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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HIGH FLYING

When some part of a factory malfunctions, the CEO does not turn up and discuss the whys and wherefores of it. Yet Obama is "due to meet high-ranking security officials later tonight" bringing his deep insight into 'failed bombery'. It could be the plot of a farce.

Obama's expertise, lies in getting to be president. He is also a vacuous orator and consummate teleprompt reader. But what does he know of the sort of guy who ends up out on an unsustainable limb, trying to fly high and be somebody - at any cost to his fellow man?

Oh - forget I wrote anything. He probably is the right guy. . .

i saw a report today that said the taliban had infiltrated every afghan ministry including intelligence. so the taliban knows what they know?

wasn't there also a report that the taliban can view the pictures from the drones?

also is it not amazing how when they are with NATO the afghan troops/police are regarded as poor and indisciplined but when they defect to the Taliban they become crack mountain or desert commandos?

the taliban who have a defined model of society is always going to out inspire those who merely want to extend the model of western corruption that masquerades as modern democracy?

FEAR SURPRISE AND RUTHLESS EFFICIENCY

So - a third of the seats at the Blair Inquisition (something he never expected) will go to families of those killed.

Be afraid Tony - be very afraid.

WHERE DO I JOIN? (#3)

Thanks for that post Jaunty - you have given me hope (and a laugh over the crack mountan/desert commandos - priceless).

#3

so you have links with them, have you, jaunty, or are you just in awe of their 'organised humanity'?

THE MAD LOGIC OF STEALTH-OPPRESSION

Obama says they had the intelligence but did not apply it. If that is the case - where is the logic of a nationwide 'turn of the screening screw'? The PRIMARY failing was NOT screening. Deja vu anyone?

At 9/11, THEY HAD THE INTELLIGENCE BUT DID NOT APPLY IT. It has emerged, since 2001, that they had warnings, some very specific, from a number of countries; they were not applied. Could it be that the Christmas bomber was a patsy to permit unopposed reinforcement of the 'terror-grip', in the service of the New American Century's hold over the homeland folk?

Stay alert. There will be another 'scare' followed further control measures. 1984 was a fairytale by comparison to where this is going.

#16

I hope, Brightyangthing, that you don't mind me illustrating the Emp. Blum. the way I see him. In no way am I claiming that's how you see him and all misinterpretations are purely my own:

Emperor Blumenthal, the communist fellow,
and who comes from the city of Warall,
has aspirations incredibly floral
with regard to ladies and particularly the one
who seems to be slipping from his claws vilely immoral
seeking now his solace among the talibans
having abused all democratic freedoms
in search of an hour of 'glory' and money

mim

Until Mad Men returns to ´óÏó´«Ã½ 2, I think Nurse Jackie could be my favourite programme.

Sadly, we won't ever be able to produce this kind of stuff.

NN economics news is a bit behind, specifically the possibility of a sovereign debt crisis here in Britain, something the worlds largest bond managers, who have been pretty accurate up to now, are concerned about, see here-



Oh and Icelands rating has been cut to junk status by the rating agency Fitch, Greece is being watched closely by the ECB who are sending people to Athens to assess the situation while in the US one of the government programs may have increased toxic debt, see here-



And just to top it off, some very pessimistic predictions from those who actually make money in the markets rather than TV / political bobble heads-



Number 11 is my favourite -

11. Biggs: Sell everything, buy guns, food, head for the hills.

Newsnight on top form tonight - from Jeremy's excellent interview with Michael Chertoff and excellent economic analysis with Dr. Irwin Stelzer/Gillian Tett/Will Hutton. Loved Jeremy calling Will Hutton "Dr. Pan Gloss" ha ha ha ha!!!! Very interesting report by Paul, and the funniest. However, my favourite of the night was the discussion on the weather with Prof Gardner/Paul Simons/Bishop of Reading. I particularly loved the Bishop's suggestion that we should all be sledging tomorrow.
More please :o)

Nigerian Underpants bomber: That was a staged event.

Bomber gets on a plane without passport. His 'well dressed minder' of Asian appearence gets him on the flight with no difficulty. The 'well dressed minder' trains a camera on the underpants bomber for the whole duration of the flight, BOOM! a firecracker goes off and in less than 24hrs, body scanners and there speedy planned implimentation hits the news. The Nigerian bomber has been set-up. Its a classic spook op. Go listen/watch the eye witness accounts. The CIA/security services and the Obama admin spat is just a smoke bomb.

#12

kevseywevsey

the next thing you'll be telling us that it was either Gordon Brown or Pete Mandelson staging the Christmas firecracking event in revenge of the breakdown of truthful and meaningful diplomatic relations with the USA, or at least with Barack Obama himself

or is it just some double/multiple agents working their way through to 'a dreamed up land'?

From now on, 6 1 2010,
It’s only the real that counts
Whatever the cost, whatever the loss,
I’ll wait until when
The scam is exposed,
The black hole is closed,
That’s what I have decided, Loll,
With you remaining in my eyes quite blameless
As we’ve both been involved in helping the homeless.
With a few other reasons on top, I do have to confess,
But I do see no reason to put them to press.

mim

BALANCE

There are times in one’s life
If one doesn’t resist temptation and greed
One places oneself on a downward spiral
Making oneself feeling horrible and sick.

It seems to me quite a bit to be said
For balance between the daily and passion, let’s say.
Give in to one you lose out on the other
Feeling lost and confused gasping for air.

mim

#11 turbojerry

Marketwatch - Good link!

I found this of interest.

'.....Now he's warning: "Bubbles are primarily social phenomena. Until we understand and address the psychology that fuels them, they're going to keep forming. We recently lived through two epidemics of excessive financial optimism, we are close to a third episode, only this one will spread irrational pessimism and distrust '

Surely the 4th last word SHOULD read 'rational'. If we apply common sense and honesty to what we have ALL been largely complicit in over the past decade (we have all 'never had it so good') it is not only a rational, but a realistic pessimism.

IF and that is a BIG IF take a long hard look at our greed, selfishness and blinkered approach to 'tomorrow is another day' and prepare to take some tough actions and cut our cloth a lot closer to the seam, we just MAY be able to ride out the storm. Who knows, we may come out of it with a slower, kinder, more community/society minded world - a bit like the sparkly white dream sequence we saw at the end of last night's programme.

We need to STOP demanding stuff. STOP expecting everything to be perfect. STOP blaming everyone and everything around us when anything is less than. STOP expecting 'the other guy' to FIX it with NO PAIN or STRAIN to us.

In short, we need to open our eyes, get over the 'if I cry someone will feed me' mentality, and start acting like adults.

Will the current BIG FREEZE be enough to slow us down, or do we perhaps need a good old fashioned war?

10 turbo

the pimco was noted in the previous plan so far blog.

plenty perma bears out there but that does not mean they trade that way. remmeber misinformation is a bit part of trading. one of the truisms is that the time to buy is when there are riots on the streets.

#17

We all know by now that you pride yourself on misinformation, jaunty.

Do you mean loot when there are riots on the streets? Sneak in, snap a goodie and come back for more?

#16

Brightyangthing

Ever since coming to the UK in 1978, I've always been amazed how much people complain here about, for instance, not being paid enough and wanting more and more /not everybody of course/ having seen the Poles living on so much less. Not that I would recommend going back to those times, not at all. It is just a question of being able to keep a perspective on things. In fact, I don't see anything wrong with people earning good money and aspiring to even more as long as this doesn't become a selfish goal via the suffering of others and forgetting everybody else. Good money can be put to good use, etc, and it is after all a tool, for instance, of keeping, let's say restaurants and theatres open, etc.

But while on the way there why not stop off to have a chat with a homeless person /giving them or not a few coins/ and/or give an elderly person walking alone a smile?

Time to close down for now

Have a good day and hope that on balance yesterday wasn't too bad for you

mim

Brightyangthing #16

Not war, surely, too many innocents die in wars. If the opposite side is not able to accept defeat in a civilised manner while the innocents, not at all connected to the fight, suffer, then something needs to be done and in such a case a clear cut solution needs to be done. I do not, however, recommend anything of a violent kind.

mim

Now why wasn't he more outspoken when Archbishop?!

INSTITUTIONAL BLINDNESS (#21)

Ho Lizzy! It's the same with Generals, while their squaddies are dying like sand-flies, they mutter amongst themselves. Then they retire and start yelling their heads off at politicians. You might say it has something to do with pension entitlement - I couldn't possibly comment.

Who is head of both Church and armed forces again?

#22 Hhhhmm Barrie well at least the common man gets to say his opinion sometimes....



Well over half a million now, I wonder if this lot will ever bother voting though! Perhaps you ought to set one up SPOIL PARTY GAMES?!

Actually that's not a bad idea! : )

SPOIL PARTY GAMES (#23) CREDO

Westminster is a far more insidious ethos than is generally registered. It is a citadel, within which the Parties (morality-free agglomerations of wannabes) enact sheltered rituals of self-interest, virtually UNAVAILABLE (for a good wage) elsewhere.

Few would see the above as other than the ramblings of a sad old man, so a frontal attack on Westminster, itself, is doomed. Parties are a different matter. They show, and have shown, their abominable nature all to often, and even the sugar/fat/alcohol and debt-money, anaesthetised masses, are now awake to their iniquity. Hence the potential bite of: 'SPOIL PARTY GAMES' - hopefully leading to The Fall of The Palace of Westminster.

The 2005 election (when I stood in Newbury) distilled much of my thinking/awareness to those three words. You will have noticed I am not slow to post them! I shan't stand as a candidate this year, BUT THE MESSAGE WILL GO OUT with all the energy I can muster, and through all the forums I can invade. (I have just informed Radio Berkshire the game is afoot.)

As you will have noticed, I, and others, are currently urging the 'aware' to ask their MP to press for an ABSTENTION BOX on the voting slip. Obviously - this is a step towards spoiling party games. The pathetic 'party-share' of the total possible vote, is not illuminated, because the disaffected have no registerable WORTHY vote, so stay at home to be labelled 'apathetic'. The Parties are suited by this calumny.

The list of Dr. Doom's includes a fair number of names I recognise - guys who make their money from never under-estimating the stupidity of the heard.

What I found a bit odd about the financial discussion is that inflation didn't get a mention. For the man on the street I think that's going to be the most tangible thing this year. The pound has devalued a lot and I don't think that has fully fed through into prices yet. There is talk that the base rate will remain at 0.5% until Q3. We've just had a VAT rise and we'll probably have another one later in the year. I'm expecting the CPI to wander back up toward 5% again.

Terror-agogo

1m people on a 'watchlist'? That isn't a watchlist. 1m people is an insurrection/civil war?

Snow Joke
how we experience the snow? who thought that one up? the same people who brought us politics pen?

We experience the world not as the round earth spinning around the sun but as the sun moving across the sky. ie as a flat earth. so from the point of view of truth experience can be a necessary 'lie'?

1960s? i remember being snowed in for days in the 1990s just down the road from where justin was.

#16 brightyangthing

No, I think irrational is correct, rational would be a skeptical / critical thinking approach, unfortunately this is not something that is taught to us so unless you happen to learn that approach on your own you won't know that perspective. That leaves most people being swayed almost entirely by their irrational side, some interesting books on the subject are Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely and Animal Spirits by George A. Akerlof. This of course means that there is no brake to stop the lemmings going over the cliff, which is why we are where we are.

#17 jauntycyclist

I would not call PIMCO permabears, as to why they have said what they have said, that is a good question, certainly the ability of governments to repay debt has been a question much discussed in trading rooms and investment forums for the last year or so since all the bailouts. The only reasons to actually come out and say something would be if they think either there will be a default and that would hurt their holdings or monetization which would also hurt their positions, certainly I doubt PIMCO speaking publicaly would change the market pricing in any material way.