Global Economy Bursting?

[Randolph Kinney]

Social Security and Medicare Need Reform Now, Say Trustees

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...e-need-reform-now-say-trustees/#ixzz1OvAfPIHI

Sober warning Friday: act quickly or the nation's two most popular entitlements are in serious danger.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

New sign of tough economy: More 401(k) loans

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/09/earlyshow/living/money/main20070292.shtml#ixzz1OvBZZ7f9

Right now we have 30 percent of people who have 401(k)s have loans against their 401(k)s, which is a historic high. And the problem is, it's growing like crazy: By 2014, we're expecting to see 30 million people take loans against their 401(k)s.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Carbon Dioxide Correlation to Global Temperature Change

http://clivebest.com/blog/?p=2208

The latest global temperature measurements are available for both satellite data [3] and for the Hadley CRU temperature data [2].

There is now sufficient data to test whether the GCM modeling of greenhouse gases used by the IPCC really matches up to reality. See graphs above.


Conclusions

Following a gradual rise of about 0.2 degrees from 1990 to 2000, global temperatures have stopped increasing and have actually fallen slightly. The only IPCC prediction which remains consistent with the current data is the lower prediction of a 0.7 degree rise from 1990 to 2030. The “Best” IPCC estimate and the higher 1.5 degree rise are ruled out by the data.

CO2 levels in the atmosphere have continued to rise over the last 10 years (see overlay to temperature comparison below in Figure 3) but temperatures have not risen since 2000. This implies that CO2 is not the main driver of global temperatures on these time periods and that other natural mechanisms are at least as important. No evidence of any positive temperature feedback with increasing CO2 levels is found.

 

[Couch Potato]

Which is why the "global warming" crowd changed their name to "climate change."

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

There is also a correlation between per capita wealth and population..

Last week after a heat wave the hysterians were in full force (just like about 7 years ago when the major fires struck last time) claiming that F5 tornados, Mississippi R. Valley floods, etc. were a result of "climate change". OK. Tornados struck Springfield, MA, Joplin,MO and Tusculoosa, AL - heavily populated areas. Had those three storms struck Vici, Oklahoma; Stonington, Colorado; and, Snydersburg, PA how many fewer people would have died? We are drawing the wrong conclusions from storms. Further do you expect floods in years without storms and do you expect tornados in years without storms... It is stormy years that produce both. They being in the same years is almost a given. And drought = heat wave... Guess what? there is a major drought in the south central part of the country. Both the flood, storms and drought are a direct result of the La Nina' and the position of the jet stream.

We have 150 years of temperature records. There are 365 days. A minimum of 2 new record highs and 2 new record lows should be set for each and every town in America every year.. That's the statistics of it. Ditto rainfall. Ditto snowfall. Ditto flood levels. Yet some nitwit on the news is saying this is the future. If she is a scientist, then her learner's permit needs to be pulled and her banned from the science.

 

[Restrain]

RE 401K loans: I have a loan on my 401K. The reason is that I am paying interest to myself at about 5% as opposed to taking out a signature loan at my CU at 12% paid to them. Only makes good sense. Yes, people may be taking out loans on their 401Ks to try to survive, but to include all loans in one bucket is to distort the figures.

 

[Meandering]

Many of us won’t be able to retire until our 80s

If you were in the USPAP class I was in, you'd see that many appraisers don't retire, even in their 80s.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Which is why the "global warming" crowd changed their name to "climate change."

But they haven't changed their claimed cause of the problem - carbon dioxide emitted by manmade causes.

The claims are so ridiculous now that all weather events, earthquakes and volcanoes are caused by global warming.

Volcanic activity, or lack thereof, are a confirmation of Global Warming.

If Volcanic eruptions are more frequent, this proves Global Warming. How? As the major water bodies heat-up, you get more moisture from the oceans, with warmer atmospheric temperatures, which causes surface temperatures to rise. As ice melts and waters runs off, tremendous amounts of weight are lifted off of Earth's crust. As the newly freed crust settles back to its original, pre-glacier shape, it can cause seismic plates to slip and stimulate volcanic activity.

If Volcanic eruptions are less frequent, this proves Global Warming. As the major land masses heat-up, you get less moisture from the oceans, with cooler atmospheric temperatures, which causes surface temperatures to fall. As water freezes, tremendous amounts of weight are placed upon the Earth's crust. As the newly frozen crust forms glaciers, it can cause seismic plates to stick and reduce volcanic activity.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

The former Special Inspector General for TARP also noted that S&P says the next round of bailouts will cost $5 trillion just in up-front costs, and that enormous pressure is being put on Wall Street executives to take giant, company-bankrupting risks.

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/06/former-bailout-inspector-general-neil.html

 

[Workbox]

Crack Between Oil Contracts Grows

Can someone explain what this means? The pros are concerned over the large spread.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304778304576377980050734192.html