Weekend Economists Traverse the Silk Road September 27-29, 2013

[Demeter]

With this Weekend, we say goodbye to one of the nicest Septembers I can remember. The weather was delightful, politics was entertaining, and nothing really awful happened (that I can remember).

Our new hero, Edward Snowden provided the focus of a new paradigm in political thought, and everyone is mad at Obama.

October will be different. With the debt ceiling crashing down on our heads, the budget debacle still boiling away, Syria and Iran still unsettled and Europe lying its head off. Jamie Dimon isn't going anywhere fast.

So what do you say to a late vacation? Let's take a trip down the Silk Road...and tour China! The Mystery of the Orient beckons....

[Demeter]

1. No banks have failed--yet.

Check back later....like October?

[Demeter]

2. The Silk Road is only one aspect of China, but its connection to the world for centuries

Silk Road extending from Europe through Egypt, Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Java-Indonesia, and Vietnam until it reaches China. The land routes are red, and the water routes are blue.



The Chinese maritime silk route, pioneered by Zheng He's voyages



The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting West and East by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from China to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time.

Extending 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometres), the Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade which was carried out along its length, and began during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BC by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian, but earlier trade routes across the continents already existed.

Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the civilizations of China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe and Arabia. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other goods were traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies, as well as the bubonic plague (the "Black Death&quot , also traveled along the Silk Routes.

The main traders during Antiquity were the Indian and Bactrian traders, then from the 5th to the 8th century the Sogdian traders, then afterward the Arab and Persian traders.

[orpupilofnature57]

5. Jesus and the Buddha lived on them .

[Demeter]

3. RICHARD KOO: Forget Hyperinflation — The Fed Is Now Facing The True Cost Of Quantitative Easing

http://www.businessinsider.com/richard-koo-says-fed-now-facing-true-cost-of-quantitative-easing-2013-9

Last Wednesday, the Federal Reserve shocked markets with a surprise decision to refrain from beginning to taper back the pace of its bond-buying program known as quantitative easing. In the press conference following the decision, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke cited the recent rise in long-term interest rates — spurred by Bernanke's previous press conference in July, during which he seemed to endorse it — as a reason for the delay. Rates had risen too far, too fast, and they were presenting a threat to sustainable economic growth.

Nomura chief economist Richard Koo calls this a "QE 'trap' of the Fed's own making," writing in a note to clients that the Fed's decision last week is a clear sign that a "vicious cycle of rising rates and economic weakness has already emerged." The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose as high as 3.0% in the weeks before the Fed announced its decision not to taper.

"Instead of falling back to 2.0% or lower following the Fed’s decision to delay tapering, the 10-year Treasury yield has settled at around 2.5%, which means the next rise in rates could easily take the 10-year yield into 3.0%-plus territory," says Koo. "I worry that this kind of intermittent increase in rates threatens the recoveries in interest- rate-sensitive sectors such as housing and automobiles. That could lead to renewed hesitance at the Fed and prompt it to temporarily shelve or postpone tapering."

That's how the vicious cycle starts.

"While rates might then decline, reassuring the markets for a few months, talk of tapering would probably re-emerge as soon as the data showed some improvements, pushing rates higher and serving as a brake on the recovery," says Koo. "Then the Fed would again be forced to delay or cancel tapering. In my view, recent events have greatly increased the likelihood of this kind of 'on again, off again' scenario, something I warned about in my last report. To be honest, I did not expect it to occur so soon."

Now that it's here, though, Koo writes that the Fed is facing the true cost of QE:

Given that this would never have been a problem if the central bank had not engaged in quantitative easing, I think the US is now facing the real cost of its policy decision.

Had the Fed not implemented QE, long-term rates would not have risen so early in the rebound, and the economic recovery would have proceeded smoothly. Now, any talk of ending QE pushes long-term rates higher and throws cold water on the economy, making it more difficult to discontinue the policy.

That raises the possibility that by buying longer-term securities the central banks of the US, the UK and Japan have placed themselves in a QE “trap” of their own making and will be unable to escape for many years to come. I have previously described QE as a policy that is easy to begin and hard—even scary— to end. The recent drama over tapering signals the start of the less-pleasant second part.

"Amid all the talk of ending QE, I think hyperinflation is a less likely outcome than a QE 'trap'," says Koo. "As soon as the economy picks up a bit, the authorities begin to talk about tapering, which sends long-term rates sharply higher and nips the recovery and inflation in the bud, effectively preventing them from winding down the policy. In this kind of world the economy never fully recovers because businesses and households live in constant fear of a sharp rise in long-term rates."

[Demeter]

4. How Much Money Would It Take to Eliminate Poverty In America?

http://prospect.org/article/how-much-money-would-it-take-eliminate-poverty-america



It would take only 1 percent of GDP, or a fourth of what we spend on defense every year, to lift every American below the poverty line up above it.

Last week, the Census Bureau put out its annual income and poverty figures for 2012. The big news on the poverty front is that the percentage of Americans living in poverty is unchanged at 15 percent, which amounts to 46.5 million Americans. More than one in five kids under the age of 18 are in poverty, and nearly one in four kids under the age of six are impoverished as well. These are numbers we’ve all become accustomed to, but they can still shock the conscience if you make an effort to let them soak in again.

The sheer scale of poverty in the U.S. is so massive that it can seem as if eliminating or dramatically reducing it would be nearly impossible. After all, 46 million people is a lot of people. But in reality, if we stick to the official poverty line, the amount of money standing in the way of poverty eradication is much lower than people realize. In its annual poverty report, the Census Bureau includes a table that few take note of which actually details by how much families are below the poverty line. A little multiplication and addition later, and the magic number pops out. In 2012, the number was $175.3 billion. That is how many dollars it would take to bring every person in the United States up to the poverty line. In 2012, that number was just 1.08 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is to say the overall size of the economy. To be sure, you probably don’t want to run a program that hunts out every family below the poverty line and brings them right up to it. Such a program would effectively involve imposing a 100 percent marginal tax rate for all income made below the poverty line. But, things like strategically expanding the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, SNAP, and related programs could make enormous strides toward poverty reduction. Implementing a mild basic income and a negative income tax would also help a great deal. The policy solutions for dramatically cutting poverty exist, they are used by countries elsewhere, and they could be used here, if we chose to do so.

It might be helpful to put the $175.3 billion magic number in perspective. In 2012, this number was just one-fourth of the $700 billion the federal government spent on the military. When you start hunting through the submerged spending we do through the tax code, it takes you no time to find enough tax expenditures geared toward the affluent to get to that number as well. The utterly ridiculous tax expenditures directed toward the disproportionately affluent class of people called homeowners—mortgage interest deduction, property tax deduction, exclusion of capital gains on residences—by themselves sum to $115.3 billion in 2012. Throw in the $117.3 billion in tax expenditures used to subsidize employer-based health care (also a disproportionate sop to the rich), and you’ve already eclipsed the magic number.

Eradicating or dramatically cutting poverty is not the deeply complicated intractable problem people make it out to be. The dollars we are talking about are minuscule up against the size of our economy. We have poverty because we choose to have it. We choose to design our distributive institutions in ways that generate poverty when we could design them in ways that don’t. Its continued existence is totally indefensible and our nation’s biggest shame.

[hamerfan]

6. Comical Interlude

[Demeter]

16. So tender, nostalgic, and delusional

Quite a treasure you have there, hamerfan!

[xchrom]

7. CEOs take familiar, frustrating path to Washington on budget woes

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/us-usa-fiscal-ceos-idUSBRE98Q1AC20130927

(Reuters) - Some of America's leading CEOs are beating a familiar path to Washington to support efforts to avert a government shutdown and raise the U.S. borrowing limit, warning lawmakers that the threat of the first debt default in the country's history is damaging the economy.

The business leaders, all members of a group called "Fix the Debt," said they went to Capitol Hill last week with a simple message for Republicans and Democrats, but it is the same as the one they delivered in budget standoffs of 2011 and 2012.

"Engage in whatever political machinations you wish, but do not default," said Honeywell International Inc (HON.N) Chief Executive David Cote. "Don't throw away a credit history built up since George Washington."

For these corporate leaders, it's a bit like the movie "Groundhog Day," where the main character lives the same day over and over, wondering whether there is a way out of the scene.

[xchrom]

8. Investors bet on last-minute deal to end fiscal showdown

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/28/us-usa-stocks-weekahead-idUSBRE98Q18Z20130928

(Reuters) - With a possible U.S. government shutdown days away, Wall Street still hasn't come down with a critical case of fiscal fever despite forecasts that failure to resolve the federal budget standoff could be catastrophic.

The benchmark S&P 500 is up more than 3 percent for September, which has traditionally been described as the worst month for stocks and was just 2 percent off its all-time high.

"Part of the calmness comes from the fact that investors have seen this before," said Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at Schaeffer's Investment Research in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The market expects agreements will be reached, even if they come down to the wire, he said.

Time was running short for lawmakers to avert a partial shutdown of the government beginning Tuesday when the new fiscal year begins. Congress was struggling to pass an emergency funding bill, but Tea Party-backed Republicans in the House sought to use the must-do bill to gut the new healthcare overhaul known as Obamacare or enact other Tea Party policies.

[Demeter]

17. Stock market closes lower as shutdown looms

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fiw-stock-market-20130927,0,4363308.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo


The budget fight may be happening in Washington, but it's investors on Wall Street who keep getting smacked.

Stocks fell Friday for the sixth day out of the last seven, and ended the week with a decline. Investors focused on the risk that the government could shut down on Tuesday unless Congress agrees to a new spending bill. And even if that hurdle is cleared, the dispute is poised to continue into the middle of October as legislators debate raising the nation's borrowing limit.

There were a lot of moving parts for investors to keep track of on Friday. The U.S. Senate approved a spending bill that is already considered dead in the House of Representatives, where Republicans want changes to President Barack Obama's health care law. Obama spoke on live television during the closing minutes of trading. And investors braced for the possibility that when markets reopen on Monday, none of this will have been resolved, even though the House will be in session over the weekend.

So how should an investor get ready for next week?

“I don't know what's going to happen 15 minutes from now,” said Stephen Carl, head of equity trading at The Williams Capital Group. He noted that volume on Friday was low, suggesting that some investors were waiting for more information.

Stocks moved little as Obama spoke during the final minutes of trading. He reiterated a previous vow not to negotiate with Congress under the threat of a shutdown. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 70.06 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 15,258.24. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 6.92 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,691.75. The Nasdaq composite was down 5.83 points, or 0.15 percent, at 3,781.59. Still, the indexes are off only about 1 percent for the week, and the S&P 500 is just 2 percent below its record high set Sept. 18.

MORE DATA AT LINK

[xchrom]

9. Gregory Porter sings 'Up On The Roof' from 'Carole King & Friends at

[xchrom]

10. German Social Democrats in Merkel CDU coalition talks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24309527

Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) has said it will begin talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) on forming a coalition.

Mrs Merkel's party won last Sunday's poll but it needs to form an alliance with either the SPD or the Greens to ensure a majority in parliament.

SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel said party members backed the move at a meeting.

The CDU took about 41.5% of the vote. The SPD won 26%, the Greens 8.4%, and the former communist Left Party 8.6%.

[Demeter]

18. Deutsche Bank Said to Propose Creating Bond Platform With Rivals

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-25/deutsche-bank-said-to-propose-creating-bond-platform-with-rivals.html

Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) is trying to drum up interest with some of its largest competitors to create a multi-dealer U.S. bond trading platform at the same time that asset managers discuss ways to make buying and selling debt easier, according to people familiar with the matter.

Europe’s biggest investment bank by revenue has pitched its plan for an electronic trading network to JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Citigroup Inc. (C) and Barclays Plc (BARC), according to five people briefed on the talks, who asked to not be named because the discussions are private. Executives at State Street Corp. (STT) and FMR LLC’s Fidelity Investments are among institutional investors that have held a series of meetings, the last one in July in New York, to address the difficulty of finding the bonds they want to trade, according to two different people.

The bank discussions on forming a platform and asset managers’ search for solutions comes amid a 76 percent decline in corporate debt inventory at the world’s biggest dealers since a 2007 peak. The pullback by market makers, which is spurring concern that the risk of trading disruptions has risen, comes amid stricter capital requirements from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and speculation that the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act will weaken their ability to facilitate bond trades.

“The industry is making progress,” said Will Rhode, director of fixed-income research at consultant Tabb Group LLC in New York. “There are so many basic challenges, the market is fundamentally fragmented.” The multilateral approach envisioned by Deutsche Bank is catching on with market users, he said. “The technology certainly exists, the desire exists,” he said.

MORE

[xchrom]

11. All the Older Single Ladies in Poverty

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/all-the-older-single-ladies-in-poverty/280036/

America's community colleges may need to start teaching courses for women on "How to Be Old," because America's ladies are not doing a great job of figuring it out on our own.

Extreme poverty among women over age 65 who lived alone jumped between 2011 and 2012, according to a new report from the National Women's Law Center, "Insecure & Unequal," analyzing recently released Census data.

"It's really something that was unexpected," said Katherine Gallagher Robbins, a senior policy analyst at the National Women's Law Center. After being fairly stable for the last decade, the percent of women over 65 subsisting on shockingly low annual incomes—less than $5,500 each year—edged up from 2.6 to 3.1 percent. "That's a big jump," she said, an 18 percent increase in just one year.

Overall, 18.9 percent of women over 65 who lived alone were below the federal poverty threshold of $11,011 for single individuals. That's a high share of a rapidly growing group: The number of working people working over 65 is up 67 percent in the last decade.

[xchrom]

12. Goldman Sachs Nails It On Why You Should Be Rooting For A Government Shutdown

http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-nails-it-on-why-you-should-want-to-see-a-government-shut-down-2013-9

Goldman Sachs' Alec Phillips nails it in a new note to clients today. You should want to see a government shutdown in Washington:

It would be a mistake to interpret a shutdown as implying a greater risk of a debt limit crisis, in our view. It would not be surprising to see a more negative market reaction to a shutdown than would be warranted by the modest macroeconomic effect it would have. We suspect that many market participants would interpret a shutdown as implying a greater risk of problems in raising the debt limit. This is not unreasonable, but we would see it differently. If a shutdown is avoided, it is likely to be because congressional Republicans have opted to wait and push for policy concessions on the debt limit instead. By contrast, if a shutdown occurs, we would be surprised if congressional Republicans would want to risk another difficult situation only a couple of weeks later. The upshot is that while a shutdown would be unnecessarily disruptive, it might actually ease passage of a debt limit increase.

Bottom line, as we argued earlier this week: A brief government shutdown is not that big of a deal. But a debt ceiling breach could be a catastrophe. A shutdown makes the latter less likely to happen. So pray for that.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-nails-it-on-why-you-should-want-to-see-a-government-shut-down-2013-9#ixzz2gBmeD41d

[xchrom]

13. Here's Why I'm Not Selling My Stocks Even Though I Think The Market Might Crash

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-im-not-selling-stocks-2013-9

Yesterday, I mentioned that I think the stock market might crash.
I'm not predicting a crash — I just think the odds of this happening in the next couple of years are higher than usual (logic here).

More importantly, I think the odds are very high that, even if the market doesn't crash, stocks will return far less over the next decade than the double-digit percentages they have returned in the past four years.

In light of that view, several readers have asked why I am not selling my stocks or even going short (betting on a crash).



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-im-not-selling-stocks-2013-9#ixzz2gBnsS5ju

[DemReadingDU]

15. Similar to my sister

She says if she gets out now, she will miss the gains when the markets recover.

[xchrom]

14. Government Contributions To GDP Since 1965

http://www.businessinsider.com/government-contribution-to-gdp-since-65-2013-9

People generally assume that when a democrat occupies the Oval Office, government gets bigger and government spending becomes key to GDP growth.

However, that has just not been the case with President Obama.

Here's an interesting chart from Chicago Fed President Charles Evans.

It shows how the government contributed to GDP growth in every quarter since 1965. Notice the far right.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/government-contribution-to-gdp-since-65-2013-9#ixzz2gBoreWwC

[Demeter]

19. IMF approves next $1 billion for Ireland bailout program

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/25/us-imf-ireland-idUSBRE98O18Y20130925

The International Monetary Fund disbursed the next $1 billion aid tranche to Ireland on Wednesday, as the European island nation remains on track with the conditions of its loan program.

The IMF is one of a trio of lenders overseeing Dublin's 85 billion euro ($115 billion) bailout, necessary after its biggest banks collapsed in 2010. The IMF's portion of the program is about $30 billion.

Ireland is set to become the first euro zone country to exit an EU/IMF bailout in December after returning to debt markets, but its economy still needs to start growing by more than 2 percent per annum from next year on to help make its national debt sustainable.

The IMF said Ireland's economy contracted 1.2 percent year-on-year in the second quarter as exports fell and domestic demand shrunk. But more recent indicators suggest growth should pick up in the second half of the year.

[bread_and_roses]

20. Since we're on the Silk Road ...

... I suggest we contemplate "The Manchurian Candidate."

And that we keep in mind the famed subtlety of the Orient in our contemplation of the tale ....

Meanwhile, ouch.

Over at Commondreams, and article about Seymour Hersch ...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/09/27-3

Journalist Seymour Hersh on Obama, NSA and the 'Pathetic' American Media

And do scroll down to the comments and read one by Tom Carberry

[Demeter]

21. Well, Everything's Coming Up Obamacare, so I guess we'll have to deal with it:COMPENDIUM

New delays hit Obamacare rollout before October 1 launch

JAM EVERY OTHER DAY: OTHERWISE KNOWN AS JAM TOMORROW, JAM YESTERDAY, BUT NEVER ANY JAM TODAY. (Lewis Carroll) or I GOT MINE, FU! (CORPORATIONS)

http://news.yahoo.com/u-delays-online-enrollment-small-business-exchanges-161642161.html

The U.S. government on Thursday announced new delays in rolling out President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, saying small business and Spanish-language health insurance enrollment services would not begin on October 1 as planned. The postponements amount to a few weeks out of a months-long enrollment period aimed at signing up millions of uninsured Americans for health benefits. But they add to expectations of a slow start to the landmark social program which remains under attack by Republican leaders and faces formidable technical hurdles for states and the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said employers with 50 or fewer workers will not be able to sign their staff up for private insurance in federally operated exchanges until a month later, November 1, because of technical problems.

The White House also said online Spanish-language enrollment for Hispanics, an important Obama constituency who make up about one-third of the 47 million uninsured in the country, will also not be available until sometime between October 21 and October 28. Spanish speakers will still be able to enroll through a call center or enrollment specialists known as "navigators."

Administration officials did not explain the nature of the technical problems, but they emphasized that full online enrollment for other individuals will be available on October 1 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare...MORE

Health care exchanges open Tuesday: What you need to know

http://news.yahoo.com/health-care-exchanges-open-tuesday--what-you-need-to-know-221738118.html\

On Tuesday, the health insurance exchanges that are a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act will open for the first time, and the White House expects 7 million uninsured people to sign up during the six-month enrollment period. But don’t fret if you have no idea what these exchanges are — you are not alone. In August, 45 percent of people polled by Kaiser said they had heard “nothing at all” about the health insurance marketplaces mandated by the law. Here’s a guide to the exchanges:

What is the health insurance exchange?

The health insurance exchange, or marketplace, will allow people who don’t have coverage through Medicaid, Medicare or their employer to comparison-shop for the best individual plan in their state on HealthCare.gov. In 34 states, the exchanges are managed entirely or mostly by the federal government; the other 16 states have set up their own exchanges. About 95 percent of uninsured people will have a choice between at least two insurers offering an average of 53 different plans, according to the White House. The plans are divided into four categories: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. A bronze plan — the cheapest — covers 60 percent of an individual’s estimated health care costs, while the platinum plan will cover 90 percent of costs. (Some states also offer catastrophic plans that cover even less than 60 percent of costs.) Starting in 2014, insurers cannot charge customers more based on their pre-existing conditions or their medical history, and all plans must offer a minimum of services, such as maternity care, that some plans did not offer in the past. HOW DOES A BRONZE PLAN (BASICALLY NO PLAN) PROVIDE ANY BENEFIT TO THE WORKING POOR? THEY WILL STILL BE FORCED INTO BANKRUPTCY BY UNPAID BILLS...

Do I have to buy health insurance on the exchange?

If you’re uninsured, you have to purchase health insurance or face a fine of $95 or 1 percent of your income, whichever is larger, on your 2014 tax return. (That fee will go up to 2.5 percent of income in 2016.) Consumers making up to four times the federal poverty level will qualify for tax breaks when they purchase the insurance, to offset the cost. If purchasing insurance would cost more than 8 percent of your income, including the tax break, you’re exempt from the fee.

How much will it cost?

The costs for insurance will vary widely by state, and even by county. HOW IS THIS EQUALITY? The White House estimates that the average monthly premium for a low-cost silver plan will be $328 a month for an individual, before tax credits are applied. A family of four with an income of $50,000 before taxes could pay as little as $205 a month for insurance in Alaska, after the tax credit is applied, and as much as $282 in North Carolina and several other states. (Before the tax credit is applied, the price for the family varies from $584 per month in Arizona to $1,237 in Wyoming.) With tax credits and including the Medicaid expansion, nearly six out of 10 uninsured people will have access to a health plan that costs under $100 per month for next year. You can peruse the White House’s premium cost estimates by state on its site, but be aware the figures cited are averages for the entire state and might be different based on which county you live in. PEOPLE DON'T NEED INSURANCE, THEY NEED HEALTH CARE!

How do people enroll?

In order to process millions of applications, the Obama administration built a website called HealthCare.gov where applicants can comparison-shop for insurance offered in their state. Users log in and create an account and are then asked a series of questions about their income, family size, employer name and contact information. The site connects to other federal agencies’ databases to verify the information provided, and it then informs the user if he qualifies for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. If not, the user is then directed to the marketplace, where he can compare different plans and see exactly what tax break he qualifies for and how much the insurance would cost per month. If you decide to purchase the insurance, you’re led to the website of the insurer to finish the transaction. There’s also a 24-hour hot line people can call if they have any questions while navigating the application process, which can assist them in 150 languages. The Obama administration also doled out millions of dollars in grants to train “navigators” who work in community health centers and other locations to enroll people in person. Uninsured people will have six months to enroll starting Oct. 1, but must enroll before Dec. 15 if they want the insurance plan to kick in on Jan. 1.

Can the insurance prices change?

The insurance price quoted on the health care site is locked in for 2014 and can’t change. Next year, the insurer could change the price, but consumers also will have the option to shop around again and switch plans.

Will the enrollment website work?

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the computer system was not accurately calculating the costs of the insurance plans. But David Simas, White House deputy senior adviser for communications and strategy, says these bugs are being ironed out and that the exchanges will be ready to go on Oct. 1.

ANOTHER FINE MESS...BROUGHT TO YOU BY A NUMBER OF AGENTS....

[Demeter]

22. 'How Much Will Obamacare Cost Me?' Try Our Calculator

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/26/226456791/how-much-will-obamacare-cost-me-try-our-calculator?ft=1&f=1001

...About This Tool

This tool was developed by the Kaiser Family Foundation to illustrate health insurance on premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own in new health insurance exchanges (or "Marketplaces&quot created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). You can enter different incomes, ages, and family sizes to get an estimate of your eligibility for subsidies and how much you could spend on health insurance. For more information on methodology and to read answers to frequently asked questions: SEE LINK.

[Demeter]

23. Lessons About Insurance In The Obamacare Data Dump

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/27/226787193/lessons-about-insurance-in-the-obamacare-data-dump?ft=1&f=1001

This week the Department of Health and Human Services released a ton of information about how insurance sold in 36 states under the Affordable Care Act will work. Most of it came IN THE FORM OF DATA showing the number of carriers and their premium prices in hundreds of regions. Until now we've seen information on subsidized policies to be sold through online marketplaces released in trickles by states that are creating their own online portals.

The federal data covers states that dumped all or part of the work of building the marketplaces on the feds. It's the biggest chunk of information so far available, even though many critical pieces — the identity of the insurers, the structure of the benefits, the networks of the hospitals and doctors — won't be known until next week. That's when the online portals in every state are scheduled to start selling subsidized insurance made available by the federal health law to those who aren't otherwise covered...META-ANALYSYS FOLLOWS

[Demeter]

24. ObamaCare Staggers Toward the October 1 Finish Line (5) By Lambert Strether

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/09/obamacare-staggers-toward-the-october-1-finish-line-5-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NakedCapitalism+%28naked+capitalism%29



And never mind that the Democratic nomenhackura has redefined October 1 as a “soft launch”; it’s still the first chance people are going to get to see the Exchanges in action, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression. And never mind the whole defund ObamaCare slash government shutdown slash debt ceiling mishegoss and all the yammering and posturing and hostage-taking and fundraising appeals [whines] because they really need the money; after all, the Republicans looked crazy when Newt shut down the government and then impeached Clinton over a *******, and they went on to win the next two Presidential elections, at least for some definition of win, so really, who knows and who’s crazy?

Be that as it may, tonight I want to first look briefly at a modest proposal by Paul Krugman in his blog, “The Conscience of a Liberal“; then at the open bullshit purveyed by all parties in the ObamaCare debate and, more importantly, at the unspoken agreement between them; and finally I want to take note of a few orts and scraps I found along the way.

Here’s an extract from Krugman’s September 21 blog post, I Have Seen The Future, And It Is Medicaid:

I Have Seen The Future, And It Is Medicaid

… We have ample evidence that we do know how to control health costs. Every other advanced country does it better than we do — and Medicaid does it far better than private insurance, and better than Medicare too. It does it by being willing to say no, which lets it extract lower prices and refuse some low-payoff medical procedures.

Ah, but you say, Medicaid patients have trouble finding doctors who’ll take them. Yes, sometimes, although it’s a greatly exaggerated issue. Also, middle-class patients would surely be unhappy if transferred from the open-handedness of Medicare to the penny-pinching of Medicaid.

…. So, I’m not proposing that we turn the whole system into Medicaid any time soon. But what I take from the data is that if and when we feel the need to make tough choices — really, really make tough choices, not use the rhetoric of tough choices to justify what conservatives wanted to do in any case, namely privatize everything in sight — health cost control won’t turn out to be that hard after all.

“Any time soon“? Alrighty then.

While I’m sure there will be some readers who would take issue with “the open handedness” of Medicare, I want to focus on additional “ample evidence” not presented in Krugman’s post. Krugman knows about it, because it comes from an article he wrote:



And Krugman writes:

American Medicare is expensive compared to, say, Canadian Medicare (yes, that’s what they call their system) or the French health care system (which is complicated, but largely single-payer in its essentials); that’s because American-style Medicare is very open-ended, reluctant to say no to paying for medically dubious procedures, and also fails to make use of its pricing power over drugs and other items. So Medicare will have to start saying no; it will have to provide incentives to move away from fee-for-service, and so on and so forth. But such changes would not mean a fundamental change in the way Medicare works.Now, Canadian health care isn’t perfect — but it’s not bad, and Canadians are happier with their system than we are with ours in the United States. So anyone who tells you that Medicare as we know it — a single-payer system that covers everyone over a certain age — is unsustainable is ignoring the clear evidence that other countries somehow manage to make similar systems quite sustainable.

So it’s evident from Krugman’s own work that we can (a) have a single payer* system in the United States that would (b) save a boatload of money, (c) “say no”, and yet (d) still be “open-handed”, as David Himmelfarb notes:

A single payer system is better for patients and better for doctors. Canada spends $1000 less per capita on health care than the U.S., but delivers more care and greater choice for patients.

Canadians patients have an unrestricted choice of doctors and hospitals, and Canadian doctors have a wider choice of practice options than U.S. physicians.

Canadians get more doctor visits and procedures, more hospital days, and even more bone marrow, liver and lung transplants than Americans.

Here’s what Krugman’s first commenter says on the Medicaid model:

Have you noticed all the poor and homeless with missing teeth? (You will now that I’ve mentioned it.) That’s because in order to “control costs” in 2009, Medicaid (Medi-Cal here in CA) simply eliminated dental services for adults. Don’t worry though – they still pay for the teeth to be pulled before these people die of infection (generally).

(Note that in the United States, bad teeth are a class marker, so it’s harder to get a job with bad teeth, no matter your skills.)


MORE RAGGING ON KRUGMAN, AND BY GOD, HE DESERVES IT...

...............................

Let’s move on to the epic celebrity death cage match now taking place on Capitol Hill over ObamaCare. I wanted to find out what both legacy parties had to say, so I looked up Ted Cruz (on Limbaugh; his quasi-filibuster transcript wasn’t available), and I also looked at the comfy, Oprah-like conversation that Obama and his gracious host, Bill Clinton, shared with us at the Clinton Global Initiative (“I think President Clinton makes a really important point”). And — I know this will come as a shock to you — everything they had to say was bullshit. There’s so much bullshit I can’t hope to cope with it all, so I’ll just point out some of the more grotesque examples....

I CAN'T DEAL WITH THE BS AT ALL, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO READ IT AT THE LINK. GOOD LUCK! DEMETER

[Demeter]

25. Untangling Obamacare: Shopping the insurance exchanges

http://www.cjr.org/the_second_opinion/what_reporters_should_tell_readers_about_shopping_insurance_exchanges.php

Not long ago, freelance health writer Debra Gordon sent out an SOS on a listserv for health reporters. Gordon was writing a consumer piece walking readers through the process of signing up for the new health insurance exchanges. She quickly realized that neither shopping for insurance nor writing about the shopping process was easy. “I spent about four hours just trying to figure out what I’ll need to fill out the application and it still is confusing,” she told the listserv.

Gordon was really speaking for all journalists who will have to explain this complicated chore to the public. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services said signing up for health insurance will be like buying an airline ticket from Travelocity, it won’t be. Buying an airline ticket to Paris is a lot easier and much more fun than understanding coinsurance from Blue Cross.

Inspired by Gordon and other health reporters who have asked about the nitty-gritty of selecting a policy, I stopped by to see Elisabeth Benjamin, a vice president at the Community Service Society in New York City, an organization that currently runs an insurance counseling program and will help navigators help consumers. I figured she knew a thing or two about signing up. My head was spinning after our conversation—the decision points, the trade-offs, the bureaucratic requirements, the mumbo-jumbo to comprehend. Nevertheless, our conversation was useful, and I offer a distillation of her suggestions and some of my own for reporters to use in preparing their stories.

For starters, it’s best to think of buying insurance in the exchanges as a four-step process that includes several key decision points. Forget all that extraneous stuff that is the focus of too many stories—the politics of Obamacare, the prognostications about premiums, the latest academic study. Audiences care little about that as they face the daunting challenge of selecting coverage.

STEP 1 The health insurance buying cycle: A good way to think about shopping for exchange coverage, Benjamin suggests, is a cycle with four phases....


AND IT GOES ON , AND ON, AND ON.....CAN WE HAVE SINGLE PAYER, UNIVERSAL COVERAGE NOW, PLEASE?

[DemReadingDU]

31. SINGLE PAYER, UNIVERSAL COVERAGE would be so much easier

What if a person doesn't have a computer to sign up?

What if the person doesn't even know how to use a computer!

What if the person doesn't have a SmartPhone either?


Wouldn't one just pay the penalty next year on the IRS form, assuming one even has income to file a return!

[Demeter]

32. What if one didn't want the entire governmental bureacracy poking into one's affairs?

and creating more errors and screwing up one's life even worse than they have already?

Don't think it won't happen, either. Look at that stupid no-fly list.

[bread_and_roses]

36. oh, goddess....

I read about half the BS and then stopped before I had to bang my head against a wall in despair ....

[kickysnana]

52. A mole managed to send out priviliged information on the brokers here in MN

Setting the stage for much finger pointing and gnashing of teeth on TV snooze. One house member (R)who could be the twin sister of former House speaker that was taken two years ago by another (R) faction made an earnest speech how she "believes" that Obama Care is not safe, not ready, not a good thing. No facts required for the faithful now. If one of them "believes" it, it is true.

Mole was fired of course. Dayton, like Obama did not clean house.

I had to go to lurk mode for a time to heal but there is still so much left to do, so few of us left to try to preserve something for our grand-kids.

My contribution to Medicare health care premiums will go up $35 Jan 1st and I don't know what, if any, new benefits I will actually get. I do hope it is helpful to others.

[Demeter]

26. LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES! (enough about the Obamacare)

In order to make our escape fantasy down the Silk Road, AnneD has suggested these epic films:

FEATURING CHINESE ACTORS:

JACKIE CHAN: I love Jackie Chan, he's funny, athletic, creative, and funny, did I mention funny?


Year Title Chinese title Role Notes
1962 Big and Little Wong Tin Bar 大小黄天霸 Child Actor (Intro) Lost film
1963 The Love Eterne 梁山伯與祝英台 Child Actor (Extra) (Uncredited)
1964 The Story of Qin Xiang Lin 秦香蓮 Child Actor
1966 The Eighteen Darts (Part 1) 兩湖十八鏢 上集 Child Actor aka Seven Little Tigers (Part 1)
1966 The Eighteen Darts (Part 2) 兩湖十八鏢 下集 Child Actor aka Seven Little Tigers (Part 2)
1966 Come Drink with Me 大醉俠 Child Actor (Uncredited) Jackie Chan is rumored to have appeared in film.
1970 Lady of Steel 荒江女俠 "Beggar Kid"
1971 A Touch of Zen 俠女 "Extra" (Uncredited) Stuntman
1971 The Blade Spares None 刀不留人 "Prince's fighter in the forest" (Uncredited)
1971 The Angry River 鬼怒川 "Guard" (Uncredited)
1972 Fist of Fury 精武門 "Jing Wu Student" (Uncredited)Stuntman for Suzuki through the window aka The Chinese Connection

1972 Hapkido 合氣 "Black Bear Student" (Uncredited) Stuntman (Uncredited)
1972 The Brutal Boxer 唐人客 "Thug Sliding on Floor" (Uncredited)Stuntman aka Blood Fingers
1972 Stranger in Hong Kong 香港過客 Cameo
1973 Enter the Dragon 龍爭虎鬥 "Prison Thug" (Uncredited) Stuntman (Uncredited)
1973 Facets of Love 北地胭脂 "Xiao Liu" (as Chen Yuan Lung) (Cameo)
1973 Not Scared to Die 頂天立地 "Si To" / "Shi Tzer" (Cameo) Stunt Coordinator Action Director aka Eagle Shadow Fist aka Fist of Anger aka Return to China
1973 Police Woman 女警察 "Mole Face Gang Leader" (as Jacky Chan)Stunt Coordinator Action Director Stuntman (Uncredited) aka Rumble in Hong Kong aka Young Tiger aka Police Woman Against Jackie Chan aka "Heroine
1973 Kung Fu Girl 鐵娃 "Japanese Thug" (as Chen Yuen Lung) martial arts director, stunt co-ordinator, stuntman aka Attack of the Kung Fu Girls aka None but the Brave aka The Heroine
1973 Little Tiger of Canton 廣東小老虎 "Jackie" / "Ah Lung" martial arts director, stunt co-ordinator, action director aka Cub Tiger from Kwang Tung Ten Fingers of Death, Snake Fist Ninja, Snake Fist Fighter
1973 Freedom Strikes a Blow 碼頭大決鬥 "Thug" (extra) (Uncredited) stunt co-ordinator, action director, stuntman aka Chinese Hercules aka Black Guide aka A Duel of Harbour aka The Kid in Pier
1973 Ambush 埋伏 Extra (uncredited) stuntman (uncredited)
1973 The Awaken Punch 石破天驚 "Extra - Thug beating up a woman" stuntman aka Village on Fire aka Buddhist Shaolin Avengers aka The Fury of the Black Belt
1973 Fist of Unicorn 麒麟掌 "Thug (extra)" stuntman aka Unicorn Fist, aka Buce Lee & I, aka Unicorn Palm
1974 Fist to Fist 除霸 Guard (extra) stuntman aka Fists of the Double K, aka Hong Kong Face-Off
1974 The Golden Lotus 金瓶雙艷 "Pear Seller Brother Yun" (as Chen Yuen Lung)
1974 Supermen Against the Orient 四王一后 "Extra" (Uncredited) stuntman, stunt co-ordinator, action director
1974 Village of Tigers 惡虎村 "Bandit"
1975 All in the Family 花飛滿城春 "Hsiao Tang / rickshaw driver"
1975 Bruce Lee and I 李小龍與我 "Extra" (Uncredited) aka Bruce Lee - His Last Days, His Last Nights aka I Love You, Bruce Lee aka Bruce Lee...His Last Days
1975 No End of Surprises 拍案驚奇 "Secretary Chen" (as Chen Yuen Lung)
1975 The Himalayan 密宗聖手 "Tsengs men" (Uncredited) stuntman
1975 The Young Dragons 鐵漢柔情 action director, action choreographer, stunt co-ordinator
1976 New Fist of Fury 新精武門之精武拳 " Ah Lung" aka Kungfu of Dragon
1976 Dance of Death 舞拳 stunt co-ordinator (as Chen Yuan-lung) aka Eternal Conflict
1976 Shaolin Wooden Men 少林木人巷 "Tiger" "Little Mute" stunt co-ordinator, action director aka Shaolin Chamber of Death aka Shaolin Wooden Men: Young Tiger's Revenge
1976 Hand of Death 少林門 "Tan Feng" aka Countdown in Kung Fu
1976 Killer Meteors 風雨雙流星 "Wa Wu-Bin / Tiger / Immortal Meteor"
stunt co-ordinator aka Feng yu shuang liu xing, The Killer Meteors, Jackie Chan vs. Wang Yu
1976 The Private Eyes 半斤八兩 stuntman aka Mr. Boo 1: The Private Eyes
1977 The 36 Crazy Fists 三十六迷形拳 supporting role in opening scene (Uncredited) stunt co-ordinator, action director aka The Blood Pact
1977 To Kill with Intrigue 劍花煙雨江南 "Cao Lei" (as Chen Lung) stunt co-ordinator, action director
1978 Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin 蛇鶴八步 "Hsu Yiu Fong" stunt co-ordinator, action director
1978 Magnificent Bodyguards 飛渡捲雲山 "Lord Ting Chung" stunt co-ordinator, action director aka Eye of the Dragon aka The Red Dragon
1978 Snake in the Eagle's Shadow 蛇形刁手 "Chien Fu" stunt coordinator
1978 Drunken Master 醉拳 "Wong Fei Hung" aka Drunken Monkey in the Tiger's Eyes
1978 Spiritual Kung Fu 拳精 "Yi-Lang" stunt coordinator (as Chen Yuen Lung) action director aka Karate Ghostbuster
1978 Half a Loaf of Kung Fu 一招半式闖江湖 "Master Jiang" writer, martial arts director, stunt co-ordinator
1978 Two in Black Belt 黑帶恨 (Cameo)
1979 The Fearless Hyena 笑拳怪招 "Shing Lung" (as Jacky Chan) director, action director, writer aka Revenge of the Dragon
1979 Dragon Fist 龍拳 "Tang How-Yuen" action director
1979 Immortal Warriors 百戰保山河 Action Director Stunt Coordinator
1979 Master with Cracked Fingers 廣東小老虎 "Jackie Chan" Action Director aka Snake Fist Fighter This film was created from an amalgamation of footage, primarily from the limited-release 1973 film Little Tiger of Canton.
1980 The Young Master 帥弟出馬 "Dragon" / "Master Lung" Director, Action Director, Writer, Stuntman (Uncredited)
1980 The Big Brawl 殺手壕 "Jerry Kwan" / "Lung" Action Director, Stuntman (Uncredited) aka Battle Creek Brawl
1980 Read Lips 孖寶闖八關 Producer
1981 The Cannonball Run 砲彈飛車 "Jackie Chan the Subaru Driver" (Cameo)
1981 The Gold-Hunters 老鼠街 Producer
1981 Game Of Death 2 死亡塔 Michael Lo
1982 Dragon Lord 龍少爺 "Dragon Ho" / "Lung" Director, Action Director, Martial Arts Choreographer, Co-Writer, Stuntman (Uncredited) aka Dragon Strike
1983 Fantasy Mission Force 迷你特攻隊 "Sammy" (as Jacky Chan) stuntman (uncredited) aka Mini Special Force
1983 Fearless Hyena Part II 龍騰虎躍 "Chan Lung" / "Stone" action choreographer (footage), action director, stuntman (uncredited) This film was created by Lo Wei, derived from alternative footage recorded during the filming of the original The Fearless Hyena. It had no input from Jackie Chan.
1983 Winners and Sinners 奇謀妙計五福星 "CID 07" stuntman (uncredited) aka Winners & Sinners: Five Lucky Stars
1983 Project A A計劃 "Sergeant Dragon Ma Yue Lung" director, writer, action director, stuntman (uncredited) aka Mark of the Dragon aka Dragon and The Friends
1984 Wheels on Meals 快餐車 "Thomas" stuntman (uncredited) aka Spanish Connection aka Spartan X
aka Million Dollar Heiress
1984 Cannonball Run II 砲彈飛車2 "Jackie" (Mitsubishi engineer)
1984 Pom Pom 神勇雙響炮 Motorcycle Cop #2 (Cameo)
1985 Police Story 警察故事 "Chan Ka-Kui" aka "Kevin Chan" director, action director, stunt coordinator, fight choreographer, executive producer, writer, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Police Force
1985 Heart of Dragon 龍的心 "Tat Fung" aka "Ted" stuntman (uncredited) aka First Mission
1985 Ninja Thunderbolt 至尊神偷 (cameo) aka To Catch a Thief aka To Catch a Ninja aka Ninja Fury
1985 The Protector 威龍猛探 "Billy Wong" stuntman (uncredited)
1985 My Lucky Stars 福星高照 "Muscles" Winners & Sinners 2: My Lucky Stars
1985 Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars 夏日福星 "Muscles" aka "Seven Lucky Stars"
1986 Naughty Boys 扭計雜牌軍 "Prisoner" (cameo) producer
1987 Armour of God 龍兄虎弟 "Jackie Condor" aka "Asian Hawk"director, stunt co-ordinator, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Operation Condor 2: The Armour of the Gods
1987 Project A Part II A計劃續集 "Dragon Ma" director, action director, stunt coordinator, writer, song writer, stuntman (uncredited)
1987 That Enchanting Night 良青花奔月 producer
1988 Police Story 2 警察故事續集 "Chan Ka-Kui" aka "Kevin" director, producer, stunt coordinator, writer, stuntman (uncredited)
1988 Dragons Forever 飛龍猛將 "Jackie Lung" associate producer, production supervisor, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Cyclone Z
1988 The Inspector Wears Skirts 霸王花 producer, action director
1988 Rouge 胭脂扣 producer
1989 Miracles 奇蹟 "Charlie Cheng Wah Kuo" / "Kuo Chen Wah" director, producer, writer, action director, stuntman (uncredited) aka Mr. Canton and Lady Rose aka Black Dragon aka The Canton Godfather
1989 The Inspector Wears Skirts II 神勇飛虎霸王花 producer
1989 I Am Sorry 說謊的女人 presenter
1990 Island of Fire 火燒島 "Lung" /"Steve Tong" / "Da Chui" aka The Prisoner
1990 The Outlaw Brothers 最佳賊拍檔 action director
1990 Stage Door Johnny 舞台姊妹 producer
1990 Story of Kennedy Town 西環的故事 producer
1991 A Kid from Tibet 西藏小子 "airport passenger" (cameo)
1991 Armour of God II: Operation Condor 飛鷹計劃 "Jackie Condor" director, action director, producer, writer, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Operation Condor
1991 Angry Ranger 火爆浪子 producer
1991 Beauty and the Beast 美女與野獸 "Beast" (voice) Chan performed voice acting and singing in the Chinese dub of the film.
1992 Police Story 3: Super Cop 警察故事III超級警察 "Chan Ka-Kui" aka "Kevin" executive producer, presenter, stuntman (uncredited) aka Supercop
1992 Twin Dragons 雙龍會 "Ma Yau" aka "John Ma" "Die Hard" aka "Boomer" action director, stunt choreographer, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Double Dragon
1992 Center Stage 阮玲玉 presenter
1992 The Shootout 危險情人 producer
1993 Once a Cop 超級計劃 "Inspector Chan" (cameo) aka Project S aka Supercop 2 aka Police Story 3 Part II
1993 City Hunter 城市獵人 "Ryo Saeba" aka "Michael Pham City Hunter" director, action director, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) Based on the Japanese manga City Hunter
1993 Crime Story 重案組 "Inspector Eddie Chan" stunt co-ordinator, co-director (uncredited), stuntman (uncredited)
1993 Kin chan no Cinema Jack 陳健沒有傑克電影院 producer This is an anthology film, a joint production between Australia, Hong Kong and Japan. The HK section was produced by Jackie Chan and featured Yuen Biao.
1994 Drunken Master II 醉拳II "Wong Fei Hung" co-director(uncredited), stunt co-ordinator, martial arts choreographer, song writer (uncredited), stuntman (uncredited) aka The Legend of Drunken Master
1995 Thunderbolt 霹靂火 "Chan Foh To" "Alfred Tung" action director, executive producer, stunt co-ordinator, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Dead Heat
1995 Rumble in the Bronx 紅番區 "Ma Hon Keung"action director, martial arts director, stunt director, song writer, stuntman (uncredited)
1995 Bontoc Eulogy bontoc悼詞 additional editor
1996 Police Story 4: First Strike 警察故事IV之簡單任務 "Chan Ka-Kui" aka "Jackie" action director, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Jackie Chan's First Strike
1997 Mr. Nice Guy 一個好人 "Jackie" stunt coordinator (uncredited) song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka SuperChef aka Mister Cool
1998 Who Am I? 我是誰 Jackie Chan aka "Who Am I?" director, action director, co-writer, stunt coordinator, stuntman (uncredited)
1998 Rush Hour 火拼時速 "Detective Inspector Lee" stunt coordinator, stuntman (uncredited)
1998 Hot War 幻影特攻 producer
1998 An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn "Himself" (cameo)
1998 Mulan 花木蘭 "Captain Li Shang" (voice) Cantonese and Mandarin version
1999 King of Comedy 喜劇之王 "unnamed extra actor" (cameo)
1999 Gorgeous 玻璃樽 "C. N. Chan" action director, action choreographer, co-producer, co-writer aka High Risk
1999 Gen-X Cops 特警新人類 "Fisherman" (cameo) (uncredited) executive producer, presenter
1999 Tempting Heart 心動 presenter
2000 Shanghai Noon 西域威龍 "Chon Wang" "Type A" executive producer, action director, stuntman (uncredited)
2000 Gen-X Cops 2: Metal Mayhem 特警新人類2 presenter
2001 The Accidental Spy 特務迷城 "Buck Yuen" co-producer, stunt coordinator, action director, song writer, stuntman (uncredited)
2001 Rush Hour 2 火拼時速2 "Chief Inspector Lee" action director, stuntman (uncredited)
2002 The Tuxedo 燕尾服 "Jimmy Tong", stuntman (uncredited)
2003 Shanghai Knights 西域威龍2皇家威龍 "Chon Wang" "Type B" action choreographer, executive producer, action director, stuntman (uncredited)
2003 The Twins Effect 千機變 "Jackie" the Ambulance driver (cameo role) song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Vampire Effect
2003 The Medallion 飛龍再生 "Eddie Yang" presenter, stuntman (uncredited)
2004 Around the World in 80 Days 環遊世界八十天 "Passepartout" executive producer, fight choreographer, action director, stuntman (uncredited)
2004 The Twins Effect II 千機變 II – 花都大戰 "Lord of Armour&quot cameo) aka The Huadu Chronicles: Blade of the Rose
2004 New Police Story 新警察故事 "Senior Inspector Chan Kwok-Wing" action director, executive producer, stunt director, presenter, song writer, stuntman (uncredited)
2004 Enter the Phoenix 大佬愛美麗 "Mr. Chan" (cameo), executive producer, presenter
2004 Rice Rhapsody 海南雞飯 executive producer, presenter
2005 The Myth 神話 "General Meng Yi" "Jack" producer, action director, stunt director, presenter, song writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Jackie Chan's The Myth
2005 Everlasting Regret 長恨歌 co-producer
2005 House of Fury 精武家庭 executive producer, presenter
2006 Rob-B-Hood 寶貝計劃 "Fong Ka Ho" aka "Thongs" action director, co-producer, co-writer, stunt coordinator, presenter, stuntman (uncredited) aka Project B.B (pun on Project A)
2007 Rush Hour 3 火拼時速3 "Chief Inspector Lee", song writer (uncredited)
2007 Air Diary 飛行日志 producer
2008 The Forbidden Kingdom 功夫之王 "Lu Yan" / "Old Hop" aka King of Kung Fu
2008 Kung Fu Panda 功夫熊貓 "Master Monkey" (voice)
2008 Run Papa Run 一個好爸爸 executive producer, presenter
2008 Wushu 武術之少年行 executive producer, presenter
2009 Shinjuku Incident 新宿事件 "Steelhead" executive producer, presenter
2009 Looking for Jackie 尋找成龍 himself, aka Jackie Chan and The Kung Fu Kid, aka Jackie Chan Kung Fu Master
2009 The Founding of a Republic 建國大業 "Li Jishen's Interviewer" (cameo role) aka Jian Guo Da Ye (lit. The Great Cause of China's Foundation), aka Founding of the Nation, aka Lofty Ambitions of Nation Building
2010 The Spy Next Door 鄰家特工 "Bob Ho" song writer (uncredited), stuntman (uncredited) aka Double Mission
2010 Little Big Soldier 大兵小將 "Big Soldier" action director, producer, writer, production manager, presenter, screenplay aka Big Soldier, Small General, aka Junior Soldiers
2010 The Karate Kid 功夫夢 "Mr. Han" aka The Kung Fu Dream
2010 The Legend of Silk Boy 世博冠軍湖絲仔 "Xu Rongcun" (voice)
2010 Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special 功夫熊猫假期特别 "Master Monkey (voice) Christmas special for NBC
2011 Shaolin 新少林寺 "Wu Dao" stuntman (uncredited) aka The New Shaolin Temple
2011 Kung Fu Panda 2 功夫熊貓2 "Master Monkey" (voice)
2011 1911 辛亥革命 "Huang Xing" director, executive producer, stunt co-ordinator, stuntman
2011 Legendary Amazons 楊門女將 producer
2012 CZ12 十二生肖 "Asian Hawk" director, producer, action director, writer, stuntman (uncredited) aka Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac
2013 Police Story 2013[1] 警察故事2013 "Detective Zhong Wen" Awaiting release December 24, 2013
2014 Skiptrace 跳过跟踪 "Benny Black" Exclusive Media Group ، InterTitle Films ، JC Group International ، Talent International Media
2015 Kung Fu Panda 3 功夫熊貓3 "Master Monkey" (voice) pre-production
2015 The Karate Kid 2 Writing


Documentaries

1990 The Best of the Martial Arts Films 金裝武術電影大全
1996 Biography: "Jackie Chan: From Stuntman to Superstar" A&E Network 8 October 1996
1998 Jackie Chan: My Story 成龍的傳奇
1999 Jackie Chan: My Stunts 成龍：我的特技
2002 The Art of Action: Martial Arts in Motion Picture 功夫片歲月
2003 Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu 電影香江：功夫世家
2003 Traces of a Dragon: Jackie Chan & His Lost Family 龍的深處：失落的拼圖
2006 The Heavenly Kings 四大天王 Feature film, mockumentary
2008 A Touch of Beijing Documentary about Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
2008 Mega Cities: Hong Kong National Geographic Channel

[Demeter]

27. Did I mention multi-talented and prolific?

When does he sleep? While in the hospital, mending broken bones?

[Hotler]

28. "Let's go to the movies."

Don't forget Charlie Chan. I used to watch those movies when I was a kid. Saturdays at the movies back in the 1960's and late night on tv.
I went to Youtube looking for clips and found this, it's from a Charlie Chan movie , but Charlie wasn't in it. I think this is fucking funny. Get together with a friend and learn this and go downtown and ride the elevator and talk like this.

[Demeter]

30. Jackie Chan come out of Chinese Opera School...then there are other Martial Artists

These are most familiar to American audiences: (there are dozens....not all Chinese, either)


Bruce Lee:

Bruce Lee (Chinese: 李小龍; born Lee Jun-fan; 27 November 1940 – 20 July 1973) was a Hong Kong American martial artist, Hong Kong action film actor, martial arts instructor, and filmmaker. The founder of Jeet Kune Do, Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-Chuen. He is widely considered by commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time, and a pop culture icon of the 20th century. He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films.

Lee was born in Chinatown, San Francisco on 27 November 1940 to parents from Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloon with his family until his late teens. He was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor. Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher education, and it was during this time that he began teaching martial arts. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films: Lo Wei's The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972); Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee; Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1973), both directed by Robert Clouse. Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films. He initially trained in Wing Chun, but later rejected well-defined martial art styles, favouring instead the use of techniques from various sources, in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy, which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist). Lee held dual citizenship of Hong Kong and the United States. He died in Kowloon Tong on 20 July 1973 at the age of 32.


Jet Li:

Li Lianjie ([lì ljǎntɕjɛ̌]; born 26 April 1963), better known by his English stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and wushu champion who was born in Beijing. He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen.

After three years of intensive training with Wu Bin, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team. After retiring from Wushu at age 19, he went on to win great acclaim in China as an actor making his debut with the film Shaolin Temple (1982). He went on to star in many critically acclaimed martial arts epic films, most notably the Once Upon A Time In China series, in which he portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung.

Li's first role in a Hollywood film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), but his first Hollywood film leading role was in Romeo Must Die (2000). He has gone on to star in many Hollywood action films, including Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed. He co-starred in The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) with Jackie Chan, The Expendables (2010) with Sylvester Stallone, and as the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008) opposite Brendan Fraser. He also appeared in the Hong Kong film Ocean Heaven (2010), directed and written by Xue Xiaolu.


Michelle Yeoh (who started in ballet):



Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng (born 6 August 1962), DPMP, SPMP, PSM, is a Malaysian actress, best known for performing her own stunts in the Hong Kong action films that brought her to fame in the early 1990s. Born in Ipoh, Malaysia, she was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1997.

She is best known in the Western world for her roles in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, playing Wai Lin, and the multiple Academy Award-winning Chinese-language martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which she was nominated the BAFTA in 2000, for Best Actress. In 2008, the film critic website Rotten Tomatoes ranked her the greatest action heroine of all time. In 2009, she was listed by People magazine – as the only Asian actress – as one of the "35 All-Time Screen Beauties".

She is credited as Michelle Khan in some of her earlier films. This alias was chosen by the D&B studio who thought it might be more marketable to international and western audiences. Yeoh later preferred using her real name.

Her filmography is nearly as long as Jackie Chan's....refer to Wikipedia!

[Hotler]

29. Good call Demeter with this weeks topic.

and for the picture.

[Demeter]

33. I cannot take credit---it was AnneD's request.

I live to serve.

[jtuck004]

34. Cheat Sheet on Inequality

Here. <- It's a series of links.

Talk about inequality has been in the news recently, but you won’t believe what’s really happening in America today:

Inequality in America today is twice as bad as in ancient Rome, worse than it was in in Tsarist Russia, Gilded Age America, modern Egypt, Tunisia or Yemen, many banana republics in Latin America, and worse than experienced by slaves in 1774 colonial America

It’s the highest level of inequality ever recorded in the U.S.

It’s worse in America than in any other developed nation

Staggering inequality in America has become permanent

There are 2 economies: one for the rich, and the other for everyone else

The economy has only recovered for the 1% … the rest of the country is more or less stuck in a depression

The super-rich are raking in more than ever

On the other end, more and more people are sliding into poverty

1 out of every 5 households in the United States is on food stamps

The middle class has more or less been destroyed

A who’s who of prominent economists and investors say that inequality causes crashes and hurts the economy

Extreme inequality helped cause the Great Depression, the current financial crisis … and the fall of the Roman Empire

Inequality isn’t happening for mysterious or uncontrollable reasons. Bad government policy is responsible for runaway inequality

Bush was horrible, but income inequality has increased even more under Obama than under Bush

Americans consistently underestimate the amount of inequality in our country. They will be shocked – and may be furious – when they learn the truth

It’s a myth that conservatives accept runaway inequality. Conservatives are as concerned as liberals regarding the stunning collapse of upward mobility

Worth thinking about the stories at the links...

[bread_and_roses]

37. Thanks for the compendium, jtuck (n/t)

[xchrom]

35. Analyst Explains Why A Government Shutdown Could Be Sustained And Damaging

http://www.businessinsider.com/ethan-harris-on-a-government-shutdown-2013-9

It looks as though we're heading for a government shutdown.
Our Brett Logiurato has the full story, but essentially negotiations are too far apart right now and the parties may simply run out of time.

Some think that this drama will ultimately end like previous shutdown showdowns, with Democrats and Republicans finding a way to muddle through a deal in the 11th hour.

Ethan Harris at Bank of America has the one paragraph that will have you praying they find a way to do so:

As in the past, we worry that if they do cross the Rubicon—and start a shutdown—what will get them to turn back? If they have decided that the political calculus is in their favor, what will make them decide it no longer is? In our view, it might require either a major popular outcry or a major stock market correction. Recall that as the fiscal cliff approached at the end of last year, one popular view was that the fiscal cliff was really a “slope”—it would impact the economy slowly and that any damage could be easily reversed. That kind of attitude is what could cause a really damaging sustained shutdown.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ethan-harris-on-a-government-shutdown-2013-9#ixzz2gHamWgk0

[xchrom]

38. Architect of Austerity: Schäuble's Search for a Way Forward

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-german-finance-minister-schaeuble-navigates-the-euro-crisis-a-924526.html

At the Federal Ministry of Finance on Berlin's Wilhelmstrasse, working home to one of the most powerful men of our time, the corridors are up to 700 meters (2,296 feet) long. They lead to 2,100 offices, whose stone doorframes form seemingly endless rows reminiscent of the set of a grim, futuristic film.

The layout of the building, designed by Nazi architects, looks like the drawing of a complex machine part. Those who enter the building inadvertently find themselves whispering, as if to avoid disturbing the power concentrated inside. History is constantly being made, day after day, in this building. Senior Nazi leader Hermann Göring once strode through its corridors. It was occupied by the Soviet military administrators after World War II, and it was the setting for both the establishment of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and, decades later, its liquidation by the Treuhandanstalt, the agency that privatized former East German state-run enterprises.

Wolfgang Schäuble's office is in room 4358, an unadorned corner office on the fifth floor. Many people in cities like Athens and Madrid hold this man responsible for their misery. For them, he is hardly less contemptible than the other men whose offices were once in the same building. They blame him for the plight of retirees reduced to scavenging for food in garbage cans. They claim that the Teutonic furor behind his austerity measures has impoverished Europe and turned it into a place of decay. They believe that no one bears more responsibility for such policies than the man in room 4358 at the German Finance Ministry. Does this man in a gray suit actually know what he is doing?

'Into a Dark Forest'

Schäuble isn't one for small talk. He seems to have no objection to getting right to the point -- to the question of what constitutes the basis of his political decisions, and how academic insights enter into the political process. "As Bismarck said, from one second to the next, you suddenly find yourself walking into a dark forest," he says.

[xchrom]

39. This Sociological Theory Explains Why Wall Street Is Rigged for Crisis

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/this-sociological-theory-explains-why-wall-street-is-rigged-for-crisis/280077/

On October 25, 1962, a bear tried to climb the perimeter fence at the Duluth Sector Direction Center, a sensitive U.S. military installation in Minnesota, setting off an alarm during a DEFCON 3 alert. The alarm signal was connected to a mis-wired klaxon at Volk Field in Wisconsin, and the blaring klaxon led to an immediate order to launch aircraft. Pilots of nuclear equipped F-106A’s were taxiing down the runway to respond to the start of nuclear war when the error was discovered. A car flashing its lights raced from the command post to the tarmac and stopped the jets.

This near brush with nuclear catastrophe, brought on by a single foraging bear, is an example of what sociologist Charles Perrow calls a “normal accident.” These frightening incidents are “normal” not because they happen often, but because they are almost certain to occur in any tightly connected complex system.

Today, our highly wired global financial markets are just such as system. And in recent years, aggressive traders have repeatedly played the role of the hungry bear, setting off potential disaster after potential disaster through a combination of human blunders and network failures.

The recent rogues’ gallery of accidents is impressive. It includes what traders are calling the “Flash Freeze,” when the NASDAQ was shut down for three hours on August 22. Just three days before, a programming error in an internal system that Goldman used to generate option orders malfunctioned, causing stock options with ticker symbols beginning with H through L to trade at just $1. On August 1, 2012, a similar glitch cost Knight Capital $390 million. On May 6, 2010, a Flash Crash triggered a momentary decline of 998.5 points in the Dow. The market recovered in a few hours.

[hamerfan]

40. Musical Interlude

Further On Up The Road by Gary Moore and Albert Collins:

[bread_and_roses]

41. (Himalayas) "...Global Warming Could Destroy the Lives of 750 Million People..."

http://www.alternet.org/environment/global-warming-could-potentially-destroy-lives-750-million-people-next-three-decades

Almost Too Horrible to Contemplate: Global Warming Could Destroy the Lives of 750 Million People in the Short Future

... that's how many people, within the next 22 years, will almost certainly run low on water – a necessity of life – in just the regions whose rivers are supplied with water from the glaciers in the Himalayas.

... "The glaciers of the Himalayas are melting so fast they will affect the water supplies of a population twice that of the US within 22 years, the head of the world's leading authority on climate change has warned."

And that's just the Himalayas and the rivers flow out of their glaciers toward South Asian regions including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. There are similar glaciers along the mountain ranges of western South America that supply water to other hundreds of millions of people – they are all at risk, too. We're even seen it here in the United States, with last year's drought in the West. Glaciers are changing in Europe, and the regions of Tanzania supplied by the famous "Snows Of Kilimanjaro," are drying up in ways that are creating serious drought problems for the people in those parts of Africa.

Contrary to what the front groups funded by the fossil fuel industry would have you believe, climate change doesn't just mean the winters are milder. Or the plants have more carbon dioxide.

It means that hundreds of millions of people will be displaced, will starve, and will die. It means wars. It means famines. It means raging forest fires and the death of grasslands. It means the acidification of our oceans and the destruction of our ocean ecosystems. It means that we stand on the edge of tipping points that hurtle humanity toward extinction.

The Silk Road ... to hell.

[xchrom]

42. A Fed love story: Janet Yellen meets her match

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/29/us-usa-fed-yellen-idUSBRE98S07N20130929

(Reuters) - Janet Yellen found love at the Federal Reserve. She met him at a luncheon in 1977, launching a whirlwind romance that led to marriage in less than a year.

In connecting with George Akerlof, then on a temporary assignment at the Fed's research division in Washington, Yellen discovered not just a soul mate but an intellectual equal with similar views about the societal impact of economic policy.

Together, they formed one of the pre-eminent power couples of modern economics. They collaborated on ambitious research while holding increasingly demanding jobs and raising a son who grew up to share their academic passion.

Yellen, who is currently the No. 2 official at the Fed, is expected to win nomination from President Barack Obama to become its next chairman, replacing retiring Ben Bernanke. If approved by the Senate, her appointment would crack one of the highest U.S. glass ceilings and make her the first woman to head the central bank in its 100-year history.

[xchrom]

43. France says will negotiate on Sunday-trading dispute

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/29/us-france-sunday-retail-idUSBRE98S08Z20130929

(Reuters) - France's government is ready to negotiate with retailers on Sunday-trading laws, though not on late-night shopping, after two retailers decided to stay open despite the threat of legal action.

Unions, trying to defend the 35-hour working week, are pitted against some retailers and even some employees who want to increase business at a time of record unemployment and stagnant economic growth. Retailers Leroy Merlin and Kingfisher-owned (KGF.L) Castorama were open in Paris and its suburbs this Sunday, defying a court ruling on Thursday.

"The (Sunday-trading) law is a kind of machine that churns out lawsuits," Budget Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told Europe 1 radio. "Given that there are some employees who want to work and shoppers who today want to shop, could we not try to find some kind of path to an appropriate response?"

His comments echoed those made by a junior minister for trade, Sylvia Pinel. "We have inherited a kind of regulatory 'millefeuille'," she told Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche, referring to a layered French cake and the different trading regulations that apply in various districts.

[xchrom]

44. Fed doves make case for patience on tightening policy

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/us-usa-fed-idUSBRE98Q18920130927

(Reuters) - The Federal Reserve must be patient in deciding when to scale back bond purchases, top officials said on Friday, with one arguing it could wait "years" to lift interest rates and another suggesting it could tolerate inflation rising to 3 percent.

The dovish remarks, by Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, Minneapolis Fed chief Narayana Kocherlakota and New York Fed boss William Dudley, came as investors reviewed expectations on whether the Fed will begin to taper bond buying this year or next, after it unexpectedly decided last week to stand pat.

Evans, speaking in Oslo, said the economic outlook suggested that a reduction in the level of bond purchases was in order, but that when to begin that process is not yet certain.

"Whether or not we'll have enough confidence at the October meeting or the December meeting, I just can't say that with a lot of certainty," he told reporters. "I think there's a decent chance of that. But it could go a little bit longer," he said.

[xchrom]

45. U.S. labor market not yet healthy: Fed's Dudley

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/us-usa-fed-dudley-idUSBRE98Q18R20130927

(Reuters) - An influential Federal Reserve policymaker on Friday unscored his commitment to accommodative policies, saying the labor market is not yet healthy and inflation should firm in the months ahead.

New York Fed President William Dudley's speech was very similar to one he gave Monday in which he strongly defended the U.S. central bank's bond-buying program and said the economic recovery still needs support.

On Friday, he pointed to conflicting information on the U.S. labor market, which was badly bruised by the Great Recession but has improved in recent years, with unemployment now down to 7.3 percent from a 10-percent peak in 2009.

"Job loss rates have fallen, but hiring rates remain depressed at low levels. Taken together, the labor market still cannot be regarded as healthy," Dudley, a permanent voter on Fed policy and a close ally of Chairman Ben Bernanke, said according to prepared remarks at Syracuse University.

[xchrom]

46. U.S. FHA to tap $1.7 billion in taxpayer funds

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/us-usa-housing-bailout-idUSBRE98O13N20130927

(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Housing Administration said on Friday it will draw $1.7 billion in cash from the U.S. Treasury to help cover losses from troubled loans, marking the first time in its 79-year history that it has needed aid.

The agency, which offers mortgage lenders guarantees against homeowner defaults, told Congress it does not have enough cash to cover projected losses on the loans it backs. It said it needs the subsidy to shore up its insurance fund to maintain a required capital cushion.

White House officials projected in April that the FHA would face a shortfall of $943 million in the fiscal year that ends on Monday, but rising mortgage rates cut its loan volume and curbed a hoped-for increase in revenues from higher loan premiums.

FHA Commissioner Carol Galante said her agency was required to draw money based on loan performance assumptions that were locked down in December, but she said those assumptions did not capture improvements that would have likely canceled out a need for aid.

[Demeter]

47. 7 International Stories Making Headlines This Week

http://www.alternet.org/world/7-international-stories-making-headlines-week?akid=10986.227380.bLwvlZ&rd=1&src=newsletter902738&t=21&paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark

1. United States signs Arms Trade Treaty despite NRA opposition

The United States, the world’s number one exporter of weapons, celebrated joining 106 other countries in finally signing the Arms Trade Treaty(ATT), AFP reported. The ATT is the first global attempt to regulate the illicit trade in conventional weapons by requiring signatory countries to abide by rules and conditions to control the international transfer and flow of arms.

While human rights groups cheered the move as sending a strong message to the world and arms dealers that it's time to regulate the arms trade, ratification in the U.S remains unlikely following strong resistance by the majority of Senators and gun rights advocates like the NRA. In fact, Republicans have already stated that the treaty is “dead on arrival” in the Senate,The Hill reported.

Moreover, the NRA with its strong hold over the legislature and history of lobbying movements against the U.S. vote to pass the treaty is expected to lobby against ratification having issued a statement saying the law provisions are “a blatant attack on the constitutional rights and liberties of every law-abiding American.”

2. Qatari World Cup construction will cost the lives of ‘4000 migrant workers’ says International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

The ITUC claims that as a result of the “construction frenzy” surrounding the 2022 World Cup, 12 laborers will die each week unless the Doha government makes urgent reforms, as reported by The Guardian. Half a million extra workers from countries such as Nepal, India and Sri Lanka are expected to arrive to work in an effort complete stadiums, buildings and infrastructure in time for the World Cup kickoff.

However, ITUC says the annual death toll among those working on building sites could rise to 600 people a year based on estimates of current mortality figures for workers who currently make up the majority of Qatar’s 1.2 million workforce and are subject to harsh and dangerous work conditions.

While the cause of death cannot be conclusively determined, a comparable study from The Guardian revealed that 44 migrant construction workers from Nepal died in the summer this year working in abusive and exploitive conditions in preparing emirate for the World Cup, with many workers having described forced labor conditions where they are made to work in 122F heat and live in squalor...MORE


Jodie Gummow is a senior fellow and staff writer at AlterNet.

[Demeter]

48. The Secret Behind New York's Alternative to a Prison Economy? Milk

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/secret-behind-new-yorks-alternative-prison-economy-milk?akid=10986.227380.bLwvlZ&rd=1&src=newsletter902738&t=23&paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this summer that he will be closing four more state prisons. Combined with two shuttered this month, that will bring the grand total of prison closures over the last two years to 13. State officials say the rapid rate of prison closures is the result of sharp declines in the number of people incarcerated for drug offenses. They’ve dropped by 71 percent since 1996, from 24,085 to 7,053. Advocates attribute the decline to 2009 reforms of the infamous Rockefeller Drug Laws, and to efforts to end the NYPD’s controversial stop and frisk policy. Stop and frisk has overwhelmingly targeted young men of color and led to an exorbitant number of arrests for marijuana possession.

But Governor Cuomo’s move, which many prison reform activists are thrilled about, has been a flash point for residents of the upstate rural areas surrounding upstate penitentiaries who depend on prisons for jobs, as well as the elected officials who represent them.

Enter Milk Not Jails, an unusual intervention that draws from both the prison and food justice movements. Volunteer-run and based in New York City, the organization has worked closely with groups on both sides of the coin to present dairy farming as an alternative to New York State’s prison-dependent rural economies. The organization lobbies legislators on policy initiatives including the decriminalization of marijuana, closing empty prisons, increasing the amount of locally sourced school food, and legalizing the sale of raw milk. On the commercial side, they partner with upstate dairy farms to market and distribute their products to consumers and farmers markets in New York City. The organization’s goal, according to co-founder Lauren Melodia, is to create closer ties between upstate and downstate economies and issues.

"There are criminal justice and anti-policing campaigns in New York State that unfortunately don’t have enough rural support. We see ourselves very specifically playing the role of mobilizing strategic rural support for those initiatives so we can get laws changed at the state level,” says Melodia. “On the flip side, there’s a lot of hard-working farmers trying change laws that impact their lives and their work, but they don’t have enough urban support. So we’re trying to provide that for them. We are mobilizing urban consumers to care about where their food comes from and we’re asking rural farmers to help participate in building healthy urban communities.”

To fulfill their goal Milk Not Jails hosts events such as ice cream socials in rural areas where they teach both children and adults about the racial dynamics of the prison system; they urge dairy farmers to speak up about prison issues; and they circulate petitions that call for policy change...New York once boasted one of the most robust dairy farming industries in the country. But that industry has been on the decline for several decades owing to a decrease in the price of milk combined with a demand for large-scale production and an increase in costs for grain to feed the cows and fuel for transport...As the dairy industry declined, the prison industry grew. It has since become a leading employer in the region. According to the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), between the early 1800s and 1981 approximately 30 prisons were built in New York. Most of the state’s prisons are upstate and they’ve served as a source of economic stimulus for the region. The system has been maintained by a steady flow of prisoners arrested in New York City. Those prisoners are predominantly black and Latino. Today the ratio of black to white inmates is nearly 6 to 1, and the Latino population is almost 2 to 1. According Gabriel Sayegh, DPA’s New York state director, dairy farms can counterbalance the power of upstate prison lobbies. DPA has worked with Milk Not Jails on marijuana decriminalization initiatives... Milk Not Jails is certainly a small, grassroots effort. Of the numerous dairy farms in upstate New York they work with only five. But they are endorsed by 20, and their catchy, albeit a bit quirky marketing strategy is bringing attention to two seemingly disparate causes that are deeply entwined.


THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG--AND USEFUL! PRODUCTION, NOT PARASITISM...

[Demeter]

49. Five Reasons Food Stamps Work Just Fine Monica Potts

http://prospect.org/article/five-reasons-food-stamps-work-just-fine

It seems that food stamps are always in danger of facing the chopping block. Here are the numbers on the program’s effectiveness...There’s little chance that the ( GOP-backed House bill cutting $4B in food stamps) will be enacted, given the more moderate makeup of the Senate, although it’s likely that some cuts will end up on the president’s desk. (The Senate is cutting $4.4 billion from the program.) Still, food stamps are one of the most robust federal entitlements for the poor we have left, so it’s always going to be a target for cuts. It’s worth looking beyond those bold-face numbers in the news to see how the program is performing—and why it’s still essential.

1. More People Are Benefiting from Food Stamps than Ever

The number of people on the food-stamp program has increased by about 27 million since the recession, an increase that is still smaller than the increase in poverty. The Center on Budget Policy and Priorities crunched the data and found that the number of people who qualified for food stamps went up from 54 to 64 million. (In contrast, food-stamp participation rates fell in the 1990s, when the economy was good.) Also, a higher percentage of people who qualified are getting food stamps than before, though it’s still true that about a quarter of households that could get food stamps don’t get them, for whatever reason. Those households without food stamps report that they aren’t always able to get enough food to feed their families.

2. Food Stamps Are Good for the Economy—and Cheaper than Farm Subsidies!

Even though spending on food stamps, about $78 billion in 2012, is higher than other farm-bill appropriations—farm subsidies are about $16 billion—the number of people who directly benefit is also larger. If you average out the spending on food stamps for every person who gets them, it’s only $1,700 per person. Spending on farm subsidies only affects about 3 million agricultural jobs, which works out to $5,300 per person. Yet Republicans aren’t decreasing the amount the government spends on farm subsidies. In fact, they are increasing it. (Those subsidies benefit rich farmers and agricultural companies, powerful members of the House agricultural committee's constituency.) Moreover, food stamps subsidize American agriculture in a roundabout way, because most of our food is produced domestically. In fact, analyses show that food stamps pump a lot of money back into the economy—every $1 spent on food stamps generates between $1.60 and $1.80 in economic activity.

3. Children Are the Biggest Food-Stamp Benefactors

The Food Research Action Center reports that about a quarter of households with children say they can’t get enough food. By and large, adults with children are the most likely to seek out food assistance. About three quarters of food-stamp recipients are households with children living in their households, and 47 percent of individual recipients are children. The average benefit for a family of three is just under $400, which is about $33 per person per week. Not everyone gets the same amount, however. In 2011, about 6.4 million were working adults, and the more they earn, the fewer benefits they get. Which means that, by and large, all that food-stamp money is feeding children whose parents work low-wage jobs.

4. Cutting Food Stamps Won’t Trim the Deficit

Food and agriculture spending, of which food stamps are a part, only make up 5 percent of the mandatory spending in the federal budget—and that spending is largely good for the economy. Cutting the program even by a huge margin won’t make a difference in the government’s checkbook. The cuts will, however, make a huge difference to families. The House-proposed cuts would kick about 1.7 million unemployed, childless adults off the program. Their average income? About $2,500 a year, and for many of them food stamps are their only source of income. Cuts would also prevent some ex-offenders from getting food stamps once they’re out of prison. All the research shows that the more help ex-offenders receive, the less likely they are to end up back where they started. Helping former prisoners readjust to society instead of marginalizing them ultimately costs states less money.

5. Food-Stamp Fraud Is an Imaginary Problem

The computer systems used by social-services agencies are ancient, and caseworkers are often overworked and under-resourced. Over the years, the federal government has tried to give states more flexibility to run the food-stamp program, and states have worked to modernize their systems so they don’t kick people off rolls unnecessarily, or over- and under-pay benefits. In 2002, the federal government started giving bonuses to states in an effort to improve the performance and compliance of their food-stamp programs. The House shows signs of wanting to chip away at those advances: the current bill would remove the bonuses for states to improve performance. Which is ironic, because one of the errors the incentive money helped reduce was the rate that food stamp recipients were mistakenly overpaid. The federal government is also aggressive about cracking down on food-stamp fraud: only about one cent of every dollar spent goes to trafficking, which happens most often when recipients exchange their benefits for cash. Trafficking is the most common type of “fraud” in the food-stamp program, and it doesn’t cost the federal government any more money. It just means benefits aren’t being used for their intended purpose.

[Demeter]

50. I find myself pressed for time this weekend

Many Thanks to all, especially X, for the posts.

The suspense is killing me, of course. Too many swords dangling overhead....too many cloaks and daggers...too many bastards in sheep's clothing.

[Turbineguy]

51. Take me with you!

I need a break from my drab and wretched life. Teabaggers may destroy young America, but 5000 years of civilization isn't lost on the Chinese.