Investing in the Stock Market is for Losers!

December 19, 2011

MunKee.Com

his article clearly demonstrate how the millions of investors who invested in the stock market over the past decade actually fared when their performance was measured in gold instead of dollars. You will be shocked at how poorly they (and you?) have really done and you, too, will come to the consclusion that – investing in the stock market is for losers.

So says Jeff Clark (www.caseyresearch.com) in edited excerpts from his original article* entitled Start Thinking in Terms of Gold Price.

Lorimer Wilson, editor of www.FinancialArticleSummariesToday.com (A site for sore eyes and inquisitive minds) and www.munKNEE.com (Your Key to Making Money!) has edited ([ ]), abridged (…) and reformatted (some sub-titles and bold/italics emphases) the article below for the sake of clarity and brevity to ensure a fast and easy read. The report’s views and conclusions are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original article. Please note that this paragraph must be included in any article re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.

Clark goes on to say, in part:

Someday, we (or our heirs) are going to spend some of the wealth we are accumulating [but] how much we can actually buy with our gains will directly depend on how hard inflation has hit whatever our investments are denominated in. The only reliable way to measure the value of investments [in real terms, that is, adjusted for inflation,] is to [look at how well our investments would have done had they been denominated in gold instead of dollars. It is the only] way investors can tell how they’re [really] doing…and, since most people don’t adjust for inflation, their investments are not doing as well as they think.

Who in the world is currently reading this article along with you? Click here

Re-Indexing in Gold Changes Everything

To demonstrate the effect of currency dilution, we’ve developed a tool for re-indexing popular indices from dollars to gold. Doing so provides a more accurate picture of the dilution of investments made in dollars (and would work just as well in euros or other currencies). We use gold in grams so the indices won’t be priced in decimals.

Click here for the full article.

What Is Crony Capitalism?

December 19, 2011

Real Clear Markets

By Bill Frezza

President Obama, progressive politicians, Occupy protestors, and leftist intellectuals are having a field day attacking what they call the failures and excesses of capitalism. They declare wealth to be prima facie evidence of perfidy, making no distinction as to how it was obtained. They preach equality, not just in opportunity but in economic outcome. In their eyes, all members of the 1% are already guilty, so economic justice demands that the rich be heavily taxed, not just to lift others up, but to bring them down.

Some defenders of capitalism draw a sharp distinction between those who obtained their wealth through government favors and those who created their wealth by satisfying willing customers through free exchange. The former are called Crony Capitalists. The latter, interestingly enough, don’t have a name. Let’s call them Market Capitalists.

If defenders of capitalism hope to win over fair-minded fellow citizens who are honestly upset and confused, we need to define these terms and answer some basic questions. In what ways are Crony Capitalists and Market Capitalists the same and in what ways are they different? What makes the former immoral and the latter virtuous? Why are Crony Capitalists a threat to democracy and prosperity while Market Capitalists are essential to both? How is it that ever larger numbers of Market Capitalists are being corrupted, turning into Crony Capitalists? And what can we do to reverse that trend?

All capitalism is driven by greed – the desire to not only achieve economic security, but to amass pools of capital beyond one’s basic needs. This capital can fuel the kind of conspicuous consumption that offends egalitarians. But it also finances investments in new products and businesses, without which the economy cannot grow. More on that later.

What makes Crony Capitalists different is their willingness to use the coercive powers of government to gain an advantage they could not earn in the market. This can come in the form of regulations that favor them while hindering competitors, laws that restrict entry into their markets, and government-sponsored cartels that fix prices, grant monopolies, or both.

Crony Capitalists are also more than happy to help themselves to money from the public treasury. This can come from wasteful or unnecessary spending programs that turn government into a captive customer, subsidies that flow directly into their coffers, or mandates that force consumers to buy their products.

Click here for the full report.

Post-American Iraq by the Numbers

December 19, 2011

Informed Comment

by Juan Cole

“Just look at these disturbing figures.  Check out the full article – each section is clickable with very detailed articles on each.” –KTRN

Population of Iraq: 30 million.
Number of Iraqis killed in attacks in November 2011: 187
Average monthly civilian deaths in Afghanistan War, first half of 2011: 243
Percentage of Iraqis who lived in slum conditions in 2000: 17
Percentage of Iraqis who live in slum conditions in 2011: 50
Number of the 30 million Iraqis living below the poverty line: 7 million.
Number of Iraqis who died of violence 2003-2011: 150,000 to 400,000.
Orphans in Iraq: 4.5 million.
Orphans living in the streets: 600,000.
Number of women, mainly widows, who are primary breadwinners in family: 2 million.
Iraqi refugees displaced by the American war to Syria: 1 million
Internally displaced [pdf] persons in Iraq: 1.3 million
Proportion of displaced persons who have returned home since 2008: 1/8
Rank of Iraq on Corruption Index among 182 countries: 175

Click here for the full report.

Gitmo Costs $800K/Year Per Detainee

December 19, 2011

Mother Jones

By Adam Serwer

“Wouldn’t it be great if the government spent $800,000 on you every year?” –KTRN

The Miami Herald’s Carol Rosenberg, returning to Gitmo for the arraignment of alleged USS Cole bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, reports how much the island prison is costing American taxpayers these days.

“The Pentagon detention center that started out in January 2002 as a collection of crude open-air cells guarded by Marines in a muddy tent city is today arguably the most expensive prison on earth, costing taxpayers $800,000 annually for each of the 171 captives by Obama administration reckoning.

That’s more than 30 times the cost of keeping a captive on U.S. soil.”

Just to put that in perspective, while each Gitmo detainee costs close to a million dollars per person annually, inmates in federal prisons cost about $25,000 per person. Even in our supposed age of austerity, with Republicans demanding cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, and turning Medicare into a voucher plan, there’s always money to waste on an elaborate island prison for thirty times the cost it would take to lock people up here.

Click here for the full report.

Sweating Bullets: Body Scanners Can See Perspiration as a Potential Weapon

December 19, 2011

Pro Publica

By Michael Grabell and Christian Salewski

“If you’re sweating, you could be a terrorist.  Going through the body scanners make us nervous – hence the sweat.”  –KTRN

While X-ray body scanners used in airports face concerns about potentially increasing cancer cases, a safer type of scanner has been plagued by another problem: a high rate of false alarms.

The scanner, known as the millimeter-wave machine, uses low-level electromagnetic waves that, unlike X-rays, have not been linked to cancer. The Transportation Security Administration already uses the millimeter-wave machine and says both types of scanners are highly effective at detecting explosives hidden under clothing.

But two of Europe’s largest countries, France and Germany, have decided to forgo the millimeter-wave scanners because of false alarms triggered by folds in clothing, buttons and even sweat.

In Germany, the false positive rate was 54 percent, meaning that every other person who went through the scanner had to undergo at least a limited pat-down that found nothing. Jan Korte, a German parliament member who focuses on homeland security, called the millimeter-wave scanner “a defective product.”

While it’s difficult to know for sure if the millimeter-wave machine has a worse false-alarm rate than the X-ray machine, recent tests suggests that it does. The TSA wouldn’t release its results, citing national security. But a British study found the X-ray machine had a false-alarm rate of just 5 percent.

For the millimeter-wave machines, a complicating factor is new privacy software that was installed in many countries after a public outcry over the scanners’ graphic images. The software automates detection and no longer creates an image of a passenger’s body. While false alarms were reported before automation when human screeners interpreted images, the software appears to have made the problem worse.

The privacy safeguards are also an obstacle to lowering the false-alarm rate, researchers say. The machines do not save images or data, which could be used to teach the software how to distinguish real threats from false ones.

The problem of false alarms comes down to fundamental physics. Millimeter waves penetrate clothing and reflect off objects. But because of their frequency, millimeter waves also reflect off water, which can cause the scanner to mistake sweat for a potentially dangerous object, said Doug McMakin, the lead researcher who developed the millimeter-wave scanner at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (X-rays, which operate at a higher frequency, pass through water more easily.)

Click here for the full report.

9 Secret Military Programs You Shouldn’t Know

December 19, 2011

Wired

By Katie Drummond

“It makes you wonder what else they are hiding from us.” –KTRN

Make no mistake: The Pentagon’s got plenty of secrets you probably don’t even want to know about. But there are at least a handful they likely wish had stayed a bit more covert.

Some of ‘em have been talked about for years — and new intel is still creeping out. Old documents from the CIA’s MK-ULTRA program, which plied unwitting participants with mind-altering drugs, have been released as recently as last year. And the Pentagon Papers, officially declassified just this past summer, reveal disturbing details about U.S. activities during in the Vietnam War.

Try as they might, it seems top brass just can’t keep every classified program entirely under wraps. And in this Internet era, it’s arguable that we know more than ever about their covert activities. A combination of insider leaks, sly reporting and grainy photographs — all distributed online — have shed plenty of light on some of the military’s biggest secrets. From stealth helicopters to undisclosed prisons, check out nine recent Pentagon programs you never should have been privy to.
The Navy’s Souped-Up Sub

It’s the most covert submarine in the American arsenal. Since the sub’s 2004 launch, experts have speculated that USS Jimmy Carter was designed with classified spy missions in mind. Allegedly, the sub is able to slip into enemy ports undetected and even tap into the underwater fiber-optics of foes to listen in on undersea chatter. USS Jimmy Carter may have done just that last year, when it was quietly deployed to spy on North Korea — one of the only known missions the sub has ever taken.

What else can USS Jimmy Carter, one of the Navy’s three Seawolf-class Submarines, accomplish? Nobody’s quite sure, because Navy officials haven’t commented on exactly what kinds of tech the seafarer is equipped with. But the Jimmy Carter does boast unprecedented hull space, to store unmanned aerial and undersea vehicles for whatever deadly missions our former president’s namesake needs to embark on.

Click here for the full report.

Health Secrets Of The World’s Oldest People

December 19, 2011

Forbes

By Forbes

“Living past 100 is easy. Eat healthy, exercise, take good supplements, and be happy. And (eventually) get some stem cells.” –KTRN

How To Live To 102

Doctors say that healthy habits will help get you to age 85, but how to live beyond that remains a medical mystery. We interviewed people in their 100s to find out how they did it.

Eat Grains, Veggies And Fish

The largest concentration of healthy 100-year-olds is in Okinawa, Japan. The people there eat a diet high in grains, vegetables and fish, and low in eggs, meat and dairy. In the U.S., Daisy McFadden, who will turn 101 in November, follows suit. She regularly eats oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a salad with chicken or fish for lunch, and steamed vegetables and lean meat for dinner.

Avoid Soda–Even Diet

Medical professionals warn against sodas, even diet sodas, and suggest you drink water or juice. McFadden, 101, rarely drank soda throughout her life and doesn’t touch it today, she says. Instead, she drinks water, cranberry juice, milk or iced tea. Coffee and alcoholic beverages are also healthy when not consumed in excess. David Prince, M.D., says drinking two to three alcoholic drinks per week will keep you healthy longer.

Indulge, A Little

Doctors do not only tolerate a treat here and there, they encourage it. McFadden, 101, eats chocolate chip cookies and likes red wine and Bloody Marys. Viola Crowson, 101, sometimes bakes brownies or grabs a hamburger from Hardys. David Prince, M.D., says sugar and red meat should be limited to once or twice a week but can be eaten if portions are small.

Click here for the full report.

Four Ways Monsanto Threatens The Environment And Public Health

December 19, 2011

Natural News

By Anthony Gucciardi

“Just one more example of why Monstanto is one of the most evil corporations in the world.” –KTRN

Biotechnology giant Monsanto has been the leader in genetically modifying the planet, altering the genetic structure of crops and seeds that are consumed by individuals around the globe. Scientific research has found that GM crops and herbicides are not only leading to a number of health disorders, but they are also spawning mutated species of insects and powerful superweeds. This is only a couple of the ways that Monsanto continues to recklessly endanger human health and the environment — here are the complete 4.

1. GM crops consistently linked to organ problems, other biological damage
Despite hard evidence linking the consumption of GM crops to organ disruption and a host of other health ailments, Monsanto continues to push its GM crops on developing nations under the guise of solving world hunger and empowering local farmers. In a telling review of 19 studies analyzing the dangers of GM crops including corn and soybeans, scientists reached a shocking conclusion regarding the true safety of these ubiquitous food staples. Researchers concluded that consumption of genetically altered corn and soybean products can actually lead to significant organ disruption in rats and mice.

The organ damage was specific to the liver and kidneys, two organs that are vital in the cleansing of toxins. It is important to remember that over 93 percent of United States soybeans are genetically modified, and this number is increasing. What this means is that public health is continually being threatened by the global food supply, as evidenced by the major study review.

2. Bt-containing gmo crops are spawning mutated superbugs
Going beyond the initial genetic modification process, Monsanto also offers GM crops filled with a toxic biopesticide known as Bt. Incorporated into the crops to kill insects, Bt usage has led to the development of mutated insects that are resistant to the biopesticide. Insects that are continually exposed to Bt actually begin to develop a resistance to the toxin through the act of mutation. In present day, around 8 insect populations have mutated to resist Bt. Of the 8, 2 species are specifically resistant to Bt sprays and a staggering 6 are resistant to Bt crops as a whole.

As a result of the resistance, farmers are forced to increase their pesticide use. Meanwhile, Monsanto continues to genetically manipulate the Bt-filled crops further in an attempt to overcome the powerful mutations exhibited in the insect populations. Despite heavy modification, research has found that even further modified Bt crops provided ‘little or no advantage’ in fighting off the insects. If Monsanto chooses to continue with this process, it will undoubtedly lead to even more pesticide spraying.

Click here for the full report.

Canadian Judge Rules Antidepressants Can Cause Children To Commit Murder

December 19, 2011

Natural News

By Jonathan Benson

“So how are those antidepressants working for you? Oh, you committed murder? Hmm, must be just a side effect. They are still safe and effective.” –KTRN

The use of antidepressant and psychiatric drugs, particularly among children, is an extremely risky activity that could have fatal consequences for both the individuals that use them, as well as their friends and family. According to the National Post, a Canadian judge recently ruled that the extreme mind-altering effects of the antidepressant drug Prozac were in large part responsible for causing a 15-year-old boy to thrust a nine-inch kitchen knife into one of his closest friends.

Though the Winnipeg boy that committed the heinous crime had allegedly abused prescription drugs and “experimented” with cocaine long prior to the incident, he had never had a violent or aggressive personality about him, according to reports. It was only when he began taking Prozac, the very thing doctors had given him as a so-called “solution” to his previous illicit drug problems, that he began to rapidly go off the deep end.

“He had become irritable, restless, agitated, aggressive and unclear in his thinking,” said Justice Robert Heinrichs of the Manitoba Justice Department, who ruled on the case. “It was while in that state he overreacted in an impulsive, explosive and violent way. Now that his body and mind are free and clear of any effects of Prozac, he is simply not the same youth in behavior or character.”

Click here for the full report.

Neti Pot Scare Story Proves That Brain-Eating Amoeba Lurk In Public Water Supplies

December 19, 2011

Natural News

By Mike Adams

“Neti Pots are amazing. They clear out the nasal passages like nothing else.” –KTRN

All across the ‘net, the mainstream media is running scare stories about people who use neti pots and then suffer from brain-eating amoeba that fatally devour their brain tissue. Of course, it’s all a deception to try to link a natural cleansing therapy to the risk of death. Even so, all the following media outlets ran deceptively-titled stories blaming neti pots for brain-eating amoeba:

MSNBC, New York Daily News, Toronto Sun, TIME, CNN, ABC News, Daily Mail and many more…

(I’m not going to link to the stories, because they don’t deserve the linking. But you can Google them if you want proof.)

So if their stories are wrong about neti pots, what’s the real story? That there are brain-devouring amoeba in the public water supply!

The real story the mainstream media won’t report
Blaming a neti pot for exposure to brain-eating amoeba in the water supply is sort of like blaming a dinner plate for food poisoning. The neti pot itself is only incidental to the infection; it’s not the source of the problem. Amoeba obviously don’t live within the neti pot. Instead, the neti pot is simply a carrier for the water.

Blaming a neti pot for causing brain-eating amoeba is sort of like blaming Big Mac containers for causing obesity. Or blaming soda cups for causing diabetes. It’s pretty silly, if you think about it. But since when did the mainstream media ever need logic to slant its reporting and try to misrepresent a story?

If you’re interested in cleaning your sinuses — which is a smart hygienic habit to get into — try the Nasaline system, which is a lot easier than using a neti pot in the first place. Once you mix in the correct amount of salt, the resulting saline solution is very comfortable and soothing. It’s nothing like the “water up your nose” reaction that people remember from an experience in a swimming pool, where the water is heavily dosed with chlorine.

Remember, your body is at least 70% salt water, and that’s why a saline solution (salt water) feels comfortable to your sinuses. It’s also why, if you’re swimming in the ocean, you can remove your mask and open your eyes and it feels just fine. (This is counter-intuitive to those who have never done it, because they somehow think salt water would “burn” their eyes, when in fact their eyeballs are filled with large proportions of salt and water…) I know this first-hand because I’ve been a certified scuba diver for nearly two decades, and one of the skills we practiced in the “gear recovery” classes was losing all our gear — under water, of course — and then recovering everything with our bare hands. This requires opening your eyes in the ocean. Otherwise, you grope around like a blind idiot and never find your gear.

Click here for the full report.

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