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Strategies & Market Trends : Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (61101)	12/27/2006 12:43:44 PM
From: mishedlo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

U.S. Nov. new-home sales rise 3.4% to 1.047 mln pace Sales of new homes rose 3.5% in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.047 million, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Sales are now down 15.3% in the past year. October's sales pace was revised to 1.013 million, from an earlier-estimated 1.004 million. The median sales price of a new home rose to $251,700 from $243,800. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were expecting sales to rise to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.02 million from the previous 1.00 million. marketwatch.com Note: This does not take into consideration cancellations. If cancellations were up, this rise never happened. Here is a post to weekly data that looks just awful. Message 23132089

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (61101)	12/27/2006 12:55:57 PM
From: KyrosL	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

Hi Haim; In the last 20 years the CRB index, which is the broadest measure of commodities, has not increased substantially more than inflation. CPI inflation, as reported by the Fed, increased around 80% between the end of 1986 and end of 2006, and the CRB index, as seen in the chart at the end of this post, increased from around 200 to around 400, or 100%. Note that all of CRB's increase happened in the last 5 years primarily because of the explosion in oil prices and base metals. The big question is whether commodities will continue their sizzling increase. I have my doubts, particularly if we get hit with a recession in 2007. futuresource.com

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (61101)	12/27/2006 1:36:44 PM
From: mishedlo	Respond to of 116555

Biden Opposes a Troop Increase in Iraq, Foreshadowing a Fight With the Bush Administration Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday rejected a troop increase for Iraq, foreshadowing what could be a contentious fight between the Bush administration and Congress. Mr. Biden, a Democrat, announced that he would begin hearings on Iraq on Jan. 9 and expected high-ranking officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to appear. nytimes.com

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (61101)	12/27/2006 1:46:19 PM
From: mishedlo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

Shooting Iraqi Civilians For Sport - WHISTLEBLOWERS Fired -- by Dave Johnson Mercinaries, Halliburton-subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root, shooting at civilians for fun, whistleblowers fired for reporting it. In other words, the usual. Did American fire on Iraqis for sport? "There's been no follow-up whatsoever by any government agencies," says Schmidt. And its not just this incident. Despite similar allegations involving other companies, not a single security contractor in Iraq has yet faced charges for attacking civilians. seeingtheforest.com "He'd made a comment that he was going to kill somebody today," says Schmidt. "Kill someone." The two men say they thought he was joking. They claim the man first fired seven or eight rounds into a white truck positioned about 100 yards behind them. "He cracked his door," alleges Schmidt, "put a foot out, and fired seven or eight rounds into a parked, white moving truck that was to our rear." Later on that day, on the next leg of the mission, according to Shepard, the shift leader then said: "I've never shot anybody with my pistol before." Shepard says the shift leader "immediately turns, opens the door, and fires seven to eight rounds into a taxi cab that we're overtaking, that we're passing." The men claim the taxi rolled off the road, but that they are not sure if anyone was killed. "I know that he shot at innocent civilians," says Shepard. "I know that we're trained very well on our marksmanship." Whistle-blowers fired But Shepard and Schmidt acknowledge they waited almost two days, by which time their supervisor left Iraq, to report the incidents to their company, Triple Canopy. The men were fired, along with their supervisor, who has denied wrongdoing, according to the company. msnbc.msn.com