Land Of The Flea

Entire School District Shuts Down — Out of Money

"Michigan’s Buena Vista — 'Good View' — school district in Michigan shut down this week. It is out of money. Some teachers say they will teach for free. But will all of them do this? In any case, it’s illegal. Michigan doesn’t allow it. The state cut funding by $3 million, due to declining enrollment. The nearby Pontiac School District is close to bankrupt. It can’t meet payroll. Two districts in Arkansas are bust. The Philadelphia district in Pennsylvania is begging for money from the state. We are in an economic recovery. What happens in the next recession?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEntire School District Shuts Down — Out of Money

Is the 30-Year Bond Bull Market Over? You’re Darn Right It Is!

"Three decades is a long time. And for the past three decades, America has known nothing but steadily falling interest rates. Oh, sure, there have been spikes during that time. It hasn’t been a one-way trip. Federal Reserve rate-hiking cycles and the occasional bond market rout have interrupted that process. But, by and large, it’s been a consistent, steady march lower from around 20 percent for short-term rates and 15 percent yields on the 30-year Treasury bond. That decline is now over. Kaput. That’s what I believe. That’s what many experts believe. Heck, that’s what at least one Fed policymaker has gone on record saying he believes. And that’s what the market is telling us day in and day out." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIs the 30-Year Bond Bull Market Over? You’re Darn Right It Is!

Is the 30-Year Bond Bull Market Over? You’re Darn Right It Is!

"Three decades is a long time. And for the past three decades, America has known nothing but steadily falling interest rates. Oh, sure, there have been spikes during that time. It hasn’t been a one-way trip. Federal Reserve rate-hiking cycles and the occasional bond market rout have interrupted that process. But, by and large, it’s been a consistent, steady march lower from around 20 percent for short-term rates and 15 percent yields on the 30-year Treasury bond. That decline is now over. Kaput. That’s what I believe. That’s what many experts believe. Heck, that’s what at least one Fed policymaker has gone on record saying he believes. And that’s what the market is telling us day in and day out." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIs the 30-Year Bond Bull Market Over? You’re Darn Right It Is!

Propaganda Alert: ‘Peace with Syria Will Crash the U.S. Economy’

"Former chief economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission – and now Kyocera copier salesman – Peter Morici argues that failure to attack Syria will destroy the American economy. In reality, it is the threat of yet another unnecessary, counterproductive war in the Middle East – and not any delay in approving such a boondoggle – which is destabilizing the economy. Moreover, far better-known and more impressive economists than Morici have shown that – contrary to long-standing myths – war is horrible for the economy. Finally, a strong rule of law is the main driver of economic growth. On the other hand, institutional lying and corruption is one of the main factors hurting our economy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPropaganda Alert: ‘Peace with Syria Will Crash the U.S. Economy’

Why I think the NSA is lying

"It’s IMPOSSIBLE for the NSA to have cracked everything. And my assessment is that this is an intimidation campaign. The NSA wants people to think that they have this capability. And if everyone thinks that the NSA is Big Brother’s Big Brother, all-seeing and all-knowing, then not only will everyone be terrified, but everyone will simply stop using encryption. After all, why bother going through the hassle of encrypting/decrypting if the NSA can still read the contents of your email? It’s in the NSA’s interest for people to think that the agency is almighty. I don’t buy it. These people are seriously vile. But they don’t have superpowers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy I think the NSA is lying

U.S. spy chief criticizes journalists for publishing anti-encryption efforts

"The office of the director of national intelligence (ODNI), which oversees the US’s intelligence agencies, suggested the stories, simultaneously published on the front pages of the New York Times and Guardian, were 'not news', but nonetheless provided a 'road map … to our adversaries'. Privacy groups, however, said the NSA’s activities were endangering privacy and putting both US internet users and businesses users at risk. 'Even as the NSA demands more powers to invade our privacy in the name of cybersecurity, it is making the internet less secure and exposing us to criminal hacking, foreign espionage, and unlawful surveillance,' said the ACLU’s principal technologist." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. spy chief criticizes journalists for publishing anti-encryption efforts

David Galland: Wars and Rumors of Wars

"This article is about why I think interest rates are heading higher, viewed through the context of the politics of the US government's next war. While I'd prefer to convince the world to change its course toward a more peaceful future, given the futility of trying to do so, I'll use my time with you today presenting data, analysis, and a few opinions about the economic consequences of the march toward war that US policy is now set upon. The chart below combines defense, veterans benefits, homeland security, the State Department, and defense-related interest payments, to create a more comprehensive picture of our military spending." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDavid Galland: Wars and Rumors of Wars

Ethan Saylor’s death at hands of cops spurs demand for investigation

A spokeswoman says Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is committed to improving police training after a man with Down syndrome died in the custody of Frederick County deputies in January. The 26-year-old died of asphyxia as three deputies, moonlighting as mall security officers, tried to remove him from a movie theater because he hadn't bought a ticket for a repeat viewing. 'We want to know what occurred without a detail left out. No matter what the outcome is, it's the truth,' said Patti Saylor, his mother. A Frederick County grand jury declined to indict the deputies for what was ruled a homicide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEthan Saylor’s death at hands of cops spurs demand for investigation

Third In-Custody Death For The Kern County Sheriff’s Dept. In Four Months

"The Kern County Sheriff's Department has no problem taking people into custody. It just seems to have trouble keeping them from dying. Here's the issue: the department goes overboard, deploys excessive force and somehow, the coroner finds that everyone the department restrains to death has heart problems. Coroner's reports latch onto pre-existing conditions as the cause of death, and seem to give no weight to the fact that being beaten (even by-the-book) and restrained by multiple deputies may have something to do with the resulting deaths." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThird In-Custody Death For The Kern County Sheriff’s Dept. In Four Months