(Reuters) – Veteran entertainer Jerry Lewis said on Monday he is retiring as host of the annual Labor Day telethon for muscular dystrophy research after 45 years and will make his final appearance on the U.S. show in September.
Lewis, 85, the zany comedian and actor who starred in more than 45 films in a career spanning five decades, made the announcement in a statement posted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), on its website.
“As a labor of love, I’ve hosted the annual telethon since 1966, and I’ll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,'” he said in the statement.
Lewis has turned the ballad from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel” into an anthem for MDA by performing it at the conclusion of each telethon over the years.
Lewis did not say why he was retiring at this stage, but an MDA spokesman said the comedian’s departure coincided with a change in the program’s format from a 21 1/2-hour telethon to a six-hour broadcast centered around prime time.
“We needed to change the format for our show, and we’re creating a new telethon era now,” the spokesman, Jim Brown, told Reuters.
“We’re very, very thankful that Jerry Lewis is performing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,'” he said. “He is a world-class humanitarian, and no-one rivals him in terms of his commitment to the cause.”
Lewis said he would continue to serve as national MDA chairman, adding, “I’ll never desert MDA and my kids.”
The reason why this strikes me as being very sad is this; Jerry Lewis harkens back to an era when Hollywood still had morals and when people could actually act. Jerry Lewis is a moral human being and they just do not build them like that man anymore. Those MDA telethons will not be the same anymore, especially when they go to show that grand total. đ
After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.
I want to personally thank the millions of Americans who have joined the various Trump grassroots movements and written me letters and e-mails encouraging me to run. My gratitude for your faith and trust in me could never be expressed properly in words. So, I make you this promise: that I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help to shape our politicianâs thoughts.  My ability to bring important economic and foreign policy issues to the forefront of the national dialogue is perhaps my greatest asset and one of the most valuable services I can provide to this country.  I will continue to push our President and the countryâs policy makers to address the dire challenges arising from our unsustainable debt structure and increasing lack of global competitiveness. Issues, including getting tough on China and other countries that are methodically and systematically taking advantage of the United States, were seldom mentioned before I brought them to the forefront of the countryâs conversation. They are now being debated vigorously. I will also continue to push for job creation, an initiative that should be this countryâs top priority and something that I know a lot about. I will not shy away from expressing the opinions that so many of you share yet donât have a medium through which to articulate.
I look forward to supporting the candidate who is the most qualified to help us tackle our countryâs most important issues and am hopeful that, when this person emerges, he or she will have the courage to take on the challenges of the Office and be the agent of change that this country so desperately needs
Thank you and God Bless America!
Donald J. Trump
There are also unconfirmed reports that President Barack Obama blurted out, “That Mother $%#$!” when he was told about the news.
Please note: This quotes and news tidbits are fictional ones and intended to be humorous. So, please, don’t be silly and actually use them for news broadcasts. đ
Honestly, I really already knew that this was going to happen. In fact, I even wrote as such:
AllahPundit is also correct, when he says that âThe Donaldâ is playing that âBirtherâ group like a fiddle for purposes of political expediency. If it becomes clear that Trump is going to run; he will drop that subject like a bad habit. You watch.
Well, I was right —- sort of. I thought Donald Trump might actually try to run. However, what I think is this; Some political strategist most likely told him that he was not polling that well and he decided against it. Instead, he forced the Brither thing and dropped back into the private sector.
So, there’s that. Now for the 2012 dollar question; who the heck is going to run, that I would actually vote for?
WASHINGTON â In this weekâs address, President Obama laid out his strategy to continue to expand responsible and safe domestic oil production, leveraging existing authorities as part of his long-term plan to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. He is directing the Department of the Interior to conduct annual lease sales in Alaskaâs National Petroleum Reserve â while respecting sensitive areas, to speed up the evaluation of oil and gas resources in the mid and south Atlantic, and to create new incentives for industry to develop their unused leases both on and offshore. Also, to give companies more time to meet higher safety standard for exploration and drilling, the administration is extending drilling leases in areas of the Gulf of Mexico that were impacted by the temporary moratorium, as well as certain leases off the coast of Alaska. And, he is establishing a new interagency working group to ensure that Arctic development projects meet health, safety and environmental standards. The past few months, rising gas prices have put an added strain on American families. While there are no quick fixes to the problem, these are steps, along with eliminating taxpayer subsidies for oil companies and rooting out fraud and manipulation in the markets, that are worth taking.
$4.00 a gallon gas and people are getting ticked; including his base. So, he quits with the cute silly liberal answers and starts back to drilling. Ed Morrissey says, “Nice try, but no.”
Quoting Ed Morrissey:
In fact, most of this action deals with extensions for existing leases, rather than new drilling. Instead of approving extension requests individually, Obama will issue blanket one-year extensions in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. The lease sales for the Gulf that Obama announced were supposed to take place last year. Theyâre not new leases. Obama did pledge to hold annual lease sales in Alaskaâs North Slope area, where they had been ad hoc in the past, which is the only hint of new expansion in his remarks.
This isnât leadership. Itâs a threadbare attempt at triangulation that doesnât add much new capacity at all, nor does it speed up the process of exploration and extraction. The White House will drag its heels on expansion of American production as long as possible; this announcement just buys Obama some time and a respite from the political fallout of high gas prices. Still, the fact that Obama had to protect himself in this manner shows how politically damaging his refusal to expand American production has become, and how damaging it will continue to be.
So, basically, Barry is trying to cover his backside and make it look like he is doing something about the high gas prices. When in all reality, the President and his Administration are simply giving political cover and lip-service to the American people. Which is what President Obama is actually pretty good at —- as long as he has his teleprompter.
Which proves what we Blogs on the right have known for three years now. That this President, who was elected more as a Black Novelty, than anything else; has no plan for this Nation’s future. Nor does have, nor does he care, about this Nation’s energy policy and its future. All he truly cares about, is his idiotic vision of progressive utopia; which is in reality, nothing but a pipe dream. Hopefully, the voters in 2012 will see this and vote accordingly.
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was taken off an Air France plane at Kennedy International Airport minutes before it was to depart for Paris on Saturday, in connection with the sexual attack of a maid at a Midtown Manhattan hotel, the authorities said.
Detectives are investigating the assault of a female employee of Sofitel New York, at 45 West 44th Street.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, who was widely expected to become the Socialist candidate for the French presidency, was apprehended by detectives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the first-class section of the jetliner, and immediately turned over to detectives from the Midtown South Precinct, officials said.
The New York Police Department arrested Mr. Strauss-Kahn at 2:15 a.m. Sunday âon charges of criminal sexual act, attempted rape, and an unlawful imprisonment in connection with a sexual assault on a 32-year-old chambermaid in the luxury suite of a Midtown Manhattan hotel yesterdayâ about 1 p.m., Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne, the departmentâs chief spokesman, said.
Reached by telephone, Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer, said he would be representing Mr. Strauss-Kahn with William Taylor, a lawyer in Washington.
âWe have not yet been able to meet with our client and we may have more to say tomorrow,â said Mr. Brafman, who said he had been contacted late Saturday night. He said Mr. Strauss-Kahn was being housed at the police departmentâs Special Victims Unit.
Which proves what I have believed all my life; no matter who you are, no matter your social status — you always have those guy impulses. What matters is, what you do with those impulses. Quite obviously, this guy did something rather wrong with them.
Just rather fancy way of saying that this guy was thinking with the wrong head.
There are many people in the Republican Party, in the Conservative Movement and in the Tea Party; who happen to believe that Governor Mike Huckabee is not that strong of a Conservative. I will full admit to being one of those people, and I also happen to believe that Governor Huckabee’s wanting to turn America into a Christian Republican, as opposed to a Constitutional Republic; is just downright wrong-headed. However, as a Born-Again Christian of the 29 year vintage, I have to admire a man who will, first freely say that he is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ on a National Network, like Fox News. Second, be willing and able to admit that he does not have the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ in his heart to run as President of the United States.
I wish Governor Mike Huckabee and his entire family the very best; and I hope that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to bless, prosper and keep Governor Huckabee, his wife and children and grandchildren.
This is a posting that will not endure me to or make me any fans among the hardcore Ron Paul crowd. However, I do believe that thinking Americans will agree with what I write.
This below, is why I feel Dr. Ron Paul is not fit to be President of the United States of America.
Ron Paul says in a radio interview, as reported by Politico:
âI think things could have been done somewhat differently,â Paul said this week. âI would suggest the way they got Khalid [Sheikh] Mohammed. We went and cooperated with Pakistan. They arrested him, actually, and turned him over to us, and heâs been in prison. Why canât we work with the government?
Ron Paul also said in another Radio interview:
âI donât think it was necessary, no. It absolutely was not necessary,â Paul said during his Tuesday comments. âI think respect for the rule of law and world law and international law. What if heâd been in a hotel in London? We wanted to keep it secret, so would we have sent the airplane, you know the helicopters into London, because they were afraid the information would get out?â
Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com, of whom I happen to respect, even if it he is a bald-headed Neo-Con; who just happens to be right here, answers Ron Paul’s foriegn policy fantasies:
For one thing, had we found him holed up in London, we would have been able to trust the British intelligence service to cooperate. MI-5 didnât spend more than a decade helping to build up the Taliban and playing footsie with radical Islamists the way Pakistanâs ISI did, primarily as a bulwark against India. Moreover, as Paul should know, we tried trusting Pakistan once before on an opportunity to target bin Laden when Bill Clinton had a chance to target his compound. The ISI warned bin Laden, and to paraphrase President George Bush, we wound up sending a $10 million rocket into a ten-dollar tent to hit a camelâs butt.
I would have had no problem with capturing Osama bin Laden, or with killing him. He declared war on the United States and continued to pursue it until his last breath. Furthermore, I have no problem with us conducting a military mission in Pakistan to get him. Pakistan has proven themselves unreliable on high-level intelligence matters in the past, specifically on OBL, and we have had little cause to put any more trust in the Pakistani ISI ever since.
Paul has a few good ideas on fiscal policy, but is otherwise a nut. Insisting that we should have asked the Pakistanis to arrest bin Laden proves rather clearly that Paul lives in a fantasy world.
As much as it pains me to say it and believe me, I do not write this feeling good about slamming Dr. Ron Paul — but Ed is absolutely correct. As Ed wrote above, and Yes, I have known this for a long time, the Pakistani Government has been double dealing with USA and Al-Qaeda for years. President Obama knew it, Hillary Clinton knew it and they did something about it.Â
For the United States sake, I hope like hell that they have their most experienced men on the job. Because like we found out on September 11, 2001; The United States cannot afford to be wrong anymore. We blew it on 9/11, we blew it with Iraq â we are now active involved in the war on terror â whether Paleo-Conservatives want to admit it or not, we are in this fight now. It matters not, whether foriegn policy or whatever created it; we are in it now, and if we do not fight it, the right way and not like the Bush fought it, before 9/11 â- more Americans will be in danger, period, end of story. Anyone who say anything different than this; is living in an alternative reality. It pains me greatly to have to even write this, but, I must; America, in this dangerous new 21 century, post 9/11 world we live in â just cannot afford to be lead by Conservative politicians who live inside their own heads and who still believe in a utopian, isolationist, foriegn policy doctrine.
Back when I was younger, there was a saying around and that was, âTime to get realâŠâ and yes, my friends; it is well beyond the time to get real in the world of foriegn policy. This is not December 6, 1941 anymore, this not even 1957; this is 2011 and this stuff is very real â and hardcore Isolationism, is not going to cut it anymore.
As you see above, I am an âAmerica Firstâ type of blogger and yes, I believe that I am a Paleo-Conservative. But I am not disconnected from reality. The reality is that the Republic of the United States of America does need defending from crazy people like Al-Qaeda. I do not believe in unjustified wars. But I do believe we should take great care in protecting the Republic and the people in that Republic. Anyone that says anything other than this; is just being irresponsible â and America just cannot afford to be irresponsible anymore. 2,976 people died because we were irresponsible once; let us not make that mistake again â- for their sakes.
Peace through strength, not Domination of the World by military might â- and certainly not irresponsibility through hardcore isolationism â- that my friends, is what Americaâs foriegn policy stance should be.
I still stand by that statement above and will continue to for the rest of my life.
We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bushâs compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic. Uncontroversially, his crimes vastly exceed bin Ladenâs, and he is not a âsuspectâ but uncontroversially the âdeciderâ who gave the orders to commit the âsupreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the wholeâ (quoting the Nuremberg Tribunal) for which Nazi criminals were hanged: the hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of refugees, destruction of much of the country, the bitter sectarian conflict that has now spread to the rest of the region.
Thereâs more to say about [Cuban airline bomber Orlando] Bosch, who just died peacefully in Florida, including reference to the âBush doctrineâ that societies that harbor terrorists are as guilty as the terrorists themselves and should be treated accordingly. No one seemed to notice that Bush was calling for invasion and destruction of the U.S. and murder of its criminal president.
Same with the name, Operation Geronimo. The imperial mentality is so profound, throughout western society, that no one can perceive that they are glorifying bin Laden by identifying him with courageous resistance against genocidal invaders. Itâs like naming our murder weapons after victims of our crimes: Apache, Tomahawk⊠Itâs as if the Luftwaffe were to call its fighter planes âJewâ and âGypsy.â
There is much more to say, but even the most obvious and elementary facts should provide us with a good deal to think about.
What saddens me more than people carelessly declaring their glee for another humanâs death are the pronouncements that they hope he is burning in Hell. At least in America, a country which prides itself on being highly tolerant, this is perhaps one of the most ostentatious and outrageous displays of our truly fallen nature. For Christians, it is an even more despicable action, because we know and accept Hell as a very real place; not just a landing spot for the evilest of the evil, but for the everyday rejecters of God and his commandments. Are we really so far from the gates of the garden?
It occurs to me that the readers of TIC may have a more humane way of looking at this death, long anticipated since the manhunt began almost a decade ago. Does it not sadden any of you that Osama Bin Laden did not have the chance to repent before he was killed? Does it not hang on your hearts that this man was not really brought to justice? After all, death is not justice. Death is not even final.
One may say, I am sorry he is dead, but I cannot help feel relief. Surely you think the world is a safer place now that Bin Laden is dead?
Which begs the question, what are we even protecting, that we need to make the world a safer place? The obvious answer in my mind is the undebatable sanctity of human life, and the ever pressing discernment of what it even means to be human.
So, now, thanks to America, Bin Laden is dead– but still our country persists in publicly funding and supporting abortion providers and embryonic stem cell research. A physical manifestation of evil is dead, but evil ideas rage on, turning even the best of intentioned people into the very monsters they deplore abroad.
This yearâs Divine Mercy Sunday was another special event in the Roman Catholic Church as wellâthe beatification of Pope John Paul II, officially making our beloved JP II now Blessed JP II. I do not think there could there be a more obvious juxtaposition than the recent earthly celebration of a soul who is surely arriving at sainthood in Heaven, and the readily acceptable and earth-bound condemnation for another soul.
If we conservatives are to claim the high road â if we truly believe humans have dignity and that our civilization is worth preserving â then we must walk it. We must preserve our cause out of caritas, love, and not the brutalized force of popular opinion, remembering “ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est” (âwhere charity is true, God himself is thereâ). When we celebrate one death, we discredit all other pro-life efforts. When we give way to hate another person, even one so culpable of hate himself, we allow hate to manifest and grow in ourselves and in society. And if we ever truly wish another person’s soul to go to Hell, weâre halfway there ourselves.
…and now; my reaction:
The death of Osama Bin Laden is an unavoidable consequence of war. A war declared on the American people at the start of or in the middle of the first gulf war that lasted from August 2, 1990 till February 28, 1991. During that time period, Osama Bin Laden became enraged that the United States was using an air-force base in Saudi Arabia. There were other motives, such as The United States support of Israel, Sanctions against Iraq and believe it nor not, globalization. This prompted Osama Bin Laden to declare war on America. Because of this, the United States of America was brutally and viciously attacked by radical Islamic terrorists on 9/11.
Radical Islam is, indisputably madness. Osama Bin Laden was the leader, creator and center energy of that madness. Osama Bin Laden wholeheartedly believed that he was doing the work of his god. He was willing to take that madness, of a backward religion that denies the exist of the Lord Jesus Christ —- to his grave. A fitting end of a mad man and his Satanic Religion.
This posting is dedicated to the memory of the 2,977 victims of the 9/11 attacks. May their memories be kept strong and may they not have died in vain. God Bless America.
Video footage taken from Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, shows the terrorist leader watching news coverage of himself on television.
The five U.S. government-selected clips offer the first public glimpse at bin Laden’s life behind the walls of his compound in suburban Pakistan. The videos include outtakes of his propaganda films and, taken together, portray him as someone obsessed with his own image and how he is portrayed to the world.
A senior intelligence officer described the information seized from the compound as “the single largest collection” of senior terrorist material ever, NBC News reported. The videos were seized by Navy SEALs after bin Laden was killed Monday.
“The treasure trove of information has provided some golden nuggets of information on communications within the al-Qaida group and we hope to get a better sense if that communication continues,” the senior official told NBC News. “We are already disseminating intelligence across the U.S. government based on what we’ve found.”
A task force is working around the clock to analyze all of the information from the compound, and is drawing from the expertise from at least 10 federal agencies.
“Bin Laden remained an active leader in al-Qaida, providing strategic, operational, and tactical instructions to the group,” the senior official said, adding “He was not just a strategic thinker for the group, he was active in operational planning and in driving tactical decisions inside al-Qaida.”
At this point, I am willing to concede that Osama Bin Laden is very much dead.
(CNN) — Al Qaeda released a statement on jihadist forums Friday confirming the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist websites.
The development comes days after U.S. troops killed bin Laden in a raid on a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.
The statement, translated by SITE, lauded the late militant, threatened to take action against the United States, and urged Pakistanis to “rise up and revolt.”
Bin Laden’s death will serve as a “curse that chases the Americans and their agents, and goes after them inside and outside their countries,” the message said.
“Soon — with help from Allah — their happiness will turn into sorrow, and their blood will be mixed with their tears,” it said.
The statement said al Qaeda will “continue on the path of jihad, the path walked upon by our leaders … without hesitation or reluctance.”
“We will not deviate from that or change until Allah judges between us and between our enemy with truth. Indeed, He is the best of all judges. Nothing will harm us after that, until we see either victory and success and conquest and empowerment, or we die trying.”
It said that Americans “will never enjoy security until our people in Palestine enjoy it.”
Which brings me to another thought; anyone ever notice how muddled Al-Qaeda’s message is? First Al-Qaeda says they are angry at us for having an air force base in Saudi Arabia. Then, Al-Qaeda says that they are after us because of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Ron Paul always says that Al-Qaeda hates us, because America occupies the Arabs land. The Neo-Cons say Al-Qaeda hates us, because of capitalism and our Christianity. Someone, somewhere needs to make up their minds — or at least get on the same page!
The other thought and question here is this; is this the statement from a terrorist organization that is in its last gasps of existence or is this an organization that is now energized and is going to step up its threats against the United States? That is the question that many people in the United States Government intelligence agencies are trying to figure out, I suppose. For the United States sake, I hope like hell that they have their most experienced men on the job. Because like we found out on September 11, 2001; The United States cannot afford to be wrong anymore. We blew it on 9/11, we blew it with Iraq — we are now active involved in the war on terror — whether Paleo-Conservatives want to admit it or not, we are in this fight now. It matters not, whether foriegn policy or whatever created it; we are in it now, and if we do not fight it, the right way and not like the Bush fought it, before 9/11 —- more Americans will be in danger, period, end of story. Anyone who say anything different than this; is living in an alternative reality. It pains me greatly to have to even write this, but, I must; America, in this dangerous new 21 century, post 9/11 world we live in — just cannot afford to be lead by Conservative politicians who live inside their own heads and who still believe in a utopian, isolationist, foriegn policy doctrine.
Back when I was younger, there was a saying around and that was, “Time to get real…” and yes, my friends; it is well beyond the time to get real in the world of foriegn policy. This is not December 6, 1941 anymore, this not even 1957; this is 2011 and this stuff is very real — and hardcore Isolationism, is not going to cut it anymore.
As you see above, I am an “America First” type of blogger and yes, I believe that I am a Paleo-Conservative. But I am not disconnected from reality. The reality is that the Republic of the United States of America does need defending from crazy people like Al-Qaeda. I do not believe in unjustified wars. But I do believe we should take great care in protecting the Republic and the people in that Republic. Anyone that says anything other than this; is just being irresponsible — and America just cannot afford to be irresponsible anymore. 2,976 people died because we were irresponsible once; let us not make that mistake again —- for their sakes.
Peace through strength, not Domination of the World by military might —- and certainly not irresponsibility through hardcore isolationism —- that my friends, is what America’s foriegn policy stance should be.
Debra Burlingame, the sister of Charles “Chic” Burlingame (pilot of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon) met with President Obama today, along with other families who were victims of 9/11. Burlingame said she confronted Obama about Attorney General Eric Holder prosecuting the men who interrogated KSM, which may have produced intelligence leading us to bin Laden.
Burlingame describes the encounter with Obama: “As a former attorney I know you can’t tell the Attorney General what to do, he said, ‘No, I can’t.’ But I said ‘we — that shouldn’t stop you from giving your opinion. We wouldn’t be here today if they hadn’t done their jobs. Can’t you at least give them your opinion.’ And he said ‘no I won’t,’ and he turned around and walked away.”
There is not anything more than I can add to this. The man is an ASSHOLE and a piece of shit. An Internationalist Democrat, who does not give a damn about America, its people or its principles.
Quite frankly, here is hoping that President Obama rots in the Devil’s hell. Screw him, Screw. him. hard. đĄ
Because obviously this President does not give a flying fuck about anyone, but himself. Especially white people, who have lost loved ones who lost family members on 9/11. He is an internationalist Democratic and a black man, who at the very least, has sympathies to the Muslim community and for all we know; radical Muslims as well. Why else would he do something like this? Again, I say, SCREW HIM, SCREW.HIM.HARD…. đĄ
Update: Let me say this as well; I could have dealt with the President nicely saying to this woman, “I will take it under consideration and speak with my advisers,” and then, not doing anything. But to just say, “No, I won’t.” That my friends, is pure asshole behavior. It is beneath the office and it brings a reproach to the office. For this, as far as I am concerned; President Obama has lost any sort of credibility, that he might have had with me. I’m finished with him and I will be voting in 2012 against him and I hope you, the reader, are too.
Sounds like a good endorsement to me!: (H/T HotAir)
Gold is in a bubble. Anyone will tell you that. They’ve been saying it since gold was about, oh, $500 an ounce.
But it’s a funny kind of a bubble. It’s the only one I’ve encountered where so few people seem to own the asset in question.
During the dot-com bubble, you met lots of people with tech stocks. Taxi drivers told you what dot-coms they owned.
During the housing bubble you met normal, ordinary people who were trading up to expensive homes using adjustable-rate mortgages, buying new condos off plan to flip, and cashing out their fictional “equity” through a refinance mortgage.
But who actually owns gold? I keep hearing about the gold bubble, but every time I ask people if they own any themselves, they say, “no, no, of course not, it’s a bubble.”
Some bubble.
Now take a look at our chart.
It’s an updated version of one I ran nearly a year ago, when gold was $1,176 an ounce.
It compares the bull market in gold with the last two undisputed “bubbles,” namely tech stocks and housing. It shows the gold price since 2001, the Nasdaq Composite COMP (^IXIC – News) from 1989 to 2001, and Standard & Poor’s index of Homebuilding stocks from 1995 to 2007.
The picture is pretty remarkable.
If gold is a “bubble,” it doesn’t look like it’s peaked yet. Indeed it looks like it might be just about to enter its big, blow-off phase.
Gold is a quirky investment, to be sure, and I’m about the last person to advise anyone on anything when it comes to financial matters.
But one thing is certain: the administration’s policy of “Quantitative Easing” (or, as I like to call it, “Quantitative Bankrupting of America’s Future”) has unleashed the Treasury’s printing press like nothing ever seen in world history.
Trillions in cash has materialized from thin air as the Treasury Department issues IOUs and the Federal Reserve purchases them on the open market. Which, by the way, enriches Goldman Sachs (and other so-called “primary dealers”) with tens of millions of dollars in needless commissions each month.
Until the money-printing stops, until the deficit spending is brought under control, and until the dollar is rescued from the most radical administration in American history, I would hold some precious metals like gold.
It’s a hedge against governmental stupidity — and heaven knows we need it now more than ever.
I got two words; Invest Now.
As you all know, I advertise for a small compensation, if you buy something, from GoldSilver.com; here are the products that are offered:
….and also, check out GoldSilver.com‘s Silver products as well. Silver is an emerging alternative to the high priced gold investments. Either it is, as Doug ross very well put it; a hedge against Governmental stupidity and we all need protection from that. đ
I’ve learned more about Economics, Investing and the stock market; than I ever intended to, after the big stock market crash in 2008. It was as if the stock market, politics and Government were involved in a multi-car pile up and we bloggers were left to sift though the wreckage. It was a mess, to say the least! many people lost money and the best the political people could do was point fingers at one another. Having said all of that, I highly recommend that you check out GoldSilver.com, it is the place to buy REAL gold!
Could this be why President Ronald Reagan said that “Big Government is bad Government?”
The Video:
The Story:
Before an elite team of U.S. Navy SEALs executed a daring raid that took down Osama bin Laden, the commandos were able to silently sneak up on their elusive target thanks to what aviation analysts said were top secret, never-before-seen stealth-modified helicopters.
In the course of the operation that cost the al Qaeda leader his life, one of the two Blackhawk helicopters that carried the SEALs into bin Laden’s Pakistani compound grazed one of the compound’s wall and was forced to make a hard landing. With the chopper inoperable, at the end of the mission the SEALs destroyed it with explosives.
But photos of what survived the explosion — the tail section of the craft with curious modifications — has sent military analysts buzzing about a stealth helicopter program that was only rumored to exist. From a modified tail boom to a noise reducing covering on the rear rotors and a special high-tech material similar to that used in stealth fighters, former Department of Defense official and vice president of the Lexington Institute Dan Goure said the bird is like nothing he’s ever seen before.
In there quest to defend empire, they expose themselves. Real Smart. đ I still want to see the photos and prove that this so-called killing actually happened.
As I have said before; until the United States Government either releases or someone leaks the actual photos. I will not believe this story that the Government is feeding us and the State-run and controlled media wants to feed us. The sad part is, all of these veal pan bloggers just ate up the story, without questioning it. I am not so foolish.
A Texas high school teacher has been placed on administrative leave following an incident where he allegedly told a 9th grade Muslim girl in his algebra class “I bet that you’re grieving” on Monday following the death of Osama bin Laden.
According to one parent at Clear Brook High School in Houston who spoke about the incident to a local ABC affiliate, the teacher also said, “I heard about your uncle’s death.”
The parent said the student “understood that he was referring about Osama bin Laden being killed and was racially profiling her.”
The name of the alleged victim of the comment has not been released. She is being described as an “American-born girl of Muslim faith.”
The teacher allegedly showed no remorse after Muslim girl reacted to his comments, according to the parent (who requested anonymity from the ABC station because “she doesn’t want any retaliation against her daughter or the girl who experienced the inappropriate comment.”)
“The student ended up crying over what was said to her by the teacher and the teacher asked her why she was crying and another student said it was because of what you said earlier,” the parent told the station. “And his response was, oh, OK, and just kind of smirked and giggled and walked away.”
One thing I should make clear; I do not buy the Meme that all people in Texas are bigots, nor do I believe that all Conservatives are bigots either. I do, however, feel that this damned teacher should be fired. Because, basically, she said all Muslims are terrorists. It’s the same damned thing as saying, “All Blacks are criminals.” It is the SAME damned mindset.
Also, to everyone that happens to be a Conservative out there, and you just happen to read this blog. Let me kindly inform you of something. This sort of stupidity —- is not helping. Whenever someone does something stupid like this, Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda are winning the war. This is because the overall mission of that Terrorist group, was to spark war between Christians and Muslims, that is what they want.
So, Alive or dead; doing this sort of stupidity — gives Osama what he wanted —- Division.
In an interview with Steve Kroft for this Sunday’s “60 Minutes” conducted today, President Obama said he won’t release post-mortem images of Osama bin Laden taken to prove his death.
“It is important to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool,” said the president.
“We don’t trot out this stuff as trophies,” Mr. Obama added. “The fact of the matter is, this is somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received.”
The president said he had discussed the issue with his intelligence team, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and that they agree with the decision. White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday that Mr. Obama made the decision today.
In explaining his choice not to release the photo, Mr. Obama said that “we don’t need to spike the football.” He said that “given the graphic nature of the photo it would create a national security risk.”
The president told Kroft he saw the photos following the raid on the compound and knew that bin Laden had been killed.
“We discussed this internally,” he said. “Keep in mind, we are absolutely certain that this was him. We’ve done DNA sampling and testing. And so there is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden.”
When Kroft noted that there are people in Pakistan and elsewhere who believe bin Laden is still alive, the president said “we we monitoring worldwide reaction.”
“There is no doubt that Osama bin Laden is dead,” he said. “Certainly there is no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead. So we don’t think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference.”
“There are going to be some folks who deny it,” he added. “The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this earth again.”
You all know my feelings on this; it is either one of the two; either one, the Government is lying about this or two, The President, along with Hillary Clinton and the rest of them are internationalist Democrats who would dare put the feelings of the international Muslim and domestic Muslim community, over those who died on 9/11 and their families; and the American people in general. Either way, it is an act of cowardice on the President’s part and it will cost the election of 2012. Because if you do not prove your word; how can you expect people to trust you?
Of course, the State-run and controlled media, as shown above, just laps this up and basically trusts the Government, as does many of the left-wing and many of the right-wing blogs out there. I do not choose to do such a foolish thing. I did not trust this Government, when Neo-Conservative Bush was in charge and I really do not trust this Government, when Neo-Liberal and internationalist Democrats like Barack Obama are running it — and neither should you.
My mistrust of this Government is not on a partisan basis; this is based on knowledge and in this case —- knowledge is power.
Coffin-draped caskets of American soldiers, on the other hand? Why, INFORMATION MUST BE FREE!*
He’s right. The left about went ape over the fact that their media could not take pictures of returning dead service-members coffins from Iraq; but the Democratic Party and Neo-Liberal President is afraid to offend the Muslims? Just where do his loyalties lie with? It sure is not America.
For this Governor Palin gets a “atta-gal” from yours truly!
Sarah Palin has parted ways with the neoconservative foreign policy advisers who had been writing speeches and advising her on policy since she joined the McCain campaign.An aide to Palin, Tim Crawford, confirmed that Orion Strategies’ Randy Scheunemann and Michael Goldfarb are no longer working for her PAC. They parted, both sides said on good terms.”Randy flat out said, ‘We can’t give you the time,'” Crawford said.”I very much enjoyed my time working with Governor Palin and wish her and her family all the best,” Scheunemann said in an email. “If she decides to run for any office again, she will be a formidable candidate.”Crawford said they’ve been replaced by Peter Schweizer, a writer and fellow at the Hoover Institution who blogs regularly at Andrew Breitbart’s Big Peace.The personnel shift carries an ideological charge. Scheunemann, the former executive director of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, is a longtime neoconservative stalwart, as is Goldfarb, a former reporter and protege of Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol. They crafted for Palin a policy platform and voice reflecting an eagerness to use American force. The pair, who helped Palin with press and debate prep in 2008, were also something of Palin’s last link to Washington’s political establishment.But Palin parted ways with that aggressive internationalism in a speech yesterday, condemning U.S. involvement in Libya and laying out a more cautious philosophy of the use of force. Schweizer has articulated a more skeptical view of the use of American force and promotion of democracy abroad.
I rarely praise the woman; for in this cause, she has earned it. Good going Sarah! đ
Here is why I feel this way —- It was Randy Scheunemann and Michael Goldfarb that basically ruined John McCain’s ability to get elected. Further more, it was these two dolts political ideology that screwed this Country into the ground and put us in the position that we are in now; financially and foriegn policy wise. Needless to say, that Neo-Conservative political thought is no longer popular. So much in fact that many well-known Conservative Jews are bailing on it.
So, to Governor Palin I say; Good Job Lady and here is hoping that this is a sign that Sarah Palin comes to the “real” side of Conservatism and really starts acting like a real Conservative.
Because I am not a partisan blogger, I will say this; Keith and his wanna-be Buddy here have some valid points. My question is this; whytrustthis Government? Also, do they really honestly believe that carping about Bush’s failure is doing the Democratic Party cause any good? Anyone that trusts a Barack Obama ran Government anymore than a George W. Bush ran Government is either; one, a partisan or two, an idiot. Further more, Bill Clinton did not exactly bring home — the bacon, so to speak.
So, book ending the capture of OBL around Democrats is a bit stupid. So, yeah, the left did just what I figured they would do. Rejoice, then blame the other side, all the while patting themselves on the back. It is quite typical of the “Corporate Left.”
As someone who was drawn to the world of Blogging, by the Government’s and by default, the George W. Bush Administration’s handling of “The War on Terror and the war in Iraq —– I am highly suspicious of this whole thing.
They say, Osama is dead. I have my doubts. Until I see a bloody corpse picture; I remain a skeptic.
I just do not trust this Government at all. I did not trust it, when George W. Bush was running it and I really do not trust it, now that Barack Obama is running it.
Me? I sit here; suspect of the whole damned thing. I am not easily convinced of anything this Government says or does anymore.
Oh yeah, Obama just won 2012 —– sorry Republicans; four more years of Obama’s socialist stupidity. Enjoy it and get used to it.
If you want to read the rest of the blogging world’s reactions, Start here.
Update: OK. I have seen enough evidence to concede, that the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks is, in fact, dead. For one Al-Qaeda has confirmed this and the Defense Dept has released videos from the compound.
Yessir, I mean every word of that title up there and here is why:
For one, I believe that ANY politician that uses a personal tragedy; like the tragic tornadoes in Alabama, for the purposes of taking a cheap political shot at a President is an asshole.
I am, of course, referring to this here, which was reported by the New York Daily News:
As President Obama meets with Alabama families affected by deadly tornados that swept through the South earlier this week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is asking: What about us?
The Republican, long a critic of the president, once again ripped the Obama administration Thursday. This time, he bashed Obama for not responding to an April 16 request for a declaration of emergency in the Lone Star State, where wildfires have destroyed nearly 2 million acres.
“You have to ask, ‘Why are you taking care of Alabama and other states?'” said Perry.
Texas officials asked the White House to make the declaration, which would have allocated federal funds to help the state deal with the crisis.
“I know our letter didn’t get lost in the mail,” Perry added.
Two firefighters died in the Texas disaster, and 900 buildings have been destroyed. According to Linda Moon, spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service, more than $60 million has been spent by the forest service and local departments to respond to the wildfires since Sept 1.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is reviewing Perry’s request. But the governor did not shy away from expressing his frustration.
“There is a point in time where you say, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?,'” Perry said. “They watch TV, they know what’s going on here, they can recognize that there is going to be a request for assistance, a request for help.”
“So hundreds die in storms throughout the South and Rick Perry’s response is to question why those states are getting federal aid instead of Texas? Funny how he doesn’t mention that Texas has already gotten at least $39 million in firefighting aid from FEMA over the past two fire seasons and has already received 22 grants in this fire season alone.”
I’m not even sure what Perry is insinuating when it comes to politics. Does the governor expect us to think Obama favors Alabama over Texas for some kind of political reason? The last time I checked, they’re both very reliable “red” states.
But what makes the governor’s complaints especially noteworthy is the larger context — it’s a reminder of how offensive Perry’s anti-government rhetoric was in the first place. He hates federal intrusion, except when Democrats in Washington are helping him balance his budget. He wants to keep federal officials out of his state, except when he’s facing a natural disaster.
For this guy’s feelings to be hurt when the president visits another state hard hit by a devastating natural disaster is bizarre.
Now, am I siding with Benen’s liberalism? No. I am siding with the fact that what perry is doing is not only immoral; but also quite stupid. Political potshots on the graves of those who died in a horrible tragedy is bad politics; and I personally hope like hell, that the Democrat and or Republican who runs against Rick Perry, in the next election, exploits this to the high heavens.
Texas state legislator Leo Berman, a Republican, has introduced a bill that would require proof of citizenship from presidential candidates. It’s one of many such bills in the states. And according to Sharon Guthrie, Berman’s legislative director, the legislation is still needed and the long-form birth certificate released by the White House today does not satisfy its requirements.
“What I’ve seen online, what they produced today, still says certificate of live birth across the top,” she told me. And she’s right.
But why isn’t that just a nomenclature issue? Why does it matter?
“We want to see a ‘birth certificate,'” Guthrie explained. “The one that we have that says ‘birth certificate’ is from Mombassa, Kenya, with his footprint on it. He has still not produced an American birth certificate.”
Guthrie is referring to an internet rumor that Lucas Smith, an Iowa activist, found a birth certificate from Kenya that contains all the information skeptics want to see from Obama. It was introduced as evidence in one of Orly Taitz’s filings. The problem: That certificate is forged. But it’s one of several online rumors that convinces Obama birth skeptics that a real birth document is out there.
“I’m a Republican precinct chairman in Texas, in Smith County,” said Guthrie. “We have to show an official birth certificate. Why shouldn’t a presidential candidate or president show his or hers? I’m at the bottom of the ticket. He’s at the top.”
In a development that will surprise no one, it turns out that President Barack Obama’s decision to release his long-form birth certificate hasn’t quieted members of the “birther” movement who promote the conspiracy theory that he wasn’t born in the United States.”Look, I applaud this release. I think it’s a step in the right direction,” so-called “birther queen” Orly Taitz told me in one of her many media interviews this morning. “I credit Donald Trump in pushing this issue.”But she still has her suspicions. Specifically, Taitz thinks that the birth certificate should peg Obama’s race as “Negro” and not “African.”
If there ever was a case for calling someone a screwball Jew. This would be one of them. Someone please send this crazy woman back to Israel, where she belongs please; preferably in a straight jacket.
In 2008, in response to media inquiries, the Presidentâs campaign requested his birth certificate from the state of Hawaii. The state sent the campaign the Presidentâs birth certificate, the same legal documentation provided to all Hawaiians as proof of birth in state, and the campaign immediately posted it on the internet. That birth certificate can be seen here (PDF).
When any citizen born in Hawaii requests their birth certificate, they receive exactly what the President received. In fact, the document posted on the campaign website is what Hawaiians use to get a driverâs license from the state and the document recognized by the Federal Government and the courts for all legal purposes. Thatâs because it is the birth certificate. This is not and should not be an open question.
As far as I am concerned, this issue is settled; I am sure that there will be people that will continue to believe that the President was not born in America. I am not one of those people. Thank you Mr. President for putting to bed, one of the worst and most stupid issues that I have ever seen in my lifetime, that surrounded an election of a President.
Here is Donald Trump taking credit for it:
Again, I consider the matter closed; and I hope like hell that the rest of the Conservative Blogosphere and conspiracy theory world does too.
I found this to be very shocking… Sean Hannity was respectful to Representative Ron Paul:
Now here, when I saw the lead in to this segment, I thought “Oh boy, here we go… Hannity is going to cream this guy…” and you know what? Hannity just ribbed him about it and you could tell, it was just a gentle ribbing.
Now, I will say this about Ron Paul, he did stick to his guns on foriegn policy and in this day and age of wishy-washy politicians and flip-floppers; it is a refreshing change to see a guy stick to his guns, even when he knows it will not popular with the person interviewing him. I also commend Sean Hannity for not keeping on and on about it. Hannity made his point and Ron Paul made his and that was good enough, I thought.
Unlike some on the Neo-Con right, I will not treat this announcement dismissively. I think if Ron Paul could overcome some of stuff that the left likes to bring up and maybe hire a damn speech writer! He could very well win the Presidency; and right now, I would vote for Ron Paul over say, Bachmann, Palin, Trump or even Romney. The rest of the crowd, I either do not know, or think is too weak of a person to seriously be considered.
If you are wondering why some folks are starting to question whether a college education is worth the cost, the video below goes a long way towards explaining it. Recently, the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) sponsored two college courses: Introduction to Labor Studies and Labor Politics and Society, to be taught simultaneously through a video conference between to two campuses.
The Professors are Judy Ancel, Director of Labor Studies at UMKC and Don Giljum, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers at Ameren UE in St. Louis. (Bonus: he is a member of the Communist Party.)
In the class, the Professors not only advocate the occasional need for violence and industrial sabotage, they outline specific tactics that can be used. As one of our colleagues pointed out, its the matter-of-factness of it all that is so disturbing.
And yes, the schools, and the professorsâ salaries, are funded by taxpayers.
Now take a look at our chart.