News Stories

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by kyp275

Meanwhile in China...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21289321

yikes... that's gotta be a LOT of fireworks in that truck to destroy so much highway...

Missiles are fireworks too.

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

If this site can be believed,, the average debt per American is around $55k per person. And spending going up means it is going to drive up inflation and debt, so how is it going to be a good thing?

Yeah, the amount of debt the average American is carrying is somewhat troublesome only if they cannot maintain it (make their payments to their debtors).
So long as jobs are paying well and these people manage their debt responsibly, it isn't that big of an issue.
It's when inflation goes too high too fast and people can't keep up with their payments that debt starts becoming an issue I would think.

The economy in the US is still very shaky, we're getting a mixed bag of adding more jobs to the economy (not necessarily good paying ones mind you) and seeing unemployment creeping back up again.

Economy Adds Another 157,000 Jobs; Rate Up to 7.9%
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100426559

Gas prices moving back up again will only aggravate the situation.
Gas Prices Heading Up Again
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/02/...ding-up-again/

Only time will tell if the policies of the Fed are going to work.
With the amount of GDP being consumed by the debt, I have my doubts.

US debt headed toward 200 percent of GDP even after 'fiscal cliff' deal

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-mone...#ixzz2JfIfFhGz

Originally Posted by kyp275

Well, a substantial part of the US economy is based on consumer spending, so you don't necessarily want it to decrease, especially when the economy is still weak. Of course, the question is will the increased spending and economic activity will translate into enough growths in the job market and wages to counter the negative effects.

Meanwhile in China...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21289321

yikes... that's gotta be a LOT of fireworks in that truck to destroy so much highway...

80meters (262 feet) of road was destroyed! Damn!
Now those are some serious fireworks.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news:

Newtown Calls for Armed School Officers
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/l...320221.html?dr

Russian rocket carrying U.S. satellite plunges into Pacific Ocean 40 seconds after launch
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ly-launch.html

Washington Post Co. explores the sale of its downtown headquarters
http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...y.html?hpid=z3

[willx]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

Yeah, the amount of debt the average American is carrying is somewhat troublesome only if they cannot maintain it (make their payments to their debtors).
So long as jobs are paying well and these people manage their debt responsibly, it isn't that big of an issue.
It's when inflation goes too high too fast and people can't keep up with their payments that debt starts becoming an issue I would think.

http://forums.animesuki.com/showthre...65#post4536565 <-- Bill Gross (from PIMCO) on current credit expansion "Supernova"

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

to not have them in the discussion is rather rude and undemocratic since their opinions about this issue are being ignored.

Lets not forget that (like in Gibraltar) the UK government gives the local population $$$ to keep them happy. So yeah, you can buy the will of the people with money.

Originally Posted by willx

Bill Gross (from PIMCO) on current credit expansion "Supernova"

Spain, the UK and the USSR failed as empires due to the excessive expenditure in "defense", seems nobody cares for history lessons -_-

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by willx

Bill Gross (PIMCO) on the "Credit Supernova"



http://www.pimco.com/EN/Insights/Pag...Supernova.aspx

Wow, thank you for that Willix.

So while Mr. Cross' metaphor of a 'SuperNova' isn't a literal detonation of the international money system it will be enough of a shake up to cause some serious havoc?
I hope I read him correctly, because that was the gist I got from his article.

His predictions and recommendations for investors on what to do during this 'explosion' are pretty darn scary before we get to whatever this economic situation will evolve into.

(1) Position for eventual inflation: the end stage of a supernova credit explosion is likely to produce more inflation than growth, and more chances of inflation as opposed to deflation. In bonds, buy inflation protection via TIPS; shorten maturities and durations; don’t fight central banks – anticipate them by buying what they buy first; look as well for offshore sovereign bonds with positive real interest rates (Mexico, Italy, Brazil, for example).


(2) Get used to slower real growth: QEs and zero-based interest rates have negative consequences. Move money to currencies and asset markets in countries with less debt and less hyperbolic credit systems. Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Canada are candidates.


(3) Invest in global equities with stable cash flows that should provide historically lower but relatively attractive returns.


(4) Transition from financial to real assets if possible at the margin: buy something you can sink your teeth into – gold, other commodities, anything that can’t be reproduced as fast as credit. Think of PIMCO in this transition. We hope to be “Your Global Investment Authority.” We have a product menu to assist.


(5) Be cognizant of property rights and confiscatory policies in all governments.


(6) Appreciate the supernova characterization of our current credit system. At some point it will transition to something else.


That looks more like an investor's survival guide than a means to increase wealth.

[willx]

^ FYI, Bill Gross is one of the co-founders of PIMCO, one of the largest fixed-income investment funds in the entire world. He personally manages PIMCO's "Total Return Fund" the world's largest mutual fund. His words move markets and governments ..

Risk Assets: We can see right now that the low (read: zero real) interest rate environment has propped up the prices of risk assets. So we are right now seeing that risk assets are generating returns close to the bounds of sanity. For example: HYG - this is an index of U.S. high yield bonds is yielding 6.5%. (see: record-low high yield rates -- http://www.forbes.com/sites/splevera...cord-low-6-11/)

Japan Comparison / Stagnant Growth Conclusions: A major concern is that so many liquidity (read: cash, money) is being injected into the system to continue to prevent deflation, that you have dollars chasing investment opportunities. Each additional dollar is getting put into decreasingly profit ventures, this is an issue that has been raised about non-competitive industries, which results in decreasing "real growth" per dollar invested (as well as the continuing survival and expansion of non-competitive industries and businesses) (also see: China's government owned banks vis-a-vis historical Japanese lending standards)

I'm in restructuring, so in this environment, we call it "Extend and Pretend" (play on Amend & Extend) .. Right now, the ominous headwinds portend to the worst case scenarios being people will either stop believing (Boom!) or continuing dragging it along (Stagflation!) (Personal OP that is obviously groundless and uninformed)

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Incorrect. All people on the islands are settlers AFTER the (final) British colony was formed.

actually No, some of the islanders are descendents of Colonist Argentina sent when they claim the island. The only people the British kick over when they too over (again) were the military people. Majority of the Colonist elected to stay and switch allegiance to the British.

[willx]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

actually No, some of the islanders are descendents of Colonist Argentina sent when they claim the island. The only people the British kick over when they too over (again) were the military people. Majority of the Colonist elected to stay and switch allegiance to the British.

We're seriously talking about the Falklands?

Here we go: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/...historyid=ac51

THE FRENCH SHOULD ASSERT THEIR RIGHTS! (maybe specifically only the East Falklands)

[RRW]

Mexico City (CNN) -- An explosion rocked the offices of Mexico's state oil company Thursday, killing at least 25 people and injuring 101, Mexico's interior minister said.
Dozens of people were trapped in the building after the explosion, Foro TV reported. It was unclear how many of them had been pulled to safety, or whether anyone remained stuck inside late Thursday, Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told reporters.

http://us.cnn.com/2013/01/31/world/a...html?hpt=hp_t1

[ganbaru]

Suicide bomber kills guard at U.S. embassy in Turkey
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...9100I620130201

The attacker detonated explosives strapped to his body after entering an embassy gatehouse. The blast could be heard a mile away. A lower leg and other human remains lay on the street.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the bomber was a member of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a far-left group which is virulently anti-U.S. and anti-NATO and is listed as a terrorist organization by Washington.

The White House said the suicide attack was an "act of terror" but that the motivation was unclear. U.S. officials said the DHKP-C were the main suspects but did not exclude other possibilities

[killer3000ad]

Erin Burnett jumps on the anti-video games bandwagon. The fun begins at 2.18.

[SaintessHeart]

The gamer side of me is starting to think that Skynet is our salvation from these morons.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

The gamer side of me is starting to think that Skynet is our salvation from these morons.

How's your Psycho-Pass?

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

How's your Psycho-Pass?

I haz th3 helmets, I'm all good





*goes back to play the walking dead*

"hmmm..... I'm hungry...........for BRAINNNNSSSSSSSS!"

[aohige]

Because you know, UK, Canada, much of Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, to name a few, all with violent video games and some with violent cartoons and films have degenerated into cesspool of crime and high homicide rates.

OH WAIT.

THEY DIDN'T.

In fact the homicide rates in these countries are like 1/10 of USA per capita.

Gee, video games must have different effect on Americans. Maybe they're suggesting US isn't inhabited by the same homosapiens.

/sarcasm


... Or you know, maybe, just maybe, the problemn lies elsewhere. IMAGINE THAT!

[Anh_Minh]

Maybe the problem lies with anti-video games politicians? I don't think we have nearly as many of those.

[demonix]

Twitter hacked with 250,000 accounts affected

Those who use twitter better check your e-mails in case your one of the quarter million affected users (I haven't gotten anything through, but there was an attempt to access my gmail account (which is the e-mail address registered to my twitter account) from Turkey around six hours ago which might be unrelated but there isn't any way to make sure).

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by demonix

Twitter hacked with 250,000 accounts affected

Those who use twitter better check your e-mails in case your one of the quarter million affected users (I haven't gotten anything through, but there was an attempt to access my gmail account (which is the e-mail address registered to my twitter account) from Turkey around six hours ago which might be unrelated but there isn't any way to make sure).

Standard M.O. for dealing with possible hacked websites applies: change your password on the service and in every other service where the same username (and/or email)/password combination is used.

Also, if you haven't already, consider using a password manager to generate random large passwords and store them securely for you (1password, lastpass or keepass are some usual choices).

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Standard M.O. for dealing with possible hacked websites applies: change your password on the service and in every other service where the same username (and/or email)/password combination is used.

Also, if you haven't already, consider using a password manager to generate random large passwords and store them securely for you (1password, lastpass or keepass are some usual choices).

Use mathematical iterations. They are harder to guess because the hacker needs to know what you are thinking first, plus it is a good way to train mental calculation.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Use mathematical iterations. They are harder to guess because the hacker needs to know what you are thinking first, plus it is a good way to train mental calculation.

If you're using only numbers in your iteration that would still be pretty trivial to crack. The issue isn't one of "guessing" passwords, it's when lists of hashed passwords are compromised and are reversed using brute force. It takes a while but computing power is becoming very very cheap (GPUs are surprisingly cheap for their ability to deal with the sort of calculations needed to reverse hashed passwords).