Archive for October, 2007
Slain Soldier Told Family to Investigate if She Died; She Was Found Dead on Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan
October 5th, 2007Massachusetts National Guard Spc. Ciara Durkin told her family that something might happen to her after discovering, “something she didn’t like,” and she, “had raised concerns that had annoyed some people.” She was in a finance related unit. Afghanistan produces 95% of the world’s opium. Coincidence? I wonder if she connected the information to a […]
Industry Wouldn’t Fund Cancer Drug Research, So Alberta Town Rode to the Rescue
October 5th, 2007Via: CBC News: Even though the drug shrinks cancerous tumours, no pharmaceutical companies wanted to fund human trials because they couldn’t make enough money selling it. And that’s when Peace River stepped in. To date, the town in northwestern Alberta has collected $250,000 — a large chunk of the $800,000 in grants and donations generated […]
Another U.S. Bank Fails
October 5th, 2007Note the part about the depositors who became “creditors” to the bank? That’s a pleasant way of saying that clueless elderly people lost any portion of their deposits above the FDIC limit of $100,000. Via: Reuters: Miami Valley Bank, with $86.7 million in assets, became the third failed insured bank this year when Ohio’s industry […]
Attempt to Shake Gold Bugs Runs Into Wall of Buyers
October 5th, 2007WARNING: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. We need to talk about stops and cranks. Cranks are an attempt by large players to shake valuable fruit from the tree around strategic support and resistance levels. In Insider Crimes, Funny Money and Options Rackets, I wrote: Market makers will […]
“Storm Isn’t Doing Much, so Far, Except Gathering Strength.”
October 4th, 2007Strange story about a worm that has been building a vast botnet of sleeper zombies. The thing has been growing for months. Very interesting read. Via: Wired: The Storm worm first appeared at the beginning of the year, hiding in e-mail attachments with the subject line: “230 dead as storm batters Europe.” Those who opened […]
Big Traders Dive Into Dark Pools
October 4th, 2007It’s absolutely fascinating that these institutional players have had to form private networks to run their rackets. How this is allowed is a mystery to me. It makes no sense from a simple supply and demand standpoint! You know, the basic principal of a “free market.” These guys are essentially able to hide their real […]
Lehman Brothers Will Face Former Employees in Court Over Allegations of Fraudulent Mortgage Lending Practices
October 4th, 2007Via: Press Release: BNC Mortgage, Inc. was in the business of selling sub-prime home loans to buyers who could not financially qualify for conventional loans. Last month, Lehman Brothers was forced to shut down BNC Mortgage, Inc., and its sub-prime lending business because the volatile market had made it so unprofitable. Before the bottom fell […]
Infrared Scans for DC Drivers
October 4th, 2007Full throttle absurdity. Via: Washington Post: Are drivers ready to be scanned like groceries at the supermarket? The answer will help determine whether Washington area commuters use a planned network of high-occupancy and toll lanes, which will start to take shape next year when an expansion of the Capital Beltway is to begin. The lanes […]
Sinking in a Swamp Full of Blackwater
October 4th, 2007Via: New York Times: “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster,†Nietzsche said. “And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.†We’re gazing into the abyss all right, and Blackwater is gazing back. Besides having an army for hire, brave kids […]
Europe Urges U.S. to Curb Fall of Dollar
October 3rd, 2007Via: International Herald Tribune: The chief political spokesman for the euro has added his voice to demands for the United States to make a greater effort to curb the dollar’s strong fall – presaging tense times at the Group of 7 meeting this month in Washington. Jean-Claude Juncker, who heads the group of finance ministers […]
