Posts by Indo

52

Is manipulation responsible for the skyrocketing price of oil?

by nvrgnbk in

jw
friends

as it was just memorial day, let's try to remember what our troops are fighting and dying for - oil.

but not oil itself; they are fighting and dying for oil profits and that is not the same thing at all!.

the first gulf war was clearly about oil, saddam invaded kuwait because he wanted their oil and we went to war and pushed him back.

Indo_Dude

Actually according to the Senate investigation of 2006, almost 60% of the price of oil is attributable to rampant speculation (aka..manipulation via Goldman Sach's).

2006 Senate Report - Until recently, US energy futures were traded exclusively on regulated exchanges within the United States, like the NYMEX, which are subject to extensive oversight by the CFTC, (Commodity Futures Trading Commission)including ongoing monitoring to detect and prevent price manipulation or fraud. In recent years, however, there has been a tremendous growth in the trading of contracts that look and are structured just like futures contracts, but which are traded on unregulated OTC electronic markets.
The trading of energy commodities by large firms on OTC electronic exchanges was exempted from CFTC oversight by a provision inserted at the behest of Enron and other large energy traders into the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 in the waning hours of the 106th Congress. The impact on market oversight has been substantial. NYMEX traders, for example, are required to keep records of all trades and report large trades to the CFTC. These Large Trader Reports, together with daily trading data providing price and volume information, are the CFTC’s primary tools to gauge the extent of speculation in the markets and to detect, prevent, and prosecute price manipulation. In contrast to trades conducted on the NYMEX, traders on unregulated OTC electronic exchanges are not required to keep records or file Large Trader Reports with the CFTC, and these trades are exempt from routine CFTC oversight. In contrast to trades conducted on regulated futures exchanges, there is no limit on the number of contracts a speculator may hold on an unregulated OTC electronic exchange, no monitoring of trading by the exchange itself, and no reporting of the amount of outstanding contracts (“open interest”) at the end of each day.”

http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/engdahl/2008/0502.html

29

Appearance of 2 straight guys walking together

by asilentone in

jw
friends

i noticed the other day that i saw 2 straight guys walking together in the neighborhood, will that give you a impression that they are gay?

Indo_Dude

I noticed the other day that I saw 2 straight guys walking together in the neighborhood, will that give you a impression that they are gay?

And your point is?

27

Break Even Miles to pay off that new Hybrid vehicle

by Fatfreek in

a day or so ago, wife and i watched this money expert on some morning show.

she (the expert) seemed to advocate trading in your regular vehicle for one of those new hybrids in order to save money.

it sounded like a good idea -- till i put a pencil to it.

The new diesels from VW, Mercedes, and Honda don't have that diesel smell anymore. In fact you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you took one for a test drive and no one told you it was diesel. I have driven a Lancia Diesel in Europe recently and I had no idea it was a diesel until I noticed it on the fuel cap.

45

I'm meeting with the elders...

by cognac in

jw
friends

i was so adament with my husband about not meeting with them./ i said "no" under no uncertain terms that i did not want to have this meeting.

so, they have been hounding us for days about it, repeatedly asking.. finally, my husband and the elder both come up to me asking about it.

so i just said to elder that the last meeting was discouraging and i don't want to be put through that again.

Indo_Dude

I think of it like ripping off a band-aid. You can do the 'slow fade' and peel that bandage off slowly, or you can do the DF/DA thing and have it over and done with. In the end it doesn't really matter much, unless you are striving to save a family member or a relationship or something.

If you are doing the slow fade, just think of this as a game. Your superior knowledge against theirs. Pretend this is the local acting theater. At the end, who cares if you come off as over-acting, no?

For me the way the elders treated me, and how poorly they went about it, showed my family that they were a bunch of pervs, over-sexed, power hungry, douchebags on an ego trip. So, I got all of my immediate family out with me. :)

27

Break Even Miles to pay off that new Hybrid vehicle

by Fatfreek in

a day or so ago, wife and i watched this money expert on some morning show.

she (the expert) seemed to advocate trading in your regular vehicle for one of those new hybrids in order to save money.

it sounded like a good idea -- till i put a pencil to it.

Indo_Dude

The cost of the hybrid system IS NOT $7,500. As both Toyota and Honda have said many times, the current cost is around $4,000 to $4,200 more for the hybrid technology. Both Honda and Toyota have publically stated that the next generation hybrid due out in 2009 as both a Prius and a new model Honda will be around $1,900 more as they have refined the costs and technology. The new 09 Prius will get around 50 mpg vs. current 45 mpg, while making the car slightly larger, with 8% to 10% more total horsepower.

Comparing one car to a completely different car, with differing levels of options and equipment is not an apples to apples comparision. It's like comparing a Audi A4 to a VW Jetta. Both are made by the same manufacturer but far from being close to each other. The Audi runs $35,000 the VW runs more along the lines of $ 25,000.

50

What To Think Of Mr. Scott McClellan?

by Rapunzel in

mcclellan has recently published a book that is highly critical of bush and his administration.

mcclellan's book has understandably created a furor within the current presidential administration, an administration that has valued loyalty above all else.. mcclellan was a long-time bush loyalist, he started working for bush when bush was still govenor of texas.

mcclellan helped bush to enter the white house, and then followed bush to washington mcclellan became a spokesman for bush, defending the president on such issues as the war in iraq.

Indo_Dude

Not sure why this thread has gone astray with the bible beating troll, but back on topic; I really hope these men that stayed silent for so many years when they were in positions of power and COULD have done something can reconcile that now 4,000 dead young men and women fought for a b.s. war that they were complicit in. Real heros stand up when it is needed. Cowards stand up and say so when popular opinion has shifted and their paychecks no longer are being signed by those they have 'moral issues' with.

Some say 'better late than never'. Tell that to the dead 4,000 soliders, their families, and thier loved ones. See if that makes them feel any better.

280

California Court Affirms Right To Gay Marriage

by BenV in

jw
friends

just got this email!.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/15cnd-marriage.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss.

ben (celebratin' with friends).

Indo_Dude

Void: Carlos, you keep evading the issue by merely reasserting your position. The facts always show that diversity is a key survival characteristic for a species. Homosexual individuals do not detract from species survival, they enhance it. To take your position (the selfish gene being the only motivating factor for life) reducto absurdum, the human animal should be a loner with a murderous attitude toward progeny not his own. Clearly, we are more herd animal than that, and the most successful humans develop intricate social constructs. Aside from the limited studies of stepmother rejection of blended family siblings, he view you espouse is not highly supported in the limited frame you present it.

It's pretty telling that the various homophobes, and 'cause the bible says it's so' posters avoid the threads where the actual discussion and translation of Greek words, and what those words mean, isn't it? They sit here on the other threads saying "cause the bible says it's so", yet are nowhere to be found on the threads like: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/158996/2922477/post.ashx#2922477 . They claim to know what God says yet cannot or refuse to participate in discussion solely to ancient language and Greek understanding.

280

California Court Affirms Right To Gay Marriage

by BenV in

jw
friends

just got this email!.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/15cnd-marriage.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss.

ben (celebratin' with friends).

Indo_Dude

'Hissy fits'? LMAO. Says the guy who claims he doesn't care about homosexuality yet, over 1/4 of his posts all deal with his aversion to homosexuals, and homophbia. It's hard having a decent conversation with a super Christian, bible beating whack job too, that has admitted they have been duped by being in a cult for many years, but now, by miracles of all miracles, knows exactly what God has said.... this time.... nevermind the last time they said that being in a cult claiming they had special knowledge of God. LOL!

Carolos: Regarding "nature" - I was always taught that perpetuation of the species was the strongest natural instinct (and innate desire) of any species, specifically one's own genetics. So much so, in fact, that individual members of a species will self-sacrifice for the benefit of their procreated offspring.

Now that your bluff has been called you want to change the definition of your argument. Typical. Riddle me this, why do over 450 species engage in homosexual sex if it isn't 'natural'?

As the book Biological Exuberance, by Bruce Bagemihl, PhD and expert in sexuality so much so that the United States Supreme Court quoted him and his works stated:

50

What To Think Of Mr. Scott McClellan?

by Rapunzel in

mcclellan has recently published a book that is highly critical of bush and his administration.

mcclellan's book has understandably created a furor within the current presidential administration, an administration that has valued loyalty above all else.. mcclellan was a long-time bush loyalist, he started working for bush when bush was still govenor of texas.

mcclellan helped bush to enter the white house, and then followed bush to washington mcclellan became a spokesman for bush, defending the president on such issues as the war in iraq.

Indo_Dude

Whatever. This asshat is trying to save his political skin. As it is right now, his hopes of any political appointment or further career is toast. He was asked, specifically and repeatedly about the incidents before writing this book, all of which he denied previously. So which is it? Was he lying then? Or is he lying now? Or both?

50

What To Think Of Mr. Scott McClellan?

by Rapunzel in

mcclellan has recently published a book that is highly critical of bush and his administration.

mcclellan's book has understandably created a furor within the current presidential administration, an administration that has valued loyalty above all else.. mcclellan was a long-time bush loyalist, he started working for bush when bush was still govenor of texas.

mcclellan helped bush to enter the white house, and then followed bush to washington mcclellan became a spokesman for bush, defending the president on such issues as the war in iraq.

Indo_Dude

Yuck. Just another self-serving book trying to save face/career by distancing themselves from an inexcusable war, and a horrible President. Where was their 'honesty', 'self-reflection', and 'integrity' while they were in a position of power? It's as bad as Alan Greenspan's book trying to excuse himself from the greenlighting of the huge tax cuts, and resulting drunken sailor spending that have seriously put this country in a bind. Where was their outspokeness back when they could have made a difference? Funny how after no longer drawing a paycheck, and in a position of power, they find 'truth'.

Indo_Dude

Posts by Indo_Dude