In light of Cyprus banks taking depositor's money, how do you feel about USA banks?

see:
Stunning Bailout For Cyprus —Bank Depositors To Get Instant 10% Tax Before Banks Reopen This Week

Stunning Bailout For Cyprus —Bank Depositors To Get Instant 10% Tax Before Banks Reopen This Week

Matt Taibbi is live blogging the JP Morgan banking fraud hearings, Now.

Remember when JP Morgan chase lost all that money to the "London Whale" and lied about it, thus tirggering off an investigation?

Senate Hearing now, live blogged here:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/live-blogging-the-senate-hearing-on-j-p-morgan-chase-and-the-infamous-london-whale-episode-20130315

Blackwater was CIA's extension, founder Erik Prince admits

( but we knew it, didn't we?)

Free online treasure trove of gov. policy docs!

This site offers, in pdf format, hordes of Gov. docs which we need to have for posterity.
They include:
National Security Strategies ( one printed for each year)
National Defense Strategies
National Military Strategies
Other National Strategies
Major Defense Document
example:
The White House: National Security Strategy for a Global Age, Washington DC, December 2000 (pdf)
outlined the global plans of USA imperialism, taken from PNAC,

Start with this page, but be sure to browse what else is available from the index on the bottom:
http://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/strategy.htm

and please, if you find this valuable, do kick for others to find.

Why we will never leave ANY of the 'Stan countries:

Both the PNAC plan and Brezinski's The Grand chessboard are echoed in this House Resolution:


House Resolution 611shows the USA reasons for all that intervention in Middle East:
(remember that little kerfuffle we had in Georgia couple years back)

112th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 611

Promoting global energy supply security through increased cooperation among the United States, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, and Georgia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 29, 2012

Mr. STEARNS (for himself and Mr. BOREN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Promoting global energy supply security through increased cooperation among the United States, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, and Georgia.

Whereas Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus are key regions with significant energy resources and economic potential situated between Russia, China, India, the Middle East, and Europe;

Whereas policies aimed at increasing economic interdependence with a positive impact on peace and stability constitute one of the main priorities of the United States toward the Caucasus and Central Asian states;

Whereas over the last decade more than one-third of European gas supplies have come from Russia and some European allies are almost completely dependent on Russian gas imports;

Whereas the development of the hydrocarbon reserves and their transportation to western markets will contribute to the economic development of the Caucasus states and the Central Asian countries;

Whereas Turkey's geographic location, situated between major oil and gas reserves with 70 percent of the world's reserves lying to its East, North, and South, and the world's second largest oil and gas market lying to its West, enhances its geostrategic value as a global energy hub;

Whereas Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the United States have jointly promoted energy projects in the Caspian region for almost two decades;

Whereas the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, the second largest oil pipeline in the world, has connected Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey with global markets;

Whereas the East-West Energy Corridor aims to transport Caspian and Central Asian energy resources to western markets through safe and alternative routes, as well to ensure the security and stability of transit countries;

Whereas the priority now becomes the realization of the Southern Corridor;

Whereas Eurasian energy security will be enhanced by the completion of major infrastructure pipeline projects that deliver natural gas, such as the Nabucco pipeline, the Trans Anatolian pipeline, the Trans Adriatic pipeline, and the Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline;

Whereas the safeguarding of the balance of interests between the suppliers, consumers, and transit countries is recognized as the key feature for genuine energy security;

Whereas this multinational cooperation will continue to be a great asset for preserving regional peace, security, and wealth, as well as defending democracy and freedom in Eurasia; and

Whereas the United States and the European Union have established an EU-US Energy Council to promote security of transit and key energy infrastructures that could improve energy security at a regional and global level: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--

(1) the House of Representatives--

(A) notes that economic and commercial projects, especially energy related projects, offer an opportunity in promoting integration and development in the region;

(B) commends Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, and Kazakhstan for their positive contributions to the East-West Energy Corridor and energy security in the region;

(C) supports the efforts of the United States Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy, and encourages the continued engagement with the countries in the region, notably Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Iraq for mutual security and prosperity; and

(D) encourages the Administration to continue to engage with the countries in the region and provide political and economic support for the projects; and

(2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that it is in the national interest of the United States to support and enhance Europe's energy security by working with the Governments of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia and its partners to make available additional gas and oil supplies to that market in a cost effective and secure manner.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.RES.611:

As I thought: Sears is selling Lands End.

I was saddened when Sears bought Lands End, one of my favorite stores.
( for 1.86 billion, btw)

Then, this Jan. I was able to buy a gorgeous wool/cotton sweater at Land's End for 13.00 including shipping,
the same sweater I had paid 50.00 for a year ago, ( so I got 2 and put them away for future)
and I commented here in this group that Lands End was losing money and would be sold.
Lands End never used to have markdowns that steep.

Today's news:
"In its bid to shave costs,Sears is reported to be shopping its Land’s End brand, but there’s a catch:
The retailer wants to still sell Land’s End items in its stores.
Land’s End is being shopped to private equity firms with a $2 billion price tag, The New York Post reports.
The report says Sears wants the buyer to agree to keep licensing Lands’ End products to Sears, while pursuing growth elsewhere, possibly in Europe. "
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46892950

I don't think that will help Sears stay solvent, by the way.

Pot calling kettle, part 1

The following bills and resolutions have been introduced in Congress:

S.Res. 80: A resolution condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its
Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.
112th Congress, 2011–2012
Sponsor:
Sen. Mark Kirk [R-IL]

S.Res. 344: A resolution supporting the democratic aspirations of the Nicaraguan people and calling attention
to the deterioration of constitutional order in Nicaragua.

Sponsor:
Sen. Marco Rubio [R-FL]

S.Res. 391: A resolution condemning violence by the Government of Syria against journalists, and expressing
the sense of the Senate on freedom of the press in Syria.

Sponsor:
Sen. Ron Wyden [D-OR]

Ala. House votes to make looting a felony crime

I like the "idea"....in theory.
But given it is Ala, I wonder how the reality will work out.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WTW) — In reaction to thefts that occurred after April tornadoes killed at least 240 people in the state, House lawmakers Tuesday passed a bill to make the act of looting a crime in Alabama.

The bill passed the House 102-0 and now goes to the Senate for debate.

The sponsor, Republican Rep. John Merrill of Tuscaloosa, said the bill was inspired by last year's tornadoes that ripped across Alabama and caused massive destruction across the state from the Mississippi line to the Georgia line and from just north of Montgomery to the Tennessee line. One of the hardest hit areas was Merrill's hometown, Tuscaloosa, where 53 deaths have been attributed to a tornado that flattened some neighborhoods.

Merrill said some people were victimized twice, once when the storm hit and again when looters stole their belongings.

http://www.postcrescent.com/usatoday/article/38845663?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

How do you manage to get enough "alone time" in a relationship?

us introverts DO manage to have relationships, yes indeed.
What works for you in terms of getting enough solitude/distance/privacy, etc?

or
what is not working?
How do/can you balance the sharing-togetherness glue of a relationship with the vitally needed space and alone time?


I am lucky in that Mr. dixie and I both seem to need the same balance, which is to say that we spend most of the day apart from each other, much as we did when we were both working outside the home, but the fears of retirement being too confining never materialized, since we actually found a house that allows for "half mine, half yours" space!Close enough to holler if we need each other, far enough apart that our music and movies and putter time is not distrubed.