13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

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The soon-to-be-released documentary "The House I Live In" is an inside look at America's longest war, The War on Drugs, from executive producers Danny Glover, John Legend, Russell Simons. From the film's website:

"Filmed in more than twenty states, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN tells the stories of individuals at all levels of America’s War on Drugs. From the dealer to the narcotics officer, the inmate to the federal judge, the film offers a penetrating look inside America’s criminal justice system, revealing the profound human rights implications of U.S. drug policy."

Here are some quotes from the trailer above:

"The Drug War is a holocaust in slow motion."

"The Drug War is a war on all Americans."

"You have to understand that the War on Drugs has never been about drugs."

From a review by US News:

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

To contact us Click HERE

Rudy and his terrible crew will get US all killed. These folks never quit with their fear mongering, discriminatory, racist, Islamic fascist crap. Never. Once again, Rudy's worthless, despicable "friends" have raised concerns about his "Presidential" intentions.

Welcome, John Deady, the co-chair of state Veterans for Rudy and his penchant for babbling nonsense.

"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

Rudy...Please do US all a favor. Take yourself and your corrupt friends and go hide in a CAVE. You embarrass US all...Consistently. These discriminatory WAR MONGERS DO NOT REPRESENT AMERICA. Only the Neo Conservative AGENDA!

Same Players. Different Scandal.

Rep. Luker Introduces Bill To Exempt Current Military and Veterans From Hunter's Education

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If it seems strange that past and present members of the armed forces are required to pass a hunter's education course before obtaining an Idaho hunting license, Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, thought so too. Today he introduced a bill before the House Resources and Conservation Committee to exempt current members of the military and veterans from the hunters ed requirement. The committee voted unanimously to print the bill and put it on course for a public hearing.
http://chumly.com/n/10658aa

12 Ekim 2012 Cuma

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

To contact us Click HERE

"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

Rep. Luker Introduces Bill To Exempt Current Military and Veterans From Hunter's Education

11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

To contact us Click HERE

"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

Rep. Luker Introduces Bill To Exempt Current Military and Veterans From Hunter's Education

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

Supreme Court hears arguments today on race based preferences in college admissions

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In what will determine the future of race-based college admission policies in the U.S., the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in the affirmative-action case Fisher v. University of Texas. The justices will then decide whether the University of Texas can legally continue its current admissions practice of using racial preferences/profiling without violating the 14th Amendment’s right to “equal protection of the laws.”

To understand why it’s time to end racial preferences in higher education, consider the following hypothetical scenario of race-based grading.

A university professor walks into class at the beginning of the semester. After a review of required texts, assignments and examinations, the professor discusses the grading policy. The professor explains that there is a new university policy that applies a double standard for grading and is an extension of the university’s race-based admissions policies.

The professor explains that a standard grading scale will apply to all white, Asian and Arab students. African-American and Hispanic students will automatically receive extra points for all assignments and will receive a final letter grade based on a preferential grading scale.

Most people would find this a blatant form of discrimination, and would object for several reasons.

First, the students receiving academic favoritism might justifiably complain that they are being stereotyped as a homogeneous group. It would be offensive to many of those students to assume automatically that they all need preferential academic treatment.

Second, this form of academic profiling creates a disincentive for black and Hispanic students to study as hard as they would otherwise.

Moreover, these students could face a special-preference stigma when they enter the job market or apply to graduate school. If a student graduates from college with a 3.5 grade point average, a prospective employer or graduate program would justifiably question the academic credentials and potential abilities of those students who received race-based adjustments in all of their undergraduate course work.

Finally, most everyone would object to the fundamental unfairness of giving preferential treatment to certain groups of students. The students who didn’t receive special grading preferences would rightfully feel they were being treated unfairly and being discriminated against. Why should an Asian student with an 85% score in an accounting class get a letter grade of B if a black or Hispanic student with the same percentage gets an A?

These and many other reasons explain why the only acceptable practice in the classroom is the equal treatment of all students as individuals, without regard to race, sex, ethnicity or religion.

And yet the hypothetical classroom-based discrimination is exactly the type of admission-based discrimination that prevails at the University of Texas. And it is the obvious objections to academic favoritism in the classroom that explain why racial favoritism in college admissions is being legally challenged.
Students are treated as individuals without regard to race by university professors once they enter college. Treating all students as individuals when they first apply to college will ultimately move us further along toward the ideal of a colorblind society than maintaining the current admissions practices of double standards, special preferences and racial discrimination.

President John F. Kennedy said: “Simple justice requires that public funds, to which all taxpayers of all races and national origins contribute, not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes or results in racial discrimination.” Hopefully, Kennedy’s vision will prevail now that the Supreme Court has an opportunity to end state-sponsored racial discrimination in college admissions.

Bottom Line: How can it be logically and legally consistent for somebody to support affirmative action when practiced by a staff member in the admissions or financial aid office of a university in one building on a college campus, but object to “affirmative action grading” when practiced by a college professor on that same college campus in another building? If race-neutral grading is the accepted standard for the treatment of college students IN the classroom, then race-based preferences cannot be justified when selecting students for admission to the university in the first place.

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

To contact us Click HERE

"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

What happens to the shares of a listed company, when it goes bankrupt?

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Today, while I was reading the news, I read the fact that Kingfisher Airlines shares have fallen again today (just like the past few days) and it looks like things may not improve for the debt-ridden Airline. One thing struck me while I was reading that news, What would happen to all the shareholders of Kingfisher Airlines (Which is a publicly listed company in both NSE and BSE in India) if Mr. Vijay Mallya were to give-up hopes on this airline and declare bankruptcy??

Well, the purpose of this article is to find out what exactly happens during such a scenario, when a publicly listed company goes bankrupt.

Occasionally, publicly listed companies go bankrupt. Remember Lehman Brothers? When a company goes bankrupt, its shareholders (Who are considered part owners of the company) may or may not get anything. However, the answer is multi-fold. Read on!!!

The Value of the Stock/Share:

The Share/Stock will become worthless and technically nobody will be willing to buy the shares of a company that is bankrupt, so, you cannot sell them in the Market. So, the value of the stocks you own (Irrespective of the number of shares you own) will be

0

Is there any hope?

Actually speaking yes. When a company declares bankruptcy, it will be required to sell all of its assets and pay off all debts. As part owners of the company, it is safe to assume that the company is in-debt and has to repay us. The usual order of debt repayment will be as follows:

1. The Government
2. Financial institutions
3. Other Creditors (i.e. suppliers and utility companies)
4. Bondholders
5. Preferred Shareholders and
6. Common shareholders

Trivia:

In real life, Common shareholders often receive nothing at all, as there is usually very little left over once a firm has paid its debts. Think of it this way, if the company had enough money to pay all its debts, do you really think it will go bankrupt???

How Much Money will I get?

Let us say, you own 0.5% shares of XYZ Corp that declared bankruptcy. Let us also positively think and assume that Rs. 10 lakhs was left over after XYZ Corp paid off all its debt (in the top 5 categories). So, this 10 lakhs will be shared equally among the shareholders based on the % holding of each shareholder. So, since you own 0.5% you will get Rs. 5,000/-. If I had 3% shares of XYZ Corp, I will get Rs. 30,000/-

Remember - Here, the price at which you purchased the shares is not considered. Only the % holding of shares, as compared to the overall outstanding shares of the defunct organization matters. You could've bought the shares at Rs. 100/- per share and I could've bought them at Rs. 10/-, it does not matter. At the end of the day, whatever money remains - after paying off all other higher ranked debtors, will be shared among the common share holders based on the number of shares they hold.

Some Last Words:

Buying a company's share is a big risk that we are taking. When we buy a share, we assume that the owners will manage the company well, boost revenue, make profits and keep us shareholders happy. Sometimes, it so happens that they fail and make the lives of their shareholders miserable and cause losses to their investors. So, make sure you research the company you buy, thoroughly to avoid unexpected shocks and losses...

Happy Investing!!!

Disclaimer: The Article does not suggest that Kingfisher Airlines is going to declare bankruptcy. Nor is this article a buy or sell advise about the shares of Kingfisher Airlines. While reading a news article on the internet, about the stock's daily price movement, the author got the idea to write about what would happen to the common stock holders if a listed company were to declare bankruptcy and that's all

9 Ekim 2012 Salı

Rep. Luker Introduces Bill To Exempt Current Military and Veterans From Hunter's Education

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

To contact us Click HERE

"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

8 Ekim 2012 Pazartesi

Rep. Luker Introduces Bill To Exempt Current Military and Veterans From Hunter's Education

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

To contact us Click HERE

"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

North Dakota Oil Production Sets Records in July, Monthly Output Exceeds 20m Bbls. for First Time

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The “Economic Miracle State” of North Dakota pumped another record amount of crude oil during the month of July at a rate of more than 674,000 barrels per day, according to data released today by the state’s Department of Mineral Resources. Oil production during the month of July exceeded 20 million barrels for the first time in state history, establishing a new record for monthly oil output. Here are some other highlights of North Dakota’s record-setting oil output in July:

1) The state’s oil production in July was 59% above a year ago, and followed annual increases of 71.1% in June and 75.5% in May.

2) North Dakota produced 62% more oil than Alaska in July, marking the fifth consecutive month that North Dakota has out-produced Alaska. The Peace Garden State surpassed Alaska’s oil production for the first time in March to become the country’s new No. 2 oil state, behind only Texas now.

3) The number of oil wells in North Dakota increased to 7,303 in July establishing a new state record for active wells. Over the last year through July, an average of almost seven new oil wells were put into production every business day, and each of those new wells is the equivalent of adding a new $8-10 million business to the state’s economy, see recent CD post for more details.

4) The amount of oil produced per active well in North Dakota increased to 2,861 barrels during the month of July, which was almost 20% above the oil output per well during July last year, and likely reflects the increased efficiency gains from advanced drilling technologies like “pad drilling” that are gaining popularity.

As a result of the state’s oil boom, North Dakota continues to lead the nation with the lowest state unemployment rate at 3% in July, and more than five percentage points below the national average of 8.1%. There were ten North Dakota counties with jobless rates below 2.0% in July, and Williams County, which is at the center of the Bakken oil boom, continues to boast the lowest county jobless rate in the country at just 0.7%. The exponential growth in North Dakota oil production has fueled exponential growth in the state’s oil and gas jobs, which have tripled in less than three years. Overall employment throughout the entire state has increased 6.8% over the last twelve months, almost five times the tepid 1.4% pace of job growth nationally during that period.

Bottom Line: July’s record-setting oil production in North Dakota continues to make it the most economically successful state in America, with record levels of employment and income growth, the lowest state jobless rate in the country, a state budget surplus of $1 billion, the lowest home foreclosure rate in the country, strong housing and construction markets, and jobless rates in ten of the state’s counties below 2.0%. North Dakota’s economic success, job creation, and energy-based prosperity is being driven by the development of the state’s vast energy resources, especially the ocean of shale oil in the state’s Bakken region. It’s an economic model that could easily spread energy prosperity elsewhere if more domestic energy resources were opened up to greater exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas.

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

7 Ekim 2012 Pazar

2012: The Year of the Housing Recovery, Updated

To contact us Click HERE
1. "The number of improving housing markets across the country rose to 99 in September, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), released this week. This is up from 80 metros that were listed as improving in August and includes representatives from 33 states as well as the District of Columbia. The IMI identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months."

Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. said, “This solid growth is an encouraging sign that housing continues on a slow but steady recovery path that is gradually advancing from one local market to the next.”

“More metros across the country are experiencing a sustained uptick in house prices, employment and new building activity as rising consumer confidence in local market conditions pushes more people to consider a new-home purchase,” observed NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.

“Combined with recent positive reports on builder confidence, housing starts and new-home sales, the September IMI adds to the growing consensus that housing is finally moving in the right direction, which in turn is spurring more potential buyers to get off the fence,” added Kurt Pfotenhauer, vice chairman at First American Title Insurance Company.

2. "Des Moines area home sales spiked 27% in August over a year earlier and climbed nearly 11% over July, a report from the Des Moines Association of Realtors today shows. The average sale price pushed 3.3% higher to $172,839 in August over a year earlier. Pending sales climbed 13.1% to 897 in August over a year ago. In August, homes were on the market an average of 98 days, 14 days fewer than 112 days in August 2011. Homes were on the market five days fewer than in July."

3. The S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) tracks the "S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index" and includes holdings of Pulte Homes, Standard Pacific, Toll Brothers, MDC Holdings, USG and other homebuilders, construction companies, and companies that supply products to homebuilders or home buyers. The XHB closed Wednesday at 24.87, the highest level since August 2007 more than five years ago. Over the last year the XHB is up by 74%, or more than three times the 23.3% increase in the S&P 500 Index.

Update 1:

4. "CoreLogic today released a new analysis showing that 10.8 million, or 22.3%, of all residential properties with a mortgage were in negative equity at the end of the second quarter of 2012. This is down from 11.4 million properties, or 23.7%, at the end of the first quarter of 2012. Approximately 600,000 borrowers reached a state of positive equity at the end of the second quarter of 2012, adding to the more than 700,000 borrowers that moved into positive equity in the first quarter of this year."

"Most borrowers in negative equity are continuing to pay their mortgages. The share of borrowers that were underwater and current on their payments was 84.9% at the end of the second quarter in 2012. This is up from 84.8% at the end of the first quarter in 2012."

“The level of negative equity continues to improve with more than 1.3 million households regaining a positive equity position since the beginning of the year,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “Surging home prices this spring and summer, lower levels of inventory, and declining REO sale shares are all contributing to the nascent housing recovery and declining negative equity.”

“Nearly 2 million more borrowers in negative equity would be above water if house prices nationally increased by 5 percent,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “We currently expect home prices to continue to trend up in August. Were this trend to be sustained, we could see significant reductions in the number of borrowers in negative equity by next year.”

Update 2:

5. DQNews updated its National Home Sales Snapshot today and reports that national homes sales for the most recent 30 days of home sales increased 11.3% compared to the comparable period last year, and the median sales price increased by 7.5%. DQNews' home sales snapshot is based on 98 of the Top 100 U.S. metro areas, and covers about two-thirds of the nation's home sales.

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.

Fire: Environmentalist's Way to Thin the Forests

To contact us Click HERE
From Terry Anderson's editorial in today's WSJ "Environmental Protection Up in Smoke":

Environmental laws since the 1970s require public input into federal land-use decisions including logging on national forests. This has led to lawsuits challenging efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to prevent forest fires by thinning out trees (most of which are dead or diseased) and brush by machines and carefully controlled burns. This dead wood is the fuel that feeds catastrophic wildfires.

Removing the fuel reduces the likelihood of fires, and if fires do break out, makes them easier to fight. Meanwhile, the suppression of fires costs the federal government nearly $2.5 billion annually.

A fuels-management project to log and thin 4,800 acres in the Bozeman, Mont., watershed exemplifies the problem. This project has been held up since 2010 on grounds that the environmental-impact assessment did not adequately protect the habitat of the Canadian lynx and the grizzly bear, both listed as threatened species.

Now a wildfire threatens the watershed, burning over 10,000 acres and costing more than $2 million to fight. As one firefighter put it, "fire is the environmentalist's way of thinning the forests."

VIDEO: Rudy's Dumba$$ Campaign: Open Mouth, Insert Foot..again

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"He's got I believe the knowledge and the judgement to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history and that is the rise of the Muslims, and make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years. These people are very dedicated and they're also very very smart in their own way. We need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people until we defeat or chase them back to their caves or in other words get rid of them."

Rep. Luker Introduces Bill To Exempt Current Military and Veterans From Hunter's Education

6 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi

Upcoming Documentary on America's Longest War: The War on Drugs, "A Holocaust in Slow Motion"

Two years after he was elected president in 1969, Richard Nixon first used the phrase "war on drugs," in a tough speech on drug policy. Four decades and more than 40 million drug-related crimes later, the war on drugs is still simmering.

And now, just months before the presidential election, a new documentary "The House I Live In" explores the ways in which that war could be rethought. The film also implicates President Barack Obama, who promised a compassionate drug policy while running for president but requested $25.6 billion for drug enforcement in 2013—the highest yearly total ever.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe says "I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see "The House I Live In" but guess what - it is."

The movie will be in theaters on October 5.