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Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Goldman Sachs: Fraud and Profit ! The Devil is an Investment Banker !
Unbelievable. Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street titan under investigation for defrauding investors, has posted profits of more than $3.5 billion over the past three months.
fat cat
Tell the Senate to fight for taxpayers and consumers!
Watch our new video about our financial reform strategy as you sign the petition to tell your senators to rein in Wall Street's predatory and risky practices.
These "too-big-to-fail" monstrosities that caused the crisis remain out of control - and just a few bad bets away from another bailout.
Over the next week, heated debate on the Senate floor will focus on financial reform. We expect several attempts will be made to weaken consumer protections and create giant loopholes for the big banks.
Wall Street is lobbying harder than ever to fight reform. For the big banks, anything that stands in the way of their big bonuses, bailouts and casino capitalism is a threat.
Meanwhile, families across America trying to make an honest living continue to struggle.To learn more about Public Citizen's financial reform work,Vist/Click Here
Support reform! Take action to prevent a repeat of the crisis that plunged us into the Great Recession. Sign the petition for real financial reform.
Goldman Sachs and the rest on Wall Street are back to their old financial tricks and lobbying harder than ever to fight reform. For the big banks, anything that stands in the way of their big bonuses, bailouts and casino capitalism is a threat.
Keep up the fight. Take action for strong financial reform today!
Thank you for all you do.
Rick, Angela and Glenn
Your advocates at Public Citizen
action@citizen.org
donate
To learn more about Public Citizen's financial reform work,Vist/Click Here To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways to help with Public Citizen's work, sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network.
fat cat
Tell the Senate to fight for taxpayers and consumers!
Watch our new video about our financial reform strategy as you sign the petition to tell your senators to rein in Wall Street's predatory and risky practices.
These "too-big-to-fail" monstrosities that caused the crisis remain out of control - and just a few bad bets away from another bailout.
Over the next week, heated debate on the Senate floor will focus on financial reform. We expect several attempts will be made to weaken consumer protections and create giant loopholes for the big banks.
Wall Street is lobbying harder than ever to fight reform. For the big banks, anything that stands in the way of their big bonuses, bailouts and casino capitalism is a threat.
Meanwhile, families across America trying to make an honest living continue to struggle.To learn more about Public Citizen's financial reform work,Vist/Click Here
Support reform! Take action to prevent a repeat of the crisis that plunged us into the Great Recession. Sign the petition for real financial reform.
Goldman Sachs and the rest on Wall Street are back to their old financial tricks and lobbying harder than ever to fight reform. For the big banks, anything that stands in the way of their big bonuses, bailouts and casino capitalism is a threat.
Keep up the fight. Take action for strong financial reform today!
Thank you for all you do.
Rick, Angela and Glenn
Your advocates at Public Citizen
action@citizen.org
donate
To learn more about Public Citizen's financial reform work,Vist/Click Here To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways to help with Public Citizen's work, sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
One of the World's Biggest Oil Producers Is Going Bust
By Matt Badiali, editor, S&A Resource Report
Saturday, April 10, 2010
"What this means is that we require, in one way or another, the collaboration of other companies on an international level precisely in order to recuperate our levels of production."
From time to time, my job as a resource stock analyst means I get to act as "BS interpreter."
This quote above, uttered by Mexican Energy Minister Georgina Kessel at an international conference a few weeks ago, is a mouthful of government gobbledygook. Here's what she's actually saying… and what it means for your resource portfolio…
Most Americans don't realize it, but Mexico is a major player in global oil production. According to the Energy Information Agency, it was the seventh largest oil-producing country in 2008. Mexico is the U.S.'s second-largest source of imported oil, behind Canada.
You read that correctly: We import more oil from Mexico than we do Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, or any other Middle Eastern country. You don't read about it much in the papers, but Mexico is a critical supplier to American drivers.
Now, Mexican oil officials like Georgina Kessel have a problem… one the entire world has: There are no easy barrels left.
You see, in the oil business, there are "easy barrels," like the kind discovered in Mexico, Texas, and Saudi Arabia decades ago. These easy barrels burst from the earth when you puncture a highly pressurized oil field with a drill pipe. These are the barrels you see in movies and cartoons.
There are also "hard barrels," like the kind locked inside oil sands. They require enormous amounts of digging and processing in order to become the "light, sweet" crude that we turn into gasoline.
Another example of a "hard barrel" is one located hundreds of miles out into (and miles under) the ocean. This requires hundreds of millions of dollars in ships, advanced drilling technology, and undersea pipelines.
The world has plenty of hard barrels in reserve. Brazilian oil major Petrobras has discovered several "supergiant" fields (greater than 1 billion barrels) off the coast of Brazil. Canada and Venezuela have extraordinary amounts of oil trapped in tar sands. The U.S. has over a trillion barrels locked in shale formations out West. And since 2004, 63 new fields have been discovered in the Gulf of Mexico – 16 of those in water at least a mile deep.
It takes billions of dollars in infrastructure spending to develop these difficult fields. Hardly the easy oil of Mexico's past.
Mexico's legendary Cantarell field – discovered in 1976 and named for the fisherman who found it – is the sixth largest oil field on Earth. And it was once the second largest producing field in the world, after the massive Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia.
Cantarell was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery… so for years, Mexican officials could pretend they were oil experts. The field was so ridiculously productive, they could afford to nationalize the industry, steal the company blind, and pump the oil with abandon.
Production peaked in 2004 at 2.1 million barrels per day, which accounted for 64% of total oil production at Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex. But years and years of mistreating the golden goose has left its world-class oilfield in a sorry state of underproduction. Oil fields are like children… you have to take care of them and invest in their future.
The problem is that the government has done a terrible job of "upkeep."
Production at Cantarell plummeted 30% in 2008. It produced less than 780,000 barrels per day in 2009. And Pemex's total oil production fell 21% from 3.3 million barrels per day in 2004 to just 2.6 million barrels per day today.
Worse yet, thanks to decades of complacency, Pemex can't find more oil. In 2007, it managed to replace just 50% of its production. In 2008, it replaced just 70%. The new reserves it does find come from much smaller fields. The company is replacing million-barrel-per-day fields with 150,000-barrel-per-day fields.
Mexico – for years a major oil exporter – could become an oil importer within a decade. This is a disaster for the Mexican economy. Pemex employs over 100,000 people and supplies the Mexican government with around 40% of its revenue… and its oil revenue is wilting away.
Now that Cantarell isn't blasting out oil, industry insiders are seeing exactly how incompetent Pemex is. It's the General Motors of the oil world… If it weren't such an important exporter, it would be a joke.
What Mexico and Georgina Kessel are finally doing is admitting they need outside expertise in righting their ship. Take out the flowery government speak from Georgina's quote and you get:
"We are running out of oil. We underinvested in our infrastructure in favor of huge social programs. We've mismanaged our fields so badly that we need immediate help to find and pump more oil."
This is from a major player in the global oil export market.
For investors, this sort of comment is further reason to own oil and oil-service stocks for the long term. Major producers used to easy barrels – like Mexico, Venezuela, and Iran – are experiencing production declines… so much so that they will pull their exports from the market, sending prices higher. I wouldn't' be surprised to see oil over $200 a barrel in five years (especially if our spendthrift government keeps debasing the paper currency we use to price oil).
This will make "hard barrels" – like the kind in Canada's tar sands or deep offshore – much more valuable… But only the expensive and high-tech expertise that skilled oil-service companies provide can unlock that value.
Stay long oil… and stay long oil services.
Good investing,
Matt Badiali
Saturday, April 10, 2010
"What this means is that we require, in one way or another, the collaboration of other companies on an international level precisely in order to recuperate our levels of production."
From time to time, my job as a resource stock analyst means I get to act as "BS interpreter."
This quote above, uttered by Mexican Energy Minister Georgina Kessel at an international conference a few weeks ago, is a mouthful of government gobbledygook. Here's what she's actually saying… and what it means for your resource portfolio…
Most Americans don't realize it, but Mexico is a major player in global oil production. According to the Energy Information Agency, it was the seventh largest oil-producing country in 2008. Mexico is the U.S.'s second-largest source of imported oil, behind Canada.
You read that correctly: We import more oil from Mexico than we do Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, or any other Middle Eastern country. You don't read about it much in the papers, but Mexico is a critical supplier to American drivers.
Now, Mexican oil officials like Georgina Kessel have a problem… one the entire world has: There are no easy barrels left.
You see, in the oil business, there are "easy barrels," like the kind discovered in Mexico, Texas, and Saudi Arabia decades ago. These easy barrels burst from the earth when you puncture a highly pressurized oil field with a drill pipe. These are the barrels you see in movies and cartoons.
There are also "hard barrels," like the kind locked inside oil sands. They require enormous amounts of digging and processing in order to become the "light, sweet" crude that we turn into gasoline.
Another example of a "hard barrel" is one located hundreds of miles out into (and miles under) the ocean. This requires hundreds of millions of dollars in ships, advanced drilling technology, and undersea pipelines.
The world has plenty of hard barrels in reserve. Brazilian oil major Petrobras has discovered several "supergiant" fields (greater than 1 billion barrels) off the coast of Brazil. Canada and Venezuela have extraordinary amounts of oil trapped in tar sands. The U.S. has over a trillion barrels locked in shale formations out West. And since 2004, 63 new fields have been discovered in the Gulf of Mexico – 16 of those in water at least a mile deep.
It takes billions of dollars in infrastructure spending to develop these difficult fields. Hardly the easy oil of Mexico's past.
Mexico's legendary Cantarell field – discovered in 1976 and named for the fisherman who found it – is the sixth largest oil field on Earth. And it was once the second largest producing field in the world, after the massive Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia.
Cantarell was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery… so for years, Mexican officials could pretend they were oil experts. The field was so ridiculously productive, they could afford to nationalize the industry, steal the company blind, and pump the oil with abandon.
Production peaked in 2004 at 2.1 million barrels per day, which accounted for 64% of total oil production at Mexico's state-owned oil company, Pemex. But years and years of mistreating the golden goose has left its world-class oilfield in a sorry state of underproduction. Oil fields are like children… you have to take care of them and invest in their future.
The problem is that the government has done a terrible job of "upkeep."
Production at Cantarell plummeted 30% in 2008. It produced less than 780,000 barrels per day in 2009. And Pemex's total oil production fell 21% from 3.3 million barrels per day in 2004 to just 2.6 million barrels per day today.
Worse yet, thanks to decades of complacency, Pemex can't find more oil. In 2007, it managed to replace just 50% of its production. In 2008, it replaced just 70%. The new reserves it does find come from much smaller fields. The company is replacing million-barrel-per-day fields with 150,000-barrel-per-day fields.
Mexico – for years a major oil exporter – could become an oil importer within a decade. This is a disaster for the Mexican economy. Pemex employs over 100,000 people and supplies the Mexican government with around 40% of its revenue… and its oil revenue is wilting away.
Now that Cantarell isn't blasting out oil, industry insiders are seeing exactly how incompetent Pemex is. It's the General Motors of the oil world… If it weren't such an important exporter, it would be a joke.
What Mexico and Georgina Kessel are finally doing is admitting they need outside expertise in righting their ship. Take out the flowery government speak from Georgina's quote and you get:
"We are running out of oil. We underinvested in our infrastructure in favor of huge social programs. We've mismanaged our fields so badly that we need immediate help to find and pump more oil."
This is from a major player in the global oil export market.
For investors, this sort of comment is further reason to own oil and oil-service stocks for the long term. Major producers used to easy barrels – like Mexico, Venezuela, and Iran – are experiencing production declines… so much so that they will pull their exports from the market, sending prices higher. I wouldn't' be surprised to see oil over $200 a barrel in five years (especially if our spendthrift government keeps debasing the paper currency we use to price oil).
This will make "hard barrels" – like the kind in Canada's tar sands or deep offshore – much more valuable… But only the expensive and high-tech expertise that skilled oil-service companies provide can unlock that value.
Stay long oil… and stay long oil services.
Good investing,
Matt Badiali
Friday, February 26, 2010
Liquid Nutrition and Super-AntiOxidant Formula Bring Vibrant Health
A powerful combination of nutrients to help you protect your health, increase your energy, and more. Includes one bottle of Advanced Liquid Nutrition and one bottle of Super Antioxidant Formula.
Our new berry flavored formula now has Acai Berry Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Omegas 3 & 6, and Calcium! It's also Gluten free.
Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition is a one-of-a-kind, all-natural liquid supplement designed to promote robust health. Our exclusive formula packs 13 vitamins, 9 herbs, 18 amino acids, and a variety of nutrients, minerals, and plant extracts for total body wellness in every delicious, mixed-berry-flavored, 1-ounce dose.
Why take a liquid nutrition? One word--ABSORPTION!!! The nutrients in Veriuni's Advanced Liquid Nutrition are up to 98% absorbable. Compare that to the less effective 5-10% absorption rate for capsules or hard-to-swallow compressed "horse pills" with unfavorable vitamin aftertastes. Advanced Liquid Nutrition's unique dietary supplement contains nearly every daily nutrient required for vigorous health in a 1-ounce dose.
Liquid Nutrition and Super-Anti-Oxidant Formula
You can't get this formula anywhere else online or in stores! Try Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition today and start noticing an improved sense of well-being and increased energy today!
Directions: For use as a dietary supplement, take 2 tablespoons daily. Shake well before each use. Keep out of reach of children.
Caution: Women who are pregnant or nursing should consult their health care provider before using this product.
REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING
INGREDIENTS/LABEL INFORMATION:
ADVANCED LIQUID NUTRITION
mixed-berry-flavored vitamin & mineral supplement
32 FL. OZ. (946 ml) • Dietary Supplement
Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (approximately 30 ml, 16 calories)
Servings Per Container: approximately 32
Ingredients -- Amount per serving / % Daily Value*
Potassium (Citrate) -- 70 mg / 2%
Vitamin A (Palmitate) -- 5,000 IU / 100%
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) -- 60 mg / 100%
Calcium (Citrate) -- 250 mg / 25%
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) -- 400 IU / 100%
Vitamin E (dl-alpha Tocopherol Acetate) -- 30 IU / 100%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin HCI) -- 1.5 mg / 100%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) -- 1.7 mg / 100%
Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide) -- 20 mg / 100%
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) -- 2 mg / 100%
Folic Acid -- 400 mcg / 100%
Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin) -- 6 mcg / 100%
Biotin -- 300 mcg / 100%
Vitamin B5 (Calcium Pantothenate) -- 10 mg / 100%
Zinc (Gluconate) -- 5 mg / 33%
Inositol -- 50 mg / †
Acai Extract -- 100 mg / †
Aloe Vera 200:1 -- 1mg / †
Total Carbohydrate (Sugars) -- 4 g / 1%
Amino Acid Complex -- 10 mg / †
(Lysine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cystine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Taurine, Tyrosine, Valine) Herbal Complex -- 10 mg / †
(Green Tea Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf, Red Raspberry Extract, Pau d’ Arco Extract, Grape Skin Extract, White Willow Bark Extract, Cat’s Claw Extract, Bilberry Extract, Hawthorne Berry Extract)
Bioflavanoids (Quercitin, Rutin) -- 5 mg / †
CoQ10 -- 3 mg / †
Grape Seed Extract -- 5 mg / †
Essential Fatty Acids (Lecithin, Flaxseed Oil) -- 245 mg / †
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
†Daily Value not established
Other Ingredients: Purified Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Fructose, Natural Flavors, Vegetable Gum, Citric Acid, Potassium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (as preservatives), Citrus Pectin, Bromelain, Royal Jelly.
Liquid Nutrition and Super-Anti-Oxidant Formula
Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is a dietary supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
About Super Antioxidant Formula: Boosts your energy levels and healthy lifestyle. Contains all 10 antioxidants recommended by the government. Aids your body in removing cancerous free radicals from itself. Provides protection for collagen and connective tissues. Speeds wound healing and protects against pollutants and toxins. Helps prevent cataract formation and protects against neuroligical disorders. Ingredients: Beta Carotene, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Superoxide Dismutase, Co Q-10, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium. Get more details about this product here.
Liquid Nutrition and Super-Anti-Oxidant Formula
Our new berry flavored formula now has Acai Berry Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Omegas 3 & 6, and Calcium! It's also Gluten free.
Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition is a one-of-a-kind, all-natural liquid supplement designed to promote robust health. Our exclusive formula packs 13 vitamins, 9 herbs, 18 amino acids, and a variety of nutrients, minerals, and plant extracts for total body wellness in every delicious, mixed-berry-flavored, 1-ounce dose.
Why take a liquid nutrition? One word--ABSORPTION!!! The nutrients in Veriuni's Advanced Liquid Nutrition are up to 98% absorbable. Compare that to the less effective 5-10% absorption rate for capsules or hard-to-swallow compressed "horse pills" with unfavorable vitamin aftertastes. Advanced Liquid Nutrition's unique dietary supplement contains nearly every daily nutrient required for vigorous health in a 1-ounce dose.
Liquid Nutrition and Super-Anti-Oxidant Formula
You can't get this formula anywhere else online or in stores! Try Veriuni Advanced Liquid Nutrition today and start noticing an improved sense of well-being and increased energy today!
Directions: For use as a dietary supplement, take 2 tablespoons daily. Shake well before each use. Keep out of reach of children.
Caution: Women who are pregnant or nursing should consult their health care provider before using this product.
REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING
INGREDIENTS/LABEL INFORMATION:
ADVANCED LIQUID NUTRITION
mixed-berry-flavored vitamin & mineral supplement
32 FL. OZ. (946 ml) • Dietary Supplement
Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (approximately 30 ml, 16 calories)
Servings Per Container: approximately 32
Ingredients -- Amount per serving / % Daily Value*
Potassium (Citrate) -- 70 mg / 2%
Vitamin A (Palmitate) -- 5,000 IU / 100%
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) -- 60 mg / 100%
Calcium (Citrate) -- 250 mg / 25%
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) -- 400 IU / 100%
Vitamin E (dl-alpha Tocopherol Acetate) -- 30 IU / 100%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin HCI) -- 1.5 mg / 100%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) -- 1.7 mg / 100%
Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide) -- 20 mg / 100%
Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) -- 2 mg / 100%
Folic Acid -- 400 mcg / 100%
Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin) -- 6 mcg / 100%
Biotin -- 300 mcg / 100%
Vitamin B5 (Calcium Pantothenate) -- 10 mg / 100%
Zinc (Gluconate) -- 5 mg / 33%
Inositol -- 50 mg / †
Acai Extract -- 100 mg / †
Aloe Vera 200:1 -- 1mg / †
Total Carbohydrate (Sugars) -- 4 g / 1%
Amino Acid Complex -- 10 mg / †
(Lysine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cystine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Taurine, Tyrosine, Valine) Herbal Complex -- 10 mg / †
(Green Tea Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf, Red Raspberry Extract, Pau d’ Arco Extract, Grape Skin Extract, White Willow Bark Extract, Cat’s Claw Extract, Bilberry Extract, Hawthorne Berry Extract)
Bioflavanoids (Quercitin, Rutin) -- 5 mg / †
CoQ10 -- 3 mg / †
Grape Seed Extract -- 5 mg / †
Essential Fatty Acids (Lecithin, Flaxseed Oil) -- 245 mg / †
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
†Daily Value not established
Other Ingredients: Purified Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Fructose, Natural Flavors, Vegetable Gum, Citric Acid, Potassium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (as preservatives), Citrus Pectin, Bromelain, Royal Jelly.
Liquid Nutrition and Super-Anti-Oxidant Formula
Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is a dietary supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
About Super Antioxidant Formula: Boosts your energy levels and healthy lifestyle. Contains all 10 antioxidants recommended by the government. Aids your body in removing cancerous free radicals from itself. Provides protection for collagen and connective tissues. Speeds wound healing and protects against pollutants and toxins. Helps prevent cataract formation and protects against neuroligical disorders. Ingredients: Beta Carotene, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Superoxide Dismutase, Co Q-10, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium. Get more details about this product here.
Liquid Nutrition and Super-Anti-Oxidant Formula
Friday, February 19, 2010
Latest Report Shows the Jobless Recovery Still Endures
Latest Report Shows the Jobless Recovery Still Endures
By Jon D. Markman, Contributing Writer, Money MorningStocks have staged surprise rebounds after seemingly poor payroll reports half a dozen times in the past year. But the one time that there was better-than-expected job news, on Dec. 5, the market tanked. Go figure – it’s a great example of how upside down the logic is on Wall Street. To help us interpret the jobs report of last week, I turned to my favorite independent labor analysts, Philippa Dunne and Doug Henwood. Here’s their view of the latest numbers, which they considered the most positive in months – despite the many problems highlighted by the latest jobs report.
Let’s analyze some of the highlights – and lowlights – of the most recent report: The headline job loss of 20,000 jobs was driven by losses of 75,000 in construction, mostly in non-residential, with large losses in specialty trades (those who finish buildings). Heavy and civil construction both were flat, which makes you wonder where the StimPak [stimulus package] is going. Manufacturing added 11,000, its first positive month in three years, led by motor vehicles. Retail added 42,000, with no single sector hogging the gains. Transportation and finance had modest losses. Healthcare added just 15,000 jobs, slightly below the sector’s average over the last year, and private education lost jobs. Temp firms were real standouts, adding 52,000 workers, continuing their strength. Temp agency Kelly Services Inc. (Nasdaq: KELYA) hit a new 52-week high last week, reflecting the strength of temp employment in the jobless recovery. In fact, temp employment is on the verge of going positive year-over-year, which would be the first time that’s happened since early 2007. Let’s hope this is a harbinger of broader payroll gains, and not just a new regime of throwaway jobs. The federal government added 33,000 workers – 9,000 of them for the U.S. Census - with the total partly offsetting losses of 41,000 at the state and local level. Given the fiscal situation at the sub-federal level, we can probably expect more of the same.
Diffusion indexes (positives less negatives) posted nice across-the-board gains, with the one-month measure at its highest level since March 2008. The 12-month index is still a laggard, but it’s at its highest level in eight months. These suggest some firming in the labor market’s internals. Average hourly earnings for production workers rose 0.3%, while the measure rose and 0.2% for all workers. The yearly changes are 2.5% and 2.0%, respectively. Wage pressures are nonexistent, which is great to hear if you’re worried about inflation, but isn’t so great if you’re a worker hoping for a nice raise. The average workweek rose 0.1 hours for both production workers and for all workers. This is the longest workweek in the production-worker series in a year. Aggregate hours rose nicely for both sets of workers in the major sectors, and the yearly decline in aggregate hours for production workers is its smallest since October 2008. The rise in the workweek, which is starting to look like a trend, portends well for future hiring. Employment losses since December 2007, when the recession began, are now pegged at 8.4 million, or 6.1% of total employment. That’s the worst since the post-war demobilization recession of 1945, and nearly three times the average job loss in post-1950 recessions. The labor participation rate was up 0.1 point and the employment/population ratio rose a nice 0.2 percentage points, its first increase since last April. While it’s too early to say whether this strength in the household survey is a harbinger of an upturn that will soon show up in payrolls, it’s something to be filed under "tentatively encouraging." The unemployment rate declined a sharp 0.3 percentage points to 9.7% — all of it clean, meaning there wasn’t any rounding funniness, or pop-control distortions. "Hidden" unemployment declined even more markedly, with the broad U-6 rate falling a sharp 0.8 points to 16.5%. The job-finding rate (the probability of a person unemployed in December finding a job in January) rose by three points to 24.5%, its highest level in six months. It looks like we’re seeing more concentration in the very-long-term unemployed, defined as those who were jobless for 27 weeks or more. All in all, Dunne and Henwood conclude, this was a pretty good report by the standards of the last couple of years. In more normal times, this report wouldn’t be any cause for cheer, they observe. But it does support hopes that the labor market is turning. The problem, however, is this: During a normal expansion of a healthy economy, monthly payrolls typically rise as much as 150,000 a month. But during the early stages of a recovery, gains are expected to exceed 250,000 per month. In contrast, at best the economy shed 25,000 last month in what is supposed to be a recovery. And it might be worse. TrimTabs Investment Research, an economic-research firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area, reports that its data, based on records of real-time tax receipts, shows that job losses last month actually totaled 104,000. TrimTabs Chief Executive Charles Biederman says he believes the public is being lulled into a false sense of improvement by incorrect federal jobs reporting.”By the time everyone wakes up to the fact that the economy is not recovering, the damage will already have been done," he says. Since payrolls are still shrinking – even though the economy is supposedly improving – something is really wrong. At minimum, the recovery in employment is going to take a lot longer than the recovery in the economy, and every month that goes by there’s even more ground to make up.Editor’s Note: As the story above demonstrates, Money Morning Contributing Writer Jon Markman has a unique view on the markets. With uncertainty the watchword and volatility the norm in today’s markets, profitable investments are harder than ever to find. It takes a seasoned guide to find those opportunities. Markman is that guide. In the face of what’s been the toughest market for investors since the Great Depression, it’s time to sweep away uncertainty and eradicate worry. Subscribe to Strategic Advantage.
Hire Markman to be your guide..
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Five tips to avoid Haiti relief scams
Five tips to avoid Haiti relief scams
The aftermath of natural disasters often bring out the
scammers and con artists. Here are five tips to avoid Haiti
relief scams and make sure your donations make a difference.
Within 24 hours of the Haitian earthquake, scammers were at
work trying to profit from the disaster. The scams ranged
from e-mails asking donors for help to phone calls soliciting
funds to phony relief websites harvesting credit card numbers.
Whenever there is a natural disaster, there are two things
you can count on, says Art Taylor, president of the Better
Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, a nonprofit
consumer group. "The first is the generosity of Americans
to donate time and money to help victims, and the second is
the appearance of poorly run, and in some cases fraudulent,
charities," he says in a statement on the group's Website.
More than 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have
been registered since Monday's devastating quake, Internet
security expert Joel Esler told ABC News. Some of those
websites may be legitimate, but many others are fraudulent.
"Not only do Americans need to be concerned about avoiding
fraud, they also need to make sure their money goes to
competent relief organizations that are equipped and
experienced to handle the unique challenges of providing
assistance," Taylor says.
Here are five tips, culled from information from the
Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Better Business
Bureau, to ensure your donation reaches its destination:
* Stick to well-known, reputable charities. The American
Institute of Philanthropy recently published their list
of top Haiti relief organizations, and Charity Navigator
evaluates charities with a four-star rating system. The
BBB also accredits charities based on fund-raising
practices and how the charities spend the funds.
* Be cautious when donating online. Scammers can put up
a website and open a PayPal account overnight, so be wary
of donating on sites you don't recognize. Also remember
that most nonprofit groups' Websites end in .org rather
than .com. Don't respond to unsolicited e-mails, and
don't click links or open attachments from people you
don't know since they may contain
computer viruses.
* Donate to organizations, not individuals. Be skeptical
of individuals who approach you - in person, on phone,
or via e-mail - asking for money. Some may pose as an
official or represent a charity.
* Check the charity out. Find out if it has on-the-ground
presence in Haiti, and ask how your funds will be used.
If a charity doesn't already have staff in Haiti, it may
find it difficult or take a long time to
provide immediate assistance.
* Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment. Although
well intentioned,donations of food and clothing are
inefficient ways to help victims quickly, when transportation
and distribution are taken into account. Give money and
let the experts determine how best to use it.
Finally, if you think you've been scammed, you can file
a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center
(if the scam was online) or with the National Fraud
Information Center if the scam was over the phone or online.
Find all the URL,web addresses and more information on Scam Reports and Performance Reviews
The aftermath of natural disasters often bring out the
scammers and con artists. Here are five tips to avoid Haiti
relief scams and make sure your donations make a difference.
Within 24 hours of the Haitian earthquake, scammers were at
work trying to profit from the disaster. The scams ranged
from e-mails asking donors for help to phone calls soliciting
funds to phony relief websites harvesting credit card numbers.
Whenever there is a natural disaster, there are two things
you can count on, says Art Taylor, president of the Better
Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance, a nonprofit
consumer group. "The first is the generosity of Americans
to donate time and money to help victims, and the second is
the appearance of poorly run, and in some cases fraudulent,
charities," he says in a statement on the group's Website.
More than 400 Internet addresses related to Haiti have
been registered since Monday's devastating quake, Internet
security expert Joel Esler told ABC News. Some of those
websites may be legitimate, but many others are fraudulent.
"Not only do Americans need to be concerned about avoiding
fraud, they also need to make sure their money goes to
competent relief organizations that are equipped and
experienced to handle the unique challenges of providing
assistance," Taylor says.
Here are five tips, culled from information from the
Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Better Business
Bureau, to ensure your donation reaches its destination:
* Stick to well-known, reputable charities. The American
Institute of Philanthropy recently published their list
of top Haiti relief organizations, and Charity Navigator
evaluates charities with a four-star rating system. The
BBB also accredits charities based on fund-raising
practices and how the charities spend the funds.
* Be cautious when donating online. Scammers can put up
a website and open a PayPal account overnight, so be wary
of donating on sites you don't recognize. Also remember
that most nonprofit groups' Websites end in .org rather
than .com. Don't respond to unsolicited e-mails, and
don't click links or open attachments from people you
don't know since they may contain
computer viruses.
* Donate to organizations, not individuals. Be skeptical
of individuals who approach you - in person, on phone,
or via e-mail - asking for money. Some may pose as an
official or represent a charity.
* Check the charity out. Find out if it has on-the-ground
presence in Haiti, and ask how your funds will be used.
If a charity doesn't already have staff in Haiti, it may
find it difficult or take a long time to
provide immediate assistance.
* Give money, not food, clothing, or equipment. Although
well intentioned,donations of food and clothing are
inefficient ways to help victims quickly, when transportation
and distribution are taken into account. Give money and
let the experts determine how best to use it.
Finally, if you think you've been scammed, you can file
a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center
(if the scam was online) or with the National Fraud
Information Center if the scam was over the phone or online.
Find all the URL,web addresses and more information on Scam Reports and Performance Reviews
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Donate to Hospital Albert Schweitzer and Get 1 Year of Outstanding Investments
Whiskey & Gunpowder
By Addison Wiggin
January 17, 2010
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Haiti: An Urgent Appeal
Dear Reader,
"The Haiti earthquake could not have been worse,” according to our Byron King — who has a close friend in the middle of it all.
“A shallow fault zone gave way, almost directly below Port au Prince. The full force of the shock — at least 7.0 magnitude — transmitted directly into the foundations of a city that lacks even the rudiments of good building practices.”
At last word, up to 50,000 people may be dead… and another 300,000 homeless.
The UN hasn’t even calculated the number of injured, but the need is undoubtedly immense… and the quake destroyed many of the nation’s hospitals within seconds.
That means the burden on the few remaining is overwhelming — including the Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS).
“HAS,” says Byron, “was founded in 1954 as a joint project of the Mellon family in Pittsburgh and the legendary humanitarian Albert Schweitzer.” Byron’s friend Ian Rawson is manager at HAS. He writes:
“We are far from the epicenter, but overnight [Wednesday into Thursday] we began to see more patients from areas outside of the valley, where two and three-story buildings are more common.”
“The influx of patients is straining our resources, but has been handled calmly and efficiently by the all-Haitian medical and nursing staff. All available gurneys and benches are in use, our trauma protocol triage system has been implemented, and there is a steady flow of patients to the diagnostic center and the operating suite.”
“The lack of communications has been a large psychological problem. All of our professional staff have families in Port au Prince, and all cell systems have collapsed, so people wait anxiously for news of relatives.”
“Haiti has a long history of natural disasters; floods, mudslides, hurricanes, and more. Each one reinforces our awareness of the limitations of the formal infrastructure and the resilience of the informal system of family and community support.”
Byron adds this: “Note the comment about ‘trauma protocol triage system.’ That means, they're picking and choosing who gets treatment and lives, versus who does not get treatment and dies.”
So that gives you a picture of how urgent the situation is.
Usually you turn to us for investment ideas — helping you sort through a bewildering array of choices.
Likewise, maybe you’ve wanted to donate to the relief effort in Haiti, but you have no idea which organization is worthy of your dollars: After all, many of them waste huge amounts of money on overhead. You want to donate to folks who will put your dollars to work actually helping people.
Byron assures us, “I can vouch for the dedication of the staff, and their effective use of resources” at HAS.
"If you are looking for a good cause that can help relieve the suffering in Haiti, there is none more worthy than Hospital Albert Schweitzer.”
Here’s a link to the HAS homepage, where you can donate.
It’s this simple: The need is immense. The time is limited. And these are the people doing the most good in a horrific situation.
Sincerely,
Addison Wiggin
Executive Publisher, Agora Financial
P.S.: If you need a little kick in the rear to get moving on this, I’ll make you a proposition: Email us confirmation of your donation, here at customerservice@agorafinancial.com, and we’ll credit you a year’s worth of Byron’s Outstanding Investments.
But do it now. Every little bit will help, and the sooner the better.
By Addison Wiggin
January 17, 2010
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Haiti: An Urgent Appeal
Dear Reader,
"The Haiti earthquake could not have been worse,” according to our Byron King — who has a close friend in the middle of it all.
“A shallow fault zone gave way, almost directly below Port au Prince. The full force of the shock — at least 7.0 magnitude — transmitted directly into the foundations of a city that lacks even the rudiments of good building practices.”
At last word, up to 50,000 people may be dead… and another 300,000 homeless.
The UN hasn’t even calculated the number of injured, but the need is undoubtedly immense… and the quake destroyed many of the nation’s hospitals within seconds.
That means the burden on the few remaining is overwhelming — including the Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS).
“HAS,” says Byron, “was founded in 1954 as a joint project of the Mellon family in Pittsburgh and the legendary humanitarian Albert Schweitzer.” Byron’s friend Ian Rawson is manager at HAS. He writes:
“We are far from the epicenter, but overnight [Wednesday into Thursday] we began to see more patients from areas outside of the valley, where two and three-story buildings are more common.”
“The influx of patients is straining our resources, but has been handled calmly and efficiently by the all-Haitian medical and nursing staff. All available gurneys and benches are in use, our trauma protocol triage system has been implemented, and there is a steady flow of patients to the diagnostic center and the operating suite.”
“The lack of communications has been a large psychological problem. All of our professional staff have families in Port au Prince, and all cell systems have collapsed, so people wait anxiously for news of relatives.”
“Haiti has a long history of natural disasters; floods, mudslides, hurricanes, and more. Each one reinforces our awareness of the limitations of the formal infrastructure and the resilience of the informal system of family and community support.”
Byron adds this: “Note the comment about ‘trauma protocol triage system.’ That means, they're picking and choosing who gets treatment and lives, versus who does not get treatment and dies.”
So that gives you a picture of how urgent the situation is.
Usually you turn to us for investment ideas — helping you sort through a bewildering array of choices.
Likewise, maybe you’ve wanted to donate to the relief effort in Haiti, but you have no idea which organization is worthy of your dollars: After all, many of them waste huge amounts of money on overhead. You want to donate to folks who will put your dollars to work actually helping people.
Byron assures us, “I can vouch for the dedication of the staff, and their effective use of resources” at HAS.
"If you are looking for a good cause that can help relieve the suffering in Haiti, there is none more worthy than Hospital Albert Schweitzer.”
Here’s a link to the HAS homepage, where you can donate.
It’s this simple: The need is immense. The time is limited. And these are the people doing the most good in a horrific situation.
Sincerely,
Addison Wiggin
Executive Publisher, Agora Financial
P.S.: If you need a little kick in the rear to get moving on this, I’ll make you a proposition: Email us confirmation of your donation, here at customerservice@agorafinancial.com, and we’ll credit you a year’s worth of Byron’s Outstanding Investments.
But do it now. Every little bit will help, and the sooner the better.
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