westhamlet.com world news and viewstag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu/42007-06-09T21:55:15Zmaintained information for mutual useMovable Type 3.2ysb5-20051201how to learn what's going on in iraqtag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.292007-06-09T21:59:28Z2007-06-09T21:55:15ZThe mainstream media isn't reporting the positives from Iraq81859mike
The only places to learn what is going on in Iraq is through the military sites and milblogs. That's a conclusion drawn by the author of a story on the town commons blog.
Raids conducted in the past week have met with stirring success..... but you'd never learn that from the mainstream media. The story points out several positives from Iraq that the general public will never learn about. A shame indeed. The reporting is only what we've come to expect each and every day. The negatives which only keep a total pull out to the forefront.
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credit piled ontag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.262007-05-22T15:26:30Z2007-05-22T14:52:08ZIn the background we are seeing concerns that a major correction of global asset markets is not far off. Some predict that is will happen in 2007 or in Q1 of 2008.
81859mike
The total outstanding value of all derivatives has increased to $400 trillion dollars in 2006. The value was $297 trillion in 2005. Can you asy bubble? This bubble is driven by the raw material of credit manufactured by the world's top investment banks. We are told that risk in transferred by the use of derivatives and the increase of value in derivatives is justified by the high stock prices.
Derivatives are counterparty vehicles. We know close to nothing about derivatives, but there is a weak counterparty that could be a hidden time bomb. These are the sub-prime mortgage lenders.
At what point is saturation where risk has been parcelled out to a maximum level? The credit manufacturers will tell you that the credit has been carefully distributed. But is $400 trillion enough? So should we say $600 trillion? The 600 trillion number is not out of the question given the rate of growth. Is everyone believing that the underlying real value of the global financial system has grown as fast as the credit piled on top of it?
Just about everywhere you hear private equity has to keep rising and equity markets must keep rising. The main driver behind these notions are stronger growth rates and low interest rates. In the background we are seeing concerns that a major correction of global asset markets is not far off. Some predict that is will happen in 2007 or in Q1 of 2008. The key to the concern is liquidity. There still is plenty of money floating around the global markets. But markets have become highly leveraged. Many investors have borrowed more money than they initially planned to so as to take advantage of the bull markets. This situation sets up so that a slight change in liquidity can tip the balance and force liquidation of the major players. They rush for the exits ate the same time.
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will michael bloomberg run for presidenttag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.222007-05-11T20:58:19Z2007-05-11T20:43:13ZRecently in Houston, Bloomberg praised President Bush for his energy policies, especially for the bio-fuel growth and the plan signed with Brazil to promote "sugar- based" fuels.
81859mike
The Republican mayor of New York City, who always denies he running for U.S. President, has outlined an energy plan with profit incentives and alternative energy plans. He has a deadline of 23 years for his proposals to be in operation. Bloomberg has set out to slow down pollution in new York City by 2030. He has been critical of those politicians that set deadlines back to 2050 and 2070 or set no deadlines at all.
Bloomberg has repeatedly said he will not enter the race for President. Some pundits have suggested that he may run as an independent candidate with a mostly self-funded effort. There have been some who have said he would jump in the race late without going through the Iowa and New Hampshire tests. With a packed field, one would have to say that if he'll run, an independent candidacy might be the way to run.
Recently in Houston, Bloomberg praised President Bush for his energy policies, especially for the bio-fuel growth and the plan signed with Brazil to promote "sugar- based" fuels.
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chinese researchers find memory and learning proteintag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.192007-05-09T03:19:33Z2007-05-09T03:32:23ZChinese scientists have found a difference in a protein betwenn apes and humans81859mike
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found that a longer protein is not found in the prefrontal cortex in lesser apes and Old World monkeys.
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al qaeda leader killedtag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.172007-05-03T20:59:07Z2007-05-03T21:09:57Z81859mike
A senior Al Qaeda propagandist who was involved in the kidnapping of American journalist Jill Carroll, was killed by American troops. Muharib Abdul Latif al-Jubouri has been described as a senior information minister from Saladin province. He was killed in a firefight Tuesday during a raid north of Baghdad.
The raid in which Mr. Jubouri was killed with four other people was conducted on four buildings in a town north of Baghdad and four miles west of the Taji air base. Six people were detained. In April, American forces conducted 139 operations specifically aimed at Al Qaeda in Iraq, killing 87 and detaining 465.
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the duck and weavetag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.122007-04-03T15:49:51Z2007-04-03T17:54:11ZThe British had the fire power to take it to the Iranians, but held off. Hastings writes about humiliation, fighting against one party and then being captured by another.
81859mike
Author Max Hastings, who is known for his books Overlord and Armegeddon, has written an article about the situation with Britain and Iran. The Iraninan operation had been planned for days. Iran wanted hostages and they knew they would get them. The British had the fire power to take it to the Iranians, but held off. Hastings writes about humiliation, fighting against one party and then being captured by another.
Iran is governed by a repressive regime and likes to make mischief for the west. The Iranian president was most likely involved in capturing the U.S. Embassy back in 1979. He therefore knows something about hostage taking. Will this play out like that episode? So far, on the Iranian end, it just might be. There is possibly the argument going on in the Iranian leadership of what next to do with the hostages. But that's another story.
For now, the U.S. and its allies must duck and weave their way through this situation. The Iraq War has drained even the hardest line drawer. A showdown with Iran is not hardly mentioned and Hastings mentions that people around the world are more fearful of George W. Bush than Iran with nuclear weapons. But this hasn't changed the mindset of Iran. They are still committed to terrorism and a worldview of the U.S. being the big thug on the block isn't going to change that.
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iraq pull-out uproartag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.72007-03-25T12:49:07Z2007-03-25T13:43:48ZThe U.S. House voted to start U.S. troop withdrawals in March 2008.81859mike
The U.S. of Representatives vote of 218 - 212 to start troop withdrawls by March 2008 got a quick response from President Bush. Bush called vote an "act of political theater." Bush said he would quickly veto the bill. The measure calls for a complete withdrawal by August 2008. The bill also calls upon the Iraqi government to squelch sectarian violence. House members called the vote historic.
President Bush wasn't the only one denouncing the bill. Iraqi Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi said the troop withdrawal would create a security vacuum. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the Senate version of the bill within the week.
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new political ad creativitytag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.52007-03-19T14:37:31Z2007-03-19T15:38:56Z81859mike
An ad for Barack Obama has appeared on the Internet. This ad is a take and uses the famous Apple "1984" ad which appeared during the 1984 Super Bowl. The ad was directed by Ridley Scott who directed the movies Alien, Blade Runner and Hannibal. The ad uses video footage of Hillary Clinton to talk to the zombie-like people in the ad.
The Obama campaign does not know who is responsible for the re-made ad. Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign said he has received inquiries about the ad. Burton did say that the Internet has given much energy to politics through a variety of communities.
This is frankly a new era in politics in which the general community is contributing ads and ideas. New campaigners have the medium to contribute to the message or create a whole new theme. Bob Gardner, a campaign aid to former President Gerald Ford, says the ad is powerful and calls for a generational change in politics.
Perhaps you had heard that the Clintons are coming across as old. The "new" generation calls out for a new voice and that voice is Obama. There is bound to be more ads of this type as the campaign progresses. We are going down new avenues in politics.
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insurgents create new tacticstag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.42007-03-18T12:12:58Z2007-03-19T15:41:18ZIraq's Anbar province was the scene of three chlorine gas laden truck bomb explosions.81859mike
Iraq's Anbar province was the scene of three chlorine gas laden truck bomb explosions. U.S. military authorities have warned of new tactics being used by insurgents to disrupt tribal relations. The attcks were staged within a window of three hours from start to finish. The control for Anbar has been a priority for the insurents since 2004 when the uprising in Fallujah started.
Insurgents began combining explosives and chlorine gas in January. This new campaign is likely an Al Qaeda operation to intimidate moderate tribes who have waged an opposition effort against Al Qaeda factions.
Iraq's Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had been in the region less than a week prior to the attacks. His mission was to to persuade Sunni clan chiefs to halt support for the insurgency. The gas attacks have prompted the U.S. military to warn of new tactics being used by the insurgents. This new wave of violence has shown that Al Qaeda has a priority in the Anbar area. These attacks show that Sunnis are being targeted. Sunni tribal leaders have recently cooperated with Iraqi police and U.S. military authorities by remaining non-violent recently.
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the cause of a worldwide calamitytag:westhamlet.com,2007:/mifmu//4.32007-03-15T04:44:50Z2007-03-15T04:53:37ZThe U.S. ethanol industry is now one of the most talked about items in the world. For good reason with the new palnts that are going up, plus the ones that are already producing ethanol round-the-clock give folks much to...81859mike
The U.S. ethanol industry is now one of the most talked about items in the world. For good reason with the new palnts that are going up, plus the ones that are already producing ethanol round-the-clock give folks much to be positive about. But what about the negatives? Negatives? Yes, negatives. There are plenty and one is demand. How can demand be a negative?
Ty Andros writes on commodity trader.com that ethanol isn't that economical to produce and isn't the best btu fuel. Not the "bang for the buck" that we assume. Potential investors be wary as the train is on the track heading right for you and its picking up steam for the consumer that gets in the way.