Let’s be really informed

How much do we really know? Are we prepared to open our minds and receive some learning?

If you do, then here are a few videos you may want to spend some time going through:

What is money? by David Icke …  former footballer, sportscaster and now a “new-awakening” evangelist …

One more of David Icke … the visionary …

Money As Debt by Paul Grignon … Canadian artist who creates in paint, print and pixels …

Past, Present & Future of Mankind by Jacques Fresco … industrial designer, social engineer and architect …

Worst Economic Collapse Ever by Gerald Celente … trend forecaster …

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins brought to you by Alex Jones … alternative-news newscaster …

China, Japan, Russia and Brazil reduce their reliance on U.S. dollar

Update, 19 June 2009: “2 Japanese carrying $134 bil worth of US bonds detained in Italy” – story here. Further report here. More revelations, here.

What this means, in simple terms, is that these countries are dumping the US dollar. More countries likely to follow suit.

Take cover, folks!

Full story here.

The best credit card to have …

i was alarmed to read that some 50% of credit card holders who had been declared bankrupt were mostly 30 years old and below.

Here’s an excerpt from the report i came across here.

“Out of the 3,548 people declaring bankruptcy by credit card, 1,774 belong to those aged 30 and below,” said Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, director-general of the Department of Insolvency Malaysia.

So young and so soon and these people who are supposedly to have “a whole life ahead of them” are already insolvent. This does not augur well for their future unless they can claw themselves out of their stifling financial pits — and i hope soon — without the help of any family member, friend (even if one can afford to kiss a sham plea for a loan ‘goodbye’), whoever (never the Ah Longs as they, one can bet one’s life on, will charge interest rates that are designed to ensure near-impossibility in loan settlements).

Only when one goes through the pain of restoring oneself through one’s effort only then will the lesson be well-learned. Otherwise it will be history repeating itself because it’s so easy to con one’s way out of a self-inflicted dilemma. Let’s be fair, no other person should become a victim of another’s spendthrift ways and sweet-talk. Fullstop.

Having said that, i will not hesitate to belanja a destitute friend makan i can afford. Also, i will try help the same friend to fish rather than be the one giving fish over a prolonged period. No cash will ever change hands no matter how sorrowful the story goes because it’s better ‘to be cruel in order to be kind’ to hammer home a message.

Anyway it’s good to remember that most people often have unlimited needs wants but the means to them are usually limited. (A basic economic theory that’s been exploited to the hilt by hidden persuaders to leach on this human weakness for their gains. They hardly fail with the impatient and the wannabes by casting out baits made even more attractive to snap at with easy money. Money one doesn’t have now but can have access to instantly. Money on credit cards, with an unseen rope attached that can become a noose when one is less than careful.) It’s disconcerting to see how many young people today get caught up with the with-it lifestyles and the newest and bestest of traps that have caught their fancies and continuously chasing after the latest models with their plastic cards. And when that behaviour extends to the car (though realistically not many can pay for one with a plastic, the same principle applies), one can be sure it’s the guaranteed quickest way to a life of self-inflicted misery which could have been avoided.

So, to cut a long story short, what’s the best credit card to have to help one avoid the pitfalls of living-it-up and beyond one’s means?

No, the card does not have a brand that begins with an M or a V or has the name of a bank on it. It’s the one with the good old Chap Agong (with no disrespect to His Majesty of course) on it.

When one has the cash, anything also can buy la and one doesn’t have to be suckered with the bait “In life certain things just cannot be bought (with money); for everything else there’s….”

But still, whatever one does when flushed with cash, it’s always smarter to stay out of trouble at all cost.

Raja Nong Chik: FT Minister who’s a man on a mission

i was one of the bloggers privileged to be part of a group who had been invited to have a “get-to-know-you” dinner with the new Federal Territory Minister, Datuk Raja Nong Chik and his wife on Wednesday evening, 10 May 2009.

Datuk came across as a down-to-earth man with none of the airs that are normally associated with most VIPs and the wannabes. He came without bodyguards and dressed in normal office garb much like the common office manager minus the “colonialist leash” we have all been patted down to accept through the generations as a neck-tie. His ministerialship it seems is one that had been thrusted upon him though he would have been happy to continue as a grassroot leader for Lembah Pantai and as an active NGO member on steroids.

Whether he likes it or not, Datuk has a job to do and that is to make Kuala Lumpur a truly beloved home to its millions of rakyat and a continuing successful tourist-destination for the holidaying millions.

The latter task is almost a given and the visitors will come as KL is considered a reasonably inexpensive destination with all its inclusive “Truly Asia” attractions and whatever the slogan embodies. The attrition would likely be a result of the global financial crisis and the drop of visitors, should there be any, can hardly be attributed to Datuk’s fault.

As i see it, Datuk’s job is already cut out for him in his former task (besides having also to look into the affairs of Putrajaya and Labuan) though he is not wholly on unfamiliar grounds. In his own words, “In my NGO days, I have had the benefit of shuttling (reads being pushed around) up and down DBKL headquarters no less than 200 times and I know what it is like to deal with this local authority.”

KL is a hot potato and whether one likes to admit it or not the “love-hate” relationship of its inhabitants and business entities with the city has more to do with what DBKL do or not do. This section of the civil service that’s 12,000 strong has been notorious for its bully, inertia and free-wheelings-and-dealings. The warlords ensconced in the multi-storeyed, electronic video-walled building in Jalan Raja Laut and the branches dotted throughout the metropolis are powers unto themselves. They do not see themselves as servants of the public but rather as lorders of them. Worse still, they care not a hoot whether their actions or inactions will have any kind of influence on how the electorate in this bustling city will caste their votes in a general election that will have a decisive bearing on who the government of the day will be. As long as they hold the mentality that ‘politicians come and go and we are here to stay’ speaks more of personal vested interests rather than nation-building.

i get the feeling that the Federal Minister’s job will not be an easy one as long as the status quo of the loathsome local authority is going to be reviewed. But i still wish for Datuk to be able to overcome his hurdles and prove to KL-ites that there’s a serious administrator who cares as much as them when it comes to delivery, transparency and accountability.

The good thing is Datuk Raja Nong Chik has an equally-minded Datuk Bandar, so i am told, in the like of Dato’ Ahmad Fuad Ismail to help him with his mission.

i certainly want the FT Minister to succeed but at the back of my mind i can’t seem to shake off this feeling that Datuk’s Achilles Heel may very well be the same local authority, Dewan Bandara Kuala Lumpur, which he is trying his benevolent best to “turn around” with the help of Datuk Bandar.

Need expert help on WHEN to buy, and WHEN to sell at Wall Street?

At times like these — when fundamentals count for nought and real numbers are hard to come by — it’s best you get all the help you can get to gamble invest at Wall Street. Timing is key say the experts….

Read on to get the inside track for your timing from source of story here.

Market Schizophrenia and the Madness of Crowds

by Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. June 07, 2009

While stocks have been rising, bonds have been plunging.

Rarely in my lifetime have I seen these suffer from a more extreme case of schizophrenia!

And almost never have I seen bonds follow stocks!

Nearly all of the time, it’s bonds that win this tug of war; and it’s stocks that succumb.

It makes sense.

• Plunging bonds represent surging interest rates …
• Surging interest rates are pure poison for corporate profits …
• And any damage to profits must be reflected in plunging stocks.

This chain reaction of events does not always unfold immediately. But the longer it’s delayed, the harder the subsequent fall.

And right now, the schizophrenic gap between bonds and stocks could not be more obvious or extreme:

Just since early April, while the Dow has risen by more than 12 percent, the price of 30-year Treasury bonds has fallen by nearly 12 percent.

For Treasury bonds, which generally fluctuate in tiny increments, that’s the equivalent to a traumatic stock market crash.

No stock market rally can withstand this pressure for long.

No investor in his right mind can stay fully invested in stocks with this kind of massive dead-weight threatening to pull him under.

Yet, strangely that’s precisely what hordes of “professional” portfolio managers are recommending: A FULL house of stocks in your investment portfolio.

That’s Not Just Schizophrenia!
It’s The Madness of Crowds!

Many readers commenting on my personal blog agree.

They note that investors seem schizophrenic — vaguely cognizant of the dangerous deficit crisis that’s driving bond markets into a collapse … but still buying stocks in a knee-jerk reaction to Wall Street hype.

Fortunately, you are mostly reluctant to buy stocks with this Sword of Damocles hanging over your heads.

Mike V., Grant, John F. and many others are among those disinterested in trading the lulls and short-term rallies in this continuing crisis. Instead of chasing stocks, they’re content to buy contrarian investors that will profit from the long-term trend.

As Mike says,

“Don’t get too crazy about short-term pops.
Let’s make money slowly and steadily.”

Others, however, would rather have it both ways: They want to be positioned for longer term bear market profits — AND, at the same time, they ALSO want to profit from intermediate market rallies or from stocks that rise when others are falling.

As Jack T. puts it, “I’d like to think I’m an investor who’s willing to make some money on the upticks while being positioned primarily for the Bear.”

But Greg P. writes that investing today, “seems like a crap shoot as opposed to an exercise in sensibility.”

So what’s the answer? What’s the best approach to investing in intermediate fluctuations that punctuate every major trend?

The vast majority of our readers know very well what’s needed: Expert help in timing short-term buy and sell decisions. Or as Doris J. put it, “Someone has to help me tell WHEN to buy, and WHEN to sell.”

Heads Up:
Major Announcement Coming Next Week!

Over the past few weeks, my team and I have been listening carefully to you — and we’ve been working feverishly behind the scenes to get you what you need in this schizophrenic market.

And this coming week, we’re going to make an announcement you’re going to love — a free gift to help you sharpen your timing skills and to more confidently go for substantial profits no matter which way the overall market moves.

So stay tuned and keep your eyes glued to your inbox.

Good luck and God bless!

Martin

P.S. I want to add a special thank you: I never cease to be thrilled with the faith, support and gratitude our readers express to us!

Don G. writes: “You, and your father before you, represent the very peak of wisdom and integrity in this uncertain but vital realm.”

Joseph K. says that our reports are his aces in the hole. “When you say buy, I buy; when you say sell, I sell — unless I’m away from home for a couple of weeks, in which case I generally lose a bundle.”

I deeply appreciate your support. I cannot thank you enough. Plus, I also find critical comments extremely valuable. Keep them coming!

David Carradine dies

Grew up watching David Carradine when he was starring in the TV series Shane and Kung Fu way back then — when my family didn’t even own a box yet. He is the first of my two favourite iconic actors to have moved on. May his soul rest in peace.

1936 – 2009

Taken in New York City, 09 April 09, while attending a meet-and-greet
for The Golden Boys at the Playwright Tavern.
(Pix courtesy of Sky News/Getty Images)

David Carradine has a website here. You can read of his passing here.

“Panic selling of U.S. Dollar”

It’s surprising it has taken this long for this to happen.

The greenback is not backed by gold (or anything of value!) but by military might. In other words, one is held at gun-point to accept it (ask Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, etc. about it). But one can only be bullied for so long. A time will come when the victimised will say “enough is enough!” (and toilet paper is toilet paper) and will begin to fight back. The time is now … perhaps?

Read the lead to the story here.

US to nuke North Korea!

America only needs a slightest of excuse to go to war to save its ass from the financial quicksand that the country is sinking in. (It’s part of a show strategy stuck deep in ’shock-and-awe diversion in perversion.’ ) GI Joe got it and it’s bad boy N Korea! Russia and China had already been briefed about definite nuclear fallout reaching their territories and were told to get prepared.

It’s “rock ‘n roll” time, folks — again! — by the world’s biggest bully and America is all dressed for the kill. Apparently with … not one, but two … of these hot babes you see cavorting on the tarmac below.

Go on, no one is going to fault you for saying: “We are fuked.”

Source of this story is from here.

B-2 Stealth Bombers being deployed!

The United States has begun deploying B-2 Stealth Bombers from the mainland USA to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. This would put the nuclear-armed bombers well within striking distance of North Korea.

The photo (shown above) was taken today (27 May 09) at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home to the B-2 fleet as two B-2’s taxi to the main runway for takeoff.

The breaking story to this turn of event on the world scene is here.

Lehman Brothers’ US$400B settlement to 3 banks sparked financial melt-down

… so reported Dr Hesham Tillawi at Current Issues TV here in a video uploaded to YouTube on 11 October 2008.

His revelation was by far (to me at least) the closest to the truth as to what really caused the bubble in USA to pop. Dr Hesham also provided the answer to the most oft asked question: “Where did all (the) money go?” in no uncertain terms.

No prize for the correct guess, yet most would not be the least surprised at the answer.

(You may want to turn up your volume to listen to the clip featured.)

Here’s the clip that Dr Hesham referred to at the end of his video above …

Don’t get cranky now, you hear.

“Obama Says U.S. Long-Term Debt Load ‘Unsustainable’”

Breaking News: “Malaysia confirms first case of A(H1N1) flu.” Full report here.

... so reported Bloomberg here.

Anyone who has a jot of brain would have known that long ago.

Obama is merely stating the obvious. But the timing of his statement is significant. It means it’s only a matter of time — days, weeks, a few short months — before the US Treasury (reads the Federal Reserve) will come out and say something to this effect: “US is in no position to service its debts and the US government will be repudiating all debts it owes the world.”

Go figure out the ramifications and, yet, we are still stuck in the deep-end arguing among ourselves who the rightful state government in Perak is? This is small potato compared to the larger world crisis that’s fast unraveling and speeding towards the next phase. Kaboom!

Come on folks, as much as we would like to believe that this worst case scenario would not happen, let’s be prepared for it.

Stop wasting time jostling for control of Perak and get our attention diverted but rather ask the government what has it done to prepare the rakyat for this catastrophe that will result in further over-night disappearing jobs, uncontrollable rising prices and life-harrowing depleting incomes.

Is the country self-sufficient in essential food items? Are we prepared for our survival in the event a world war breaks out?

All said, our powers-that-be have totally become irresponsible to the rakyat and country with the sandiwara that’s being staged now.

To get a better ‘helicopter view’ of what’s happening around us, go read here, here and here.

Good luck.