Life in OUR America, Volume 2, The Livyjr Files Options

[Livyjr]

And for those who are stopping by here, on your way to whereever, and whatever, GOOD MORNING!

Another nice day brewing, or blooming up here where I am, thanks to that dry, cool Canadian air mass that is hanging over where I am, essentially keeping us cloud-free right here, for one more day.

It sure does beat one of those soggy, wet, dripping HOT MASSES of "air" that drift up this way from time to time from down there in that small stretch of country between north-east Virginia, and southern Maryland, the "District of Columbia", I think it is called, where for some kind of scientific or meteorological reasons, there is a source there, in that one small place, of some really foul air!

Somehow, I guess, Canadian air is just simpler air, more conservative air, perhaps, if that can be said about air, and certainly, the Candian air has associated with it a lot more sunshine than that "District of Columbia" air does, and so, being kind of simple and conservative myself, I just somehow like that Candian air, especially this time of the year, when it is spring, and it is time to get up and get moving, as winter is already on its way, one more time, and so, it is good to get oneself prepared, while there is still time for doing so.

As for me, I have some "help" these days from a younger person with nice manners coupled with a real old-fashioned "work ethic", and so, I have to be away from this computer keyboard to do some "side-walk superintending", while this young person does the work!

SO!

Modified hours, perhaps, here in Life in OUR America!

BUT ...

That IS life, is it not?

There is what we would like to do, and then, there is what we MUST do, instead, and will the TWAIN ever meet?

The eternal question, I guess, for many of us, here in OUR America, and in the world, as well!

And there is the way WE would have things be in the world, and then, there is the way they are!

And will those TWAIN ever meet as well?

A question for the moment, here in OUR America!

Stay tuned, for God willing, I will be back, and the world will hopefully still be here, George W. Bush hopefully having resisted for a few more moments from blowing it up and making a charred cinder out of it, just to see what one of those NU-CLAR bombs really looks like when it goes off in some enemy city, like Toronto, Canada, or Paris, France, or Rome, Italy, where, interestingly, we hear absolutely no more muttering whatsoever about that Calipari fellow who got shot in the temple over there in Iraq by one of George W. Bush's "sharpshooters" because he negotiated with TAY-RISTS one time too many, when he got that Italian journalist freed from captivity over there, so many long weeks ago, now, that we all have just forgotton that it ever happened in the first place!

And so it goes ........

[jeffmoskin]

As for me, I have some "help" these days from a younger person with nice manners coupled with a real old-fashioned "work ethic", and so, I have to be away from this computer keyboard to do some "side-walk superintending", while this young person does the work!

Good luck in your endeavor, Livyjr. We will hold down the thread for you.

[Livyjr]

Doing copper work, today, or superintending, anyway, while the young person does most of the real work, and so, is learning to bend copper the only way it really can be learned, which is to bend copper, and not be afraid to make a mistake, and then admit the mistake, study the mistake, and then learn not to do it again.

My philosophy is take a small place to start something new, like putting a standing-seam copper roof on a house, and just practice there, where the mistake would be small, if you made one, and so easily corrected.

The big thing with me is the aesthetics.

I can't always figure what things will necessarily look like in real life, and so, I don't always at first come up with the most aesthetically-pleasing "treatment", and here I am talking about gable ends, and the treatment of fascia boards, where the two join.

On mine, I am cladding that all with copper, and so, the trick has been to figure out how to do it with interlocking seams that preclude the possibility of having any cracks or places for the wind to drive the rain in, or the wind to get a grip, to tear the roof or cladding off.

It's nice to see a young person take an interest in this kind of work, and an interest is really what is required when working with copper and standing seam roofs, where exactness is a necessity, and thus, diligence and attention to detail are necessary skills in the one doing the actual work.

And when you step back at the end of the day and survey your work, what a sight, especially when the copper is new, and thus, is mirror bright!

A new copper roof is just like a mirror when you are putting up the pans!

As you are rolling the seams, you can see the sky, and all the clouds in it, reflected right in front of you in the copper.

To me, copper is a living breathing thing, even though technically, it is a metal.

Actually, copper is an element, and one of its many properties IS serving as a type of metal, but it is what you can create with copper, and almost no other, that gives copper its "life", to me, at least!

And so .....

As someone said some other place, LIFE IS GOOD!

And AMEN to that, say I!

[Livyjr]

Well, one more heavenly day on tap for us, at least where I am in America, and the world, so how about that.

I'm out there trying to make the most of this warm, dry weather, by getting a copper roof on my house, and so, most of my energy these days is going into keeping that project rolling along, especially as I have a helper, who is really doing most of the work for me, since being up on a roof requires someone more spry than I am, but I can superintend like one son of a gun, and so, that's what I am doing, and as stated before, the young person is learning quite a skill, although in this day and age of cheap-built "quickie" houses in subdivisions, it's hard to tell where else this young person might ever use this skill, BUT THAT IS IMMATERIAL, is what I tell him.

When you learn a skill, any skill, you become "skillful", and that is a function of the mind!

When you become "skillful", you mind has grown, and that is something of great benefit in life, whether you ever use the skill itself ever again.

Yesterday, we were talking, this young person and I, about how the skill required to put a standing seam copper roof in place intimidates people, and what a statement that is, that someone would let the intimidation of what they don't know keep them from learning that thing!

"Oh, that's so hard; I know I wouldn't be able to do it", and so, they can't.

A self-fulfilling prophesy!

SO!

Should everyone then have to know how to put up a copper roof?

Absolutely not!

I personally don't care if there are a million of them in my area, or just mine, and that is not the point at all!

The point is stretching the limits of your abilities whenever an opportunity presents itself to do so, or that is my philosophy anyway!

This young person that I am talking about in here does not have other pressing business right now, and so, is faced with an opportunity that he can partake of, or pass by, his choice!

Since he has chosen to partake, then it behooves me to be the best "teacher" of the skill that I know how, and so, we move along together towards the "SHINING CITY", as I see it.

And it is the journey, and not the destination, that is to me important!

And so ......

[Abu Beacon]

the young person is learning quite a skill,
When you learn a skill, any skill, you become "skillful", and that is a function of the mind!

When you become "skillful", you mind has grown, and that is something of great benefit in life, whether you ever use the skill itself ever again.


The point is stretching the limits of your abilities whenever an opportunity presents itself to do so, or that is my philosophy anyway!


Since he has chosen to partake, then it behooves me to be the best "teacher" of the skill that I know how, and so, we move along together towards the "SHINING CITY", as I see it.

And it is the journey, and not the destination, that is to me important!

And so ......

Hey, good work, Livy jr.

You teach a young person a skill, and you also teach a person to grow.

Now that is something to be proud of.

You also get a new copper roof on your house.

Not a bad thing at all.

A.B.

[Livyjr]

Hey, good work, Livy jr.

You teach a young person a skill, and you also teach a person to grow.

Now that is something to be proud of.

You also get a new copper roof on your house.

Not a bad thing at all.

A.B.

I'll tell you, A.B., when copper is new, i.e., shiny, it is something to see in the bright sunlight, which is one of the reasons that I went with copper, to be truthful.

The main thing, is, however, the sheer durability of copper over any other material that I can think of, plus what I think is a very healthful effect from all the copper surrounding you, overhead!

People say I must be a millionaire to have a copper roof, and it's not that way at all!

At least it's not, IF, you understand HOW it is not that way, and that is in the thought and labor side of the equation!

If you can provide that side of the equation, yourself, your mind directing your labor, then you don't have to be a millionaire at all, to have anything, and especially a copper roof, which is an act of personal expression to me, in the making of it.

The roof system is to me a blank pallet to work the art of copper upon, and that is what we are doing, adding details here and there to give some context to the various roof lines, such as the fascias, and gable ends!

The material itself is reasonable, to me, anyway, and I buy it by the square foot, at so much per pound, that day, as copper is a commodity, and as such, its price fluctuates, up and down, although now I believe it is up!

No matter, right now, at least, for I had bought ahead, some time ago, when I had some money to do so with.

I'm sheathing my house, Mr. A.B., like an old-time fishing boat would be all wrapped in metal, and for the same reasons - to defeat the efforts of wind-driven rain to find a crack to enter, to get at the vulnerable wood inside.

And to be truthful, I don't know how you can afford to not do that, when you know the wind is coming, and the rain real hard as well!

It's like God is telling me, "REMEMBER NOAH!", and so, I am heeding his word on that possibility.

And if it never happens, that's okay, too, because my main goal and objective is to work down from the highest roof, where we are finishing up now, and just keep coppering a continuous path for water to flow, right on down and off the lowest roof, and out away from the foundation wall, where the grade just naturally will carry it away, or at least, it always has before.

If you observe water, and then you enhance its natural flow, your work ever after will be easier for that.

If you fight water, well, now, that's quite a fight!

Quite a fight, indeed!

For water never quits!

Me?

I'll just go with enhancing the flow!

[Livyjr]

If you fight water, well, now, that's quite a fight!

Quite a fight, indeed!

For water never quits!

Me?

I'll just go with enhancing the flow!

Enhancing the flow!

And what a mistaken phrase that can be, at times, as this next story clearly demonstrates!

Business - AP

"Wall St. Suffers Worst Day in Two Years"

13 minutes ago

By MICHAEL J. MARTINEZ, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK - Wall Street suffered its worst single day in nearly two years Friday, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling 191 points for its third straight triple-digit loss.

Deepening concerns over economic growth and higher prices led to the worst week of trading since August.

An already uneasy market began the biggest one-day selloff since May 19, 2003, after the Federal Reserve reported drops in manufacturing and other industrial production, and a Labor Department report showed higher oil costs driving up import prices.

The selloff was bolstered by lower-than-expected profits from IBM Corp., which led to fears that technology spending would be substantially worse than expected this year.

Strong earnings from General Electric Co. and Citigroup Inc. were overlooked, but analysts said earnings would nonetheless be a key factor in overcoming the recent slump.

"Earnings are really the only hope for this market," said Brian Pears, head equity trader at Victory Capital Management in Cleveland.

"If, on the whole, earnings can go up, then we might be able to overcome oil and inflation and all the other things."

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow fell 191.24, or 1.86 percent, to 10,087.51, after falling 125 points Thursday and 104 points Wednesday.

It was the Dow's lowest close since Nov. 2.

Broader stock indicators also lost considerable ground.

The Nasdaq composite index dropped 38.56, or 1.98 percent, to 1,908.15 for its worst showing since Oct. 25.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 19.43, or 1.67 percent, at 1,142.62, its lowest level since Nov. 3.

All three indexes set five-month lows for the second straight session, prompted by disappointing earnings in the tech sector and questions about slowing economic growth.

With Friday's losses, it was the first time the Dow lost 100 points three sessions in a row since late January 2003.

For the week, the Dow lost 3.57 percent, the S&P 500 was down 3.27 percent, and the Nasdaq tumbled 4.56 percent.

The major indexes are also at their lowest points of 2005, with the Nasdaq down 12.29 percent, the Dow falling 6.45 percent and the S&P having lost 5.72 percent.

Bond investors were pleased with Friday's results, however, as the bond market continued to rally.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.24 percent from 4.34 percent late Thursday.

The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices moved higher.

Crude oil prices were lower and continued a two-week downtrend, with a barrel of light crude settling at $50.49, down 64 cents, on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The recent drop in crude futures notwithstanding, higher oil prices are to blame for the jump in import prices, the Labor Department said.

Import costs rose 1.8 percent in March, but even without oil, prices rose 0.3 percent, more than the 0.2 percent rise economists had expected.

"There's a lot of evidence that when we have oil averaging $53 or $54 per barrel, that's inflationary, and we got a whiff of that today in the import prices," said Peter Cardillo, chief strategist and senior vice president with S.W. Bach & Co.

"It doesn't help that we're starting to see the economy enter a slowing mode heading into the second quarter here."

Investors looking at the Fed's industrial output report also questioned whether higher energy and materials costs were affecting manufacturing growth as well.

Overall industrial production rose 0.3 percent in March, up from 0.2 percent in February, but the increase came only from utility production due to a colder-than-average month, and manufacturing and other industrial sectors showed losses for the first time in six months.

IBM said an inability to close deals before the end of the quarter, combined with higher pension costs, dragged on its earnings.

The technology company, which missed Wall Street forecasts by 6 cents per share, hinted at a major restructuring this year.

IBM tumbled $6.94, or 8.3 percent to $76.60, and was the biggest loser on the Dow.

General Electric rose 25 cents to $35.75 after the industrial and media conglomerate reported a 25 percent jump in first-quarter profits, with nine of the company's 11 disparate divisions reporting double-digit growth.

The company's forecasts for the second quarter and full year were in line with Wall Street's estimates.

Citigroup beat Wall Street's expectations for its quarterly profits by 2 cents per share, with profits rising a modest 3 percent year-over-year.

The financial company also said its board had authorized the repurchase of an additional $15 billion in stock.

Citigroup added 35 cents to $45.75.

The lagging pharmaceutical sector saw new life after Genentech Inc. reported strong results from trials of its Avastin drug in breast cancer patients, and Ely Lilly & Co. received a favorable patent ruling on its best-selling anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa.

Genentech surged $10.72, or 18.3 percent, to $69.35, while Lilly climbed $2.91 to $58.07.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by more than 4 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 2.18 billion shares, compared with 1.9 billion on Thursday.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies was down 11.16, or 1.89 percent, at 580.78.

The Russell lost 4.91 percent this week and is down 10.86 percent for the year.

Thursday's losses in U.S. markets had a ripple effect overseas, as the Nikkei stock average fell 1.66 percent.

In Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 closed down 1.09 percent, France's CAC-40 lost 1.92 percent for the session, and Germany's DAX index tumbled 2.04 percent.
___

On the Net:

New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com

Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

[Livyjr]

Enhancing the flow!

And what a mistaken phrase that can be, at times, as this next story clearly demonstrates!

Business - AP

"Wall St. Suffers Worst Day in Two Years"

By MICHAEL J. MARTINEZ, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK - Wall Street suffered its worst single day in nearly two years Friday, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling 191 points for its third straight triple-digit loss.

Deepening concerns over economic growth and higher prices led to the worst week of trading since August.

An already uneasy market began the biggest one-day selloff since May 19, 2003, after the Federal Reserve reported drops in manufacturing and other industrial production, and a Labor Department report showed higher oil costs driving up import prices.

With Friday's losses, it was the first time the Dow lost 100 points three sessions in a row since late January 2003.

The recent drop in crude futures notwithstanding, higher oil prices are to blame for the jump in import prices, the Labor Department said.

Import costs rose 1.8 percent in March, but even without oil, prices rose 0.3 percent, more than the 0.2 percent rise economists had expected.

"There's a lot of evidence that when we have oil averaging $53 or $54 per barrel, that's inflationary, and we got a whiff of that today in the import prices," said Peter Cardillo, chief strategist and senior vice president with S.W. Bach & Co.

"It doesn't help that we're starting to see the economy enter a slowing mode heading into the second quarter here."

Wall Street PROJECTIONS!

What in the HELL is a Wall Street PREDICTION, and after all the Enrons, and the Fannie Mae crap going on now, where companies apparently and allegedly cook their books to make the "Wall Street PREDICTIONS", why would anyone in America, or the World, for that matter, believe a single word that comes out of that place, now, with regard to PREDICTIONS of what a certain company is going to be doing at any given time in the future?

And now, all the incompetence is starting to catch up with us, is what I think, and we teeter, on an edge now, that is caused by who even knows anymore, but certainly, the rising price of oil may just have been the final straw to break the back of this HOUSE OF CARDS that is Wall Street!

Should never buy into a lie, is what I was always taught, and on those few occasions where I did see someone try to buy into something that most definitely was a lie, they always ended up the loser for it, and so, maybe that is what is going to happen here, with anyone who has bought into the lies of Wall Street PREDICTIONS!

BUT .....

We'll all have to stay tuned to see on that one, and so ....

This story to be continued, as time passes, one way, or the other!

[Livyjr]

Wall Street PROJECTIONS!

What in the HELL is a Wall Street PREDICTION?

This story to be continued, as time passes, one way, or the other!

And here's a branch of that story, right now, in fact!

Top Stories - The Christian Science Monitor

"Gains in Iraq, but no 'tipping point'"

Fri Apr 15, 4:00 AM ET

Despite recent bombings and a kidnapping, insurgent attacks are down as are numbers of US troops wounded.

By Peter Grier and Faye Bowers, Staff writers of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON - For US forces in Iraq, the good news is that they appear to be making progress in their battle against an entrenched insurgency.

The bad news is that the insurgents are far from defeated - and it will be some time before Iraqi government forces can fight the rebels on their own.

It's true, as President Bush noted in a speech this week, that the new Iraqi government's own security forces now outnumber in-country US troops.

But experts note that the majority of these are police and lightly armed security guards, and are not really comparable to US military personnel.

Thus the bottom line is that large numbers of US troops will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future, though the total may be reduced somewhat over the coming months.

When it comes to the Iraqi security situation "we still have no tipping point, and we face at least a tipping year," writes Anthony H. Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in a new assessment of the situation.

The most recent news from Iraq has been tragically reminiscent of the bad days prior to the January Iraqi election.

Twin suicide car bombs killed at least 15 people during Baghdad's morning rush hour on Thursday.

US forces said that two other bombs were found in the area and detonated safely by ordnance experts.

These attacks followed a spate of car bombs and suicide attacks that occurred throughout the country on Wednesday.

And an American contractor kidnapped earlier this week appeared in a videotape released by his captors, looking pale and frightened and pleading for his life.

It's possible that these attacks represent a new insurgent offensive.

US officials were particularly worried about the degree of sophistication shown by an attack on the Abu Ghraib prison earlier this month, in which a large group of 60 fighters detonated car bombs and fired rockets and mortars before US forces beat them back after an intense firefight.

Fewer attacks and US wounded

It's also possible they are just a blip.

Since the election in January, overall insurgent attacks have dropped by about one-fifth, according to the US military.

US fatalities due to insurgent action dropped to 36 in March, the lowest such monthly total in over a year.

The number of wounded US troops has experienced a similar decline, according to a database kept by Michael O'Hanlon, a military expert at the Brookings Institution.

"The trend lines are better for the first time in a year," says O'Hanlon.

The bulk of the insurgents are probably Sunni Iraqis who feel they face a loss of position within their country following the overthrow of their patron, Saddam Hussein.

But some are Islamist foreign fighters such as the Al Qaeda associate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

There are indications that in recent weeks these Islamists have represented a larger percentage of the insurgents captured or killed by US forces, says a retired general who asked that his name not be used due to continued ties with the Pentagon.

This could mean that the native Iraqi portion of the insurgency is shrinking.

It could mean that the Islamists are being driven to action due to increasing desperation.

Either way, "if the numbers are correct and there are fewer Iraqis involved, this bodes well," says the retired general.

At the same time, the number of Iraqi security troops is growing.

In a speech at a Texas military base on Tuesday, President Bush noted that more than 150,000 Iraqi forces have been trained and equipped.

"Iraqi security forces are becoming more self-reliant and taking on greater responsibilities."

"And that means that America and its coalition partners are increasingly playing more of a supporting role," said Bush.

Gauging Iraqi security forces

While it is true that some 150,000 Iraqis have participated in training of some sort, it is misleading to use that number as an overall gauge of Iraqi strength, say experts.

"Such head counts say nothing about combat power, and are meaningless in terms of comparisons to US troops numbers," writes Anthony Cordesman of CSIS in his new assessment.

Of the 150,000 total, some 85,000 are Ministry of Interior police, not military forces, notes Mr. Cordesman.

Some 30,000 of these may actually still be awaiting training.

About 67,000 of the Iraqi troops are indeed military.

But most of these are lightly equipped and trained to accomplish only limited missions.

Only one operational battalion has anything like the heavy armor used by US forces.

"If one is counting manpower with some comparability to US forces the total is ... probably well below 20,000," Cordesman concludes.

The good news is that US and Iraqi leaders are now mounting a serious effort to construct the mix of forces they need to get a handle on the country's security problem, according to Cordesman.

It will simply take time to get those forces up and running.

By late 2005 or early 2006, if Iraq's political situation continues to develop along a generally positive path, the nation might be able to begin fighting its battles largely on its own.

"The US wants to leave with the perception, and ideally the reality, that Iraq is in good shape and on the right path," says Brookings Institution security specialist Daniel Byman.

[jeffmoskin]

People say I must be a millionaire to have a copper roof, and it's not that way at all!

Not since the CIA toppled Allende. Had to hold down the price of copper. After all, we needed a source for pennies that cost less than one cent.

[Livyjr]

Not since the CIA toppled Allende.

Had to hold down the price of copper.

After all, we needed a source for pennies that cost less than one cent.

And today, people won't even bother to bend down to pick up a penny, so I guess they are worth nothing at all, anymore, and that sure is a sign of something or other, if you think on it long enough!

And Chinese demand for copper these days has, or had it, anyway, right through the roof, and that makes it beyond my means, so, life will be interesting this summer, when my stockpile dwindles to the point of needing replenishment to finish my own job!

[Livyjr]

And here, I am just coming in, after being outside all afternoon, on another glorious day up here in the north-east, where we are under the influence of some nice dry air right now, which is a real blessing for me right now, with my roofing job going on as it is.

I've still got my JUDICIAL thread going, and so, I spend some time over there, up-dating the matter, and then, I stop by "A.B.'s Corner", and well, to tell the truth, I dwaddle over there, so there, it is said!

Mr. A.B. has a big porch on his place over there, and some real nice rockers and gliders, and now, he's got coffee going, and ice cream, and whoever really knows, which is why I like to stop by over there, just to see what is happening at that moment.

And then there is Mr. A.B.'s "Religion and Politics" thead, and so .....

I'm wandering back and forth, and hence my absence at times in here, these days.

And it really is so nice being outside, up on a roof as I am, sitting under the open sky, feeling the sun, and listening to the birds, and the sound of the wind in the tree tops all around me, where I am sitting.

Never is heard a discouraging word, and the sky is not cloudy all day!

And that just is not a bad way to go, at all!

[Livyjr]

When it's nice outside like it has been these days, I like to forget that a lot of things are going on, here in OUR America, that might or might not affect us, and OUR LIBERTY, and when I don't have to go out at all, well, it's heavenly, to be truthful!

BUT ...

No man is an island, they say, and certainly, I am not one, and so, this thread exists, to talk about life in OUR America, off my property lines, as that LIFE threatens to cross my property lines, to affect me, right in my own home, which should be a kind of sacred ground, in a sense, the home of an American citizen, any one of us of us, in here, and out there, as well, and by INTRUSIVE THINGS coming into OUR homes, here in OUR America, I mean politics, as it affects things like the availability of JUSTICE, here in OUR America, and the ECONOMY, and the environment, and whatever else catches my attention at any given moment, like Iraq, which I believe is having a very deleterious impact on the quality of OUR life, right here in OUR America, without OUR INFORMED CONSENT having ever been given for that misbegotten military adventure to sieze Iraq's oil fileds under the guise of spreading "democracy" through the world, as well as ending corruption!

And with respect to "my position", here, I think this next story shows very well what I am talking about, when I speak of a deleterious impact on the quality of OUR lives, here in OUR America:

Business - AP

"Finance Officials Try to Calm Markets"

40 minutes ago

By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON - Amid fresh jitters from Wall Street, finance officials from the world's industrial powers said Saturday surging oil prices could crimp the economy and they pledged to limit the fallout.

An intense discussion of the energy situation dominated the meeting attended by representatives from the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada.

"Higher oil prices are a headwind" and the global economic expansion "is less balanced than before," the finance officials said in a joint statement.

They urged producers to increase energy supplies and said countries should conserve more.

The Group of Seven countries endorsed more timely and accurate information about the oil market, which officials said could help control price fluctuations and make companies more willing to expand production.

The statement underscored finance officials' resolve to deal with the energy situation and reassure financial markets that the G-7 is on top of the matter.

The private talks a few blocks from the White House followed Wall Street's worst session in nearly two years.

The Dow Jones industrials plunged 191 points on Friday as investors worried about high oil prices and the strength of U.S. economic activity.

In addition to the G-7 discussions, the 184-nation International Monetary Fund and World Bank were holding meetings this weekend.

IMF members were to hear from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the need for rich countries to give more aid to poor nations.

That approach fits into Annan's efforts to overhaul U.N. operations.

Under tight security, several hundred people pressed for greater debt relief for impoverished countries and voiced opposition to the selection of Paul Wolfowitz, deputy defense secretary and an architect of the Iraq war, to run the World Bank.

He starts on June 1.

The G-7 statement endorsed the goal of fully canceling debt for such countries.

But officials have yet to resolve differences between competing plans from the United States and Britain.

"Once more the G-7 have chosen delay," said Jonathan Hepburn, policy adviser for Oxfam International, a supporter of expanded debt relief.

The Bush administration also used the G-7 meeting as an opportunity to pressure China to overhaul its currency system.

The finance officials advocated "flexibility in exchange rates" — the phrase they have used before to prod China.

The United States wants China to stop directly linking the yuan to the dollar.

Treasury Secretary John Snow said it was now time to act.

"The next step is to do it," he said, rejecting claims by Beijing that it is not ready for the switch.

The administration has come under fire from members of Congress and U.S. manufacturers to take a tough line against China.

Critics contend China's currency system hurts U.S. exports and has contributed to the loss of millions of jobs in American factories.

France's finance minister, Thierry Breton, said that in the G-7 group's discussion, "it was clear that the yuan is undervalued and there was a consensus that China has to address this."

Chinese finance officials accepted invitations to attend the two previous G-7 meetings.

But they skipped this session, an apparent signal they did not want to be lobbied more intensely on the currency issue.

Energy prices were a concern at the last G-7 meeting in February and the one before that, but little action has resulted.

Snow acknowledged that G-7 statement itself "won't do much about the fundamentals for demand and supply of oil."

But he said the statement should signal to the financial community that "the G-7 is monitoring the situation."

In the United States, oil prices surged to an all-time high of $57.27 a barrel at the beginning of April.

They hovered above $50 on Friday.

"These energy prices are too high."

"... They call out for action," Snow said.

Snow urged Congress to pass President Bush's stalled energy bill, which would open an Alaskan wildlife refuge to oil exploration.

Bush used his Saturday radio address to make the same point, saying U.S. families and small businesses are feeling the pinch from rising gasoline prices.

"Oil prices pose the biggest growth risk at the moment," said Germany's finance minister, Hans Eichel.

"Prices are high and volatile" which produces "an element of insecurity."

For now, energy prices are expected to slow economic growth modestly this year in the United States and elsewhere.

"The outlook continues to point to solid growth for 2005," the finance officials said in their statement.

Still, they stressed the need for the United States to address its surging budget deficit and for Europe and Japan to deal with workplace barriers that are restricting economic growth.

"Vigorous action is needed to address global imbalances and foster growth," they said.
___

On the Net:

International Monetary Fund: http://www.imf.org

World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org

[Livyjr]

Business - AP

"Finance Officials Try to Calm Markets"

By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON - Amid fresh jitters from Wall Street, finance officials from the world's industrial powers said Saturday surging oil prices could crimp the economy and they pledged to limit the fallout.

SO!

The "big bottom" boys are all together in a room somewhere down there in George W. Bush's city of Washington, D$C$ to have some "confab" and "chin wag" about the obvious fact that surging oil prices ARE crimping the economy, and so, we should all feel comforted somehow by that, which I don't, BECAUSE ...

Because these are the same "fat-bottomed" boys who have gotten us into the "FIX" in the first place, and so, why should we believe in them, or listen to them, especially as they do not in any way represent us, or OUR interests, as American citizens, here in OUR America.

The "big-bottom" boys thought the "GRAVY TRAIN" was going to go on forever, or at least until long after they had gotten what they wanted from it, and had retired, in luxury, and style, and maybe, just maybe, they have gotten "hoist by their own petard", here, with these surging oil prices THAT THEY, by their very policies, have caused to happen!

WHICH IS WHY THEY NOW HAVE NO SOLUTIONS, for outside of a major re-structuring of world economies right now, there is no solution.

This, folks, is the other end, one more time, of that childrens' story about a goose who laid golden eggs, and it's not a fairy story at all!

It is real!

And we are there, as it unfolds before OUR very eyes!

SO!

Did you ever think it, would be one question on my mind, anyway!

As for me, I think it would be, did I hope it, instead, that common sense would prevail, and yes, I must admit that I did hope that somehow reason and common sense would prevail, but now, I believe my hope was misplaced, and so .....

Prepare for the lean times, folks, for they are on their way, is my persistent thought of the moment!

Can they be averted?

A difficult call, at this stage of the game!

BUT .....

We will see!

SO!

Stay tuned for further developments, as they happen!

Live, late-breaking!

Life, in OUR America!

[jeffmoskin]

"Higher oil prices are a headwind" and the global economic expansion "is less balanced than before," the finance officials said in a joint statement.

Incredible as it might seem, higher oil prices might have a POSITIVE effect on the stock market. After all, it is always the INFLOW of cash chasing that supply of stocks that drives up the prices. In the 90s, it was the baby boomers putting money into their 401k retirement plans. Now that they are tapped out, the market has no upward pressure.

High oil prices mean high profits for our GOOD FRIENDS, the SAUDIS. It costs them $1.00 a barrel to pump the stuff. All the rest is profit, and they have to DO SOMETHING with it.

Generally, they buy stocks. Hence, upward pressure.

Every $1.00 per barrel increase in the price of crude ends up costing American motorists 5 BILLION dollars per year.

Lemmeseenow...

Oil prices are about $20 over last year, so there will be a "tax" on all motorists of $100 Billion which will go into the market, which is valued at about $5 Trillion (5,000 Billion)

Well, I guess it's a small upward pressure. But then don't forget the Chinese who are plowing all the money we spend on DVD players into Treasury bonds (which crowds out American investors and makes stocks look more appealing).

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Livyjr]

Incredible as it might seem, higher oil prices might have a POSITIVE effect on the stock market.

After all, it is always the INFLOW of cash chasing that supply of stocks that drives up the prices.

In the 90s, it was the baby boomers putting money into their 401k retirement plans.

Now that they are tapped out, the market has no upward pressure.

High oil prices mean high profits for our GOOD FRIENDS, the SAUDIS.

It costs them $1.00 a barrel to pump the stuff.

All the rest is profit, and they have to DO SOMETHING with it.

Generally, they buy stocks.

Hence, upward pressure.

And as always, some very interesting analysis here, jeffmoskin!

Thought-provoking, as it should be.

And your final thought is one I share with you, that we will just have to wait and see!

And I don't think this is going to be at all "national" in uniform effect, jeffmoskin, these economic woes, if and when they come!

I think depending on the area of the United States that you are in, what any of us perceives as actual change is going to be highly variable for some time yet to come, a year, maybe, although here, most of us are really waiting to see what will be transpiring in just the next couple of months, if oil prices do stay high, and interest rates keep jogging on upwards.

Me, I've gone into watch-and-wait mode, myself, with no plans at all to do anything, or spend anything, or commit to anything financial, on the horizon, especially if it involves something that burns gasoline!

Simplify!

If I'm wrong, oh well!

I can always get fat next week, but right now?

Simplify, simplify, simplify!

And stay tuned, of course, for further developments, as they happen!

LIVE!

Here in OUR America!

[Livyjr]

And here is one more look at the "economic picture", here in OUR America, while we are on that topic:

Business - AP

"Investor Fears Move From Rates to Profits"

34 minutes ago

By MEG RICHARDS, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK - In the span of only a few days, Wall Street went from worrying about accelerating inflation and higher interest rates to fretting over deteriorating profits and the specter of a possible economic slowdown.

The resulting gyrations in stocks have puzzled even some professional investors.

They also have many analysts predicting a shift in investing trends, away from commodity-driven issues toward less-loved areas of the market, such as health care and consumer staples — the least-damaged sectors over the last week.

"The shift from a cyclical, almost inflation-driven mindset to one that is defensive with slower growth has put the commodity producers in the leadership role to the downside," said Ned Riley, chief investment officer of Riley Asset Management in Boston.

"That masks the fact that the companies with more stable growth, that are less dependent on price increases, are going to eventually be the market's new leadership."

In an otherwise excruciating week for stocks, the exchange-traded fund that tracks the health care issues of the Standard & Poor's 500 posted a 1.18 percent gain, the only sector to show a positive return.

Overall, the index shed 3.27 percent for the week, and is now down 5.72 percent for the year.

The week's worst-performing sectors were energy and materials, which sank 6.93 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively.

At the root of at least some of the market's anxiety is the thought of less-robust growth in consumer spending, illustrated by disappointing retail sales for March.

This was partly chalked up to higher fuel costs.

But even the sagging price of oil, now trading at a two-month low, failed to reassure investors, who remained firmly focused on their fears of slower growth for the rest of 2005.

It's not surprising investors have turned defensive, said Joseph V. Battipaglia, chief investment officer at Ryan Beck & Co.

They have so many unanswered questions.

How aggressive will the Federal Reserve be as it tightens interest rates?

What impact will rates have on the economy?

How will energy costs affect consumers?

What does the corporate profit picture hold?

"And now they're believing that we are entering a period of economic slowdown."

"This is where it gets difficult," Battipaglia said.

"No one would argue the economy is simmering down."

"But how far down it simmers is the major question."

In 2004, the second year of the recovery following the bear market, investors benefited from a 4 percent rate of growth in gross domestic product; this year most think it will be about 3 percent.

But while the pace of economic growth is slowing, there are still good fundamental underpinnings, including relatively high levels of employment and continued wage gains.

"I think the economy is on solid footing and we're in the middle innings of an expansion and we have a way to go," Battipaglia said.

"The message for small investors is, don't make changes to your portfolio allocation because the momentum of the moment is putting you out of favor."

The market may be overreacting to the prospect of slower growth in consumer spending, analysts said.

Consumers, whose spending accounts for 70 percent of the economy, barely blinked during the recession; car sales and home sales were strong, and remain so.

It's probably not realistic to expect that pace to increase.

Interest rates also remain favorable.

Short-term rates currently stand at 2.75 percent, and the Fed is expected to proceed with incremental 0.25 percentage point hikes.

And receding inflation concerns sent mortgage rates down for a second straight week.

And yet, a confluence of events raised the alarm this past week, denting investor confidence.

Far from comforting the market, the break in oil prices ignited worries about an economic slowdown.

A number of companies reported disappointing earnings results and issued cautious outlooks, causing analysts to trim their forecasts and reconsider the prospects for the rest of the year.

Among companies offering gloomy outlooks were automakers Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., which face swelling health care costs, rising competition and sinking debt ratings.

Their shares struck 10-year lows this past week.

Against this backdrop, investors are extraordinarily sensitive to even hints of bad news, and in their nervousness, quick to collect profits, particularly in cases where valuations have been stretched.

Apple Computer Inc. reported strong earnings thanks to the success of its iPod music player, but was punished because of doubts about whether it could come up with another blockbuster.

It's clear investors are looking for alternatives, but it's difficult to find opportunities in a sea of downward-pointing red arrows.

For now, volatility is to be expected as large market players — hedge funds and options traders — scramble to cover the hefty bets they made on commodities.

As much as anyone, Riley said, "they've been whipsawed and are confused," forced to change their strategy sooner than they anticipated.

For his part, he sees the current declines as a buying opportunity.

"Finally, my reasons to buy this market have started to materialize," he said.

"Falling oil prices, falling commodity prices, interest rates that don't exceed the high of last year and that have subsided, and a Federal Reserve that may have realized that a moderate pace of tightening is better than trying to shock the market."

"I don't think this is the end of the cycle."

"It's an extended breather, one that gets people psychologically down, and from that point we'll get the rally," said Riley.

"You gotta buy when nobody wants 'em."

end quotes

There's some horse traders out in Wyoming who can make real big money selling horses that nobody who knows horses wants, to damn fools who don't know nothing about horses at all, but think that because of the high price asked, the horse must be better than everybody else has, and so they buy it, and then find out that it was laying down all the time they were looking at it, NOT because it was conserving its energy for race day as the horse salesman said, but because it don't have any legs on which to even walk, let alone run an inch!

And maybe that's really what these Wall Street boys down there in the heavily-fortified FORTRESS CITY of New York need, is some of the Wyoming Horse Traders to come in there, and "kick" up the BID-NESS a little for them, to get this American economy rolling full steam here, just as George W. Bush keeps on telling us that it is doing, even as his own financial boys are telling us it is not!

Crazy stuff, this, and here we are, with a bird's eye view, watching it happen!

Boy, this technology stuff sure is something!

And how about that?

[Livyjr]

And GOOD MORNING, America, how are you?

Well, I hope!

As for me, it is the start of another beautiful day, here in OUR America, and so, I am off to be outside, to get some "chores" done, and so, with God's grace, I will be back this afternoon, to see what is up out there in the world, which is certainly not the stock market, nor OUR hopes as American citizens, and that is probably why I am looking forward to being outside for a while, just to get away from what is going on in the world, and OUR America these days, at the hands of a crowd of people down there in Washington, D.C., who I don't think could mow a lawn between the lot of them, let alone govern a nation such as OURS is.

The LONG HARD RIDE!

SO!

Stay tuned!

Where will George W. Bush lead us to?

Who on earth even knows, for George W. Bush doesn't, and it all goes right on downhill from there, in my estimation, anyway!

See you all later!

Enjoy your day!

Breathe in some of that nice fresh spring air, and just say, "AAAHHHH", for how good it makes you feel, and who knows what will happen after that, which really does not matter, since you will be feeling so good, that you will be able to handle anything and everything that comes along after that moment!

[Abu Beacon]

COLOR=red]Where will George W. Bush lead us to?[/[/COLOR]
Who on earth even knows, for George W. Bush doesn't, and it all goes right on downhill from there, in my estimation, anyway!

Breathe in some of that nice fresh spring air, and just say, "AAAHHHH", for how good it makes you feel, and who knows what will happen after that, which really does not matter, since you will be feeling so good, that you will be able to handle anything and everything that comes along after that moment!

Livyjr, I assume the question " Where will George W. Bush lead us to? is a rhetorical question.

Because, as you say, nobody knows, not even G.W.B.

The bigger question, in my mind, is " Why does anybody follow him? "

A.B.

[jeffmoskin]

Livyjr, I assume the question " Where will George W. Bush lead us to? is a rhetorical question.

Because, as you say, nobody knows, not even G.W.B.

The bigger question, in my mind, is " Why does anybody follow him? "

A.B.

Unfortunately, Imperial Caesar will lead us into Syria, then Saudi Arabia.

It's all about oil.

And empire.