Tag Archives: wall street

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Forget Greece, Japan in deeper debt, analysts call for action now. Things to get worse in 3 to 4 years!

Forget the European Union crisis, Japan’s sovereign debt (such as government bonds) is now almost double that of Italy, and more than Greece.  Some analysts say there is not enough money in Japan to pay the debt.

NHK interviewed two Japanese economic/finance analysts.  One, Hiromichi Shirakawa, of Credit Suisse, said Japan’s economic problems are not cyclic, but structural.  This means there is something inherently wrong with Japan’s economic/finance system, and if not dealt with now things will get even worse in three to four years.

The other analyst, Yasunari Ueno, of Mizuho Securities, said Japan’s government needs to implement “total fiscal reforms” now!

International, U.S.

2009 Greek study says new strain of H3N2 is drug resistant! U.S. CDC says anti-flu drugs no longer work!

The European Union’s Eurosurveillance published a report in 2009, about Greece’s efforts to combat flu viruses: “Greece is a known crossroads among three continents (Europe, Asia, Africa) through which resistant strains can spread.”

From 2004 to 2008, Greek researchers looked at how the various viruses reacted to available anti-viral drugs.  Anti-viral drugs work mainly by attacking protein cells.  In flu viruses the specific proteins are called “M2”.  However, they are only effective in the early stages of infection.

For those of us who don’t like reliance on petroleum products, some anti-virals (like the now ineffective adamantanes) are based on petroleum hydrocarbons.

The Greek study concluded that current flu viruses have become resistant to most anti-viral drugs, precisely because the drugs were being used so much: “Resistance to M2 inhibitors first appeared following extensive drug use in Asia and the U.S. after the SARS epidemic in 2004. The worldwide spread of these resistant strains occurred through replacement of sensitive with resistant viruses, probably because of other selective advantages of the resistant strains connected to other genes than M2.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention backs the Greek study up. After studying the 2009 flu epidemic in the U.S. the CDC concluded that the viruses are now drug resistant!

 

Influenza

WHO says H3N2 will dominate this year’s flu season, Romania & Sweden at Epidemic levels!

On February 3, 2012, the UN’s World Health Organization said the new strain of H3N2 will dominate the 2011/2012 flu season.  This came after 1.74 million Japanese were infected in January.

The WHO said notable increases in flu cases are expected in North America, Europe and northern China.

The dominant flu is H3N2 (a type of influenza A, aka swine flu).  But Mexico is still being hit by H1N1 (also a type of swine flu), and China is dealing with influenza B (a type of virus that infects humans and seals).

Canada is seeing a steady increase in H3N2 cases.  The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control is reporting increases in H3N2 cases in Bulgaria, Iceland, Italy and Spain.  Romania and Sweden are now at epidemic levels.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic recovery, What Holiday Mailing Rush? U.S. Postal Services sees huge drop in Xmas mailings, loses $3.3 billion in revenue!

Normally the end of year holiday mailing rush generates the most revenue for the USPS, but not in 2011.   Postal officials revealed that people in the U.S. cut back so much, because of bad economic times, that it even affected the shipping of holiday packages.

The huge drop in mailings cut expected revenues for the USPS by $3.3 billion! Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, said the unexpected loss of revenue will mean that the USPS will run out of cash sooner.  He expects the postal service to be broke by October 2012. 

This news comes after the USPS won an international competition for most efficient postal service.  Each U.S. letter carrier handles more than 200,000 letters per year.  That’s about double what letter carriers from the second place winner, Japan, handle!  The study was done by United Kingdom’s Oxford Strategic Consulting, and released at the beginning of February 2012.

The loss in revenue could affect the planned closings of post offices and distribution centers.  Earlier, in December, postal officials decided to delay such action until May 2012.  But who knows what will happen, now?

By the way, don’t think closing down the USPS is going to save taxpayers money, it wont. The Postal Service operates on money that comes from you and me buying postal products, not taxes!

In fact the U.S. Congress is stealing money from the non-taxpayer funded Postal Service (just like taxpayer funded Social Security and Medicare): “The Postal Service actually has somewhere between $50 billion and $125 billion in their other funds that is not taxpayer money. They haven’t used a dime of taxpayer money in over 30 years! And the Congress just needs to act responsibly and quickly to give them access to that — those funds.”- Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, during PBS interview on September 6, 2011

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Corporate Incompetence: EU calls for saftey checks on Super Jumbo A380 airliner, cracks appearing in wing brackets

The European Aviation Safety Agency is concerned about the strength of wing brackets in the superjumbo A380 airliner.  This after routine inspections revealed that after numerous landings cracks have appeared in some of the 4,000 brackets used on the giant wings.

Safety checks have been ordered for the 68 superjumbos in use out of Europe.  Airbus officials say there is nothing to worry about, but those are famous last words if you know the history of passenger airliners.

The A380 (A for Airbus) can hold 500 to 600 people.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Some Economic Recovery? Toyota will fight rising Yen, by moving Highlander production to the United States

After announcing a 75% drop in profits, due to the rising value of the Japanese Yen, Toyota announced it will move all Highlander production to the United States!

This is because the value of the dollar is so low that it’s now cheaper to make their SUV in the U.S., than in Japan.  Those U.S. made Highlanders will then be sold in the growing Russian and Australian car markets.

Toyota hopes production will begin in their Indiana factory by the middle of 2013.  It will include gasoline engined, and hybrid powered Highlanders.

 

 

International, Technology, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Electronic parts fall out of USN EA-6B Prowler as it flies over Japan

Japanese media reporting that a U.S. Navy electronic warfare aircraft, an EA-6B Prowler, began falling apart as it flew over Kanagawa Prefecture.  A car on a freeway was actually hit by some of the parts.

Video shows some parts lying on the ground.  Japan’s Defense Ministry says railroad workers witnessed the parts falling of the USN aircraft.  At least six parts have been recovered, one is a panel nearly five feet long!

The Prowler landed at the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Station.  It had flown in from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.

 

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

Red Horse: Yet another study proves that stupid people become Right Wing Religious Republican NAZI Fascists, bad news considering how many people have been dumbed down in the U.S.

“Reality is complicated and messy…Ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simpler solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies.”-Brian Nosek, University of Virginia

Researchers at the Canadian Brock University confirm what past studies have implied; that a society with an overall low intelligence results in the rise of simplistic religio-fascist idealism!

“…research has revealed that individuals who more strongly endorse social conservatism have greater cognitive rigidity, less cognitive flexibility and lower integrative complexity [complicated way of saying they are mentally retarded!]. Socially conservative individuals also perform less well than liberals on standardized ability tests.”-Gordon Hodson, lead researcher

The Canadian researchers looked at two detailed studies done in the United Kingdom. Those studies followed children into adulthood, one study began in 1958, the other in 1970.  They tested verbal and nonverbal intelligence, and four cognitive abilities.  The results showed that children with low IQs leaned towards right wing religio-fascism in adulthood.

The Canadian researchers concluded that right wing extremism is the result of low intelligence, not just bad economies.

Right wing dummies also self-segregate themselves adding to their downward spiral into extremism: “This finding is consistent with recent research demonstrating that intergroup contact is mentally challenging and cognitively draining…[another complicated/academic way to say right wingers are mentally retarded]“-Gordon Hodson, lead researcher

Another study was done in the United States, and showed that people with low levels of abstract reasoning tended to be racists and homophobics.

The researchers admit their conclusions are not conclusive, as they are looking at averages: “There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals.”-Gordon Hodson, lead researcher

But it’s clear, on average the people with low intelligence make up the most intolerant part of a society.

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other.

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Hey Mitt Romney, where are those safety nets? U.S. Child Citizens refused food because their parents are not U.S. citizens!

The Southern Poverty Law Center says children, who are U.S. citizens, are being refused food because their low income parents are not U.S. citizens.  Some parents are U.S. citizens, but are being told to “Go back to Mexico” because of their Latino origins.

The SPLC says this is taking place in the state of Alabama.  Alabama, like Idaho, changed the rules for being approved for food stamps; they only count the children in the family, not the healthy (able to work) adults.

However, the SPLC says they know of at least five cases where children, who are U.S. citizens, were denied food stamps because the parents, who are not supposed to be counted under the new rules, are not U.S. citizens.

The SPLC has already filed two lawsuits against Alabama, over its immigration laws, and will likely file a third lawsuit based on the latest revelations of U.S. child citizens being denied food.

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Black Horse & Poverty: 2 million people homeless in the United States! Homeless children increasing fast. HR 1734 & Private property developers part of the problem. Hey Mitt Romney, where are those safety nets?

“Many of the families with children are now homeless, having to live out of cars and things like that. We believe today that 40% of the homeless, in Washington [DC] are women with children, or families with children!”-David Treadwell, Central Union Mission

The National Law Center of Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) says that more than two million U.S. citizens are now homeless!!!

Most federal and state (in those states that have their own social programs separate from federal) government social programs have been gutted (mainly by those compassionate Republicans, like in Idaho), and privately run charities say they are getting swamped by more and more people needing help every year: “…it’s a big problem, and it’s a bigger problem in 2012 than it was in 2008! It is not going away…”-David Treadwell, Central Union Mission

To make matters worse, the U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would actually create more homeless people.  The bill, called HR 1734 in the House, would give power to private property developers to take over public land, and buildings, now used for low income and homeless people!

The federal government is so desperate for cash that they want to sell off federal property, including that used to help poor people, in order to raise the cash to pay the government’s debts.  The irony of HR 1734 is that it will actually cost the federal government an estimated $82 million to implement!  Sounds like more Mitt Romney style capitalism to me.

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”