OIL AND THE ECONOMY

Scott McClellan did quite well on Mathew’s HARDBALL and O’Reilly’s O'REILLY SHOW.

BUSINESS WEEK (2008) June 12

BREAKING POINT/COY/26

Americans are on the cusp of breaking up particularly the middle class. The poor has very little any way and the rich have savings. However, the middle income is plagued by 2 things which are also true of investment houses.

First, oil continues to climb. There are new ways and old ones to come to the rescue but they won’t be available for at least 5 years. In the mean time, OPEC is sitting on oil waiting for prices to climb. Oil snakes its way through the economy affecting every thing.

So, the costs retail are going up. The prices hit main basics like food and gasoline, but are hidden in other things because of the cost of transportation or that oil is used as a portion of a project so prices climb.

Further, the sub-prime market and the funny money constructed by shadow banks appear to be endless and they have to be written off. That means the regular banks take a loss on them.

We are entering a depression or severe recession classically, two downturn quarters means a recession. We have not had that yet, but appear to be going that way. The Fed appears to be trying to keep people buying and yet contain the downturn and it is not easy.

SPECTULATION NOT MANIPULATION/ HERBST/26

At the time of this report, regulators since Christmas have been looking at how American oil companies might be cheating. Nothing has been found yet. Howeve,. the administration is an office of oil men. So it is possible that they don’t want the regulators to find anything.

On the other hand, speculation is rampant. That means that futures are taken out on barrels of oil at a certain price with the hope that oil continues to rise after a set period.

Thus, when the oil does go up there is profit in the speculation as these investors profit from selling back their futures.

GREEN BIZ/74

New efforts are being made to put smart computers to put some grids on hold and allow others to overuse depending on the time of day and the amount of electricity used. As it is, the present computers don’t exist and the infrastructure is straight out of the 1950.s

NEW HURRICANES   New hurricane warnings are needed particularly in coastal towns.

New technology is now in the works to help with the warnings.

PARKING LOTS AND GAS STATIONS now have cement trees or covers that have

sun power absorbing heat and reducing heat under the umbrella...

THE NEW REPUBLIC (2008) 6/11

HOUSE BROKER/ NANCY PEOLOSI

The House Speaker stumbled a bit her first year, but her second is proving that she is testicular. She has learned her math and how to count votes.

ISRAEL STRUGGLES TO BE NORMAL/ HAZONY

On its 60th anniversary, Israel is no more normal than ever before. What hurt immensely was the war of 2007. Israel proved vulnerable and shoulder held rockets from Syria and human bombs still make this Jewish nation an unusual place. It is tiny and it is democratic. It also has Jewish Arabs that are quite proflic in producing children. The wall has both helped and hurt the Jews as well as the Arabs. No end is seen in sight.

EMPTINESS/WELSELTIER

Almost everything in the culture right now cries out of mediocrity.Iit is just that we have re-runs, rundowns, remakes, reworks and a ton of everything else. This is surely not the best of times or the worst. It is just a long goo of blah.

THE WEEK (2008) JUNE 6

THE ART MARKET/ 11

Like every other market, original and valuable art is likely to be in a bubble and should take a tumble.

Honorary degrees don’t mean much any more! Oh! I am sorry to differ.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Why do so many people quit smoking? It is peer pressure.

Nanotubes may cause cancer.

Squeaky voices are more sexy. Women who are ovulating have tendency to squeak thus arousing men. Really? I thought that husky voices were the charm.

New strategies have been found in sales that helps close the deal. When the trick or customer is using a subtle gesture. The sales person should uses it shortly thereafter. They must be subtle.

Early impotence may be a sign of a heart attack.

NUDGE/ THALER & SUNSTEIN

Using libertarian paternalism, the authors suggest subtle ways to get people to do things. Up front in your face, does not do it. As an example, the country needs more organ donors. When you get your driver’s license you must mark the box that says you do NOT want to donate a kidney. That is the reverse of what is happening now.

SIDNEY POLLACK OF SO MANY GREAT FILMS DIED AND SO DID DICK MARTIN OF “LAUGH IN.”

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

The smartest person in the world in terms of IQ (she has a 228) was asked the following.

Behind two doors are goats and behind the third door is a beautiful new car. Then the host purposely opens one of the doors that has a goat. Already, the smartest person in the world has chosen another door. So she has 2 choices. She can stay with her choice with its closed door or switch to the other closed door. She decided to switch rather than stay.

At least 10,000 letters came to the smartest person saying she should stick with her first choice that had a closed door rather than the other closed door. Even 1,000 PhD’s in math agreed. However, the smartest person was right. She had a 2 to 1 chance of winning by switching. Why? It is called the WRONG GUESS SCENARIO. When the host opens a door with a goat, he is thinking that you will stay with your first choice, a Lucky guess. HOWEVER, the probability of winning increases by switching  because the WRONG GUESS SCENARIO gives you a 2 to1 advantage that you will be correct. Do you want more? Go to the THEWEEKDAILY.COM/

TIME (2008) 6/9

Anorexic? 50/ GUPTA.

The first thing that you have to realize is that you have been duped. You are not prettier. Start loving your body the way it is.

Sachs/54

Energy Research is 3.2 million. That is what the pentagon spends in in a 40 hour week.

68/ We need more MAD MEN episodes from AMC.

LAYCO/ 70

THE WOODSTOCK MEUSUM IS GREAT, BUT THE ACTUAL FIELD IS EVEN BETTER. IT WAS RAIN, MUD AND ROCK MUSIC. NOT ONE GOT HURT. HOWEVER, LATER FESTIVALS WERE REALLY BAD.