Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/EQCi9HK_gT8/watch.html
Sunday, September 30, 2012
W. S. Merwin, Part I
On the heels of winning this year's Pulitzer prize for poetry, W.S. Merwin joins Bill Moyers for a wide-ranging conversation about language, his writing process, the natural world, and the insights gleaned from a much-lauded career of more than 50 years. W.S. Merwin is the author of 21 volumes of poetry and won his second Pulitzer Prize for his most recent collection, THE SHADOW OF SIRIUS.
Moyers: An American Abroad
A Bill Moyers Essay.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/MxIaAfzYr04/watch4.html
EPA Officials Weigh Sanctions Against BP’s U.S. Operations
Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency are considering whether to bar BP from receiving government contracts, a move that would ultimately cost the company billions in revenue and could end its drilling in federally controlled oil fields.
Over the past 10 years, BP has paid tens of millions of dollars in fines and been implicated in four separate instances of criminal misconduct that could have prompted this far more serious action. Until now, the company's executives and their lawyers have fended off such a penalty by promising that BP would change its ways.
That strategy may no longer work.
Days ago, in an unannounced move, the EPA suspended negotiations with the petroleum giant over whether it would be barred from federal contracts because of the environmental crimes it committed before the spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Officials said they are putting the talks on hold until they learn more about the British company's responsibility for the plume of oil that is spreading across the Gulf.
The EPA said in a statement that, according to its regulations, it can consider banning BP from future contracts after weighing "the frequency and pattern of the incidents, corporate attitude both before and after the incidents, changes in policies, procedures, and practices."
Several former senior EPA debarment attorneys and people close to the BP investigation told ProPublica that means the agency will re-evaluate BP and examine whether the latest incident in the Gulf is evidence of an institutional problem inside BP, a precursor to the action called debarment.
Federal law allows agencies to suspend or bar from government contracts companies that engage in fraudulent, reckless or criminal conduct. The sanctions can be applied to a single facility or an entire corporation. Government agencies have the power to forbid a company to collect any benefit from the federal government in the forms of contracts, land leases, drilling rights, or loans.
The most serious, sweeping kind of suspension is called "discretionary debarment" and it is applied to an entire company. If this were imposed on BP, it would cancel not only the company's contracts to sell fuel to the military but prohibit BP from leasing or renewing drilling leases on federal land. In the worst cast, it could also lead to the cancellation of BP's existing federal leases, worth billions of dollars.
Present and former officials said the crucial question in deciding whether to impose such a sanction is assessing the offending company's culture and approach: Do its executives display an attitude of non-compliance? The law is not intended to punish actions by rogue employees and is focused on making contractor relationships work to the benefit of the government. In its negotiations with EPA officials before the Gulf spill, BP had been insisting that it had made far-reaching changes in its approach to safety and maintenance, and that environmental officials could trust its promises that it would commit no further violations of the law.
EPA officials declined to speculate on the likelihood that BP will ultimately be suspended or barred from government contracts. Such a step will be weighed against the effect on BP's thousands of employees and on the government's costs of replacing it as a contractor.
Even a temporary expulsion from the U.S. could be devastating for BP's business. BP is the largest oil and gas producer in the Gulf of Mexico and operates some 22,000 oil and gas wells across United States, many of them on federal lands or waters. According to the company, those wells produce 39 percent of the company's global revenue from oil and gas production each year -- $16 billion.
Discretionary debarment is a step that government investigators have long sought to avoid, and which many experts had considered highly unlikely because BP is a major supplier of fuel to the U.S. military. The company could petition U.S. courts for an exception, arguing that ending that contract is a national security risk. That segment of BP's business alone was worth roughly $4.6 billion over the last decade, according to the government contracts website USAspending.
Because debarment is supposed to protect American interests, the government also must weigh such an action's effect on the economy against punishing BP for its transgressions. The government would, for instance, be wary of interrupting oil and gas production that could affect energy prices, or taking action that could threaten the jobs of thousands of BP employees.
A BP spokesman said the company would not comment on pending legal matters.
The EPA did not make its debarment officials available for comment or explain its intentions, but in an e-mailed response to questions submitted by ProPublica the agency confirmed that its Suspension and Debarment Office has "temporarily suspended" any further discussion with BP regarding its unresolved debarment cases in Alaska and Texas until an investigation into the unfolding Gulf disaster can be included.
The fact that the government is looking at BP's pattern of incidents gets at one of the key factors in deciding a discretionary debarment, said Robert Meunier, the EPA's debarment official under President Bush and an author of the EPA's debarment regulations. It means officials will try to determine whether BP has had a string of isolated or perhaps unlucky mistakes, or whether it has consistently displayed contempt for the regulatory process and carelessness in its operations.
In the past decade environmental accidents at BP facilities have killed at least 26 workers, led to the largest oil spill on Alaska's North Slope and now sullied some of the country's best coastal habitat, along with fishing and tourism economies along the Gulf.
Meunier said that when a business with a record of problems like BP's has to justify its actions and corporate management decisions to the EPA "it's going to get very dicey for the company."
"How many times can a debarring official grant a resolution to an agreement if it looks like no matter how many times they agree to fix something it keeps manifesting itself as a problem?" he said.
Documents obtained by ProPublica show that the EPA's debarment negotiations with BP were strained even before the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig. The fact that Doug Suttles, the BP executive responsible for offshore drilling in the Gulf, used to head BP Alaska and was the point person for negotiations with debarment officials there, only complicates matters. Now, the ongoing accident in the Gulf may push those relations to a break.
Discretionary debarment for BP has been considered at several points over the years, said Jeanne Pascal, a former EPA debarment attorney who headed the agency's BP negotiations for six years until she retired last year.
"In 10 years we've got four convictions," Pascal said, referring to BP's three environmental crimes and a 2009 deferred prosecution for manipulating the gas market, which counts as a conviction under debarment law. "At some point if a contractor's behavior is so egregious and so bad, debarment would have to be an option."
In the three instances where BP has had a felony or misdemeanor conviction under the Clean Air or Clean Water Acts, the facilities where the accidents happened automatically faced a statutory debarment, a lesser form of debarment that affects only the specific facility where the accident happened.
One of those cases has been settled. In October 2000, after a felony conviction for illegally dumping hazardous waste down a well hole to cut costs, BP's Alaska subsidiary, BP Exploration Alaska, agreed to a five-year probation period and settlement. That agreement expired at the end of 2005.
The other two debarment actions are still open, and those are the cases that EPA officials and the company have been negotiating for several years.
In the first incident, on March 23, 2005, an explosion at BP's Texas City refinery killed 15 workers. An investigation found the company had restarted a fuel tower without warning systems in place, and BP was eventually fined more than $62 million and convicted of a felony violation of the Clean Air Act. BP Products North America, the responsible subsidiary, was listed as debarred and the Texas City refinery was deemed ineligible for any federally funded contracts. But the company as a whole proceeded unhindered.
A year later, in March 2006, a hole in a pipeline in Prudhoe Bay led to the largest ever oil spill on Alaska's North Slope – 200,000 gallons -- and the temporary disruption of oil supplies to the continental U.S. An investigation found that BP had ignored warnings about corrosion in its pipelines and had cut back on precautionary measures to save money. The company's Alaska subsidiary was convicted of a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act and, again, debarred and listed as ineligible for government income at its Prudhoe Bay pipeline facilities. That debarment is still in effect.
That accident alone -- which led to congressional investigations and revelations that BP executives harassed employees who warned of safety problems and ignored corrosion problems for years -- was thought by some inside the EPA to be grounds for the more serious discretionary debarment.
"EPA routinely discretionarily debars companies that have Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act convictions," said Pascal, the former EPA debarment attorney who ran the BP case. "The reason this case is different is because of the Defense Department's extreme need for BP."
Instead of a discretionary debarment, the EPA worked to negotiate a compromise that would bring BP into compliance but keep its services available. The goal was to reach an agreement that would guarantee that BP improve its safety operations, inspections, and treatment of employees not only at the Prudhoe Bay pipeline facility, but at its other facilities across the country.
According to e-mails obtained by ProPublica and several people close to the government's investigation, the company rejected some of the basic settlement conditions proposed by the EPA -- including who would police the progress -- and took a confrontational approach with debarment officials.
One person close to the negotiations said he was confounded by what he characterized as the company's stubborn approach to the debarment discussions. Given the history of BP's problems, he said, any settlement would have been a second chance, a gift. Still, the e-mails show, BP resisted.
As more evidence is gathered about what went wrong in the Gulf, BP may soon wish it hadn't.
It's doubtful that the EPA will make any decisions about BP's future in the United States until the Gulf investigation is completed, a process that could last a year. But as more information emerges about the causes of the accident there -- about faulty blowout preventers and hasty orders to skip key steps and tests that could have prevented a blowout -- the more the emerging story begins to echo the narrative of BP's other disasters. That, Meunier said, could leave the EPA with little choice as it considers how "a corporate attitude of non-compliance" should affect the prospect of the company's debarment going forward.
ProPublica reporters Mosi Secret and Ryan Knutson and director of research Lisa Schwartz contributed to this report.
Source: http://feeds.propublica.org/~r/propublica/energy-environment/~3/19CT0S61pqc/
Saturday, September 29, 2012
American Media Drums Up Support for War … Again
Even After Mea Culpas For Horrible Iraq War Coverage, American Media Does the Same Thing With Iran The American people are being bombarded with messages that Iran will launch an attack unless it is bombed. For example, this is a … Continue reading
American Media Drums Up Support for War … Again was originally published on Washington's Blog
Source: http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/09/american-media-drums-up-support-for-war-again.html
Moyers on the Iraq Surplus
Bill Moyers on the Iraqi government surplus.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/LhOBK961UrY/watch.html
Why Futures and Options Expirations Won't Boost Wall Street
Filed under: Economy, Investing
The "quadruple witching" hour -- when index futures, index options, equity options and security futures expire simultaneously -- is traditionally a time of higher trading volumes and investors decide what to do next. But if the low trading volumes so far this week are any indication, the next quadruple witching hour, scheduled Friday, will likely pass with barely a bump.The investor uncertainty that has characterized the market's choppy performance seems to be going strong. For the entire month of September, investors have behaved as if someone cast a spell rendering them unable to rally or retreat from stocks.
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The market has been stuck in a small trading range of between 1040 and 1130 on the S&P 500 ($SPX) index for the last four months. And there's been a lower-than-normal volume of stock and options trades as investors try to figure out which way the market might head next. Even the approaching quadruple witching hasn't been able to energize traders. "We are at a point where the economic numbers are a little bit better, but they are not good enough to convince the buyers or sellers to take a stance with any kind of conviction," says Nate Peterson, senior derivatives analyst for Charles Schwab. "It's a market where you continue to wait and see. As the [reports] come out, you look for indicators that will give you a reason to buy, or to short the market."
Waiting for News
Options investors seem to be waiting for news and economic reports to help them reassess their positions before making trades, Peterson says. As a result, the average options volume in September has slipped to 15 million contracts per week from the 20 million contracts per week the market averaged through May.
That options volume may stay low until closer to October, when companies may begin making announcements in advance of the earnings season, Peterson says. Those announcements may then give investors better clues to where the market is headed. Unfortunately, while providing some clarity for investors, those announcements can also create higher market volatility.
"Right now VIX futures are around 25 - so traders are not pricing in a lot of volatility for October," Peterson says, referring to the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index ($VIX), which measures the market's anticipated volatility based on the sale of S&P 500 index futures and options. Historically, volatility has usually grown during earnings seasons, and an increase in the market volatility index generally makes options and futures more expensive, so Friday may be traders' last chance to lock in positions before higher volatility -- and higher prices -- kicks in.
Leading up to the quadruple witching, some traders bought new options on Wednesday and Thursday, but it seems that most are waiting until next week to decide if they need options to protect their long positions. Those who choose to buy put options for that protection as earnings season approaches can likely get them cheap, relatively speaking, on Friday, Peterson says.
And getting cheaper protection would definitely take the hex out of quadruple witching.
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/16/futures-options-expirations-wont-help-stocks/
Friday, September 28, 2012
Bill Moyers Essay: Your Vote
A Bill Moyers essay on the importance of the vote.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/8gVeHlDn-qE/watch3.html
Designing a Retirement Paycheck
One of the most difficult elements of retirement to deal with is the fact that you will no longer be receiving a regular paycheck from your employer. Many retirees will depend solely on Social Security and company pensions to help make ends meet. For a number of retirees, however, the money they receive from those two sources simply may not be enough in order to maintain their current standard of living.
The question then becomes, how do you create an income for yourself that ensures a healthy paycheck throughout your retirement? To provide you with information to help you make your decision, we've outlined some details below, along with a couple of available options.
Flexibility
Some retirees will need to have a great deal of flexibility when it comes to their funds. For example, you may want to keep up with a hobby or extracurricular activity once you're retired. Depending on the type of activity and the amount of your involvement in it, you may be looking at a sizable cost, and that cost must be take into consideration. This is typically more important early on in your retirement, as your energy level and/or desire for such things have a good chance of waning in your later years.
Income Projections
It simply isn't enough to live in the "here and now." Rather, you need to look forward to the future in order to make sure your present represents how you would like to live in your later years. First, you'll want to make projections that cover sources of income, such as Social Security, company pensions, annuities, or other such financial sources. You'll also want to calculate whether or not these income items are adjusted for inflation. Many of them will be, but you want to make sure, so as to have your calculations be as precise as possible.
Expense Projections
It is a good idea to separate your expenses into categories, and then weigh each of these categories by importance. First and foremost, you must figure out what your primary living expenses will be, such things as a mortgage or car payment. In addition, you'll need to decide if it's in your best interest to maintain your mortgage and other large credit accounts as it is, pay it down, or pay it off completely. Your primary living expenses should also include planning for taxes. After these primary expenses have been calculated, make room for the more discretionary items. Basically, you'll be separating your "wants" from your "needs."
Income Annuity
One choice that you may consider in order to create a retirement paycheck is an income annuity. These work by allowing you to place funds into an account either as a lump sum or periodic installments, and then receive monthly payments based on the funds you've deposited. An annuity can be a great way to continue receiving an income throughout your retirement. In some cases, you can receive a lifetime income and have the option for the payments to be adjusted for inflation every year.
Variable Annuity w/ GLWB
Another solid option to choose when designing a retirement paycheck is a variable annuity with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit. In recent years, this has become an increasingly popular annuity in the realm of retirement planning. This type of financial product works by investing its value in a number of other products, such as bonds or equity. They also provide a death benefit to ensure the protection of your family upon your passing. Be aware, however, that these types of annuities do not adjust for inflation.
Source: http://firstsecurityfinancialshow.com/blog/bid/145897/Designing-a-Retirement-Paycheck
MEMC Terminates Solar Wafer Customer
Filed under: Energy, Infrastructure
MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) has had no real good news heading its way in some time. Now we have news of a customer loss, or termination, as its subsidiary MEMC Singapore Pte. Ltd. has reached an agreement to terminate a long-term solar wafer supply pact with Conergy AG.
MEMC did not issue a warning with the news. Instead it stated, "MEMC is assessing the financial impact of the termination of the supply agreement and will provide further clarification on its third quarter financial results conference call in early November." MEMC called this a mutually beneficial outcome for both parties and it leaves the door open to working with Conergy again, but it is hard to not imagine that this will take one more bite out of forward guidance.
The original deal was signed in October 2007 for a preset pricing over a 10-year period, which was made on a take or pay basis. Conergy had advanced funds as a refundable capacity reservation deposit under the terms. MEMC said that starting back as far as early 2009 when market woes surfaced that obligations under the supply agreement created challenges to finding a mutually beneficial arrangement between the parties. This led to a lower supply agreement in January 2010.
In order to resolve these ongoing challenges, the companies have now agreed to terminate the supply agreement. MEMC will now receive payment of $21.2 million through the irrevocable letter of credit established by Conergy and MEMC will refund the refundable capacity reservation deposit currently held by MEMC in an approximately equal amount. Conergy will also make payments on outstanding payables in the amount of $5.5 million and it has agreed to transfer Conergy's portfolio of operations and maintenance contracts to MEMC covering solar power plants in Germany, Italy and Spain.
Where this may hurt is that it represents up to about 175 megawatts and is subject to MEMC's due diligence over the next 60-90 days. This termination agreement does states that there can be no assurance that the parties will conclude this transfer successfully.
We would definitely expect that this will result in a revenue dip for MEMC, but this is still subject to contractual due diligence. There may at least be some good news in that perhaps this will help margins.
MEMC shares closed down 5% at $2.82 on the day and shares are indicated up about 2% at $2.88 in the after-hours session after the news.
JON C. OGG
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Alternative Energy, Infrastructure, Utilities Tagged: WFR
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/25/memc-terminates-solar-wafer-customer/
Thursday, September 27, 2012
More QE must be in the context of today's problems, not those of 2009
Context, as they say, is everything, which is why the increasingly polarised debate over the benefits of the Bank of England's policy of quantitative easing (QE), under which UK government debt is bought with printed money, is neither particularly instructive, nor constructive.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Greg Mortenson of THREE CUPS OF TEA
America has committed more money and more troops to Afghanistan, but Greg Mortenson, the bestselling author of THREE CUPS OF TEA argues that there's a better path to peace: building schools and nurturing local communities.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/bvGDqnl9Uxc/profile2.html
Simple Ways to Boost Your Energy
What would you say your energy level is like most days? Do you struggle to keep your eyes open or are you quick, focused, and productive all day long? If, like many people, you struggle to keep your eyes open, here are simple ways to boost your energy and feel better everyday of the week.
Sleep More
So many articles about time management encourage us to see how early we can get up each morning so that we can get even more done than we are already doing each day. After 3 or 4 months of getting up at 5 a.m. I typically see the people that try that complaining about how tired and burned out they feel.
That is because our bodies are not designed to function with only 5 or 6 hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation is a form of stress, yet so many of us regularly forgo sleep in the name of more work. Unfortunately, lack of sleep decreases productivity and increases the likelihood of catching stress-related colds and illnesses. This week, try to get to bed a half hour earlier than normal, and if at all possible, sleep as late as you can in the morning.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Your first meal of the day kick starts your metabolism and helps the calorie-burning machine to do its job. You’ll immediately feel a boost of energy which in turn will make you more productive. You’ll have improved memory and concentration for the work to come and, by eating breakfast, you’ll have improved appetite control and weight management.
Eat Often
To keep your metabolism burning effectively eat small snacks throughout the day. Combine healthy carbohydrates like crackers, fruit or veggies, with an easy protein like cheese, milk, yogurt or nuts. Even a latté can count as a worthwhile snack since milk is a great source of protein.
Drink Lots of Water
How much water do you currently drink every day? Most of us are chronically dehydrated because we choose beverage options like coffee and cola that help us excrete liquids rather than store them. Since our bodies are made up of 70% water, it’s another natural energizer. Chances are that if you’re feeling tired or hungry, it could be another way that your body is signaling that it needs more water. Drink at least 8 cups of water each day.
Eat Chocolate
Eating an ounce or two of pure high quality dark chocolate everyday will boost your energy, improve your memory, help you stay focused and improve your mood. Look for dark chocolate that contains 70 percent or more cocoa.
Remember to Take Breaks Often
It’s when we’re busiest that we need our breaks the most. Yet we’re more likely to put our heads down and work through breaks and lunches in the name of getting the job done.
Productivity drops considerably when we work uninterrupted for long stretches. Blood flow is hampered; exhaustion creeps in to our body and stiffness into our joints, making us feel more tired than we really are.
Remember to get up from your desk at least five minutes each hour and move around. Go look out the window, or if you can, do some stretching exericses with your arms and legs. If possible, go outside in the sun for 5 minutes.
Exercise Everyday
Really busy people can still fit exercise into their day. A 20 minute walk at lunch time or after work is a great way to relieve some stress and boost your energy.
Use Your Vacation Days
Either book long weekends off or schedule a one to two week vacation each year. Plan your time off in advance so that you have time to save money for your vacation and so that you have something exciting to look forward to.
What do you do to boost your energy throughout the day?
Source: http://tacklingourdebt.com/2012/09/05/simple-ways-boost-your-energy/
Jobs Website Specialist Dice Holdings Buys Geeknet's Media Business
Filed under: Technology, Media, Mergers & Acquisitions
Techies are coming together under the same umbrella. Dice Holdings (DHX) is acquiring Geeknet's (GKNT) online media business.The two companies themselves may not be household names outside of tech circles, but some of the properties involved in the transaction may be familiar.
Dice will be acquiring three websites from Geeknet, tech news aggregator Slashdot, open source index Freecode, and open source software hub SourceForge. SourceForge alone attracts roughly 40 million unique monthly visitors from all over the world.
Dice Holdings operates several community websites dedicated to particular employment niches. Dice.com is the company's flagship hub for tech professionals. Other Dice websites include Rigzone for energy industry workers and ClearanceJobs.com for those with security clearance.
A Good Fit
When investors think of employment-oriented websites they probably have LinkedIn (LNKD) or Monster Worldwide (MWW) on their mind.
LinkedIn is the leading social networking website for white-collar professionals. Monster.com is the popular job listings website and online recruiter.
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Dice simply prefers to manage vocal forums where niche professionals come to share wisdom and blow off steam. The end result is that Dice's websites are very attractive to human resource departments in certain fields. If you're trying to smoke out bank managers or investment bankers, why not see what's happening at Dice's eFinancialCareers.com.Geeknet's Freecode and SourceForge are major online meeting areas for open source programmers. Slashdot appears to a wider audience of consumers and techies alike that are interested in technology news.
Back to Selling Star Trek Cookie Cutters
Geeknet isn't going away after selling its online media business. The company's major driver in recent years has been the ThinkGeek store.
Folks clamoring for Star Wars car decals, hairy-footed Hobbit slippers, and inflatable Star Trek captain's chairs have been turning to ThinkGeek.com in growing numbers. The company's e-commerce revenue grew 26% last year, accounting for 83% of Geeknet's total revenue.
Selling its online media business probably wasn't an easy decision. Many of those website visitors are ideal ThinkGeek customers. However, Geeknet will now be able to focus on what has become its primary business.
The techies will be fine during the migration process.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz does not own shares in any of the stocks in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Linkedin. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Linkedin.
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/19/dice-holdings-buys-geeknet-slashdot-freecode-sourceforge/
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
America's economy reformed?
Just over a year after economic calamity brought promises of reform to Washington, many now say that the recession is nearing an end. But is it business as usual for Wall Street, and have future financial crises been averted? Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson and US Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) join Bill Moyers for a report card on the bailouts, an update on the state of the U.S. economy, and to find out whether efforts of reform have been derailed.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/SIMWnLu_l4s/profile.html
Not About the Campaign: A Bill Moyers Essay
Bill Moyers on non-campaign news.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/KO64eBvUkn0/profile4.html
This and That: High-Frequency Trading, Cottage Ownership and more…
Wired magazine ran a story on high-frequency trading (HFT) in which computers execute thousands of trades maniacally hoping to earn profits of a fraction of a penny per share. The story details the lengths that Wall Street firms go to earn a few microseconds advantage over their competition. Hat tip to the Canadian Money Forum [...]
This and That: High-Frequency Trading, Cottage Ownership and more… is brought to you by Canadian Capitalist -- Helping you to invest & prosper.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ccapitalist/~3/dvDzpxae9go/
Monday, September 24, 2012
Is China Burning?
Gordon Chang, Forbes
Chinese streets were quiet today after anti-Japan protests, many of them violent, rocked more than a 100 cities last week. Large demonstrations continued through Tuesday, the 81st anniversary of Japan's invasion of Manchuria.The disturbances, triggered by a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, are commonly described as the worst anti-Japan riots to hit the country since at least 2005, and they may have even been more destructive than that.
Chinese streets were quiet today after anti-Japan protests, many of them violent, rocked more than a 100 cities last week. Large demonstrations continued through Tuesday, the 81st anniversary of Japan's invasion of Manchuria.The disturbances, triggered by a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, are commonly described as the worst anti-Japan riots to hit the country since at least 2005, and they may have even been more destructive than that.
Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/09/24/is_china_burning_291011.html
Eric Foner on Abraham Lincoln.
The legacy and legend of Lincoln. As Abraham Lincoln's bicentennial birthday approaches, Bill Moyers sits down with historian and Lincoln biographer Eric Foner to discuss the legacy and the legend of America's most studied president. Having just received Illinois' highest honor, the Order of Lincoln, Eric Foner is author of Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and his World and speaks to Moyers about the evolution of Lincoln's image from politician to icon.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/GTXdSSb1J3o/profile2.html
Frontlines of Foreclosure
The JOURNAL profiles Steve Meacham, a Boston-based organizer who's trying to halt the tidal wave of evictions and foreclosures plaguing his community. Meacham works for an award-winning organization known as City Life/Vida Urbana, a group that's pioneered new strategies to help working people hold on to their homes in the face of intense pressure from banks.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/MOmxAkd8DS4/profile2.html
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Moyers on Inequality
Bill Moyers reflects on inequality in America.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/E7tsBvYuAVs/profile3.html
Jeffrey Toobin
Bill Moyers sits down with legal analyst and journalist Jeffrey Toobin to talk about the relationship between big money and judicial elections today.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/q3xNfKbZnP0/profile.html
Kathleen Hall Jamieson
Bill Moyers checks in with JOURNAL contributor and director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center Kathleen Hall Jamieson on how dirty politics will play out in this final stretch to the election.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/uMdpTm2M6ds/profile2.html
Saturday, September 22, 2012
More Tax Tips From the Pros
Last week, I shared my top tax season secrets with you. I also emphasized that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to taxes. To give you a wide range of advice, I asked a number of tax professionals from all over the globe for their best tax tips for tax season. Here's what they had to say:Continue reading More Tax Tips From the Pros
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/14/more-tax-tips-from-the-pros/
Nike to Buy Back $8 Billion of Its Shares
Filed under: Investing
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) became the latest company to return money to shareholders as the economy falters. It joins a raft of firms from AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) to Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL). Nike said it will buy back $8 billion worth of shares. The dividend and buy back activity of major companies has risen this year as more and more investors question what public firms with billions of dollars on their balance sheet should do if that cash has no immediate and apparent usefulness. Nike bragged about its record as a shareholder friendly company when it announced its:
Board of Directors has approved a new four-year, $8 billion program to repurchase shares of NIKE's Class B Common Stock. The Company's current $5 billion share repurchase program will be completed during the second quarter of fiscal 2013, and the new program will commence upon the completion of the current program.
"We believe repurchasing our shares is a prudent use of our cash and are pleased to extend NIKE's track record of returning value to shareholders through sustained share repurchases," said Mark Parker, NIKE, Inc. President and CEO. "Over the past 10 years, NIKE, Inc. has returned $10 billion to shareholders through the repurchase of more than 167 million shares. This new share repurchase program demonstrates our continued confidence in NIKE's strategy to generate long-term profitable growth and strong cash flow, and reflects our commitment to delivering value to our shareholders."
Douglas A. McIntyre
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Stock Buybacks
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/20/nike-to-buy-back-8-billion-of-its-shares/
Theodore Olson and David Boies on Same-Sex Marriage
Once adversaries in 2000's Bush v. Gore Supreme Court case, now two of the nation's premier lawyers -- one conservative and one liberal -- have teamed up to make the constitutional case for same-sex marriage.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/3g0aMVm2XSU/profile.html
Friday, September 21, 2012
MP Pensions, More Cuts, and Friday #Shoutouts Gangnam Style!
This week Ottawa got back to work (I find that phrase interesting since it sounds like the entire City of Ottawa goes on vacation when Parliament is out, wich is not the case). Our diligent MP’s have returned and the nastiness begins fresh for the fall. The debate about MP Pensions (the real gold-plated pensions [...]
MP Pensions, More Cuts, and Friday #Shoutouts Gangnam Style! is a post from: Canadian Personal Finance Blog and follow me on twitter as well: Big Cajun Man, daily updates from all over the Blogosphere. Subscribe to my comments feed as well!
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Printed and Thin Film Photovoltaics and Batteries
IDTechEx has just launched a comprehensive report that gives a thorough analysis of printed and thin film photovoltaics and batteries – covering the technologies, markets and players. The report covers companies, research institutes and universities that are active in developing and commercializing thin film and printed technologies for photovoltaics and batteries. Photovoltaic technologies covered include [...]
Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/press/printed-thin-film-photovoltaics-batteries/
5 Ways to Sabotage Your Retirement
One of the challenges that we face, looking toward the future, is ensuring that there is enough money to live comfortably during retirement. Too many people, though, are complacent about retirement, and what the future holds. Even if you are saving for retirement, you might be sabotaging your efforts. As you prepare for the future,...
5 Ways to Sabotage Your Retirement appeared first on Canadian Finance Blog.
Related Posts:- What Is A Locked-In Retirement Account (LIRA)?
- Retirement Income Planning: Where Will Your Retirement Income Come From?
- You Can Afford Retirement But Can You Afford Retirement Care?
Source: http://canadianfinanceblog.com/5-ways-to-sabotage-your-retirement/
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Moyers on Juneteenth
Bill Moyers on Juneteenth.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/BvtQ_36JxAU/watch4.html
How Do Psychological Motives Drive News Consumption?
Author(s):
Donald Liebenson
When it comes using mobile technology, are you a rewards-seeker or a threats-avoider? The difference may explain how you use your devices to access news content.
The study, conducted by the Missouri School of Journalisn, the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and HCD Research, was created “to obtain a deeper understanding of the psychological motives that drive media preferences and use to help news outlets and advertisers optimize content and delivery platforms for their target audiences.”
It finds that adults motivated to seek out rewards are more likely to use mobile media platforms to access local and national news, compared to adults who are more concerned with avoiding threats, according to a release announcing results of the study. A rewards seeker is one who is more willing “to engage in the environment and new and novel technology,” Paul Bolls, who co-authored the study, explained to Millionaire Corner.
The study, he said, finds “a new way of viewing the news audience and optimizing news content for that audience. Organizations are able in a time of immediate technology to design and deliver content to more niche audiences. These two groups are going to process, engage with, evaluate and response to news and advertising in very different ways.”
The desktop computer is the dominant platform for accessing online news among all respondents, but reward seekers, who tend be males ages 22-45, and the most likely to adopt the newest technology, are more inclined to include mobile media as a resource for news.
Reward-seekers, Bolls said, are more willing to engage in graphic edgy content whether it be news or entertainment. “Content and websites optimized for them need to have a much more multi-media design to them with more content options than for threat-avoiders,” he said.
For the threat-avoiders, receiving up-to-date and detailed information about natural disasters and crime is a priority, but care must be taken Bolls said, in how it is presented to this group. “They’re not going to want to see video footage of a crime scene,” he observed. “You have to be careful about making content too emotionally intense for those folks, otherwise they will disengage.”
A second quarter Millionaire Corner study on mobile technology and social media use finds that affluent households are more likely to access news on their computers, followed by tablets and then smartphones.
Source: http://www.millionairecorner.com/article/how-do-psychological-motives-drive-news-consumption
U.S. Should Get Tough with China — Pew Research
Filed under: Investing
Recent data from Pew Research shows that most Americans want the United States to get tough with China on economic issues such as the trade deficit, job losses and the amount of U.S. debt held by China. The research separately surveyed experts in government policy, and the results indicated that the experts are far less concerned about China's power than the general public, and that the news media falls somewhere between the two.
From Pew's report:
In contrast to the general public, American foreign affairs experts are far less concerned about China's rising power. With the exception of retired military officers, only about three-in-ten among the experts surveyed consider China's emergence as a world power to be a major threat. Fewer than four-in-ten experts consider the U.S. trade deficit with China to be a very serious problem, compared with about six-in-ten of the broader public; and even fewer experts express concern about the loss of U.S. jobs to China. Moreover, unlike the general public, experts are far more likely to support building a strong relationship with China than to back being tough with Beijing on economic issues.
The survey also shows that both the American public and the experts see China as a competitor, with the experts' view being somewhat more supportive of that view. But the general public is more likely to view China as an enemy (15%) than are the experts (3%).
President Obama gets pretty high marks from all the experts, except retired military officers, on his handling of foreign policy. Among the public, 45% say Obama is not being tough enough on China, while 39% say his approach is about right.
Also on the political front, more Republicans than Democrats believe that the U.S. trade deficit is a very serious problem (71% to 54%), that Chinese-held U.S. debt is a very serious problem (87% to 75%) and the job losses to China are a very serious problem (76% to 67%).
All that said, though, 65% of Americans surveyed think that relations between the United States and China are good, while only 29% think they are bad. But only 26% of the U.S. public thinks the country can trust China. Only Saudi Arabia and Pakistan rank lower on the trustworthiness scale, but Iran was not one of the choices.
The full report from Pew Research is available here.
Paul Ausick
Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, China, Research
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/19/u-s-should-get-tough-with-china-pew-research/
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Mid September 2012 Blog Update
Source: http://www.modestmoney.com/mid-september-2012-blog-update/
A Bill Moyers Essay: Books of 2009
Bill Moyers picks his favorite books from 2009.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/iUzx-Z56a5A/profile3.html
Capitol Crimes
With disgraced lobbyist back in the news and on the big screen in Alex Gibney's new film, CASINO JACK, we re-present Bill Moyers 2006 in-depth exploration of Abramoff and his Washington world. CAPITOL CRIMES investigates the Abramoff lobbying scandal, revealing the web of relationships, secret deals and political manipulation and opening a disturbing window on the dark side of American politics. The fall of Jack Abramoff has exposed a huge web of corruption that still remains vastly unreported by the broadcast media, even as prosecutors continue to chase down leads and quiz insiders and witnesses. Moyers and his colleagues untangle emails, reports, interviews and facts on the record to provide viewers with a coherent pattern of criminal and political chicanery.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/cmmOGCcDmTQ/profile.html
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Weekend Reading: ING Sold, Dividend Hikes And Giveaway Edition
There was already a lot going on in the banking industry this week, with all 6 big banks reporting quarterly earnings. But one major announcement grabbed the headlines. On Wednesday, Scotiabank announced it was buying ING Canada for $3.1B. ING Canada was on the shopping block because its parent company, ING Group NV, had to [...]
The post Weekend Reading: ING Sold, Dividend Hikes And Giveaway Edition appeared first on Boomer & Echo.
Source: http://www.boomerandecho.com/weekend-reading-ing-sold-dividend-hikes-and-giveaway-edition/
Flying Within the USA Instead of From Canada
I just got back from Brother-In-Law’s wedding in Denver, Colorado and I have to say I am thankful for the little personal finance tip I learned while I was young and growing up in a border town. The basic idea is that domestic flights anywhere in the USA are much cheaper than international ones, especially...
Flying Within the USA Instead of From Canada appeared first on Canadian Finance Blog.
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Source: http://canadianfinanceblog.com/flying-within-the-usa-instead-of-from-canada/
And...action! How to win Hollywood futures trading
As the film world convenes this week at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas, one of the hot topics is sure to be the box-office futures market. Come April, after expected approval by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, industry and regular folks will be able to purchase futures derivatives from Cantor Fitzgerald that basically bet on or against the success of studio movies six months before they open.
The tally covers the first four weeks of domestic release. Shares will be worth a millionth of the film's expected total, so a predicted $100 million movie would offer $100 contracts. The minimum contract will be $50.
WalletPop wants kibitzers who fancy themselves Hollywood players to get a head-start, so we've enlisted an expert for tips on how to spot potential winners.
Continue reading And...action! How to win Hollywood futures trading
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/03/15/and-action-how-to-win-hollywood-futures-trading/
Monday, September 17, 2012
Andrew Bacevich
Historian, international relations expert and former US Army Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich returns to the JOURNAl to discuss America's long war in Afghanistan.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/HHyO3CDLey0/profile2.html
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
The Journal travels to Iowa where one group, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI), has been helping ordinary citizens fight for change for more than three decades.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bmjvodcast/~3/DEGRCYiFG1g/profile3.html
Where to follow the iPhone 5 announcement blow-by-blow
Apple famously refuses to provide a live video stream of its announcements (call it a benefit for those blessed by Apple as "worthy") so the rest of us are relegated to following the liveblogs. Luckily there are several to chose from. Here's a list.
Source: http://www.zdnet.com/where-to-follow-the-iphone-5-announcement-blow-by-blow-7000004149/
Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Cost of Weddings – Yours and Everyone Else’s!
I’m a Grinch, I don’t like Christmas and I don’t like Weddings, or I should rephrase – I don’t like the commercialization of them. I’m all in favour of celebrating special days with friends and family. The celebration of the winter solstice or Christ’s birthday is all fine and good, just as the idea of [...]
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Youngandthrifty/~3/ciC4Vvcpw20/
Another Day the World Changed
Eleven years ago, the world changed, and I still feel the effects of the attacks on New York, and Washington on 9/11/2001 (and the attacks in London on 7/7/2005). When that day started, it was a normal day for me, I had gone to work, and was in a meeting when a teammate called me [...]
Another Day the World Changed is a post from: Canadian Personal Finance Blog and follow me on twitter as well: Big Cajun Man, daily updates from all over the Blogosphere. Subscribe to my comments feed as well!
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CanadianFinancialStuff/~3/hY-hC6qldlA/
5 Ways That the iPhone 5 Will Change the World
Filed under: Technology, Sprint Nextel Corp, Apple, AT&T, Verizon, Federal Express, Telecom
Apple (AAPL) has finally introduced the iPhone 5. Smartphone fans and Apple investors are naturally excited. But Wednesday's big reveal was about more than just one company and one product.
The very nature of Apple's shiny new handset and the bar-raising nature of some of its features will send rippling waves far beyond the company's Cupertino headquarters.
Let's go over five ways that the new iPhone 5 will change the world.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz does not owns shares in any of the stocks in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and OpenTable. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of OpenTable, Google, FedEx, and Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a bull call spread position in Apple.
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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/13/iphone5-5-ways-will-change-the-world/
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