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waterboy
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Topic: TOUGH times ahead for stock market.... Posted: January 04 2010 at 4:12pm |
Double dip recession a real BIG possibility. Commercial loans,foreclosures,high oil prices will devastate this market once again. BEWARE.......
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Turboguy
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Posted: January 04 2010 at 4:57pm |
SHEESH! Just say, "Obama is the President!" and I'll understand that we're in economic trouble.
Economic trouble is a big problem that I try to pay as much attention to as possible. I'm somewhat worried that through near total inaction on the part of the Obama administration in regards to Iran, Israel will be forced to act, and act decisively! If they do that, I'm not exactly sure how much oil Iran produces per day, but they'll just about totally stop producing, taking it all off the market. It's 3.6 to four million barrels per day which is also known as just about five to ten percent of world oil supply.
Studies have shown time and again that a disruption that large could jump prices fifty or sixty percent as we're living check to check and barrel to barrel and there just isn't any excess capacity.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 04 2010 at 8:12pm |
.
Stocks start off 2010 with a rally
By Alexandra Twin, senior writer
January 4, 2010: 6:30 PM ET
...He said the first few trading sessions of a new year are typically positive and that he
wants to see several more days of gains on strong trading volume before he's willing to
say that the rally has recharged.
article here-
.........
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waterboy
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 6:35am |
States need 2 trillion dollars to survive.Another bailout.....
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coyote
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 6:37am |
FACTBOX-Key 2010 global political risks to markets
04 Jan 2010 14:00:24 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent
LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The risk of sovereign debt default, looming elections, social unrest, populism, and thorny relations between the United States and China could all hit global markets in 2010.
Reuters has moved a series of factboxes on the key political risks facing each region of the world. [ID:nLDE5BK0X2]
SOVEREIGN DEFAULT RISK
For global markets, probably the main political risk would be one of the world's more troubled economies defaulting or coming close to default on its sovereign debt -- ultimately a political decision. [ID:nN11259082]
Worries over Dubai, Ukraine and Greece have all spilled over into global markets in the last month, and all three look set to remain under economic and political pressure in the coming year, even as most other countries return to growth.
A renewed crisis in one country could spark a wider sell-off in bond markets that would pressure other investors to question again "implied guarantees" that richer neighbours would step in to help the debtors meet their obligations.
Among those in the spotlight over public debt will be euro zone weak links Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain -- dubbed insultingly the PIIGS -- as well as non-euro Britain. Worries have already helped drive strong demand for U.S. Treasuries [ID:nN1873880]
What to watch:
-- Does Ukraine continue to make bond coupon payments? How long does political instability persist after a Jan. 17 presidential election? [ID:nGEE5AN110] [ID:nGEE5B9114]
-- Any clarity on support for Dubai's conglomerates from oil-rich fellow emirate Abu Dhabi, which investors had assumed would step in. For Dubai stories, click here [ID:nLDE5BK06H]
-- Do Greece and others take enough austerity measures to satisfy markets? In the light of comments by policymakers, how strong is the "implied guarantee" from the EU and Germany? [ID:nLDE5BK06H] [ID:nGEE5B815W] [ID:nBAT005017]
ELECTIONS
A number of important elections loom this year, with U.S. mid-term congressional elections coming alongside likely changes of leadership in Britain and Brazil, as well as a host of votes in emerging Europe that could have wider consequences.
In the United States, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one third of the 100 Senate seats will be up for grabs November 2, with the Democrats seen suffering from a strong anti-incumbent mood [ID:nN12418931].
In Britain, Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown looks likely to lose parliamentary elections, which must be called before June, to David Cameron's Conservative Party. But markets worry about the prospect of a hung parliament with no outright majority. [ID:nLDE5BD1ER]
In emerging Europe, elections are due in Hungary, Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is widely expected to win another term, with the only question being the timing of the election. [ID:nSGE5BE00L] But elections in the Philippines [ID:nSP510426] and Sri Lanka [ID:nSGE5BE023] are harder to call.
What to watch:
-- Pre-election positioning weighing on U.S. policy from climate change to Afghanistan and healthcare. Republican challengers jockeying to take on President Barack Obama in 2012.
-- Any signs Britain is heading towards a hung parliament will unsettle sterling. Clarity from policymakers on likely spending cuts with Britain's credit rating under pressure.
-- Local politics imperilling International Monetary Fund rescue deals in emerging Europe, with Ukraine, Latvia, Hungary and Romania most in focus. [ID:nGEE5B70ZL]
UNREST, POPULISM, RESOURCE NATIONALISM
Social unrest has risen less than many expected as a consequence of the economic crisis, but risks are seen growing in 2010 as Western governments exit from stimulus packages and discontent builds up amongst the unemployed. [ID:nLDE5BH0LM]
Civil unrest in China would be particularly unsettling for markets, but the crisis could fuel instability from Thailand to South Africa to Iran.
Overall, the crisis is seen pushing politicians towards more populist policies, such as attacking bankers' bonuses or stepping in to support struggling industries.
A global recovery in commodity prices could stoke resource nationalism, particularly in Africa and Latin America, raising the threat of expropriation from foreign investors. [ID:nL5588746]
Opinions are divided on whether the crisis has boosted protectionism. A December pressure group report identified dozens of potentially protectionist measures introduced in recent months [ID:nLDE5BD179] but the World Trade Organisation says there has been no major breakdown [ID:nLDE5BH0X0].
What to watch:
-- Signs of unrest in Europe, particularly in Latvia and Greece -- the most exposed Western and emerging EU states respectively. Both could be bellwethers for the wider continent. Reports of xenophobic attacks on minorities.
-- A dramatic commodity price spike, particularly in foodstuffs, could raise pressure on foreign resource projects particularly recent land deals in Africa.
-- Any overt protectionist measures or heightening rhetoric, particularly between the United States and China. Any acknowledgement by the WTO protectionism is rising.
UNITED STATES AND CHINA
The United States and China are already by far the two most important countries in terms of political clout. In 2010, China is set to overtake Japan as the second-largest global economy. The "G2" relationship is key to shaping our destiny not just in the coming year or coming decade, but through the 21st century. Like most relationships, it is not easy.
Pressure on China to allow the yuan <CNY=> to appreciate will become ever more intense in 2010 as economic storm clouds evaporate, and one-year non-deliverable forwards <CNY1YNDFOR=> suggest modest gains by the currency by the end of the year.
Beijing will not want to jeopardise economic growth by letting the currency rise too quickly, and does not welcome being told what to do by Washington or the European Union. In the United States, meanwhile, yuan weakness is regarded as a protectionist policy that threatens the U.S. recovery.
Most analysts say Washington and Beijing are painfully aware of the risks and would step back from the brink before any dispute threatened the global economy. But the two countries have yet to find a way to communicate comfortably as partners.
What to watch:
-- The battle over the yuan. Will Beijing let it appreciate, and if not, how will Washington react? [ID:nSP87477]
-- Protectionism and trade tariffs. If President Barack Obama imposes more tariffs, under pressure from Congress and domestic industry, expect sparks to fly. [ID:nLR352231]
-- Any disputes arising from China's dealings with North Korea, Myanmar, Iran and other "rogue states". [ID:nPEK192670]
UNPREDICTABLE CRISES
Ongoing confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme remains a risk, particularly for energy markets, and the situation is complicated by deepening domestic instability following last year's disputed presidential election. [ID:nHAF152285]
North Korea continues to be dangerously unpredictable, with potential scenarios ranging for a war to the death of leader Kim Jong-il -- an event that might prompt a reunification that could prove financially crippling for South Korea. [ID:nSP523325]
Both Nigeria and Thailand could face market uncertainty over the health of their president and king respectively. Both were hospitalised in 2009.
Analysts expect al Qaeda and its allies to try to spark conflict between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India. [ID:nGEE5B5050] And Pakistan's weak government, under threat on several fronts, may have its own reasons to focus popular anger on India.
The attempted bombing of an airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas Day shows that attacks on Western targets also remain a threat.
What to watch:
-- Turmoil in Iran. Western decision on sanctions in 2010. Potential split in the ruling establishment.
-- Any news on the health of Thailand's 82-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Nigeria's President Umaru Yar 'Adua or North Korea's Kim. (additional reporting by Andrew Marshall; Editing by Paul Taylor)
AlertNet news is provided by
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Long time lurker since day one to Member.
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Turboguy
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 6:38am |
Bailing everything out is giving a man a fish instead of teaching him how to catch more.
There's no incentive to cut back extravagant spending when everytime things start looking bad they can just call up Uncle Sam and get another several billion dollars and get back in the black.
They need to cut it off. It's going to hurt, sure, but we'll all be better off in the long run.
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4=laro
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 7:31am |
As long as you are closing down The Free Lunch, lets clean house and replace congress, close the Federal Reserve and break up anything that is To Big To Fail. In two years or so, we can replace O with someone who isnt bought and paid for by the fed.
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Turboguy
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 8:49am |
I'll vote for ya Laro!
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4=laro
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 10:15am |
Thank you, are you back in the states?
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Hotair
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 11:26am |
I agree, Laro. My question is, who or what is powerful enough to do what you are suggesting? Please don't say "the voters". We are being ignored.
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Turboguy
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 1:18pm |
4=laro wrote:
Thank you, are you back in the states? |
Yup, have been since Early October. They're putting me back to work in the Air Force slave labor pits though.
I don't mind all that much, I like money!
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7laws
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 4:36pm |
Speaking of too big to fail. The govt is failing and it is too big. I believe the Fed will be closed in 2011 or 2012. I have seen reports that the treasury bonds are not selling very well any more. If the debt is not bought everything will change overnight. Who is going to pay to keep the lights on?
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waterboy
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 5:00pm |
Contracts down: Is housing headed for double-dip?
WASHINGTON – The number of people preparing to buy a home fell sharply in November, an unsettling new sign that the housing market may be headed for a "double-dip" downturn over the winter.
The figures Tuesday came after a similarly discouraging report on new home sales, illustrating how heavily the housing market depends right now on government help.
In October, buyers raced to get contracts signed in time to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time homeowners that was set to expire. It has since been extended into spring — and now prospective buyers are taking their time.
The National Association of Realtors said its seasonally adjusted index of sales contracts fell 16 percent from October to November, ending nine months of gains. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected only a 2 percent drop.
"This was bound to happen at some point, although not by this much," wrote Jennifer Lee, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets. She added: "Gulp."
When the tax credit expires this spring and the government phases out programs to keep mortgage rates low, the housing market will have to stand on its own. Many economists doubt it can.
"We're just going to languish at the bottom," said Anna Piretti, senior economist at BNP Paribas.
The last housing downturn helped drag the nation into the worst recession in decades. The expected dip in home sales and prices this winter appears to pose less of a threat to the broader economy.
Orders to U.S. factories, for example, posted a big gain in November, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. So while the housing market remains vulnerable, makers of steel, computers and chemicals are mounting a surprisingly robust rebound.
"We expect housing to just limp along even as the rest of the economy is growing fairly strongly," said Nomura Securities economist Zach Pandl.
Stocks were mixed as the reports offered conflicting signals about the economy. The Dow industrials slipped 0.1 percent, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 0.3 percent to its highest close since Oct. 1, 2008.
The tax credit is worth up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers and was set to expire Nov. 30. Congress extended it through the end of April and broadened it to include a credit of up to $6,500 for buyers who relocate.
Typically, there's a lag of one to two months between when the contract is signed and when the sale closes. To meet the original deadline for the tax credit, buyers would have needed to submit a signed sales contract by the end of October at the latest.
The Realtor group said it expected homebuyers to start responding to the extension by early spring, suggesting that sales will pick up again but fall back later in the year, once the government support is gone.
In addition, the Federal Reserve is buying up $1.25 trillion in mortgage-backed securities to help keep interest rates at or near record lows. That program is scheduled to run out at the end of March, though a sudden jump in rates could force the Fed to extend it.
"We don't want to see mortgage rates rise yet," said Jerry Smith, associate broker with Re/Max Professional outside Denver. "And we certainly don't want to see unemployment get any worse than it is."
For November, new sales contracts were down 3 percent in the West, 15 percent in the South and 26 percent each in the Northeast and Midwest.
The housing market had been rebounding from the worst downturn in decades, helped by the federal intervention. Sales of existing homes surged in November to the highest level in nearly three years, but analysts expect a drop of 10 to 20 percent from November to December.
The most pessimistic analyst forecast came from Daniel Alpert, managing director of the New York investment bank Westwood Capital LLC. He expects prices to fall to 10 percent below the lows of last spring when the government help goes away.
Nevertheless, in some particularly hard-hit areas real estate agents are confident the worst days of the housing bust are over.
Charlotte Wester, a real estate agent with US Preferred Realty in Mesa, Ariz., said homes are so affordable — one house in her area sold for under $50,000 last fall — that houses are drawing multiple bids and often selling over the listing prices.
"I can't see how our prices could get any cheaper," she said.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 05 2010 at 5:20pm |
In October, buyers raced to get contracts signed in time to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time homeowners that was set to expire. It has since been extended into spring — and now prospective buyers are taking their time
......................................
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the upper half of the nation is always slow/down this time of year... otherwise houses
are moving in my area and in Vermont...VA too ... we expect5 housing to be slow in harder
hit areas of the nation. Things usually pick up in May.
Accumulate shares in growth areas... now is the time. Look outside the US.
Moving shares to Roth is good... new rules for 2010.
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4=laro
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 7:33am |
Why would housing be the only thing headed for a double dip? If it wouldnt be for the plunge protection team buying stocks, the stock market would still be in the toilet. We have people , smarter then thee, so they think, running the country and they are running it into the ground.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 3:53pm |
.
You needn't be rich to do well..
large hint...
Accumulate shares in growth areas... now is the time. Look outside the US.
Moving shares to Roth is good... new rules for 2010.
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Technologist
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 4:53pm |
Mary008 wrote:
.
You needn't be rich to do well..
large hint...
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If you're saying that stock might jump it's definitely a possibility with a few deals they have worked out. But don't forget there are a bunch of new LiPo and LiPoly companies hitting the market hard this year.
The problem with Electrovaya is that 3 years ago they promised 330 Wh/Kg energy density and they hit 183 Wh/Kg years later instead. They hype things and hide specs on their website that has messed with the stock in the past. Now they are talking 400 Wh/Kg. If they really reached that with a high C rate and 2000+ recharge cycles they would do great things but they have a very shaky history.
I'm not saying not to invest as the stock could jump up but it also could drop with the way they announce products before they are fully developed.
If we had a battery with these specs: 400 Wh/Kg, +30C discharge rates, 2000+ charge cycles and a low enough price it would change the the automotive industry.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 7:47pm |
with a few deals they have worked out
.........................................
.
Name them all : )
perhaps all the info isn't out on the table ...
...........
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Mary008
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 7:55pm |
Electrovaya could be poised for breakout year
... I'm talking Asia and the deals this company have brokered in India, China and Japan. Just last month it announced an MOU with India's HEROElectric to jointly developed electric scooters and motorcycles (unlike in China, where electric bicycles are more popular, the East Indian crowd prefers scooters and motorcycles). HEROElectric controls half the market in India for two-wheelers, so it's not such a bad partner to have. In November it signed another MOU with Japan's Nippon Kouatsu Electric Co. to co-develop smart grid stationary battery systems based on its Lithium Ion SuperPolymer cell technology, and in late 2008 it signed an MOU with Chana International Corp., China's third-largest automaker, to develop zero-emission electric cars. Significantly, Chana has joint ventures with Ford, Mazda and Suzuki. Electrovaya is also a partner with India’s Tata Motors as part of a joint-venture to manufacture its batteries in Norway.
EFLVF.PK
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Mary008
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 8:59pm |
.
Another fun stock to watch...
Canadian Company with German partner (a good match... I know this :)
..................
VIDEO.
...............
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7laws
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 9:14pm |
4=laro, What they have not been telling the average investor is that the market made such a great climb in 2009 on light volume. That might as well spell pull back. A pull back that appears to be looming will be very hard. I believe that most on wall street think the economy is getting better. They don't go out and see how the middle class are doing in person. They can look at their numbers all day long but they won't see the truth untill there is a food line on wall street. The plung protection team has been buying bonds for some time now. How long can the plung protection team buy its own debt and get away with it? The truth is about to bust out any time now. The Ponzi scheme is over.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 06 2010 at 11:12pm |
.
i googled it and find I'm not the only one who thinks so : )
DECEMBER 24, 2009, 11:00 A.M. ET
Canada Hot Stocks: Nevsun, Priszm, Tethys, Electrovaya
.......
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sleusha
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 5:48am |
Wow. Some of you people have horrible attitudes. The glass sure is half empty, isn't it??
It's great to be prepared, but at the same time you don't have to complain about everything and look for doom and gloom. Don't worry, doom and gloom will always have no problem finding you when it strikes. You have your own little worlds to think about. Prepare for yourself and do the best you can in this life, but don't waste all of your time blaming everyone for everything, and concentrate on your own personal life. Try to enjoy what little time you have here as a human being on earth.
You don't have to live your life in fear of the president or leaders and what they will do to "you". Life is too short for that. If you lived in a place where they'd chop your head off for looking at someone the wrong why, I could understand your concerns, but believe it or not, this is still America and you are still freer than most. Appreciate what you do have and appreciate the ability that you have to prep, and don't be consumed by the stockmarket or pandemic until it strikes you.
You can be prepared without being consumed.
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4=laro
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 6:01am |
I really dont think there has been any type of stock market recovery.... In Sept 2007 the Dow was around 14,000. Gold was selling for $673 per oz. If you divide 14000 by 673 you come up with a factor number of 20, so it took 20 ounces of gold to buy the dow. I am using gold as my comparison number because it is real money. Today the dow is 10573, gold is selling for $1129 per oz, so dividing 10573 by 1129 gives me a factor of 9.3. Today it takes 9.3 ounces of gold to buy the dow. comparing today to 9/07, if we had a true recovery the dow would be trading at 22,580. (1129, the price of gold today multiplied by 20, the number of ounces it took to buy the dow in 9/07.) So all that noise about the recovery, is just that noise because the dow is still down more then 50% from where it should be. This is about where it was when it crashed and lost 50% of its value. I had to use gold as real money because the dollar is being devalued and reproduced at an alarming rate. All other fiat currencys are also being devalued and reproduced just as fast as the dollar so there is no way I could use the euro or frank or pound, since all are fiat currencys.
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sleusha
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 6:14am |
Just how quickly do you think the Dow is going to reach 22,580? Let's be realistic. We're in an upward trend. We were told up front the employment would be the last thing to make a comeback too.
Recession hits, businesses who can't afford to keep running in the red close or downsize considerably. The strong survive. Closing of businesses leaves fewer businesses for people to go to and fewer is better for those businesses that survived. Employees who lost jobs have a hard time finding them becuase so many businesses closed or downsized tremendously.
You can't quickly rebuild what has been lost. It takes a long time to rebuild what has been lost here. Confidence has to go back up. Needs must be met. When needs have been met and you start seeing more "wants" fulfilled, then you will see more of a recovery.
None of us here are experts on global economy. As a matter of fact, the majority of sites to claim to know what they are talking about on the internet are not experts on the global economy.
Do you know why certain websites are on government watch sites? It's not because they have access to secret information. It's because they are dangerous and influential nutjobs.
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4=laro
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 7:22am |
I never said the dow would reach 22,580. I was only trying to point out the fact that the dow today at 10,000+ is still 50% from where it should be when compared to Sept. 2007.
Since it is still 50% less then it should be we have had no recovery.
You cant have a recovery if you dont fix what caused the crash in the first place. No banking regulations have been passed by congress to correct the problem.
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Hotair
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 8:29am |
Hi sleusha,
I am happy to hear some optimistic words from someone but I am sitting on main street and, belive me, there is NO RECOVERY anywhere near here. The Wall street folks and economists can sit in their ivory towers with their enormous salaries and cheer but everyone I know is struggling with no end in sight. What the last wo governments have done is unsustainable and there have to be consequences somewhere along the line. At the very least, inflation. A lot of it!
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coyote
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 8:34am |
Agreed..Same here! Still driving my 98 GMC pickup.. No new truck for me till I start seeing things improve!
Six million in the US with no income but food stamps
7 January 2010
Some six million Americans—one in 50 people in the US—are living on no income other than $100 or $200 a month in food stamps, according to an analysis of state data by the New York Times. The number of people who reported that they are unemployed and receive no cash aid—neither welfare, nor unemployment insurance, pension benefits, child support or disability pay—the newspaper reported, has jumped by 50 percent over the last two years, as the recession has taken hold.
According to the January 3 article, the number of people reporting no income tripled in Nevada over the past two years, doubled in Florida and New York, and increased nearly 90 percent in Minnesota and Utah. In Wayne County, Michigan—which includes Detroit, where half the population is unemployed or underemployed—one out of every 25 residents reports an income of only food stamps. In Yakima County, Washington, the figure is one out of every 17.
The figures reveal the vast scale of human suffering in the US as the new decade begins and puts the lie to talk of an economic “recovery.†The 6 million people in households reporting no income—which includes 1.2 million children—is equivalent to the entire population of Indiana or Massachusetts, or the combined populations of Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston.
Such a social catastrophe underscores the indifference of the Obama administration, which has done virtually nothing to provide relief to those who have lost their jobs, homes and livelihoods—even as it spares no expense to shore up the fortunes of the financial elite and fund its ongoing wars.
“Many of those who would have received cash assistance in past recessions are not getting it now,†Judy Putnam, a spokesperson for the Michigan League for Human Services, told the World Socialist Web Site. “Only a third of the state’s children living in poverty are getting cash assistance compared with two-thirds before ‘welfare reform’ in 1996. People in Michigan are heavily dependent on food stamps.â€
The social crisis facing working people—depression levels of unemployment, home foreclosures, the growth of hunger, poverty and homelessness—is the most graphic expression of the failure of capitalism, an economic system that benefits the wealthy few at the expense of the vast majority.
In the midst of this worsening situation for the working population, it was reported last week that the top three banks—Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley—which received tens of billions in public funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program—will hand out $49.5 billion in end-of-year cash bonuses and stock awards. All told, US banks will dispense an estimated $200 billion in total compensation.
The Obama administration is continuing and accelerating the transfer of wealth from working people to those who are responsible for precipitating the worst economic breakdown since the Great Depression.
Nearly a year after his inauguration, President Obama has demonstrated he is nothing but a tool of the financial oligarchy. The very future of the working class depends on the development of a mass socialist movement against this administration, both big business parties, and the profit system which they defend.
Jerry White
www.wsws.org...
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coyote
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 8:58am |
BREITBART.COM
Fed members see high unemployment as key concern
Jan 6 03:08 PM US/Eastern
Federal Reserve members expressed concern at a policy meeting last month that unemployment would "remain elevated for quite some time," and limit economic growth, minutes released Wednesday showed.
Copyright AFP 2008, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium
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sleusha
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 9:20am |
Sorry to see some of you doing so badly, driving old vehicles and no economic relief in site, no no jobs.
Fact is, you should be driving an old vehicle if that's what you are driving. Big corporation wants you to believe you need a new car every other year. You are programmed to feel needy and insecure if you don't have a new car when in all actuality you can make a car last well beyond 200,000+ miles and save yourself quite a bit of money.
Fact is, there are quite a few jobs out there. They may not pay well, but if you work together with your family or teammates, you can still live quite a comfortable life provided you don't buy into large corporate consumerism.
Most people believe they have to have things that others in other countries only dream of having. Like a fairly new washer and dryer, televisions in every room, phones, computer internet, etc etc etc. We're doing fine and we're going to survive this recession and recover.
We can actually be happy too and not worry so much about the world which we haven't a clue about - only what we are told by internet websites who for the most part don't have a clue themselves.
Don't worry. Be happy. :D
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coyote
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 9:35am |
Hey Sleusha.. Me very happy, as we live a simple "homesteading" type of life..Raise our own Chickens,vegetables ect.. Working on paying off our $4,000 visa card and then will be dept free.. I am just preparing for the future like a lot of other people here...If things get really sour and the XXXX hits the fan, we will be ready for it.
BETTER TO HAVE AND NOT NEED THAN TO NEED AND NOT HAVE.
"TIME TO GET BACK TO BASICS"
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coyote
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 9:42am |
Fact is, there are quite a few jobs out there
Not here in my neck of the woods...Where I work we were on a 4 day work week for the most of 2009..This year?? Time will tell..Not many sign's that we will be getting much busier here.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 10:33am |
My car doesn't look that old... but it is :) but here in NY things are looking up. I'm sorry for folks in states where the auto industry went belly up. I did see that they are assisting used to be auto workers with education for the health care industry... it's something...as well as a few new companies going to needy states. The PA steel industry was hard hit years ago and they did recover. I invite people to come to NY as we were given a lot of Govt aid. Come On Over... Vermont needs people in Health care and Education. We seem to have rainy summers and very cold winters here... a trade off. Given the choice most of us around here choose optimism. Feels better.
......
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sleusha
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 12:40pm |
coyote wrote:
Hey Sleusha.. Me very happy, as we live a simple "homesteading" type of life..Raise our own Chickens,vegetables ect.. Working on paying off our $4,000 visa card and then will be dept free.. I am just preparing for the future like a lot of other people here...If things get really sour and the XXXX hits the fan, we will be ready for it.
BETTER TO HAVE AND NOT NEED THAN TO NEED AND NOT HAVE.
"TIME TO GET BACK TO BASICS" |
That's great to hear. We're pretty much debt free. If we use credit, it's only for what we need and we make sure that it's on the interest-free program.
I agree about american society getting back to the basics. You go into the city, and every kid's got the nicest car that their parents can possibly get. They have gaming systems that cost hundreds of dollars as well as games that are quite costly -- IPODS, cell phones with texting abilities, designer clothes.. and the list goes on and on. Is this really teaching our kids the way we want to teach them as parents or the way Wall Street wants to teach them?
We need to teach our kids the simple happiness of life and yes.. get back to the basics. Family gatherings, physical activity, hiking, camping... things that most kids don't appreciate anymore. Kids are alienating themselves in this little bubble in which their socialization skills, imaginations, and ability to process information and dream, etc are all being done for them rather than them doing it for themselves. Others are thinking for our kids, not giving them a chance to think for themselves. We are in serious trouble if we don't start giving our kids a large dose of reality and start making them go without to learn the more important things in life.
We brought our son from the big city to the country. He was doing horrible in the public school. Once he moved into the country, he totally changed and now has much more of an appreciation for life, himself and others. People get so caught up in big-city life and it hits the kids really hard, and we've had such a consumerism rage pushed upon american youth, we've got to reverse the trend.
This economic recession was a blessing in disguise, and hopefully many will learn from it and start learning to prep, and realize that all of our lives are hanging by a fine string, and one snip and it could be gone. You can't take your material things with you, but you can make a difference in people's lives while you are here on earth.
lol.. okay now that I got these things off my chest, I can introduce myself to some of you who may not know me. I'm a regular over at swineflu.org for those of you who don't frequent there. Nice to meet you all. Now that swine flu is not as much an issue, I might come here more from time to time.
I like being prepared, but I also enjoy life. I like being knowledgeable and open-minded, but yet keep a realistic perspective of my little "ant-sized" life here on earth. I can't control the country or the earth, but I can control my own little world.
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Technologist
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 2:47pm |
sleusha wrote:
IPODS, cell phones with texting abilities, designer clothes.. and the list goes on and on. Is this really teaching our kids the way we want to teach them as parents or the way Wall Street wants to teach them?
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PSP, GAMEBOY IPHONE WARNING:
Both my Kids were complaining of blurry vision at distances. My daughter kept moving closer to the front of her classrooms to see clearly but they never needed glasses before. I checked their vision with a homemade diopter and they were -1.0 to -1.50 off.
I thought about it and figured out the problem. I bought them Iphone's about 1 1/2 years ago. They were texting 5K-9K messages per month each. That might take 3-6 hour a day. I noticed they were texting 8-10 inches from the I phone and thought the strain might be causing nearsightedness. I cancelled they text messaging and within months both of them are back to 20/20 vision and have been for a year now.
To confirm this I looked for studies on the web about nearsightedness in college students based on subject. I don't have time to dig up the links but some subjects had students wearing glasses 2-3 times more then others. I think math and science students were at the top of the list. It also had correlation's showing it was not caused by genetics or early eye age disorders but was more of a strong relation to time and distance. I think one study said we read 15 times more now then in the beginning of the century.
So if your kid want's a hand held PSP, gameboy or Iphone I would reconsider it. If they have an Iphone block the ability to Text message as most College kids need glasses in subjects that require many hours of very close reading. If you have an LCD monitor. Don't fall into the 9-10" netbook trap and try to stay 18-24 inches from your monitor. Larger screens with lower DPI and bigger fonts are better for your vision. Distance is key! Otherwise you'll have a good chance of needing glasses for distance.
The same goes for reading books. Use brighter lights. Brighter lights shrink your pupil and give you a greater depth of field. This allows you see with less eye strain. Doubt it? Ever tried a pinhole glasses experiment? Someone with blurry vision can see clearly using a pinhole and no lens in bright light. Your eye work the same way in bright light. If you have astigmatisms you might notice it might vanish in bright sunlight but is blurry in dim house lighting.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 2:58pm |
.
Thanks for the reminder. I'm remembering my mom telling us... "That is terrible lighting."
I'll go to 100 watt in reading lamps. We were all so intent on cutting elec. consumption, not worth it in some areas.
I was worried about my child's vision in college... ( soon to begin again, masters :/
What can we do? They have to spend many hours reading and writing on computers now.
........
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Technologist
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 3:05pm |
Mary, My entire house is LED's and Florescent bulbs. You might be using them already but a 23 watt Florescent can screw into a 100 watt Fixture and give the same light output. You can even pick a warmer color temperature now so you can't tell the difference other then the reduced heat and energy savings. If you have Edison Costco sometimes has huge instant rebates. I buy 24 florescent bulbs for $2.99 instead of $20 when they do the instant rebate.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 3:37pm |
.
The LED I'm familiar with is the cool stocking stuffer mini flashlight I gave my dad... it even had a green light, flashing and sos. a hit... I haven't looked at them for home lighting.
Florescent bulbs...I have 3 of these in the kitchen and bathroom...don't like them :)
they are the long kind. are the curly typr bulbs florescent? I don't have many as I do like dimmers and can't use them in ceiling fixtures as they make a noise. I like interesting lighting... and the daylight type and special real color for sewing area. I love costco... I would have to drive to CT :) thanks for the tip. I could go online... doing more of that.
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Mary008
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 6:57pm |
using 100 watts... much better.
A 'Ruralpolitan' Puts a Utility Truck to the Test 12/2/2009
Transplants to the countryside can accumulate an arsenal of heavy duty tools such as chain saws and leaf blowers. WSJ's Wendy Bounds puts her country chops to the test with an off-road utility vehicle.
video
.................
this reminds me of how my mom drove a load of the garden produce up to the driveway from the backyard to deliver to friends... how we laughed the first time we saw her do it.
and we used a hand truck to get the wood over to where it was stacked. We may not look like much but we women have ... spirit. My mom wants a 4 wheeler to take a cart down to her garden now... wondering what they cost used.
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Technologist
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 7:26pm |
I wouldn't bother looking for LED's to replace fluorescents yet but they will hit the market hard in a year or two. As for LED flashlights, if you have the right guidance you can pickup some that are brighter then vehicle Headlights and LED's are already the most efficient light source ever created by man. I have some homebuilt 2250 Lumen LED Flashlights. That's about as bright as two Car headlights and it's in a 4D mag light body.
The newest light is a 6,000 Lumen single LED. It's a bright as two Mercedes HID lights.
Almost all LCD TV's, Projector TV's, Projectors, Computer monitors and Laptops will be LED backlighted within 2-5 years. The laptop I'm on is already LED backlighted.
If you want to see a Stock that jumped almost 500% in a year look at CREE. They just announced a 186 Lumen per Watt LED and a 200 Lumen per Watt LED. Within 10 years we will be at 300 Lumens per Watt
LED's have about a $7.8 Billion market this year and are expected to hit $33 Billion in 3 years. The reason is because nothing on Earth can produce as much light in such a high efficiency. This will save billions in electrical usage. LED's are just now breaking into these High efficiency's. They are now bright enough to replace Street lighting in a single LED. Plus they are infinitely dim-able. They have a flawless tint that can replicate any color in the visual IR and UV spectrum. They turn on instantly and have a 50 thousand to 100 thousand hour lifetime. They should never need to be replaced. LEDs are going to be everywhere and the Norm for lighting very quickly.
Going from incandescent to LED can drop a lighting bill to 1/10th. Going from Florescent to LED can drop a light bill in half.
I don't mess with stocks but CREE has potential. Probably the most potential I've seen in a stock.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/cbuilder?ticker1=CREE%3AUS
http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/news/blogpost/6750266/
http://www.ledinside.com/LED_Market_Outlook_Bullish_Sales_Forecast_to_Top_$33_Billion_by_2013_20090312
This is a Single LED 5 ounce flashlight and its Lithium-ion powered. The reason for the flashing is because I'm running it in 8 different modes including a police strobe mode so it messes with the camera. Police buy these lights from me. This is in my Garage. The image will clear up at the end but notice how "white" the image is and how bright it is. This is just a tiny flashlight and I'm using a camera, not even a camcorder, no auto focus.
LINK
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Technologist
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Posted: January 07 2010 at 7:58pm |
Mary008 wrote:
A 'Ruralpolitan' Puts a Utility Truck to the Test
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I have 3 electric Golf carts. Two are converted for off Roading.
I have one of these ELECTRIC Tractors. Mine is the same model with a Blade and Tiller. Made in the 1970's but they still look nice.
I also have one of these very rare 1973 Auranthetic Charger Electric Minibikes.
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coyote
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Posted: January 08 2010 at 5:40am |
THE NUMBER: DEC. -85,000 JOBS... 10%...
'WORSE THAN EXPECTED'...
GOP MOCKS DEMS: WHERE'S THE WORK?
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Mary008
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Posted: January 08 2010 at 6:54pm |
Tech ...do you race them? we thought it would be fun at a family picnic...while tossing water balloons at eachother. I have a service now but i used to mow my lawn with a 400.00 B&B elec. mower, quiet, no smell, little maint. quick question... if "someone"
drops a large yankee Candle on their laptop... and it stops working... is there any hope for it... ?
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Technologist
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Posted: January 08 2010 at 10:19pm |
Mary008 wrote:
Tech ...do you race them? we thought it would be fun at a family picnic...while tossing water balloon at each other. I have a service now but i used to mow my lawn with a 400.00 B&B elec. mower, quiet, no smell, little maint. quick question... if "someone"
drops a large yankee Candle on their laptop... and it stops working... is there any hope for it. ?
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I'm not sure what your asking about. The Electric tractor, the electric Golf Cart or the Electric Mini-bike?
Those OLD Electric tractors are funny but they kick butt.
This is a true story: Remember this was a 30 year OLD electric tractor with 4 Lead acid batteries for power competing against seasoned veterans in tricked out Screaming Loud open header Gas powered Tractors. Guys that live for the sport. This is a silent tractor. It's the same exact model as mine and the one in that picture.
********************************************************************************************
Subject: GE Electrak tractor pulls Wins first place
Date sent: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 20:19:08 -0400
Send reply to: ev listproc sjsu edu
Hello Folks,
Well last night was the last garden tractor pull of the season. My
second time entering the GE E-20, my second time pulling with anything
for that matter. My son and I used the same tractor to pull in the same
2 classes we had at the last event.
He had 13 competitors in his class and I had about the same. He got 3rd
place with a 1450 LBS pull of 7" The best pull the tractor ever did!!
They started the class with 650 lbs and increased the weight in 200LBS
increments till every one was weeded out.
In my class they started with 850LBS on the sled. Everyone made a "full
pull" of 8' Next came 1050LBS and some of the weaker tractors started to
get weeded out. The E-20 Full pull no problem. Then they loaded on
1250LBS and this weeded out a few more. E-20? Full pull no problem. As
you may recall the last time I pulled the interlock under the seat shut
the tractor down at 1050Lbs and I had to go home. Took care of that
problem this time. Only 4 guys left now 3 gasser's and the E-20.
1450LBS is stacked on the sled. Lot's of smoke and lot's of noise from
the gasser's 2 of which had to call it quits as they sunk in and could
not pull the load. Now it's my turn and I am getting really nervous,
this is a lot of weight and when you look at the aggressive tires and
wheel weights these gassers were running and seeing sink in it made my
heart sink a little. BTW the it's 40 degrees out, nightime and the
tractor has around 7 or 8 pulls on the battery pack. The pack has 2
years worth of lawn mowwing and snowblowing on it. The capacity of the
pack is down at 40 degrees but by how much I don't know. I back up to
the sled with the 1450LBS on it, tension the chain and slam the pedal to
the floor.......
And silently pulled the 1450LBS for a full pull. Well I have at least
second place now. Bad news the last gasser digs in and also pull the
load the full length!!!
Well the guys loading the sled were determined to shut us down on this
round so they upped the weight to 1750LBS. All the while we are pulling
the announcers is saying stuff like he's only seen 1 electric tractor
before in his life. and he cannot believe it could be this strong, and
how I should put a muffler on it since the neighbors are complaining
about the "excessive" noise it makes!
2 tractors left now 1750LBS on the sled. I hooked up and ready to pull.
I am laying so far back as I can to get as much weight over the rear
wheels my body was almost horizontal. Off the line we go..... 13"
later I sank in. But was I ever pumped !!!!! Almost a ton of weight
back there!!
The gasser is ready to pull now. He's off the line and going strong
... and then sinks in. The announcer bellows out 12"!!!! The
electric tractor is the winner!!!! The crowd cheered as they assumed the
electric to be the underdog, the tractor is very unassuming compared to
the gas counterparts. I run stock tires and only 40LBS wheel weights
Most of the big boys run the limit of 75 LBS on each side plus a
underbelly mower of about 75 LBS.
What a night ... Had a lot of people asking questions after that. Well
it's back to mowing the lawn and snowblowing.... until next season that
is!!
Paulc
W1VLF
Cloudbounce Webpage http://www.qsl.net/w1vlf/
BTW: I do drag race. Almost 20 years ago I publicly posted that Electric cars will be the fastest cars on the planet.
Watch this Electric Motorcycle. The fastest EV on the dragstrip, 7.864 @169 MPH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbi1RhgRrxk&feature=player_embedded
In a few short years (3-10) the new Ricers (Like fast and the Furious) will be Electric. They will push 1,000+ horsepower and blow away today's million dollar super-cars. They will be untouchable and make gas super-cars look pathetic.
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waterboy
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Posted: January 12 2010 at 1:37pm |
Tough day!
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