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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/18/2008 8:41:02 AM
From: Seeker of Truth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217750

You missed the most important point. Elmatador is cultured and educated but not by schools. There are different roads to knowledge.

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/18/2008 10:25:12 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 217750

Original thought. That's what separate the primates. The first guy who created an original thought, was the one who started the lineage that we belong to. That's what I want to read. An original thought. Derive from what is and map what is going to be. I don't see many doing that here. My wife tells me that what I missed not attending a school was personal skills. Another friend who started as pole climber and then became a journalist, in his mid-thirties told me: the only thing you get there is a better vocabulary. TJ wrote that forget about what they Einstein wrote: leave school, forget what they taught you there and then get some education. He said the difficult is to sort the stuff they teach you there and then discover the paths that leads to the depth. But you need to learn the useless stuff so that you graduate. Then I realized: why go learn and then forget about. Just bypass the whole thing and concentrate on discovering the paths that leads to the depth. I work in one of the most dynamic field of technology. Telecoms. In the past 35 years the technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. The industry has de-regulated, liberalized, privatized and I never ever became redundant and had to find another profession. Why? Because I now the paths that lead to the depth. That provided me with the survival skills that many -university educated-lacked and whose carcasses litters the road shoulder. I am a winner.

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/18/2008 11:48:59 AM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217750

If you are with your nose inside a book you are very unlikely to be learning criminality. It is much easier to go after the money that comes with selling your knowledge. In fact I am a very civilized guy. Last Friday, I went to drink with my friedn ex-Foreign Legionaire, tough guy swho operate game machines here. His wife is Brazilian and his co-workers are also ex-legionaires. The place we go is the place where we rub shoulders with the local elite. Very civilized placeuntil one local sat on his place and he wanted to smash the guy. Until secutity -guys the size of an US refrigerator- came. I just have to stand out in front of the guy so that they don see each other and the thing had not got ugly. Nice and cool. Those things you learn by doing.

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/18/2008 12:08:56 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217750

I wanted to write this last Friday night as a posting to you but I went to out, then party last night: "For reasons which can certainly use close psychological inquiry the West seems to suffer deep anxieties about the precariousness of its civilization and to have a need for constant reassurance by comparison with Africa." This applies to you, you need a constant benchmark against Mexico and Brazil due to your axieties about the US, Case in point to you. I am always remembering things that gave me the path to depth without going to the books: The above I read 1989 as Chinua Achebe analysed Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". By the way Coppola's "Appocalise Now" is based on this book. I read Conrad and T.E. Lawrence as part of my English literature "course". Toynbee for history. Galbraith for economics and so it went... This is Chinua Achebe: authortrek.com

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/18/2008 12:14:09 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217750

When you use the term 'cargo' you are certainly referring to the term used in some book. Which book is the term cargo used? Not the term cargo cult as anyone MQ can take form the Wikipedia. Because The book is here at my table and I can take a photo of it to post here.

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/19/2008 3:01:18 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217750

By consuming more than it produces, America has dissipated vast amounts of its wealth. And in the past quarter-century, some macro trends have tipped the balance of wealth creation from the United States in favor of new foreign competitors. B-R-I-Cs soar while U.S. suffers pittsburghlive.com By John Browne Sunday, May 18, 2008 Following a relatively flat but volatile trend, New York stock markets continue to disappoint most investors. Food and oil prices continue to rise at home. Foreclosure levels escalate and there are indications of slowing consumer demand. Frustrated by relatively low returns at home, Americans are looking beyond their borders while they await an economic revival here. In the 18th century, British traders looking for foreign profits sailed from Georgian England. In the 16th century, the East India Company, started by Queen Elizabeth I, became the model for European conquest and rule. Today, investors seek to "capture" India, along with Brazil, Russia and China. The purpose is not to colonize but to capture profits through investments in commerce, labor and resources. America, rather than seeking overseas expansion and acquisition (like its mother country), created instead an investment-based relationship -- the "dollar empire." This new concept was founded on the principle of hard work utilizing abundant natural resources and labor to produce the products needed for consumption at home. story continues below We made what we consumed and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Until the mid 1970s, America enjoyed massive wealth creation. However, our economy gradually has turned from being one dominated by producers to one dominated by consumers. Today, consumers account for about 72 percent of the American economy, or gross domestic product (GDP). Even the current federal stimulus package is skewed heavily (90 percent) in favor of the consumer -- where the votes are -- at the expense of the producer. By consuming more than it produces, America has dissipated vast amounts of its wealth. And in the past quarter-century, some macro trends have tipped the balance of wealth creation from the United States in favor of new foreign competitors. BRIC, an acronym coined at Goldman Sachs, stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China, the four leading emerging markets. Economic growth within BRIC, far faster than that within the United States, translates into higher financial returns and stock market prices. The returns generated within BRIC are creating a tidal wave of real wealth. How did poor countries, formerly only travel stops, come to be viewed as investment opportunities for worried Americans? Unwilling to admit publicly any reduction in living standards, successive American governments borrowed heavily while simultaneously depreciating the U.S. dollar to produce consumer booms, as in the dot.coms and housing. Future generations of Americans now are saddled with enormous debt (already $30,000 a head). In addition, all Americans are required to pay the stealth taxes of reduced government services, inflation and currency devaluation, now clearly evident in energy and food prices. Today, Western consumers buy raw materials, cheaper products and services from BRIC. Growth rates in BRIC have skyrocketed. Corporate profits and stock prices have followed suit, far outstripping the average performance of U.S. stock markets. Brazil, Russia, India and China now are known by investors as the "Big Four." In 2006, the stock markets of BRIC offered superior yields in appreciating currencies, with Brazil up 33 percent, India 47 percent, Russia 71 percent and China 131 percent. At the same time, the Standard & Poor's 500 average index rose by only 14 percent gross. Only about 80 percent of our mutual fund managers even met this return. Even worse, when deductions were made for management fees, transaction costs, inflation at about 3 percent and for a depreciated U.S. dollar, many American investors actually had a real net loss in 2006. Capital flows within this new world super-boom clearly have benefited producer nations. This, even though BRIC investments are not without risk. Other "mature" producer nations, such as Germany and Japan -- or even smaller producer economies such as Singapore -- have benefited. They should be considered alongside the BRIC economies. A major impact of the increased manufacturing of the "Big Four," along with some smaller countries such as Vietnam, is a greatly increased thirst for raw materials. Furthermore, as internal wealth is generated, people demand food higher up the food chain, impinging upon the established demand of people in "mature" manufacturing nations. These two factors account for another type of producer -- the providers of raw materials and energy, including food, both for industry and people. In addition to BRIC, international investors, looking for higher returns, are eyeing Japan, Australia, Canada and smaller nations. These include Singapore, Vietnam and even New Zealand, whose currency has risen 74 percent against the U.S. dollar since 2001. A BRIC country creates wealth for foreign investors in various ways. China is a good example. With a population of 1.3 billion people, China represents a vast new producer base with the potential to compete effectively with low-cost, deflationary exports. As its economy has grown, wages have accumulated, leading to a major new internal demand -- already estimated to be in excess of $1 trillion a year -- for consumer products ranging from refrigerators to motorcars. At the same time, with reserves of $1.5 trillion, China has the capacity to import vast amounts of food and raw materials to feed its people and its industry. Indeed, China already is scouring raw-material producers such as Brazil (oil), Australia (uranium) and Canada (coal). China has acted subtly but aggressively to secure access to these raw materials and foodstuffs over the long term. Incredibly, she has even invested in Brazil's dams, railways and seaport facilities. Under President Luiz da Silva, Brazil has transformed from a financial leper to near-AAA status, with inflation reduced from almost 13 percent to about 2 percent. It possesses raw-material resources that could challenge the United States and Canada combined. Historically, America is a nation of producers, not conquerors. The BRIC countries are the four largest emerging markets because they learned from us how to produce products and services efficiently utilizing domestic resources. They have learned what, regrettably, we have forgotten -- that productivity means profit and is best found, not overseas, but right in our own backyard. John Browne, a financial analyst and former member of Britain's Parliament, is a financial and political columnist for the Trib. He is a frequent commentator on CNBC's "Kudlow & Company." E-mail him at: johndbrowne@yahoo.com.

To: Elroy Jetson who wrote (34873)	5/20/2008 10:01:21 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217750

An open letter to the president on the fuel crisis May 12, 2008 - 12:10pm — Journal Staff Filed under: Letters to the Editor President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Bush: The recent congressional hearings with CEOs of the major oil companies was apparently a bust. As it seems that Congress must have concluded that there was nothing they could do to halt the spiraling cost of gasoline and diesel fuel. But, I do not agree with that conclusion. There is much that you, President Bush, and Congress, can do immediately, and in the near future, to rescue the citizens of this country from the "out of control" costs of oil based products. However, Congress MUST change its errant ways. They must quit the partisan bickering that has created an environment of hate, anger, greed, jealousy, retribution, and "let's get even with the other guys!" These attitudes prevent them from tending to the business that we elected them to do. Recent polls indicate the citizen's disgust with members of this "do nothing" and argumentative Congress, giving them the lowest public rating in recorded history. We may not be in to the legal definition of a recession yet, but if gasoline prices reach $5 per gallon, the breaking point will have occurred in our economy, and we will probably drop into a full blown and long lived recession — not good for our country and its citizens! Here are some actions that the president, Congress, state and local governments, and citizens of these United States can all do to help lower the price of gas, lower our consumption of gas, and greatly reduce our dependence upon foreign oil imports, mostly from nations who despise our freedoms, economic successes, and political system: IMMEDIATE ACTIONS: * Legislate a national speed limit of 55 mph and strictly enforce it. Remember the slogan, "Drive 55 and stay alive?" Well you can add to that, "and save on gas." This action alone could save us millions of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel every day. If "lead footed drivers" try to prevail, then legislate that a governor be attached to every carburetor on cars and trucks. * Suspend the 18 cent per gallon federal gas tax until the national speed limit is enacted and enforced. * Cap the price of gas and diesel fuel at $3 (or less) per gallon. A federal gas price cap would not only save the consumers money, but would also afford the big oil companies a chance to start sharing their wind fall profits with American consumers. * Cut back on driving times. Use car pooling; Put off lengthy trips; Quit idling your cars and trucks; Use bicycles and mopeds for more of your transportation needs; Walk to your destination whenever possible; Buy vehicles that get the best possible gas mileage. * Use synthetic oil for oil changes. Costs more per quart, but helps increase gas mileage, you don't have to change oil as often, it prolongs the life of the engine in your car or truck, and it helps reduce our nation's demand for fossil based oil. * Create your own reduced speed limit. You don't have to wait for federal action on a national speed limit. * Use less plastics and more biodegradeables. Plastic is made from fossil oil. Recycle all of your plastics. * Buy the cheapest gas available in your area. Award those gas stations owners who are trying to help keep a lid on the spiraling gas prices. * Home heating. If you are using fuel oil, switch to natural gas or electricity for heating needs. * Public transportation. The government must encourage the use of hybrids and energy efficient transport in all areas of public transportation. As individuals, we can begin driving our cars and trucks less and taking the bus, the subway, the train, the trolley, etc, more frequently. * Immediately stop the proposed giveaway of eight of the Aleutian Islands to the Russians. It's an idiotic idea, it does not have voter approval, it's land that we have fought and died for, and it would be giving away to the Russians a vast gold mine of our fisheries, oil reserves, and mineral deposits. Furthermore we would be giving them potential bases for their naval ships and potential launching sites for their missiles. INTERMEDIATE ACTIONS: * Open up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The argument by preservationists that it would create an environmental disaster is both hollow and baseless. Study the North Slope drilling and the Alaska oil pipeline — it's an enviable record of environmental protection! We have the technology to have oil flowing from ANWAR in less than two years, allowing the Alaska pipeline to be full again. * Allow more oil drilling in the Aleutian Islands, the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. f we don't start drilling in more areas of the oceans, other countries will soon beat us to it. We have the deep water technology, and it's environmentally safe! * Increase oil drilling and exploration in the continental United States. Every additional barrel of oil we can produce in "our" country or from the ocean, is one less barrel that we have to buy from foreigners. * Suspend putting oil into the National Oil Reserve until this oil and gas crisis has been solved. * Build more oil refineries. No need to pump more oil if we do not have the capacity to immediately refine it. If oil companies refuse to build, then the president and Congress should nationalize part of the oil industry and start building refineries with oil revenues and taxes. * Extract more oil from the vast oil shale deposits in the western mountains. We have the technology — let's start excavating and refining. Industry may need some incentives here. * Use more coal. We are making great strides in emissions control. This can allow us to use more coal to produce electricity rather than using oil. Industry may need some incentives here also. * Wind energy has finally penetrated our national psyche. Let's keep building more wind farms. Create incentives for the erection of wind generators on farms and rural households in areas of consistent wind currents. * Ethanol. We currently make this gas extender from yellow kerneled corn, but there are some negatives here. It costs a lot in gas and fertilizer to produce a bushel of corn, plus the costs of transporting and refining. Also, using corn to produce ethanol is adversely affecting food supplies in the United States and in the world (which in many instances is starving to death). Let's take a lesson from Brazil, where they are producing ethanol from sources other than corn. * Methane gas from bio- mass. What a great way to utilize our biodegradeable refuse, such as garbage, bark, sawdust, farming residue, etc. Almost any plant matter can be used to produce methane gas, including cattails, switch grass, and many species of plant growth in the wild or cultivated. The federal government should have a goal of encouraging every city in America to have its own methane producing facility. Think of the problems this would save with land fills alone, plus the bonus of usable methane. * Ship by rail. Railroads are our most energy efficient way of shipping consumer goods from point A to point B. Plus, it would help give some relief to our highways from the horrendous truck traffic. * Hybrid cars and trucks. Government agencies, at all levels, should begin replacing retired vehicles with hybrids. The federal government must lead the way in meeting their own vehicular needs with hybrids. Give some incentives to both manufacturers and buyers! * Solar produced electricity. Build more solar panel farms in the sun drenched desert southwest. Scientists claim that this could produce far more electricity than the southwestern states currently use. LONG RANGE INITIATIVES: * Geothermal energy. This is a virtually untapped energy source in the United States. Scientists in the know claim that there is enough geo thermal energy under the earth's crust to supply the world's energy needs ad infinitum. We have the technology, so let's start letting the earth's core work for us in ways other than volcanoes and earth quakes. * Atomic energy power plants. In spite of its problems (which can be, and are being, solved), energy produced by atomic power plants is extremely cost effective. Let's not be afraid of allowing more power plants to be constructed and put on line. Our national goal should be to completely stop the use of oil based products as a means of producing electricity in the United States. * Wave energy. Like wind, sun, and geo thermal, ocean waves are another infinite source that can be harnessed to produce electricity for American consumers. Our country has thousands of miles of wave swept shorelines. We have the technology to let the waves start working for us. This is not a complete list of ways to produce consumable energy. Congress and the President must make energy production, from sources other than oil, a number one national priority, and crash programs, such as when we put a man on the moon, must be initiated immediately, where ever an energy source exists. The end goal should be energy independence for these United States. Congress and the President can not wait until after the November elections to act on this fast developing national crisis. They must act now. If our "do nothing" Congress fails to act cooperatively, quickly, intelligently, and decisively to achieve energy independence for this nation and all of its citizens, then the time will have come to hold a national referendum in all states, and vote in term limits for all federal senators and representatives. Term limits would also solve a multitude of problems that have haunted our federal political system for many decades. Don C. Carey, Retired Army officer, secondary school teacher. International Falls, MN NOTE: If you would like to help solve our national oil and gas crisis, please send a copy of this letter to President Bush, Sen. Norm Coleman, U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, and other elected politicians.