Nobody wants to admit it openly. The German Gold Reserves in the United States are gone, used for financing the United States war chest and bet for “Global Full Spectrum Dominance”. So why is even the German Federal Bank trying to avoid further speculation by referring to a non-existent “full transparency” ? The answer is quite simple. Nobody wants the current backwardation of the gold market to turn into a permanent backwardation of the gold market. The consequence would be the inevitable collapse of global trade and civilization as we know it.
Jean Lievens: Is Economics on Verge of Paradigm Shift?
Economics/True Cost
Is economics on the verge of a paradigm shift? This is the question raised by David Orrell’s excellent book Economyths, in which he dissects the flaws at the heart of neoclassical economics and argues not onlythat it is not fit for purpose, but that it is responsible for many of society’s current problems. As a book that sets out to ‘change your world view’ it really fits the theme of this blog. While I had an existing scepticismof the state of economics when I began reading it, the book has really opened my eyes to the breadth and depth of the problems.
Is Economics On the Verge of a Paradigm Shift? David Orrell's Economyths and the Perils of Financial Engineering
Berto Jongman: Yemeni Al Qaeda expert casts doubt on terror threat claims
08 Wild Cards, 09 Terrorism, Government, Ineptitude, IO Deeds of War
Yemeni Al Qaeda expert casts doubt on terror threat claims
Yemen’s foremost Al Qaeda researcher says recent U.S. drone strikes have failed to kill senior leaders of the organization, and he dismisses claims that a plot to bomb a Canadian-owned oil facility was foiled by Yemeni authorities.
Stephen E. Arnold: A World Without Open Source?
Software
Imagining a World Without Open Source
Posted: 02 Aug 2013 04:49 PM PDT
Open source technology has made substantial changes to the culture of technology in a remarkably short period of time. Open source software started the movement and now open source is even moving into hardware. Wired covers the impact that open source had made in their article, “In a World Without Open Source.”
The article muses on what would happen if the world lacked open source:
“It’s thought-provoking when you consider software in this way, and a breathtaking demonstration of the power and influence of open source software (OSS) in our lives. If you’re a techie or a software developer, you know this and live it every day. But stop a moment to consider this: for the rest of the world, how deeply OSS has become a part of daily life, both in the enterprise and for consumers, is news.”
From mobile to financial services to automotive, open source impacts every area of our lives, and the article covers it all. And while open source touches consumers in ways they often don’t realize, enterprises know how dependent they are on open source technology each and every day. More and more enterprises of all shapes and sizes realize the need for open source, but turn to value-added solutions to save the hassle of having to build their infrastructure from scratch. LucidWorks for instance, offers LucidWorks Search and award-winning LucidWorks Big Data. These packages allow for multiple modes of deployment with full support and training offered by LucidWorks. It is the best of open source with the support and hassle-free implementation of a customized solution.
Emily Rae Aldridge, August 9, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Sanjay Gupta: Legalize Marijuana — and Question Authority
07 Health, Government, Ineptitude
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent
Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta's groundbreaking documentary “WEED” at 8 p.m. ET August 11 on CNN.
(CNN) — Over the last year, I have been working on a new documentary called “Weed.” The title “Weed” may sound cavalier, but the content is not.
I traveled around the world to interview medical leaders, experts, growers and patients. I spoke candidly to them, asking tough questions. What I found was stunning.
Long before I began this project, I had steadily reviewed the scientific literature on medical marijuana from the United States and thought it was fairly unimpressive. Reading these papers five years ago, it was hard to make a case for medicinal marijuana. I even wrote about this in a TIME magazine article, back in 2009, titled “Why I would Vote No on Pot.”
Well, I am here to apologize.
Continue reading “Sanjay Gupta: Legalize Marijuana — and Question Authority”
Winslow Wheeler: Purge the Generals to Fix the Army + Flag Corruption and Ineptitude RECAP
Corruption, Military
There is a devastating review of the quality of Army leadership at the new issue of Armed Forces Journal. At Armed Forces Journal
Moreover, if you think these problems are unique to the Army and do not pertain, for example, the the Marine Corps, see here.
LtC Davis' article is at the Armed Forces Journal website at http://armedforcesjournal.
Purge the generals:What it will take to fix the Army
Armed Forces Journal, 7 August 2013
BY DANIEL L. DAVIS
The U.S. Army's generals, as a group, have lost the ability to effectively function at the high level required of those upon whom we place the responsibility for safeguarding our nation. Over the past 20 years, our senior leaders have amassed a record of failure in major organizational, acquisition and strategic efforts. These failures have been accompanied by the hallmarks of an organization unable and unwilling to fix itself: aggressive resistance to the reporting of problems, suppression of failed test results, public declarations of success where none was justified, and the absence of accountability.
Stephen E. Arnold: What Jeff Bezos Will NOT Do with the Washington Post…
IO Impotency, MediaThe Price of News: The Post Deal
I have been following the flood of information about Jeff Bezos’ apparent purchase of the The Washington Post. I use the word “apparent” because it is not clear if Mr. Bezos or Nash Holdings LLC bought the newspaper. For the purpose of this Beyond Search item, let’s assume that a Bezos-controlled entity has the keys to the Lego kit with millions of blocks that the Washington Post represents. Building a profitable newspapers may be like taking the brightly colored blocks and assembling them in just the right way to build a cash machine.
The obvious point is that Mr. Bezos, an Internet business superstar, sees riches where others see union hassles, declining advertising revenues, and “real” journalism about the most exciting place in the swampy area bordering on the Potomac.
Reuters’ take on the deal was interesting. The story “Amazon’s Bezos Pays Hefty Price for Washington Post.” Thomson Reuters rarely overpays for its acquisitions, so I interpreted the headline as a suggestion that Mr. Bezos’ financial skills are not up to Thomson Reuters’ standards. Both Thomson Reuters and Amazon have cost control challenges, and it is not clear which organization is better positioned for the economic storms which are forming on the horizon.
Continue reading “Stephen E. Arnold: What Jeff Bezos Will NOT Do with the Washington Post…”
