Friday, 8 August 2014

Headlines

## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards ##
Finland could face an economic crisis because of European Union sanctions against Russia and Helsinki will seek financial compensation from the EU if it is disproportionately hit by the measures, its prime minister said on Wednesday (6 August).
The greenback’s share of global reserves has already shrunk to under 61 percent from more than 72 percent in 2001.

## Airline Death Spiral ##

## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
At one point the US had designs on dramatically growing their own military presence in Africa, by way of AFRICOM, though they appear to have scrapped that idea in favor of propping up proxies in the region.

## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
The United Arab Emirates announced in June that it is introducing compulsory military service for all male citizens aged between 18 and 30 and setting up a new national defense and reserve force. The surprising development in the stable country can only be seen as a reaction to the growing unrest in the surrounding region – Iraq, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Hey, too bad you're not rich, ha ha ha. -- RF

## Energy/resources ##
The rapid growth in U.S. shipments of crude oil by rail is leading to an unexpected shortage of coal at many power plants across the country.
As I've said, the era of cheap energy is over. -- RF
Although touted as the Next Big Thing, this actually shows that the situation is getting desperate. -- RF
China has halved the quantum of shale gas it expects to produce by 2020 after early exploration efforts to unlock the unconventional fuel proved challenging, according to an industry website and a government source.
We have a really big problem here: Too many people think that hydrogen is an "energy source." So let's get this straight. Unless you are able to go out into deep space and harvest some of those immense hydrogen clouds that are many light years across, and use less energy than is contained in the hydrogen you harvested, hydrogen is not an energy source. Here on Earth, you have to expend energy to liberate hydrogen from chemical compounds (such as water), and when you use the hydrogen, you get less energy back than you expended to make it. That is what we call an energy sink. But let's focus on what's going on here. Some other form of energy is used to make hydrogen, which is then stored until its use. So hydrogen is a means of energy storage. In other words, hydrogen is essentially the same as a battery. It's a means of storing energy for later use, with an inevitable energy loss. I am not saying we shouldn't use hydrogen. I'm saying that to properly see hydrogen's possible place in any energy system, we have to understand that it's just a kind of battery, not an energy source. Do not be taken in by people who are trying to sell hydrogen by telling us it's an energy source. There is never going to be a "hydrogen civilization" as there is a "petroleum civilization." -- RF

## Got food? ##

## Lifestyle Solutions ##

## Environment/health ##

## Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##
I can't believe anyone would want to live like this, but it takes all kinds. -- RF
Would it be all right for Cuba to run socialism programs in the US? -- RF

## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
Empty shelves have been identified as a problem at other major retailers as well. Large-scale, complex distribution systems are starting to break down. -- RF

## Japan ##

## China ##

## UK ##

## US ##
On a 30-mile stretch of railroad between Westerly and Cranston, R.I., Amtrak's 150-mile-per-hour Acela hits its top speed — for five or 10 minutes. On the crowded New York to Washington corridor, the Acela averages only 80 m.p.h., and plans to bring it up to Japanese bullet-train speeds will take $150 billion and 26 years, if it ever happens.
Wells Fargo & Co has relaxed its standards for loans for some high-priced homes as the largest U.S. mortgage lender tries to combat an industry-wide drop in mortgage volumes.
It's not a recession and it's not over. -- RF

And finally...

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