Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum - Off-Topic http://www.benzworld.org/forums en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:33:36 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum - Off-Topic http://www.benzworld.org/forums -1 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483998-1.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:06:25 GMT Forum just gotten a little too positive with the usual suspects giddy from overstimulation. Forum just gotten a little too positive with the usual suspects giddy from overstimulation. ]]> Off-Topic mlfun http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483998-1.html WWRD? (What would Rasmussen Do?) http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483992-wwrd-what-would-rasmussen-do.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:46:49 GMT Obama Job Approval Down to 49% (http://www.gallup.com/poll/122627/Obama-Job-Approval-Down-49.aspx) Obama Job Approval Down to 49%
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]]> Off-Topic Botnst http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483992-wwrd-what-would-rasmussen-do.html REG US PAT OFF / FGU http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483953-reg-us-pat-off-fgu.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:45:33 GMT 12 gauge single action breach loader with that engraved on the side, made by Stevens. 12 gauge single action breach loader with that engraved on the side, made by Stevens. ]]> Off-Topic Shane http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483953-reg-us-pat-off-fgu.html Berkeley Students protest paying own way http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483952-berkeley-students-protest-paying-own-way.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:35:57 GMT Protesters take over building at UC Berkeley Oakland Tribune Updated: 11/20/2009 07:56:20 AM PST Related Stories Nov 19: UC regents approve 32... Protesters take over building at UC Berkeley

Oakland Tribune
Updated: 11/20/2009 07:56:20 AM PST

Related Stories
Nov 19:
UC regents approve 32 percent student fee increase; protests heat up
Nov 18:
Police close roads due to protesting UC Santa Cruz students
UC regents recommend 32 percent fee hike

BERKELEY — About 50 protesters have taken over Wheeler Hall at the University of California, Berkeley, according to news reports.
The students are locked in a second story classroom and speaking to a crowd using a bullhorn. Three have been arrested so far, according to KCBS, and police have sealed the building off. ]]> Off-Topic Botnst http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483952-berkeley-students-protest-paying-own-way.html Breitbart takes on Holder http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483949-breitbart-takes-holder.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:17:38 GMT *Warning* Not safe for leftoid consumtion! Any bets Holder will fold? I doubt it as many belive ACORN owns him and most of the administration.

"I never trust a man unless I have his pecker in my pocket"
LBJ

"When you've got 'em by the balls their hearts and minds will follow"
Colson


Breitbart to AG Holder: Investigate ACORN or We’ll Release More Tapes Just Before 2010 Election
by Publius

Earlier tonight Andrew Breitbart, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles discussed the final chapter of the ACORN L.A. saga on “Hannity,” but more interestingly, Breitbart disclosed where the story goes from here. Transcript (below) starts from 3:50 into the clip:

Breitbart: There’s a lot of hypocrisy and the dust has settled for ACORN and at the end of the day they’ve recognized that Eric Holder, the Attorney General, has not initiated an investigation into ACORN after we now have seven tapes. There were five initially that came out, ACORN was defunded by the Senate, was defunded by the House, lost it’s link to the Census; while all that damage occurred, Congress didn’t come in to investigate them, obviously not the Attorney General’s office, and they’ve now realized let’s get back into business because they realized that the dust settled and they were not being investigated, it was Hannah, James, and me who were being investigated, that’s why we’ve been forced to offer this latest tape.

Hannity: Are you saying, Andrew, that there are more tapes?

Breitbart: Oh my goodness there are! Not only are there more tapes, it’s not just ACORN. And this message is to Attorney General Holder: I want you to know that we have more tapes, it’s not just ACORN, and we’re going to hold out until the next election cycle, or else if you want to do a clean investigation, we will give you the rest of what we have, we will comply with you, we will give you the documentation we have from countless ACORN whistleblowers who want to come forward but are fearful of this organization and the retribution that they fear that this is a dangerous organization. So if you get into an investigation, we will give you the tapes; if you don’t give us the tapes, we will revisit these tapes come election time.

Hannity: This is a blockbuster, what you’re saying here. You guys have more tapes, you’ll release them before the election, that could have a big impact on the election, obviously… ]]> Off-Topic Stuantle http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483949-breitbart-takes-holder.html Starkville City Jail http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483948-starkville-city-jail.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:11:02 GMT Curtis & Leroy saw an ad in the Starkville Daily News

Newspaper in Starkville, MS. and bought a mule for $100.

The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day.

The next morning the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, fellows, I have some bad news, the mule died last night."

Curtis & Leroy replied, "Well, then just give us our money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

They said, "OK then, just bring us the dead mule."

The farmer asked, "What in the world ya'll gonna do with a dead mule?"

Curtis said, "We gonna raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead mule!"

Leroy said, "We shore can! Heck, we don't hafta tell nobody he's dead!"

A couple of weeks later, the farmer ran into Curtis & Leroy at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and asked. "What'd you fellers ever do with that dead mule?"

They said,"We raffled him off like we said we wuz gonna do."

Leroy said,"Shucks, we sold 500 tickets fer two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898."

The farmer said,"My Lord, didn't anyone complain?"

Curtis said, "Well, the feller who won got upset. So we gave him his two dollars back."

Curtis and Leroy now work for the government.

They're overseeing the Bailout Program. ]]> Off-Topic Botnst http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483948-starkville-city-jail.html 0 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483945-a.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:53:48 GMT Same place holder, different value. Different? We report, you decide. Same place holder, different value. Different? We report, you decide. ]]> Off-Topic Botnst http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483945-a.html 1 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483942-1.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:43:52 GMT Lets prove or disprove this eh'


http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-...ad-titles.html ]]> Off-Topic eric242340 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483942-1.html Botnst started a new school http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483939-botnst-started-new-school.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:33:37 GMT Students taught how to grow marijuana in Detroit's new cannabis college | Society | guardian.co.uk ]]> Off-Topic eric242340 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483939-botnst-started-new-school.html Living in a world of Unquestioned Lies http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483935-living-world-unquestioned-lies.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:44:30 GMT * Poll: Majority of Republicans Believe ACORN Stole the Presidential Election Katie Connolly * Newsweek - National News, World News, Health,...
Poll: Majority of Republicans Believe ACORN Stole the Presidential Election
Katie Connolly

Newsweek - National News, World News, Health, Technology, Entertainment and more... | Newsweek.com

As his hopes of winning the congressional election in New York's 23rd district fade, conservative candidate Doug Hoffman is clearly getting desperate. Today he's blaming his loss on "ACORN, the unions, and the Democratic party" who he alleges, without a shred of evidence, tampered with votes to rig the election against him. Never mind that ACORN told Hoffman that they didn't have volunteers in the area, or that it largely operates in poor urban communities, which NY-23 is not. For conservatives, ACORN is shorthand for the evils of the left.

On the heels of that news, Public Policy Polling released this shocking nugget on its blog: "a 52% majority of GOP voters nationally think that ACORN stole the Presidential election for Barack Obama last year, with only 27% granting that he won it legitimately." Say what? More than half of Republican respondents believe the president was elected fraudulently! That's a stunningly high number. It's disturbing, not only as a demonstrable lack of faith in America's democracy but as an expression of wanton ignorance. Worse, it illustrates the effectiveness of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, et al., alongside a well-funded "Stop ACORN" campaign, in creating an atmosphere where unquestioned lies become received wisdom.

Barack Obama won the election by an easy margin. In the end, it wasn't even close. John McCain knew that and delivered his concession speech before 9:30 p.m. Obama didn't just win in the urban areas where ACORN could actually be seen as a force—and which would likely have voted for him regardless of ACORN's participation. He won in places like North Carolina, where ACORN had just eight staffers. There's been no formal challenge to the electoral validity of the votes.There's simply no proof to back up claims that ACORN tampered with ballots. But there is evidence of irresponsible reporting catalyzing misguided fears.

In September, Peter Dreier and Christopher Martin at California's Occidental College released a study of media coverage of ACORN. Among their many findings was this laundry list regarding stories about ACORN's alleged involvement in voter fraud:

82.8% of the stories failed to mention that actual voter fraud is very rare;
80.3% of the stories failed to mention that ACORN was reporting registration irregularities to authorities, as required by law;
85.1% of the stories about ACORN failed to note that ACORN was acting to stop incidents of registration problems by its (mostly temporary) employees when it became aware of these problems;
95.8% of the stories failed to provide deeper context, especially efforts by Republican Party officials to use allegations of "voter fraud" to dampen voting by low‐income and minority Americans, including the firing of U.S. Attorneys who refused to cooperate with the politicization of voter-fraud accusations—firings that ultimately led to the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

To be sure, ACORN has some serious credibility problems, including those infamous videos of ACORN staffers handing out advice about how to fool the IRS as well as an embezzlement scandal. The organization is indeed compromised. But that's even more reason why it's almost unimaginable that it could engineer a massive deceit on the American people and fraudulently steal an election. It's hard to conceive that hundreds of volunteers with clipboards and voter-registration papers were engaged in an elegant (and enormous) conspiracy to cheat and thieve a national election, or that such drastic measures were necessary in a fight against an unpopular incumbent party.

The conservative obsession with ACORN is sad and culturally debilitating. For some, it's politics as usual. Demonize the other side until you get the power back. But for others it's evidently an expression of fear of a world where poor people of diverse ethnic backgrounds become a mobilized political force. For its part ACORN hasn't been very virtuous, but it's far from the "criminal enterprise" that Rep. Steve King or Rep. Darrell Issa would have you believe. It actually does have a history of doing socially constructive work in low income and disenfranchised communities, legitimately helping people file taxes, register to vote and find employment. The people they serve—underprivileged, mainly nonwhite, inner-city dwellers—also happen to vote for Democrats, which is exactly why they're such a prime target of conservative animus. But ACORN's now public improprieties doesn't make it even remotely capable of stealing a hard-fought presidential election. If it did, America would have much bigger problems on its hands than some hookers trying to cheat on their taxes. ]]> Off-Topic FeelTheLove http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483935-living-world-unquestioned-lies.html Do you beleive the US is in or close to entering a Depression style era? http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483934-do-you-beleive-us-close-entering.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:36:31 GMT 10 Reasons to Believe That We're in a Depression

As the economy drifts listlessly going into this holiday season, thoughts of sugar-plumbed call options and zombie companies (Fannie Mae (FNM), Freddie Mac (FRE), and Citibank (C)) are dancing in the heads of day traders, fund managers and CNBC.

Hooray, hooray, everything is OK! Well, not quite. While Wall Street is feasting on the greatest secular bear market bounce in history, Main Street is experiencing persistent and formidable economic famine, the likes of which, have not been seen the Great Depression – which recorded the second greatest secular bear market bounce in history.

10. Look at the macroeconomic data.

Tuesday’s retail sales number, up 1.37 %; excluding autos, were up .2%. The year-over-year number was -1.74%! The world ended September 15, 2008, with the demise of Lehman. Financially, October 2008 was the dark side of the moon, yet, October 2009 still lags? The GPD is in a funk.

9. Look at the market’s technical data

On CNBC’s Fast Money last week, a dazed and beaten Louise Yamada pointed out there are “green shoots” of stock distribution appearing in the market; rising volume on falling days and falling volume on rally days. Additionally, the market’s chart pattern still roughly traces 1932-1941 period. We are near the 1938 bounce during the Great Depression. Money was and can be made in a depression.

8. Look at the market’s fundamentals

On November 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that, with 88% of companies reporting earnings, year-over-year was down 15%. However, earnings estimates by analysts were beaten by 80% of the reporting stocks. Sales are down but layoffs and cost cutting are allowing the market to believe in this Immaculate Conception rally. At some point, currency exchange manipulation by international corporations and lower wages, or fewer workers employed, invariably leads to the destination of painful contraction and negative growth.

7. Consumers

Consumers are toast and retailers are beginning to blink for the holidays. The housing index is rolling over; flat in November at 17, revised downward in October from 18 and September recorded its high of 19 since falling down into single digits. Wednesday morning, housing starts showed a drop of 10.6%, on a seasonally adjusted annual rate, to 529,000 units. In 2006, housing starts were closer to 2,000,000 units. Unemployment is 10.2% ( for U-3; for U-6, the unemployment figure is 17.5%), the housing ATM machine is gone, wages are weak (except on Wall Street) and the market rally has helped institutions more than retail. Credit card lines of credit are truncating, loans are for those who don’t need them and many consumers are too gun-shy to use credit if they could.

6. Municipal Governments

John Maudlin latest piece did a brilliant job dissecting the bleak future of state income shortfalls. A jobless recovery with missing sales taxes will create at minimum 10 more California fiscal basket cases in 2010. The first round of stimulus money actually bailed out states – that’s why new job creation was so muted. Municipal defaults will emerge next year to terrorize investors.

5. Federal Government

Washington doesn’t have the stomach to break up banks that are too big to fail and to seriously reregulate the financial industry. The reverse merger of Washington DC by Wall Street in 2008 makes this so. Much of the financial products that the feds have guaranteed, to the tune of $24 trillion, are so complex that they are only understood by their creators - the borrowers. This ensures that we can sweep our current problems under the rug today to inflict more pain tomorrow. Even if we do not bring back mark-to-market anytime soon, at some point the battered dollar will force interest rates to rise and drive the economy down. Also, certain people in high places need to be replaced. Sadly, they will keep their jobs.

4. The global economy

Countries are diversifying away from the dollar and into gold and other hard assets. So should we (SGOL, SIVR, GDX, GDXJ, IAU, and GLD). They recognize that our fiscal and monetary policies are out of whack and no one in the US, either businessmen or politicians, is putting country before profits or reelection. This is the mindset that formed the greatest generation. South America, circa 1980s, here we come. Also, many countries are recovering faster than the US because their actions in the crisis aimed at repairing their economies, not individual companies.

3. Baby Boomers and retirement

Baby boomers who’ve lost jobs in this period realize their chances of finding one last job before retirement, at their last income level, are extremely low. The “severance package” class of unemployed, and the employed but leery worker, will not return to their previous spending habits. Years ago, they were told to save long-term in the stock market through index funds and to dollar-cost average, to buy more real estate you they could afford because both stocks and real estate rise over time, to fund their retirement accounts and buy company stock, to trust municipal bonds, and they would be alright. Unfortunately, as they near retirement, too few baby boomers are alright.

2. Income and wages

Either global competition, or inevitable draconian changes in fiscal policy to address our growing federal debt, or both, will reduce US wages for many years to come. To increase productivity, wages have been flat for the past 10 years. It was masked by the irrational stock and real estate markets. Without America discovering the “next new thing” our previous standard of living will accelerate downward. State and federal governments will desperately tax income sooner rather than later. These factors enhance the chances of the next leg of our depression.

1. The 21st Century

Every champion, eventually, must retire from the ring. The US is no different. And that is the primary reason most professionals have gotten some portion of the last three years wrong. Any data set from the 20th century is obsolete without significant adjustments. Linear extrapolation of historical patterns of growth, revenue, and consumption, without correctly modifying credit, demand and demographics, plus the impact of technology, domestic tariffs and regulations, and Realpolitik, is like placing a compass inside a magnetic field. Good luck.

No one can take away the fact that America owned the 20th century. However, in the 21st century, cheap land, cheap labor and a younger demographic profile, suggests that in 20 years, the reins of power will be in the adolescent hands of a rapidly growing Asia. So, we invest in their currency (CYB, ICN, and BZF), finance their growth (DRF), and sell them the raw materials (DBN) that they will need to build tomorrow.

For now, besides military weaponry, our number one export is entertainment (DIS).

10 Reasons to Believe That We're in a Depression -- Seeking Alpha ]]> Off-Topic Jakarta Expat http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483934-do-you-beleive-us-close-entering.html Now the Vatican is dictating? http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483933-now-vatican-dictating.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:31:57 GMT Vatican slams 'deviant' Twilight - Yahoo! News UK ]]> Off-Topic eric242340 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483933-now-vatican-dictating.html AHAHAH funny! http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483931-ahahah-funny.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:26:49 GMT Let's see how this goes by.
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]]> Off-Topic robbieaoa http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483931-ahahah-funny.html The moot point thread http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483926-moot-point-thread.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:28:00 GMT Cinderella was way better than Poison. Cinderella was way better than Poison. ]]> Off-Topic ThrillKill http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483926-moot-point-thread.html This gang killed people for their body fat http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483920-gang-killed-people-their-body-fat.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:49 GMT Peruvian gang killed victims for their body fat, police - Telegraph... Peruvian gang killed victims for their body fat, police - Telegraph ]]> Off-Topic eric242340 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/off-topic/1483920-gang-killed-people-their-body-fat.html