Mereja

Blog

  • Will Scion inject freshness into America’s stale compact pickup scene?

    Filed under: , ,

    Scion Hako Concept

    Scion Hako concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

    We know that Scion will launch a new tC coupe and a tiny little iQ minicar before the end of the year, but what comes after that? Yoshi Inaba, president of Toyota Motor North America, admits that the Japanese automaker hasn’t yet decided what future products make the most sense for the youth-oriented Scion brand, but Scion General Manager Jack Hollis tells Wards Auto that a truck is a possibility.

    Take a look at the current pickup truck market and you’ll see that the only currently available machine that even remotely fits into the compact role is the Ford Ranger, which hasn’t been updated in eons and sees its sales dwindle every single year (55,600 in 2009). This being the case, there may be room for a small urban pickup from Scion, though the automaker indicates it would need to be careful not to infringe on the class-leading Toyota Tacoma.

    If Scion did indeed build a true compact pickup with an eye toward reasonable fuel efficiency, what would it look like? Perhaps an xB with a small bed? Or might it look something like the Hako concept from the 2008 New York Auto Show (perhaps in modified form)? Refresh your memory of that odd-looking show car by perusing our high-res image gallery below.

    [Source: Wards Auto]

    Will Scion inject freshness into America’s stale compact pickup scene? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments


    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Read Original Article

  • What is the most Hispanic/Latino city in you’re state?

    In terms of percentages, what is the most Latino city/town in your state?

    In New Jersey I’m pretty sure it would be Union City.

    2000: Census

    Population: 67,000
    % Latino/Hispanic: 82.3%

    However, 2007 estimates, record that these numbers have fallen, if the estimates are true than West New York, NJ would have a higher % of hispanics.

  • Brasília (DF) | Riacho Fundo | Residencial Novara

    Residencial Novara02 e 03 quartos no Riacho Fundo I Qd AC 02 Venha morar na área mais nobre do Riacho Fundo com conforto e qualidade de vida só vistos nas melhores áreas do Plano Piloto!

  • Gold Coast Major Events: News & Discussion

    Bookings for Schoolies could be full by mid year. The downside is the cost of staying there for a week is skyrocketing.

    There is going to be some upset kids come the end of the year, if not sooner.

    From The Gold Coast Bulletin

    Gold Coast Schoolies 2010 rooms fill up
    | January 15th, 2010

    SCHOOLIES accommodation could be full before mid-year, with about 20,000 year 12 students already booked in.

    Bookschoolies.com CEO Matt Lloyd said bookings were up 10 per cent on last year and two thirds of available accommodation on offer had been snapped up.

    It comes as other destinations — such as Bali, Fiji, Lorne, Byron Bay, Airlie Beach, Sunshine Coast, and Magnetic Island — attempt to lure teenagers from the glitter strip.

    "I’ve seen no signs of any decrease in demand on the Coast," said Mr Lloyd.

    "We’re selling Bali and Fiji but it’s not affecting the Gold Coast numbers.

    "I just don’t think anywhere else has got the infrastructure that the Gold Coast has in regards to the amount of accommodation and it’s obviously such a great spot with Cavill Mall and the beach."

    Mr Lloyd said the average price was $570 a week but some two bedroom apartments charged up to $1000 a week.

    He said a booking binge would start next month when students returned to school.

    "We’ve got capacity for 28,000 students so that’s 14,000 beds per week," he said.

    Concerns about a lack of consultation with the business community about Schoolies has prompted a commitment from Minister for Community Services Karen Struthers to meet with people on the Gold Coast to discuss the issues.

    Ms Struthers said she was open to a community forum about Schoolies issues.

    "We need to make sure the good outweighs the bad with Schoolies," she said.

    Surfers Paradise/Broadbeach Chamber of Commerce president Laura Younger said she would love to discuss the issues with Ms Struthers.

    "There are a lot of issues that need to be fleshed out in relation to its impact on the Gold Coast as a whole," she said.

    Ms Struthers said she was waiting to receive a review of Schoolies but was unable to confirm who had been consulted.

    The business community is not believed to have been widely consulted.

    Gold Coast Combined Chamber of Commerce president Bob Janssen said the annual festival was a contentious issue as businesses were split over whether it was a profitable period because adults usually boycotted the destination.

    "If it could be controlled within a reasonable social outlook it would be a good thing," he said.

    * Businesses can give feedback to the Schoolies hotline on 13 13 04.

  • Rio: R$5 bilhões em obras

    Vou colocar a notícia postada pelo Jorge M, que, pelo impacto das obras no urbanismo do Rio, merece um thread neste subfórum.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jorge M
    (Post 50271653)
    A notícia completa.




    O GLOBO – EDIÇÃO IMPRESSA – 17/01/2010

  • PERÚ | Lima | Edificio Abaco

    Video

  • In the U.K., Steve Jobs Is a Footballer [Steve Jobs]

    As a soccer player living in a country slightly apathetic to the sport, I appreciate any mention of it that I can get. Even so, the geek in me wept a little at hearing this news out of the U.K.:

    Steve Jobs: Soccer player?! A full 20% thought so, while 10% thought he was a turtleneck-wearing trade union leader. As for Bill Gates, he was one of the Great Train Robbers of the 1960s, according to 10% of survey respondents. There’s video too, if your inner geek can handle it (although I swear some of these blokes don’t have British accents…):

    Twitter didn’t fare much better (not that I really give a hoot about Twitter). What’s going on in the U.K.? [CNET]







  • US striker Dempsey injures knee

    LONDON — Forward Clint Dempsey faces a lengthy layoff after injuring his knee during Fulham’s 2-0 loss at Blackburn on Sunday in a possible blow to American preparations for the World Cup.

    Dempsey limped off after falling in the 62nd minute of the Premier League game.

    “Clint will be scanned tomorrow but we feel it might be a posterior cruciate knee ligament which would be very bad for us and he would be out for a while,” Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said.

    “It’s a concern up front because Clint Dempsey is very useful for us.”

    It will also be a concern for the United States, which begins its World Cup campaign in South Africa against England on June 12, before meeting Slovenia six days later and finishing the group stage against Algeria on June 23.

    The injury is a more immediate blow for Fulham as Dempsey’s fellow striker Bobby Zamora is not set to return until March as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

    Dempsey had produced Fulham’s best effort in the first half at Blackburn when his overhead kick hit the crossbar.

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • Vote! Concurso 2010/02

    Aqui estão as cinco finalistas do Concurso 2010/02!

    As cinco finalistas em ordem alfabética e suas respectivas notas:

    Céus e Fios – gustavo.sces – 5,94

    Dia cinzento – Calvin_ – 7,50

    Onde Tudo Começou – FEIO PRA CHUCHÚ – 7,67

    spider web – LipeSsa – 8,28

    Boa sorte a todos! 😉

  • West Midlands Companies News

    Thought we could do with a thread for news on companys in and around Birmingham:) so here goes..

    Quote:

    Kraft expected to put forward improved bid for Cadbury this week

    US food giant Kraft is set to sweeten its hostile bid for Cadbury as it looks to melt the resolve of the Dairy Milk maker’s shareholders, it was reported today.

    Kraft – whose products range from Oreos cookies to Toblerone chocolate – is thought to be in the process of upping its existing £10.5 billion offer for its unwilling UK target.

    Cadbury has slammed the bid as "derisory" and has sought to convince investors of its strength as an independent entity, citing good growth across its chocolate, sweets and gum divisions despite mixed trading conditions.

    Kraft, which has until Tuesday to raise its bid, is understood to be planning an announcement tomorrow.

    Reports of an increased Kraft bid come amid expectations that another US firm, Hershey, is set to enter the fray with a counter-bid for Cadbury.

    According to The Sunday Times and the Observer, Kraft plans to improve its current 771p per share offer to 820p, testing the resolve of Cadbury’s shareholders.

    This would mean an extra one billion US dollars in cash (£615 million) from the firm.

    But it is understood a group of 14 hedge funds with shares in Cadbury have already told Kraft they would want at least 850p a share.

    The US firm has already hiked the cash element of its offer without increasing the overall price and it is expected to further add to this component of the deal as it looks to win over investors who do not want Kraft stock.

    Chief executive Irene Rosenfeld has travelled to London to try to win support for its bid.

    But Cadbury has launched a bullish defence of its position with detailed trading figures on an "outstanding" 2009, promises of sales growth of up to 7% during 2010 and a 10% hike in the dividend this year.

    Its shares are also currently trading well above the value of the US firm’s offer – a sign that markets expect an increased bid.

    Meanwhile, Kraft is under pressure not to over-pay for Cadbury from its biggest investor, billionaire Warren Buffett, and has so far played on the fact that no other buyers are in the race.

    But Hershey, which already has a relationship with Cadbury making Dairy Milk bars and Creme Eggs under licence in the US, is said to have decided that it can mount a bid without losing its investment-grade credit rating.

    http://www.birminghammail.net/news/b…7319-25620915/

  • Pil-Food Direct Anti-Hair Loss Treatment

    • http://pharmamundi.com/Backsite/index.php?entity=product&operation=show&idProduct=1676A new anti-hair loss treatment from the makers of Pil-Food supplement.
    • Pro-Anagex to help you combat hair loss and promote new growth.
    • Suitable for men and women.

    Product Description
    What Is Pro-Anagex?
    It’s an active compound derived from Lupinus Albus (White Lupin). It is rich in peptides, vitamins and nutrients and has powerful effects on slowing down hair loss and stimulating growth.

    Pro-Anagex has scientifically proven efficacy and works in 3 main ways:

    Step 1 – Stops & Slows Down Hair Loss by 90%
    The hormonal system is a major influence on hair loss during which hormones (especially testosterone) are converted by enzymes into chemicals t… More >>

    Pil-Food Direct Anti-Hair Loss Treatment

    Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

  • AT&T lowering cost of unlimited voice and data for iPhone users

    Filed under: ,

    The battle of snarkiness between AT&T and Verizon is resulting in benefits for subscribers.

    Yesterday, AT&T announced a new unlimited voice and data plan for smartphone owners, including those who use the iPhone, that offers unlimited voice and data service for $99.99 per month. The change was the result of Verizon lowering the cost of its unlimited plans earlier in the day, and consumers are the beneficiaries of the battle of the cell phone titans.

    Prior to the announcement, iPhone users paid $100 monthly for unlimited voice, then tacked on another $30 a month for unlimited data. Starting on Monday, January 18th, 2010, a combined unlimited voice and data plan is available for $99.99. That’s a savings of $30 per month. For a Family Talk plan with two iPhones, the deal is even better — $179.99 per month.

    Unfortunately, AT&T still charges for text messaging separately, so if you want to add on an unlimited texting plan it’ll be another $20 per month. Beginning on Monday, existing AT&T customers can change to the new plans without penalty or a contract extension by using the online account tools at www.att.com/wireless.

    TUAWAT&T lowering cost of unlimited voice and data for iPhone users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Read Original Article

  • Megadeth Tease Potential for Guitar Hero Project

    MegadethGuitar Hero: Metallica already gave the iconic metal band its own music game, so what of long-time rivals Megadeth? Well according to front man Dave Mustaine, they’ve had “high-level meetings” with Activision, but they’re looking to do more than just their own version of Guitar Hero: Megadeth.

    “I have recently had two very important high-level meetings with the people from Activision and Neversoft, and we are talking about a lot of things,” Mustaine said, in response to a fan’s letter asking about potential Guitar Hero tie-ins (via Kotaku). “But a Guitar Hero box set is not as attractive to me and the people from Guitar Hero as the new idea that they offered me, as the creative stuff that we are talking about is over-the-moon!”

    Just what kind of ideas? Mustaine was predictably cryptic, only saying his fingers are crossed that they can actually go through with it. “I just hope that someone doesn’t stand in the way of this happening. I know that there are a lot of really damaging results from our mothership (Warner) having some legal disputes with YouTube and Guitar Hero to name just a few.”

    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Read Original Article

  • BarMax: The $1,000 iPhone App That Might Actually Be Worth It

    Screen shot 2010-01-17 at 10.46.32 AMIn August 2008, Apple approved an application in the App Store called I Am Rich. The app did nothing beyond show a picture of a red gem. So why was it notable? Because it cost $999.99. Though Apple pulled it relatively quickly, there was some concern that we’d start to see a rush of bogus applications and/or huge prices in the App Store. Luckily, that didn’t happen and app prices have remained low (some would say too low). But now we have the return of a $999.99 app.

    But there’s a big difference with this app; BarMax CA actually does something. And to the people it’s aimed towards, it’s likely to be very useful. And quite possibly worth the $1,000 price tag.

    BarMax CA is an application to help law students preparing for the bar exam. The reason the price is justified is because the company that is synonymous with this type of test prep, BarBri, typically offers it for $3,000 to $4,000. BarMax CA believes it can get away with the lower price because it’s just an app, there is no in-class elements. Also, there has been some questions about BarBri’s pricing structure and anti-competitive behavior, which has been the subject of multiple class action lawsuits (hardly surprising when you’re selling these packages to future lawyers).

    BarBri also offers an iPhone application, and it’s free, but you need to enroll in their program to access it otherwise it’s useless.

    Screen shot 2010-01-17 at 12.36.19 PMSo what do you get for your $1,000 BarMax CA app? A lot, actually. The app is over 1 gigabyte in size, which is the largest application I’ve ever seen. It includes thousands of pages of materials as well as hundreds of hours of audio lectures. It’s all the information you could ever want for the two-month course. And again, it can be done all on your iPhone. That said, if you do want some more tangible paperwork for certain sections, BarMax will send you that electronically as well.

    The bar exam consists of three main parts: Multiple choice, essays, and a performance test. There is also an ethics exam you have to take. As you can probably tell by the name, BarMax CA is meant for the California bar exam. But by the end of 2010, the company expects to have apps available for New York, and the five other most popular states for the exam as well. There will also be a multi-state version since much of the test (the multiple choice part, for example) doesn’t vary state to state. Each of these apps would cost the same $999.99 but there is also a plan to make an app with just the multiple choice part for $500.

    Mike Ghaffary came up with the idea when he himself was preparing for the bar exam. He could not believe BarBri charged the $4,000 to send him an iPod with audio notes on it, and that there was no real competition in the space. So he got in touch with some successful iPhone app developers in Los Angeles, as well as some fellow Harvard Law graduates to create the app. Ghaffary, who is the director of business development at TrialPay by day, is serving as an advisor now to the team.

    Screen shot 2010-01-17 at 12.44.12 PMHow this app sells will be interesting to say the least. Ghaffary confirmed that it is the most expensive app in the App Store, surpassing a home security app that sells for $899. Many iPhone developers have complained about a race to the bottom for app prices, but a few have tried to sell more expensive applications, such as Wolfram Alpha. But that $50 app doesn’t really give you anything you can’t get on its website, it just dresses the data up to look nicer on the iPhone. BarMax CA, again, is attempting to save law students thousands of dollars. It’s a good experiment, if nothing else.

    Ghaffary notes that while Apple was extra careful in checking BarExam CA out due to the high price, they had no problems getting it approved, and Apple generally seemed pleased with the idea.

    Still, the thought of being able to spend $1,000 with one click on your iPhone remains a little terrifying. Find the app here.


    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Read Original Article

  • Tweeter Clubs Lets You Track And Share Twitter Conversations

    While Twitter is an incredible platform for tapping into the conversations that are taking place on the web, the real-time stream can be crowded. It’s hard to keep track of back-and-forth communication between users or to keep track of subject-related Tweets based on hashtags. Recently launched Tweeter Clubs aims to create a real-time conversation around the Tweets that are broadcast to the web.

    Once you log into the site with your Twitter account, you can enter the tweet on the TweetUp tab. Your tweet will appear in both the club and on Twitter automatically. TweeterClubs will only show the tweets that come from the club members and when you log in, you are automatically a member. At the moment, the site only shows one club, the “Tweetheart Club,” which includes the Tweets of the six women profiled in the controversial Vanity Fair article. But Tweeter Club’s founder Jeff Whitehead says the site is planning to open up so allow anyone to create their own clubs.

    Those who are participating in clubs who Tweet with a club-specific hashtag can Tweet from any third party Twitter client, and their Tweets will be aggregated into their Tweeter Club. Users will be able to manage specific clubs by banning members, deleting messages and also seeing statistics on clubs, including the number of members and number tweets per day. Whitehead says that Tweeter Club will also offer an Android app and will open up its API for Twitter clients to incorporate its functionality into their own platforms.

    Of course, users can also participate in conversations on Twitter by just adding a specific hashtag to Tweets and then searching for that hashtag. Other startups that help make sense of specific conversations on the web are TweetGrid, and TweetConvo and Bettween.


    Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

    Read Original Article

  • When Toronto’s skyline was on steroids

    Quote:

    Hume: Peter Dickinson — a towering figure
    By Christopher Hume Urban Issues, Architecture
    Published On Sun Jan 17 2010

    During a brief flash after World War II, Toronto’s skyline grew like it was on steroids. Peter Dickinson was at work – ‘producing buildings mixed in with wild partying in the most orgiastic level you can imagine’

    Dickinson, left, with 561 Avenue Road in Toronto and his phallic masterpiece, Montreal’s CIBC building, "in many ways like Dickinson himself," writes John Martins-Manteiga, "tall, lean, smart … and forever young."

    During his lifetime, architect Peter Dickinson was merely a legend, now he has ascended to myth.

    The arrival of John Martins-Manteiga’s lavishly illustrated biography, titled simply Peter Dickinson (Dominion Modern, 304 pages, $50), proves it.

    Though his name may not be as celebrated as some, during his tragically brief career in the 1950s and early ’60s, he remade the Toronto skyline.

    Martins-Manteiga, the indefatigable documenter and defender of things modern, has produced a work that despite its frankly hagiographic tone makes for interesting reading. In case you’ve forgotten, Dickinson was the English architect who came to Toronto in 1950 and died just 11 years later, aged 35.

    During that short period, he designed a number of landmarks here and in Montreal. His best work remains fresh: Think of the Sony Centre (formerly O’Keefe Centre), the Education Building on College St., the juvenile courthouse on Jarvis and the Continental Can Building on the southwest corner of College and Bay Sts.

    On the other hand, many of Dickinson’s projects fail to impress. Though much lauded at the time, to contemporary eyes they look repetitive, formulaic, even churned out. One mustn’t forget that the age that produced Dickinson had some strange ideas – cars with fins, slab towers and social housing that didn’t quite turn out according to plan. Much of Regent Park, in which Dickinson played a significant role, is currently being torn down and rebuilt (though his own structures, which pioneered two-storey aparments, still stand).

    The modern era’s failings are not all Dickinson’s fault, but we are reminded that one generation’s heroes can be villains to the next.

    AT THE SAME TIME, how sad it is to walk past one of Dickinson’s masterpieces – O’Keefe Centre – and watch large parts of it being dismantled in a city-sanctioned act of vandalism. To add insult to injury, it is being torn apart to accommodate a condo tower.

    The great shame is that had the 1960 facility survived just another decade or two, it would have been celebrated as a landmark in the city’s architectural history. As it is, it’s too recent to be seen as heritage, which most identify as dating from the 1800s. In time, Torontonians might learn to love these early modernist pieces, but to most they are dull, boring and cheap-looking.

    Though he was no extremist, Dickinson had big ideas about his profession. "The architect," he once told the Star, "should be the most important man in the community, because he controls the environment in which everyone lives and works."

    Who amongst us today would make such an argument, even if he believed it?

    But then there was Dickinson, the man. With his boundless energy and effortless creativity, he dashed off designs in a way that now seems almost cartoonish.

    Martins-Manteiga quotes one of Dickinson colleagues who was deeply impressed by what he saw.

    "He would take (a project) home one evening with a roll of sketch paper and he’d come back in the morning with the thing designed and finished. He’s the only man I have ever met in my professional life where this could be done."

    All the while, Dickinson and his acolytes sipped martinis, smoked one cigarette after another and held endless parties. They loved beautiful women, fast cars and work. Though it would all fall apart eventually, the practice of architecture was changed forever as was architecture itself.

    The old-style gentlemen’s club that characterized the profession until the ’50s disappeared along with stripped classicism and stockbroker Tudor.

    Dickinson and Co. would work flat out to keep up with demand. And although a gentleman should never be seen to be working, he never had an office of his own, preferring instead to be with his employees.

    "It was very short-lived and very inventive and very productive," recalls architect Rod Robbie, who would later become famous for SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre), "and it couldn’t last the way it was going . . . It was a frenetic work pace, producing buildings mixed in with wild partying in the most orgiastic level you can imagine. We came from Ottawa; my wife and I were shocked by that."

    But Toronto developers loved Dickinson, who seemed to understand exactly what they wanted. He would sketch as they talked and come up with something on the spot. Even when doctors discovered cancer, he continued to work. Isadore Sharp, of Four Seasons Hotel fame, describes how Dickinson designed the Inn on the Park in two or three days while dying in hospital.

    IN THIS SENSE, THERE was something almost Mozartean about the architect. Like the great composer, who also died young, it was all in his head. He seemed to be able to summon up a project in its broadest strokes and smallest details.

    The fact remains, however, that this is not a time that has much affection or interest in modernism. To most, it was an aberration, a low point, a movement that began nobly but ended in boredom and banality.

    What we have forgotten was that generation’s urgent need to lift itself out of a world order that no longer made sense. The past wasn’t simply over; it was to be avoided. The future stretched ahead gloriously for those willing to meet it half way.

    Tomorrow doesn’t seem so appealing today, a time of global warming and economic weakness. Had Dickinson lived, he’d be an old man. But some things wouldn’t have changed.

    As he said in a 1953 speech: "Three or four generations of immigrants have made Toronto the biggest and most prosperous English-speaking centre of Canada. It is a capital city…. Yet Toronto is shabby, dreary and ugly."

    Some are still saying the same thing today.

    http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/…owering-figure

  • US Dollar collapse: Puru Saxena – Inflation 101 TNR.v, CZX.v, AMM.to, BVG.v, SGC.v, VTR.v, GRC.to, BTT.v, GBN.v, RVM.to, FVI.to, AUY, GDX, HUI, XAU,

    “Inflation is a function of printing press, credit expansion. Higher prices will come as a result of created money chasing the same amount of goods. Here is our Gold and Silver play as a store of value.
    If these liquidity flood will find its ways into one tiny, but very important sector with     Trend starting factors in place we will have our Elvis moment there. It will be pockets of Growth and magic word here is “Low Base”. Growth from this place is Explosive by definition. We call it Next Big Thing – Bull market, when “Cool Factor” is multiplied by “Big If“.
    Brilliant piece on inflation in a plain English from Puru Saxena, add here Ron Paul to the total understanding of the moment and its consequences.

    321Gold.com:

    Inflation 101


    Puru Saxena
    Jan 15, 2010

    We want all our readers to understand that inflation is a disaster for society and it only benefits the elite. In fact, we will go even further by stating that inflation is a hidden tax, an insidious crime against the public. It is the easiest way for any government to confiscate the savings of the public and for generations, wealth has been transferred in this manner.
    In our opinion, inflation is evil and the sole reason why human beings have become modern-day slaves. Remember, money is supposed to be a store of value, however due to reckless central bank-sponsored inflation, it can no longer fulfill this critical role. This is precisely the reason why human beings are never satisfied with what they have because nobody knows what their savings will buy them in ten or twenty years time. So, rather than enjoy their lives, the vast majority of people continue with their never ending pursuit of acquiring even more money! Unfortunately, nobody questions the inexplicable loss of the purchasing power of their savings, thus, central banks get away with financial murder.
    It is our contention that inflation distorts the economy, it brings great harm to the public and it encourages speculation and mindless risk-taking. In fact, inflation acts as a poison for retired people since they are no longer able to earn more money in order to maintain their standard of living. So, thanks to inflation, most senior citizens are unable to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
    Before we delve further, we want to make it absolutely clear that inflation is defined as the increase in the quantity of money and debt within an economy. And contrary to what the governments want you to believe, inflation is certainly not an increase in the general price level within an economy. Instead, an increase in the general price level within an economy is a consequence of inflation. Allow us to explain this subtle yet critical difference:
    For the sake of simplicity, let us assume that America’s money-supply is US$100 and this is the amount available to buy the five oranges its economy produces. Common-sense dictates that under this situation, each orange will cost US$20. Now, let us introduce a banking-cartel called the Federal Reserve, which is able to extend credit (via its debt-based fractional reserve banking system); thereby inflating the supply of money within America to US$1,000. Under this scenario, with a 10-fold increase in money available to purchase the same amount of produce, each of the five oranges will now cost a whopping US$200!
    Hopefully, you can see from the above simplified example, how an inflation in the supply of money and debt causes prices to increase within an economy.
    So, if inflation is terrible and makes life difficult for the vast majority of people, why is it allowed? The truth is that the banking cartel lives off this inflation by collecting interest on the loans it creates ‘out of thin air’. Believe it or not, banks lend you money which did not exist prior to you borrowing this money and you pay them interest for the pleasure! Thanks to the ‘genius’ of fractional reserve banking, banks are able to create loans equal to ten times the amount of money deposited with them! Therefore, the banks collect interest on a loan-book which is ten times the size of their deposit base and they can do this because they know that not all their depositors will want to withdraw their savings on the same day.
    In order to ensure the continuity of this fraudulent system, central banks and governments hoodwink the public into believing that an expansion in the supply of money and debt is not inflation. Rather, they mislead the public by claiming that the consequence of inflation (increase in prices) is in fact inflation! Look; prices within an economy do not just rise on their own. After all, an orange is still an orange, it does not change. What changes is the purchasing power of paper money which is used to buy that orange.
    Furthermore, in its attempt to manipulate the masses, the establishment does everything in its power to suppress the official ‘inflation barometer’. Governments achieve this goal by shamelessly doctoring their Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) calculations via various seasonal and hedonistic adjustments. Figure 1 highlights the discrepancy between the CPI-U published by America’s Bureau of Labour Statistics and the SGS Alternate CPI which is calculated by Shadow Government Statistics using the old methodology. As you can see, over the past 20 years, prices have been rising much faster than the officials would have you believe.
    Figure 1: Governments understate the inflation menace

    Source: John Williams’ Shadow Government Statistics

    Apart from diminishing the purchasing power of savings, inflation also creates unfair advantages for the elite. When a new cycle of inflation (expansion of money-supply and credit) commences, usually the governments and banks have first access to this newly created money and they obtain this cash at a time when prices within the economy are still depressed. Therefore, these powerful entities are able to buy inexpensive goods by using this newly created money. Now, by the time this surplus money has permeated through the economy and reached the masses, prices have usually risen significantly by then. Accordingly, the public gets access to the additional money at a time when prices are much higher than the commencement of the inflationary cycle!
    Let there be no doubt, inflation is a total disaster and our world will be better place without this reckless money-creation. Contrary to official dogma, our world experienced tremendous progress during the 19th century and during that period, there was no inflation. Figure 2 shows the changes in America’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the past two centuries. As you will observe, the CPI fell for most of the 19th century as the purchasing power of the American currency rose. However, since the formation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, the CPI has exploded causing the purchasing power of the US Dollar to spiral downwards. .
    Figure 2: Who says inflation is dead?

  • “das mann of steel” in the news

    Long time Burning Man artist, Dan Das Mann is featured in the East Bay Express, check it out, Das Mann of Steel recently.

    In addition to being Burning Man artists, Dan and Karen Cusolito’s Passage was part of Black Rock Arts Foundation’s Civic Art Program, which was installed at  Pier 14 as the first piece of temporary art in that space.

    Congratulations Dan, it is always great to see art featured in the news!

    Be sure and read Dan’s response to the article in the comments section, in which he credits his co-sculptor Karen Cusolito.

    photo: Scott Beale\Laughing Squid Laughing Squid

  • Paracuru (CE) | +2 resorts!

    1) Paracuru Beach Resort

    Investidores noruegueses e Concremat Engenharia, os mesmo que acabaram de entregar o Taíba Beach Resort. http://www.taiba.no/port/index.php e http://www.fluid.no/.

    Plantas:

    2) Resort de nome desconhecido da Brazil Prime Property

    www.brazilprime.com. 143 apartamentos e 15 casas, 16 blocos com 8 apartamentos cada, 5 conjuntos de 6 blocos e 1 conjunto de 2 blocos, 2 piscinas com bares molhados, Portaria, Restaurante, Fitness, Sauna, Salão de ginástica.

  • Carlos Sainz ganador del Dakar 2010 en coches

    Carlos_sainz_dakar

    Carlons Sainz se acaba de convertir en el primer español en ganar el Dakar, desde que en 1979 hechó a andar la carrera más dura del mundo. El piloto español ha ganado por una ajustada victoria y se ha adelantado 2 minutos y 12 segundos a su compañero de equipo, el el qatarí Nasser Al Attiyah, quien lucho duramente hasta el último momento por el primer puesto.

    Pero además de ser un hito para Sainz al convertirse en el primer español ganador de la prueba, también bate record en ser la final más reñida del Dakar a lo largo de su historia, puesto que para ver una final tan reñida nos tenemos que ir a 2001 cuando la alemana Jutta Kleinschmidt se impuso por tan sólo 2 minutos y 39 segundos al japonés Hiroshi Masuoka.

    Carlos Sainz partía como favorito desde el comienzo de esta segunda edición del Dakar en el continente americano, después de que el año pasado se le escapara la victoria por poco y a lo largo del Dakar 2010 se venía perfilando como el favorito, eso no evito que su compañero de equipo le pusiera las cosas complicadas con polémica incluida. Puesto que según Sainz en la penúltima etapa fue adelantado por el qatarí y le golpeó el coche, además se puso a zigzaguear para levantar polvo, versión que Nasser Al Attiyah ha negado.

    Carlos_Sainz

    Pero finalmente Carlos Sainz se ha impuesto en la competición sin que ocurriera ningún contratiempo (a los que ya está acostumbrado el piloto español) que lo impidiera, según Sainz:

    No ha habido ni un problema. No hemos hecho ni una marca al coche, creo que hemos hecho un Dakar rápido pero a la vez inteligente

    Desde Highmotor nos alegramos por el triunfo merecido de Carlos Sainz y su copiloto, Lucas Cruz. En tercera posición quedó el tercer vehículo de Volkswagen a los mandos de Miller (USA) y seguido por los BMW en cuarto y quinto puesto, pilotados por Peterhansel (francés) y Chicherit (francés) respectivamente.

    Vía | RTVE, Dakar.com