48% Disapproval for POTUS = Gallup

Gallup: Reports on its latest daily tracking poll on the job performance of President Obama, in this poll Obama has 48% disapproval rating, while 44% approve of the Obama record. One can argue its down to one issue folks, the Oval wants to raise taxes in a time of recession, only a Walter Mondale Liberal would think that was good idea, this is why Obama is heading for defeat in 2012.

End of Empire = The Monarchy

BBC News: Reports on the burial of the last heir to the Dual Monarchy of Austria and Hungary, Otto von Habsburg is to be buried in Austria. The First World War finished off the Austro - Hungarian Empire, it can be argued that policy makers made a mistake at the Paris Peace talks, the Monarchy could have been used to bring stability to Eastern Europe and prevent World War Two, of course this counter factual history, but an interesting thought, shows how policy ramifications should be thought through, as with Iraq, the war at the end of the day could benefit Iran, while the West is the major loser of the War in the long term. It should be noted that Otto von Habsburg stated he was getting death threats from the Serbian Black Hand decades after World War 1, shows history never goes away folks.

Euro Banks

BBC News: Reports that out of 90 European Banks, eight have failed a recent stress test. This blog has a problem with these bank stress tests, they didn’t take in account the great possibility that Greece will go in to default, and that Greece will be followed by Ireland and Portugal. Thus advice to investors buy gold and diamonds, another shoe is going to drop when it comes to European banks, and the cost to Europe could be the destruction of the Euro.

The Euro and the Banks

Guardian: Reports that the money markets are on edge due to the stress test of banks, the article states the following, “.. fears that today's annual health check ..will find fatal weaknesses in at least half a dozen institutions, ”. Folks if you have money start to buy gold or other assets, banks are broke, if PIG countries go and the US goes in to default then we are all in the toilet, a lot of banks will go under if the above happens, the Sovereign debt crisis can only end when the PIG countries default, the US deals with its debt mountain, thus far failure by politicians in Europe and the US. Advice folks, buy gold, and lot of it, or diamonds, they never lose value, its going to be harsh folks.

The Bond Market and Italy

Telegraph: Reports that Italy had to pay the bond markets its highest price in three years to borrow money to serve its debt. Lets see if there are riots on the streets of Rome folks, the Government is deep in personal and political scandal, will the Romans take to the streets as have the Greek people, interesting times ahead folks.

Italy OUT of the WOODS = Bailout ?

BBC News: Reports that the Upper House Italian Parliament has passed the Governments forty eight billion pounds austerity package, the lower House is expected to give the package the green light. Folks lets recall Greece, Ireland, they passed austerity packages, Greece still needs a second bailout, and Ireland has seen its debt rating cut to junk. Thus this move might not work folks. If Bank start to sell Italian debt, its toxic folks, one has doubts that Italy, Ireland, Greece will ever have the ability to pay back its debts. The iceberg of debt has done its damage folks, its just taking time for these countries to sink.

Titanic Artefacts

Guardian: Reports on Titanic artefacts on display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Next year folks it will be Century since the great Ship went down, why is it always the Titanic, other ships have gone down, that is simple, the Edwardian Age challenged God and Nature, and neither was moveable. It is the eternal question, what would you have done if you hade been on the Titanic, would you have been a hero, women and children first to the lifeboats or a coward, in other words getting on the lifeboat no matter what, most of us as lucky folks, we never have to answer that question, those poor souls in 1912 had to answer that question, and they didn’t have time to be wrong. That a type 40 Tardis was seen around has never been confirmed, that is the official line.