Archive for December, 2007
Open Thread: Happy New Year
December 31st, 2007Happy New Year, everyone. I tried to think of an inspired and inspiring image to post here, but, somehow, I kept coming back to this. HA You’re either a Charles Bukowski fan, or you’re not: Chuck greets the morning In 2008, lots of us are going to be thinking, “Christ Almighty, now what?”
Cryptogon Reader Contributes $100
December 31st, 2007JW, a core Cryptogon contributor, closed out a remarkable year of reader generosity by sending $100. Thank you. He suggested a post about what I think might be ahead in 2008. Wow. That’s a hard one. I’ll have to put on my (tinfoil) thinking cap AND get out the famous Cryptogon Magic 8-Ball. Seriously, there […]
How to Lose Your Job on Your Own Time
December 31st, 2007Via: New York Times: WERE Henry Ford brought back to life today, he would most likely be delighted by the Internet: the uninhibited way many people express themselves on the Web makes it easy to supervise the private lives of employees. In his day, the Ford Motor Company maintained a “Sociological Department” staffed with investigators […]
MERRILL LYNCH IN EMERGENCY WEEKEND TALKS WITH ASIAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS
December 31st, 2007“Why is this happening now? Here’s my theory: 31st December is a major day on the financial calendar. If you take a sample of bonds you’ll find that a disproportionate number of them are due for interest and/or redemption on 31st December. Redeeming bonds is very cash intensive, and cash is not freely available in […]
Reader Email: Did My Gold Analysis Spot Informed Buying Before Bhutto Assassination?
December 30th, 2007JJ writes: I was stunned to see the news that Benazir Bhutto was killed within hours of your recent analysis on gold. As you said, gold did in fact rise further in the aftermath of that tragic event. You wrote, “I find it interesting that some players see the need to take long positions right […]
Astonishing Security Breach at South African Nuclear Facility
December 29th, 2007In which category does this belong? “Stories to Scare the B-Jesus Out of You”? “Don’t Read Before Bedtime”? Via: Washington Post: An underreported attack on a South African nuclear facility last month demonstrates the high risk of theft of nuclear materials by terrorists or criminals. Such a crime could have grave national security implications for […]
Realty Reality: Housing Prices Are Headed Way Down
December 29th, 2007Via: Los Angeles Times: In 2002, the median price of a single-family home in Los Angeles was $270,000 and the median homeowner’s income was $65,000. With a $50,000 down payment, the annual cost of that house (taxes, insurance and payment on a 30-year fixed-rate conventional mortgage) would add up to about 33% of the median […]
Make or Break: Gold Nears Two Critical Overhead Resistance Levels
December 29th, 2007WARNING: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. Thoughts for gold bugs going into the weekend and New Year’s period… Gold was at $822.60 when I put out my last long call a couple of days ago. Gold is around $840 now. Again, the next number to watch is […]
DARPA Funded Research: Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep
December 29th, 2007More innovation from DARPA and their university shills. Via: Wired: In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers, Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness. A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them […]
Britain in Secret Talks with the Taliban
December 28th, 2007What percentage of the world’s heroin results from Afghan opium production? 90% How many times does the article below mention opium? It doesn’t mention opium at all. So, in summary: The British Army provided security cordons around meetings between two senior British intelligence officers and leading members of the group responsible for producing the opium […]
