Monday, December 31, 2012

Facts You Need To Know



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week in Barrons
December 2, 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thoughts:

The New Normal:  "Why work hard for $60,000, when you can earn $14,000 and sit around collecting another $50,000!"

I realize that welfare benefits, Medicare, and cutting the spending side of the fiscal cliff - are all painful topics to discuss.  Thanks to James T. - if you somehow believed that it was the top 1% that is stealing from the middle class, please realize that it is also those individuals at the bottom of the economic ladder that rip off the middle class - courtesy of the world's most generous entitlement system.  It's horrific when you can do as well working one week a month at minimum wage as you can working a $60,000/year, fulltime, high stress job.  This chart tells the story, and is fairly self-explanatory:

Money Earned in a Year       $3,625          $14,500         $30,000        $60,000
  +Payroll and Fed Inc. Tax   (    278)        (   1,225)        (   4,574)       ( 13,034)
  +Childcare Cost                    ( 2,400)        (   9,600)        (   9,600)       (   9,600)
  +Mississippi Inc. Tax            (    109)        (      725)        (   1,500)       (   3,000)
  +Earned Inc. Tax Credit         1,450              5,020             2,163                     0
  +Food Stamps                         6,312              6,312                     0                     0
  +National School Lunche      1,800              1,800                     0                     0
  +Temp. Assistance(TANF)    2,040                      0                     0                     0
  +Medicaid and CHIP            16,500            16,500           10,890                     0
  +Section 8 Rent Subsidy       1,450               4,350                     0                     0
  +Utility Bill Assist (LIHEAP)  1,240                  845                      0                     0
Total Disposable Inc.           $31,630          $37,777          $26,379         $34,366

This chart shows that a one-parent family of three making $14,500 a year (minimum wage) has more disposable income than a family making $60,000 a year.  Then I realized that a family provider working only one week a month at minimum wage, makes 92% of that same $60,000 a year - ugh!

Did you ever wonder why Obama was so focused on health reform?  It is so that those who have no interest or ability in working can make as much as representatives of America's endangered, middle class. 
-       First, working one week a month, saves a lot on childcare.
-       Second, by only working one week a month you have minimal deductibles and copays - so you virtually get total medical coverage for next to nothing. 
-       Third, the low-income parent will have more energy to attend to the various stresses of managing a household.  
-       Fourth, say that one-week-a-month worker maintains an unreported cash-only job on the side - then the deal gets even better than the $60k a year job.  And some economists estimate that there is $1 Trillion in unreported, earned income each year in the United States.

Now where it gets plainly out of control is if one throws in Supplemental Security Income (SSI).  SSI pays $8,088/period for each "disabled" family member.  A person can be deemed "disabled" if they are totally lacking in the cultural and educational skills needed to be employable in the workforce.  If you add $24,262 a year (for three disability checks), now the lowest paid welfare family would again have far more take-home pay than the $60,000 a year family.

The topic of wealth redistribution in America is truly a touchy subject.  But this chart matches the disposable income chart recently released by the Congressional Budget Office - who just released a key paper titled: "Share of Returns Filed by Low- and Moderate-Income Workers, by Marginal Tax Rate, Under 2012 Law".

Perhaps the most disturbing set of figures resides below, and tries to summarize our unsustainable welfare burden:
-       For every 1.65 people employed in the private sector, 1 person receives welfare assistance, and
-       For every 1.25 people employed in the private sector, 1 person receives welfare assistance or works for the government.
  Image removed by sender. Tax Burden

Currently there are 110 million privately employed workers, and there are 88 million welfare recipients and government workers - rising rapidly. 

As much as everyone keeps throwing stones at the top of our social order, the facts show us that individuals at the bottom of the entitlement food chain also make out like a bandits.  On our path to socialistic welfare - we've long surpassed capitalistic/communist China - because in capitalist/communist China you actually need to work to eat.  


The Market:

-       Monday was a surprisingly mild day for profit-taking day.  After a blistering run during the holiday week, a bit of "let's take some off the table" was certainly appropriate.
-       Tuesday dawned with flat futures and I thought we could either plunge back down, or "hold the line" and work off the excess.  There was a lot of overhead resistance to slog through in order to move higher.  The only reason most of the traders weren't selling was because they knew if a "deal" is announced concerning our "fiscal cliff" a lot of folks that sold dividend stocks would rush back in, and they didn't want to miss that.  But Senator Reid came out and said that he wasn't seeing much progress toward the fiscal cliff, and that sent stocks down for the day.
-       Wednesday was the forever reversal day.  If you spend enough time looking at the market, you begin to notice that often Wednesdays reverse what ever happened on Monday and Tuesday.  In fact it's so common, it's termed "reversal Wednesdays".  In any event, Wednesday dipped in the morning as we heard some rumblings about the "cliff", and soon we were testing support at the 12,800 level (an area I said would be important).  Then Boehner made some comments about how he's optimistic about the cliff and up we went.  So, from a morning dip of 100 points we ended the day positive by 107.  
-       The remainder of the week was spent treading water ending with the 13,025 line for the DOW, and the 1,416 line on the S&P. 

The market has spent 2 days above the DOW 200-day moving average of 12,994, and that's a good thing.  That should mean they're willing to push this market up and challenge the next resistance at 13,100 and then 13,200 on the DOW - 1,426 on the S&P.  I'm leaning long on the side that has traders not being left on the sidelines when a 'fiscal cliff' deal is announced.  If that happens we should be challenging the October highs and the all-time highs by late January.  Unfortunately the markets are dominated by 'fiscal cliff' news right now, so it's great for day trading, but will cause some 'angst' for longer term investors for sure.

Tips:

My current short-term holds are:
-       AAPL - in at 525.35 (currently 586.30) - stop at 572.00
-       DBA - in at 28.30 (currently 29.45) - stop at entry
-       SIL - in at 24.51 (currently 22.89) - no stop yet
-       GLD (ETF for Gold) - in at 158.28, (currently 166.05) - no stop ($1,710.90 per physical ounce), AND
-       SLV (ETF for Silver) - in at 28.3 (currently 32.44) - no stop ($33.20 per physical ounce).

To follow me on Twitter and get my daily thoughts and trades - my handle is: "taylorpamm".

As you've seen - we continue to exercise a lot of discipline in terms of selling at our stops and just moving on to another stock. We'll continue that philosophy especially next week.

To follow me on Twitter and get my daily thoughts and trades - my handle is: "taylorpamm".

Please be safe out there!

Disclaimer:
Expressed thoughts proffered within the BARRONS REPORT, a Private and free weekly economic newsletter, are those of noted entrepreneur, professor and author, RF Culbertson, contributing sources and those he interviews.

Please write to <rfc@getabby.com> to inform us of any reproductions, including when and where copy will be reproduced. You may use in complete form or, if quoting in brief, reference .

If you'd like to view RF's actual stock trades - and see more of his thoughts - please feel free to sign up as a Twitter follower -  "taylorpamm" is his moniker.

If you'd like to see RF in action - teaching people about investing - please feel free to view the TED talk that he gave: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Z9I_6ciH0

To unsubscribe please refer to the bottom of the email.

Views expressed are provided for information purposes only and should not be construed in any way as an offer, an endorsement, or inducement to invest and is not in any way a testimony of, or associated with Mr. Culbertson's other firms or associations.  Mr. Culbertson and related parties are not registered and licensed brokers.  This message may contain information that is confidential or privileged and is intended only for the individual or entity named above and does not constitute an offer for or advice about any alternative investment product. Such advice can only be made when accompanied by a prospectus or similar offering document.  Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Please make sure to review important disclosures at the end of each article.

Note: Joining BARRONS REPORT is not an offering for any investment. It represents only the opinions of RF Culbertson and Associates.

PAST RESULTS ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. THERE IS RISK OF LOSS AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR GAIN WHEN INVESTING IN MANAGED FUNDS. WHEN CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS (INCLUDING HEDGE FUNDS) AN INVESTOR SHOULD CONSIDER VARIOUS RISKS INCLUDING THE FACT THAT SOME PRODUCTS AND OTHER SPECULATIVE INVESTMENT PRACTICES MAY INCREASE RISK OF INVESTMENT LOSS; MAY NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AS MUTUAL FUNDS, OFTEN CHARGE HIGH FEES, AND IN MANY CASES THE UNDERLYING INVESTMENTS ARE NOT TRANSPARENT AND ARE KNOWN ONLY TO THE INVESTMENT MANAGER.

Alternative investment performance can be volatile. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his or her investment. Often, alternative investment fund and account managers have total trading authority over their funds or accounts; the use of a single advisor applying generally similar trading programs could mean lack of diversification and, consequently, higher risk. There is often no secondary market for an investor's interest in alternative investments, and none is expected to develop.

All material presented herein is believed to be reliable but we cannot attest to its accuracy. Opinions expressed in these reports may change without prior notice. Culbertson and/or the staff may or may not have investments in any funds cited above.

Remember the Blog: <http://rfcfinancialnews.blogspot.com/>
Until next week - be safe.   

Spot ON



PLEASE, READ THIS TO THE END. IT IS VERY INTERESTING!!!
Wal-Mart vs. The Morons 
1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart Every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.
8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.
11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.
You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.
This should be read and understood by all Americans… Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!
To President Obama and all 535 voting members of the Legislature
It is now official that the majority of you are corrupt morons:
a.. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years 
to get it right and it is broke. 
b.. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it 
right and it is broke. 
c.. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right 
and it is broke.
d.. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right;
$1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the
poor" and they only want more.
e.. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years 
to get it right and they are broke.
f.. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right 
and it is broke.
g.. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence 
on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion 
a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right 
and it is an abysmal failure
You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.
AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED 
WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?? 
Folks, keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our "duly elected' (they never read anything) and their staff will clue them in on how Americans feel. 
AND
I know what's wrong. We have lost our minds to "Political Correctness" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone please tell me what the HELL's wrong with all the people that run this country!!!!!!
We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,???????????
In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey..And now Pakistan ........previous home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!
Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do they get any breaks…
AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment -etc,etc
Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries. Sad isn't it?
99% of people won't have the guts to forward this. 
I'm one of the 1% -- I Just Did 
"United Saves America"

Friday, December 7, 2012

A Tratitor is A Traitor Then and Now



Hanoi Jane just who is this person... Well Jane Fonda is her real name and to American's who really know her she is/was a traitor to the USA during a time of war.

Sad how our country now chooses to pay honor to someone who did our soldier's so wrong.   She is the lowest of the low in my eye

Here are some more facts about this lowest of the low.......  HJ 


She has now been chosen to play Nancy Reagan in her life story. I am sending this one out because so many do not know this truth... and also because she was on 3 times this week talking about her new book... And how good she feels in her 70's... she still does not know what she did wrong.. her book just may not make the best list if more people knew... also...

Barbara Walters said: Thank you all. Many died in Vietnam for our freedoms. I did not like Jane Fonda then and I don't like her now.

She can lead her present life the way she wants and perhaps SHE can forget the past, but we DO NOT have to stand by without comment and see her "honored" as a "Woman of the Century."

(I remember this well)

For those who served and/or died. . . NEVER FORGIVE A TRAITOR. SHE REALLY WAS A TRAITOR!!

and now President OBAMA wants to honor her......!!!!

In Memory of LT. C.Thomsen Wieland who spent 100 days at the Hanoi Hilton [Famous North Vietnam Prison]

IF YOU NEVER FORWARDED ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE FORWARD THIS SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW!!!!!!

A TRAITOR IS ABOUT TO BE HONORED. KEEP THIS MOVING ACROSS AMERICA

This is for all the kids born in the 70's and after who do not remember, and didn't have to bear the burden that our fathers, mothers and older brothers and sisters had to bear.

Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the '100 Women of the Century.'

BARBARA WALTERS WRITES:
Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country, but specific men who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.

The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat.
In 1968, the former Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a POW in Ho Lo Prison the ' Hanoi Hilton.'

Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in clean PJ's, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American 'Peace Activist' the 'lenient and humane treatment' he'd received.

He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and was dragged away. During the subsequent beating, he fell forward on to the camp Commandant's feet, which sent that officer berserk.

In 1978, the Air Force Colonel still suffered from double vision (which permanently ended his flying career) from the Commandant's frenzied application of a wooden baton.

From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E's). He spent 6 years in the ' Hanoi Hilton'...the first three of which his family only knew he was 'missing in action'. His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and clothed routine in preparation for a 'peace delegation' visit.

They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper, with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of his hand. When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like: 'Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?' and 'Are you grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors?' Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper.

She took them all without missing a beat.. At the end of the line and once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to the officer in charge and handed him all the little pieces of paper...

Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was almost number four but he survived, which is the only reason we know of her actions that day.

I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam , and was captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam in 1968, and held prisoner for over 5 years.

I spent 27 months in solitary confinement; one year in a cage in Cambodia ; and one year in a 'black box' in Hanoi . My North Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Banme Thuot , South Vietnam , whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I weighed only about 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs)

We were Jane Fonda's 'war criminals....'

When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi , I was asked by the camp communist political officer if I would be willing to meet with her. I said yes, for I wanted to tell her about the real treatment we POWs received... and how different it was from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese, and parroted by her as 'humane and lenient.'

Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees, with my arms outstretched with a large steel weight placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane.

I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda soon after I was released. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She never did answer me.

These first-hand experiences do not exemplify someone who should be honored as part of '100 Years of Great Women.' Lest we forget....' 100 Years of Great Women' should never include a traitor whose hands are covered with the blood of so many patriots.

There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Hanoi Jane's participation in blatant treason, is one of them. Please take the time to forward to as many people as you possibly can.. It will eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that we will never forget.

RONALD D. SAMPSON, CMSgt,
USAF 716 Maintenance Squadron,
Chief of Maintenance DSN: 875-6431 COMM: 883-6343


PLEASE HELP BY SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SEE THIS MAYBE HER STATUS WILL CHANGE.

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government-lest it come to dominate our lives and interests".-Patrick Henry