The Party is Over by Peter Schiff

Last updated on: October 16, 2008 at 2:21 am By Desh Kapoor

Peter Schiff (Author of The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets) is an analyst of markets whose "negative" views two years ago - I completely agreed with! I thought he was perfectly right. Somehow people did not believe him or me at that time. Now most do. Schiff is coming out with a new book - which I will review later - but here is an interesting and topical article from him for the readers: More than just a mere liquidity or credit crisis, the current financial storm represents the death throes of the old global economic order, and perhaps the birth pains of a new one. The sun is setting on the borrow and spend culture that has defined us for a generation. Our long ride on the global gravy train is finally coming to an end, and once it does nothing will be the same. The sooner we come to grips with this the better. Despite the myriad of proposals that are coming from Washington and other world capitals, we must understand that this crisis cannot be cured by governments. In the United States, credit is gone because savings are gone. Our shallow pool of savings has been depleted through bad loans, and we can no longer entice foreigners to lend us their available savings. Given that we are already too loaded up on existing debt they we cannot realistically repay, who can blame them for not wanting to lend us more? Read more

Benefits of Possessing a Trained Mind

Last updated on: October 16, 2008 at 1:39 am By Rev. Dr. Todd Littleton

Our current intelligent tests, and also the grading methods are a serious attempt against creative thinkers worldwide. A bright creative elementary child many times gives their teachers technicality wrong answers due to major intelligent reasons. Why is this so? This creative child has entered another dimension of effective learning, thus he gives his teacher different expected answers. There are other times when his definitions can reflect a great grade of sophistication, when compared to those he was asked to answer. Read more

REACHING OUR FOURTH DIMENSION REALITY

Last updated on: October 15, 2008 at 5:28 pm By Rev. Dr. Todd Littleton

This contribution should have been called the crystal ball approach. What you are about to read is a very personal discovery, but other people as well, might have obtained very similar practical results. O.k. then, let’s start with the simple objects you need to have very effective conversations with our inner selves. A wide glass container, it can be a salad bowl; a black fabric to be placed at the bottom of this container; a candle on a candle holder; a virgin cd without any writing on it. P R O C E D U R E: Read more

3rd and last US Presidential Debate today

Last updated on: October 15, 2008 at 12:19 pm By Desh Kapoor

Today is the last of the three debates between the Presidential hopefuls in the US. Obama is already way ahead in the lead and many indicators say that he is all set to get to the White House. McCain is trying hard now... and in the last few days has amended his campaign from utter hate filled stuff to some semblence of dignity. And for the record, no matter what the analysts say in the media, his campaign DID act racist and Palin etc were making utterly racist comments! I don't know the correct content of George Wallace... but to me whoever he was, McCain's campaign was VERY close to the worse one can get to in a Presidential race! Today, it seems McCain will try to come out shooting all guns... .like he said to whip his "you know what". And Obama set the bait after last debate by saying that McCain says things behind his back and never on his face. Today McCain may take that bait and go all over the place again - just as last time! So, instead of talking economics he might just go on and on with his Obama rhetoric! And that is what is so stupid about his campaign! The conservative analysts (who basically think with their d**ks) I heard on Lou Dobbs somehow believe that McCain has been very "subdued" and should hit "back" (??)! Read more

Swami UPAji: Ram Setu not integral to Hinduism

Last updated on: October 15, 2008 at 6:11 am By Desh Kapoor

Personally - spiritually speaking - symbols do not mean much. But to the religious they do. There are many who go around posing as "saviors" of some religion or the other. Hinduism is no different. There are the Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal kinds and then there are the zillions of Gurus who brandish their own experience and understanding and expect people to follow. I can't care for both. So, there are people who get angry when the religious parties go around representing every Hindu. And that's fair I guess. But then this kind of sentiment should be towards anyone who goes around giving his/her own twist to the feelings of fthe religious! This Government has been upto that a lot - specially when it comes to breaking off the Ram Setu and constructing the channel. To me, if the religious really feel that it is special for them then there is nothing to argue with them! The only argument that can be made is the commercial one. And according to many, that argument is flawed as well. But what does the Government do? It is trying to tell the Hindus - who Ram was or was not.. and if that did not work.. now it is coming up with more BS!! 1. Central Government has now started saying that Ram destroyed the Setu after his campaign.. based on one version of Ramayan (Kamban Ramayana). He very well may have - but it is an affront to many religious when the Government starts to teach religion to the religious.. specially to just ONE group! I would like this same Government try to tell the Muslims that since Babar was a god-damn barbarian.. and so a structure constructed by him was a non-starter from the beginning and could never be a good place for worship to start with! Will they? Read more

Managing expenses on the go (and your life)

Last updated on: October 15, 2008 at 5:31 am By Desh Kapoor

Do you have an issue tracking your expenses? ... and your schedule? Specially being a travelling consultant - who flies out every week - Mon-Thurs...and if the client goes for actuals (for meals) and not on per-diem basis.. come expense time and it is a night mare! I do try and charge all to my Amex card so its easy.. but you cannot always do that. So what do you do? Today a colleague told me of this incredible idea to keep track of expenses on the go! xpenser.com. It uses the similar technology/model as Jott or other personal organizing sites... but has tailored it to managing expenses. You email/sms/voice-call via jott or even IM in .. .or even twitter in the expenses!! And it shows neatly in the correct categories, with amount and notes. Read more

The Financial crisis and what we can do?

Last updated on: October 14, 2008 at 6:14 am By Desh Kapoor

These are tough economic times and I believe, as many do, that things will get worse still, notwithstanding the Financial rescues that Governments around the world are involved in right now. Some of the things that people are not putting in perspective are the following: 1. Several leveraged Hedge funds have not yet liquidated and when they do the stocks will fall further. Several markets in the world - specially the investors darlings like Emerging markets and the real estate areas will face tremendous declines. 2. Banks are in bad shape - that we know. How bad is not very clear. Based on data provided by Bloomberg using a JP Morgan financial model, price of insurance currently implies that odds of Morgan Stanley defaulting in the next 5 years is 45% and that of Citigroup are 21%. However, to me, given the Government move of "buying stock" in US Financial Institutions implies that they were facing imminent failure. The odds were high enough for a US Government to "Nationalise" the entire financial sector! It must have been significant enough to summarily abandon the raison d'etre of America's Capitalist system. So historic was it and yet everyone missed the enormity of abandoning of the most cherished of US principles! 3. Derivative markets have not completely unravelled as yet. Given their size and the hollow nature of their underlying assets - given the current turmoil - it seems that their fall has been delayed. It might hinge on just a few banking/insurance failures. But that decline would be most disastrous! Read more

Life is a beautiful change..

Last updated on: October 13, 2008 at 2:26 am By Rev. Dr. Todd Littleton

Life is harmonious non stopping movement. Life needs rhythmic impulses in order to keep our well being healthy. Since us, human beings are born until the last moment of our lives changing is a common factor. Even after passing away we participate in our great initiation. Also every hour from the twenty-four hours from a day and night are different from each other. So we must welcome change. I'm amazed as how artists and photographers capture frozen moments of time. How they are able to transmit beauty. Usually their trained eye can detect things in a perfect dimension and harmony. Their work brings us the necessary tranquility to our productive lives, so we can keep on living according to Mother Nature laws and principles. Read more

More financial misery?

Last updated on: October 12, 2008 at 5:15 am By Desh Kapoor

That Iceland and Pakistan are on the verge of economic failure, is well known. What is not out much as yet is that there are three more countries which are also on that point: There are mounting fears that Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Argentina could now slide into a downward spiral towards bankruptcy, while western banks exposed to the property bubble across Eastern Europe have seen their share price crushed. Yesterday, US Government announced that it will buy stock in country's Financial Institutions. It is a nice way of saying they are being nationalized. If US Government has decided to nationalise its engine of innovation, then one thing is certain that it must have had the most unacceptable alternative - of HISTORICAL proportions! This is the first time in the history of US that its very foundational principles have been done away with.... and without any opposition! If someone had told me of this event - just a year back I would have laughed off! Folks, we are in historical times. Be patient and be sensible. Read more

Pakistan's "Macabre" vs Micawber's economics

Last updated on: October 12, 2008 at 4:30 am By Desh Kapoor

Ali Khan recalled: "General Beg called me for a cup of tea. He said, 'Don't you realize we are on the brink of economic collapse? I can change that by selling what we are good at. I can offer this country a lot. Six, eight, ten billion dollars.' I laughed. I said, 'You can't be serious.' The general said, 'I am very serious.' He then mentioned selling our bombs to Iran. He said, 'Nisar you can argue with me but that's not your job. You tell Nawaz Sharif that this is a good idea. It's the prime minister's position to decide.' [ Deception: Pakistan, the United States and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons by Adrian Levy] It was 1988. US was leaving Afghanistan and dollars were drying up quickly. Pakistan had almost completed the Nuclear acquisition and perfected the technology. With nothing much to export, General Aslam Beg now had set his sights on what was Pakistan's greatest achievement hitherto - the Nukes. Iran did not however get the Nukes directly though - because it was after all a radical Shia regime (it did get the P1 and P2 class reactor technology subsequently). The beneficiary and the payer became Saudi Arabia. It could not bother with the technology, so to arm their Chinese CSS-II missiles, Pakistan gave them what was required and saved the country from economic collapse. Aid was Pakistan's "monetary and fiscal policy". When it was absent, then it was Nuke and military sales. THAT is the reason why Army has never let a democratic government last in that country. 2008 - twenty years since Beg decided to sell nukes to escape the begging - now the situation has turned a full circle! But in the last few years, Iran and North Korea have become hot places and in full glare. And for last few years US was feeding the Pakistani coffers so the market saturation of countries who wanted Nukes on the sly did not matter. Now even the US doesn't have enough to give. Afghanistan's poppy sales is also no longer feeding the coffer of the Army. The break-down is virtually total! Read more