Friday, November 28, 2014

Alpha Lipid Lifeline ----- The Best Colostrum in The World

INTRODUCTION 

 

INTRODUCTION

To combat these factors we now have ALPHA LIPID™ LIFELINE™ with Colostrum Powder and Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium.

ColostrumNature’s miracle product, Colostrum could justifiably be called a medical food. As ‘natures first food’, it is the pre-milk fluid produced from the mother’s mammary glands during the first 36 hours after birth and is nature’s perfect combination of immune factors, growth factors, vitamins and minerals that are designed to promote a vibrant, healthy body and an ability to fight off a host of all types of infections.

Why New Zealand Colostrum?All Colostrum IS NOT the same. From start to finish, Colostrum harvested from cows raised in New Zealand is superior to any other Colostrum in the world. This is all due to the ideal pure climate, pesticide, antibiotic and BSE free pasture-fed cows, highly regulated farming techniques, and a multi-million dollar investment in the equipment necessary to best process Colostrum properly. No other Colostrum can compare.
 
Completely Safe
There are no negative side effects recorded with Colostrum - in fact, the growth factors produce significant positive side effects.
According to the International Institute of Nutritional Research:
“INTENDED BY NATURE AS AN INFANT’S VERY FIRST FOOD: it is hard to imagine any nutritional substance more natural or beneficial than Colostrum”.

WHY ALPHA LIPID™ LIFELINE™ COLOSTRUM?

1) Natural Antibodies

Colostrum is nature’s only supplemental source of the antibodies and immunoglobulins that fight allergens, yeast, bacterial and viral infections.

Scientific studies report that Colostrum contains all four of the key immunoglobulins: IgG, IgM, IgA and secretory IgA.

PLUS: The Cytokines: Interleukin 1 and 6, tumour necrosis factor and interferon y, and Lymphokines, Lactoferrin, Lactalbumins, and other specific components that have been shown to be effective in killing invading viruses, bacteria, yeasts, protozoas and pollutants.

Medical studies indicate that most invading disease enters the body through the mucus lining of the small intestine. Colostrum has been shown to coat the mucus lining of the digestive system and other mucus membranes with antibodies to neutralize the invading bacteria, viruses, yeasts, pollutants and allergens and their toxins before they can enter the body. Further, Colostrum’s growth factors stimulate the rapid healing and regrowth of damaged mucal lining to stop further penetration of pathogens.


2) Immune System

Scientific studies have shown that a key component of Colostrum (PRP) is a major regulator of the immune system. Clinical studies show that PRP can be effective in activating an under-active immune system to take action against disease - causing organisms as well as suppressing an over-active immune system where the body is attacking itself, often seen in auto-immune diseases such as Lupus, MS and rheumatoid arthritis.


3) The ALPHA LIPID™ Advantage

New Image has developed ALPHA LIPID™ - a patented exclusive coating made up of added complex lipids which enhances the solubility of Colostrum - delivering it much more effectively to the key areas of the body with positive effects on the liver, gut and brain function. Phospholipids, components of ALPHA LIPID™ , have been associated with improved memory and also shown to help elevate mood and reduce the symptoms of depression.


4) Easily Absorbable Calcium

There are 1000mg of calcium in each serving of Alpha Lipid Lifeline. Concentrated calcium from cow’s milk is the most accessible and easily assimilated form of this mineral. 1000mg of calcium
daily is close to the RDA and will ensure promotion of healthy bone structure and give protection against the development of Osteoporosis if taken on a daily basis over a lifetime.


5) Natural Intestinal Flora


Antibiotics, some cortisone-like drugs, birth control pills, alcohol, some food additives, caffeine, chlorinated or fluoridated drinking water and stress can destroy the natural intestinal flora. People who have had the natural balance of flora disturbed need a reinforcement of naturally occurring lactobacillus acidophilus, as contained in ALPHA LIPID™ LIFELINE™.


6) Growth Factor Hormones

Colostrum is the only natural supplemental source of the actual growth factors (hormones) IgF-1, TgF A & B, FgF, EgF, and PDgF, that research has shown control normal muscle, nerve and cartilage cell growth, regeneration and repair.

Naturally produced in your youth, they diminish with age. Without them, the body ages and we grow old:
• Anti-aging
• Shown to be effective in building new lean muscle tissue and decreased fat.
• Shown to be effective in increased burning of fat and decreased burning of muscle tissue.
• Shown to stimulate growth and regeneration of muscle, skin, cartilage and nerve tissue due to athletic stress, age, injury or trauma.


Scientific studies show that Colostrum from cows contains more immune and growth factors than human Colostrum, and is completely assimilable by humans.


7) Cholesterol Reduction

A number of double blind studies in the USA involving patients with high serum lipids showed reductions in arteriosclerosis and arterial plaque of 15%.


8) Anti-Inflammatory Properties

There is substantial evidence to show that people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and offer inflammatory disease have had considerable relief from using Colostrum-based products.

 

PRODUCT INFO

Lifeline is a total wellness product. It not only gives you all the immune-boosting, health-preserving qualities of top-grade New Zealand colostrum, it also contains vitamins, minerals and probiotics to ensure a healthy body.

Ingredients:Colostrum concentrate, Milk powder, Glucose, Vitamin and mineral concentrates, Vegetable gums, Vanilla flavour, Lactobacillus, Acidophilus

    Available in 450g

  • Lifeline is the complete wellness package designed for you to take every day. Just make up a delicious shake, or sprinkle it over your favourite food!

  • The lactose molecule has been reduced to its simple sugar so that people who are lactose intolerant can also benefit from this product.

  • We have added acidophilus, a 'friendly' bacteria which helps promote a healthy intestine and aids the prevention of yeast infections.

  • Lifeline is calcium enriched, providing the daily requirement to ensure fit, healthy bones.
    Vitamins and minerals are added to give an extra boost - making sure Lifeline truly justifies its name!
Each serving has 200mg of Colostrum containing a minimum of 240mg IGG, and over three million viable Acidophilus units.




Each 18g serving contains:
  • Energy 200kJ
  • Protein 1.6g
  • Fat 0.04g
  • Lactose 2.1g
  • Glucose 8.7g
  • Vitamin A 560mcg
  • Vitamin B1 1.6mg
  • Vitamin B2 1.6mg
  • Niacin (B3) 20mg
  • Pantothenic Acid 6mg
  • Vitamin B6 2mg
  • Vitamin B12 2mcg
  • Folic acid 200mcg
  • Biotin 60mcg
  • Vitamin C 60mg
  • Vitamin D 7.5mcg
  • Vitamin E 10mg
  • Calcium 1125mg
  • Iron 2mg
  • Magnesium 90mg
  • Phosphorus 580mg
  • Sodium 20mg
  • Potassium 65mg
  • Vitamins are 100% of average recommended daily dose for adults.
  • Immunoglobulin G 240mg 

WHO NEEDS IT? FOR WHAT? 

Athlete : Colostrum gives quick muscle recovery.

Sick People: Live antibodies speed up recovery A LOT( trust me, it's A LOOOOOT).

Over-weight people : Growth hormone will dramatically increase your lean muscle, thus increasing your metabolism to burn more calories.

Under-weight people : Growth hormone will help you build up your body.

High Blood Pressure/Diabetic patient : Colostrum helps stabilize blood sugar/pressure level, this is a widely known fact.( you can check from internet)

People taking supplement: because it contains LOTS OF EXTRA GOODIES, TAKE A LOOK AT THE INGREDIENT

WHY THIS PRODUCT? (again?) 

1) Because Alpha Lipid Lifeline is Different
find out more about colostrum from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colostrum

-Alpha Lipid Lifeline contains patented ingredient ( Alpha Lipid ) which boosts Brain Function and increase Absorption Rate by 100%..
-Alpha Lipid Lifeline NOT only contains Colostrum but many other additional supplementation including up to 1125 mg of calcium.
-Alpha Lipid Lifeline is added is Acidophilus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Vitamins -A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D3, E, , folic acid, biotin, ferrous fumerate and magnesium oxide.

it's ALL IN ONE everything YOU NEED

2) New Image is the FIRST company to produce/market Colostrum
Check here http://www.newimageasia.com/colostrum.php

3) New Image WON PLENTY OF AWARDSNew Image won the EXPORT AWARD OF NEW ZEALAND SOURCE:
http://www.newimageasia.com/news.php

Not 1 but 3 export awards!!!

New Image International has again been named a finalist in the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise 2004 Export Awards.

NewimageNews » Biotechnology Export Award New Image received another Export Award

4) WHY NEW ZEALAND COLOSTRUM?
All colostrum IS NOT the same. From start to finish, Alpha Lipid colostrum harvested from cows raised in New Zealand, is superior to any other colostrum in the world. This is all due to the ideal pure climate, pesticide, antibiotic and BSE free pasture-fed cows, highly regulated farming techniques, and a multi-million dollar investment by New Image in the equipment necessary to best process Alpha Lipid colostrum properly. No other colostrum can compare.

Manufacturing Won't Save Our Economy

Submitted by Edgar T. Wilson

Shh—listen: right now, somewhere, someone, probably someone you know, is making an impassioned argument that if the government would just stop letting these corporations ship our jobs overseas and start investing in American manufacturing, the U.S. would return to its global leadership position with a singing economy.
Can you hear it?
Despite the popularity of blaming outsourcing and the decline of American manufacturing for all the country’s economic stagnation, the truth is, typically, more complicated.
For one thing, those who cry that manufacturing must be brought back to prominence in the U.S. have reason to take heart: there are already signs on the horizon that outsourcing is turning to insourcing, and that the money-saving opportunities in China and beyond have more or less dried up. Without the cost differential, the time lost on shipping and logistics eliminates any appeal of outsourcing, after all. And this trend began without any heavy-handed intervention from the federal government.
But the manufacturing on its way back to American shores is not the same industry that was shipped out. While China and India put their vast human capital to work in factories, engineers, inventors, and tinkerers from every trade have brought a determinedly 21st century methodology to the table that sharply reduces the need for vast human capital.
It is inarguably true that American factories helped build the country’s middle class; the same model is at work in BRIC nations today. Uneducated, unskilled workers suddenly have opportunities to make more than ever before, and a huge move from the countryside to the city permanently reshapes the nation. It happened in the U.S. following World War II, and it has happened in China since it opened up trade with the world in the 80’s.
But the technology that helps supply the world with tradable goods has changed considerably; assembly lines no longer represent lifelong career tracks, factories are not springing up left and right just to meet skyrocketing demand, and most importantly, these facilities are no longer destinations in unskilled workers.
The sorts of factories operating in the U.S.—and the only sort likely to be built anytime soon—require engineers and tech specialists, and in much smaller numbers than the factories nostalgically recalled by those demanding more “Made in America” products. The tools of the trade have changed, and robots—not foreign workers—are the ones stealing American jobs.
Efficiency today no longer means higher employment; it means better technology operated by a few highly educated workers. Robots are increasingly adept at assembly, while 3D printers are quickly advancing beyond prototype development and finding a new role as mass-production devices.
This move toward efficiency without the human element eliminates economies of scale, where lots of workers must make lots of widgets and make up the expense in sales volume. 3D printing levels out production costs so that one unit is as cheap to produce as one thousand.
Outside the factory, catchphrases and speechmakers have similarly missed the point with invectives to “Buy American” or boycott products “Made in China,” or both. Realistically, the international supply chain is too large and integrated for a consumer to make anything like an informed decision to buy from one country but not another. Raw materials from around the world are used to make various components of various parts that go on to multiple stages of assembly in factories all over—“Made in ___” labels are nowhere close to a straight line to a country of origin.
A new trick some companies are using (apparently, with good results) is labeling their products as “Made in PRC” to avoid the watchful eyes of consumers on the lookout for “Made in China”. Of course, China is shorthand for People’s Republic of China, so both labels are accurate and both pass muster at the border.
Rather than focusing on where things are being made and who gets the supposedly coveted opportunity to make them, policy-makers and average citizens need to turn their collective focus where it matters: on the what of manufacturing. What, ultimately, is in demand from the factories?
Neither America’s nor China’s factories have a secure position in the economy without unique, high-demand products to make; this requires innovation. At present, the U.S. continues to lead the world in innovation, but China is hardly unaware that, whether through global on-shoring of assembly and production, or the development of smarter factories, they can be replaced just as quickly as the traditional American factory worker.
Although “get smart” may not have the same patriotic, confrontational ring as “buy American!” or “bring our jobs back!” it is closer to the mark. Looking backward at how the country built its wealth and middle class is no longer helpful in drawing the roadmap toward preserving it; but investing in the areas America is still the world’s leader makes more sense than trying to regain an industry that is already obsolete.

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National Gasoline Price Drops To $2.91 In November

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National Gasoline Price Drops To $2.91 In November http://www.floatingpath.com/2014/11/26/national-gasoline-price-drops-2-91-november/ 

The Petrodollar Quietly Died, And Nobody Noticed… “Petrodollar exports to be negative in 2014 for first time in 18 years” – BNP Paribas

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How The Petrodollar Quietly Died, And Nobody Noticed: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-03/how-petrodollar-quietly-died-and-nobody-noticed 
 
 
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"Petrodollar exports to be negative in 2014 for first time in 18 years" - BNP Paribas via ZH

Alan Greenspan, central banker extraordinaire, believes gold is money — and not only that, but that “no fiat currency, including the dollar, can match it”:


According to Zero Hedge, these gold-supportive comments were removed from the official transcript of his recent interview with the Council of Foreign Relations.
Part of me is thrilled to have the truth spoken so directly by such a titanic figure of the establishment.
The other part of me is royally pissed. Where was this commentary when he was running the Fed, this man whose policies (and those of his successors) have been more damaging to fair and true price discovery for the precious metals than anything else in all of history?

If we hadn’t experienced Federal Reserve created inflation over the last 18 years the cost of your Thanksgiving dinner would be about $21. But thank Greenspan, Bernanke and Yellen for the increase to $50.

by James Quinn
Central bankers always seem worried about deflation. The cost of Thanksgiving dinner is about the same as last year. Is it a bad thing that your costs didn’t go up? If we hadn’t experienced Federal Reserve created inflation over the last 18 years the cost of your Thanksgiving dinner would be about $21. But thank Greenspan, Bernanke and Yellen for the increase to $50. Everyone give thanks to central bankers for costs more than doubling in the last 18 years.


Facebook Can’t Cite Evidence to Support Claims of U.S. Tech Worker Shortage

Facebook, which has spent millions trying to get massive amnesty legislation that would include huge increases in the number of guest-worker permits that would lower the wages of tech workers, cannot cite any definitive evidence pointing to a shortage of American high-tech workers.
The fact that a mainstream media outlet questioned the company about those claims may say as much as Facebook’s refusal to provide evidence of the so-called shortage.
A funny thing has happened since tech industry scholars wondered why the the mainstream media were giving the high-tech industry a “free pass” on claims that there is a dire shortage of American high-tech workers.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/11/25/Facebook-Can-t-Cite-Evidence-to-Support-Claims-of-U-S-Tech-Worker-Shortage-After-MSM-Finally-Challenges


Swiss Anti Gold Propaganda Questioned – Gold Protects Purchasing Power

by GoldCore
By Eric Schreiber, independent asset manager, former head of commodities UBP, former head of precious metals Credit Suisse Zurich. All views expressed are his and may not reflect those of his former employers.
The Swiss will vote on a referendum on November 30th that would ban the Swiss National Bank (SNB) from selling current and future gold reserves, repatriate foreign stored gold holdings to Switzerland, and mandate that gold must comprise a minimum of 20% of central bank assets. The SNB does not usually comment on political referendums. However, in this case it has done so quite vocally.
Why has the central bank decided to step into the political fray and oppose this initiative? What are its concerns? Are they valid or motivated by other factors?
The SNB’s primary objections to the gold initiative are three fold. 1) It claims that gold is “one of the most volatile and riskiest investments”, 2) that a 20% gold requirement will lower the “distributions to the confederation and the cantons” since gold does not pay interest like bonds and dividend paying stocks, and 3) that the 20% gold holding requirement will interfere with its ability to conduct monetary policy and complicate efforts to maintain “the minimum exchange rate”, the “temporary” policy of pegging the Swiss franc (CHF) to the Euro (EUR) it initiated in 2011 and continues to enforce to this day.
The first two concerns can quickly be addressed and discounted. Gold is indeed a volatile asset at times but so are bonds and equities. In recent years Greek, Spanish, Italian, Irish and other European bonds have been far more volatile than gold. The SMI, the Swiss stock index, lost over 50% of its value on two separate occasions between 2000 and 2009 while gold steadily rose at an annual rate of 8.50% over the same period.
Regarding the second concern, the distribution of proceeds derived from financial speculation and paid to the confederation and cantons, one has to question whether or not it is really appropriate for the SNB to re-brand itself as a hedge fund instead of remaining focused on its core responsibilities as a central bank.
To properly address the third SNB concern requires a historical context and a more detailed analysis. Prior to the change in the Swiss constitution, the CHF was backed by a minimum amount of 40% gold. Despite this constraint, Swiss monetary policy at the SNB was unhindered and functioned properly during the post World War II period. The SNB is correct in implying that today a partial gold backing, as required by the referendum, would make its policy of weakening the CHF against the EUR more difficult. Although the SNB has raised the currency peg as a reason for voting against the referendum the issue has not been directly addressed by the “YES” camp. Is the peg necessary? Does the population in Switzerland benefit as a whole from a weak EURCHF exchange rate? Why does the SNB feel compelled to continue a policy that it characterized over 3 years ago as “temporary”? How did “the minimum exchange rate” policy come to be? Why hasn’t there been a public debate about it?
The answer to these questions begins with a look back into regional history a little over two decades ago. The Swiss population voted down two separate initiatives, one in 1992 and the other in 2001, to join the European Union (EU). Despite the popular votes, Switzerland was integrated into the EU for all practical purposes although officially it still remains outside the group of member nations. Entry into the EU was initially achieved by political means through a series of bilateral treaties, 10 in total, and then later in 2005 by popular vote in favor of the Schengen agreement. Laws between the EU and Switzerland were harmonized and Swiss border controls with EU member countries were abolished to permit the free flow of people, goods, and services. Unfortunately, Switzerland’s stealth ascension to the EU made a public vote on whether or not to replace the nation’s sovereign currency the CHF with the EUR politically impossible. To circumvent the issue, the SNB decreed on September 6th 2011 that it would enforce a “temporary” peg of 1.20 CHF to the EUR, a policy it refers to as “the minimum exchange rate”, to fend off EUR flows entering the country due to the financial crisis that was engulfing Spain and Greece at the time. The CHF would henceforth be permitted to loose value against the EUR but never to strengthen beyond 1.20. In this manner, monetary policy for Swiss affairs was quietly handed over to the European Central Bank (ECB) while maintaining the mirage of a Swiss sovereign currency before the public. The CHF was transformed overnight into a derivative instrument of the EUR without the ratification or knowledge of the population. The chart below shows the link between the EUR and the CHF derivative instrument since the “temporary” “minimum exchange rate” measure was put in place over 3 years ago. Note how the red line, the CHF, closely tracks the green line the EUR, but always remains a little bit below it (weaker) but never above it (stronger). Why is this policy still in place given the fact that the crisis in Spain and Greece has ended according to the EU?
(Source Bloomberg)
The conversion of the sovereign Swiss currency into a EUR derivative tracking unit was achieved by the SNB in a four step process:
1 – the SNB publicly announced in 2011 that it stood ready to print “unlimited quantities of CHF “ and proceeded to print CHF out of thin air
2 – the SNB sold the newly minted CHF to buy EUR when the EURCHF exchange rate traded below 1.20
3 – the SNB used the EUR it acquired in step 2 to buy EUR denominated bonds
4 – the SNB promised Federal and Cantonal politicians the future interest “revenue” from the vast bond stockpile
Evidence of this process can be seen in the figure below demonstating the dramatic expansion of the SNB balance sheet since the “minimum exchange rate policy” was put into effect. At over 83% of GDP, the Swiss National Bank’s EUR bond purchasing program is in a league of its own when compared to other activist central banks around the world. SNB “assets” have surpassed 520B CHF and keep growing.

(Source Bloomberg)
By gorging itself on EUR denominated bonds and bloating its balance sheet the SNB has created a significant foreign exchange risk exposure for itself. The SNB cannot meaningfully reduce its holdings and extricate itself from the currency risk it has created without incurring significant losses selling its inventory of EUR bonds at a rate below the 1.20 level. China, a country that has pegged its currency to the USD for decades, finds itself in a similar predicament. It is unable to sell its massive inventory of USD holdings without putting pressure on its own peg as well. However the Chinese and the Swiss situation differs in one very important manner. China is a net exporter of goods and services to the US. Chinese losses on the import side of the trade balance are more than offset by gains on the export side of the trade balance. This has been one of the key elements of China’s growth strategy since the 1990s. Chinese policy makers systematically undervalue their currency to provide an artificial boost for their exports. Switzerland on the other hand is a chronic net importer of goods and services from the EU and thus does not have the offsetting EU exports in sufficient quantity to compensate for the damage the peg inflicts on its domestic purchasing power.

(Source Bloomberg)
Thus, the SNB “minimum exchange rate” policy impoverishes the domestic Swiss population by increasing the price of all EU imports purchased in Switzerland. This is perhaps the most egregious and certainly least publicized effect of the SNB action. Each time a Swiss resident purchases a good or service in Switzerland made in the EU, he or she is rendered poorer by the actions of his or her own national bank.
The problem of central bank overreach is certainly not isolated to Switzerland. Since the financial crisis 6 years ago, central banks around the world have interfered in and manipulated bond, foreign exchange, and equity markets on an unprecedented scale. These unelected institutions have actively redistributed wealth from one group to another and compete against one another to adjust the purchasing power of their national currency downwards relative to other nations without the knowledge of their populations. For over 3 years the SNB has been operating opaquely behind the scenes substituting another currency for its own, converted its citizen’s savings into EUR, and imposing a stealth tax on European imports without public consent.
A “YES” vote for the gold referendum is a first step towards redressing the imbalance that exists between the SNB and the people of Switzerland. A “YES” vote will begin a process to restore restraint, accountability, and transparency on an institution that took advantage of the removal of its previous gold holding constraint already once before to explode its balance sheet, reinvent itself as a hedge fund, and significantly expand into areas of policy far beyond its original remit. Central banks should be lenders of last resort and systemic regulators. In a direct democracy, decisions regarding taxation, membership in trade / political unions, and the autonomy of the national currency should be determined by popular vote not decreed or circumvented by central bank edict.
Switzerland, 22 November 2014

Bankers: White Collar Crime and the War on Gold


Today on The Janssen Report (#87): two important items to understand in this global economy are the war on gold and the continuation of crimes by bankers. Gold’s importance is still downplayed in the media, but anyone can see there is something huge going on. Nation after nation is repatriating their physical gold, many eastern countries are still loading up on gold and yet the market price of gold is stable at best. We know this market is rigged (look up: naked gold shorts) and there are more and more signs that the supply of the physical metal is weakening. AAn epic upward correction of the gold price must be coming at some point.
In an interview on RT.com Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi talks about the JP Morgan Chase 9 billion dollar settlement that whistleblower Alayne Fleischmann helped secure and why he thinks banking criminals will never go to jail.
These are two very important issues in explaining how and why the erosion of lower and middle class wealth continues to take place.
Educate yourself, act and become self-reliant. Stay tuned to The Janssen Report!
Sources:
– France also calling for gold repatriation? http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11…
– SNB Gold Vote according to SNB president: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11…
– Deutsche Bank’s Proposal to “purchase the gold held by private households”:http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11…
– Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone (RT.com) on why bankers will always stay out of jail:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE8Gd…
– The Netherlands’ Secret Gold Repatriation: http://goldsilver.com/video/breaking-…
Please share this video!
* More info on www.thejanssenreport.net *
Cheers!
Marco Janssen
www.thejanssenreport.net

US household debt up $78 bln in Q3 to $11.7T Still 7.6% down from 2008 peak of $12.7T but creeping back up:

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US household debt up $78 bln in Q3 to $11.7 trln. Still 7.6% down from 2008 peak of $12.7 trln, but creeping back up:

Total Chinese Gold Reserves Approaching 16,000t

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Total Chinese Gold Reserves Approaching 16,000t https://www.bullionstar.com/blog/koos-jansen/total-chinese-gold-reserves-nearly-16000t/ 

LIQUIDITY DOES NOT CREATE SOLVENCY

by James Quinn
The actions of central bankers around the globe which have been driving stock prices higher are not a sign of control. They are signs of desperation. They are losing control. Their academic theories have failed. Their bosses insist they turn it up to eleven. Something is going to blow. You can feel it. John Hussman knows what will happen. Do you?
That said, it’s worth noting that the inclinations of central banks toward quantitative easing and interest rate suppression are increasingly taking on a tone of desperation in the face of accelerating economic weakness in Japan, Europe and China. While the stated objective is to increase inflation, low inflation isn’t really the economic problem – low growth, intolerable debt burdens, and misallocated capital are at the core of global challenges here. Unfortunately, QE only misallocates capital toward more speculation and low-quality debt (primarily junk and leveraged loan issuance), without much impact on real growth. China’s move was prompted in part by a surge in bad loans to the highest level in nearly a decade. The largest European banks now have gross-leverage ratios as high as 30-to-1 (during the credit crisis, one could order the sequence of defaults accurately using this metric, with Bear Stearns, Lehman, and Fannie Mae right at the top). But liquidity does not create solvency, and with credit spreads widening, the growing desperation of monetary authorities is more a negative signal than a positive one.
This is much like what we saw in 2007-2008: when concerns about default are rising, default-free, low-interest rate money is not considered to be an inferior asset, and as a result, its increased availability does not provoke risk-seeking behavior. If we observe narrowing credit spreads and stronger uniformity in market internals, we will be able to infer a shift toward risk-seeking (and in turn, a greater likelihood that monetary easing will provoke further speculation). That won’t make stocks any cheaper, and downside risk will still need to be managed, but our immediate concerns would be less dire. At present, current market conditions and the lessons of history encourage us to be aware that very untidy market outcomes could unfold in very short order.
The upshot is this. Quantitative easing only “works” to the extent that default-free, low interest liquidity is viewed as an inferior holding. When investor psychology shifts toward increasing risk aversion – which we can reasonably measure through the uniformity or dispersion of market internals, the variation of credit spreads between risky and safe debt, and investor sponsorship as reflected in price-volume behavior – default-free, low-interest liquidity is no longer considered inferior. It’s actually desirable, so creating more of the stuff is not supportive to stock prices. We observed exactly that during the 2000-2002 and 2007-2009 plunges, which took the S&P 500 down by half in each episode, even as the Fed was easing persistently and aggressively. A shift toward increasing internal dispersion and widening credit spreads leaves risky, overvalued, overbought, overbullish markets extremely vulnerable to air-pockets, free-falls, and crashes.

Oil slumps 4% as OPEC leaves output unchanged

http://rt.com/business/209507-opec-oil-production-cut/
OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri arrives for a news conference after a meeting of OPEC oil ministers at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna November 27, 2014. (Reuters/Heinz-Peter Bader)
A ‘unilateral decision’ was taken by OPEC not to cut production and to leave the daily output ceiling unchanged at 30 million barrels, despite a major oversupply that has caused oil prices to fall more than 30%.
“We are not sending any signal to anyone, we are just trying to have a fair price,” OPEC Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri told reporters in Vienna on Thursday.
World oil demand is expected to increase in 2015, Salem El-Badri said.
"I've been in this business for a long time. When I was a minister, oil was $15 per barrel. So the current price can be called good," the Secretary said.
Brent Crude plunged on the news, falling more than $3 to below $75 per barrel after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decided not to cut production.

Left-winger Matt Bruenig Claims Burning & Looting in Ferguson is Good for Society and Economy

Wanton destruction of people's stuff. Isn't it great? Gawker sure thinks so—and argues that there are undeniable benefits. But wait: Don't hurl your laptop or smart phone through your local convenience store's front window just yet! Let's examine this claim.
Matt Bruenig, a writer for Demos and Salon, penned the article, titled "Actually, Riots are Good: The Economic Case for Riots in Feguson." Contrary to what the headline suggests, Bruenig doesn't actually commit the broken window fallacy and argue, as some Keynesians do, that destruction is economically beneficial. One has to dig deep down into the article—past a deeply misleading claim that "rioting is economically efficient"—to get to the crux of the argument.
Bruenig thinks that under certain conditions, rioting is efficient because it punishes the police for their bad behavior. If police react to riots by killing fewer black teenagers, then the cost in lives saved (in real dollars) outweighs the property destruction. Bruenig explains:
Rioting that occurs in response to gross police misconduct and criminal system abuses imposes costs on doing those things. It signals to police authorities that they risk this sort of destructive mayhem if they continue on like this. All else equal, this should reduce the amount of police misconduct as criminal justice authorities take precautions to prevent the next Ferguson.
To be sure, burning down AutoZones is not an optimal way to impose costs on state authorities. It would be, as some interviewed Ferguson residents noted, far more effective to target police equipment or other property nearer to criminal justice authorities. But these targets are often difficult and risky to reach, unlike local business interests. Since state authorities are always and everywhere most concerned about capital and business interests, threatening to impose costs on them via rioting should have a similar impact on police incentives.
Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2014/11/26/lol-gawker-claims-ferguson-riots-good-fo
- See more at: http://xrepublic.tv/node/11339#sthash.rKcnnI1u.dpuf

Bell employees planted glowing online reviews of new Bell app

Company says 'overzealous' employees talked up product, but that's not company policy

By Sophia Harris, CBC News Posted: Nov 27, 2014 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Nov 27, 2014 9:03 AM ET
Some Bell Canada employees posted positive reviews of one of the company's mobile apps online without disclosing their affiliations with the company, CBC News has learned.
Some Bell Canada employees posted positive reviews of one of the company's mobile apps online without disclosing their affiliations with the company, CBC News has learned. (Galit Rodan/Canadian Press) 

As soon as Bell Canada launched a new version of a phone app last week, the response online was electric; it quickly garnered glowing, five-star reviews on Apple's iTunes App Store.
CBC News has learned that some of those rave reviews were planted. Possibly half a dozen or more were written by Bell Canada employees – many in senior positions – none of whom disclosed their affiliation with the company.
The employee reviews were first uncovered by Scott Stratten, president of UnMarketing, a company that writes about unethical marketing tactics. Stratten is also a long-time Bell phone customer.

Suspicious excitement

He said he first noticed something was amiss when the latest version of the MyBell Mobile app was flooded with amazing reviews shortly after it was launched last week.
“All were overwhelmingly excited about this app that allowed you to pay your bill, check your usage, not something I thought would excite people at all,” Stratten said.
He also thought some of words used were suspicious. For example, S Saade wrote: "Excellent new app. Looking forward to updates with residential services."
"Just words that you do not say in real life," Stratten said.

He began cross-checking reviewers’ user names with LinkedIn profiles where people list their work status. What he discovered intrigued him.
For example, on Nov. 17, reviewer Tori Brown wrote: “Awesome app! Love it!”
Stratten found a Tori Brown on LinkedIn who says she’s a senior project manager at Bell.
The same day, someone named Mike McEnery, also added his ecstatic review about the Bell app: "Works great … makes it so easy now to check my profile and pay my bill … Nice clean design and very user friendly!"
Turns out there’s a Michael McEnery on LinkedIn who works as an associate director at Bell.
Shel Ender wrote about the app: "Nice upgrade, easy to use. Was able to manage my bills with no problems."
Another reviewer, with the user name, Shelender68, posted: "All round great app! Very fast and responsive."
CBC News also discovered that Shelender68 wrote the exact same review on the very same day for a new Virgin Mobile app. Virgin is a division of Bell Mobility.
Stratten found a Shelender Awasthi on LinkedIn. His profile states he’s an operational effectiveness manager with Bell.
And that S Saade who wrote about residential services? On LinkedIn, Saad Saade says he’s vice-president of IT Bell Mobility.
"It's just a bunch of malarkey. It would be like me going on Amazon and reviewing [my] new book,” Stratten said.
'It's just a bunch of malarkey.'- Scott Stratten, UnMarketing
He adds that the online peer-reviewed concept is based on trust. "You've got to trust the reviews that they're impartial, that they're from other users and that they're true. And that's exactly why something like this shouldn't happen."

Bell fesses up

Bell Canada agrees it shouldn’t happen. In an email to CBC, Paolo Pasquini, Bell's director of communications wrote: "The postings were the result of an overzealous effort on the part of our service team to highlight the app. It’s certainly not Bell’s practice to encourage employees to rate our products, and we’re sending a clear message out to the team to that effect."
Even after admitting wrongdoing, the reviews that Stratten called into question were still prominently featured on the iTunes site, available for any unsuspecting consumer to read.
Bell would not directly confirm if all the people Stratten linked to Bell are indeed the employees who posted positive reviews, but its comments to CBC imply as much. CBC News also reached out to the employees on LinkedIn but, at the time of publication, had not received any responses.
CBC News asked Bell if any staff members had ever before written positive reviews about a company product online without disclosing their affiliation. The company did not respond.
"It really speaks, I think, to Bell's lack of respect for their own customers that they would do something like this," said David Christopher, who is with the internet watchdog group OpenMedia.

Apology needed?

Christopher said the company needs to make amends for staff planting reviews and trying to boost the status of a Bell product in the app store.
"It's independent app developers who put a lot time and effort into their work who are losing out as a result. So they owe an apology to those app developers and they owe an apology to their own customers," Christopher said.
Stratten said Bell employees didn’t need to stack the site with enthusiastic reviews because the app is a good product: "I actually like it," he admits, adding that he finds it useful. But, he says, that doesn’t absolve the fact that staff duped customers: "It just erodes some brand trust."