Month: November 2013

More Than 20,000 EADS Workers Demonstrate In Germany Against Restructuring Plans – Workforce May Be Cut By 20% Or 8000 Employees

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Bilderberg EADS CEO Tom Enders at work.

Flashback:

– Bilderberg 2011 in St. Moritz: Airbus CEO Tom Enders & Peer Steinbrück (Photo)

– Airbus at `Less Than Zero’ Value Still Loses Altitude

– Thousands of German workers protest against EADS shake-up (Reuters, Nov 28, 2013):

More than 20,000 workers from European aerospace group EADS took to the streets in Germany on Thursday to protest against restructuring plans they fear could cost thousands of jobs.

Protests were held at about 30 sites, from the company’s Airbus factories near Hamburg in the north to its Eurofighter jet assembly plant in Bavaria’s Manching in the south.

“This has been a clear warning that the employees of EADS will not accept decisions made to their disadvantage and over their heads,” said Ruediger Luetjen, head of the company’s European works council and an IG Metall union representative.

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– 1,000s of EADS workers demonstrate in Germany (PressTV, Nov 29, 2013):

Thousands of workers from European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company N.V. (EADS) have demonstrated in Germany against the company’s new restructuring plans that may lead to massive job losses.

The demonstrations took place in 30 EADS locations across the country on Thursday over the company’s plans to join its defense and space subsidiaries and to sell some of its operations next year, Reuters reported.

Read moreMore Than 20,000 EADS Workers Demonstrate In Germany Against Restructuring Plans – Workforce May Be Cut By 20% Or 8000 Employees

Europe’s Peak Youth Unemployment Gets Peak-er

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– Europe’s Peak Youth Unemployment Gets Peak-er (ZeroHedge, Nov 29, 2013):

Despite a ratings ‘upgrade’ Spain’s youth unemployment rate has re-surged to a record 57.4% (just below that of Greece which still tops the scary chart list at 58%). Italy and Portugal also saw notable rises (despite the former’s record low short-dated bond yields) at 41.2% and 36.5% respectively. Ireland and France saw modest improvements but overall the Euro-zone’s youth unemployment just keeps rising. In spite of all the rhetoric from Merkel, Van Rompuy, and Barroso, 24.4% of Europe’s under-25 population is unemployed…

Typhoons Spread Fukushima Fallout

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– Typhoons spread Fukushima fallout, study warns (France24/AFP, Nov 28, 2013):

Typhoons that hit Japan each year are helping spread radioactive material from the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the country’s waterways, researchers say.Contaminated soil gets washed away by the high winds and rain and deposited in streams and rivers, a joint study by France’s Climate and Environmental Science laboratory (LSCE) and Tsukuba University in Japan showed.

Read moreTyphoons Spread Fukushima Fallout

The Bitcoin Parabola Continues: Up 10% In 12 Hours, Hits $1170

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– The Bitcoin Parabola Continues: Up 10% In 12 Hours, Hits $1170 (ZeroHedge, Nov 28, 2013):

Despite the US being largely on holiday, the demand for digital currencies continues to surge. Bitcoin has rallied another 10% overnight as Chinese appetite for alternative stores of value remains unabated (BTC China is nearing its record highs) as USD/BTC is trading at $1170 – on its way to crossing the Maginot line of gold’s spot price (within a few hours at this pace). Bitcoin though has nothing on its smaller cousin Litecoin which has now run from $1.11 to over $48 in the last 5 weeks. In fact, almost every crypto-currency in the world – from Infinitecoin to AnonCoin is surging… with only the ironically named PhoenixCoin (-68% overnight) not rising from the flames of fiat torment.

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‘I Work At McDonalds, But I Can’t Afford To Eat There’

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– “I Work At McDonalds, But I Can’t Afford To Eat There” (ZeroHedge, Nov 28, 2013):

For Shawndraka Mack, a 100% pay rise from her current $7.60 “would do just fine.” While some employees turn to blood plasma donation, and most are on food stamps (and other benefits), the mother of two teenagers (on Medicaid) told Bloomberg Businessweek, “I love what I do, but I don’t want to work for nothing.” Between the 40 hours a week she works and the benefits, Mack explains, “I work at McDonald’s and I can’t afford to eat there. It’s crazy.” Of course, McDonalds has ‘tips’ for surviving on their state-subsidized wages but once again, despite Harry Reid’s extrapolated charts, the reality of raising the minimum wage is lost on most who never stop to think of where the ‘money’ comes from; and besides employees have little to no leverage as we explained here.

Via Bloomberg Businessweek,

Mack, who is 40, has been working in the fast food business for 18 years. For the past six, she’s been at a McDonald’s in South Carolina, working 40 hours a week and making $7.60 an hour. “I love what I do, but I don’t want to work for nothing. I want to work for something,” she says.

Read more‘I Work At McDonalds, But I Can’t Afford To Eat There’

China Re-Escalates, Deploys Warplanes To Air Defense Zone

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– China Re-Escalates, Deploys Warplanes To Air Defense Zone (ZeroHedge, Nov 28, 2013):

A few days ago, in the latest escalation over the its territorial dispute with Japan regarding several islands in the East China Sea, China unveiled a so-called “Air Defense Identification” zone, shown on the map below, which includes not only the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands in question, but stretches from South Korea all the way to Taiwan, and which requires that any overflights submit their plans to Beijing in advance.

The response by Japan and the US was immediate, with Japan blasting China’s retaliation to its own annexation of the Senkakus a year earlier and demonstratively neither Japan Airlines nor ANA complying with China’s demands, while the US, demonstrating its allegiance to Japan, flew B-52 bombers above the Air Defense Zone.

China promptly responded to what it perceived was Western hypocrisy:

China’s announcement to establish an Air Defense Identification Zone in East China Sea has drawn criticism from the United States and Japan, yet their blame is wrong.

Their logic is simple: they can do it while China can not, which could be described with a Chinese saying, “the magistrates are free to burn down houses while the common people are forbidden even to light lamps.”

Read moreChina Re-Escalates, Deploys Warplanes To Air Defense Zone

Expansive ‘Death Zone’ Of Birds On Alaska Island, Perhaps Thousands Washed Ashore

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– Expansive ‘death zone’ of birds on Alaska island, perhaps thousands washed ashore — Resident: Radiation’s always on the backs of our minds — Samples sent to lab for testing — Reporter: ‘Facebook alarmists’ fear Fukushima to blame (ENENews, Nov 27, 2013):

Alaska Dispatch, Nov. 26, 2013: Hundreds of dead seabirds wash ashore on Alaska island in Bering Sea […] perhaps thousands […] following storms that slammed into Western Alaska earlier this month and littered stretches of St. Lawrence Island with the carcasses of crested auklets, murres, ducks and other birds. Facebook alarmists feared Fukushima radiation was to blame […] The expanse of the death zone and the variety of birds — cormorants and northern fulmars were also found — suggest storms that recently lashed the region with powerful gusts may be the culprit, said [Peter Bente, a state wildlife biologist] […] Still, samples of the carcasses were sent to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., for testing. […] The victims were nearly all young […] scores of dead and sick ringed seals — some with open wounds, unusual hair loss and internal ulcers — that began washing up in summer 2011 in Western Alaska. Even today, a few seals continue to trickle ashore […]

Perry Pungowiyi, an island resident: “[Radiation’s] always on the backs of our minds.”

Read moreExpansive ‘Death Zone’ Of Birds On Alaska Island, Perhaps Thousands Washed Ashore

CBC News: Something Very Odd Is Happening In Pacific; Sea Creatures Acting Strangely

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– CBC News: Something very odd is happening in Pacific; Sea creatures acting strangely, species turning up where rarely seen — Related to Fukushima crisis? — L.A. Lifeguard: Used to be 2 shark sightings a year, now it’s 2 a day (VIDEOS) (ENENews, Nov 27, 2013):

CBC News Vancouver at 6, Nov. 4, 2013: What’s going on in B.C.’s weird ocean waters? Scientists are just as puzzled as the rest of us […] There’s something very odd happening in the ocean and in the waters around B.C. — sea creatures are behaving strangely. And species are turning up where they are rarely seen. […] Extraordinary marine activity […] From California all the way to Alaska […] Others point to disasters like Japan’s tsunami that triggered a nuclear crisis, but no one knows for sure. […] the ecosystem is such an intricate web of combinations and permutations and relationships so any disturbance in one side of it can have bi ramifications all through it. Only monitoring and reporting, experts say, will tell us what’s going on.  >> Watch the broadcast here

CBC News, Nov. 27, 2013: Curious humpback encounter dazzles whale watchers — Captain recalls whale encounter […] We turned around and there was this humpback with his head completely out of the water , about 6 feet of it lookin at us […] There it was, just starin at us maybe 10 feet from the boat. The rest of a full hour it swam under the boat, around the boat […] everybody was ecstatic […] I’ve been on these waters since 1988 and nothing like this has ever happened to me before.[…] It’s a once in a lifetime event. >> Watch the humpback encounter here

Read moreCBC News: Something Very Odd Is Happening In Pacific; Sea Creatures Acting Strangely

Yale Prof.: Ongoing Fukushima Fallout On West Coast Is Scary, But Not Alarming – I Don’t Think It’s Safe To Eat Pacific Seafood

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FYI.

– Yale Professor: Ongoing Fukushima fallout on West Coast is scary, but not alarming — I don’t think it’s safe to eat Pacific seafood (AUDIO) (ENENews, Nov 28, 2013):

Interview with Dr. Charles Perrow, professor emeritus at Yale University and author of the award-winning book Normal Accidents: Living With High Risk Technologies, Nov. 11, 2013:

At 42:30 in

Q: Do you think it’s safe to eat seafood – salmon, tuna – from the Pacific? A: No. […] I haven’t stopped because I’m at an ancient age where before it could affect me, I will have died of other causes. So I haven’t stopped, but I recommend to my granddaughter who lives in Berkeley California that they be very cautious about the amount seafood from the Pacific that they consume.

At 47:00 in

Read moreYale Prof.: Ongoing Fukushima Fallout On West Coast Is Scary, But Not Alarming – I Don’t Think It’s Safe To Eat Pacific Seafood

Merck Betting $100 Million On New China-Based Pharmaceutical Factory

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– Merck betting $100 million on new China-based pharmaceutical factory (Natural News, Nov 27, 2013):

A recent Reuters article covered Merck’s plan to invest $108 million for a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant to be up and running in China by 2017. This announcement is motivated partly by the anticipation of China’s annual sick-care spending to soar into the 1 trillion dollar range from 2011’s 357 billion dollar expense.

Read moreMerck Betting $100 Million On New China-Based Pharmaceutical Factory

Obama Administration To CLOSE EMBASSY AT VATICAN, … Says It’s Unsafe

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– Obama Administration to CLOSE EMBASSY AT VATICAN – Says It’s Unsafe (Gateway Pundit Nov 25, 2013):

The Obama administration is going to close the US Embassy at The Holy See and move the offices over to the US Italian Embassy.

The administration says the Vatican office is unsafe.

Of course, this hasn’t stopped them before. The administration received several warnings that the Benghazi consulate was unsafe.

But they kept that consulate open – until it was destroyed by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists.

But for some reason, the Obama administration wants to close the embassy doors at The Vatican.

Catholic Vote reported:

The Obama administration has decided that the free-standing American embassy to the Holy See will soon be closed, and the offices for the Ambassador to the Vatican will be moved inside of our Italian Embassy.

As a part of the security reviews that followed the attacks on our embassy in Benghazi last year, State Department officials are now claiming that the current U.S. Embassy to the Holy See is no longer safe.

If their assessement is correct, then why not bolster security or simply move the Embassy to a new location instead of shutting it down? Are all ‘unsafe’ embassies being shut down too?

Read moreObama Administration To CLOSE EMBASSY AT VATICAN, … Says It’s Unsafe

Mobile Phone Radiation Breast Cancer Link – New Study Raises Grave Concerns

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– Cell phone radiation breast cancer link – New study raises grave concerns (Natural News, Nov 27, 2013):

A new study raises concerns of a possible association between cell phone radiation exposure and breast cancer in young women.

The research team, led by Dr. Lisa Bailey, a former president of the American Cancer Society’s California Division and one of California’s top breast surgeons, studied four young women – aged from 21 to 39 years old – with multifocal invasive breast cancer.

The researchers observed that all the patients developed tumors in areas of their breasts next to where they carried their cell phones, often for up to 10 hours per day, for several years. None of the patients had a family history of breast cancer. They all tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 – breast cancer genes linked to about one-half of breast cancer cases – and they had no other known breast cancer risks.

Imaging of the young girls’ breasts revealed a clustering of multiple tumor foci in the part of the breast directly under where their cell phones touched their body.

Read moreMobile Phone Radiation Breast Cancer Link – New Study Raises Grave Concerns

30,000 More People Freed From Water Fluoridation After Australian Town Rejects Poison

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– 30,000 more people freed from water fluoridation after Australian town rejects poison (Natural News, Nov 27, 2013):

An outstanding ban on artificial water fluoridation has been upheld in the Australian coastal town of Byron Bay, located in New South Wales, following a heated encounter among local residents, scientists, dentists and city officials. The Fluoride Action Network reports that the Byron Shire Council ultimately ended up voting five-to-three to uphold the fluoride ban, relying on modern science which shows that fluoridation is both harmful and ineffective.

A group of fluoride-truth activists showed up to the recent meeting, which threatened to undo the ban, and made their voices heard about the outdated practice. Reports indicate that a large crowd, which included many local residents, showed up waving large signs and banners that said things like “We, the people of the Byron Bay Shire, strongly object to having our water poisoned with FLUORIDE!!!” Others brought letters signed by local doctors opposing the practice and delivered them directly to city officials.

Read more30,000 More People Freed From Water Fluoridation After Australian Town Rejects Poison

The Real Unemployment Rate In The U.S. Is At Least 30%

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– Real Unemployment Rate Is Over 30% (Freedom Outpost, Nov 24, 2013):

What would you say if I told you that the real unemployment rate in America is at least 30%? Would you call me a tin foil hat conspiracy theorist? Hear me out because I can back up that claim if you will give me a few minutes of your time.

The official unemployment number for last month was 7.3%. A lot of Americans don’t understand how this number is calculated and it is very misleading.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks six official unemployment rates as follows:

  • U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force
  • U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force
  • U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate)
  • U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers
  • U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force
  • U-6 Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force

(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

When we speak of a 7.3% official unemployment rate for October of 2013 those numbers are based on U-3. The U-6 number was dramatically higher at 13.8%. Those are not my numbers. That number comes directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The government doesn’t want to use this 13.8% number because they are afraid how the American people might react.

But what if I told you that the 13.8% number is still way too low? I am not even referencing any Census Bureau cheaters. I am telling you that these numbers are skewed whether Census workers are fudging numbers or not.

I want to show you a chart and I want you to soak it in as much as possible. Take your time because this is something your government will not tell you. The chart is from June but the numbers are pretty close to where they are today.

Read moreThe Real Unemployment Rate In The U.S. Is At Least 30%

Over $41 Billion In Student Loan Profits For US Government

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FYI.


The US government books $41.3bn in student loan profits

 

– Over $41bn in student loan profits for US government (PressTV, Nov 27, 2013):

The federal government of the United States made a profit of $41.3 billion on student loans for the 2013 fiscal year.

Although the profit is $3.6 billion less than the that the US government reaped from distressed borrowers the previous year, it is a profit higher than that made by all but two companies, Exxon Mobil and Apple, in the world.

According to David Jesse, who writes for the Free Press, the profit is enough to pay for the tuition of nearly 3,000,000 Michigan residents at the University of Michigan for one year.

Read moreOver $41 Billion In Student Loan Profits For US Government

David Cameron’s Radical Plan To ‘Burn Up’ UK’s Mountain Of Plutonium

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– David Cameron’s radical plan to ‘burn up’ UK’s mountain of plutonium (Independent, Nov 28, 2013):

A radical plan to dispose of Britain’s huge store of civil plutonium – the biggest in the world – by “burning” it in a new type of fast reactor is now officially one of three “credible options” being considered by the Government, The Independent understands.

However, further delays have hit attempts to make a final decision on what to do with the growing plutonium stockpile which has been a recurring headache for successive governments over the past three decades.

The stock of plutonium, one of the most dangerous radioactive substances and the element of nuclear bombs, has already exceeded 100 tonnes and is likely to grow to as much as 140 tonnes by 2020, bolstered by a recent decision to include foreign plutonium from imported nuclear waste.

Read moreDavid Cameron’s Radical Plan To ‘Burn Up’ UK’s Mountain Of Plutonium

Defying China, U.S. Bombers … And Now Japanese Airlines Fly Through New Air Zone

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– Defying China, U.S. bombers and Japanese planes fly through new air zone (Reuters, Nov 27, 2013):

Two unarmed U.S. B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands on a training mission in the East China Sea without informing Beijing while Japan’s main airlines ignored Chinese authorities when their planes passed through a new airspace defense zone on Wednesday.

The defiance from Japan and its ally the United States over China’s new identification rules raises the stakes in a territorial standoff between Beijing and Tokyo over the islands and challenges China to make the next move.

China published coordinates for an East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone over the weekend and warned it would take “defensive emergency measures” against aircraft that failed to identify themselves properly. The zone is about two thirds the size of Britain.

“If the United States conducts two or three more flights like this, China will be forced to respond. If China can only respond verbally it would be humiliating,” said Sun Zhe, a professor at the Center for U.S.-China Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Read moreDefying China, U.S. Bombers … And Now Japanese Airlines Fly Through New Air Zone

Greenspan #Timestamped – ‘Dow 16,000 Is Not A Bubble’

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– Greenspan #Timestamped – “Dow 16,000 Is Not A Bubble” (ZeroHedge, Nov 27, 2013):

The maestro clarifies his ‘experienced’ perspective of spotting bubbles in the following quote from his interview with Bloomberg TV’s Al Hunt:

“This does not have the characteristics, as far as I’m concerned, of a stock market bubble,”

Of course, as we noted here, some would beg to differ; but perhaps what would be useful is for the former Fed head to explain what ‘characteristics’ do constitute a bubble…

Nope, no bubble here…

And here’s his explanation…

Read moreGreenspan #Timestamped – ‘Dow 16,000 Is Not A Bubble’

China Is On A Debt Binge And A Buying Spree Unlike Anything The World Has Ever Seen Before

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– China Is On A Debt Binge And A Buying Spree Unlike Anything The World Has Ever Seen Before (Economic Collapse, Nov 26, 2013):

When it comes to reckless money creation, it turns out that China is the king.  Over the past five years, Chinese bank assets have grown from about 9 trillion dollars to more than 24 trillion dollars.  This has been fueled by the greatest private debt binge that the world has ever seen.  According to a recent World Bank report, the level of private domestic debt in China has grown from about 9 trillion dollars in 2008 to more than 23 trillion dollars today.  In other words, in just five years the amount of money that has been loaned out by banks in China is roughly equivalent to the amount of debt that the U.S. government has accumulated since the end of the Reagan administration.  And Chinese bank assets now absolutely dwarf the assets of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and the Bank of England combined.  You can see an amazing chart which shows this right here.  A lot of this “hot money” has been flowing out of China and into U.S. companies, U.S. stocks and U.S. real estate.  Unfortunately for China (and for the rest of us), there are lots of signs that the gigantic debt bubble in China is about to burst, and when that does happen the entire world is going to feel the pain.

Read moreChina Is On A Debt Binge And A Buying Spree Unlike Anything The World Has Ever Seen Before

China’s Navy Breaks Out To The High Seas

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Related info:

– US Challenges China, Flies B-52 Bombers Over New Air Defense Zone

– Special Report: China’s navy breaks out to the high seas (Reuters, Nov 27, 2013):

In late October, flotillas of Chinese warships and submarines sliced through passages in the Japanese archipelago and out into the western Pacific for 15 days of war games.

The drills, pitting a “red force” against a “blue force,” were the first in this area, combining ships from China’s main south, east and north fleets, according to the Chinese military. Land-based bombers and surveillance aircraft also flew missions past Japan to support the navy units.

Read moreChina’s Navy Breaks Out To The High Seas

Italy Senate Expels Three-Time Ex-Premier Berlusconi

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– Italy Senate expels three-time ex-Premier Berlusconi (USA Today/AP, Nov 27, 2013):

ROME  — The Italian Senate on Wednesday expelled three-time ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi from Parliament over his tax fraud conviction, ending, for now, his two-decade legislative run but not his political career.

Berlusconi has warned that the unprecedented move would embarrass Italy internationally. He maintained his defiance as the Senate voted, declaring Wednesday a “day of mourning for democracy” before thousands of cheering, flag-waving supporters outside his Roman palazzo.

Even though Berlusconi won’t hold a seat in Parliament, he is expected to remain influential in Italian politics. He has relaunched his Forza Italia party and he still commands millions of loyal supporters.

Read moreItaly Senate Expels Three-Time Ex-Premier Berlusconi

Scientists Detect Fukushima’s Radioactive Plume Offshore Canada – Prof: Monitoring Rainfall Over Next Couple Years Would Be Prudent

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Flashback:

“Buckyballs”:

– A Radioactive Nightmare … Coming To The U.S.

More articles on the buckyballs nightmare HERE (at EnviroReporter.com):

“… new UC Davis report about uranium-filled “buckyballs” and proof that sea mist carries radiation inland for hundreds of miles …” (Source)

– CBC: Gov’t scientists are now detecting Fukushima’s radioactive plume offshore of Canada — Professor: It’s headed to our coast, I think monitoring rainfall over next couple years would be prudent (AUDIO) (ENENews, Nov 27, 2013):

Arnie Gundersen, Fairewinds chief engineer, Nov. 26, 2013 (at 3:15 in): [It’s] really a mixed blessing […] What saved Japan was that the wind was blowing out to sea. Now I said it’s a mixed blessing because the contamination is heading to the West Coast of the United States. >> Watch the Fairewinds video here

CBC interview with Jay Cullen, associate professor and marine chemist at University of Victoria’s school of earth & ocean sciences, Nov. 20, 2013 (at 8:15 in): I think we could definitely have more monitoring. I know that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans — the Institute of Ocean Science –- [the lion-p?] program which is a time series program that monitors the chemistry and biology of the North Pacific that’s headed up by Maria Robert. They’re making measurements of these Fukushima-source radionuclides offshore, and they’re starting to detect the presence of the plume of radioactivity. Again these elements, the concentrations are really quite low compared to natural* radionuclides, but it is making its way towards our coast. But I do think it would be prudent to monitor both precipitation and what’s going on in the oceans, especially over the next couple of years. 1: for what we can learn about how the oceans are operating; and 2: to really – again — put these risks into perspective. I think that the public’s perceived risk, especially when it comes to radioactivity in the environment, is sometimes way out of line with what the actual risks are.

Read moreScientists Detect Fukushima’s Radioactive Plume Offshore Canada – Prof: Monitoring Rainfall Over Next Couple Years Would Be Prudent