/s1600/olympic_rings_568.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>

Day 3 - Show Luge in Primetime!

I have a few overall thoughts when it comes to the figure skating free skate. Pardon me this one last piece; then I’ll try to move on to oth...

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God's word and SEVEN JUDGEMENTS

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_5n-y_yeG5o?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

God's word and SEVEN JUDGEMENTS

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USDA RECALLS 9 MILLION POUNDS of MEAT

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">*****FOOD ALERT*****</span> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MEAT DECLARED UNFIT FOR HUMAN FOOD </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DISEASED and UNSOUND ANIMALS </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTHzQSD39P4IMF3yADkM9TpycFBgWHD2r7K8cOLw80IOHIbLdUqXDiMmFrQJRCxRbDWycgmv3Ufl59tGfJCdci7y0WIj-4_n_wMJeIIynKZ_dhkv_KViSOZMuhJl1KT1NzT_MZJujqRU/s1600/BeefMeatPIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTHzQSD39P4IMF3yADkM9TpycFBgWHD2r7K8cOLw80IOHIbLdUqXDiMmFrQJRCxRbDWycgmv3Ufl59tGfJCdci7y0WIj-4_n_wMJeIIynKZ_dhkv_KViSOZMuhJl1KT1NzT_MZJujqRU/s1600/BeefMeatPIC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>  </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>*****MAJOR MEAT RECALL by USDA*****</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>COULD CAUSE MAJOR SUPPLY SHORTAGES</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FAST FOOD RESTAURANT CONCERNS RISE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/09/nearly-nine-million-pounds-of-meat-recalled-because-they-came-from-diseased-unsound-animals/" style="color: red;">http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/09/nearly-nine-million-pounds-of-meat-recalled-because-they-came-from-diseased-unsound-animals/</a></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The issue is how much of this made it to the shelves?  And could this cause a large outbreak of FOOD POISONING? </b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tfTnGsoyrTY?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TL8Gj9OIQSI?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><b>...developing...</b></div>

USDA RECALLS 9 MILLION POUNDS of MEAT

*****FOOD ALERT***** MEAT DECLARED UNFIT FOR HUMAN FOOD  DISEASED and UNSOUND ANIMALS   *****MAJOR MEAT RECALL by USDA***** COULD CAUSE MAJ...

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NATIONWIDE GUN CONFISCATION ALERT

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Jobs_and_People/Police/Siren_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Jobs_and_People/Police/Siren_2.gif" border="0" src="http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Jobs_and_People/Police/Siren_2.gif" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">*****<b>EMERGENCY 2ND AMENDMENT ALERT*****</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>They're coming for your guns!</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgXnGmyldtojy_ftyFWoR__oGnCO3IMJZVanVinWIJfA0EQbg9ViZA2MMk5_OdEcP1WGdLaKGbHy8qD57QuRFPo4KrELkPTp0sx9SnC48IIezbminmiKXyI-U-zUUfHpCJfga5fHjE1E/s1600/AR-15bushmaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgXnGmyldtojy_ftyFWoR__oGnCO3IMJZVanVinWIJfA0EQbg9ViZA2MMk5_OdEcP1WGdLaKGbHy8qD57QuRFPo4KrELkPTp0sx9SnC48IIezbminmiKXyI-U-zUUfHpCJfga5fHjE1E/s1600/AR-15bushmaster.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>NATIONWIDE GUN CONFISCATION BAN</b></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">  <span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mayors in cooperation with the globalist corporatist empire are planning NATIONWIDE GUN CONFISCATION across America.</b></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.infowars.com/mayor-nationwide-gun-confiscation-is-goal-of-mayors-against-illegal-guns/" style="color: red;">http://www.infowars.com/mayor-nationwide-gun-confiscation-is-goal-of-mayors-against-illegal-guns/</a></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EPoWUyM8v0M?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>This is HUGE NEWS!   Watch the EXTENSIVE COVERAGE here on INFOWARS:</b></span><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HQ610eK4z1I?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/I0C0ZkUCgq8?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe></div><br /><b>...developing...</b>

NATIONWIDE GUN CONFISCATION ALERT

***** EMERGENCY 2ND AMENDMENT ALERT***** They're coming for your guns! NATIONWIDE GUN CONFISCATION BAN     Mayors in cooperation with th...

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Why Russians Do Not Smile At You

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwXrAOuybfqsthhG5m1LiKND-hGDvYv1P7WB1E-YpO-iuCy_kxTZq8jLabL4EE94SPx-WABGS1C5JSl8WJUXqqwu919KTlEKtFyxaykLDOTc64eszQtZGmhoZ80PACENXZz6_m-BswP_Y/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwXrAOuybfqsthhG5m1LiKND-hGDvYv1P7WB1E-YpO-iuCy_kxTZq8jLabL4EE94SPx-WABGS1C5JSl8WJUXqqwu919KTlEKtFyxaykLDOTc64eszQtZGmhoZ80PACENXZz6_m-BswP_Y/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why Russians Aren't Smiling At You In Sochi -- Marina Koren, National Journal</b></span></div><br />The first rule about smiling at Russians is you do not smile at Russians.<br /><br />When Ed Leigh arrived in Sochi to cover the Winter Olympics, something struck him as odd: None of the Russians there returned his smiles.<br /><br />When Leigh asked a native why that was, the man told him, "In Russia only two types of people smile: idiots and rich people—and rich people don't walk on the street."<br /><br />For Russians, a smile in public is not the polite expression that Americans reflexively offer strangers on the street. A smiling person must have a good reason for doing it, and it should be obvious what that reason is. When people smile without hesitation—for no reason—Russians find those grins artificial or insincere. And they think those people have a few screws loose.<br /><br />Americans, on the other hand, seem to smile for any reason at all. The "American smile" has a long-standing bad reputation in Russia, explained Michael Bohm, the opinion-page editor of The Moscow Times, in an in-depth 2011 story on the matter.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/why-russians-aren-t-smiling-at-you-in-sochi-20140207">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> There is a lot of truth in this story. My nationality is Russian .... and I cannot recall my father ever smiling. My uncles and male cousins do not smile .... my Russian aunts and female cousins do (but they are the exception). As for myself .... I experienced this shocker a few years ago. I rented a villa by the ocean on the Big Island (Hawaii) where I invited everyone in the family to show up. I had a routine when I was there .... I would wake up at 6:00 AM and walk to the coffee shop to have a coffee and read the paper. At 7:00 AM I would walk to the beach and swim. By 8:00 AM I was back and reading my email and messages. By 9:00 AM I was making breakfast for everyone. But on one particular morning everything was going super-duper great. I woke up feeling great. The coffee was fantastic. The sunrise was beautiful. The newspaper was filled with positive international news. The swim at the beach was warm and comfortable. Going back home I read my email and I learned that I scored a major business deal. And in such a happy and positive mood .... I walked into the kitchen to make everyone breakfast. But while making breakfast both my mother and brother came up to me with a concerned look .... they were wondering why did I look so angry!!!!!<br /><br />Sighhhh .... <br /><br /><b>Update:</b> My GF just confirmed to me that I rarely smile .... which is unfortunate because (according to her) she loves my smile. Grrrr ..... you just cannot win.

Why Russians Do Not Smile At You

Why Russians Aren't Smiling At You In Sochi -- Marina Koren, National Journal The first rule about smiling at Russians is you do not smi...

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Mankind's Fascination With Footages Of Real-Life Deaths Is Now Becoming A Disturbing Trend Online

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcgM_ZsP5VTMgucZJ4N_LXssPzxktq3faTtr8KCL0iYyGCOxo3aLuPJGStOekQO0ArOC5CqTYKM-mzAH5gAJfrYEV13LbMclGjmKLgUhcpuEi5IGyM7e4ptdTPpjwwpqZZtUz63dyCU6f/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcgM_ZsP5VTMgucZJ4N_LXssPzxktq3faTtr8KCL0iYyGCOxo3aLuPJGStOekQO0ArOC5CqTYKM-mzAH5gAJfrYEV13LbMclGjmKLgUhcpuEi5IGyM7e4ptdTPpjwwpqZZtUz63dyCU6f/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On the Cordoba front during the Spanish Civil War, a Loyalist fighter is killed in action in September 1936. <a href="http://life.time.com/history/robert-capas-falling-soldier-the-modest-birth-of-an-iconic-picture/#1">Robert Capa—Magnum</a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>End Game: Footage Of Real-Life Deaths Has Become A Disturbing New Online Commodity -- The Independent</b></span></div><br />Thirty years ago, television editors would have been responsible for death censorship. But, with the spread of video recording technology and the rise of user-generated video sites, the power now lies with the little man<br /><br />One sunny November afternoon last year, in a suburb of Los Angeles popular with street racers, a CCTV camera picked up footage of an eruption of smoke 100m down the road, first thin and white, then thick and black.<br /><br />Moments later, a car pulled over by its source. A man got out, holding a camera. The film he took – shaking and swearing as it goes – records one minute and six seconds of the aftermath of a nauseating car crash. There was no way for the filmmaker to know that inside the crumpled, flaming chassis was the actor Paul Walker, star of the Fast & Furious film series. The clip ends as the man runs to a safe distance down the pavement.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/end-game-footage-of-reallife-deaths-has-become-a-disturbing-new-online-commodity-9112229.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Robert Capa's <b><a href="http://life.time.com/history/robert-capas-falling-soldier-the-modest-birth-of-an-iconic-picture/#1">"Fallen Soldier" </a></b>published buy LIFE Magazine in 1936 is probably the first ever picture of someone being killed .... and it created an enormous stir then. Flash forward to today .... advancements in technology have made it all to easy to now capture moments of death from many of the world's war zones today. As for this blog .... I have a policy of not showing such videos .... for I have seen more than enough in the past few years.

Mankind's Fascination With Footages Of Real-Life Deaths Is Now Becoming A Disturbing Trend Online

On the Cordoba front during the Spanish Civil War, a Loyalist fighter is killed in action in September 1936. Robert Capa—Magnum End Game: Fo...

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If Credit Is the Lifeblood of Our Economy...

...then we are officially @#$%ed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR_5XRQVGZ3QP8isyN1oUXsMGVgiW1JRMFLxjW_vYCfR4hHAqOqeXpgAhLakNVP6jgVZfgqGcbmUFv8ULU7jLLR5FCKSJ2ZRiCtSANJA9k-NtwrZNss2qyUrYPVreQpnOKn5XjHBXOt0/s1600/Bank+Credit+Growth+vs.+Savings+Growth.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR_5XRQVGZ3QP8isyN1oUXsMGVgiW1JRMFLxjW_vYCfR4hHAqOqeXpgAhLakNVP6jgVZfgqGcbmUFv8ULU7jLLR5FCKSJ2ZRiCtSANJA9k-NtwrZNss2qyUrYPVreQpnOKn5XjHBXOt0/s320/Bank+Credit+Growth+vs.+Savings+Growth.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Credit growth (in red) is slowing.<br />Savings growth (in blue) is slowing.<br /><br />Without either of those two, I guess we'll just have to rely on wage growth. Good luck on that one. Sigh.<br /><br />This is not investment advice.<br /><br /><b>See Also:</b><br /><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2014/02/low-cd-rates-lending-drought-and.html">Low CD Rates: Lending Drought and Savings Monsoon</a><br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=rVb">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart</a>

If Credit Is the Lifeblood of Our Economy...

...then we are officially @#$%ed. Credit growth (in red) is slowing. Savings growth (in blue) is slowing. Without either of those two, I gue...

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FX SCANDAL could exceed Libor scandal

<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The SHTF is getting really close</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">HINT:  Keep an eye on Wall Street :-)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MARKET RIGGING investigations </b></span><br /><b><br /></b><b> </b><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/fx-fixing-scandal-boe-condoned-traders-private-client-data-sharing-1435479" style="color: red;">http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/fx-fixing-scandal-boe-condoned-traders-private-client-data-sharing-1435479</a></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Is it about that time that there could be say, a run on the banks?  I'm really not sure how to prepare for this.  Some say GOLD and SILVER.  Others say CASH.  Still others say LEAD BULLION.  Stay tuned...</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Just imagine what's going on behind the scenes here in the U.S.A.</b>  <b>If some prominent whistleblower rises out of the financial system we could see some real resets and computer driven chaos. :-)</b></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SObOOXhwYQI?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>...developing...</b></div>

FX SCANDAL could exceed Libor scandal

The SHTF is getting really close HINT:  Keep an eye on Wall Street :-) MARKET RIGGING investigations    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/fx-fixing-s...

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Edward Snwoden Used Readily Available and Low Cost Tools To Breech NSA Security

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eB7QwpMa25Jzw3PScwd4agmLiYHBABT_yUxYy3lqzxW7hDFLfqXaMnVEeSr5XhbzqoiVMWtRyvwz8UX0xGlBLQZ50V00fEGZGpjVr2rnHlRPpNrw7AI4X3dLK6zFlTufTzLMz77W9Zd9/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eB7QwpMa25Jzw3PScwd4agmLiYHBABT_yUxYy3lqzxW7hDFLfqXaMnVEeSr5XhbzqoiVMWtRyvwz8UX0xGlBLQZ50V00fEGZGpjVr2rnHlRPpNrw7AI4X3dLK6zFlTufTzLMz77W9Zd9/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, an analyst with a U.S. defence contractor, is seen in this still image taken from video during an interview by The Guardian in his hotel room in Hong Kong June 6, 2013. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro offered asylum to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on July 5, 2013 in defiance of Washington, which is demanding his arrest for divulging details of secret U.S. spy programs. Picture taken June 6, 2013. MANDATORY CREDIT. Credit: Reuters/Glenn Greenwald/Laura Poitras/Courtesy of The Guardian/Handout via Reuters</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Snowden Used Low-Cost Tool to Best N.S.A. -- New York Times</b></span></div><br />WASHINGTON — Intelligence officials investigating how Edward J. Snowden gained access to a huge trove of the country’s most highly classified documents say they have determined that he used inexpensive and widely available software to “scrape” the National Security Agency’s networks, and kept at it even after he was briefly challenged by agency officials.<br /><br />Using “web crawler” software designed to search, index and back up a website, Mr. Snowden “scraped data out of our systems” while he went about his day job, according to a senior intelligence official. “We do not believe this was an individual sitting at a machine and downloading this much material in sequence,” the official said. The process, he added, was “quite automated.”<br /><br />The findings are striking because the N.S.A.’s mission includes protecting the nation’s most sensitive military and intelligence computer systems from cyberattacks, especially the sophisticated attacks that emanate from Russia and China. Mr. Snowden’s “insider attack,” by contrast, was hardly sophisticated and should have been easily detected, investigators found. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/us/snowden-used-low-cost-tool-to-best-nsa.html?ref=politics&_r=0">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> You would think that the NSA .... with all of it's money and expertise .... would have prevented such a breech. Clearly they were either asleep and/or to overconfident on their own capabilities and security measures. What an expensive and costly way to learn from your mistakes.

Edward Snwoden Used Readily Available and Low Cost Tools To Breech NSA Security

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, an analyst with a U.S. defence contractor, is seen in this still image taken from video during an intervie...

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Journalists may be GUILTY OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Glenn Greenwald warns of CRIMINALIZING JOURNALISTS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>America is heading for the eventual federalization of media...</b></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RZkXzYhygvY?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe> <b>...developing...</b></div>

Journalists may be GUILTY OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT

Glenn Greenwald warns of CRIMINALIZING JOURNALISTS America is heading for the eventual federalization of media... ...developing...

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Eonomic Collapse Imminent: PREPARE NOW

<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The U.S. DEBT BUBBLE is OVERBLOWN</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The PRECIOUS METALS are OVERSOLD</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you ready for SHTF?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The GOLD MARKET is rigged worse than Libor...</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>I'm thinking guys like Greg Hunter were let go from mainstream media for a reason.  That reason is likely because they were getting too close to the truth.  Many concerned Americans have resorted to YOU TUBE and various other media creations to get the word out.  Are you ready for the coming financial debacle?  You better listen to this:</b></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AwxIa3pBIiI?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>...developing...</b></div>

Eonomic Collapse Imminent: PREPARE NOW

The U.S. DEBT BUBBLE is OVERBLOWN The PRECIOUS METALS are OVERSOLD Are you ready for SHTF? The GOLD MARKET is rigged worse than Libor... I&#...

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U.S. Vows To Defend Japan In The Event Of War Against China

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/G-xAHCgTeNc" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>U.S. Stresses Commitment To Defend Japan In Washington Talks -- Reuters</b></span></div><br />(Reuters) - The United States on Friday stressed its commitment to the defense of Japan and stability in the Asia-Pacific region against a backdrop of increasingly assertive territorial claims by China.<br /><br />After a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship, which both countries say remains robust in spite of a bump after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a controversial war shrine in December.<br /><br />Kerry said the United States and Japan were committed to closer security collaboration and stressed the long-standing U.S. commitment to defend Japan if it is attacked.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/08/us-usa-japan-idUSBREA161T020140208?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More News On U.S. Commitment To Defend Japan In The Event Of War Against China</b></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/02/08/national/u-s-vows-to-defend-japan-if-conflict-erupts-in-east-china-sea/#.Uvepv4W0ykM">U.S. vows to defend Japan if conflict erupts in East China Sea </a>-- Japan Times/AFP<br /><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/140207/us-committed-defend-japan-over-territorial-claim-e-chi">US Secretary of State John Kerry vows to back Japan in East China Sea </a>-- Global Post/Kyodo News<br /><a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-us-will-defend-japan-in-case-of-east-china-sea-conflict-john-kerry-1960464">US will defend Japan in case of East China Sea conflict: John Kerry</a> -- DNAIndia<br /><a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1423677/us-secretary-state-john-kerry-vows-back-japan-east-china-sea">US Secretary of State John Kerry vows to back Japan in East China Sea</a> -- South China Morning Post<br /><a href="http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001015970">Japan, U.S. agree to prevent expansion of China ADIZ </a>-- Japan News<br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/japan-assures-us-calm-response-china-tension-22415438">Japan Assures US of Calm Response to China Tension</a> -- AP

U.S. Vows To Defend Japan In The Event Of War Against China

U.S. Stresses Commitment To Defend Japan In Washington Talks -- Reuters (Reuters) - The United States on Friday stressed its commitment to t...

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US Navy Sailors Seek £600m Damages From The Owners Of Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant For Radiation Related Illnesses

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2011-03/hires_110312-N-SB672-108a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2011-03/hires_110312-N-SB672-108a.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The USS Ronald Reagan is underway in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, March 12, 2011. The Ronald Reagan has been directed to Japan following a 8.9 earthquake and tsunami to render humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as directed. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dylan McCord </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>US Navy Sailors Seek £600m Damages From Owners Of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant -- The Telegraph</b></span></div><br />Nearly three years after the Fukushima disaster, more than 70 US Navy sailors who participated in rescue operations claim that radiation exposure has left them sickened for life <br /><br />Dozens of American sailors who assisted Japan during the 2011 nuclear disaster are suing the operators of Fukushima power plant for more than £612 million (US$1bn) in damages, claiming that they have become sick from radiation exposure. <br /><br />The sailors were on board the USS Ronald Reagan super-carrier when it was diverted to northeast Japan following the devastation of the March 11, 2011 earthquake which triggered a tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster. <br /><br />As they helped rescue victims and evacuate disaster zones, the claimants allege that they drank, bathed and waded through water contaminated with radiation from the damaged nuclear power plant and were reportedly exposed to radioactive plumes. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10624946/US-Navy-sailors-seek-600m-damages-from-owners-of-Fukushima-nuclear-power-plant.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> <a href="http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_02_09/US-Navy-sailors-sue-Fukushima-operators-for-600m-3939/">US Navy sailors sue Fukushima operators for £600m</a> -- Voice of Russia/The Telegraph<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> 79 US sailors have filed in this suit .... and this number is rising. If more sailors become sick .... and I suspect that this will be the case .... expect this to be an even bigger story in the next few years.

US Navy Sailors Seek £600m Damages From The Owners Of Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant For Radiation Related Illnesses

The USS Ronald Reagan is underway in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, March 12, 2011. The Ronald Reagan has been directed to Japan foll...

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Why Is China Being Permitted To Ignore Nuclear Suppliers Group Guidelines

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9W5hXnelS7xPA0ARRDGwEYhfvQg93KkggyZDangw9naxkJ7Z5fPHx5jyilYEoyWuInDv2Y_IU_JcB27467DaCU-3gQ1vBHDJ_J4Q_spCSzJN8hipHgwG5KGXxUxLbzvGCd5UV1uBvdkM/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9W5hXnelS7xPA0ARRDGwEYhfvQg93KkggyZDangw9naxkJ7Z5fPHx5jyilYEoyWuInDv2Y_IU_JcB27467DaCU-3gQ1vBHDJ_J4Q_spCSzJN8hipHgwG5KGXxUxLbzvGCd5UV1uBvdkM/s1600/200px-US-DefenseIntelligenceAgency-Seal.svg.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">China Making A Mockery Of The Nuclear Suppliers Group, And No One Seems To Care -- Vaughan Winterbottom, The Interpreter</span></b></div><br />China is pushing forward with plans to finance and construct  new nuclear power plants in Pakistan, in direct violation of its obligations to the <a href="http://www.nuclearsuppliersgroup.org/" target="_blank">Nuclear Suppliers Group</a> (NSG). Yet <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/10/china-pakistan-and-the-nuclear-suppliers-group-commitments" target="_blank">barely a whisper of protest has been heard</a>. US officials have appeased their Indian friends<a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-10-16/news/43107332_1_china-and-pakistan-chashma-chinese-foreign-ministry" target="_blank"> by expressing 'concern' about recent deals</a>. When it comes to nuclear non-proliferation, however, 'concern' is the diplomatic equivalent of a yawn. <br /><br />China has a long history of cooperation with Pakistan on nuclear technology. Beijing sees the country as a useful counterweight to a nuclear India, and it was instrumental in the development of Pakistan's first two reactors, at Chashma in Punjab province. <br /><br />China joined the NSG in 2004. Member states are subject to stringent rules on the export of nuclear technology and materials, which are intended to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2014/02/06/China-is-making-a-mockery-of-the-NPT-and-no-one-but-India-seems-to-care.aspx">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: I cannot help but feel that we are on the verge of entering a period in which uncontrollable nuclear proliferation will be the norm rather than the opposite. So much for leaving the world in a safer place for our children.

Why Is China Being Permitted To Ignore Nuclear Suppliers Group Guidelines

China Making A Mockery Of The Nuclear Suppliers Group, And No One Seems To Care -- Vaughan Winterbottom, The Interpreter China is pushing f...

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Trading and Investing in PRECIOUS METALS

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #741b47;">*****A GOLD and SILVER webinar*****</span> </b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Apple Investor talks PRECIOUS METALS </b></span></div><br />The PRECIOUS METALS are making news again as the price of the metals have fallen into OVERSOLD TERRITORY and reports are surfacing of a growing demand in PHYSICAL BULLION in Dubai, various Arab nations, Asia, and the Far East.<br /><br />There is a growing market for NUMISMATIC COINS and collectors are taking advantage of FIRST STRIKE and various GRADED COINS and ROUNDS to get a head start on growing some long term investments.   An unusually large demand of American Silver Eagles is also being noted by the U.S. MINT which is also causing an increased interest in physical precious metals.<br /><br />There are also various QUASI-NUMISMATIC COLLECTIBLE coins and rounds being produced by various mints that have a becoming very popular with collectors which are resulting in a growing demand carrying higher premium prices and incredibly inflated resale value due to their limited mintage.<br /><br />When it comes to the discussion of PRECIOUS METALS there are several opinions on the subject among investment enthusiasts including constitutional money, their asset value, their inherent asset protection properties, collectible value, and potential investment return, all of which is now even making the news on CNBC and other news sources nationwide.<br /><br />There is also an indication in the FUTURES MARKETS that the GOLD and SILVER sector has been heavily shorted and is now in a curious condition of being OVERSOLD.   Investors are watching this sector carefully as a large SHORT SQUEEZE may soon develop not only with the metals themselves but along with various mining stocks and electronic trading funds such as GLD and SLV and directly in the futures market on the COMEX.<br /><br />This is becoming a HOT SECTOR again and the word out for those who are interested in this type of investment is to "KEEP STACKIN'." <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hSI_qUI9uEw?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

Trading and Investing in PRECIOUS METALS

*****A GOLD and SILVER webinar***** The Apple Investor talks PRECIOUS METALS The PRECIOUS METALS are making news again as the price of the ...

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U.S. Aid To Afghanistan Will Continue After The Departure Of U.S. And NATO Forces

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140121-M-EX245-024a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140121-M-EX245-024a.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A U.S. Marine provides security during a joint patrol with Afghan local police outside Camp Dwyer in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 21, 2014. The Marines are assigned to Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Eric S. Wilterdink</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>U.S. Aid Plan Seeks to Shield Afghanistan From End to War Economy -- New York Times/Reuters</b></span></div><br />KABUL — The Obama administration will unveil on Monday a package of aid initiatives it hopes will help Afghanistan, still one of the world's poorest countries after a dozen years of massive international aid efforts, shield itself from the departure of foreign troops and an expected drop in assistance.<br /><br />The announcement from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of three new development initiatives worth almost $300 million is part of a U.S. effort to ensure that Afghanistan, as its 'war economy' ends, won't slide backwards into greater poverty or reverse gains made over the last 12 years in health, education and other areas.<br /><br />"The question is, what can we do now to make sure Afghanistan is as healthy, sustainable and feasible as possible going forward," Larry Sampler, the agency's chief official for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in an interview.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/02/09/world/asia/09reuters-usa-afghanistan.html?smid=tw-share">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment</b>: $300 million in aid for a country as large as Afghanistan that is in the middle of a brutal civil war and is now facing the withdrawal of U.S./NATO security forces .... this is all fantasy.

U.S. Aid To Afghanistan Will Continue After The Departure Of U.S. And NATO Forces

A U.S. Marine provides security during a joint patrol with Afghan local police outside Camp Dwyer in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan. 21,...

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Low CD Rates: Lending Drought and Savings Monsoon

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqSmu4ty8m-FzY-T4A4PhzUdUzXTq5jPZ3epIXhHKLEhbXxzf0FhewLuk2pp3hE4swlgOzcmvr5SKpeNFmoVivHic8xtIlWGkAUKYsFl-NHGK3pFikyb7oa_RRMiIoTb5fV2_HVx7xwM/s1600/Credit,+Savings,+and+Rates.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqSmu4ty8m-FzY-T4A4PhzUdUzXTq5jPZ3epIXhHKLEhbXxzf0FhewLuk2pp3hE4swlgOzcmvr5SKpeNFmoVivHic8xtIlWGkAUKYsFl-NHGK3pFikyb7oa_RRMiIoTb5fV2_HVx7xwM/s320/Credit,+Savings,+and+Rates.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />The data in red (left scale) shows bank credit of all commercial banks divided by total savings deposits at all depository institutions. Think of it as a lending to savings ratio proxy.<br /><br />The data in black (right scale) shows the 5-year CD rate (national rate of banks).<br /><br />The data in blue (right scale) shows the 5-year treasury yield.<br /><br />I would argue that the red data is a primary driver of interest rates (perhaps not the only one). All things being equal, as people deposit more money in banks relative to what banks are lending, interest rates go down. Put another way, banks have no incentive to offer great interest rates on savings when there is so much money being deposited.<br /><br />Note that the 5-year treasury (in blue) has recently tried to diverge from this pattern. This is not its first attempt. Its last attempt (back in 2011) failed miserably. For what it is worth, I'm not a believer that it will succeed this time either. Rising interest rate environment? I don't think so. Could be wrong of course. Time will tell.<br /><br />And lastly, note the extreme lack of a recovery in the lending to savings ratio (in red). It's just been down, down, down.<br /><br />Here is a closer look at that lending to savings ratio over the past year (using weekly data instead of smoothed semiannual data).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVWM17zb4X_6eQsQyy9zmRcfiKget6AbSs1fWdr-vzeUhEGknAEc2OjTVqkECVshB7UccaUL4h-ZgzvCe7y_PqUvQUN9E4MOikMFVnOwzXhVYUj9Z81qZpLclwpu6LzzCo6ygf-0dtgM/s1600/Bank+Credit+vs.+Savings.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVWM17zb4X_6eQsQyy9zmRcfiKget6AbSs1fWdr-vzeUhEGknAEc2OjTVqkECVshB7UccaUL4h-ZgzvCe7y_PqUvQUN9E4MOikMFVnOwzXhVYUj9Z81qZpLclwpu6LzzCo6ygf-0dtgM/s320/Bank+Credit+vs.+Savings.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Once again, it's just down, down, down. The lending drought and savings monsoon continues. Those patiently waiting for higher CD rates and higher 5-year treasury yields may be very disappointed. But what's new? <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-long-term-death-of-real-yields.html">They've generally been disappointed for 30+ years.</a><br /><br />This is not investment advice.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=rUN">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart #1</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=rUR">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart #2</a>

Low CD Rates: Lending Drought and Savings Monsoon

Click to enlarge. The data in red (left scale) shows bank credit of all commercial banks divided by total savings deposits at all depository...

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Planning de la semaine du 11 au 15 février 2014

<br /><br /><h2><strong><span style="color: #005c9b; line-height: 113%;">Permanences</span></strong><br /></h2><ul><li>Le <strong>Conseil Général du Loiret</strong> sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le lundi 11 février de 9h à 12h30,<br />- le mardi 12 février de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le mercredi 13 février de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le jeudi 14 février de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le vendredi 15 février de 13h30 à 17h.</li><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.fr/2009/01/egee-nouveau-partenaire-la-maison-de.html">EGEE</a></strong> - lundi 11 février de 13h30 à 17h (sur rendez-vous)</li><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/boutique-de-gestion.html">Boutique de Gestion</a></strong> - vendredi 15 février de 09h à 12h30 (sur rendez-vous)<br /></ul><h2><strong><span style="color: #005c9b; line-height: 113%;">Ateliers</span></strong></h2><ul><li><b>CV</b> - mardi 12 février de 09h à 12h30</li><br /><li><b>Lettre de Motivation</b> - mardi 12 février de 13h30 à 17h</li><br /><li><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.fr/2014/09/simulations-dentretien-assistees-par.html">Préparation à l'entretien/Simulation Vidéo</a></b> - jeudi 14 février de 9h à 17h</li><br /><li><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.fr/2008/12/atelier-parcours-emploi.html">Parcours Emploi</a></b> - jeudi 14 février de 14h à 17h</li><br /><li><strong>Pôle-emploi.fr</strong> - vendredi 15 février de 10h à 11h30</li><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/07/atelier-situtilises-tu-trouves.html">Sit'Utilises tu trouves</a></strong> - vendredi 15 février de 14h à 16h</li></ul>

Planning de la semaine du 11 au 15 février 2014

Permanences Le Conseil Général du Loiret sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans - le lundi 11 fé...

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Afghan Soldiers Are Demanding That President Karzai Sign The U.S. - Afghan Security Agreement

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140203-A-CB167-002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.defense.gov/imgHandler.ashx?h=350&w=0&img=/dodcmsshare/photoessay/2014-02/hires_140203-A-CB167-002a.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Strait, left, meets with one of his counterparts at the Afghan national police headquarters in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Feb. 3, 2014. Strait is assigned to a security force advise and assist team attached to the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Eric Provost</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Afghan Soldiers Desperate For Pact With U.S., Criticize President Karzai For Delay -- Washington Post</b></span></div><br />ZABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan soldiers fighting the Taliban have grown confident in their ability to combat an agile insurgency. But for those on the front lines, one question casts a shadow over the young army’s progress.<br /><br />What if the United States — and its funding — vanish from Afghanistan?<br /><br />That outcome has become increasingly probable with President Hamid Karzai’s refusal to sign a bilateral security agreement that would allow the United States to maintain a small military presence here beyond 2014. Now, Afghan troops are beginning to raise their voices against Karzai, demanding at great personal risk that he sign the pact.<br /><br />“If the international community leaves, there is no question that we will lose ground to the Taliban,” Col. Mohammad Dost, a battalion commander in Zabul province, said in an interview. “It’s the biggest worry for every soldier now.”<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghan-soldiers-desperate-for-pact-with-us-criticize-president-karzai-for-delay/2014/02/08/7caf4b4a-891b-11e3-a760-a86415d0944d_story.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> I sense in this article that if a U.S. - Afghan security pact is not signed .... many of these Afghan soldiers are going to desert .... and who would blame them.

Afghan Soldiers Are Demanding That President Karzai Sign The U.S. - Afghan Security Agreement

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Strait, left, meets with one of his counterparts at the Afghan national police headquarters in Jalalabad, Afg...

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European Weakness Revealed When It Comes To Russia And Ukraine

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nWZAY6FtuIo" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The F-Bomb Heard Around the World -- Walter Russel Mead, American Interest</b></span></div><br />EU Greatly Offended - Again<br /><br />Victoria Nuland, the Assistant Secretary of State whose intemperate remark about the European Union were secretly recorded and released on YouTube (allegedly by the Russians), probably wouldn’t have received high marks from Emily Post. But if Nuland’s wording is crude, her analysis is essentially correct, as yet another secretly recorded conversation reveals—this one between Helga Schmid, a representative of EU High Commissioner Catherine Ashton, and the EU Ambassador in Ukraine:<br /><br /><i> HS: “I just wanted to tell you one more thing in confidence. The Americans are going around and saying we’re too soft, while they’re moving more firmly toward sanctions. […] Well, we’re not soft! We’re about to issue a very strongly worded statement about Bulatov!“</i><br /><br />Newsflash to the EU: A very strongly worded statement rarely accomplishes much in the realm of international diplomacy, and it certainly is not going to persuade Russia to abandon its quest to become a great power. <a href="http://www.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2013/12/03/the-great-ukrainian-knife-fight-2/">Baguettes are no good in knife fights</a>, as we’re fond of saying.<br /><br />One can, however, hardly blame the Europeans for being a little offended by Ms Nuland. We all have our moments of frustration, but in this world of phone taps and leaks diplomats must watch what they say. A good rule for all of us: if you don’t want it repeated on the front page of the newspaper, don’t say it in the first place.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.the-american-interest.com/blog/2014/02/07/the-f-bomb-heard-around-the-world/">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> "Baguettes are no good in knife fights" .... what a priceless statement. As to what can the EU and the U.S. do when it comes to the Ukrainian crisis .... I have to say not much. This is an internal Ukrainian crisis that has deeply divided the country along political and cultural lines .... and outsiders have limited (if any) real influence. Ukraine's Russian minority want to keep close ties with Russia, and those in western Ukraine want closer ties to the West .... hence the division. Even the Kremlin (aside from the comment of a senior aid that Russia will <b><a href="http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.ca/2014/02/senior-putin-aide-russia-will-intervene.html">intervene with it's military</a></b>) is staying out of this mess .... preferring to observe and use what <b><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/02/russia-presses-ukraine-debt-amid-protests-201428143340764412.html">limited financial resources</a></b> it has to influence the debate knowing all too well that if they do get directly involved, it will only polarize the situation even more.

European Weakness Revealed When It Comes To Russia And Ukraine

The F-Bomb Heard Around the World -- Walter Russel Mead, American Interest EU Greatly Offended - Again Victoria Nuland, the Assistant Secret...

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Map Depicting The USSR Gulag Camps From 1923 To 1961

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Map depicting the USSR Gulag camps, which existed between 1923 and 1961 <a href="http://t.co/ATfdkRTGqK">pic.twitter.com/ATfdkRTGqK</a><br />— Tom T. (@VRWCTexan) <a href="https://twitter.com/VRWCTexan/statuses/432001721082982400">February 8, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Map Depicting The USSR Gulag Camps From 1923 To 1961

Map depicting the USSR Gulag camps, which existed between 1923 and 1961 pic.twitter.com/ATfdkRTGqK — Tom T. (@VRWCTexan) February 8, 2014

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A Sign Of The Times

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0mxqNcJo7ISpeWwPuoNmq9Eq4h8gOXiOhNRsgSKuI3gzKybLBEe0Bl09UK6rVGo5qx-akyL-f7hxabPdhno6QjfneeHqyQJQn5Y8Co1TqbhQWhshWjppRBytF94LdPez39k0ogq1Zm8S/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0mxqNcJo7ISpeWwPuoNmq9Eq4h8gOXiOhNRsgSKuI3gzKybLBEe0Bl09UK6rVGo5qx-akyL-f7hxabPdhno6QjfneeHqyQJQn5Y8Co1TqbhQWhshWjppRBytF94LdPez39k0ogq1Zm8S/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Google, which became the world’s largest online advertiser through its dominant search engine, has a market capitalization of $393.5 billion. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Google Briefly Tops Exxon As Second-Most Valuable Company -- Bloomberg Businessweek</b></span></div><br />Google Inc. (GOOG:US) briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM:US) as the second-most valuable company, trailing only Apple (AAPL:US) Inc. and underscoring the growing role of technology in the economy.<br /><br />Google, which became the world’s largest online advertiser through its dominant search engine, had a higher market capitalization during intraday trading today before falling back at the close in New York to a value of $395.4 billion compared to Exxon’s $395.7 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Apple had a market value of $463.5 billion. Software company Microsoft Corp. is No. 4 with $303.5 billion. <br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-07/google-passes-exxon-to-become-second-most-valuable-u-dot-s-dot-company">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Fadel Gheit, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York is right ..... “It’s the sign of the times .... out with the old and in with the new.”

A Sign Of The Times

Google, which became the world’s largest online advertiser through its dominant search engine, has a market capitalization of $393.5 billion...

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Team USA winners lose with the IRS

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The IRS and Winter Olympic winners</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwncoUbNgsNKINaW3SqlrkeaUAETTT6Fqs3qArqSpukc5ZBnBvI-_9n64s0BhTZtCkKBLvkRIi51P28ossmnFC3bTUwRS807KVmgsGeLPx5kSML1TaD1AK751UtV9cRBI8yuJNYpugIOY/s1600/UncleSAM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwncoUbNgsNKINaW3SqlrkeaUAETTT6Fqs3qArqSpukc5ZBnBvI-_9n64s0BhTZtCkKBLvkRIi51P28ossmnFC3bTUwRS807KVmgsGeLPx5kSML1TaD1AK751UtV9cRBI8yuJNYpugIOY/s1600/UncleSAM.jpeg" width="149" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Go TEAM USA!  :-)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Welcome back to the IRS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>WINNERS?  or LOSERS? </b></span></div><b><br /></b><b>Come back and owe the IRS for your fake gold....What?...</b><br /><br /><b>U.S. Olympic metal winners could own the IRS up to $10,000...</b><br /><br /><b><b>Not only do you win a medal which is not pure gold but you get to pay a health IRS tax upon returning to the good ol' U.S.A.</b> </b><br /><b><br /></b><b>WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:</b><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NBzk0s19tR8?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><b>...developing...</b></div>

Team USA winners lose with the IRS

The IRS and Winter Olympic winners Go TEAM USA!  :-) Welcome back to the IRS WINNERS?  or LOSERS? Come back and owe the IRS for your fake go...

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Do people know what's going on with America?

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The SHTF SCENARIO is approaching</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>When everything completely falls apart soon it will be too late...</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dPrhcTO1Wlg?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>...developing...</b></div>

Do people know what's going on with America?

The SHTF SCENARIO is approaching When everything completely falls apart soon it will be too late... ...developing...

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It's Getting Worse In Venezuela

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8HA9S2nCtqYl9Z8TCYXK2WnR-aZfOt26hL6Fom_2aZ3euf0wOb_00WDcVp-Tx2zIIA4ZUfqNTaYj_tHVNzwJdf6JGtvAbJWdl5Mc6V3adr1cbdw4E_TjhbN9pJYqevN35bHMEogRMWjq/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8HA9S2nCtqYl9Z8TCYXK2WnR-aZfOt26hL6Fom_2aZ3euf0wOb_00WDcVp-Tx2zIIA4ZUfqNTaYj_tHVNzwJdf6JGtvAbJWdl5Mc6V3adr1cbdw4E_TjhbN9pJYqevN35bHMEogRMWjq/s1600/2013-09-12-BZSSR.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A man walks past big samples of Venezuelan bank notes at the Central Bank headquarters in Caracas August 22, 2013. Credit: <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/01/us-venezuela-forex-idUSBRE99019S20131001">Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins</a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venezuela’s Biggest Enemy — Hyperinflation -- Andres Oppenheimer. Miami Herald</b></span></div><br />When I interviewed the head of the International Monetary Fund’s Western Hemisphere division last week, he didn’t mince words about the possibility of Venezuela descending into even greater economic chaos.<br /><br />Alejandro Werner, the senior IMF official, said there is a “high” probability that Venezuela, which already has the world’s highest inflation rate, will see even higher rates this year.<br /><br />Noting that Venezuela’s annual inflation rate reached 56 percent last year, I asked him whether a country can maintain such inflation rates without falling into hyper-inflation —a situation in which the local currency becomes virtually worthless, merchants close down their stores, the entire economy collapses, and in many cases governments end up falling.<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/08/3920434/andres-oppenheimer-venezuelas.html">Read more</a></b> ....<br /><br /><b>My Comment:</b> Having grown up in a society where the government controlled the price and distribution of goods (Russia) .... I know that such policies will always (I repeat always) result in shortages and the devaluation of the currency. The Venezuelans are beginning to learn this hard lesson right now.

It's Getting Worse In Venezuela

A man walks past big samples of Venezuelan bank notes at the Central Bank headquarters in Caracas August 22, 2013. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Ga...

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Eric Holder announces National Sodomy ORDER

<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">*****FEDERAL LAW***** </span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Attorney General Eric Holder issues decree: </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">ORDER:  All Justice Department Employees will be briefed...</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>"On Monday I will issue a new POLICY MEMORANDUM that will for the first time in history formerly instruct all Justice Department employees to give lawful same sex marriages full and equal recognition to the greatest extent possible under the law."</b></i><br /><b><i>--Attorney General, Eric Holder </i></b><br /><br /><b>More victory for the LGBT COMMUNITY:  All sorts of rights and benefits need to be addressed...</b></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NsskF36NS1o?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What this means...</b></span></div><br /><i><b>"This means in every courthouse, in every proceeding, and in every place where a member of the Department of Justice stand on behalf of the United States they will strive to ensure that same sex marriages receive the same privileges, the same protections, and the same rights as opposite sex marriages under federal law..."</b></i><br /><i><b>--Attorney General, Eric Holder</b></i><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oEwUarJBwNw?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eric Holder is a minister of God</b></span></div><br /><b>If you don't like what's happening in America just remember that just like President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder is a minister of God to thee for good: </b><br /><br /><b>The powers that be are ordained of God.  So we submit to them in all of this and please God for they are not a terror to the good but to the evil.   Right?</b><br /><br /><i><b>Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.</b></i><br /><i><b>Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.</b></i><br /><i><b>For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:</b></i><br /><i><b>For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to <i>execute</i> wrath upon him that doeth evil.</b></i><br /><i><b>Wherefore <i>ye</i> must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.</b></i><br /><i><b>For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.</b></i><br /><i><b>Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute <i id="yui-gen85">is due</i>; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.</b></i><br /><i><b>--ROMANS 13.1-7</b></i>  <br /><br /><b>LEARN MORE on ROMANS CHAPTER 13:</b><br /><b><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/12/romans-chapter-13-rightly-divided_18.html" style="color: red;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/12/romans-chapter-13-rightly-divided_18.html</a></b><br /><br /><b>...developing...</b>

Eric Holder announces National Sodomy ORDER

*****FEDERAL LAW***** Attorney General Eric Holder issues decree: ORDER:  All Justice Department Employees will be briefed... "On Monda...

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