XIAM007

Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World

Thursday 5 December 2013

Jim Rogers Cautions "Be Prepared, Be Worried, And Be Careful... This Is Going To End Badly" -

Jim Rogers Cautions "Be Prepared, Be Worried, And Be Careful... This Is Going To End Badly" - 



"Eventually, the whole world is going to collapse," Jim Rogers chides a disquieted CBC anchor as he explains the reality that, "we in the West have staggering debts. The United States is the largest debtor nation in the history of the world," adding that "this is going to end badly."

However, the co-founder of Soros' Quantum fund is convinced that the commodity super-cycle is far from over, but driven by supply constraints (and cost increases) as opposed to demand from higher growth. The following interview provides more color on his commodity view as he re-iterates his bullish stance on Ag (with sugar a focus) and Natural Gas (some harsh natural realities coming), warning "don't get too excited about fracking," when he talks energy products.

Rogers, in his inimitable way, sums up the state iof euphoria that many markets find themselves in thus, "we are all floating around on a sea of artificial liquidity right now. This is not going to last."

On the end of the commodity super-cycle:

“Commodities have pulled back, but I would remind you that in all bull markets there are periods of correction.

In 1987 – during the great bull market in stocks – stocks went down 40 to 80 per cent around the world; again in 1989, 1990, 1994, etc. Every time people said the bull market’s over, but it wasn’t. I think that’s what’s happening with commodities now.”
On the next crisis:

"2008 was so much worse than 2000 because the debt was so much higher, you wait until 2014 or 2015 when the next crisis hits...

debt has gone through the roof, the next one's gonna be really bad"
His final words:

"Be prepared, be worried, and be careful"

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World's largest 'ship' - bigger than Empire State Building - launches -

World's largest 'ship' - bigger than Empire State Building - launches - 



The world's largest floating vessel is launched from a dock in South Korea

The largest floating vessel in the world has taken to the water for the first time in South Korea.
At a length of 1,601 feet, the Prelude, which is owned by Shell, is 150 feet longer than the Empire State Building is high.

When fully laden the ship weighs approximately 600,000 tonnes and is 243 feet wide.
It is a floating liquefied natural gas facility which will allow Shell to produce natural gas at sea and then liquify it by chilling it to -260 degrees F so it can be transported around the world.

The Prelude is expected to produce 3.6 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year and its storage tanks have a capacity equivalent to approximately 175 Olympic swimming pools.
The facility will be connected to wells on the seabed by a series of pipes to extract gas from under the ocean.
In August, the two halves of the hull – constructed separately in the shipyard – were joined together, creating the biggest hull ever built at 488 metres.

The Prelude has replaced the Emma Maersk, which measures 1,302 feet, as the world’s largest ship.
After a year of construction the facility was floated out of the dry dock at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) yard in Geoje, South Korea.

It is designed to withstand a category 5 hurricane and can be moored at sea during the most powerful cyclones with one of the largest mooring systems in the world.
A 93-metre (305-foot) high turret, spacious enough to house the Arc de Triomphe, will run through the facility and allow it to turn in the direction of the wind, absorbing the impact of strong weather conditions.
The ship also has three 6,700-horsepower engines.
The Prelude is expected to launch in 2017 and will then operate in a remote part of Western Australia for the next 25 years, however Shell hopes that it will help to unlock vital energy resources around the world.

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Amsterdam offers deal for alcoholics: Work for beer... -

Amsterdam offers deal for alcoholics: Work for beer... - 



After more than a decade out of work because of a back injury and chronic alcoholism, Fred Schiphorst finally landed a job last year and is determined to keep it. He gets up at 5:30 a.m., walks his dog and then puts on a red tie, ready to clean litter from the streets of eastern Amsterdam.

“You have to look sharp,” said Mr. Schiphorst, 60, a former construction worker.

His workday begins unfailingly at 9 a.m. — with two cans of beer, a down payment on a salary paid mostly in alcohol. He gets two more cans at lunch and then another can or, if all goes smoothly, two to round off a productive day.

“I’m not proud of being an alcoholic, but I am proud to have a job again,” said Mr. Schiphorst, the grateful beneficiary of an unusual government-funded program to lure alcoholics off the streets by paying them in beer to pick up trash.

In addition to beer — the brand varies depending on which brewery offers the best price — each member of the cleaning team gets half a packet of rolling tobacco, free lunch and 10 euros a day, or about $13.55.

The program, started last year by the Rainbow Foundation, a private but mostly government-funded organization that helps the homeless, drug addicts and alcoholics get back on their feet, is so popular that there is a long waiting list of chronic alcoholics eager to join the beer-fueled cleaning teams.

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Bacteria-Killing Protein Could Help Fight Antibiotic-Resistant 'Superbugs' -

Bacteria-Killing Protein Could Help Fight Antibiotic-Resistant 'Superbugs' -



Imagining a world where previously conquered illnesses — most profoundly the bubonic plague — reemerged as a major health issue could be horrifying for some, and unfortunately, it could one day become a reality, as bacteria develop stronger resistance to antibiotics. Thankfully, there’s hope in sight: In a recently published study, researchers describe the discovery of a protein that could kill these so-called superbugs and usher in a new era of antibiotic treatments.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report in September, bringing attention to three particularly antibiotic-resistant bacteria: Clostridium difficile, Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and Neisseria gonorrheae. In the report, the CDC emphasized the importance of reducing antibiotic misuse or overuse — either one allows allows bacteria to become increasingly resistant, and these three strains are already resistant to most, if not all, antibiotics. Other bacteria that were labeled as a threat, albeit not as urgent, included various strains of Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and tuberculosis.

The October breakout of Salmonella Heidelberg offers a perfect example of a real-world scenario, highlighting the urgency of developing new antibiotics, and reducing the chances of current antibiotics becoming obsolete. Seven strains of the bacteria, which was traced back to three Foster Farms processing plants in California, sickened 389 people, and caused 40 percent of them to be hospitalized — 20 percent more than a typical Salmonella outbreak, Barbara Reynolds, a CDC spokeswoman, told USA Today. The reason for so many hospitalizations: antibiotic resistance.  

Bacteriophages Fight Off Bacterial Infection 
“To stay ahead of bacterial resistance, we have to keep developing new antibiotics,” Dr. Udi Qimron, of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, said in a statement. “What we found is a small protein that could serve as a powerful antibiotic in the future.”

The researchers knew that bacteriophages (phages) — viruses that infect and replicate in bacteria — are harmless to humans, and looked to employ them in a way that would fight off bacterial infection. “Ever since the discovery of bacteriophages in the early 20th century, scientists have understood that, on the principle of the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ medical use could be made of phages to fight viruses,” Dr. Qimron said in the statement.  

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Does smoking pot cause man boobs? -

Does smoking pot cause man boobs? - 



A young man in his 20s -- let's call him George -- sits across from me in the exam room.
"Dr. Youn," he says, "I have man boobs."
I notice a not-so-unfamiliar smell wafting from his body. It's the same odor that floated my way during a rock concert I recently attended.
"How long have you had a problem with this, George?"
"Hard to say. But it seems to have gotten worse over the past year or so."
"George, the first thing you need to do is stop smoking pot. Marijuana could be causing your man boobs."

Gynecomastia, otherwise known as man boobs (or moobs for short), is a condition that affects approximately 33% to 41% of men between the ages of 25 and 45. It's even more common during puberty, affecting 60% of 14-year-old boys. Interestingly, it also affects 55% to 60% of men aged 50 and older.
Although most cases of gynecomastia resolve spontaneously within a few months to a few years, in 2012 nearly 23,000 people underwent surgery to correct the condition. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), it was the fifth-most common cosmetic surgery in men.
Gynecomastia is caused by a hormone imbalance between testosterone and estrogen. When the ratio between testosterone and estrogen tips in favor of estrogen, the body responds by creating excessive breast tissue. Hence, man boobs.
Animal studies have shown that exposure to the active ingredient in marijuana can result in a decrease in testosterone levels, a reduction of testicular size, and abnormalities in the form and function of sperm.
In humans, the effects of marijuana on testosterone and estrogen levels aren't as clear. Lower testosterone levels have been reported in chronic marijuana users compared to nonusers, but not all studies support this.

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Tepco is planning on dumping ALL of the radioactive water stored at Fukushima into the ocean -

Tepco is planning on dumping ALL of the radioactive water stored at Fukushima into the ocean - 



Yup … They’re Going to Dump It

Tepco is planning on dumping all of the radioactive water stored at Fukushima into the ocean.

Others are pushing them to do this as well.

As EneNews reports:

Juan Carlos Lentijo, head of IAEA’s mission to Fukushima Daiichi, Dec. 4, 2013: “Controlled discharge is a regular practice in all the nuclear facilities in the world. And what we are trying to say here is to consider this as one of the options to contribute to a good balance of risks and to stabilize the facility for the long term.”

Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, Dec. 4, 2013: “You cannot keep storing the water forever. We have to make choice comparing all risks involved.”

Xinhua, Dec. 4, 2013: Lentijo said that TEPCO should weigh the possible damaging effects of discharging toxic water against the total risks involved in the overall decommissioning work process. [...] Tanaka highlighted the fact that while highly radioactive water could be decontaminated in around seven years, the amount of water containing tritium will keep rising, topping 700,000 tons in two years. [...] nuclear experts have repeatedly pointed out that [tritium] is still a significant radiation hazard when inhaled, ingested via food or water, or absorbed through the skin. [...] fisherman, industries and fisheries bodies in the Fukushima area and beyond in Japan’s northeast, have collectively baulked at the idea of releasing toxic water into the sea [...] TEPCO will be duty-bound to submit assessments of the safety and environmental impact [...]

NHK, Dec. 4, 2013: IAEA team leader Juan Carlos Lentijo [...] said it is necessary and indispensable to assess the impact the tritium discharge might have on human health and the environment, and to get government approval as well as consent from concerned people.

Japan Times, Dec. 4, 2013: “Of course . . . public acceptance for this purpose is necessary,” said Lentijo, adding strict monitoring of the impact of the discharge would also be essential.

AFP, Dec. 4, 2013: [L]ocal fishermen, neighbouring countries and environmental groups all oppose the idea.

See also: Gundersen: They want to dump all Fukushima’s radioactive water in Pacific — Tepco: It will be diluted, then released — Professor suggests pumping it out in deep ocean (VIDEOS)

In the real world, there is no safe level of radiation.

And there are alternatives.

Dr. Arjun Makhijani  – a recognized expert on nuclear power, who has testified  before Congress, served as an expert witness in Nuclear Regulatory Commission proceedings, and been interviewed by many of the largest news organizations – told PBS in March:

We actually sent a proposal to Japan two years ago, some colleagues of mine and I, saying you should park a supertanker or a large tanker offshore, and put the water in it, and send it off someplace else so that the water treatment and the water management is not such a huge, constant issue. But [the Japanese declined].

Unfortunately, Japan has devolved into a crony capitalist tyranny. Tepco – with no financial incentive to actually fix things – has been insanely irresponsible and has only been pretending to contain Fukushima. And see this.

So instead of doing something to contain the radiation, they’re going to dump it.

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Pentagon changes Drone Strire rules to PERMIT Bombing Civilians -

Pentagon changes Drone Strire rules to PERMIT Bombing Civilians - 



The Pentagon has loosened its guidelines on avoiding civilian casualties during drone strikes, modifying instructions from requiring military personnel to “ensure” civilians are not targeted to encouraging service members to “avoid targeting” civilians.

In addition, instructions now tell commanders that collateral damage “must not be excessive” in relation to mission goals, according to Public Intelligence, a nonprofit research group that analyzed the military’s directives on drone strikes.

“These subtle but important changes in wording provide insight into the military’s attempts to limit expectations in regards to minimizing collateral damage and predicting the lethal effects of military operations,” Public Intelligence said in a recent report.



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The Obama White House Turned Down Offer to Build Obama-Care Website for Free – Blew a $1 Billion Instead -

The Obama White House Turned Down Offer to Build Obama-Care Website for Free – Blew a $1 Billion Instead - 




Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) told Bill Hemmer on America’s Newsroom today that an internet giant offered to build the Obamacare website for free.
This was confirmed during testimony today before a Congressional committee. Issa, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman, said the Obama White House turned down the offer.
Bill Hemmer: Was it proven today that an internet company offered to build the website for free but the government passed on it? Was that true? Did that happen?
Rep. Darrell Issa: It was stated under oath that it was true. No one argued that it wasn’t.
The Obama administration blew over a billion dollars so far to build the failed Obamacare website.

UPDATE: It looks like they were talking about IBM.
Via Politifact:
In a 2010 interview, IBM’s CEO said: “We could have improved quality and reduced the costs of the health-care system by $900 billion. … I said we would do it for free to prove that it works. They turned us down.”

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