##
Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards ##
Cut,
baby, cut! -- RF
McDonald's
franchisees are furious that the company's aggressive promotions
and costly restaurant upgrades are squeezing their
profits, according to a new survey. "Growth for
McDonald's is over," one franchisee wrote in response to
the survey by the financial services firm Janney Capital Markets.
##
Airline Death Spiral ##
Saudi
airspace has become one of the most potentially dangerous areas to
fly in the world, with the rate of near-crashes surpassing
seven times the global average.
The
five biggest U.S. airlines all increased their base fare on
domestic flights in the past week, despite declining fuel
prices and apprehension over the potential spread of Ebola.
Don't
expect the once-struggling airline industry to pass its good fortune
on to travelers during the holidays
##
Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
This
is one of the most sensible proposals I've seen in a long time. -- RF
Congressional
neocons are determined to sink negotiations to constrain but not
end Iran’s nuclear program – all the better to get on with
bombing Iran at the heart of their agenda.
##
Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Masked
assailants Wednesday set fire to the city hall in Iguala in a rampage
triggered by the failure of Mexican authorities to resolve
the case of 43 missing student teachers.
##
Energy/resources ##
The
Philippine government said on Tuesday it would count on big
businesses with diesel-fuelled power generators to avert rolling
brownouts in 2015, as it struggles to get authority from the
country's Congress to tackle a looming electricity
shortage.
##
Got food? ##
73% of
seed crops are now ‘owned’ by 10 corporations – while
community and grassroots initiatives are working to keep global
diversity alive.
##
Environment/health ##
All
travelers who come into the U.S. from three Ebola-stricken
West African nations will now be monitored for three weeks,
the latest step by federal officials to keep the disease
from spreading into the country.
##
Intelligence/propaganda/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Devices
identical to those secretly planted in New York City phone
booths have been installed in public spaces in Los Angeles and
Chicago.
##
Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
##
Japan ##
Two U.S.
Navy destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities are being
forward deployed to Japan, the U.S. Navy announced.
The
operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has
begun dismantling the cover of a reactor building to
remove debris as part of preparations for removing the
nuclear fuel from a spent fuel storage pool.
##
China ##
China is
finding oil supplies 14,000 miles away, aided by the global rout in
prices that’s left producers vying for new markets.
##
UK ##
The
impact of the startling price of energy has been revealed
by a government leaflet released today, which recommends
that pensioners only heat one room in their house in order
to stay warm without breaking the bank. It raises the
question of just how desperate energy bills are making
life for retirees.
How
many "excess deaths" this winter? -- RF
Parents
with adult children still living at home forced to take out loans
and cut back on groceries, survey finds
##
US ##
Out
of control: “War
on Terror” Targets Unlicensed Underwear – Department of
Homeland Security Raids Maker of World Series Panties
Why
did the face in the Oval Office change but the policies remain
the same? Critics tend to focus on Obama himself, a leader who
perhaps has shifted with politics to take a harder line. But
Tufts University political scientist Michael J. Glennon has
a more pessimistic answer: Obama couldn’t have changed
policies much even if he tried.
Which
is essentially the point I made on July 18. Obama is not in charge,
any more than Bush was. From POTUS on down, American elected
officials largely do as dictated by the system; they actually have
little discretion to make any substantive changes. So again, dumping
on Obama, or any previous president, is barking up the wrong tree. --
RF
After
last year's long cold winter spiked propane costs and left firewood
piles burned to nothing, White said rural Minnesotans are stocking
up on anything to keep their homes warm.
Americans'
love of central heating will lead to tragedy, as the struggle to heat
entire homes, instead of just a few rooms, will exhaust fuel supplies
much faster. -- RF
While
we joked about it getting cold in Ukraine as they argued with Russia
over supplies, it might be the other side of the Atlantic that
faces the bigger chill.
And
finally...
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