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Iran Plays Obama, Kerry, Like A Violin
Stage Set For Nuclear Arms Race in Middle East
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet 
*****************

Thousands will pay with their lives as a result of the deal Obama made with Iran over the weekend. In fact, that number could easily grow to millions and among them will be the lives of US citizens.

The absolute idiocy of the Obama Administration is stunning.  Someone recently described them as two-year olds playing with a loaded gun. Unfortunately, this scribe would assign more responsibility to the children than to the entire stable of idiots working out of today's White House.

I had not wanted to believe that an American President could hate America so much that he would use his power to tear her down, to lay her breast open to her enemies just to have the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.  But after seeing the handiwork of Obama and Kerry over the weekend, any doubt I may have clung to, is long gone.

Look.  This kind of stupidity doesn't just happen.  It is the result of studied determination.  It was planned. 

Turns out the Obama Regime has been holding secret meetings with the Iranians for at least a year while lying publicly to cover up what they knew would be unpopular with the American public.  In other words, it's just more of the two-faced, lying, hijinks of the Communist-in-Chief, Obama.

This "deal" with Iran is about as one-sided as it could possible get.  It does absolutely NOTHING to weaken Iran's nuclear program ... NOTHING!

Iran got everything it wanted.  The world got screwed -- AGAIN -- by Obama.

Now US Secretary of State Kerry is going to try to sell the deal to Israel.  If I had one suggestion to make to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it would have been that he would refuse to meet with Kerry when he landed in Israel.  I hope he really lets Kerry, and through him, Obama, have an earful.

We are now closer to war in the Middle East, between Israel and Iran, than we have been to date.  Once that war begins it will spill over until the entire region is aflame ... and believe me, the US WILL be drawn into it.  There is no way to prevent that.   This is what happens when communist neophytes run the US government. 

We told you months ago this would happen.  I'm no "seer," no "clairvoyant."  It was clear from the earliest days of the Obama Administration that Obama intended to supervise the downfall of America.  He has made it plain as day in every way he could.

Between his reduction of our nuclear arsenal, the purging of our military of fighting Generals and Admirals, and the building up of America's enemies, there can be no other conclusion but that Obama is setting America up for a major military defeat.

Why am I so upset over another "blunder" by Obama?  Because this one sets up a nuclear war, THAT'S why.  It allows Iran the "right" to enrich uranium.  THAT, alone, dear reader, means that Iran is now a legitimate threshold nuclear state.  In other words -- Iran will remain just months away, maybe even less, from building a nuclear bomb with which they intend to bomb the heck out of Israel. Their second nuclear bomb 's intended target is -- the United States of America.

So what's changed?  Only that the Obama Administration now approves of Iran having the capability of building a nuclear bomb.  In fact, Obama even backed off on some of the sanctions that had, in fact, weakened Iran. After this agreement, Iran will be strong, not weak, AND  have nuclear capability.

ABJECT SURRENDER BY OBAMA

Consider this from the Weekly Standard:  "This interim agreement is badly skewed from America’s perspective.  Iran retains its full capacity to enrich uranium, thus abandoning a decade of Western insistence and Security Council resolutions that Iran stop all uranium-enrichment activities. Allowing Iran to continue enriching, and despite modest (indeed, utterly inadequate) measures to prevent it from increasing its enriched-uranium stockpiles and its overall nuclear infrastructure, lays the predicate for Iran fully enjoying its “right” to enrichment in any “final” agreement.  Indeed, the interim agreement itself acknowledges that a “comprehensive solution” will “involve a mutually defined enrichment program.”  This is not, as the Obama administration leaked before the deal became public, a “compromise” on Iran’s claimed “right” to enrichment. This is abject surrender by the United States."  SOURCE:  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/abject-surrender-united-states_768140.html 

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reported to have said of the interim Iranian nuclear pact: "What was achieved last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement, but a historic mistake.  Today the world has become a much more dangerous place because the most dangerous regime in the world has taken a significant step toward attaining the most dangerous weapon in the world.  Israel will not allow Iran to develop a military nuclear capability."    SOURCE:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/israel-says-iran-deal-makes-world-more-dangerous/2013/11/24/e0e347de-54f9-11e3-bdbf-097ab2a3dc2b_story.html?clsrd

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: "It is clear that this deal acknowledges the right of Iran to enrich uranium. This very recognition brings us to a nuclear arming race. The Iranians were rewarded."

 Lieberman continued: "It will be very interesting to see how the Saudis and their pundits react. Not for nothing, yesterday (Saturday) a summit was held between Gulf states. This (enrichment) is the most problematic issue for us, as it is for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt – no one will sit on the sidelines clapping and cheering."

Lieberman went on to issue this warning "All these countries will now join the (arms) race. There is no doubt that the Saudis, Egyptians and Turks will now begin speaking in the same terminology (used by Iran) – nuclear program for peaceful purposes, nuclear energy, but they will do exactly what Iran did." SOURCE:  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4457041,00.html

Does Obama not understand that he has just set off an nuclear arms race in the Middle East --  probably the most volatile geography on earth?

The strange little man in the White House has made it clear that he intends to stand by the Muslims of the world over the Jews when the chips are down.  If that means allowing Iran to have a nuclear bomb with which to attack Israel and the United States -- then so be it.  It would seem our Mr. Obama is, after all, afflicted with the psychological syndrome known as a "true believer" -- only NOT in Israel, or his own country, the USA.  

One must wonder, as we digest all the pro-Muslim antics of Obama since arriving in the Oval Office, if he, too, is awaiting the arrival of the twelfth Imam following a worldwide catastrophe.  One must wonder if Obama feels compelled to assist the initiation of that terrible conflagration that is said to pave the way for, and hasten the arrival of, Islam's twelfth Imam.

No matter.  It cannot be denied, at least by SANE people, that the recent agreement with Iran will most certainly set the stage for a regional nuclear war.
Another Obama blunder?  No, I don't think so.  Unless, of course, blunders can be intentional.

© J. D. Longstreet

Split the difference between a regular winter outwear and this green cashmere coat. Yes, this is my latest vintage score! It is well known that I like things a little bit different but in a classic arrangement as today outfit!
When you find a green coat: Go for it!



                                                                            Coat: vintage/ Here, Here and Here
                                                                            Sweater: Liz Claiborne/ option Here and Here 
                                                                            Skirt: c/o Glassworks/ Here 
                                                                            Bag: Cynthia Rowley/ similar style Here and Here 
                                                                            Boots: Diesel/ option Here and Here
                                                                            Sunglasses: Prada/ Here

November 19, 2013
MSN Money: How to rescue your retirement at 55

Since this is a mainstream article one can probably assume that there are a lot of people interested in rescuing their retirement at age 55 or at the very least there are a great many people interested in how the retirement rescue advice might apply to them.

I have rearranged the order of the advice to maximize the dramatic effect.

1. Reduce your consumption

This works for everyone. If everyone does it, then we can expect the economy to crash again.

2. Don't plan for retirement; plan to keep working

This works for everyone. If everyone does it, then we can expect many of the younger among us to be stuck in low paying jobs and/or the unemployment lines. As an added bonus, since many are already straddled with student debt they won't be able to afford new homes. And without the ability to afford new homes, we can expect another housing crash.

3. Tap your house as an asset sooner rather than later

This works for everyone. If everyone does it, then we'd expect to see another housing crash. Selling your house and moving into a smaller less expensive one is net selling on average (by dollar amount). A crash is especially likely if everyone is consuming less and delaying retirement. See steps #1 and #2.

4. Stay in equities longer than you may think 'safe


Desperate people feel the need to do unsafe things. Increasing the chance implies that there is still a chance you could earn a lower return by staying in equities for longer and in greater proportion. This would make sense since stocks are considered "risk assets" and each one of the previous 3 steps in could be considered crash worthy on their own. Further, the wicked combination of all three steps at the same time could prove to be very crash worthy indeed.


This is opposed to the pre-World War II era, when interest rates did not rise after a long period of artificially low rates. That era was in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Some sort of housing bust was eventually followed by a world war but let's not go into that now. Desperate people should not be reminded of Great Depressions and world wars, especially world wars removing global industrial capacity to the USA's manufacturing and industrial benefit. That could be greatly depressing, especially if we have no intention of successfully removing excess global industrial capacity any time soon.


Wait until the last possible moment on the off chance that the long-term trend actually reverses and that very few will be buying bonds when you are age 70. How many other 55 year-olds are desperately attempting to rescue their retirement? Do what they do! Postpone and pray! It's not like we could be stuck with ZIRP for 20+ years like the Japanese were after their housing bust in the 1990s! Right? Stick with stocks like the Japanese did if you want to have a sporting chance!

October 24, 2013
BBC Sport: Gambling footballers take out payday loans - Sporting Chance


This is not gambling advice. You know this to be true because if it was gambling advice then I'd be mentioning record margin debt and I have no intention of bringing that up in polite conversation.

Tonight President Barack Hussein Obama and the leaders of Europe have told the Mullahs of Iran:  Kill the Jews.  The P5+1 leaders have caved in to all of Iran's demands and will lift the sanctions.  (Although they claim that they will reinstate them again.)

Representatives of Iran and Western powers reached an interim deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear program early Sunday morning, after a weekend of intensive talks in Geneva.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, “Yes, we have a deal,” as he walked past reporters crowding the hotel lobby where marathon negotiations had taken place over the past five days. Asked if there was a deal, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said “Yes” and gave a thumbs up sign.

Diplomats refused to spell out details of the talks, but a senior Obama administration official said that the West had not conceded an Iranian right to produce nuclear fuel through uranium enrichment, a key sticking point in previous negotiations.

The official said the deal included an agreement that Iran would halt progress on its nuclear program, including a plutonium reactor at the Arak facility. The deal also calls on Iran to neutralize its 20-percent-enriched uranium stockpiles. Tehran has also agreed to intrusive inspections under the terms of the deal.

According to a Western diplomat quoted by Reuters, the deal would grant Iran access to $4.2 billion in foreign exchange.

In a statement Sunday morning, US President Barack Obama said the deal opened up a “real opportunity to achieve a peaceful settlement.”

“It won’t be easy,” he said, “and huge challenge remain ahead, but through strong and principled diplomacy, the United States will do our part” to deny Iran nuclear weapons. Obama acknowledged that the deal may be hard to stomach for some of Washington’s allies in the Middle East, saying, Israel and the Gulf countries, “have good reasons to be skeptical.”

The West has been seeking a six-month agreement to partially freeze Iran’s nuclear program while offering Iran incentives through limited sanctions relief. If the interim deal holds, the parties would negotiate final-stage deals to ensure Iran does not build nuclear weapons.

The agreement built on the momentum of the historic dialogue opened during September’s annual UN gathering, which included a 15-minute phone conversation between Obama and Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani, after three decades of US-Iranian estrangement.

“The Iranian people’s vote for moderation and constructive engagement, plus tireless efforts by negotiating teams are to open new horizons,” Rouhani said in a statement Sunday morning.

“Agreement in Geneva: first step makes world safer. More work now,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a comment tweeted by the State Department Sunday morning. The statement was retweeted by Rouhani’s account.

Kerry and his counterparts from Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany headed for Geneva Friday after diplomats said Zarif and EU representative Catherine Ashton had made significant progress.

A previous round of talks between Iran and the six world powers ended November 10 with no deal, even after Kerry, Lavrov, the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany and a Chinese deputy foreign minister flew in and attempted to bridge differences.

The United States and its negotiating partners had signaled they were ready to ease some sanctions in return for a first-step deal that starts to put limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

They wanted Iran to stop enriching to a level higher than its main stockpile and only a technical step away from weapons-grade uranium as part of such a deal. They also sought to limit overall enrichment, as well as a formulation that would reduce the proliferation danger from the Arak reactor, which, if completed, would produce enough plutonium for up to two weapons.

But they insist that the most severe penalties — on Tehran’s oil exports and banking sector — will remain until the two sides reach a comprehensive agreement to minimize Iran’s nuclear arms-making capacity.

No details on relief offered have been made public. And the US administration has not commented on reports from congressional officials that Obama’s team estimates Iran could get $6-10 billion in benefits over six months for rolling back its nuclear program.

Several US senators — both Democrat and Republican — have voiced displeasure with the parameters of the potential agreement, arguing that the US and its partners are offering too much for something short of a full freeze on uranium enrichment.

SOURCE

My sources tell me that Iran got everything they wanted.  The right to enrich uranium, their nuclear program intact, the relaxation of sanctions.  Israel on the other hand have been shafted up the ass.  Iran doesn't have a peaceful nuclear program.  They have made that clear over the last decade.

On September 30, 1938 then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain disembarked a plane from Germany, waved a piece of paper and stated clearly:

We have achieved peace in our time.

Click here if the video fails to load.

A year later Europe erupted in war.  For Chamberlain also believed that this was the first step and he could negotiate a lasting peace.

History is repeating itself in spades.

We haven't become safer by this treaty, but it is only a matter of time before a Regional War will break out.  A war that will become a World War.

November 21, 2013
Deflation Is Crushing QE Right Now


The following chart shows the average annual growth in the CPI over the previous 5 years.


Click to enlarge.

1.5% is definitely below the Fed's target rate. The Fed has thrown pretty much everything at it too, including the kitchen sink. Too bad there are so many used kitchen sinks for sale. It hampers their progress.




I'm a believer in the loss of faith theory, for what that's worth. Over the long-term, I never had it to begin with. I haven't been buying long-term bonds because of the Fed. I have been buying in spite of them.


This is not investment advice.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: CPI

          We never have enough leather jackets right?
       Here is the latest addition to my closet c/o Joe Fresh from my last visit to their NEW store in SoHo,  NY.
       The way it looks, seriously deserves to be framed but is so irresistible not to wear it so stay tuned to see a first outfit with is!

Happy Fess Up Friday y'all! Today I've got my friend Gwen from The Makeriesta over to share. Gwen is a fellow Missouri girl, which already makes her awesome. But on top of that, her design skills are out of this world, she can create a party wonderland overnight and she is single handedly going to turn my hair into an enviable mane of glory. Yes, she is just that good. Welcome Gwen!


I've had something on my mind for a bit now, and when Elizabeth asked me about fessing up I knew exactly what I wanted to get off my chest.

If you've ever ventured over to my blog, you've probably seen pictures like this.

Our living area is my favorite space in the house.  It definitely reflects my personal taste, and I enjoy spending time in it.







































When our second child, a girl, was born the nursery was transformed into a more feminine space.



And my son got a big boy bed in our old office.  The office had to find a new home, and there was really only one place for it to fit.  My husband finished the basement right after we got married.  He claimed the space as his and I really didn't mind.  It gave him some personal space and me the freedom to do just about whatever the heck I wanted with the upstairs.  We had an understanding: the upstairs was my domain, the downstairs was his.

But the more kids we add, the less basement he has to claim.  Our office area moved to the corner and Micah gave up his pool table to make room for a craft table he built me for my birthday a few years ago - really nice, I know.



You see, open shelving sounds like a good idea, until you have a 1 year old who likes to pull out and rearrange EVERYTHING.



Cue the bad, florescent lighting.  The basement is full of Micah's bachelor essentials: the microfiber sectional that dog hair clings to, the leg lamp, the mini fridge full of beer (perfect size for your children to grab you a cold one) and way too many gaming systems and accessories.  Not to mention the art…Marilyn and Bob Marley.









































And this is where the magic happens.  Looks magical doesn't it?  I curl up in that Mizzou Snuggie until the wee hours of the night writing and editing and brainstorming.  I never spent too much time down here before I started blogging.  It was a place to pay bills and sync my phone.  Now I spend more time here than upstairs most days, and it's not very inspiring.

We do plan to make some changes soon.  First on the list is turning the storage area under the stairs into a kids space to lessen the clutter and hopefully keep them out of our things a bit more.  I'd also love to give the desk space some of my personality (clearly it's lacking any at this point).  Micah doesn't really want me touching what little he has left, but he's a stylish guy who I believe deserves a much better looking room to relax at the end of the day. 

Phew.  I feel better now.  I guess I wanted to share this today to show that just because some of my rooms look nice and put together, that's not a reflection of my home as a whole.  Making your home "you" is a process and something that can't be rushed. 

Thanks for the free therapy, Elizabeth!

You aren't alone Gwen. We all have 'that space' in our home, right?!

The Kennedy Myth Remains
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
*************

I was not, and am not, a fan of President John F. Kennedy.  I know that is considered sacrilege  today, especially on the 50th anniversary of his assassination.  But there it is.

Like most everyone who lived through those horrible days it is burned into my memory.  And yes, I do know exactly where I was and exactly what I was doing the moment the TV news broke into their regular programming with the news bulletin that Kennedy had been shot.

Back in the "good ole days" we still had "news bulletins."  When a regularly scheduled program was interrupted for a news bulletin, everyone stopped and paid attention.  It was important.  Unlike today when we have twenty-four hour news coverage, a news bulletin was an effective way of disseminating important information instantly and to the maximum number of people possible.

"The somber mood across the nation during the weekend following Kennedy's death was evident on the broadcast airwaves. By 3 p.m. (EST) on November 22, nearly every television station canceled their commercial schedules to stay with around-the-clock news coverage provided by the three U.S. television networks in 1963: ABC, CBS, and NBC. From 3 p.m. that day until November 26, all network entertainment and commercial programming ceased on U.S. television, and as such, this coverage was one of the earliest examples of what modern television viewers commonly know as a breaking news event."  SOURCE:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_to_the_assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy

The TV set I happened to be standing in front of at the moment the story broke was tuned to CBS.  Somehow Walter Cronkite became the lead anchor on that story for a shocked nation.  Still today when I think back to that day, and the days that followed, I remember "Uncle Walter," the most trusted man in America, relating the news of the event as it happened.

If you'd like to see what I saw on that day 50 years ago, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8Q3cqGs7I

 Fifty years later, I am not convinced that we, the American people have been told the complete truth about the killing of Kennedy.  Let me hastily add that I have no clue what the truth is.  But the explanation that Oswald was the only person responsible for JFK's murder has never seemed enough.

It is not commonly known these days, but Kennedy was NOT a popular president -- especially in the southern states.  In fact, Kennedy had been warned NOT to go to Dallas, Texas that day.  The national atmosphere was heavy with danger for the young president -- yet he went and, as it turned out, went to his death.
One would think JFK was seen as something akin to a god back in 1963.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Consider this from a paper entitled "Who Killed JFK?" by Carl Oglesby, published by the Odonian Press in 1992.  "Although he has become a legend, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was hardly the most popular president in history when he was gunned down in November, 1963. In the previous six months alone, the Secret Service had reviewed over 400 threats to his life. Three of these were serious enough to entail changes in his security routine.

He was loathed by anti-Castro exiles, other rightwingers, the Mafia and even some of his own government agencies. In attempting to figure out who murdered him, it is important to understand who hated him, and why."  SOURCE:  http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA/Who_Killed_JFK.html

There is STILL much we do not know about JFK's murder.  Many files have been sealed until 2017 (50 years after the assassination.).  One must wonder, with the political atmosphere in the US even more toxic today than it was in 1963, if, in fact, those files will be actually be unsealed -- or -- sealed for another 50 years.

Take a few minutes and read "Who Killed JFK?" by Carl Oglesby, published by the Odonian Press in 1992.  You will have a better understanding as to why so many of my generation still hold to the numerous conspiracy theories surrounding that fateful day in Dallas fifty years ago today.

J. D. Longstreet

A Milwaukee County jury decided that Advance Cast Stone must pay $38.5M for its negligence and blame for a 13.5 ton concrete slab that broke off from a side of the O'Donnell parking structure killing Jared Kellner.

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty Tyranny

Fifty-six percent questioned say they disapprove of Obama's performance, an all-time high in CNN surveys.

It just doesn't seem to be getting any better for the embattled President. Nice guy that he is, passionately concerned about finding that silver limning in the clouds for ALL Americans, it appears at this point in time credibility (and honesty) still remains important to the American people. Given the President's recent credibility gap (rightfully so) he certainly does have much work to do. It is looking like a Republican House, AND Senate may be within the realm of possibility following the 2014 mid term elections.

From recent CNN/ORC International polling.

Washington (CNN)As President Barack Obama's approval rating hits another all-time low, a new national survey also indicates that Americans say the President has less power than congressional Republicans when it comes to shaping events over the next year.

According to a CNN/ORC poll released Thursday, 41% of Americans approve of the job the President's doing in the White House, the lowest level for that crucial indicator in CNN polling. Fifty-six percent questioned say they disapprove of Obama's performance, an all-time high in CNN surveys.

The President's approval rating has now reached new lows or tied his all-time lows in polls released over the past three weeks from CNN/ORC, CBS News, ABC News/Washington Post, Quinnipiac University, National Journal Heartland Monitor, and NBC News/Wall Street Journal. And the CNN survey is the fourth non-partisan live operator national poll released this week to put Obama's approval rating between 40% and 42%. A CBS News survey released Wednesday showed the President's approval rating at 37%.

Geography appears to play a role in the President's falling numbers.

"The drop in Obama's approval rating comes entirely among suburbanites," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Compared to the October CNN poll, positive views of Obama held steady among people who live in big cities and rural areas. But in the suburbs, his approval rating was 45% a month ago but has dropped to just 37% now." {Read More }

Credibility Mr. President, credibility. Honesty goes a VERY long way in establising AND maintaining credibility Mr. President.

Via: Memeorandum

What?!

I go from no posts to two posts in two days? I am just that exciting. True.

It is rather important to me to take the time to enjoy the season/holiday we are in and not jump ahead to the next one. Poor Thanksgiving gets run right over with the excitement for the big daddy of the year - Christmas. So I exercise as much strength as I can to not pull out anything for Christmas, not even a song on the radio, until Thanksgiving is over. The excitement is even bigger then when we finally unwrap all of those great things that stay in a closet 11 months of the year.

But, I am also one for planning ahead and I love to mark things down on my calendar. So with that in mind, I'm excited to let you know that I'll be joining several other fabulous bloggers this year for The 12 Days of Christmas Tour of Homes.


Now not only does this mean you have 11 days of holiday eye candy to look forward to, but best of all, on the 12 day will be a great link up party so that you can share your holiday home as well! I can smell the pine and peppermint already.

So mark you calendars and get ready for some holiday cheer!!