Recent content by Lockness

Excess supply is not causing the drop in commodity prices despite the prospect of a global recession reducing demand. On the commodities side there are current low inventories for such things as base metals (copper, lead, zinc, nickel) and agriculturals  (corn, grains, soybeans).  The current...

The problem with Canada Savings Bonds is that their rates do not keep up with inflation.  (Inflation is defined as the expansion of money supply, i.e. printing or digitally creating money by the Bank of Canada.)  An indicator of inflation is to look at the current consumer price index CPI of...

Lessons from the Japan Credit Crisis... "Responding to Financial Crises: Lessons to Learn from Japan’s Experience" Koyo Ozeki | August 2008 http://www.pimco.com/LeftNav/Global+Markets/Japan+Credit+Perspectives/2008/Japan+Credit+Perspectives+Aug+2008.htm Excerpt.... Many parallels to the...

One futures contract in oil is 1000 barrels.  Margin rules in the futures exchange allow $1 to control about $15 of a futures contract.  Further leverage can be obtained by borrowing from low interest nations such as Japan with the Bank of Japan interest rates siting at only 0.5%...

"McDonald’s Deemed More Credit-Worthy than U.S. Government"By Juhana Rossi Translated By Henri Rautonen September 26, 2008 http://watchingamerica.com/News/7016/mcdonalds-deemed-more-credit-worthy-than-the-us-government/ Interesting times indeed.

I absolutely agree but that is what is happening and it seems to be accelerating with the U.S.'s current policymakers and by extension to the G-7 central bankers.  We are all in this together although Canada maybe better positioned than most with debt load under control and falling, a nation of...

The advantages of holding the world's reserve currency is the U.S. will never default on their foreign debts in a classical sense.  They just print more dollars as needed to pay the bills.  If we all could be so lucky. Its been 37 years since the U.S. currency was taken off the gold standard. ...

"Just-released Federal Reserve Flow of Funds data show that, beyond mortgages, there are another $20.4 trillion in private sector consumer and corporate debts, plus $2.7 trillion in municipal securities outstanding." http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/files/documents/Final-Bailout-White-Paper.pdf...

My understanding is that FDIC insures up to $100k in bank deposits and SIPC insures up to $500k for brokerage accounts. If a brokerage goes bankrupt, it might be some time before you can recover your stock or bond certificates if they are holding them for you.  So what happens if you want to...

Some good info in this paper... "Proposed $700 Billion Bailout Is Too Little, Too Late to End the Debt Crisis; Too Much, Too Soon for the U.S. Bond Market"Submitted by Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. and Michael D. Larson Weiss Research, Inc. to United States Congress Senate Banking Committee and House...

Drone, Copter Team Kills 2,400 Bombers in Iraq By Noah Shachtman January 21, 2008 http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/01/drone-copter-te.html In Iraq, a hundred-man Army unit is using an array of drones, manned surveillance planes, helicopters, and video downlinks  to kill 2,400 bomb-planters...

CBC Sunday Report - Broadcast on September 9, 2007. (cbc.ca) Former Canadian Forces Sniper Rob Furlong discusses his world record shot of 2,430m in Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda in 2002 and his subsequent treatment by the military. Also includes some reporting from the Canadian Forces...

Peacekeeper: The Road to Sarajevo (Hardcover) by Lewis MacKenzie (Author), Major General Louis MacKenzie (Author) 14 used & new available from $1.97 Amazon ... Bet the General is sad. =(

try here... http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060927/kandahar_bomber_060927/20060927?hub=World

Reuters has a short video clip of the aftermath and interview of eyewitness... http://today.reuters.com/tv/videoStory.aspx?isSummitStory=false&storyId=1ca5313024b22d67e654da46de6087ff46972772 ABC shows a picture of the Nyala near the PRT base, steaming away but driveable...