HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Welcome 2009...

Wow 2009 is here! Amazing huh? Looking back at this past year, and all that we've been through, we are all still standing. That's something BIG to at least thank God for, right? TOTALLY!

I've chosen this song below to represent the stage we call LIFE! We have so much to look forward to, each and every one of us! LIFE is what we make it. You have the ability to create the change you so desire in your home, at school, at work, within your family, even within your community and within your Nation. Whatever environment you feel needs a renovation. You first have to become the positive change. In other words, lead by example. Your shining bright LIGHT will inevitably dispel the darkness and negative energies that surrounds you.

Embrace these changing times and discover who you are all over again. You might be surprised to find out that had everything not happened in just this way, you would have never chosen the new path that is now set before you. Walk confidently into the future my friends! Fate is waiting to receive you with open arms... With that being said, it's time to take the stage. Your audience is waiting..... I'm ready, are you? The music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber; originally for the Broadway musical, "Sunset Boulevard".

I AM a HUGE Barbra Streisand fan! No joke. Anyone who has ever met me will know this fact about me. I've gown up listening to her music and watching her movies. As a little girl I used to love performing her songs for my family and little friends with a mic in hand. Sometimes I feel as if I missed my calling lol. Unfortunately, God did not bless me with a voice to back it up! I've been to all of her concerts. Yes, I was there at the Mirage in Las Vegas New Year's Eve 1993. I own almost everything she's done. This lady is an entertainer through and through: Singer, Actor, Comedian, Producer, Director, Writer and Star. You name it Barbra has so been there and done that! Enjoy!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

As If We Never Said Goodbye ~ by Barbra Streisand

I dont know why I'm frightened

I know my way around here

The cardboard trees, the painted scenes, the sound here.

Yes a world to rediscover,

But I'm not in any hurry

And I need a moment.

The whispered conversations in overcrowded hallways,

The atmosphere as thrilling here as always

Feel the early morning madness

Feel the magic in the making

Why everythings as if we never said goodbye.

I've spent so many mornings

Just trying to resist you

I'm trembling now

You can't know how I've missed you,

Missed the fairy-tail adventures

In this ever-spinning playground

We were young together.

I'm coming out of make-up

The lights already burning,

Not long until the cameras will start turning

And the early morning madness

And the magic in the making...

Yes, everything is as if we never said goodbye.

I don't want to be alone that's all in the past,

This world's waited long enough,

I've come home at last!

And this time will be BIGGER,

And BRIGHTER than we knew it.

So watch me fly, we all know I can do it...

Could I stop my hand from shaking?

Has there ever been a moment with SO MUCH to live for?

The whispered conversations in overcrowded hallways,

So much to say not just today but always.

We'll have early morning madness.

We'll have MAGIC in the making.

Yes, everything is as if we never said goodbye...

Oh, please don't ever ever make me say goodbye!!!

Character, Integrity and Leadership

I am compelled to touch on these specific qualities we all must strive to achieve. I have these three quotes framed and hanging on my wall. I purchased them from Successories.

The Essense of Character:

Your TRUE character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep. Hold strongly to your principles and refuse to follow the currents of convenience. What you say and do defines who you are, and who you are... YOU are forever!

The Courage of Integrity:

The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity... these are the choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

The Essense of Leadership:

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.

"In the end, leaders are much like eagles... they don't flock, you find them one at a time." This is the quote I live by.

The DASH Poem Movie!

I ran across this poem and so glad that I did. It touched me so much that I had to add it to my Movies that Enlighten the Soul section of my blog to share with you. The dash in MY life is the reason why I CHOOSE to be happy and to live MY life to the fullest in every which way!!! The poem is very hard to read in this screen, you may want to click here to view it in full-screen at the SimpleTruths website. I typed the poem for my readers who need to use Babel Fish to translate. I have taken the following from the YouTube describtion of this poem:

The Dash Poem Movie is based on Linda Ellis' poem "The Dash" when Linda Ellis wrote her poem, The Dash, in one afternoon ten years ago, it would change her life forever. In 239 words, she captured the "Simple Truths" of why we were put on this earth.

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"I read of a man who stood who stood to speak at the funeral for a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning... to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all... was the DASH between those years.

For that DASH represents all the time that she spent ALIVE on earth. And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth. For it matters NOT how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how WE live and love... and how WE spend our DASH!

So think about this long and hard; are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged. If WE could just slow down enough to consider what's TRUE and REAL... and always try to understand the way other people feel. And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives... like WE'VE never loved before. If WE treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile... remembering that this special DASH might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read, with your life's actions to rehash, would you be PROUD of the things they say about how YOU spent your DASH?"

Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace ~ by Sinead O'Connor

This is such a beautiful prayer. It is called 'The Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. I chose Sinead O'Connor because frankly her angelic voice translates this prayer beautifully. It is quite calming to hear and also to read out loud to yourself. The following are the Sinead O'Connor's lyrics for you to sing along. Enjoy!

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace ~ by Sinead O'Connor

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred let me bring your love
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord
And where there is doubt true faith in You

Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is dispair in life let me bring hope
Where there is darkness only light
And where there's sadness ever joy

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
It is in giving to all man that we receive
And in dying that we are born to eternal life

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I have copied the actual prayer from a website I was led to this evening titled, Living from the Heart.

Saint Francis of Assisi
baptised as Giovanni di Bernadone
b. 1182 -- d. 1226 A. D.

The Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sorrow, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

What is in a Name? ‘Yah vs. Yeh’

I was led to this website searching for the origin of Jesus' name. I did this because I know that his Hebrew name, the one that he was given at birth is Yahshua. I wanted to share some facts with you so that you too could have this knowledge. Again, what does it matter when Jesus was born? What matters is that December 25th has become a day for those who believe to come together all around the world in celebration and rememberance. Christmas is derived from 'Christ mass', holiday is derived from 'Holy day' and Santa Claus is derived from 'Saint Nicholas'. This is a day that brings everybody joy. Why would you want to change that?

For those who do not believe (aetheist), what does it hurt you to let them be. Why don't you show respect for their beliefs that you are fighting so vehemently to receive yourself? The unbelievers (aetheist) are doing the same thing, trying to controversally influence others to their point of view. The unbeliever (aetheist) in my opinion is just as much of a hypocrite as the Christian extremist, Muslim extremist and Jewish extremist. You're a hypocrite because you are trying to impose your non-belief onto everyone else. Isn't that precisely what you can't stand about the extreme fundamentalist, the imposition of beliefs? If you don't believe, just don't celebrate and leave it be. Why don't you just create a day when all of you un-believers can come together and call it even.

I'm curious, why are you non-believers not making a big hoopla about Ramadan, Hanukkah or Kwaanza? Why are the words Christmas or God such a threat to you that you find it necessary to abolish them? Hhmmm... Does Jesus scare you that much that you need to erase Him entirely? Why don't you care this much about Buddha, Muhammad or the several gods the Hindu's worship? Hhmmm...

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‘Yah vs. Yeh’

Now one last issue to address for those who dogmatically want to argue for Yehshua/Yeshua instead of Yahshua, is in regard to what Yahshua himself said about his name. First, I want to address the argument usually given in defense of Yehshua/Yeshua as the ‘right name.’ Most of the time, the Yehshua/Yeshua camp, argues from the point of the reason that the angel of Yahweh gives for Messiah’s name. In Matthew 1:21 he tells Miriam (‘Mary’) that the reason she is to give the certain name to Messiah is because he will save his people from their sins. In Hebrew (biblical) custom, all names carry meaning and are given with that meaning in purpose (see Gen 32:28-30 for example).

So we know that Messiah’s name will carry the meaning, “He will save.” The Yehshua/Yeshua camp correctly understands this, however, when applying this principle, they take the root word for save, which is Yesha, and they apply this to the Hebrew abbreviated name, Yod-Shin-Waw-Ayin ([wvy), and they incorrectly call the name Yehshua/Yeshua. Now they actually use the correct Hebrew spelling for the abbreviated form of the name - Yod-Shin-Waw-Ayin ([wvy). However, because they fail to understand that the name Yod-Shin-Waw-Ayin ([wvy) is merely an abbreviation of Yahushua (Yod-Hay-Waw-Shin-Ayin - [vwhy ) and not a different name, they conclude that Yehshua/Yeshua is the correct name for Messiah, simply because it does mean “He will save.”

That would seem to be the end of it - case closed, right? Well, basically, yeah it is. The only problem is that the Yehshua/Yeshua crowd neglects to acknowledge that the Yod-Shin-Waw-Ayin ([wvy) is actually the abbreviated form of Yahushua, thereby making the transliterated form Yahshua, not Yehshua/Yeshua. And yet, there is another part of this ‘puzzle’ that clears up any still lingering confusion about whether Messiah’s name is Yahshua or Yehshua/Yeshua. That other part is what Yahshua himself said about his name and who he was. In John 5:43 Yahshua said, “I have come in the name of my Father.” This statement is key in understanding Messiah’s name. Not only does this statement clearly tell us that he came in the authority of his Father, Yahweh, but it gives us a huge clue in knowing his name.

As before, we must keep the understanding of the great meaning that is conveyed in Hebrew names. When we use the proper Hebraic understanding, what we see here is that Yahshua said he came in his Father’s name - literally meaning that he carried the name, or banner, of his Father, Yahweh. This other part of the puzzle lets us know that Messiah’s name carries two meanings - the meaning of “He will save” and the very name (banner) of his Father. If his name was Yehshua/Yeshua, then his name does not convey that he came in his Father’s name as it should, but that he came in his own name. The reason is as follows.

His Father’s name is Yahweh. Yahshua told us that he came in his Father’s name, thus, his Father’s name should either be in Yahshua’s name or Yahshua’s name should in some way convey the Father’s name. The feminine passive participle word, Yehshua/Yeshua does not do that, however, the name Yahshua does. You will notice that the first syllable of Yahweh is Yah. You will also notice that the first syllable of both Yahushua and the abbreviated Yahshua is also Yah.

Yah not only conveys the very name of the Father, Yahweh, but Yah is even used as the abbreviated form of the Father’s name in Psalm 68:4 (see Strong’s # 3050). When Yah, conveying the name of the Father, is combined with Yasha, meaning to save, we have the name Yahushua or Yahshua, which means “Yah will save” or “salvation is of Yah.” Thus Yahshua (or its full form) properly fulfills both, what the angel told Miriam about Messiah’s name, and what Messiah himself tells us about his name. Salvation is of Yahweh through the one who comes in His name to save his people from sin - Yahshua.

So what should we conclude from all this? Is this a bunch of unnecessary information that just complicates matters? No, I certainly don't think so. I think it's pretty simple actually. When we’re saying the Messiah’s name, it doesn't matter if you say Yahshua or Yehshua/Yeshua, because essentially the same name is being spoken despite your personal vocal flare on the Yah or Yeh. So does this mean we just went over all that stuff for nothing? Of course not. I believe that when we are specifically trying to teach others the name of the Messiah, that it is important to teach the proper name of Yahshua. It’s simply a matter of teaching correctness, not preference. However, if writing about other topics than the specific teaching of Messiah’s name, if your preference is to use Yehshua or Yeshua, then by all means do so.

Yeshua is easier and faster to type than Yahshua or Yahushua. But I stress the importance of using the correct name, Yahshua, anytime that one is teaching or writing about the name of the Messiah in particular, because it should be taught correctly. But hopefully this slightly more detailed explanation on the Messiah’s name will help to put out those argument fires between the Yahshua folks and the Yehshua/Yeshua folks. And now we can have a closer more meaningful communion together without the tension of the name issue always lurking around the corner amongst Messianic Believers. ~ Shalom.

The Tale of Despereaux (2008) Movie Trailer

Love Love Love this movie! I highly recommend people of all ages to take a trip to the theatre this weekend and watch this movie. This may be a good time to nurture the child within. Enjoy!

Thank you to all of my Readers Around the Globe! Your Love and Support is Very Much Appreciated.

"Thank You" in 90 languages (alphabetical order)

1. Afrikaans - Dankie
   
   
   
2. Albanian - Faleminderit
   
   
   
3. Arabic - Shukran
   
   
   
4. Armenian - Shenorhakal yem
   
   
   
5. Bengali - Dhonyobad
   
   
   
6. Bulgarian - Blagodaria
   
   
   
7. Burmese - Chezu tinbade
   
   
   
8. Cambodian - Ar kun
   
   
   
9. Catalan - Gracies
   
   
   
10. Cantonese - Do jie
    
    
    
11. Czech - Dekuji
    
    
    
12. Cherokee - Wado
    
    
    
13. Chichewa - Zikomo
    
    
    
14. Chinese (Mandarin) - Xie xie
    
    
    
15. Croatian - Hvala
    
    
    
16. Danish - Tak
    
    
    
17. Dhivehi (Maldives) - Shukriyya
    
    
    
18. Dutch, Flanders - Dank je
    
    
    
19. English - Thank you
    
    
    
20. Esperanto - Dankon
    
    
    
21. Estonian - Aitah
    
    
    
22. Ethiopian - Ameseginalehu
    
    
    
23. Filipino - Salamat
    
    
    
24. Finnish - kiitos
    
    
    
25. French - Merci
    
    
    
26. Frisian - Tankewol
    
    
    
27. Gaelic - Go raibh maith agat
    
    
    
28. German - Danke schoen
    
    
    
29. Greek - Efharistó
    
    
    
30. Hawaiian - Mahalo
    
    
    
31. Hebrew - Toda
    
    
    
32. Hindi - Danyavad
    
    
    
33. Hungarian - köszönöm
    
    
    
34. Icelandic - Takk fyrir
    
    
    
35. Indonesian - Terima kasih
    
    
    
36. Italian - Grazie
    
    
    
37. Japanese - Arigato
    
    
    
38. Kinyarwanda - Murakoze
    
    
    
39. Korean - Go mop sum nee dah
    
    
    
40. Laotian - Kop-Jai
    
    
    
41. Latgalian - Paljdis
    
    
    
42. Latin - Gratias ago
    
    
    
43. Latvian - Paldies
    
    
    
44. Lithuanian - Aciu
    
    
    
45. Luganda - Webale
    
    
    
46. Macedonian - Blagodaram
    
    
    
47. Malay - Terima kasih
    
    
    
48. Malayalam - Nanhi
    
    
    
49. Maori - Kia Ora
    
    
    
50. Marathi - Abhari Ahe
    
    
    
51. Náhuatl (Aztec) - Tlazocamati
    
    
    
52. Nepali - Dhanyabad
    
    
    
53. Norwegian - Takk
    
    
    
54. Ojibwe - miigwetch
    
    
    
55. Persian - Motshakeram
    
    
    
56. Polish - Dziekuje
    
    
    
57. Papiamento - Danki
    
    
    
58. Pashto - Ta shakur
    
    
    
59. Portuguese - Obrigado (if you're male)
    
    
    
60. Portuguese - Obrigada (if you're female)
    
    
    
61. Punjabi - Shookria
    
    
    
62. Rapanui - Maururu
    
    
    
63. Romanian - Multumesc
    
    
    
64. Russian - Spasiba
    
    
    
65. Rwanda - Ulakoze
    
    
    
66. Samoan - Fa'a fetai
    
    
    
67. Serbian - Hvala
    
    
    
68. Setswana - Ke a leboga
    
    
    
69. Shona- Tatenda
    
    
    
70. Sioux - Pilamaya
    
    
    
71. Sinhalese - Bohoma isthuthei
    
    
    
72. Slovakian - D'akujem
    
    
    
73. Slovenian - Hvala
    
    
    
74. Spanish - Gracias
    
    
    
75. Swahili - Asante
    
    
    
76. Swedish - Tack
    
    
    
77. Tagalog - Salamat
    
    
    
78. Taiwanese - Do sha
    
    
    
79. Tamil - Nandri
    
    
    
80. Telugu - Dhanyavaadhaalu
    
    
    
81. Thai - kob khun krap (to male)
    
    
    
82. Thai - kob khun ka (to female)
    
    
    
83. Turkish - Tesekkur, Sagol
    
    
    
84. Ukranian - Dyakuyu
    
    
    
85. Urdu - Shukriya
    
    
    
86. Uzbek - Rahmat
    
    
    
87. Welsh - Diolch
    
    
    
88. Vietnamese - Ca'm on
    
    
    
89. Yoruba (Nigeria) - O Se
    
    
    
90. Zulu - Ngiyabonga
    

The Family Man (2000) Movie Trailer

What if you made different choices?

What if you said yes instead of no?

What if you got a second chance?

Destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved.
~ by William Jennings Bryant

The Family Man Movie (Beginning and End)

This is such an amazing movie! It's called "The Family Man" featuring Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle and Jeremy Piven. I never get tired of watching this movie. It reminds me of the importance of the choices we make in our lives. Fate always has the last word, but we must be willing to seize the opportunity when it presents itself again. The moral of the story is having wealth in the things that truly matter.

I posted the beginning of the movie at the top and the very end of the movie at the bottom. I have taken the following from coolgurman YouTube description describing the story in his own words. Enjoy!

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He is a stock broker and is a millionaire now. One day he sees himself in a dream, supporting a family of four, is happily married to the woman he left long ago for pursuing some career opportunity and went to London. Although it was a dream, but nothing was so real before. He experiences how the other half of the population lives. But finds that it is what the real life is, what real living means. When he comes out of the dream he finds her again and discovers that time has brought them on the similar position. She is about to leave to settle in Paris for her work. It's the last scenario of the movie where he explains what he saw and what he believes to be the actual purpose of life. Although when in the beginning she tried the same, he left her for his career.

It's a great movie. It teaches a lesson that most of life happens when all a person thinks is to make it better in the future. No matter how well you plan your life, life always has a plan for you. So whenever that inituitive nudge from within is there, whenever a chance is there, don't delay, don't second guess......ACT!!

Was Jesus Born on December 25?

Wow! I like the way this answer was put together and I would like to share it with you. I was led to this website "All About Jesus Christ" this morning where I have taken the following information for you to enjoy!

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Was Jesus born on December 25?

Was Jesus born on December 25? There is no evidence for this date. So then, who decided that Jesus' birth would be celebrated on that date? The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus' birth. It wasn't until A.D. 440 that the church officially proclaimed December 25 as the birth of Christ. This was not based on any religious evidence but on a pagan feast. Saturnalia was a tradition inherited by the Roman pagans from an earlier Babylonian priesthood. December 25 was used as a celebration of the birthday of the sun god. It was observed near the winter solstice.

The apostles in the Bible predicted that some Christians would adopt pagan beliefs to enable them to make their religion more palatable to the pagans around them. Therefore, some scholars think the church chose the date of this pagan celebration to interest them in Christianity. The pagans were already used to celebrating on this date.

The Bible itself tells us that December 25 is an unlikely date for His birth. Palestine is very cold in December. It was much too cold to ask everyone to travel to the city of their fathers to register for taxes. Also the shepherds were in the fields (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall. It is also known that Jesus lived for 33.5 years and died at the feast of the Passover, which is at Easter time. He must therefore have been born six months the other side of Easter - making the date around the September/October time frames.

Other evidence that December 25 is the wrong date for the birth of Jesus comes from early writings. Iranaeus, born about a century after Jesus, notes that Jesus was born in the 41st year of the reign of Augustus. Since Augustus began his reign in the autumn of 43 B.C., this appears to substantiate the birth of Jesus as the autumn of 2 B.C. Eusebius (A.D. 264-340), the "Father of Church History," ascribes it to the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra. The 42nd year of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 B.C. to the autumn of 1 B.C. The subjugation of Egypt into the Roman Empire occurred in the autumn of 30 B.C. The 28th year extended from the autumn of 3 B.C. to the autumn of 2 B.C. The only date that would meet both of these constraints would be the autumn of 2 B.C.

John the Baptist also helps us determine that December 25 is not the birth of Jesus. Elizabeth, John's mother, was a cousin of Mary. John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. The minimum age for the ministry was 30. As Augustus died on August 19, A.D. 14, that was the accession year for Tiberius. If John was born on April 19-20, 2 B.C., his 30th birthday would have been April 19-20, A.D. 29, or the 15th year of Tiberius. This seems to confirm the 2 B.C. date, and, since John was 5 months older, this also confirms an autumn birth date for Jesus.

Another interesting fact comes from Elizabeth herself. She hid herself for 5 months and then the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary both Elizabeth's condition and that Mary would also bear a son who would be called Jesus. Mary went "with haste" to visit Elizabeth, who was then in the first week of her 6th month, or the 4th week of Dec., 3 B.C. If Jesus was born 280 days later it would place his birth on Sept. 29, 2 B.C. Some scholars interpret the 6 months to be in line with the Hebrew calendar or the August-September time frame. Since Mary's pregnancy commenced a little before the sixth month around July, Jesus would be born somewhere around March-June.

But does it matter if Jesus was born on the spring, the fall, or on December 25? Does it matter, theologically, when Jesus was born? What do you think, does it matter what day we celebrate His birth?

God's Love Letter To You...

I thought it was appropriate to share this video with you being that it is Christmas. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, this 6 minute video is a beautiful interpretation of God's love for us ALL.

I hope you do take a moment to watch this video. Just close your eyes and allow your spirit to connect with the message. You are not just a blob of flesh, this body is our earth suit. You are a spiritual being that can emanate the most beautiful energy or the most negative energy around you. The collective force of all living things is the SUM of all its parts!

Happy Holiday!!!

Merry Christmas!

Love, Peace and Joy to you all!

Unbelievable! Developers Ask U.S. Government for Bailout as Massive Debt Looms!!! Where Does It END!?!? Who's NEXT?!?!

The Wall Street Journal

Developers Ask U.S. for Bailout as Massive Debt Looms

December 22, 2008

With a record amount of commercial real-estate debt coming due, some of the country's biggest property developers have become the latest to go hat-in-hand to the government for assistance.

They're warning policymakers that thousands of office complexes, hotels, shopping centers and other commercial buildings are headed into defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcies. The reason: according to research firm Foresight Analytics LCC, $530 billion of commercial mortgages will be coming due for refinancing in the next three years -- with about $160 billion maturing in the next year.

Credit, meanwhile, is practically nonexistent and cash flows from commercial property are siphoning off.

AP Study Finds $1.6B Went to Bailed-out Bank Execs!

Okay folks this is disgusting! What gives these executives the nerve to feel entitled to obnoxious amounts of compensation while driving their companies into the ground? Hhhmm.... let's see perhaps because they knew darn well they would be able to get away with it. I mean, these companies are publicly traded. The shareholders didn't say a thing and the board of directors well they obviously approved it. Therefore, it was alright. How does that saying go... oh I remember now, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? I know this relates to sex and marriage. But really it's about being committed.

These executives were never committed. Why should they? I mean they were getting their jollies off taking mega treats hand over fist and this was the norm. Plus, nobody was minding the store. Them not being committed equals no ethics, no integrity and no regard to their fiduciary duty. They lost sight of what it meant to put their clients needs first above their own. Not to mention, the shareholders who thought they were investing in a fundamentally sound company. Instead discovered they were really funding the lifestyles of all these executives. The actual thieves that stole their nesteggs right out from under them ala Enron style.

To think all of this could have been prevented had everyone been alert to the goons in nice suits stealing their money. Now 'they' have not only screwed their shareholders but they are enjoying screwing the taxpayers with our government's help! Now try not to hurl when reading this article.

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The Associated Press

AP study finds $1.6B went to bailed-out bank execs

By FRANK BASS and RITA BEAMISH – 4 hours ago

Banks that are getting taxpayer bailouts awarded their top executives nearly $1.6 billion in salaries, bonuses, and other benefits in the calendar year 2007, an Associated Press analysis reveals.

The rewards came even at banks where poor results last year foretold the economic crisis that sent them to Washington for a government rescue. Some trimmed their executive compensation due to lagging bank performance, but still forked over multimillion-dollar executive pay packages.

Benefits included cash bonuses, stock options, personal use of company jets and chauffeurs, home security, country club memberships and professional money management, the AP review of federal securities documents found.

The total amount given to nearly 600 executives would cover bailout costs for 53 of the 116 banks that have so far accepted tax dollars to boost their bottom lines.

Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services committee and a long-standing critic of executive largesse, said the bonuses tallied by the AP review amount to a bribe "to get them to do the jobs for which they are well paid in the first place.

"Most of us sign on to do jobs and we do them best we can," said Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat. "We're told that some of the most highly paid people in executive positions are different. They need extra money to be motivated!" [Can you believe this crap their telling the government?]

The AP compiled total compensation based on annual reports that the banks file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The 116 banks have so far received $188 billion in taxpayer help. Among the findings:

The average paid to each of the banks' top executives was $2.6 million in salary, bonuses and benefits.

_Lloyd Blankfein, president and chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs, took home nearly $54 million in compensation last year. The company's top five executives received a total of $242 million.

This year, Goldman will forgo cash and stock bonuses for its seven top-paid executives. They will work for their base salaries of $600,000, the company said. Facing increasing concern by its own shareholders on executive payments, the company described its pay plan last spring as essential to retain and motivate executives "whose efforts and judgments are vital to our continued success, by setting their compensation at appropriate and competitive levels." Goldman spokesman Ed Canaday declined to comment beyond that written report.

The New York-based company on Dec. 16 reported its first quarterly loss since it went public in 1999. It received $10 billion in taxpayer money on Oct. 28.

_John A. Thain, chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch, topped all corporate bank bosses with $83 million in earnings last year. Thain, a former chief operating officer for Goldman Sachs, took the reins of the company in December 2007, avoiding the blame for a year in which Merrill lost $7.8 billion. Since he began work late in the year, he earned $57,692 in salary, a $15 million signing bonus and an additional $68 million in stock options.

Like Goldman, Merrill got $10 billion from taxpayers on Oct. 28.

The AP review comes amid sharp questions about the banks' commitment to the goals of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), a law designed to buy bad mortgages and other troubled assets. Last month, the Bush administration changed the program's goals, instructing the Treasury Department to pump tax dollars directly into banks in a bid to prevent wholesale economic collapse.

The program set restrictions on some executive compensation for participating banks, but did not limit salaries and bonuses unless they had the effect of encouraging excessive risk to the institution. Banks were barred from giving golden parachutes to departing executives and deducting some executive pay for tax purposes.

Banks that got bailout funds also paid out millions for home security systems, private chauffeured cars, and club dues. Some banks even paid for financial advisers. Wells Fargo of San Francisco, which took $25 billion in taxpayer bailout money, gave its top executives up to $20,000 each to pay personal financial planners.

Sherman, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, said pay excesses undermine development of good bank economic policies and promote an escalating pay spiral among competing financial institutions — something particularly hard to take when banks then ask for rescue money.

He wants them to come before Congress, like the automakers did, and spell out their spending plans for bailout funds. "The tougher we are on the executives that come to Washington, the fewer will come for a bailout," he said. [Shouldn't our government had done this prior to dishing out BILLIONS of our taxpayer money or is this now an afterthought? These kinds of remarks makes me wonder who our government is really working for, because they are certainly not serving the people of this country.]

Do You Want to See the Truth About What the Future Looks Like? This Graph is a Snapshot of the Banks Housing Inventory!

21,397 Homes Offered For Sale on Countrywide Financial's Website

Total Real Estate Owned (REO) by Countrywide Financial: Asking Price: $3,588,051,552 (As of November 12, 2008) meanwhile, the Average Total Asking Price is $154,283. YIKES! Click on the link above to get a state by state scenario. This website also has links for many of the other failing banks housing inventory. Not a pretty picture!

Now this is just one bank mind you. Someone has got to get real here. What is going to happen when these banks decide to start dumping their housing inventory? They are going to have to very soon. Because it is only going to keep on growing and ruining communities in the process. Really, I need you to think about this for a moment. Sure, the federal reserve has dropped interest rates. But who on earth wants to deliberately catch a falling knife? The treasury along with the federal reserve are trying desperately to get you to buy a house. This is how they are propping up all of the markets and keep you in the dark about the REAL TRUTH!

The Fed's Risky Backdoor Bailouts! More TRANSPARENCY Please!

Wow! I am so glad to see that not all journalist have caved in to the Banksters pressure to remain mouth shut. I have to hunt and peck for the truth in the media now. It's amazing to me that many are still reporting undeniable bold-faced lies to the people of this nation.

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BusinessWeek

The Fed's Risky Backdoor Bailouts

By David Henry and Matthew Goldstein

December 17, 2008, 10:12PM EST

As part of its effort to prop up the markets, the Fed is giving billions to banks—and putting taxpayers at risk!

The U.S. Treasury Dept. has been blasted for handing out huge sums of money to banks without clear taxpayer safeguards or ground rules for the recipients. Yet the Federal Reserve is pouring trillions into banks with little transparency. The moves have helped to shore up the wobbly financial system in the short term. But some of the deals could end up hurting taxpayers, weakening the central bank, and weighing on the economy in the future.

In one of its latest transactions, the Fed in November channeled $20 billion—more than the size of the proposed auto bailout—to a group of U.S. and European banks, including Société (SCGLY), Deutsche Bank (DB), and Goldman Sachs (GS), according to people familiar with the deals. The only evidence that the vast sum had changed hands was an entry on the Fed's most recent balance sheet called "Maiden Lane III" and a series of cryptic regulatory documents.

By making loans to financial institutions that can't get credit elsewhere, the Fed is the only part of the government that has the power to pump capital quickly into the financial system to stave off crisis. Historically such moves have been rare, and they've been made behind a curtain of secrecy on the thinking that public disclosure could spark a market panic. "We keep these transactions private because the Fed, as a lender of last resort, seeks to provide liquidity and not stigmatize those who seek it," says Calvin Mitchell, a spokesman for the New York branch of the Fed, which set up the Maiden Lane III transaction.

The banks likely welcomed the fresh capital from Maiden Lane III. But in recent months the Fed has pushed the boundaries of its authority by taking larger and more opaque risks on its books. The central bank currently has $2.2 trillion in outstanding loans, up from $900 billion in September. It's also using new and untested weapons. Until this year the Fed mainly loaned to banks. Now it's buying securities, some tied to poisonous mortgages. If those bets don't pay off, the Fed will eat the loss.

DANGERS LURK

That could spell trouble for taxpayers—and the economy. If the Fed's new deals don't work out and the losses are too great, the central bank may have to print more money, flooding the financial system with dollars. Inflation could surge, making it harder for the Fed to focus on other objectives, such as economic growth. "We have to wonder if the Fed's balance sheet might be in danger," says Roy C. Smith, a finance professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. "It is legitimate to ask the Fed to defend [its actions]."

There are growing calls for more accountability of the government's far-flung bailout efforts. The Congressional Oversight Panel, which monitors how Treasury spends its $700 billion bailout pool, is closely watching the Fed's moves as well. Elizabeth Warren, the independent chair of the panel and a Harvard Law School professor, says that's because the Treasury's actions dovetail with those of the Fed. Warren recently met with Fed staff to discuss how the central bank spends taxpayer money. As part of the ongoing inquiry she is also looking at Treasury money that indirectly funded the Maiden Lane III deal. "There were good reasons the Fed was made independent of oversight," says Warren. But "these are not ordinary times, and the amount of money and intervention by the Fed is extraordinary." [I recommend you click here to read the rest...]

You Are Equipped ~ by Joel Osteen Pt. 3 of 3

Wow! This is a powerful message given by Pastor Joel Osteen titled, 'You Are Equipped'. It's true, if you walk in love and are sincere in your efforts, God will take care of the rest. There is nothing to be feared if you put your trust and faith in God. For God is in control. This is a three part message, with each segment lasting 10 minutes. I have typed a transcript for my international readers who need to use Babel Fish to translate. Enjoy!

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With God there are no disadvantages. You may have been through bad breaks in life. You may have had some disappointments. But let me encourage you don't stay on that page. There are new chapters up ahead. The scripture talks about how God has recorded every day of our life before we were ever even born. That means there is a book already written with your life story in it. The good news is, it has a great ending. But a lot of people when they face set backs or like Ester, they go through disadvantages. They just accept it and think oh well this is my lot in life. I'll never get out of this mess. I'll never rise any higher. What's happening? They are getting stuck on that page.

If you'll get your fire back and start pressing forward, believing, expecting, somewhere in your future you'll come to a new chapter that'll pull it all together. Even those dark times that you don't understand right now, it will cause it to all make sense. Stay in faith, the next chapter is coming. A new season is on its way. Here is the key: Ester was taught about the goodness of her God. Mordecai was constantly speaking faith into her. Saying things like Ester, you may be an orphan, you may not have a nice place to lay your head, you may not be wearing pretty clothes. But let me tell you, you're something special girl. God has His hand on you. You are going to do great things. And as she heard that over and over, she started believing it. That got down on the inside and she started thinking I am annointed. I am equipped. This is my season.

The truth is everyone of us needs someone speaking faith over us. Victoria, my wife, told me I was going to pastor this church when I was afraid to get up in front of anyone. She told me I was annointed when I didn't feel annointed. She told me I was going to stand in front of great leaders when I was working behind the scenes running the camera. She spoke faith, strength and increase into me. Someone has to stir up those seeds of greatness. Joshua had Moses. Elisha had Elijah. Timothy had Paul.

You may not have anyone speaking VICTORY in your life right now, but allow me to be your Mordecai. Let me tell you... YOU were created for GREATNESS! YOU have the seed of Almighty God in you. There is NO obstacle that you cannot overcome. There is NO disadvantage that can hold you back. YOU are in the palm of God's hand. He has equipped you. He has empowered you. The right people are already in your path. He's already released favor into your future. YOU are coming into new seasons of increase. The dreams that you've given up on, God is going to resurrect those dead dreams. The family members you've written off, God is going to restore those relationships. He is going to breathe new life into your health, new life into finances, new life into your career. I can hear God saying you are coming into your year of Jubilee. This is your time to come up higher. This is your time to be free.

Why don't you do like that lady who pressed through the crowd and rise up and say YES this is for me, this is my season. If you do that, you'll see God's goodness in a greater way. Like Ester, God will take you to places you've never dreamed of. My prayer is that everyone of you will know without a shadow of a doubt, YOU ARE equipped, YOU ARE annointed and your best days are NOT behind you, they are still out in front of YOU!

You Are Equipped ~ by Joel Osteen Pt. 2 of 3

Wow! This is a powerful message given by Pastor Joel Osteen titled, 'You Are Equipped'. It's true, if you walk in love and are sincere in your efforts, God will take care of the rest. There is nothing to be feared if you put your trust and faith in God. For God is in control. This is a three part message, with each segment lasting 10 minutes. I have typed a transcript for my international readers who need to use Babel Fish to translate. Enjoy!

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I remember growing up I used to go to the beach and play football with a bunch of my friends. Back then I would put on that Hawaiian tropic oil all over me to keep from getting a sun burn. Now I'm already kind of fast, but with that oil on nobody could tackle me. Big guys twice my size, they would grab me and I would slip right out of their hands. I had an advantage, I was all oiled up. That's the way it is with you, when you walk in your annointing, things that should bring you down won't. Maybe you get laid-off from the job, you should be discouraged, you should be down, but you stay in faith and you end up getting a better job. Maybe a relationship comes to an end, it was unfair, you should be bitter, you should be upset, but you stay in faith and God opens up another door.

When you face tough times you have to remind yourself... I've been annointed for this. I am not going to get negative. I am not going to lose my joy. I am going to stay full of praise. I know that God is in control and I believe that He can take what was meant for my harm and turn it around and use it for my advantage. Many of you when you look back on your life, you can think I shouldn't be where I am today. How did I make it through those difficult times? How did I make it through the loss of my loved one? How did I make it through that sickness? It was the annointing that God put on your life. He gave you strength when you didn't think you could go on. He gave you joy when you should have been discouraged. He opened up a door when you didn't see anyway out. Now you can look back and say with me, "Where would I have been if it had not been for the goodness of God in my life."

When I first started ministering I didn't really know if I could do this. There were times I was tempted to be discouraged. My personality is to try to please everyone. I would hear one complaint, one criticism and I'd think oh no I have to change. At times it felt like so much was coming against me and I was so tempted to give up. But one night I had a dream. It was very clear, very vivid. I knew it wasn't a normal dream. This has only happened twice in my life. In this dream, I was running through this large field. These planes were flying very low overhead, dropping bombs all around me. It was like it was right out of a movie scene. These bombs would hit so close and I would brace, just waiting for the scrap metal to hit me. They must not have been but 15 feet away. The noise was deafening. I thought it was the end, but everytime somehow those bombs would miss me. This happened four or five times. In my dream, I was so amazed to still be alive. I ended up running to this little house and hiding in a room so afraid. I could hear the soldiers going by me and I hope they wouldn't see me and I hoped they wouldn't check in there. But then my worst nightmare came true. They burst through the doors, they had their guns drawn pointed right at me. I thought that's it, I'm done, it's over. But much to my amazement, they turned around and went out. It was like I had been invisible to them. And I woke up and felt a peace like I'd never felt before. And deep down in hear I heard God say to me so strongly, "Joel, things may be exploding all around you, but I've got you in the palm of my hand." He said, "If you will keep your trust in me, no weapon formed against you will ever prosper."

Now everytime things come against me, I just remind myself I AM annointed. This is NOT going to stick to me. God is guiding and protecting me. Right now in your life, God is going before you making your crooked places straight. He's making your rough places smooth. You may be in a difficult time, but it's not the end it's only the beginning. A thousand may fall at your side, 10,000 at your right hand but God says it's not going to harm you. I've equipped you. I've empowered you. You are annointed.

You may feel like you are in a dry season. You haven't seen a lot of God's goodness. But if you'll get your joy back. If you'll start speaking words of faith. God promised He'll annoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. Some of you need some fresh oil. It starts with your attitude. Don't go around complaining. Don't go around focusing on the negative. Put on that attitude of praise. You may have some big problems, but let me tell you we serve a BIG God and the good news is He has already equipped you with what you need to overcome.

I saw something fascinating about a little fish. It's called a moses soul. It's a little flounder that's found over in the Red Sea. Also in those waters are large sharks. These sharks would typically like to eat this kind of fish. But back in the early 1970's a group of researchers noticed something interesting about this little moses soul. All the other fish in this category, the same size and weight, would be eaten by these sharks. But they found that these sharks would not eat that moses soul. The reason why they discovered, the moses soul has a unique defense system. When it senses any kind of danger, it releases poisonous toxins from its glands. These toxins literally cause the sharks jaws to freeze. It showed a picture of this shark with its mouth open and the little moses soul was right in the middle. All the shark had to do was bite down and there was dinner. The only problem was, it couldn't do it. God put something in that little fish to protect it. As long as it was around, the shark could not close its mouth. The shark had to get away for a few minutes before the jaws would be released.

I was thinking when that little fish is in the sharks mouth his blood pressure doesn't go up. He doesn't run and call 911. He doesn't get depressed and say just my luck that preacher told me it was going to be my year of Jubilee. I should of known it was going to be the sharks year of Jubilee. No that little fish goes about his business, he knows he's annointed. He knows he's special. God ordained before the foundation of the world that that little fish would be protected from that type of enemy. So he just rest in who God made him to be.

If you can ever get a revelation that you are a child of the most high God. You don't have just a unique defense system, God's breathed His very life into you. He's crowned you with His glory and honor. He's surrounded you with His favor like a shield. He said when the enemy comes against you one way, He will defeat them and cause them to flee seven different ways. When those thoughts come telling you, you're never going to come into your season. You're never going to be well. You're never going to rise up any higher. Do you know how to release the poisonous toxins to defeat the enemy? You start speaking God's word. I know that I am more than a conqueror. I am the head and not the tail. I am a VICTOR and not a victim. People might say, "I heard you weren't feeling well?" and you say, "yes that's true but I know that God's restoring health unto me." They say, "I heard they may lay people off in your office?" and you say, "yes but I know if one door closes God is going to open up another door."

If you'll stay in faith like that, meditating on God's word, speaking His promises. Just like that shark, the enemy cannot harm you. God always causes you to TRIUMPH!

You Are Equipped ~ by Joel Osteen Pt. 1 of 2

Wow! This is a powerful message given by Pastor Joel Osteen titled, 'You Are Equipped'. It's true, if you walk in love and are sincere in your efforts, God will take care of the rest. There is nothing to be feared if you put your trust and faith in God. For God is in control. This is a three part message, with each segment lasting 10 minutes. I have typed a transcript for my international readers who need to use Babel Fish to translate. Enjoy!

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I want to talk to you today about how God has equipped you with everything you need to fulfill your destiny. The scipture tells us we are annointed. The word annointing is defined as courage, strength and ability. That means you are well able to do what God's called you to do. You can accomplish your goals. You have the ideas, the creativity, the talent to be successful. You can overcome ANY obstacle. You've been armed with strength for every battle. The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you.

Being annointed means that God's already lined up the right people to come across your path. He's already lined up the right breaks. You have everything you need to live a victorious life. Not an average life. Not a barely get by, mediocre life. You were created to excel. You have seeds of Greatness on the inside. We were never supposed to drag around, barely making it. We're supposed to live an abundant life! You may not have seen it in the past, but if you'll stay in faith, it's just a matter of time it's on its way.

Don't settle where you are! Don't have a weak, defeated mentality. NO put your shoulders back and have the attitude, I AM annointed. I CAN accomplish my dreams. I CAN overcome ANY obstacle. I've equipped and empowered by the Creator of the Universe. Well, you say Joel I've had a lot of disappointments. I've tried and failed. I think I've reached my limits. NO, you may have been through a lot. You may have had some bad breaks in life. But it's not over until God's says it's over! The enemy ALWAYS fights you the hardest when he knows God has something great in store.

You may have been through tough times, but let me announce to you... you are coming into a new season! The winds are changing in your favor. The breath of Almighty God is blowing in your direction. If you'll release your faith and believe, then you're going to see new seasons in your health, new seasons in your finances, new seasons in your career. You've been faithful. You've seen it happen for others, but God is saying this is your time to shine. This is your time to come up higher. Why don't you let that seed take root.

In Mark chapter 5, there was a woman who had been sick for twelve years. The doctors had given her no hope. She was very down and discouraged. But one day she heard that Jesus was coming through her town. Something deep on the inside said to her, this is your season, this is your time to get well, this is your time to be free. In the natural when she saw all of the people around him, she thought I'll never get to Him. It's so crowded and I'm weak, I don't feel well. I just don't think I can do this. She almost missed her season. But instead of dwelling on those negative can't do it thoughts, she started reminded herself I am annointed, I can do what I need to do, I've been armed with strength for this battle. She got her mind going in the right direction. She started pressing her way through the crowd, moving people out of the way. I can imagine hearing her saying excuse me but this is my season. Pardon me, I don't mean to be rude but this is my time to get well.

She finally got to Jesus and touched the edge of his robe and instantly she was made whole. Jesus said to her in Mark 5:34 Daughter, your faith has made you well. Notice it is our faith that activates God's power! It's easy to sit back and think oh Joel it's not going to be my season. I haven't had anything good happen in three years. I've missed all kinds of opportunities. NO, you have to shake OFF that defeated mindset and DARE to believe! Dare to rise up and say, this is my season! This is my time to be free!

I know that it's just symbolic but I'm bold enough to believe that you and I are coming into our year of Jubilee! It's going to be a time when you see God's favor in a Greater way. You are going to get Supernatural breaks and Supernatural opportunities. The year of Jubilee is when you are going to get released from debt and lack. You are going to be set free from bondages and addictions and wrong mindsets. It is going to be a time when health is going to flow through you in a new way. The sicknesses, the pains that have held you back for years in the year of Jubilee everything is restored.

I know some of you have had a lot negativity in your past and it's easy to just settle where you are. But I'm asking you to dig your heels in and have the attitude ~ this is a new day and I am coming into my year of Jubilee, every bondage, every limitation is coming off of me, I am annointed, I am equipped, I'm not staying where I am because I'm coming up higher! This is my season!

I love to think about the fact that God has already equipped us with everything we need. We don't have to struggle and make things happen. It's already in you. The strength, the creativity, the ideas. God has already lined up the right people. He's already given you the breaks you need.

Some of you in the natural should have given up a long time ago. You've had so many obstacles to overcome. Other people in your same situation just settled right where they were. But not you, you just kept on keeping on. Why? Because you know you are annointed. Like that little spider, the annointing is the oil that lubricates us and keeps things from sticking. People talking behind your back at work, trying to ruin your reputation, trying to make you look bad. Alot of people get mad and alot of people trying to get even. But not you, it just glides right off of you. Why? Because you are all oiled up. When you walk in your annointing, nothing is going to stick to you and nothing is going to pull you down.

U.S. Job Losses WORST Since 1974 as Downturn Deepens!!!

How on earth can analyst claim a bottom when this landslide is picking up speed? Don't be fooled by the inconsequencial re-bound the stock market claimed today. The stock maket is Schizophrenic! We were given really bad news today and the market celebrated? The DJIA closed up 259 pts. That's not normal.

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Reuters.com

U.S. job losses worst since 1974 as downturn deepens

By Alister Bull

Fri Dec 5, 2008 3:26pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers axed 533,000 jobs from payrolls in November, the most in 34 years, as the year-old recession hammered the economy and hardened calls for dramatic government action to restore growth.

The Labor Department said on Friday the unemployment rate hit 6.7 percent last month, the highest since 1993, which adds up to 10.3 million Americans out of work, 2 million more than the population of New York City.

The jobless rate, which stood at 6.5 percent in October, would have been even higher but for people leaving the labor force in discouragement over their search for work.

A number of U.S. companies have announced jobs cuts this week, including General Motors Corp and asset manager Legg Mason Inc on Friday, a day after phone giant AT&T said it was letting 12,000 workers go. Economists expect the unemployment rate to top 8 percent by late next year.

"You can't get much uglier than this. The economy has just collapsed, and has gone into a free fall," said Richard Yamarone, chief economist at Argus Research in New York.

The collapse of the U.S. housing market last year sparked a global credit crisis that has killed growth, panicked investors and destroyed some of the oldest names in banking.

The U.S. government has pledged $700 billion of taxpayer money to shore up the financial sector and President-elect Barack Obama has vowed a powerful fiscal stimulus, with more aggressive action from the Federal Reserve also expected.

Obama, who takes office on January 20, said the downturn demanded action to create new jobs, which economists say means a spending and tax plan of $500 billion to $700 billion.

"There are no quick or easy fixes to this crisis, which has been many years in the making, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better," Obama warned.

U.S. mortgage foreclosure levels hit a record in the third quarter, said the Mortgage Bankers Association, which estimates that 2.2 million home mortgages will start the foreclosure process this year before government efforts to stem the tide can gain traction.

Job losses in November were the steepest since December 1974, when 602,000 jobs were shed, and much worse than the consensus on Wall Street for a 340,000 reduction.

In addition, job losses in recent months turned out to be worse than previously reported. October's loss was revised to 320,000, originally given as a 240,000 loss, while September's drop was revised to 403,000 from 284,000.

Employment in manufacturing dropped by 85,000, while construction payrolls shrank by 82,000 jobs. Construction employment has declined for 17 straight months, and factory jobs have declined 29 straight months.

"It's just a disaster," said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at RBS Greenwich in Greenwich, Conn.

Peter Schiff: “The Boom Is The Problem, The Bust Is The Solution”

This 10 minute video compilation was brought to my attention by HousingDoom. Someone pieced together analogies that Peter Schiff has been using to describe our current economic crisis. I have typed a transcript of my favorite analogies, although I have to say that they are all brilliant. I recommend you take the time to listen to these analogies to get more acquainted with the situation we find ourselves in and pass it on.

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Now real quickly I will explain business cycles and how they work. Contrary to what most people think, the boom is the problem. The bust is the solution. A boom is like an artificial high. Like if you take heroine. You shoot yourself up with heroine and it makes you feel real great. At least that's what they tell me. But anyway, that's artificial. You want to get healthy, right? You have to go to rehab or detox and you have to go cold turkey. Then you go through withdrawal. The withdrawal sympton is very unpleasant, very painful. Again that's what I hear. But it's necessary if you want to remove these toxins from your system and get healthy.

The same thing happens in a business cycle. When you have a central bank and the central banks made the same mistakes as in the 1920's. When you have monetary policy that's too inflationary and you create an asset bubble and you create mal-investments, the mal-investments need to be purged. The incompetent economy needs to be re-balanced.

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If you're a heroine addict and you want to get healthy, you can't do that without going through withdrawal. The withdrawal symptons are not fun, but the government's solution is shoot up with more heroine so we can delay the withdrawal. Of course, they risk killing the economy with an overdose. Which is what we might get. And an overdose as far as monetary stimulus, is HYPERINFLATION. Believe me that is a real possibility and we do not want to live through that.

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This crisis cannot be managed. We NEED the free market. You've got these cronies in Washington, they're like little kids with a chemistry set. And they keep on throwing these chemicals together trying one thing after another, they're hoping they are going to stumble on a miracle. But they are going to blow us all up.

Don't Take the Bait! The Consequences are Unconscionable... Question Everything!

How Pinnochio Wound Up at Pleasure Island...

Hi everyone! Funny thing happend to me today, pictures from the scene of Pinnochio at Pleasure Island kept flashing in my mind's eye today. I haven't watched Pinnochio in ages. So I went to Disneywiki to refresh my memory. Wow! Doesn't this sound familiar? This is the end result of listening to someone who is only out for their own welfare. Resist being lured in by 'their' superficial promises.

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The Plot

Meanwhile, the fox and cat are celebrating at The Red Lobster. Seated opposite them is the Coachman, who listens to Honest John's story and decides to catch his attention with a huge bag of money, which he says can be theirs if they bring "stupid little boys" to the crossroads for him to take to Pleasure Island.

The fox and cat find Pinocchio racing Jiminy Cricket home, and pretend to be doctors, stating that he is 'allergic' and must go to Pleasure Island to get better. They carry him to the crossroads with Jiminy once again in hot pursuit. When on the Coachman's Stagecoach, Pinocchio meets Lampwick, who tells him that Pleasure Island is a "swell joint" where boys can run riot without fear of reprimand from authority figures. The coach reaches the shore, where the boys board a boat which takes them to the island.

Pleasure Island

As the boys enjoy themselves at the fairground-like Pleasure Island, the Coachman orders his minions to close the doors, locking the unknowing boys in. Later that night, Jiminy searches the now deserted farground for Pinocchio. He eventually finds him playing pool with Lampwick, who scoffs that Pinocchio "takes orders from a grasshopper" and laughs at Jiminy. The cricket loses his temper and leaves. He crawls under the main doors of the fairground to find the Coachman and his minions loading donkeys into crates. One donkey is able to speak; it's name is Alexander. The Coachman throws Alexander into a pen of donkeys that "can still talk". Jiminy realises that the donkeys were all once boys.

He rushes back to warn Pinocchio. Back in the pool hall, Lampwick is still laughing about Jiminy when he suddenly sprouts donkey ears. Much to Pinocchio's terror, this is followed by a tail. When Lampwick's laugh becomes a donkey's bray, he looks in the mirror and panics. He asks Pinocchio for help, but the wooden boy is only able to look on in fright. Lampwick's last words are a frantic call for his mother before he turns into a donkey completely. Pinocchio's panic increases when he himself sprouts ears and a tail, but Jiminy arrives just in time to take him to an escape route and, together, they swim to the shore of the mainland.

Remind Me Again... What Part of the "Body" are You In Washington Trying to Stimulate?

Oh-my-God... Do my eyes and ears deceive me? Is this true? Our government is once again irrationally pushing to pass yet another economic stimulus package worth get this - $61 billion! Yes, that's right you read that correctly - $61 billion.

Now, I have hashed this subject out with friends and family before. Let me just say that 99.9% of everybody I have talked to about this subject is more than happy to take this handout from the government. They figure, the government is giving away billions to the upper echelon of America why not us. Okay, yeah I agree who doesn't want to get free money. I mean it's like when you're parents would give you money for your birthday or Christmas. But in this case, the money is not really free, it comes with huge consequences. Remember the old adage, you don't get something for nothing? Everything has a price and this one is the cost of our freedoms.

My argument is that all of these handouts is taking us down the wrong path. I believe this money could be better used in creating jobs for Americans. I know that American citizens want to work and be self-sustaining, to have a sense of self-worth. This is every American citizens contribution to society. I believe that if American citizens are working and earning their keep, they will become happy consumers and their spending will therefore stimulate the economy once more.

Plus, as an added bonus, you will receive income tax. That is our contribution to the greater good. You know, win/win! Jobs - income tax - jobs - income tax, it's a no brainer I have to say! The alternative, quite obvious to the rest of us is no income tax, no social security contribution, no medicare contribution, no property tax, no sales tax, no utility tax, no consumption of goods and services, etc. Why? Because everyone will soon be unemployed.

Where are all of the visionaries, the innovators? This money and all of the rest of the billions our government is spending could or should be used to pay as grants or loans to businesses that are ready to innovate and create new jobs in the process. Use this troubled time as a warning. We still have time to steer the ship in another direction. But all of you in Washington must seriously be brave enough to make these decisions. The iceberg is straight ahead and you have this ship heading right into it at full throttle. We have been watching all of you drown in a glass of water. Pause and reflect.

You keep throwing good money into bad, really bad investments with ZERO return on investment (ROI). We used to call this 'JUNK'. I implore you to please start 'thinking' about the consequences of every and I mean every decision you are making on our behalf. This stimulus plan Speaker Nancy Pelosi is proposing in an urgent fashion will only help to cripple our economy and the self esteem of many who are able bodied and want to work.

What this country needs is JOBS * JOBS * JOBS!!!
not more handouts ...

My fellow Americans tell Washington you want to WORK!

Every person MUST carry their own weight...

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Reuters.com

US House seeks quick economic stimulus passage

By Richard Cowan

Thu Dec 4, 2008 6:03pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday urged passage of at least $61 billion in new economic stimulus funding this month, but said the future of the legislation requires cooperation from Republicans in the Senate and President George W. Bush.

In a post-election press conference in which she celebrated significant Democratic gains in Congress and her party's capture of the White House, Pelosi of California was asked about prospects in coming weeks for an economic stimulus bill.

"It depends on what the White House is going to do," Pelosi said of the need for Bush, a Republican, to be willing to sign a bill that might pass Congress.

"We have a stimulus package on the table that I hope the Republicans in the Senate will allow to be taken up in a lame duck session," she added, referring to a $61 billion package the House passed in late September, only to see Senate Republicans block it.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, in an interview with Reuters, spoke of three elements.

"It's the economic program of aid to the states and increased unemployment compensation, perhaps followed up early next year by some kind of middle class and working class tax cut," the Massachusetts Democrat said.

The third prong, Frank said, would be unfreezing credit markets and reducing home foreclosures with the continued implementation of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill.

In February, Congress and Bush enacted a $168 billion economic stimulus measure, largely made up of tax rebates. Democrats argue that is not enough to deal with what could be the worst U.S. economy since the Great Depression.

Obama also backs additional funds to stimulate the economy. His proposals have been estimated to cost around $190 billion.