UPDATE: ‘Tequila Party’ proposal gains international attention
Latino leaders in Nevada and nationwide are quietly debating whether to sever their traditional Democratic ties and form an independent grass-roots political group.
The idea, born of frustration over the party’s inaction on immigration reform and fears that as a voting bloc they’re a political afterthought, Latino leaders have discussed the idea among themselves locally and in conference calls with colleagues across the country.
The unlikely model for the movement they would like to launch is the Tea Party — not in substance, of course, but in its grass-roots organizational style. Acknowledging the source of their inspiration, Latino leaders have dubbed the proposed movement the “Tequila Party.”
These Hispanic leaders have noticed that while the Tea Party has had spotty electoral success, it has called attention to its concerns and values and put the establishment on notice.
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but there’s talk,” said Fernando Romero, president of the nonpartisan Hispanics in Politics, Nevada’s oldest Hispanic political group. “There’s discussion about empowerment of the Latino vote.”
Hispanics have proved to be a powerful political force in Nevada and nationally. They were instrumental in electing President Barack Obama and are credited with saving Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s re-election this month. In Nevada, Latinos accounted for 15 percent of voters in 2008 and a record 16 percent in this month’s midterm elections. — Read the Rest
Month: November 2010
Site Numbers
Total counter state:
Hits: 612263
Hosts: 366612
Visitors: 437660
Sessions: 485072
From the beginning of the month:
Hits: 19870
Hosts: 13036
Visitors: 14623
Sessions: 16114
New Visitors: 13574
Last week:
Hits: 4623
Hosts: 3291
Visitors: 3564
Sessions: 3777
New Visitors: 3229
Those numbers are via GoStats.com.
Stock, Gold and Oil Trading Advice: Gold/Silver – Controlling Your Trades, Money & Emotions
Last week we had typical pre-holiday light volume trading going into US Thanksgiving. The previous week I warned every one to trade with extreme caution because of the light volume and the fact that the market is on the verge of a sizable drop for both stocks and commodities. Any price action could not be taken seriously because of the light volume. We will not know until later this coming week what the big money wants to do… Buy or Sell, also what the manipulators will do… Seems like there are a lot of wild cards out there with Europe issues and both unemployment and payroll numbers out on Friday morning.
Below are a few charts showing my intermediate term outlook for gold and silver.
Gold & Silver Futures – Daily Chart
You can see both metal are showing a possible reversal head and shoulders pattern. While they have yet to confirm and close below the neck line we must be aware of this pattern and the risk/potential it provides us with. Both metals are still in an uptrend but showing signs of weakness.
US Dollar Index – Weekly Chart
This chart is not really that helpful for trading stocks, commodities or options right now but I wanted to post it because it allows me to show you how I analyze the market and my trades.
As you can see, the past 3 weeks have been in a strong uptrend reaching the first resistance level. The point of this chart is to show you that if you step out to the next longer time frame you can get a solid feeling of where an investment will find major support and resistance levels. Any investment not matter if it’s a stock, commodity or currency, if the price is trading in the middle of a large range like this chart you should not be taking large positions because it almost becomes a 50/50 bet on the market which is not a good winning strategy unless you are very experienced at managing your trades and money.
If you are going to trade then you want to focus on the underlying trend and you do that by looking at the next larger time frame. For example: if you focus on trading the daily chart, then you must step back each week and review the weekly chart to be sure you are trading with the underlying trend which is up for the dollar right now.
Weekend Trading Ideas:
Tuesday morning we saw the SP500 gap lower and continue to sell off. Traders started panicking out of their long positions and we could see it using the intraday market internals charts, which I cover each morning in the pre-market trading videos. Me being a contrarian (buying into market fear, selling into market strength) I used that high level of fear in the market along with the expected light volume holiday week ahead as an excuse to book profits near the lows on SP500 using the SDS bear fund allowing us to profit from the falling market. I feel we are going to have some crazy moves on the markets going into year end and it should be a lot of fun if done correctly.
Trading in general is a very difficult task especially if you are doing it for a living and planning on using your monthly income to pay bills, salaries etc… We all know the stress which comes with trading and if do not have a solid trading strategy, rules and cannot properly manage yourself (emotions) then you are most likely running into problems like over-trading, getting shaken out of trades easily, and taking bigger risks than your account can handle. Each of these cause more traders to blow up their accounts and big up on trading.
I am giving away my book on how you can control your trades, money and emotions. This short and to the point guide is full of my trading techniques, tips and thoughts which will help you get a handle of your emotions turning the market noise into music.
—
For great stock, gold and oil trading tips; Please, click here to sign up for this great service for the day trader!
Man, I thought I was an asshole
This guy here, makes me look like a boy scout! Seriously. 😯
In all honesty, I am quite shocked that someone has not taken the law into their own hands and popped the guy. (and if you do not know what I mean by “popped the guy”, look it up……)
I mean, I admit that I use the “Google Juice”; But I use it for pretty much honest purposes. Which is blog promotion and so forth. This is guy is using Google to outright defraud people, which is morally wrong.
Either way, it is a perfect example of bad or evil capitalism. Yes, I do believe there is such a thing. The man is a scam artist. I am all for Business, Capitalism, and making money — but in a honest and legal manner. Not like this; that is dishonest and is illegal and this guy should be cooling his heals in a jail cell somewhere.
The biggest issue about this guy and his little scam operation; is that it makes honest, hard working small business owners look horrible. Because seeing that the New York Times is reporting it; it will be framed in the manner that the readers will believe that ALL business owners are like that. That my friends is simply just not the truth; not everyone is out to screw the customer like that.
Hell, I used to run a business, a very small one; but just the same, it was a small business and I went out of my way to make sure that my customers were always happy. As a result of that, many of them would come looking for me and would ask me, if I could get them what they wanted and I usually was able to get them what they wanted. I used to be in the Electronics Business. I sold CB radios and Accessories, at one time. I took care of my customers. If I could not beat the big guy’s prices, I would tell them and they usually would get it from the other person.
However, there were times when I could I get a good deal on something and I would pass it on to my customers. The point here that I am trying to make is this; this idiot is making a mockery of the business would. He is a rude jerk and is getting away with it. Not to mention the legality of what he is doing. But above all, it just makes small business owners look bad, and that my friends is just not good. Something should be done about him and quickly.
Others: The Huffington Post, Althouse, Runnin’ Scared, Bark Bark Woof Woof and The New Republic, BuzzMachine, Deep Jive Interests, Elliott C. Back and Gadgetopia
Cartoon of the Day
Devolution?
Quote of the Day
Conservatives are rightly skeptical of much of what government does, and foreign aid has long been something that stuck deeply in conservatives’ craws, having a lineage of doubt going back to the John Birch Society and beyond. Mostly, it seems that hostility to the idea of foreign aid has centered around the fact that it involves taking money from honest, hardworking taxpayers and giving it to undeserving foreign governments. But there’s perhaps an even better reason for the abolition of foreign aid: far from helping, it actively hurts those it intends to help. So says the journalist Linda Polman in a new book, The Crisis Caravan: What’s Wrong with Humanitarian Aid?
Sierra Leone, the small West African state that was wracked by a brutal civil war – and where this writer lived many years ago working in, I now meekly report, humanitarian aid – is a classic example of the extremes which foreign aid has provoked. Foreign governments, along with various non-state actors, such as warlords and bandits, long ago learned that aid from the developed world and their various agencies is a fairly reliable source of cash. Being the shifty souls that so many of them are, they’ve learned to do whatever it takes to keep the cash flowing. In Sierra Leone, the appearance of amputation as a form of warfare and terror was somewhat mystifying; thoroughly brutal, it was hard to see for what purpose it could be used, other than terrorizing the civilian population – and they were seemingly already terrorized enough, being killed and maimed in the tens of thousands by roving bands of unspeakably violent marauders.
Hmmmmmm: Video: A Constitutional Case against term limits?
I found this to be quite interesting… I did not watch it all. Tell what you think, please.
Via Liberty News Network:
Not sure if I agree or not. On one hand, I see his point and on one hand, I don’t.
Andrew Sullivan says something intelligent for a change.
I cannot say that I disagree with this:
There is no maturity here; no self-reflection; no capacity even to think how to appeal to the half of Americans who are already so appalled by her trashy behavior and cheap publicity stunts. There is a meanness, a disrespect, a vicious partisanship that, if allowed to gain more power, would split this country more deeply and more rancorously than at any time in recent years. And that’s saying something.
via Why America Won’t Buy Palinism – The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan.
I also give Sully credit for not swiping her on that silly screw up with the Korea’s. That was petty and stupid.
Having said that —- Let’s not even talk her appearing with that mentally depraved Feminist Nazi Geraldine Ferraro and acting like she was some sort of hero of hers. She did everything but go down on her, on live TV. Hmph, some Conservative. 🙄
Plain and simple, Sarah Palin is a damned liberal in a Conservative skin, who thinks she is entitled to be President —– because she is a woman. Reagan is a damned skirt; please don’t make me barf. She’s nothing more than a attention whoring twat, with foul mouthed and slutty daughters. She is not fit to be Mayor of Utah, much less President of the United States. The quicker she disappears from the public scene, the better.
I wonder, are the Palin daughters and fan boys going to some swear at me too? 🙄
On Korea
Okay, for what it is worth. Yes, I know about this.
Quote:
SEOUL, South Korea — The South Korean military went to “crisis status” on Tuesday and threatened military strikes after the North fired dozens of shells at a South Korean island, killing two of the South’s soldiers and setting off an exchange of fire in one of the most serious clashes between the two sides in decades.
President Lee Myung-bak met with security-related ministers and senior aides in the underground situation room at the Blue House, the presidential office and residence, and promised “a strenuous retaliation” if there was any further provocation, said the chiefpresidential spokesman, Hong Sang-pyo.
The North blamed the South for starting the exchange; the South acknowledged firing test shots in the area but denied that any had fallen in the North’s territory. It was in the same area that a South Korean naval vessel, the Cheonan, was sunk in March, killing 46 sailors. Seoul blamed a North Korean torpedo attack; the North has denied any role.
The United States, Britain and Japan on Tuesday condemned the latest attack. The White House called on North Korea to “halt its belligerent action.” American officials tracking the episode said that a total of 175 artillery shells had been exchanged by the two sides.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said that in addition to the two soldiers who were killed, 15 soldiers and 3 civilians were wounded. There was no immediate sense of the North’s casualties.
Television footage showed large plumes of black smoke spiraling from the island, and news reports said dozens of houses were on fire. The South put its fighter planes on alert but they did not take off.
Now, how do I feel like about this? Well, before I give my personal, Ed Morrissey gives a good assessment of what is happening here:
- Attention – The six-party talks have stalled for a while. With their recent disclosure of a new uranium-enrichment facility, this is probably sword-rattling to focus attention on Pyongyang and to get its enemies to cough up more concessions.
- Test – Kim has tested the mettle of every American President to determine how committed each is to South Korea’s security. Last year’s provocative missile launches showed that Barack Obama wasn’t committed at all to missile defense, and the sinking of a South Korean ship a few months ago didn’t prompt much more than finger-wagging from Washington. Nor did we do much after seizing a ship exporting banned arms to Burma.
- Succession – Kim is very ill, and he needs to secure the succession to the third generation of his family. It will be difficult for any opponents in the military to suppress his son while he has them busy in a Great Patriotic War. It will be especially difficult if this attack nets the DPRK tangible concessions in negotiations with the US and Japan.
Addendum: This incident also shows the anachronistic priorities of the Obama administration on foreign policy and international security. Obama has pressed the Senate for immediate action on a new START treaty, whose predecessor aimed at ending an arms race with a country that literally no longer exists and an enemy that has since stopped being an acute military threat to the US. Meanwhile, the nuclear crises in North Korea and Iran continue apace, with no sense of urgency by this administration except when provocations like this occur
So far, the response has been predictable. China, Kim’s closest ally, has called for a return to the six-party talks — even though the revelation of the new uranium-enrichment facility violates all of the agreements Kim made in that process. If it’s a temper tantrum, it’s getting the desired result, at least for the moment.
The only thing that I have to add to this is this; we should, as much as we possibly can, stay out of this. We should be, which I see now, that we are — putting the pressure on China to take a stand against North Korea. Further more, I think we also should enable, somehow or another; Japan to make it very clear to North Korea, that if they continue this stupidity that they might end up regretting it.
I mean, I consider myself to me a Paleo-Conservative and War is not something that I really look forward to — however, when I see stuff like this here, people that have done nothing at all, getting their houses hit by missiles; that tends to really piss me off. I also believe that we should call this, for what it is — and that is terrorism. Regardless of the motivation, these people were terrorized by some asshole, who is basically being some sort of a attention whoring prima donna. Now, in any other case, I would not use that sort of language to describe a person. But in this case, it is totally appropriate.
Now, as for the Obama Administration; I will refrain from criticizing them. Because I do not believe that any other Republican or even the Bush Administration would do anything different.
Others: Time, Telegraph, Pajamas Media, Political Punch, News Desk, Danger Room, CNN, The Foundry, REPUBLICAN REDEFINED, BBC, The Powers That Be, Outside the Beltway, CFR.org, Associated Press, Commentary, The New Republic, The Moderate Voice, FP Passport, The Politico, BLACKFIVE, The Daily Dish, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Wonk Room, Joe. My. God., ThinkProgress, iOwnTheWorld.com, Michelle Malkin, Da Techguy’s Blog, Ben Smith’s Blog, The BLT, American Power, Washington Monthly, AmSpecBlog, Ruby Slippers, Wall Street Journal, TBogg, Agence France Presse, Hot Air, American Power, Right Wing News, Associated Press, NewsReal Blog, Dvorak Uncensored, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Patterico’s Pontifications, National Review, Hot Air, The Huffington Post, Outside the Beltway, Sister Toldjah, Nice Deb, Pajamas Media, The Politico, Gothamist, National Review, NewsBusters.org blogs, Associated Press, Wonkette, FP Passport, Pajamas Media, The Gateway Pundit and CNN
Black Friday Amazon Deals
Better get ’em before it is too late:
Video: Max Keiser’s Call: Crash JP Morgan Buy Silver
This comes via GoldSilver.com:
Quote:
Mike Maloney was recently in Europe working on his next top-secret project. While passing through France, Mike got the chance to visit with the one and only Max Keiser.
Intelligent, witty, and never bashful, Max Keiser is pure financial entertainment. With over 25 years of experience with markets and finance, Max often draws from first hand experiences when providing his listeners explicit insights on how the financial markets truly operate.
He has been described as a film producer, a journalist, and as JP Morgan and friends are now finding out, an activist investor with powerful ideas on how the masses can help themselves in taking their financial power back.
The Video:
The time in invest in gold and silver is now! Click here to find out how!
Video: Trent Lott Vindicated
I am posting this, because I believe that it is the just thing to do.
On Dec 5, 2002, Trent Lott found himself in a big mess. Largely goaded by the liberal media; that falsely accused Trent Lott of being a racist, Trent Lott resigned his leadership position in the Senate.
The really sad pert is, he was not only railroaded by Liberals, but also by Neo-Conservatives, who have always hated Paleo-Conservatives with a passion.
Here is that entire appearance at Strom Thurmond‘s 100’th Birthday Celebration:
How sad that a man’s career was damaged, for simply making a silly and bad joke, that in the end bombed.
Funny now, that the Democrats are showing their hypocrisy in this area — Just ask John Lewis.
Happy Thanksgiving 2010!
Greetings to all the readers of Political Byline. However many there are of you left. 😉
I just wanted to wish everyone that happens to read this blog a very Happy Thanksgiving. 😀
It has, for many, including me, a very rough year. 🙁
The best advice I can give you, is to be grateful for what you do have. 🙂
Believe me, when I tell you this, we all could be much worse off. We still are a free Republic. We are in a dark time, but I still in believe in this Country of ours. We have weathered many a dark storm and we have come through; a little broken and bruised — but we have always managed to find our way back to the right path. I do believe that is what will happen this time as well.
Because while money and fortune are nice; there is nothing like family. I think it would be entirely appropriate to remember that there are some out there, that have no family, and will be spending the holiday alone. Keep those people in your prayers.
I also would to mention that we should all keep in our prayers, the many, many, many men and women serving in our Armed Forces around the World, who will not be home for Thanksgiving this year. They deserve our best, and all of our prayers. May they come home soon and may God protect them during their tour of duty.
Last year, I gave a list of things that I am thankful for. I still feel that way. 🙂 Even more so this year. The Lord has blessed more than I can ever repay. Those are not just hollow words — those are the truth feelings of a man, who has been blessed beyond measure.
I leave you all with the words of President Ronald Reagan:
May you all be truly, truly blessed this Thanksgiving Holiday. 😀
In closing, I leave you with the TRUE message of Thanksgiving. Please, click here to read it.
The Early Morning Mental Health Break Presents: Motley Crue
This one is dedicated to this couple here. May they be married forever and have a shitload of kids. Thanks for your service dude and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Hillary and Jason Martin
It was to be the perfect end to a perfect day. Hillary and Jason Martin had just gotten married. They arrived at Bakersfield’s swank Padre Hotel — the bride in her wedding dress, the groom in Marine Corps dress blues.
They were 18 and in love.
They were 18 and out of luck.
The two were old enough to marry. Jason Martin, on leave after completing boot camp, was old enough to join the Marines. The Padre Hotel’s age policy, however, required them to be at least 21 to get a room.
“I was so upset,” Hillary Martin said. “I just broke down. I thought, ‘Here I am looking for a place to stay on my honeymoon.'”
The couple dated all through their years at Bakersfield’s Foothill High School, where Jason was a standout on the baseball team. They had talked of getting married. But someday became now with the birth of twin sons 9 months ago and Jason’s enlistment. He proposed to Hillary just before leaving for boot camp for three months earlier this year.
The idea was to get hitched during Jason’s 10-day leave before he headed off to combat training.
“I planned it all myself,” Hillary said. “We couldn’t afford to go out of town or anything.”
They were young and broke, and so Hillary’s mother offered to spring for their honeymoon night at the Padre, a newly renovated Bakersfield landmark where the “Oil Baron Suite” will set you back $649 on Saturday night.
The couple’s Nov. 12 incident at the hotel found its way to the local media thanks to an angry cousin of Hillary’s. The hotel’s manager explained to a television reporter that employees were simply following a longstanding policy to which no exceptions are made.
And just like that, the hotel found itself with a sticky public relations problem.
“This is an outrage!” a reader posted on the Bakersfield Californian’s website. “If a person can sign up to fight and possibly die for his country then he should be able to stay at any hotel he wants to.” — Read The Rest
Others: protein wisdom
Stock Advice: S&P 500, Treasuries, Gold, & Dollar are At Key Price Levels
A new article by a new author:
Thursday was another example of Mr. Market playing games with traders and investors as equities and precious metals took part in a strong rally. Some market prognosticators noted short-term oversold conditions across the board while others discussed the potential for a strong reversal that could potentially take out recent highs. In addition to the regular banter, to the average retail investor the market sure looks rigged when the government decides to sell a large stake in a massive IPO offering and a shaky tape suddenly becomes stronger than garlic.
There is a lot going on in the news as of late, and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts looms large on the minds of many, particularly small business owners. So the real question becomes, what should traders be watching or paying attention to before the light volume Thanksgiving week? The answer is simple, watch the tape! The market will provide plenty of clues and it will eventually tip its hand, experienced traders will wait for this process to unfold.
At this point in time, it is a bit early to begin making predictions as to which direction the equities market will go. What we do know is that the market was oversold in the short-term, so this could be a pause before prices turn lower. In contrast, this could be the beginning of another bullish move breaking recent highs on its way to a “Santa Claus” rally. My stance is neutral at this point in time; S&P 1200 should offer significant overhead resistance while S&P 1170 / 50 period moving average is near term support. The chart listed below illustrates these key levels:
S&P 500
If price were to break out above S&P 1200 on strong volume, it is likely that we will see a retest of the recent highs around the 1220 area. Consequently, if price tests the S&P 1170 area and fails price will likely be magnetized to the 1140-1150 area. We will have our answers in due time, but until a definite direction is known, patience is warranted.
Treasuries
As discussed in my previous article, the ProShares Ultra Short 20+ year treasury ETF (TBT) bounced off of the 36 level and put on a short lived rally only to settle toward the bottom 1/3 of its recent price range. After the recent breakout, it would be constructive to see TBT consolidate before confirming a direction. The chart below shows the key levels on TBT:
U.S. Dollar
Instead of illustrating a gold chart, let us focus our attention on the U.S. Dollar Index. The chart below shows the dollar has pulled back and is now testing the 50 period moving average. I am anticipating a retest of the recent breakout over double tops and this key level is illustrated below. If support holds firm, higher prices for the U.S. Dollar in the near term will be likely.
The Contrarian Trade
Thursday’s price action in the S&P 500 offers a great example of the power of options, which are traditionally overlooked by most equity traders or investors. While I did not personally enter this trade, I did enter a short position with tight stops around the S&P 1197 level using futures contracts for a short term trade. I was looking for a short term decline which we subsequently received in the aftermarket and my limit orders were triggered.
The option trade that I discussed with one of my trading buddies and mentor, involved getting short Apple (AAPL) when its price was around $309.50/share. While I did not place this trade as I felt I had plenty of short side exposure via my e-mini futures position, the trade would have worked quite well. So the trade listed below is not a recommendation, but an illustration of how options can be a contrarian traders’ best friend.
AAPL has been trading in the $300 – $320 per share range for several weeks having broken out above $320 only to be smacked down into the range. During the recent selloff, AAPL crossed down through the $300 level only to encounter strong buying that pushed it above the key $300 area by the close of trade that day. Thursday’s rally had AAPL trading above $309.50/share and the 20 period moving average was right around the 310 level as can be seen from the chart below.
The 20 period moving average provides an adept option trader with a key level which he/she can define the risk of a short position using options. Through the utilization of a contingent stop based on AAPL’s stock price, a trader using this setup could place a stop around the $311.25 area to define their ultimate risk. As of Thursday, the AAPL weekly options that expire November 26 began trading.
The trade listed below is a put debit spread:
Buy 1 AAPL Nov. 26 310 Weekly Put – $5.00 / contract based on Thursday’s close
Sell 1 AAPL Nov. 26 300 Weekly Put – $1.47 / contract based on Thursday’s close
AAPL stock closed around $308.43 / Share
The profitability chart reflecting this trade is below:
The maximum risk this trade has per leg was around $350, however through the use of the contingent stop around $311.25, the risk per leg is around $150. The maximum gain would be $650 per leg if at expiration in one week AAPL was trading below $300/share. In the first hour of trading, AAPL sold off below $306 per share. If an option trader had more than one contract on, he/she could take partial profits and place a stop at the entry price insuring a winning trade and allowing room for the trade to run.
Obviously the trader may want to adjust his/her stop based on market conditions, but this is simply an example of what can be accomplished with options. Once the trader understands how to determine the risk that an option trade assumes, he/she can build trade constructions to fit nearly any trading style or strategy. For a contrarian trader, options offer an unbelievable opportunity to mitigate risk and maximize profits. Learning how to trade options does take time and effort, but the potential returns options offer when they are used appropriately are unparalleled.
Get more great articles like this, by going here.
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Video: Bad Boys 2 – Looking out for the kids
Via Viral Footage: (LANGUAGE WARNING!)
Only those two guys could get away with that kind of a scene…. Hilarious! 😆
Cartoon of the day
Off Night?
The managing editor of Townhall Magazine called Diversity Lane “very, very well done.” And Michigan Review described it as “laugh out loud funny.” Why not make this the day you discover the best in conservative comedy today at Diversity Lane?
For more fun visit the website/blog at www.diversitylane.com or go directly to the blog at www.diversitylane.wordpress.com.
President George W. Bush on Jay Leno
Here’s the entire show. Enjoy:
Quote of the Day
NEW YORK—Tony Judt was a very clever and learned Brit who taught in the Big Bagel and died last August from that dreaded Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was extremely brave until the end, writing and lecturing from his wheelchair—so convincingly that some nice guys banned him from speaking just before the end because of his opposition to Israeli policies. (They called him an anti-Semite although Judt was Jewish, which is par for the course.)
Judt wrote an essay about “My Endless New York” which was a gem. At times I think only foreigners can catch the city’s pulse—New York, of course, not being America. The city has never been homogeneous. The finest thing about the place, we are told, is the variety of its sideshows. Sixty-five years or so ago, A. J. Liebling spoke for the city, writing about boxing and the man who laid out the gloves and headgear for the pugs at Stillman’s Gym, or Hymie the Jew who operated sleazy clubs on 52nd Street, or Miss Ira, “the Harlem modiste” who sold turbans to ladies who liked to impress the men late at night. Liebling wrote of New Yorkers so submerged in one environment, such as the Garment Center or Jack and Charlie’s, that they lived and died oblivious of the other worlds around them. I agree. I caught some of that separate world as a teenager, the Park Avenue swells who never ventured anywhere except for their clubs and weekends in Long Island, even when slumming; the Italians and Irish who lived side by side in the Lower East Side and Hell’s Kitchen and who did manual work and went to baseball games on Saturdays and to church on Sundays; the rich “Negroes” up in Harlem who never ventured south but lived in some splendid houses with beautiful women and were said to be gangsters; the Jews on 47th Street, the Diamond District, who were suspicious of the rest of us and probably had good reason to be.
[…]
Fifty years later the place is different—much less charming, but nevertheless thriving. The swells are no longer, replaced by the rapacious Wall Street beasts. The Jews, Italians, and Irish are now mixing freely with the blacks and Latinos, as they call themselves. New York has always been a world city; Chicago, as Tony Judt wrote, was THE great American one. New York led the world in culture from 1945 until the 80s, when the pursuit of the almighty dollar replaced everything, including culture, religion, and apple pie. Last weekend I drove through Harlem on my way to Connecticut, and the place is once again gentrified, prettied-up, yet violent. Drugs are rife everywhere. On my way out of the city I took stock. In the morning I walk outside my house to Kevin’s, born in Trinidad and as nice a gent as one hopes to meet in the city. He has my three dailies ready, and we wisecrack with the mostly blacks purchasing lottery tickets. Next door two Uzbeki Jews run the shoe store where Ecuadorians and Mexicans shine shoes like no others. Just across them, Panayotis and Dimitris, two Greeks, cut hair, including mine, and Mila, from Moscow, takes care of nails and gives foot massages. An Italian trattoria, Sette Mezzo, serves the best pasta in town, and a broken-down WASP store sells the best antiques, and all this is within twenty-five yards of my tree-lined street. I have two maids, one Colombian and one Brazilian, an Irish-American secretary, my wife is German, and I am an ancient Hellene. This is New York.
Cartoon of the Day
On your mark... get set... PATRONIZE?!
The managing editor of Townhall Magazine called Diversity Lane “very, very well done.” And Michigan Review described it as “laugh out loud funny.” Why not make this the day you discover the best in conservative comedy today at Diversity Lane?
For more fun visit the website/blog at www.diversitylane.com or go directly to the blog at www.diversitylane.wordpress.com.
James Carville said what about whom?!?!?
(H/T HotAir)
Unfortunately, you have click here to see what was said, as I cannot embed the video here. The back story is here.
But I can post this!
…..and with one blog posting, Michelle Malkin‘s reputation as a Catholic Conservative Christian Blogger is shot to hell. Good going Doug! 🙄
Others: Alan Colmes’ Liberaland, Michelle Malkin, Gawker, Taylor Marsh, Weasel Zippers,Dennis the Peasant, The Confluence, Ben Smith’s Blog and TPMDC
MarketWatch engages in Federal Reserve propaganda
This is pretty sad considering who owns the website:
Then there is this:
Gold has become highly prized bling, as anxious and astute buyers alike, from hedge-fund players to central bankers, flock to the “currency of fear.” Gold at around $1,400 an ounce is almost double what it commanded two years ago, and gold’s price is up almost 25% so far this year alone.
It’s been a great ride. Except gold is a bad investment.
Gold’s feverish run has made a lot of people a lot of money, and though the rally has taken a breather in the last few days, there’s no shortage of flag-waving supporters who claim gold is on a march to $1,600, $1,800, $2,000 and beyond. After all, gold is still well below its 1980 peak, when it was worth around $2,300 an ounce in today’s dollars.
….and this:
“Mercury poisoning,” is the answer from Barry Ritholtz, the very outspoken CEO and director of equity research at Fusion IQ, when asked where Zoellick’s idea might have come from.
Zoellick, also a former Treasury official in the Reagan administration and managing director at Goldman Sachs, made his suggestion in an op-ed in the Financial Times last Sunday, just days ahead of the Group of 20 major countries meeting in Seoul.
The suggestion was made to world leaders in order to address “global imbalances,” the diplomatic expression being used to refer to the impact of China’s vastly undervalued renminbi on other countries’ competitiveness.
All of the above is pure garbage. Gold is a hedge against inflation and the dollar. Do not listen to the Statists who want to seize all of the gold and give you a worthless dollar.
By the way, here is some SOUND investment advice pertaining to Gold:
There have been some major trend changes recently and it looks as though more investments are about to follow. The real question though is… Are You Ready To Take Advantage Of It?
It has been an exciting ride to say the least with the equities and metals bull market and the plummeting dollar. But it looks as though their time is up, or at least for a few weeks. Traders and investors will slowly pull money off the table to lock in gains or cut losses and re-evaluate the overall market condition before stepping back up to the plate and taking another swing.
Below are a few charts showing some possible money making trade ideas in the weeks ahead.
TBT 20+ Treasury Note Inverse Fund
This fund moves inverse to the price of the 20yr T.N’s also known as bonds. Looking at the chart you can see the recent reversal which took place. We had a great entry point shortly after this reversal took place using my low risk setup strategy.
Falling bond prices are considered to have a negative impact on equities because it implies that interest rates may start rising which means more investors will pull money out of stocks and put that money into a safe interest earning investment. You will typically see bonds change direction before equities. That being said the chart below is an inverse fund, so when this bond fund goes up, it means actually indicates bond yields are falling. I will admit these inverse funds really throw my brain for a loop at time… I prefer the good old days, buying long and selling short… so simple and clean… —- Read the rest Here
I ask you, go read the rest of that; listen to people, like the man at this link, who want to see you make and keep your money. Not force you to trust in an unsound money system, like the United States Dollar. If you are not interested in FTS’s and would to buy actual Gold, then try this link here.
In fact, here is a video that explain why you should own Gold and Silver:
Is it not just good common sense to have a backup plan? Do not delay, invest in Gold and Silver today.
Please Note: In the interest of full disclosure — There are links in this blog posted that if click on and product bought or signed up for, will result in the compensation of myself. This will come with no price increase to the customer at all. Think of it, as an easy way to support this blog and yours truly.
From the “This should be REAL interesting” file: Westboro Baptist Church vs Dearborn Islamic Center
Ace of Spades HQ, Gateway Pundit, The Jawa Report and Bare Nekkid Islam are all reporting about this one… So, I will too.
Looks like the Fred Phelps stooges are going to pull off the ultimate picket:
Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, MI November 18, 2010 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Fred Phelps and the WBC will picket the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, MI, the largest mosque in North America, to remind the idolatrous, doomed Muslims that Mohammed was a pedophile and a false prophet. Like most other false religious systems of modern doomed america, Islam teaches rebellion against the Lord Jesus Christ. Muslims claim Christ was merely a prophet and that He did not die and live again. They claim His blood is not sufficient or even necessary for salvation. They shall learn the truth when Christ himself returns!
Commenter Midwest Engineer at Gateway pundit snarks:
Thursday’s news Headline…”Westboro pickets mosque in Dearborn with ‘God Hates Muslims signs””
Friday’s news Headline…”Mysterious bombing in Kansas annihilates controversial church”
Russ over at Ace’s joint really pours it on:
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is like Alien v. Predator, Leonard v. Hagler, Seinfeld v. Newman, Ralph Macchio v. The Cobra Kai Dojo and Olbermann v. Stewart all wrapped up in one delicious bite. If only I had cornered the market on popcorn before this fateful day!
Say it with me now: TWO CULTS ENTER! ONE CULT LEAVES! TWO CULTS ENTER! ONE CULT LEAVES!
Let’s go to the tape:
In the Red corner, wearing wraparound black shades and a poofy polyester vest, we’ve got God’s Own Avenger, Fred Phelps. He’s old, but he’s evil – and he’s all about family. (Which is evidenced by the fact that his “church” is pretty much made up of his extended family members.) He really really really really really really really really really really really really really really disagrees with the current acceptance of homosexuality in modern culture. Up ’til now, he’s warmed up on public events like Matthew Shephard’s funeral, the funerals of US servicemen who died serving their country, and attending the 1988 Democratic National Convention as an invited guest of Al Gore – but now he’s ready to step up a weight class and compete for the Heavyweight Title Belt.
In the Blue corner, wearing a hijab and carrying The Sword of Allah, we’ve got the Dearborn Islamic Center. They don’t hate America…………….but they TOTALLY understand your motivation if you want to shoot up an Army Recruiting Center or lob a bomb into a synagogue. They don’t take kindly to cartoons of their beloved prophet, so expect them to bring their “A” game when their opponents bring out the MOHAMMED WAS A PEDOPHILE signs.
Folks, this will be an EPIC battle. Think “Thunderdome” with monster trucks. Think “Battle of the Bands” with Kiss (in full makeup) and Tenacious D facing off in a ROCKOFF! Think “Snakes on a Plane”……………
Oh wait. Don’t.
This is Fred’s chance to stand up and make himself into a Holy Martyr for the Cause, and I for one hope he takes FULL advantage of the opportunity.
Of course, the downside to Fred becoming a martyr would be the whole death thing, plus upon his arrival at the Pearly Gates he might be just a wee bit shocked to find that the authority on whether or not to allow him to enter has been temporarily delegated to ………… Freddy Mercury.
Let me go on the record of saying this; this will be one Muslim revenge terrorist attack that I will personally endorse. I would go as far to say something to the effect of, “Hell, I’ll drive the damned truck!” But that would be offering to be a supporter of terrorism, and last I checked, that is a BIG FAT NO NO! (when it comes to the feds, that is…) In any other instance; I would be bouncing off the walls trying to warn these people NOT to do something like this. However, Fred Phelps and his little merry band of stooges have gone out of their way to degrade our Nation’s Military, Presidents, Other Churches, and anyone or anything else that disagrees with their moronic interpretation of the Bible. Which is, for what it is worth, an extremist version of Calvinistic Christianity, which is called Absolute Predestination, which is, by the way, rejected by about 99.99% of Calvinist Christians.
In layman’s terms; Calvinism to Christianity is what Unions are to Automobile Plants — a closed shop, in other words. Absolute Predestination is basically the bolting of the windows and the doors, so that nobody and I mean NOBODY can get in or out. Yeah, it is that farking crazy. So crazy in fact, that even Calvinists think it is crazy. Toss in a dash of just straight up hate and you have Fred Phelps. Phelps is basically a Calvinistic Baptist Jim Jones; in the sense of the control that he has over his people. To my knowledge however, Phelps is not into Communism, like Jim Jones was.
Now you understand Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church……and I use that word “church” quite loosely.
The Washington Independent closes its doors for good
Kinda of a sad note, and kinda not:
Nearly three years ago, The Washington Independent was launched as a bold experiment in online journalism. The idea was to combine hard-nosed investigative reporting with all the web had to offer: the nimbleness of real-time coverage, the interactivity made possible by this new thing called blogging, and the ability to create a narrative that was bigger than the sum of its parts.
The results were spectacular. We won awards for our reporting and recognition for our pioneering efforts. We sent reporters to Alaska, Afghanistan and Guantanamo. We graced numerous TV shows and were cited by every leading newspaper in the country. Most important, our reporting made a difference, whether by bringing flawed legislation and programs to the attention of people in power or by bringing critical overlooked issues to the attention of a broader public.
But TWI was not just a journalistic experiment; it was also a financial one, and ultimately, the successes of the former couldn’t sustain the strains of the latter. Our first year was marked by a kind of exceptionalism, the feeling that we were expanding as other newsrooms were contracting, that this new model of journalism would survive as our dead-tree colleagues struggled. But in the end, we fell prey to the recession just like everyone else.
TWI has always relied on donations, primarily from foundations seeking to promote journalism in the public interest. Those donations began drying up long ago. I’m grateful to the American Independent News Network for keeping TWI alive long past the point when its expenses began exceeding its receipts. But it wasn’t sustainable, and today the bosses informed us they’re pulling the plug. On Dec. 1, TWI will begin mirroring the content of our network’s other national site, The American Independent. TWI’s reporters and I will look elsewhere for work.
Perhaps if this publication would have tried a little more honesty and a bit less liberal bias; they would still be around. Them are the breaks. I wish them luck.
This is what happens when Sarah Palin endorses a candidate: Joe Miller LOSES!
This is what happens when a train wreck, reality television star gets involved in politics and endorses political candidates; they lose:
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Sen. Lisa Murkowski has become the first Senate candidate in more than 50 years to win a write-in campaign.
Murkowski emerged victorious after a painstaking, two-week count of write-in ballots showed she has overtaken over tea party rival Joe Miller.
Her victory became clear when Alaska election officials confirmed they had only about 700 votes left to count, putting Murkowski in safe territory to win re-election.
Murkowski has a lead of about 10,000 votes, a total that includes 8,153 ballots in which Miller observers challenged over things like misspellings, extra words or legibility issues.
Murkowski is flying back to Alaska to address supporters, telling them that the campaign “made history.”
Miller surprised Murkowski in the GOP primary, prompting the incumbent to run as a write-in.
I felt good about Joe Miller, until Sarah Palin got involved, then I knew it would never happen, he would not get elected. This is what happens when Palin gets involved, people lose and lose badly. It is what happened when O’Donnell ran and it is now happening with Joe Miller. The truth is, Sarah Palin has zero business endorsing anyone at all. I just wonder, will her kids come to my blog and start swearing at me, like they did over on facebook, when someone started telling the truth about Sarah Palin and her idiotic show? It is to wonder.
The truth is Sarah Palin has never succeeded at anything; including being Governor of Alaska. This little failure here, is just more living proof of that. The Republican party should take notice of that and let this little incident here, be one of many pieces of evidence that Sarah Palin is not fit to the President of the PTA in Wasilla, Alaska; much less the President of the United States. If Sarah Palin wants to do anything to impress me, or anyone else in this movement that we call the Tea Party, she needs to pack up her little tampon box of silly ideas and go back to Alaska and try being a Mother to her children and a Wife to her Husband. That is if she even has any of that left at all.
We need leadership in Washington D.C. — not some shrieking harpy psycho, who is all for having a Christian version of Sharia law in this Country. Count me as one of the many American Paleo-Conservatives, who have taken a great pleasure in seeing one of psycho Sarah Palin’s endorsements doing a very righteous face plant. It could not have happened to better person and may this be the first of many more for this idiotic woman.