Wednesday 7 May 2014

Headlines

Thanks to Rice Farmer


## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards ##

## Airline Death Spiral ##
Airlines are taking in less money from bag fees than they did two years ago, but they are making up for it by adding charges for a slew of extras, including getting a decent seat.

## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Vietnam denounced China for setting up an exploration rig in waters off its central coast disputed by the two nations, raising the prospect of an escalation of tensions between the neighboring countries.
The United States has agreed to sign a long-term lease agreement with the government of Djibouti, President Obama announced Monday, cementing the U.S. military's presence at Camp Lemonnier, home to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and key foothold for the killer drone program.
The Obama Administration has announced today that it will recognize the DC office of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) as an official diplomatic mission, dubbing them the “legitimate representative of the Syrian people.” … The State Department followed up the move with a promise for another $27 million in aid for the SNC. Such subsidies are effectively the group’s only source of revenue, as it continues to lobby for more subsidies on the notion that it will eventually be installed by the US or other powers as the new government of Syria.

## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##

## Energy/resources ##
Gulf oil producers have given Egypt a free fuel lifeline totalling $6 billion in value to help fend off unrest on its streets in the summer when consumption soars, the head of its national oil company said.
Street lights in some of Dubai’s interior roads will be switched off after 10pm to save energy. A senior official from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai confirmed the development saying 44 per cent of streetlights would be switched off.
Here's a "surprise" that we knew had to be coming. Glitzy, energy-rich Dubai is trying to conserve energy by switching off street lights! If Dubai is doing it, how far behind are many other countries? -- RF
An energy industry analyst said that “no single solution” exists to cutting oil and gas industry capital expenditures (capex), which are soaring globally as industry seeks to maximize production for technically challenging resources.
Kota Kinabalu: Another blackout hit the State Capital and surrounding areas on Monday, leaving many people fuming and flabbergasted that massive power outages are continuing to happen despite repeated assurances by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB).
While zero-emission, environmentally friendly, electric-powered automobiles are keeping American air clean, they are also partly responsible for millions of tons of pollution halfway around the world. The irony is difficult to miss.

## Got food? ##
Cattle prices have been rising rapidly as the U.S. supply remains constrained. The beef industry is still struggling through a multi-year drought in Western states that has destroyed pastureland, making it difficult to grow the national herd. The relative shortage of animals is causing many ranchers to hold onto animals for the purpose of breeding, which further limits the market-ready cattle in the near term.

## Lifestyle Solutions ##

## Environment/health ##
The man-made earthquakes that have been shaking up the southern United States only stand to get stronger and more dangerous as the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, increases, scientists warned at a Thursday conference.
While scientists haven't ruled out natural causes for the increase, many researchers suspect the deep injection wells used for the disposal of fracking wastewater could be causing the earthquake activity.

## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##
The Russian government published an 80-page report on Monday detailing "widespread and gross human rights violations" in Ukraine over the past six months for which it blamed the new government and its Western allies.

## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
A report released on May 5 by staffing firm, Manpower, suggests that utilities are under a “double squeeze”—a shortage of skilled workers at both the entry and senior level—caused by an aging workforce, advances in technology, and a breakdown in the educational system.

## Japan ##

## China ##

## UK ##
The government must urgently establish a strategic authority to oversee the future growth of Britain's ageing energy infrastructure, a study argues on Tuesday.
Letter from Conservative minister reveals plans to sanction unemployed people if they fail to agree to controversial contracts
Force buyers to find bigger deposits, says OECD think tank, to slow booming market that could put economic recovery at risk
Two thirds of councils are now dimming or switching off street lights at night due to financial pressures.

## US ##
The past decade in prices—and the story it tells about poverty and America.
Booming production of oil and natural gas has exacted a little-known price on some of the nation's roads, contributing to a spike in traffic fatalities in states where many streets and highways are choked with large trucks and heavy drilling equipment.
The U.S. trophy-home market is shattering price records this year as an increasing number of residential properties change hands for more than $100 million.

And finally...


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