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Net Interest Margin's Angle of Descent

Net Interest Margin

Net interest margin (NIM) is a measure of the difference between the interest income generated by banks or other financial institutions and the amount of interest paid out to their lenders (for example, deposits), relative to the amount of their (interest-earning) assets. It is similar to the gross margin of non-financial companies.


Click to enlarge.

This is your pilot. I have some good news and some bad news.

First, the good news. Thanks to the temporary benefit of ZIRP, we temporarily gained some altitude. We actually broke the long-term trend towards the ground (as seen in the blue trend line above). Hurray!

Now, the bad news. The plane has stalled. We'll be coming in a bit steeper than we had originally planned (as seen in the red trend line above). Please brace for "dramatic changes in cabin air pressure".


Click to enlarge.

I do have some more good news though. We're making excellent progress on our long-term plan to catch up to the Japanese banking system. A mere -0.03% per year? You call that a descent angle?

In all seriousness, if the net interest margin actually does rise from here then it probably won't be because banks suddenly decide to pay less interest to depositors. The typical yield of a 5-year CD is now just 0.5%. How much further can it fall? Amazingly, that's 0.9% less than a 5-year treasury that doesn't even require FDIC deposit insurance. In general, banks must have one heck of a marketing staff.

Survey: CD early withdrawal is costly

Savers who dump low-yielding CDs before maturity may pay a steep price, according to a Bankrate survey of early withdrawal penalties at 100 institutions.

Almost all of the institutions surveyed -- 92 percent -- not only levy a penalty, but also reach into principal to cover fees if necessary.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Net Interest Margin for all U.S. Banks
St. Louis Fed: Bank's Net Interest Margin for Japan

Full-Time Employees per Capita


Click to enlarge.

Here's a crazy thought experiment.

Let's assume for the moment that this chart has merit.
Let's assume for the moment that ZIRP will end within 3 years.

Neither of these are a given of course. It's just a crazy thought experiment!

How many milliseconds will it take before we slide back into ZIRP again?

See Also:
Trend Line Disclaimer
Retail Trade Employees per Capita
Mish: An Analysis of July Employment Numbers 1955 to 2013...

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Full-Time Employees per Capita

Long-Term Bonds vs. Short-Term Bonds

The following chart shows the spread between the 20-year treasury yield and the 5-year treasury yield. There's a missing data gap in the late 80s to early 90s, but it should not materially affect the conclusions.


Click to enlarge.

This chart contains two glaring linear trend failures. The first was a break from the long-term trend in blue (dotcom bubble popping). The second was a temporary break from the short-term trend in red (just before the full effects of the housing bubble were apparent to all).

Investors have been seriously burned twice so far (dotcom and housing) and it is my belief that if we are constantly told that treasuries are in a bubble, then investors will believe that treasuries must be in a bubble. Few seem to question what yields in Japan have done following their housing bubble in the early 1990s though. Nearly 5 years of ZIRP here haven't seemed to change many opinions either. Go figure.

Since 2001, there has been unprecedented fear of investing in long-term treasury bonds. That's what the red line in the chart tells me.

In 2001, the 20-year treasury bond yield averaged 5.63%. Many investors would sell their souls for that yield now (especially the ones who are still sitting in cash awaiting even higher yields). What will investors wished they had sold once the next recession hits? I'm going to suggest that it might not be today's 3.39% 20-year treasury bonds. I think there is a much more likely asset.

July 29, 2013
DEJA VU: People Are Using Borrowed Money To Buy Stock Like It's 2007 Or 1999

Deutsche Bank has a monster note out on margin debt that has been making the rounds. The conclusion of the note is rather simple – today’s euphoric borrowing on margin to buy stocks is reminiscent of past bubbly equity market periods (see here for more).

Just opinions! This is not investment advice.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart
U.S. Treasury: Daily Yield Curve Rates

The Second Amendment and Security...

The Second Amendment and Security...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny


What Say You?

I know what I say. It may not be exactly what you're thinking.
 

Oh the Hyperbole of the Progressives...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny




A panacea as this gentleman w/out facts would have you believe or the road to the reality Greece, Portugal, and Cuba et all have experienced?.

I report, you be the ultimate judge...

Via: Memeorandum

Just Some Thoughts and Reflections...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny



I am a PROUD AMERICAN. I am proud that this nation's founders, even given all the faults and history of injustices, created a nation of laws based on the concept that the rightful powers of governance rested with the people governed. The American Revolution, and indeed it was a violent revolution in every sense of the word, was the culmination of the rational thought developed during The Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment. The English colonies of North America, ruled by a tyrannical monarch and his tax policies rebelled in the name of LIBERTY from oppressive government in which they had no resresentation. History will bear out the reality free people, given control amd liberty over their own destiny can, and do accomplish great things. Look to the United States of America up to approximately 1964 AD for validtion of these facts.

Manny great speakers and orators have expounded on the greatness of the American experience. On how this nation of ours created the greatest wealth and amassed the greatest power this small planet has ever known, with perhaps the possible exception of Ancient Rome. After all all things are relative. However, I find myself refecting on something my secnd son Patrick D. Carpenter, who by the way is pursuing his doctoral degree at Northeastern University once said to me. He said, and I paraphrase, 'Dad, every great and powerful nation in history reached it's zenith and receeded into relative obscurity.' Something for our nation and it's leaders to think about.

By the way son you are right and I am very proud of you.

My Insta Colours





Window shopping while in New York...

Bittersweet Colours delicious macarons...

Swimsuits thanks to Triangl.com.au

Shopping at Barney New York...

...at Sam Edelman Showroom in New York

dinner with fresh products from our little garden and homemade bread...

Sam Edelman New Collection...

beach Haven

Wild printed loafers thanks to I'alave

My favorite summer desert: frozen yogurt 

Matchy Matchy situation

Morning sweets...

our wedding portrait...


Better later than never I decided to start posting my Instagram photos here on my blog, just because are many colorful Insta- moments that you can't see here on my regular posts. Here is a first (looong) round ( just this time I promise)!
Enjoy and have a great weekend!





Gold: Bulls vs. Bears

The following charts show how many hours the average production and nonsupervisory employee would have to work to buy one ounce of gold (assuming for the sake of argument that no taxes would be paid on the earnings).


Click to enlarge.

The exponential trend has failed. Working 80+ hours to buy a single ounce of gold is absolutely ridiculous. Just think how many rolls of toilet paper and cans of food that could buy! The gold bubble is popping just like it did in the early 1980s. Table pounding screaming sell!


Click to enlarge.

The exponential trend has not failed. The economy still stinks. Two-year treasuries pay just 0.3%. The economy is clearly not strong enough to support higher real yields. Any talk of rising real yields is therefore absolutely ridiculous! Gold sits at the very bottom of its exponential trend channel. Table pounding screaming buy!

I think I've pretty much summed up what you should do with gold. Invest accordingly, lol. Sigh.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart

A presidency on the edge

A presidency on the edge

A presidency on the edge

 

Prior to President Nixon’s resignation on August 8, 1974, he presented to the American public, an elaborate series of lies to affirm his innocence in the Watergate scandal. Nixon’s message resonated with many of his followers, yet it was insufficient to overcome the depleted trust the electorate had placed in him. As impeachment proceedings moved forward in Congress members of his own party convinced him to step aside for the good of the nation. He pondered their request for a period of time and came to the conclusion his support in Congressional circles was eroding quickly. The rest is embedded in his resignation letter to Congress and the American people. Thirty-nine years ago this month marks the anniversary of the only President in American history to resign from office. Nixon never could have conceived of an Obama presidency with a multitude of scandals, each one worse than Watergate. Yet, America has once again arrived at the crossroads of history where a sitting President has maligned the office for which he was elected. President Obama has done everything in his power to obfuscate the investigations into his scandalous behavior. Through a series of deceptions and misrepresentations the President and his subordinates are attempting to lead investigators away from the truth. Nixon was involved in one incident, with the break in to the Democrat offices in the Watergate tower. Obama’s Administration has obstructed nearly three hundred conservative groups from receiving tax exempt status, disallowing donors their constitutional rights to express themselves through these groups. Present information suggests that the orders for these actions by the IRS lead directly into the White House. This scandal pales in comparison to the four deaths and eventual cover up in the Benghazi debacle. The lies and deceit from the White House, concerning Obama’s mismanagement of this massacre, could leave one breathless. Obama’s open discourse to incite race hatred and violence is sufficient enough to question his ability to lead. With a bevy of other scandals under investigation, directly caused by the Administration’s faux pas, perhaps the time has come for Congress to move ahead with impeachment proceedings. Violations of civil and potential criminal law are suggested by the Administration’s actions. In the last few days President Obama called these scandals phony and noted they are political ploys to block the people’s work that needs to be performed in Washington. On the contrary, Mr. President, Congress is performing the people’s work by undertaking and detailing potential crimes that may have occurred under the auspices of your office. The shadow hanging over the White House needs to be lifted before the actual curtain falls permanently. Many of the investigations underway are coming to fruition, perhaps the President should rethink his stance on the very problems his Administration has caused. If not, there could be a change in leadership long before Obama’s term expires. Mark Davis, MD President of Healthnets Review Services and Davis Book Reviews. www.healthnetsreviewservices.com, platomd@gmail.com, Author of Demons of Democracy and the forthcoming book Obamacare: Dead on Arrival, A Prescription for Disaster. Manager of the group on LinkedIn, Government in Transition. Debate this and other current issues with us on this site.

Neumann-Ortiz, Founder Of Milwaukee's Voces de la Frontera Among 41 Arrested During D.C. Civil Disobedience Action

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Primitivo Torres and Francisca "Kika" Meraz

Photos: Facebook

Neumann-Ortiz, Torres and Meraz from Voces de la Frontera among 38 immigration reform activists and leaders of groups, labor and clergy arrested in Washington, D.C. during protest.

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 2, 2013

Washington, D.C. - On Thursday, Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the executive director and Founder of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant and labor rights nonprofit organization in Milwaukee was arrested along with at least 41 activists and leaders from groups, labor unions and the clergy during an immigration reform protest. The protest was staged to push the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill to allow more than 11 million undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. Thursday's protest and civil disobedience was planned to bring attention to the issue of passing an immigration reform bill and a forty day of action movement to rally support for immigration reform, which would most likely end targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids to separate families by deporting one or two undocumented parents. ICE deports an estimated 1,100 undocumented immigrants per day.
During the Obama administration's first term, about 1.5 million of undocumented immigrants, mostly without a criminal record were deported by ICE. By the time Congress reconvenes from recess, another 40,000 of undocumented immigrants will be deported,  according to protest organizers. 
Some of the arrests happened outside U.S. House Speaker John Boehner's office at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington, D.C. during a sit-in and an earlier protest happened in the street where dozens of activists and AFL-CIO labor leaders, the Service Employees International Union, the United Farm Workers, the Campaign for Community Change and America's Voice, including the clergy sat in the street in front of the Capitol to block traffic, according to D.C. police. They were held between two to twelve hours, cited for blocking passage and fined up to $50. 

Photos: Courtesy of Fair Immigration Reform Movement

 Others arrested were:

● Theresa Navarro, president of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN)
● Bob Fulkerson, director of PLAN
● Jesusa Rivera from Indiana
● Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice
● Denise Lopez, Michigan United
● Allison Colberg, Michigan United
● Eliseo Medina, the international secretary treasurer of the Service Employees International Union
● Arlene Holt Baker, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO
● Phil Radford, executive director of Greenpeace
● Primitivo Torres, Voces de la Frontera, WI
● Francisca "Kika" Meraz, Voces de la Frontera, WI
● Jess George, executive director of the Latin American Coalition in Charlotte, N.C.
● Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America
● Gustavo Torres
● Petra Falcón
● Stephen Fotopulos of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
● Kica Matos, director of Racial Justice and Immigration Rights at the Center for Community Change
● Giev Kashkooli, Vice President, United Farm Workers
● Sarita Gupta, Executive Director, Jobs with Justice/American Rights at Work
● Andrea Cristina Mercado, National Campaign Director, National Domestic Workers
● Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center
● Miriam Yeung, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
● Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
● Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director, Campaign for Community Change
● Ramon Ramirez, president of PCUN, Oregon
● Ryan Bates


Editorial note:

Engaging in civil disobedience has been a traditional strategic plan to get attention in many protests through the decades, but in reality a person gets booked, a mug shot is registered as well as being fingerprinted, thus a record of arrest is filed as a historic act. In many cases, it has very little effect or impact, other than getting an issue worth fighting for on the mainstream media headlines. But today's issue focused on immigration reform has most likely reached its peak, while the GOP conservative extremists continue to holdout and stall the passage of an immigration reform bill.
As some of Thursday's protesters have told media outlets that they have marched, voted, prayed, lobbied and staged protests in an attempt to pressure the GOP in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill on immigration reform. But the GOP remains defiant and most likely will fail to pass a bill this year.
The united effort by some of these labor unions, clergy, activists and immigrant rights groups have been reaching their peak and have planned a 40 day action strategy around the nation, but not even one of them have noticed that the GOP will stand their ground unless forced to break their ranks of a traditional structure to vote in party lines.
A thought for those who are desperate to end the GOP stalemate, the time has come to dig deep in your pocket to get your dollar to do what it was intended to do and that is, to influence economic growth and well-being in the country and financial markets. The dollar has been very influential by keeping this country from a depression and we are gradually getting out of a recession. But in reality, it has been the undocumented immigrant spending dollar and tax dollar that has kept this country afloat in its most difficult times. The GOP is aware of it, but they fail to acknowledge it for one simple reason, Hispanics have yet to come into their own awareness and understanding that they have an economic power to influence change. Economic articles of the spending power and the ability that Latinos have in the country have been published to no avail. The time has come to channel that economic spending power to influence change.
Those who want change, need to channel their economic power to influence change. As united Latinos for a given cause (immigration reform), we need to spent our money where it is most welcome by those who support immigration reform and spent nothing at places that are hungry for our dollar, but use it against Latinos by supporting anti-immigrant bills and support the GOP stalemate in the U.S. House of Representatives. It's your choice, take action now and manage your spending economic power to influence change!
Next time you are out in public, "pin a dollar to your lapel to show that U.S. Hispanics and undocumented immigrants in the country have and will continue to support economically the financial well being of America. Where everyone benefits economically!"
For those labor unions, clergy, immigrant rights activists and groups, including organizations involved in the current immigration reform movement, what are you waiting for?, use your dollar to influence inevitable change!
¡Viva Nuestra Causa, Immigration Reform now! Obama, stop the ICE raids and separation of families!


Voces de la Frontera staff at Washington, D.C. immigration reform protest.

Retail Trade Employees per Capita

The latest employment report is out. I see that 23% of the jobs added over the last three months were in retail trade. Wow, is that really where we can expect the jobs of the future to be? The long-term trend in the following chart would argue otherwise.


Click to enlarge.

I'm not suggesting that I can use 2nd order polynomials to accurately predict the future. That said, this is certainly a trend I would not want to bet against. For what it is worth, those red diamonds made lousy entry points for stock market investors.

I'm told that the blue diamond is an excellent entry point though, repeatedly, on CNBC. Please forgive me if I choose to pass.

This is not investment advice.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: All Employees: Retail Trade
St. Louis Fed: Population

Demonizing Masculinity ... J. D. Longstreet

Demonizing Masculinity   ...   J. D. Longstreet
Demonizing Masculinity
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

****************

Whatever happened to real men?  If that question leaves you a little stunned, a little off balance, a little peeved, a tad amused, or even a little angry, then I MAY have made my point, already! 

Our 21st century American society is so screwed-up today that, honestly, I don't think we even know what a REAL man is anymore.

Today we have at least three kinds of males:  heterosexual, homosexual, and metrosexual.

I think we understand the first two well enough, at least, for the purposes of this "diatribe." So, let's look at the metrosexual because I fear that is the genus of males that is really screwing up the world view of what a REAL man is these days.

When you "Google" metrosexual the following seems to be the agreed upon definition, at least on the Internet:

"Metrosexual is a neologism, derived from metropolitan and heterosexual, coined in 1994 describing a man (especially one living in an urban, post-industrial, capitalist culture) who is especially meticulous about his grooming and appearance, typically spending a significant amount of time and money on shopping as part of this. The term is popularly thought to contrast heterosexuals who adopt fashions and lifestyles stereotypically associated with homosexuals, although, by the definition given by the originator, a metrosexual "might be officially gay, straight or bisexual."

For a shining example of a metrosexual male one only has to look as far as the Oval Office of the White House today. At least that is my opinion. 

It is also my opinion that metrosexuals are not much use to anyone. They are sort of like drones -- except LESS useful.

It is also unfortunate, in my view, that they are able to, occasionally, aid in the reproduction of another human being with a roughly fifty-fifty chance of producing another male who, after years of instruction and indoctrination, will become another adult metrosexual male further reducing the role of contributing males in American society and intensifying the weak strain of masculine DNA in the approximately three billion chemical base pairs of the American genome.

It is said that today women do not want real men as mates.  What they really want is another sensitive female for a "husband."  Enter -- the metrosexual. 

Many blame the women's feminist movement for destroying men.  Feminists have taken the role of men upon themselves.  I must tell you as a man myself, women acting and sounding like men is not becoming, in the least, to me, anyway.

These ladies, er, women, will tell you they don't need men.  OK.  That's fine. But women of such a mind set should realize that men, sure as hell, don't need them, either.

Back when the movies actually had male actors who not only portrayed real men, and were, in fact, real men, real man roles were far more easily defined on screen and off.  This was also before the day of the feminist movement.

John Wayne was the supreme example of what being a real man looked like on screen.  Fortunately, according to those who knew him personally,  he was the same man off screen.  Then there was Gary Cooper, James Cagney, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Sean Connery, Charlton Heston,  Lee Marvin,   and a few others who wore their masculinity without apology.

Try coming up with a short list like that today.  I'm thinking Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck,  ..., ..., uh, gimme a few minutes.

Oh well, moving right along ...

Consider this from Wilbur Smith at the Daily Mail, a UK newspaper:

"The world has changed. Today, men are afraid to say what they think, to stand up for their beliefs, to fight for what has become an unfashionable cause. Women’s rights have been the great driver of so many social changes in the past 40 years. But what about men’s rights?

One of the worst inventions of the 20th century was political correctness.

It has forced a generation of males to keep their masculinity under wraps. It has made millions of men too timid to admit their true views about the world. It’s not fashionable to be a macho man today, is it?

Even the concept of a ‘hero’ is not politically correct. In this new climate of supposed equality, uniformity is to be treasured above the outstanding."
  SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1376688/Wayne-Rooney-Whatever-happened-real-men.html#ixzz2ajftNzW6

Now a few words from an insightful lady at "Coffee Talk Mom." 

"What happened to the real men? The men who make decisions (leader), lock the doors at night (protector), check the oil in all of the cars (thinker). I have a feeling that we "do it all" moms are kicking ourselves in the butt! After all, our controlling natures have taken away the very essence of who men really are…What do you expect from your man? Maybe we need to be better with the quick communication skills men have."   SOURCE:  http://www.coffeetalkmom.com/my-blog/2011/09/whatever-happened-to-real-men.html

It seems humans need role models.  Boys need men to teach them how to be men, and not perpetual boys. And the real men role models just aren't there today.  Now, in 2013, you see,  we idolize wimps and sissies. 

Whatever happened to testosterone?   You know -- the hormone that gets things done!   Now we are cursed with a new ailment called "Low-T."   

I just read that the military is going to have to redesign its uniforms to fit the female form ... tucked in at the waist, let out at the buttocks.  There's goes the army.

The question is, I believe, what does all this mean for our country?  For the answer, simply look about you.  We are a nation in indisputable decline.  We are leaderless.  Our Congress is pathetic, our President is a metrosexual, our military has just been feminized, and we are preparing to elect a woman as the next President of  the United States. There is NO LIGHT at the end of the tunnel. 

I hear it referred to as the "New Normal" in America.  Believe me.  It's NOT NEW and it's NOT NORMAL!  What it is  -- is a perversion of the natural order.  (A normal society does not place its women in harm's way intentionally.  It is they who reproduce life and perpetuate the species.  A normal society protects them at all costs ... even when they don't want to be defended -- or think they don't.) It is an abberation.  It is an abberation that has already cost America its leadership role on the world stage and has us a fair distance down the slippery slope to becoming a third world country.

Real men would not have allowed placing women in combat roles in the US military.  But then, real men in positions of leadership in America would not have allowed the country to decline as it has.

Yeah, I'm old, and I am a romantic in the sense that I am idealistic and, some would say, unrealistic.  But I long for a return to the days when men were men -- and the women were glad of it.

© J. D.Longstreet

Sweet Tarts Draw Crowds At First Day Of The Wisconsin State Fair

Sweet Tarts

Photos: HNG/HNNUSA

Local Milwaukee band the Sweet Tarts attracted hundreds of fairgoers at the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis.

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 1, 2013

West Allis, WI - On Thursday, the Sweet Tarts, a local band from Wisconsin drew hundreds of fans to the Tavern At The Park (Blue Moon) outdoor area, while Heart with Jason Bonham's played at the main stage. "The Sweet Tarts were awesome and their style of music makes you want to jam," a fan said.
The Sweet Tarts ended the first night of the 11 day state fair. The fairgrounds beer stages also had numerous popular bands and entertainment. An assortment of foods, cream puffs and other specialities attracted thousands of fairgoers of all ages to the fair.
This year, the fair added a street acrobat group to entertain those walking through the fair.


Street acrobats

Photo: HNG/HNNUSA

The Construction Euphoria Is Over


Click to enlarge.

Those anxiously awaiting the next construction boom may have to wait a very long time. As seen in the chart, we're still sitting at the very top of the long-term exponential decay channel.

Is this really as bad as it looks?


Click to enlarge.

As seen in the chart above, the answer would probably be yes. It is as bad as it looks. The uptrend from the pit of despair (November 2009) is over. Now we're heading back down again. Further, we're actually below the declining trend line.

For what it is worth, I am still firmly in the permabear camp. I cannot understand the optimism in the face of overwhelming long-term evidence to the contrary.

August 1, 2013
Stock market roars to record highs, S&P 500 closes above 1,700 for first time

Because the stock market often looks ahead 6-9 months, it’s not unusual for stock indexes to be ahead of economic indicators, when the economy is improving or worsening. Right now, stock investors may be anticipating a stronger economy and better earnings next year.

It can "roar" without me, just like it did from 2004 to 2007. This is not investment advice.

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: All Employees: Construction / All Employees: Total nonfarm
St. Louis Fed: Real Total Construction Spending Growth per Capita

Indicating Once Again Why the Republican Party Will Become Irrelavent...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny


E.W. Jackson (Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

And they wonder why their membership is declining. This is just one reason among many.

SALON
- In a local radio interview this morning, Virginia Republican lieutenant governor nominee E.W. Jackson said the Democratic Party is “anti-God” and that Christians should leave it.

Jackson has said in the past that he thinks believing in God and voting Democratic are fundamentally incompatible, so WLEE host Jack Gravely asked if he still believes it. Gravely explained that he’s a Christian and tends to vote Democratic, just like his parents and family. Jackson didn’t back down.

“You are saying for us, we’re all wrong, leave that party. And all I’m saying to you is, if you said it before, you still have to believe it, why did you say it?” Gravely asked. “Oh, oh, oh I do believe it,” Jackson responded.

He continued: “I said it because I believe that the Democrat Party has become an anti-God party, I think it’s an anti-life party, I think it’s an anti-family party. And these are all things I think Christians hold to very dearly.”{Read More}

Find the audiohere.

Oy Vey, the republican fundie hyperbole.

Via: Memeorandum

A Insightful Young White Man Stirring Controversy or Just Making Valid Observations?...

A Insightful Young White Man Stirring Controversy or Just Making Valid Observations?...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny


A young freshman at Georgia Georgia State has started a White Student Union to celebrate Euro and Euro-American heritage and culture. White students make up 38% of the student body and Patrick Sharp is of the mind that whites (being a minority), as well as students of other ethnic backgrounds and cultural heritage should enjoy the same right of association as the rest of the students do in their Student Union organizations. The young man has a valid argument. Excerpts from The Raw Story.

“If we are already minorities on campus and are soon to be minorities in this country why wouldn’t we have the right to advocate for ourselves and have a club just like every other minority?” Sharp told the paper. “Why is it when a white person says he is proud to be white he’s shunned as a racist?”

“You know, to say this is some closeted or curtained white supremacy, it’s pretty — and I’ll go ahead and turn their words around on them — it’s pretty ignorant and closed-minded,” he explained to WXIA. “It’s a pride organization, it’s a cultural organization, what we have is not hate for any other group… Whites are becoming a minority… We have a voice, we’re unique people, and we have every right to make that voice heard.”

Video from WXIA, Aug. 1, 2013.

Will this young man's beliefs and actions spur honest and open discussion as it well should or will it be ignored? Or even worse, used by the race hustlers Sharpton and Jackson et all to fuel controversy and their agenda? Via: Memeorandum