STOCK MARKET WATCH, Friday, April 15, 2011

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: du

STOCK MARKET WATCH, Friday, April 15, 2011

AT THE CLOSING BELL ON April 14, 2011

Dow 12,285.15 +14.16 (+0.12%)
Nasdaq 2,760.22 -1.30 (-0.05%)
S&P 500 1,314.52 +0.11 (+0.01%)
10-Yr Bond... 3.47 -0.03 (-0.72%)
30-Year Bond 4.52 -0.02 (-0.51%)

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Market Conditions During Trading Hours

Euro, Yen, Loonie, Silver and Gold

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Bush Administration Officials Convicted = 2
Names: David Safavian, James Fondren
Dishonorable Mention: former House majority leader, Tom DeLay

Bush Administration Officials Charged = 1
Name(s): Richard Lopez Razo

Financial Sector Officials Convicted since 1/20/09 = 11

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This thread contains opinions and observations. Individuals may post their experiences, inferences and opinions on this thread. However, it should not be construed as advice. It is unethical (and probably illegal) for financial recommendations to be given here.

Read more: du

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. Today's Reports

Apr 15 08:30 CPI Mar 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
Apr 15 08:30 Core CPI Mar 0.1% 0.2% 0.2%
Apr 15 08:30 Empire Manufacturing Apr 15.0 15.0 17.5
Apr 15 09:00 Net Long-Term TIC Flows Feb NA NA $51.5B
Apr 15 09:15 Industrial Production Mar 0.3% 0.6% 0.0% -0.1%
Apr 15 09:15 Capacity Utilization Mar 77.4% 77.4% 77.0% 76.3%
Apr 15 09:55 Mich Sentiment Apr 66.0 66.5 67.5

Read more: http://www.briefing.com/Investor/Public/Calendars/EconomicCalendar.htm#ixzz1JaYNKghE

[Roland99]

37. April consumer sentiment index 69.6

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[Pale Blue Dot]

3. Oil below $108 as traders eye US dollar, economy

SINGAPORE – Oil prices fell slightly to below $108 a barrel Friday in Asia as a traders mulled whether a weaker U.S. dollar and signs of strong U.S. gasoline demand justify extending a two-month rally.

Benchmark crude for May delivery was down 33 cents at $107.78 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added $1.00 to settle at $108.11 on Thursday.

In London, Brent crude for June delivery was down 6 cents to $121.94 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Oil prices sold off the first two days of this week, dropping from $113.46 on Monday, the highest since September 2008. However, a weaker dollar and signs U.S. gasoline consumption remains robust helped staunch those losses and turn crude prices back upward.

http://www.briefing.com/Investor/Public/Calendars/EconomicCalendar.htm

[Roland99]

58. Not anymore...back up to a few pennies under $110/bbl

[Pale Blue Dot]

4. Futures Lower as Google's Results Disappoint

U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower start for Wall Street Friday, with shares in Google (GOOG 546.00, -32.51, -5.62%) dropping sharply in premarket trading after the Internet search giant's first-quarter earnings disappointed investors.

Google shares were down 5.7% ahead of the open after the firm reported a 17% rise in profit to $2.3 billion, failing to meet market expectations owing to rising spending.


Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 25 points to 12203 and Standard & Poor's 500 index futures were down 2.20 points at 1308. Nasdaq 100 futures fell 4.50 points to 2296.25. Changes in futures don't always accurately predict early market moves after the opening bell.

U.S. markets closed marginally higher on Thursday after gains for consumer staples and energy stocks helped overcome early losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up around 14 points.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/futures-lower-as-googles-results-disappoint-2011-04-15

[xchrom]

5. Venture capital investment slides in state

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014778683_venture15.html

Venture-capital investment nationwide continues to press ahead in fits and starts since its big drop around early 2009, though in Washington, dollar amounts appear to have fallen to their lowest levels after the full-force of the recession.

The state's total dollar amount for the first quarter dropped by 36.8 percent — or $67 million — compared with the same quarter last year, though the number of deals fell just by one — from 27 to 26 — according to a first-quarter 2011 MoneyTree Report released Friday by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) with data from Thomson Reuters.

At $115.3 million, the amount is less than the $133.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2010, the lowest for last year, and is a bit more than the less-than-$110 million recession levels the state saw at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009.

The report also shows that Washington ranked eighth in the nation in amount invested in the quarter, while it was sixth in the same quarter last year.

[xchrom]

6. Boeing shuffles defense workers around Kent, Renton

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014777485_boeing15.html

Thousands of Boeing defense-side employees in the Puget Sound region are relocating as the company consolidates. About 1,900 employees will move from Kent and Renton to facilities beside Boeing Field in Seattle.

Approximately 1,000 employees will move from Kent to the company's Developmental Center on East Marginal Way South across from Boeing Field.

An additional 500 people will move by the end of April into an old defense facility just north of the Developmental Center called the Thompson site. Little used since work on the B-2 Stealth bomber ended there in the early 1990s, it's been reactivated for installation of the military systems on the Navy's P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine jets.

Some 400 P-8 employees will move to offices within the Developmental Center facility to be closer to the Thompson factory.

[Pale Blue Dot]

7. China data spark tightening fear, spook Asia

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Most Asian stocks fell Friday after Chinese economic growth rate and inflation rose faster-than-expected, sparking fresh worries that more interest rate increases could soon follow.

Stocks in Mumbai were among the worst hit, as results and forecasts from bellwether Infosys Technologies Ltd. disappointed investors, and as India’s own data on inflation triggered fears of more interest rate hikes.

“Given that the mainland economy remains very strong, we would characterize People’s Bank of China policy as still moderately accommodative and behind the curve,” said Win Thin, global head of emerging markets strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman. “Fears of a hard landing will surely rise, but we do think that China policymakers still have time to set things right, but action is needed soon.”

China has taken several tightening measures over the past year, including last week’s fourth hike in interest rates in six months, to temper inflationary pressures.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-data-sparks-tightening-fear-spooks-asia-2011-04-15

[xchrom]

9. Emerging Stocks, U.S. Futures Fall as Treasuries, Yen Advance

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-15/emerging-stocks-u-s-futures-fall-as-treasuries-yen-advance.html

April 15 (Bloomberg) -- Emerging-market stocks and U.S. index futures dropped, while Treasuries and the yen gained on speculation central banks will step up efforts to curb inflation. Irish bonds fell after the nation’s rating was cut.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index lost 0.2 percent at 6:25 a.m. in New York, with India’s benchmark gauge sinking 1.6 percent, the steepest drop among global equity markets. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures fell 0.2 percent as Google Inc. slid 5.6 percent in pre-market trading. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index swung between gains and losses. The 10-year Treasury yield slid four basis points and the yen advanced versus 14 of its 16 major peers. Ireland’s 10-year yield rose 18 basis points. Gold jumped as much as 0.4 percent to a record $1,479.35 an ounce.

China may increase measures to tame inflation after consumer prices climbed 5.4 percent in March, the fastest pace since 2008, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch and HSBC Holdings Plc said today. Reports today showed wholesale prices in India and consumer prices in Europe rose more than forecast, while annual inflation probably accelerated in the U.S., economists said before a Labor Department report. Moody’s Investors Service signaled it may lower Ireland to junk after cutting the rating two levels to the lowest investment grade.

[xchrom]

11. European Stocks Are Little Changed; Nestle, Syngenta Advance

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-15/european-stocks-are-little-changed-nestle-syngenta-advance.html

April 15 (Bloomberg) -- European stocks were little changed as better-than-estimated results at companies from Nestle SA to Syngenta AG offset a report that China’s inflation accelerated in March to the fastest pace since 2008. U.S. index futures and Asian shares retreated.

Micro Focus International Plc led declines on the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index after Chief Executive Officer Nigel Clifford quit. Nestle advanced 1.3 percent after the world’s largest food company reported first-quarter organic sales growth that topped the average analyst estimate. Syngenta AG gained 2.2 percent after posting first-quarter sales at the top end of a range of analysts’ projections.

The Stoxx 600 climbed 0.1 percent to 277.33 at 12:01 p.m. in London. The measure has fallen 1.5 percent this week as Japan said its Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant may release more radiation than Chernobyl and Alcoa Inc. began the U.S. earnings season with sales that missed analysts’ estimates.

“It’s time for a more cautious stance,” said Matthias Joerss, a Frankfurt-based equity strategist at Macquarie Group Ltd. “This reporting season will be overshadowed by the macro data that has reached peak levels in many areas. While earnings numbers themselves may be strong, outlook statements will not be strong enough to drive the market higher.”

[xchrom]

12. China's economy slows slightly, inflation hits 32-month high

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/

China’s hard-charging economy tapered slightly in the first quarter, but inflation rose to a 32-month high despite nationwide efforts to rein-in consumer prices, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

China’s gross domestic product grew by 9.7% in the first quarter compared to a year ago, down from the 9.8% expansion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Wenj Meanwhile, China’s consumer price index soared to 5.4% in March from a year ago, intensifying pressure on the central government which fears rising prices could lead to social instability.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao blamed deficits overseas and volatile global commodity prices for complicating China’s economy at a meeting Wednesday of the State Council, the country's cabinet.

[xchrom]

29. Asia, Europe data point to mounting inflation risks

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/idINIndia-56353420110415?type=economicNews

(Reuters) - China and India reported higher-than-expected inflation readings on Friday, giving fresh ammunition to central bankers and investors alike who are worried about mounting price pressures in the global economy.

Consumer prices in the euro zone also picked up more than expected, while figures due later in the day from the United States are expected to show a similar trend, with the inflation rate still moderate but steadily rising, not least because of higher food and energy costs.

Prices of oil and grain, in turn, are climbing in part because of strong growth in China, India and other emerging economies, which have shown the developed world a clean pair of heels since the global financial crisis.

"The weakness in markets this week is expected after the smart comeback we have seen recently, with inflationary concerns again coming to the forefront," said Jan Lambregts, global head of financial markets research at Rabobank.

[xchrom]

38. Gold Reaches New Record After China,US Inflation Data

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704628404576264531870501502.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

NEW YORK—Investors buying precious metals as an inflation hedge sent gold above $1,480 for the first time and boosted silver to a new 31-year peak.

[xchrom]

40. your grain of salt moment: Consumer Sentiment Improves, Despite Higher Fuel Costs

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42607095

U.S. consumer sentiment rose more than expected in April as worries about the impact of higher oil prices on economic growth eased slightly, a survey released Friday showed.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's preliminary April reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 69.6, up from 67.5 in March.

It was also above the the median forecast of 68.5 among economists polled by Reuters.

[xchrom]

41. Stocks Turn Mixed After Sentiment News

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42606979

Stocks traded mixed after news that a preliminary reading on consumer sentiment gained, although weak earnings pressured some sectors of the market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 25 points after fluctuating throughout the morning, and following a choppy session on Thursday.

Among Dow components, Merck and Home Depot rose, while Bank of America and 3M fell.

The S&P 500 rose, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined. The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, fell below 16.

Among key S&P 500 sectors, technology and energy rose, while utilities and health care fell.

[xchrom]

43. Futures Turn Up After Good Economic News

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42604226

Stock index futures pared losses and turned positive after gains in industrial production and capacity utilization, and after news that consumer prices didn't rise as much as expected in March.

Industrial production rose 0.8 percent in March from a 0.1 percent gain in February, while capacity utilization rose to 77.4 percent in March from 76.9 percent in February.

The Consumer Price Index for March rose 0.5 percent, in line with February's gain, while core CPI rose 0.1 percent after gaining 0.2 percent the month before, the Labor Department said.

Core CPI, which was better than expectations for a 0.2 percent rise, shows inflation, not including food and energy prices, remains subdued.

[xchrom]

49. US prices rise as oil costs pinch consumers

http://www.alternet.org/rss/breaking_news/561587/us_prices_rise_as__oil_costs_pinch_consumers/

The Labor Department's consumer price index rose by 0.5 percent for the month, as trouble in the Middle East and demand from emerging giants like China was again felt.

"Gasoline and food prices continued to rise and together accounted for almost three quarters," of the increase the department said.

Pump prices across the country have gone up by more than seven percent in the last month, according to the American Automobile Association.

But while consumers may be feeling the pinch, the fresh data is unlikely to push the Federal Reserve into a quick interest rate hike.

[xchrom]

8. 'Cult stock' Zipcar soars in its trading debut

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014777554_apuszipcaripo.html

Investors flocked to Zipcar Inc. on Thursday, its first day as a public company, sending the car-sharing service's stock soaring 56 percent.

That performance means Zipcar had one of the best initial public offerings of 2011 in terms of first-day increases for its stock. It trails only Qihoo 360 Technology Co., which went public in March and climbed 135 percent that day.

Zipcar shares priced at $18 on Wednesday night, totaling $174 million. The stock had soared to $28 by the time the markets closed Thursday. That was far above the company's original projections of $14 to $16 per share.

The warm reception also led investors who had already been backing the company to cash out more shares than they originally planned - about 3 million shares versus 1.7 million.

[xchrom]

10. This Tech Bubble Is Different

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b4225060960537.htm

As a 23-year-old math genius one year out of Harvard, Jeff Hammerbacher arrived at Facebook when the company was still in its infancy. This was in April 2006, and Mark Zuckerberg gave Hammerbacher—one of Facebook's first 100 employees—the lofty title of research scientist and put him to work analyzing how people used the social networking service. Specifically, he was given the assignment of uncovering why Facebook took off at some universities and flopped at others. The company also wanted to track differences in behavior between high-school-age kids and older, drunker college students. "I was there to answer these high-level questions, and they really didn't have any tools to do that yet," he says.

Over the next two years, Hammerbacher assembled a team to build a new class of analytical technology. His crew gathered huge volumes of data, pored over it, and learned much about people's relationships, tendencies, and desires. Facebook has since turned these insights into precision advertising, the foundation of its business. It offers companies access to a captive pool of people who have effectively volunteered to have their actions monitored like so many lab rats. The hope—as signified by Facebook's value, now at $65 billion according to research firm Nyppex—is that more data translate into better ads and higher sales.

After a couple years at Facebook, Hammerbacher grew restless. He figured that much of the groundbreaking computer science had been done. Something else gnawed at him. Hammerbacher looked around Silicon Valley at companies like his own, Google (GOOG), and Twitter, and saw his peers wasting their talents. "The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads," he says. "That sucks."

[Demeter]

19. As I suspected--totally useless

I hardly expect revolution from that.

[xchrom]

13. Mortgage layoffs continue: this time it's BofA

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/04/mortgage-layoffs-continue-this-time-its-bofa.html

In the latest round of downsizing for the incredible shrinking home-loan business, 1,500 Bank of America Corp. loan processors and underwriters will lose their jobs.

The Charlotte, N.C., bank is closing half of its 200 small loan fulfillment centers across the country, including 27 in California, where 128 employees have been notified of layoffs, spokesman Dan Frahm said Thursday.

"This is really an effort to align ourselves to the new reality of a significant downturn in mortgage origination volume," Frahm said.

Bank of America expects its mortgage lending volume to drop about 25% this year from 2010, when the refinance business was booming as interest rates dropped.

[xchrom]

14. BofA Q1 profit lower than expected; names new CFO

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/us-bankofamerica-idUSTRE73E22Y20110415

(Reuters) - Bank of America Corp posted a 37.5 percent decline in first-quarter earnings and named a new chief financial officer.

The largest U.S. bank reported net income of $2.0 billion, or 17 cents per share, compared with $3.2 billion, or 28 cents per share ,in the same quarter a year ago.

[xchrom]

15. U.S., allies see Libyan rebels in hopeless disarray

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/us-libya-usa-rebels-idUSTRE73D68S20110414

(Reuters) - Too little is known about Libya's rebels and they remain too fragmented for the United States to get seriously involved in organizing or training them, let alone arming them, U.S. and European officials say.

U.S. and allied intelligence agencies believe NATO's no-fly zone and air strikes will be effective in stopping Muammar Gaddafi's forces from killing civilians and dislodging rebels from strongholds like Benghazi, the officials say.

But the more the intelligence agencies learn about rebel forces, the more they appear to be hopelessly disorganized and incapable of coalescing in the foreseeable future.

[xchrom]

16. Global food prices rise 36% in year, World Bank says

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/global-food-prices-rise-36-in-year-world-bank-says-393963.html

Driven in part by higher fuel costs connected to events in the Middle East and North Africa, global food prices are 36 percent above their levels a year ago, the World Bank said on Friday.

“More poor people are suffering and more people could become poor because of high and volatile food prices,” said president Robert B Zoellick.

“We have to put food first and protect the poor and vulnerable, who spend most of their money on food.”

According to the latest edition of the World Bank’s Food Price Watch, a further 10 percent increase in global prices could drive an additional 10 million people below the $1.25 extreme poverty line.

[xchrom]

17. Middle East needs IMF, World Bank intervention, Carnegie says

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/middle-east-needs-imf-world-bank-intervention-carnegie-says--393925.html

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank should step in to ensure political change sweeping the Middle East doesn’t lead governments to abandon policies the Washington-based lenders have backed, analysts at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said.

“There is a significant possibility that the governments that ultimately emerge out of this crisis will renounce previous economic reforms as misguided and argue that they contributed to the region’s plight,” Uri Dadush and Marwan Muasher, former senior officials at the World Bank, wrote in the report dated April 14. “It is in the large economies’ own interest to ensure that economic reforms continue apace with political reforms.”

Intervention could take the form of loans to help with the balance of payments, “technical assistance on fiscal, governance and civil service reform,” and financial support for “civil society,” they said. The US, Europe and major emerging economies, especially oil importers India and China, should also provide assistance, they said.

Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa began with protests in Tunisia against high unemployment and political repression, which forced president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power in January. It spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and other countries in a region that holds more than half of the world’s oil.

[xchrom]

18. ok this is from 4-12:World Bank chief identifies key risks to global economy

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/world-bank-chief-identifies-key-risks-global-economy-393543.html

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Tuesday the global economy faces risks from inflation, sovereign-debt woes and rising food and energy prices.

“The world is coming out of one crisis, the financial and economic crisis, but we are facing other risks and tumultuous changes,” Zoellick told reporters on a conference call in Washington.

Europe’s debt crisis, repeated natural disasters and political turmoil in the Middle East all pose risks to the recovery, even as emerging markets face rising inflation and a risk of overheating, he said.

Zoellick urged the Group of 20 nations to take action to shore up the economy and curb rising hunger. “This is not a time for complacency,” Zoellick said. “The best way for the G-20 to show it’s alive and active is to do things.”

[Demeter]

22. I rather think the G-7 has done enough

and so think the other 13 of the 20...

We do not suffer so much from lack of food and energy as from mal-distribution and tremendous waste. That's what the G-7 promotes.

Inflation and sovereign debt are artificial concepts and prices are manipulated by those who have usurped power in the West. They will fall.

[xchrom]

28. your history and observations are spot on. nt

[Demeter]

20. I hope the IMF cannot sleep nights

worrying about the loss of their power, hegemony, and reason for existing.

Chavez put the IMP out of business in South America. He helped his neighbors to cut the chains that bound them to the IMF wheel of slavery. He lent them capital and resources to build independent and democratic nations, replacing the banana republics, to the consternation of the Corporations. What have they got left? Honduras, Haiti, Panama? Small change and not a whole lot of resources besides cheap labor and fertile soil.

Evidently, Gaddafi was doing the same in Africa--perhaps not on the same scale, but his heart was in the right place. HIS HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. So, he has to be eliminated, since he will not be bought. And he has oil.

This is what nationalists do. South America, with the Bolivarian revolution in its past, was further along the curve. Africa never had such an uprising of the grassroots, until now.

[AnneD]

21. Morning Marketeers....

:donut: and lurkers. How I spent day one of impending unemployment. Blood pressure is up,no surprise so I took today and yesterday off. I figure if I take some time off and do something constructive to better my situation-it helps my frame of mind. I have so much sick leave that I will use as much as I can between now and the end of the year for my search.

My first step today....review my finances. I know this sounds crazy but I took a loan to pay off the balance of my IRS debt. It will lower my total debt and try getting a loan when you don't have a job. I'll have it paid off before the end of my contract....good choice. Other debts, car note and buy back of retirement time, both of which I want to keep at the moment. So from here on out it is piling money into savings in preparation or until I get another job. I will look closer at my budget this weekend for more ways to cut and see how much of a cushion I have. My experience and observation is that people wait too late to do this very crucial step and as a result mis-spend precious cash. My last splurge....I did have lunch at a nice Cuban restaurant. I figured that was my treat after going down to the union to talk to my rep, the bank and the IRS. The line was long but my question was simple ( I had already file 2 days ago). I asked how much more do I owe. They calculated it up, gave me a number and I wrote the check. Out in 35 minutes.

I paid a few bills early, went to the garden center to get mulch for the small garden under the cross at church. I planted it last weekend. I hired 2 great guys whose immigration status I did not question. My church is like most churches in America any more. At 57, I am a young member. Forget getting volunteers from the church to lift the concrete border stones. The guys were cheerful and the 3 of us got 4 hours work done in 2. I paid them extremely well out of my own pocket. It was a Sunday surprise for Easter for the congregation. All that is needed is to put down a barrier and some black mulch today and it will finally be finished. I am going to do that today. Gardening does lower the bp too.

So day 2 will be a bit of gardening, updating the resume and printing it up, looking online for leads, and helping hubby with his taxes. I will really hit the budget this weekend and prepare for an Easter weekend trip to see my brother and sil and niece. I am looking foreword to that.
I will tell the whole family at Easter. No sense worrying everyone now. By then I should have a better picture.

I have often heard that it is easier to find a job while you have one. I hope that is true because I will start in earnest. My union rep-who always gives good advice told me to start looking. She said don't hold on to the hope that you will get another position. She said if you have another job, and the district comes back with an offer, you have a choice, otherwise if you wait, you might end up with nothing.

So there you have it-day 2. I won't post every day. That would be tedious and boring. So I will post highlights. The good news is I have more time to spend on the Tansy Gold for president campaign and my other more radical interests, like knitting and regime change.

Happy hunting and watch out fit the bears.

[Demeter]

23. Morning, AnneD

Sounds like a plan!

I need a totally escapist theme this weekend--I positively refuse to feature the IRS in any way, shape or form. Palm Sunday is also out, as is Passover. Any ideas?

I'm watching "Lifting the Veil" before breakfast, thank goodness. It is sickening to see it all spelled out so clearly. We have been had.

[Demeter]

26. I think I would Like to Explore the Legend of Faust

On the video "Lifting the Veil", one commentator remarks that Obama made a Faustian bargain....I think that would be not only accurate, but worth exploring.

[xchrom]

30. it's good to hear from you -- and i was positively

drooling over your gardening adventure.
i used to do stuff like that at my little church in california.

haven't found one here in north carolina yet.

[snot]

47. I'm rooting for you, AnneD!

[DemReadingDU]

51. I like your plan

May everything work to your advantage!

[Demeter]

24. Nobody Wants to Take CFPB Job Over Elizabeth Warren

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/04/14/nobody-will-take-cfpb-job-over-elizabeth-warren/

The Wall Street Journal dropped a bit of a bombshell yesterday when it intimated that the reason the Obama Administration hasn’t been able to choose a director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is that their preferred candidates don’t want the job over Elizabeth Warren:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704336504576258770479635708.html

Consumer Job Remains Vacant

White House officials seeking someone to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have so far failed to find a nominee, with several candidates rebuffing the administration’s overtures, according to people familiar with the process.

One concern of some: That accepting would undercut Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard law professor and consumer advocate who is currently a special adviser to the president charged with setting up the bureau. She remains a hugely popular figure among many Democrats and anathema to many Republicans <...>

That deadline could result in the White House nominating Ms. Warren, now a special adviser to the president charged with setting up the bureau. She is believed to want the job but her candidacy likely would trigger a Senate confirmation battle. President Barack Obama could avoid that fight by appointing her during a congressional recess before July 21.

The White House has unsuccessfully reached out to possible nominees, including Democratic former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Democratic former Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman and attorneys general from Iowa, Illinois and Massachusetts, these people said. Among those under consideration for the post include Democratic former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Federal Reserve Board member Sarah Bloom Raskin.

The White House is coming up against the rare instance of an individual with their own competing power base in the Democratic Party. Democrats like Granholm and Kaufman don’t want to cross her because they genuinely believe she’s the best person for the job. Granholm said so publicly. So has Ted Strickland: “My personal feeling is that Elizabeth Warren should have that position.” The other concern for politicians who may want another job in the future is that the Democratic base, who admires Warren, will be unrelenting on what amounts to a scab taking her job. Furthermore, Raskin, who just got to the Fed, almost certainly won’t get the job, and create another vacancy on the Board of Governors.

What’s more, the White House is stuck. They can’t find anyone to take the job ahead of Warren, and the deadline for a director is rapidly approaching. By July 21, someone needs to be in that position, or else the agency forfeits powers over non-bank financial institutions until a director is in place. You may say that’s the point, that the Administration doesn’t want a strong CFPB, but if that were the case, they could have relieved themselves of this hassle altogether by simply not putting the agency into Dodd-Frank. CFPB is part of the Obama brand, the one place where he can boast of helping consumers over Wall Street, and by all accounts, he wanted the agency built over some objections from his economic team.

It’s impossible at this point to get any director, Warren or otherwise, nominated and confirmed to CFPB in three months. A recess appointment will almost certainly be required. So the idea of avoiding a confirmation battle is a moot point: it’s going to be avoided. So the strikes against Warren have been negated, and what’s more, nobody wants to step in front of her....MORE

[Demeter]

25. Might Elizabeth Warren Get the CFPB Nod After All? NAKED CAPITALISM

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/04/might-elizabeth-warren-get-the-cfpb-nod-after-all.html

YVES SMITH:

...I’d be delighted to be proven wrong, since I do think Warren is the best choice, but I see the odds of this happening as zero:

1. Obama is moving further and further to the right. As Glenn Greenwald points out:

Like most first-term Presidents after two years, Obama is preoccupied with his re-election, and perceives — not unreasonably — that that goal is best accomplished by adopting GOP policies. The only factor that could subvert that political calculation — fear that he could go too far and cause Democratic voters not to support him — is a fear that he simply does not have: probably for good reason. In fact, not only does Obama not fear alienating progressive supporters, the White House seems to view that alienation as a positive, as it only serves to bolster Obama’s above-it-all, centrist credentials

2. A Warren nomination would be over Geithner’s dead body. He has succeeded in extending his influence beyond that of a typical Treasury secretary; he has no reason to have a media-genic regulator crossing swords with him (as Warren would).

Just as CEOs tend to be chosen based on selection criteria that are artificially narrow, so to are candidates for major bureaucratic roles often chosen for their glittering resumes when candidates who are less flashy but have germane experience can often rise to the occasion. There are no doubt other choices once his recruiting team starts to cast its net wider, and that’s the far more logical route for them to go than a Warren recess appointment.

[Demeter]

27. Dilbert's CEO Continues to Isolate the Workers

This makes me think of Raytheon, where I started my adult employment...and that was the first mistake. However, in 1976, there weren't any engineering jobs anywhere except California, and hardly any hardware jobs anywhere....

I'm not saying I can't program, just that it's not a natural talent or interest of mine...

[xchrom]

31. FCC asks wrong questions in information request to Comcast

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/04/fcc-asks-wrong-questions-in-information-request-to-comcast-.html

If you don't ask the right questions, you won't get the right answers.

Case in point is a recent filing that Comcast Corp., new majority of owner of NBCUniversal, just made to the Federal Communications Commission in response to a request from the regulatory agency.

As part of approving the marriage of Comcast, the nation's largest cable and broadband provider, with NBCUniversal, whose holdings include the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks and cable channels USA, Bravo and CNBC, the FCC wants to know the amount of independent programming carried by all the media outlets of the combined media entity.

Specifically, the FCC requested "the total number of hours of independent programming aired by
each broadcast O&O and each owned or controlled programming network, the title of each program, the date(s) and time(s) the program was aired, the length of the program, a short description of the program, and for programs aired by the broadcast O&Os, whether the program aired on the O&O’s primary channel or a multicast channel.”






maybe they don't ask the right questions on purpose?

[xchrom]

32. podcast: Anthony Bourdain on Why Leaders Should Eat with the Locals

http://blogs.hbr.org/ideacast/2011/04/anthony-bourdain-on-why-leader.html

Featured Guest: Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and host of the Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. He is the author of Kitchen Confidential.




the food and cooking movement may very well be one of the best subversive movements i've ever witnessed.

[xchrom]

33. CBI seeks detention of 5 corporate executives in 2G case

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/current-affairs/cbi-seeks-detention5-corporate-executives2g-case_536329.html

The CBI on Friday sought "detention" of five corporate executives chargesheeted by it for their alleged role in the 2G scam, saying that they might "abscond" and impede the trial.

Opposing their bail pleas, the CBI, in its reply to the court of Additional Session Judge O P Saini, said that some of the key witnesses, belonging to the corporate world, directly worked under them and the possibility of the accused winning them over could not be ruled out.

"The accused are holding high positions and now that the names of witnesses are disclosed, some of whom are directly working under (them) or are amenable to their directions, possibility of winning over and/or influencing the witnesses is clearly present," the CBI said.



this is news from india.

[xchrom]

34. Earnings expectations likely to get toned down: Networth

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/result-analysis/earnings-expectations-likely-to-get-toned-down-networth_536432.html

Prakash Diwan, Head (Institutional Business) of Networth Stock Broking, in an interview with CNBC-TV18’s Anuj Singhal and Latha Venkatesh, gave his views on the Infosys Q4 results and inflation numbers.

Below is the verbatim transcript of theinterview. Also watch the accompanying video.

Q: It’s a double whammy, we have seen worst possible start to the earnings season with Infosys and these inflation numbers. On both these parameters, earnings risk and inflation, what’s the risk for markets going forward?

A: The risk is more in the nature of the inflation numbers which are being slightly uncomfortable. Because Infosys is the first to take off of the results blocks, we have seen a little bit of negativity. This won’t necessarily be the picture for all sectors and companies including IT.

[xchrom]

35. India takes over from China in auto sales growth

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/india-takes-overchinaauto-sales-growth_536425.html

India has emerged as the fastest-growing car market in 2010-11, beating its Asian counterpart China, said The Hindustan Times. Due to the relentless spurt in demand in the domestic market and an unprecedented slowdown in growth in China, the Indian car market grew by over 29%, with record sales in the first three months this year.

[xchrom]

36. Aston Martin steps on gas paddle and drives into India!

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/aston-martin-stepsgas-paddledrives-into-india_536420.html

Luxury cars are entering the Indian market in a big way and how. According to cartradeindia.com, the latest entrant in the luxury car market space is none other than car brand - Aston Martin.

[xchrom]

39. tepco & bp: separated at birth?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/15/501364/main20054206.shtml

Compensation too little for some Japan evacuees


AP)

TOKYO - The operator of Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant said Friday it would pay an initial $12,000 for each household forced to evacuate because of leaking radiation — a handout some of the displaced slammed as too little.

Tens of thousands of residents unable to return to their homes near the nuclear plant are bereft of their livelihoods and possessions, unsure of when, if ever, they will be able to return home. Some have traveled hundreds of miles to Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s headquarters in Tokyo to press their demands for compensation.

"We have decided to pay provisional compensation to provide the slightest help for the people (who were affected)," TEPCO President Masataka Shimizu told a news conference.

[xchrom]

42. Japan Plans State-Backed Insurer to Save Tepco: Report

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42599472

Japan is planning to set up a nuclear insurer to facilitate compensations for the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Nikkei business daily reported.


The state-backed insurer will recoup the payouts from dividends on capital pumped into plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the paper said.

The new entity would also provide insurance against future nuclear disasters, charging annual premiums from Tepco and other power companies with nuclear reactors, the Nikkei said.

[xchrom]

44. Finland Vote Casts Shadow Over Euro Zone Aid Effort

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42602288


Finland is set to become a more awkward member of the euro zone after Sunday's general election due to the rise of a populist, euro-skeptical party, but is unlikely to ruin a bailout for Portugal, analysts said.

The True Finns party, strongly critical of EU aid for Lisbon, is set for big gains that give it a chance of joining a government coalition. But a late poll on Thursday showed it in fourth place with support slipping.

The pro-European right-leaning National Coalition party led by Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen topped the poll by public broadcaster YLE, which would allow him to lead coalition negotiations and most likely stick to current EU policies.

"Given the poll results, it is likely that the current coalition in power wil be able to maintain a majority in parliament," said Pasi Kuoppamaki, chief economist at Sampo Bank, a part of Danske Bank. But he said obstruction of European aid was a serious risk nonetheless.

[xchrom]

52. in a similar vein

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/economy-tax-france.9k0/

France renews push for EU tax-rate convergence

BRUSSELS) - The French government said Wednesday that a new pact for shared EU economic governance should demand tax-rate convergence, a hugely controversial issue for states wanting fiscal independence.

The call by French Secretary of State for European Affairs Laurent Wauquiez threatens to reopen a row pitting Dublin against Paris which has led to sharp exchanges over Ireland's low corporate tax rate.

"We would like within the framework of the euro pact for us to go a long way, much further, towards fiscal convergence -- notably including coordination on tax rates," Wauquiez told AFP.

"We absolutely want (Europe) to battle against un-cooperative tax practices," Wauquiez said.

[xchrom]

45. Pain of British Fiscal Cuts Could Inform U.S. Debate

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/business/global/15iht-pound15.html?_r=1&hp

LONDON — In the United States, the debate over how to cut the long-term budget deficit is just getting under way.

But in Britain, one year into its own controversial austerity program to plug a gaping fiscal hole, the future is now. And for the moment, the early returns are less than promising.

Retail sales plunged 3.5 percent in March, the sharpest monthly downturn in Britain in 15 years. And a new report by the Center for Economic and Business Research, an independent research group based here, forecasts that real household income will fall by 2 percent this year. That would make Britain’s income squeeze the worst for two consecutive years since the 1930s.

All of which has challenged the view of Britain’s top economic official, George Osborne, that during a time of high deficits and economic weakness, the best approach is to aggressively attack the deficit first, through rapid-fire cuts aimed at the heart of Britain’s welfare state.

[xchrom]

46. Allen says book is tech history, not revenge against Gates

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2014779537_allen_says_book_is_tech_history_not_revenge_agains.html

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen says his new book "Idea Man" is technology history, not a screed on Bill Gates.

Allen was interviewed by "60 Minutes," and the show will air on Sunday at 7 p.m. on CBS. The book is coming out Tuesday.

'"It's not about . I just felt it was like an important part of technology history and I should tell it like it happened," says Allen. "I hope people understand and respect that," he tells "60 Minutes" reporter Lesley Stahl.

In an excerpt of Allen's book published by Vanity Fair in March, Allen vented about how Gates whittled down Allen's share of Microsoft even though he felt he had done just as much work starting the company. He also said that he caught Gates and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer plotting to rip him off after he was diagnosed with lymphoma.

[xchrom]

48. Are Rich People Leaving New York? Evidence Points The Other Way

http://www.alternet.org/story/150595/are_rich_people_leaving_new_york_evidence_points_the_other_way/

April 13, 2011 |

Supporters of tax cuts for the rich never get tired of repeating the same claim: If you tax rich people, they will leave.

Governor Cuomo has said it. Mayor Bloomberg has said it. The Partnership for New York City, a group of 200 CEOs, has said it. But despite how often this line is repeated, there’s no evidence for the claim that wealthy populations are moving in response to tax rates – and quite a bit of evidence pointing in the opposite direction.

“Taxes Not Seen as Making the Rich Flee New York,” concluded a 2009 analysis/article in the New York Times that looked at the data behind the claims. The Wall Street Journal’s Wealth Report reached the same conclusion in February 2011: “New York’s Vanishing Millionaires – and Other Myths” was how the Journal summed it up.

[xchrom]

50. Toyota announces temporary halts at European plants

http://www.france24.com/en/20110413-toyota-announces-temporary-halt-european-production-carmaker-autos-earthquake-tsunami

AFP - The impact of Japan's earthquake and nuclear crisis rippled through the economy Wednesday, when the government downgraded its outlook and Toyota announced more temporary plant shutdowns overseas.

Another strong aftershock from the 9.0-magnitude quake that struck the northeast coast over a month ago hit the disaster region, further fraying nerves amid tense stop-and-go containment efforts at a stricken atomic plant.

Emergency workers at the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear site northeast of Tokyo started syphoning off tons of highly radioactive water and eyed long-term plans to encase dangerous spent fuel rods in steel caskets.

The government meanwhile, worried over food safety after the plant leaked radiation into the air, soil and sea, ordered a halt to some mushroom shipments from the region, having earlier restricted vegetables and dairy products.




this article is from 2 days ago -- my apologies if some one else had posted at that time.

[DemReadingDU]

53. There is so much going on everywhere

and difficult to keep up. If it had been posted earlier, I didn't notice. I can barely keep track of what is news for the current day!

[DemReadingDU]

54. Here's the Setup for the Con of the Decade by Charles Hugh Smith

4/15/11 Here's the Setup for the Con of the Decade by Charles Hugh Smith
The Con of the Decade, which I described last July, is being set up nicely. (see link below)

The Con is being set up right now, and the outlines are clearly visible. The Con works like this:

1. The Financial Elites/Oligarchy raked in billions in private profit from the orgy of leverage, credit expansion, fraud, embezzlement and misrepresentation of risk that resulted in the Housing Bubble.

2. The losses were transferred to the public (Federal government, i.e. The central State) or its proxy, the Federal Reserve (i.e. the central bank), via bailouts, backstops, guarantees, the Fed's purchase of taxic assets, and an open window for the financiers to borrow billions at zero interest (ZIRP) for further speculations.

3. The Treasury now borrows $1.6 trillion every year, fully 11% of the nation's GDP, as the Central State has replaced private demand and credit expansion with its own borrowing and spending.

4. Non-U.S. central banks have largely ceased to support this unprecedented scale of borrowing, so the Federal Reserve now buys most of the Treasury's issuance of debt via QE2 (quantitative easing, the direct purchase of $600 billion in Treasury bonds).

5. Unlike Japan, the U.S. cannot self-fund its own government borrowing: while U.S. investors, banks and insurance companies do own a significant chunk of Treasuries, the U.S. savings rate (capital accumulation) is still abysmally low, around 4%, which is half the historical average savings rate.
more...
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogapril11/setup-con-of-decade4-11.html
or
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/guest-post-heres-setup-con-decade


7/8/10 The Con of the Decade Part I by Charles Hugh Smith
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly10/con-of-decade07-10.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4457029&mesg_id=4457178


7/9/10 The Con of the Decade Part II by Charles Hugh Smith
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly10/con-of-decade-pt2-07-10.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4458316&mesg_id=4458821


July 11 2010: The greatest con since 1776
Ilargi says:
Charles Hugh Smith sums it up very well, read it a few times, I'd recommend, though he's got the timeframe wrong. It's not the con of the decade, it's the largest -financial- con ever perpetrated on the American people since 1776
more...
http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/2010/07/july-11-2010-greatest-con-since-1776.html

[xchrom]

55. lots of good stuff there. wow. nt

[DemReadingDU]

57. Financial Totalitarianism by Dmitry Orlov

4/01/11 Financial Totalitarianism by Dmitry Orlov

A particularly annoying question I am often asked and have come to hate is: “How do I invest my money for it to survive financial, political and commercial collapse?” The short answer is: “Nohow. Money will not survive collapse; not yours, not anyone else's.” But that answer is not acceptable, because accepting it would require a profound loss of faith—faith in money, a profound Götterdämmerung for a civilization based on the worship of money. People want continue to believe all sorts of things: that they can own land (i.e., shares in the Earth), or that they can do good through philanthrophic spending and charity, or that the world with which they have grown up and have lived their lives can collapse all around them, but that if they are informed and prepared, they can survive with all of their middle-class trappings intact. I am told that there is good money to be made in telling them such things.
.
.
.
And so, the answer to the perennially annoying question “How do I invest my money for it to survive financial, political and commercial collapse?” is this: “There is no answer to your question. Try asking a different question, to which there might be an answer.”

more...
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2011/04/financial-totalitarianism.html



4/9/11 Orlov Interview on KOWS FM's What Now with Ken Rose
A lengthy and wide-ranging interview during which Ken asked good questions and lent a sympathetic ear. Ken is right that what I have to say is difficult, unsettling and disturbing; so, to offset that, here's a crazy picture of our cat Zoë eating Baby's Breath.
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2011/04/interview-on-kows-fms-what-now-with-ken.html

direct link to audio
http://www.pantedmonkey.org/podcastgen/download.php?filename=2011-04-08_1200_what_now_dmitry_orlov.mp3
edit: appx 50 minutes

[TalkingDog]

56. Very Superstitious

http://www.quintessentialpublications.com/tracyrtwyman/?p=3760

The London Stone

If putting your shoe on something sacred or revered is a sign of disrespect, then what are we to make of the present location of the London Stone, upon which the safety of the City was once believed to rest? It now sits between a rusty iron grille and a piece of glass in the wall of a sporting goods store on Cannon Street, right by the cricket shoes.

You have probably heard of the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, the coronation stone of the British monarchy. It was brought down from Scotland (where it now sits in-between coronations), and before that Ireland (as well as, possibly, ancient Egypt and Israel). However, you are much less likely to have heard of that stone’s evil twin, the London Stone. This could possibly be due to the implication that it represents a power rival to that of the Crown, and over which the Queen legally has no claim: the Corporation of London





Now we know whose fault the financial collapse really is.... It's those guys who are keeping the magic rock in a sports shop.

[InkAddict]

59. Well, geez, and here I thought it was all the fault of having that acursed

Hope Diamond on display in DC.

[xchrom]

61. day-yum. nt

[Festivito]

60. Debt: 04/13/2011 14,264,147,359,046.28 (DOWN 8,846,244,571.16) (Wed, UP a little.)

(Still under the old debt limit of 14.294-trillion dollars by 30-billion dollars. Good day.)
Thank you, McClaren for a nice internet connection.
(Debt under Obama seems to jump up big then drop slowly maybe up a little and down a little for days--repeat.)
= Held by the Public + Intragovernmental(FICA)
= 9,652,808,590,790.24 + 4,611,338,768,256.04
UP 216,450,469.86 + DOWN 9,062,695,041.02

Source: Debt to the penny:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np

THINKING IN BILLIONS: Think 3 or 4 dollars per billion in a 312-Million person America.
If every American, man, woman and child puts in $3.21 THAT'S 1B$, and $3,207.36 makes 1T$.
A family of three: Mom, Dad, Child: $9.62, ABOUT TEN BUCKS for a 1B$ federal program.
I hope that is clear. However, I'd suggest using $3 per 1B$ to underestimate it.
Use $4 per 1B$ to overestimate the cost when thinking: Is the federal program worth it?
Aid to Dependant Children: 2B$/yr =$8/yr(a movie a year) Family of 3: $24/yr(an hour of bowling)

PERSONALIZED DEBT:
Every 12 seconds we net gain another American, so at the end of the workday of the report, there should be 311,782,592 people in America.
http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html ON 10/04/2010 04:37 -> 310,403,677
Currently, each of these Americans owe $45,750.3.
A family of three owes $137,250.9. (And that is IN ADDITION to their mortgage.)

ANALYSIS:
There were 21 reports in the last 30 to 33 days.
The average for the last 21 reports is 4,751,761,798.45.
The average for the last 30 days would be 3,326,233,258.91.
The average for the last 33 days would be 3,023,848,417.19.
There were 252 reports in 365 days of FY2007 averaging 1.99B$ per report, 1.37B$/day.
There were 253 reports in 366 days of FY2008 averaging 4.02B$ per report, 2.78B$/day.
There were 75 reports in 112 days of GWB's part of FY2009 averaging 8.03B$ per report, 5.38B$/day.
There were 174 reports in 253 days of Obama's part of FY2009 averaging 7.33B$ per report, 5.07B$/day so far.
There were 249 reports in 365 days of FY2009 averaging 7.57B$ per report, 5.16B$/day.
There were 251 reports in 365 days of FY2010 averaging 6.58B$ per report, 4.53B$/day.
There were 132 reports in 195 days of FY2011 averaging 5.32B$ per report, 3.60B$/day.
Above line should be okay

PROJECTION:
There are 648 days remaining in this Obama 1st term.
By that time the debt could be between 15.2 and 17.6T$.
It could be higher. It could be lower.

HISTORICAL:
President's term begins and ends on Jan 20.
(Guess who might want to hide the Reagan Bush years. Jan 20 data is missing before 1993.)
01/20/1993 _4,188,092,107,183.60 WJC Inaugural
01/22/2001 _5,728,195,796,181.57 WJC (UP 1,540,103,688,997.97)
01/20/2009 10,626,877,048,913.08 GWB (UP 4,898,681,252,731.43)
04/13/2011 14,264,147,359,046.28 BHO (UP 3,637,270,310,133.20 so far since Obama took office.)

FISCAL YEAR DEBT CHANGE, Sep 30 prior year to Sep 30 named year:
(One "* " for each 40B$ reached)
FY1994 +0,281,261,026,873.94 ------------* * * * * * * WJC
FY1995 +0,281,232,990,696.07 ------------* * * * * * * WJC
FY1996 +0,250,828,038,426.34 ------------* * * * * * WJC
FY1997 +0,188,335,072,261.61 ------------* * * * WJC
FY1998 +0,113,046,997,500.28 ------------* * WJC
FY1999 +0,130,077,892,735.81 ------------* * * WJC
FY2000 +0,017,907,308,253.43 ------------WJC
FY2001 +0,133,285,202,313.20 ------------* * * C&B
01-WJC +0,053,598,528,417.78 ------------* WJC 31% of FY, 40% of FY-Debt
01-GWB +0,079,686,673,895.42 ------------* GWB 69% of FY, 60% of FY-Debt
FY2002 +0,420,772,553,397.10 ------------* * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2003 +0,554,995,097,146.46 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2004 +0,595,821,633,586.70 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2005 +0,553,656,965,393.18 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2006 +0,574,264,237,491.73 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2007 +0,500,679,473,047.25 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2008 +1,017,071,524,649.92 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2009 +1,885,104,106,599.30 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * B&O
09GWB +0,602,152,152,000.60 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB 31% of FY, 32% of FY-Debt
09-BHO +1,282,951,954,598.70 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO 69% of FY, 68% of FY-Debt
FY2010 +1,651,794,027,380.00 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO
FY2011 +0,702,524,328,154.50 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO
Endof11 +1,314,981,434,750.73 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO

LAST FIFTEEN REPORTS OF ADDITIONS TO PUBLIC DEBT(NOT FICA):
03/21/2011 -000,100,873,734.64 --- Mon
03/22/2011 +000,366,066,174.28 ------------********
03/23/2011 -000,063,255,741.95 ----
03/24/2011 -015,763,143,549.40 -
03/25/2011 -000,034,574,737.25 ----
03/28/2011 +000,227,402,237.21 ------------******** Mon
03/29/2011 +000,181,007,415.32 ------------********
03/30/2011 +000,670,089,469.30 ------------********
04/04/2011 +000,336,873,927.41 ------------******** Mon
04/05/2011 -000,031,815,631.67 ----
04/06/2011 -000,011,756,275.73 ----
04/07/2011 +002,235,163,853.48 ------------*********
04/08/2011 +000,001,314,747.36 ------------******
04/11/2011 +000,390,366,211.15 ------------******** Mon
04/13/2011 +000,216,450,469.86 ------------********

-11,380,685,165.27 Total of 15 above reports.

Heavy borrowing seems to start after 09/18/2008 while Bush was in power JUST BEFORE fiscal year end.
Bush admin borrowed $962,245,245,654.01 in those last 124 days in office crossing two fiscal years.
$360,093,093,653.42 in last 12 days of FY2008, and $602,152,152,000.59 in subsequent 112 days before leaving office.

For a prettier and more explanatory view of our nation's debt:
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
DUer primer on National debt

(Debt to the penny keeps changing. Stuff is missing. Best to keep our own history.) LAST REPORT:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4813611&mesg_id=4813619

[Festivito]

62. Debt: 04/14/2011 14,270,792,119,184.89 (UP 6,644,760,138.61) (Thu, UP some.)

(Still under the old debt limit of 14.294-trillion dollars by 23-billion dollars. Good day.)
Sleeping in, wonderful.
(Debt under Obama seems to jump up big then drop slowly maybe up a little and down a little for days--repeat.)
= Held by the Public + Intragovernmental(FICA)
= 9,657,636,099,303.31 + 4,613,156,019,881.58
UP 4,827,508,513.07 + UP 1,817,251,625.54

Source: Debt to the penny:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np

THINKING IN BILLIONS: Think 3 or 4 dollars per billion in a 312-Million person America.
If every American, man, woman and child puts in $3.21 THAT'S 1B$, and $3,207.29 makes 1T$.
A family of three: Mom, Dad, Child: $9.62, ABOUT TEN BUCKS for a 1B$ federal program.
I hope that is clear. However, I'd suggest using $3 per 1B$ to underestimate it.
Use $4 per 1B$ to overestimate the cost when thinking: Is the federal program worth it?
Aid to Dependant Children: 2B$/yr =$8/yr(a movie a year) Family of 3: $24/yr(an hour of bowling)

PERSONALIZED DEBT:
Every 12 seconds we net gain another American, so at the end of the workday of the report, there should be 311,789,792 people in America.
http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html ON 10/04/2010 04:37 -> 310,403,677
Currently, each of these Americans owe $45,770.56.
A family of three owes $137,311.67. (And that is IN ADDITION to their mortgage.)

ANALYSIS:
There were 21 reports in the last 30 to 31 days.
The average for the last 21 reports is 4,988,634,828.81.
The average for the last 30 days would be 3,492,044,380.17.
The average for the last 31 days would be 3,379,397,787.26.
There were 252 reports in 365 days of FY2007 averaging 1.99B$ per report, 1.37B$/day.
There were 253 reports in 366 days of FY2008 averaging 4.02B$ per report, 2.78B$/day.
There were 75 reports in 112 days of GWB's part of FY2009 averaging 8.03B$ per report, 5.38B$/day.
There were 174 reports in 253 days of Obama's part of FY2009 averaging 7.33B$ per report, 5.07B$/day so far.
There were 249 reports in 365 days of FY2009 averaging 7.57B$ per report, 5.16B$/day.
There were 251 reports in 365 days of FY2010 averaging 6.58B$ per report, 4.53B$/day.
There were 133 reports in 196 days of FY2011 averaging 5.33B$ per report, 3.62B$/day.
Above line should be okay

PROJECTION:
There are 647 days remaining in this Obama 1st term.
By that time the debt could be between 15.2 and 17.6T$.
It could be higher. It could be lower.

HISTORICAL:
President's term begins and ends on Jan 20.
(Guess who might want to hide the Reagan Bush years. Jan 20 data is missing before 1993.)
01/20/1993 _4,188,092,107,183.60 WJC Inaugural
01/22/2001 _5,728,195,796,181.57 WJC (UP 1,540,103,688,997.97)
01/20/2009 10,626,877,048,913.08 GWB (UP 4,898,681,252,731.43)
04/14/2011 14,270,792,119,184.89 BHO (UP 3,643,915,070,271.81 so far since Obama took office.)

FISCAL YEAR DEBT CHANGE, Sep 30 prior year to Sep 30 named year:
(One "* " for each 40B$ reached)
FY1994 +0,281,261,026,873.94 ------------* * * * * * * WJC
FY1995 +0,281,232,990,696.07 ------------* * * * * * * WJC
FY1996 +0,250,828,038,426.34 ------------* * * * * * WJC
FY1997 +0,188,335,072,261.61 ------------* * * * WJC
FY1998 +0,113,046,997,500.28 ------------* * WJC
FY1999 +0,130,077,892,735.81 ------------* * * WJC
FY2000 +0,017,907,308,253.43 ------------WJC
FY2001 +0,133,285,202,313.20 ------------* * * C&B
01-WJC +0,053,598,528,417.78 ------------* WJC 31% of FY, 40% of FY-Debt
01-GWB +0,079,686,673,895.42 ------------* GWB 69% of FY, 60% of FY-Debt
FY2002 +0,420,772,553,397.10 ------------* * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2003 +0,554,995,097,146.46 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2004 +0,595,821,633,586.70 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2005 +0,553,656,965,393.18 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2006 +0,574,264,237,491.73 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2007 +0,500,679,473,047.25 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2008 +1,017,071,524,649.92 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB
FY2009 +1,885,104,106,599.30 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * B&O
09GWB +0,602,152,152,000.60 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * GWB 31% of FY, 32% of FY-Debt
09-BHO +1,282,951,954,598.70 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO 69% of FY, 68% of FY-Debt
FY2010 +1,651,794,027,380.00 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO
FY2011 +0,709,169,088,293.10 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO
Endof11 +1,320,646,516,464.19 ------------* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BHO

LAST FIFTEEN REPORTS OF ADDITIONS TO PUBLIC DEBT(NOT FICA):
03/22/2011 +000,366,066,174.28 ------------********
03/23/2011 -000,063,255,741.95 ----
03/24/2011 -015,763,143,549.40 -
03/25/2011 -000,034,574,737.25 ----
03/28/2011 +000,227,402,237.21 ------------******** Mon
03/29/2011 +000,181,007,415.32 ------------********
03/30/2011 +000,670,089,469.30 ------------********
04/04/2011 +000,336,873,927.41 ------------******** Mon
04/05/2011 -000,031,815,631.67 ----
04/06/2011 -000,011,756,275.73 ----
04/07/2011 +002,235,163,853.48 ------------*********
04/08/2011 +000,001,314,747.36 ------------******
04/11/2011 +000,390,366,211.15 ------------******** Mon
04/13/2011 +000,216,450,469.86 ------------********
04/14/2011 +004,827,508,513.07 ------------*********

-6,452,302,917.56 Total of 15 above reports.

Heavy borrowing seems to start after 09/18/2008 while Bush was in power JUST BEFORE fiscal year end.
Bush admin borrowed $962,245,245,654.01 in those last 124 days in office crossing two fiscal years.
$360,093,093,653.42 in last 12 days of FY2008, and $602,152,152,000.59 in subsequent 112 days before leaving office.

For a prettier and more explanatory view of our nation's debt:
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
DUer primer on National debt

(Debt to the penny keeps changing. Stuff is missing. Best to keep our own history.) LAST REPORT:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4815027&mesg_id=4815607