Jack Lew: 'We have a lot of work to do' on economy

Jack Lew: 'We have a lot of work to do' on economy

Jeff Morganteen | @jmorganteen

4 Mins Ago

CNBC.com

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Jack Lew, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told CNBC on Wednesday that the U.S. is leading the global economic recovery, despite having "a lot of work to do" by our own country's standards.

"We're doing our part," Lew said on "Squawk Box." "We made tough decisions six years ago, and we stuck with them. We have our economy growing. We reformed our financial system. We have our fiscal house in a much better place."

Lew said the U.S. economy has made solid progress since the depths of the Great Recession, but some industries still lag. He said sectors such as home construction usually contribute to economic recovery, but they have stumbled in recent years. Now they have the potential to give the economy a much-needed boost, he said.

Read More JP Morgan's Dimon says US banks healthy, Europe lagging

"We have to remember we've come a long way," Lew said. "We've made a lot of progress. We came from a bad place."

His comments come as the U.S. faces rising geopolitical tensions between Ukraine and Russia. Last month, Lew said the economic sanctions issued by President Barack Obama "had real consequences," responding to criticisms that the sanctions were not strict enough.

Lew last spoke to "Squawk Box" in January from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. During that interview, Lew told CNBC he thought bitcoin was a "phenomenon" and he warned about keeping the digital currency from criminals and terrorism.

Lew: Dimon and I share 'incredulity' on bitcoin

Lew, 58, was sworn into office in February 2013 after a stint as Obama's chief of staff.

—By CNBC's Jeff Morganteen. Reuters contributed to this report.

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Subject: CNBC.com Video: Lew: US leading global economic recovery

In a wide-ranging interview, CNBC's Steve Liesman talks with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew about how the U.S. is sparking economic growth.
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000265013

Woman experiences DEA raid at 5:00AM after shopping for indoor gardening supplies

April 7, 2014 Share It | Print This

Source: Police State USA

SWAT
SHOREWOOD, IL — A woman became the subject of an investigation when she was observed shopping for indoor gardening supplies at a hydroponics store.  Police and federal agents began staking out the woman’s home, sifting through her garbage, and monitoring her electricity usage.  The investigation prompted gun-wielding agents to show up in her bedroom in the middle of the night.
The subject of this investigation was Angela Kirking, a 46-year-old artist who does face-painting for children at local fairs.   She enjoys indoor gardening and grows a hibiscus plant for her consumption.   She shops for fertilizer and supplies at a local shop called Midwest Hydroganics.

“They had a gun pointed at me when they said, ‘Are there any illegal substances in your house?’”

It so happened that police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been staking out Midwest Hydroganics to attempt to bust citizens who grow unauthorized plants without government permission.  Angela Kirking was witnessed exiting the store “carrying a green plastic bag containing unknown items” on September 17, 2013, the Shorewood Patch reported.  The bag contained organic fertilizer for her hibiscus flowers.
Based only on the woman’s shopping habits, an investigation was launched that lasted nearly a month.
Police began spying on Kirking’s utility bills.  They discovered that her electricity usage was “consistently higher” than her neighbors.  Officers were then sent to sneak around the outside of her property at 4:15 a.m. to dig through her trash.   According to The Shorewood Patch, the garbage-pickers reportedly found “multiple green plant stems” that smelled strongly of “green cannabis.”
This evidence was enough to make the police and prosecutors believe that her home may contain the forbidden cannabis plant.  A few days later, a paramilitary team of plant enforcers was assembled to arrest Mrs. Kirking.
Police tacticians decided that the most effective way to arrest the artist would be to wake her up at 5:00 a.m. with gun-toting strangers in her bedroom.  That’s what Mrs. Kirking awoke to on October 11th, 2013.

Angela Kirking and her attorney. (Source: Joseph Hosey)
“They had a gun pointed at me when they said, ‘Are there any illegal substances in your house?’” Kirking recalled.
DEA agents and Shorewood police officers were standing over her bed.  Apparently they had waited for her husband to leave for work at 4:50 a.m. and then made him let them in the home.
The Shorewood Patch reported that the agents confiscated her computer, some books, and a few grams of a plant that they claimed was marijuana.  These crimes amounted to misdemeanor charges, and Mrs. Kirking was taken away in handcuffs.
Of course, the investigation was based on rubbish.  Kirking’s attorney, Jeff Tomczak, is trying to get the search warrant voided because of its shaky pretexts.

Indoor gardeners are frequently the targets of police raids.  John Kohler, an indoor gardening advocate who runs GrowingYourGreens.com, had his home invaded by police because he grew vegetables in his bathroom.  A Kansas family who grew a garden in their basement suffered a no-knock raid under nearly the same pretexts as Mrs. Kirkling.

Major changes in the world as Babylon falls

http://gods-kingdom-ministries.net/daily-weblogs/2014/04-2014/major-changes-in-the-world-as-babylon-falls/

Major changes in the world as Babylon falls

Apr 07, 2014  by Stephen E. Jones

Alternate fuels have been around for the past century, but the big oil companies have suppressed them in order to sell its own product (oil). But with the nearing demise of the US dollar and the rise of Russia, propelled by its oil and gas sales, it seems that a new tactic is emerging in the economic war. The US Navy is now announcing that they have suddenly discovered how to convert seawater into CO₂ and hydrogen. The plan is to equip its ships with this capability by 2015.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-navy-game-changer-converting-seawater-fuel-150544958.html

I believe the US government is hoping to undercut the need for Russian oil by suddenly “discovering” alternate fuels. As long as the big US and European oil companies reigned supreme, alternate fuels were suppressed. Patents were bought up and buried. But now that Russia is becoming an economic powerhouse from its oil and gas sales, it has forced the US to disgorge some of its suppressed technology in an attempt to retain its position as a world power.

In fact, I have long suspected that there was a hidden reason why the Bakken oil field began to be developed in recent years in North Dakota. It comes at a time when the US relationship with the Saudis is fraying at the seams. After the US covert operations led the overthrow of President Mubarak of Egypt (in the guise of the Arab Spring democracy movement), the Saudis in turn overthrew the US-backed Muslim Brotherhood government of the new President Morsi. The Saudis then gave $6 billion to support the military government that replaced Morsi. That was a slap in the face to the US and to President Obama.

The second heated exchange came when the USA had to back down in Syria, after the Saudis agreed to help overthrow President Assad. Russia stepped in and stopped a US-led invasion plan, and this angered the Saudis even further.

Saudi Arabia sees the US as becoming increasingly impotent and is now turning East (China) for its support and protection. Dr Jim Willie believes that even though the Saudi government (which is Sunni Muslim) hates Iran (which is Shi’a), the Saudis will swallow their religious pride and make a hard business decision to join with Iran in the Eurasian Trade Zone with Russia, China, and India—and by extension all of the BRICS nations. Willie thinks that the defection of Saudi Arabia from the West to the East will mark the final collapse of the dollar. Why? Because the petro-dollar was born in Saudi Arabia in 1973 when they agreed to accept only dollars in payment for Saudi oil.

The Result of Trade Sanctions

The landscape is changing rapidly. A couple years ago the US imposed sanctions against Iran and cut them off from the SWIFT system, whereby payments for international trade are made in dollars--the "world currency." India, however, still wanted to buy Iranian oil, so they developed a new way to bypass the Fed. India now pays Iran in gold, using Turkey as its intermediary. This marked the start of a whole new trade settlement system that has returned to the gold base that had been abandoned in 1971.

The US government itself forced this to happen by issuing trade sanctions.

The US is now trying to impose trade sanctions on Russia. Once again, the plan is backfiring. It is one thing to sanction Iran, quite another to sanction Russia, which stretches out for 14 time zones and is backed by China. Sanctions give the appearance of not allowing other countries the PRIVILEGE of using the US dollar in international trade. But treating the use of the dollar as if it were a privilege is a fatal mistake. In the end, those sanctions have made it desirable to break the Fed’s monopoly on wire transfers by setting up an alternative system.

This erodes the US dollar as the world currency, because nations can make whatever alternate arrangements that they wish between each other. If they are forbidden to make payments in dollars, using the SWIFT system, then they can always set up a competing system that is sanction-free.

The BRICS nations have already done this last year, setting up their own trade settlement bank in South Africa (the "S" in BRICS). Sanctions on Russia (the "R" in BRICS) will only accelerate the demise of the dollar's importance in world trade payments. Why should a nation have to pay for imports using US dollars--and pay the fee (tax) to the Fed--when they can just use each other's currencies and save billions of dollars in the process?

Germany, the European Pivot Nation

It seems that Germany will be the deciding factor in this battle between East and West. It is reported that 90% of German corporate leaders are pro-Russian in this conflict and will not allow their government to impose any serious sanctions on Russia. They have too much to lose in the way of business deals, to say nothing of their need for Russian oil and gas. In the end, politics is dictated by economic interests, regardless of the power brokers' wish lists. If the US tries to sanction Russia as they did Iran, Russia will simply force every European country to pay for its oil and gas in roubles, gold, or perhaps even euros. They will bypass the dollar altogether. Such a scenario would be the end of King Dollar, and the US will be relegated to an armed-and-dangerous third world economic power.

If the US pushes Europe too hard, they will be forced to take sides. They will choose Russia over the US, simply because the rest of the world is getting very tired of US bullying. Up to now, they have tolerated it because of the economic benefits or military protection that such a relationship offered. But the world is fast changing. When the US no longer has an economy that can support its foreign imports, it will find itself friendless and isolated in the world.

Americans will be baffled and outraged that they helped so many nations through foreign aid and disaster aid, only to find those countries turning against us. "Ungrateful wretches!" they will shout, not knowing that all that foreign aid was not really "aid" at all but a bribe that bought foreign leaders' allegiance. Much of that aid went into the personal bank accounts of corrupt foreign leaders. Americans will not understand, because they cannot believe that their own government would be anything but benevolent.

The Eroding Power of Babylon since 2007

Everything began to change in 2007 with the subprime mortgage crisis, followed by the 2008 banking crisis. If you followed our ministry in past years, you will remember that we conducted a 13-year "Jubilee Prayer Campaign" from 1993-2006 for the overthrow of Babylon, designed to set God's people free and to establish the Kingdom of God. When we made our final decree at Babylon, NY on October 7, 2006, we then held a Tabernacles conference in Reading, PA the following week end. There I explained that Babylon would begin to collapse within a year. The subprime mortgage crisis surfaced in July 2007.

In the months and years that followed, the politicians and economists all insisted the recovery was just around the corner, citing past precedents. But this was no ordinary collapse. The whole system was broken. The seeds of its debt-system were sown into the system itself from the beginning, and this ensured that eventually, it would collapse in the wake of its self-created load of debt. The banks and government have tried hard to prop it back up and to manipulate the stock market, but this is becoming increasingly impossible to sustain. They have tried to sustain the value of the US dollar by manipulating the price of gold downward, but this has only caused other countries to buy gold at bargain-basement prices. The US has no more gold, in spite of its lies about gold in Fort Knox.

When all of this hits the surface (this year, I believe), Americans will be in a state of shock.

There are still a few more tricks that the US government can do to prop up its corpse besides applying more lipstick and eye shadow. There is little doubt that they will nationalize pension funds and retirement funds, taking the money and replacing it with an IOU (treasury bonds). They already did this with the Social Security Trust Fund back in the 1990's, which made it look like the government was running a surplus in those "good" Clinton years. They are even now planning to do this again, but this time with all retirement funds. Their retirement fund will be turned into a government welfare program. The retirement checks will not stop coming, but everyone will become dependent upon the government.

The other trick the government can do is to do a Cyprus-style "bail-in" by taking a so-called "wealth tax." In other words, they could take 10% of everyone's bank accounts and tout it as "an emergency one-time tax." Of course, the billionaires will know about this ahead of time, so they will move their money overseas to safe havens, leaving the rest of us to be robbed.

These are events that we should consider to be the death-throes of the current form of US government. What will it look like politically? It will be a virtual dictatorship, whether they declare martial law in public or not.

It used to be prudent to save money. That was when the inflationary rate was low. When high inflation came in the late 1970’s as the result of going off the gold standard, it became more prudent to spend money on things that were going up in price, such as houses and land. The subprime mortgage crisis in 2007 suddenly brought about a collapse in housing prices, ending thirty years of land and houses as a good store of value.

Since that time, as the big banks and the US government have struggled with insolvency, Americans have to change their way of thinking and must develop a new way of thinking. When governments get hungry, people must hide their food.

In today’s world, where the government itself presents the greatest danger to personal wealth, those who have savings or retirement accounts can no longer assume that their money is protected by law and the justice department. It is better to spend the money on things which have more stability. Many are suggesting gold, silver, or other metals. Paper contracts are insufficient—such as a paper that says you own a certain amount of gold somewhere in cyberspace. Paper is only as good as someone’s ability to make good on the contract.

My own way of thinking is that whatever money I own is now at its highest value and will only go down in value as time passes. At some point it may drop 50% if the guacamole hits the fan. It is better to use money today than try to use it later when it is worth much less.

Unfortunately, many are still stuck on the old mindset of the past, where savings accounts made good sense. Back in those days “a penny saved was a penny earned.” Nowadays, a penny saved is a half-penny earned. Those who cannot change their old mindset will be the ones who will suffer most.

Here is where it is most helpful to understand Bible prophecy. If we understand that the Western Fed-based monetary system is the core of Mystery Babylon (as a governmental system), then we can start to grasp the meaning of its collapse when God overthrows it.

Revelation 18:11 makes it clear that the economic system will be affected the collapse. This will affect everyone in some way, but the better one understands financial matters, the better able one will be able to lessen the pain—or even to prosper in it.

Cobra Update

I have a new important update on my blog. Please post it on your blogs and share it if you feel so guided:

http://2012portal.blogspot.com/2014/04/end-of-petrodollar-overunity-and-event.html

Victory of the Light,

Cobra

Update by Sheldan Nidle for the Spiritual Hierarchy and the Galactic Federation 4/08/2014

Rumor Mill News Agents Forum

Update by Sheldan Nidle for the Spiritual Hierarchy and the Galactic Federation 4/08/2014

Posted By: Mr.Ed [Send E-Mail]
Date: Tuesday, 8-Apr-2014 20:44:02

Update by Sheldan Nidle for the Spiritual Hierarchy and the Galactic Federation 4/08/2014 6 Ben, 16 Mac, 10 Caban Dratzo! Things are buzzing around your globe! Numerous incidents have occurred which are scaring the leaders of the dark cabal. The events are now forcing these arrogant ones to relent and permit the rise of a new global monetary system. Along with this development is the establishing of a new international financial system. This series of linked events is creating shock waves that threaten the very existence of many corrupt and formerly omnipotent governments. An ever-growing wedge is now appearing that is shortly to cause them to allow new governance to appear. This manifesting phenomenon is eventually to allow a thorough disclosure of our existence to occur. The dark can easily see that its reign of many millennia is swiftly coming to a close. It is to be replaced by rule based on morality, your sovereignty and an ever-rising prosperity. In this new realm, you are to learn many things that were hidden from you; among them your extraterrestrial origins and the former existence of the fallen continents of Atlantis and Mu. These new facts are to shock you into some understanding of who you really are. The rest is to come when the Ascended Masters and their Inner Earth brethren address you. All of these things are to prepare you for the fact that you are shortly to return to full consciousness. Those who carefully kept this from you realized that these truths revealed were to cause a “revolution” that was swiftly return you to the very edges of full consciousness. Hence, a number of great lies were put into effect to hide this from you. These manipulations included redrawing your religions, altering the basis of modern science and creating a monetary system based upon scarcity. These endless “false flags” are to be rectified by what is happening around your globe. Our allies are forging the underpinnings for a new financial system and are readying the mechanisms for the rise of a new reality. These events are now manifesting in bits and pieces around your globe, and are only the mere beginnings! Your new set of facts is to readjust your basic perceptions about your world. Take these in hand and be ready to apply them to your many societies. The primary purpose is to lift you far above survival level and rid you of governance and a worldly cabal whose purpose is to deny you your natural birthrights. Lies were purposely told to you. They are now to be removed and replaced by truths that make most of what you know useless. Take what you learn and be prepared to expand this when your Ascended Masters address you. This new set of knowledge is just the start of what you really need to know about yourselves and your original ancestors, the numerous immigrants from the stars! These fully conscious Beings came here to aid Gaia and care for a vast and wondrous interlocked set of eco-systems. Gaia was then united and possessed a fully conscious realm both on and below her surface. This remarkable world had birthed this galaxy and come to rest eons ago in the life zone of your sun. The process of protecting and preserving a host of eco-systems also included adding to the robustness of Gaia. The initial results were quite promising. The new colonists had gained a renewal for Gaia and her living systems that brought a great joy to all. This process was temporarily skewed by the rise of the new daughter colony of Atlantis. The rulers of this daughter colony were greatly influenced by the priests and priestesses of the Anchara continuum. This can be likened to the legends of the great fall of humanity into darkness. These legends have largely made it impossible to fully comprehend the workings imposed on them by the Anunnaki and their succeeding bands of minions. This confusion is now to be returned to truth! Coming history lessons are to prepare you to understand why you are now in limited consciousness and how you are to be returned to your natural state of full consciousness. The final step in this journey is to be done by Heaven and your space and Inner Earth families. Namaste! We are your Ascended Masters! Our various associates and their allies are completing actions that are to bring sovereignty, prosperity and freedom to you. At present, each one of the several events that are manifesting is ready to greatly alter the world you live in. The dark has been in charge ever since the Atlanteans left for their location in Beta Centauri. They left behind those who successfully manipulated this surface reality for nearly 13 millennia. This reign is coming to an end as new institutions are born. While this is occurring, we have watched as Heaven adjusts and recalibrates your mental emotional and physical bodies. As each of these reaches a higher vibration, you become able to absorb new perceptions and rethink the foundation of your various core beliefs. With these small transformations you are then ready to receive what we need to tell you. Dear blessed Ones, you are at the very edge of a new reality. Most of what you know has been given to you in puzzles. The dark persists in explaining to you that these odd puzzles are truth. In fact, they are only jumbled half-truths. We intend to present to you the complete solved puzzle, eliminating any mysteries. Once you have absorbed these messages, you can see who you truly are, and what you once were. These actions are only the beginning of what we are to say. You need to be assured of your destination in this grand journey. Much has been written by many, attempting to uncover what the dark so heinously mixed up. Absent the mysteries, you can then see how unique and wondrous you truly are. In this new setting, we can introduce you to what the process of Ascension is really about! You are entering a realm filled with wonder and miracles! This requires you to focus deeply and intently upon the Divine, and the real meaning of divine service. In this mode, numerous subjects take on deep meanings that you have not previously experienced. This mode requires a special degree of training to allow you to see and clearly outline what you need to do to accomplish your inner and outer goals. All of this is related so you can quickly discover how the spiritual and physical realms are connected. This insight lets you interact as a most wondrous collective and pursue both your joint and individual goals. You become a member of both the sisterhoods and brotherhoods of the Light in Heaven and for the Earth. You are returned to the sacred missions that brought you long ago to this most magnificent realm! Today, we briefly explored what is happening around you. Be prepared for magic and for grand miracles to occur. We are shaping events that are to transform your surface reality, that can eventually permit Gaia’s two realms to again become one! The time for celebration is forming around you! Know, dear Ones, that the countless Supply and never-ending Prosperity of Heaven are indeed yours! So Be It! Selamat Gajun! Selamat Ja! (Sirian for Be One! and Be in Joy!) Planetary Activation Organization http://www.paoweb.com/index.html

REUTERS: Globex trading shuts down due to technical problem: CME

Subject: Fwd: REUTERS: Globex trading shuts down due to technical problem: CME

fyi

Reuters with CNBC.com 4 Hours Ago Reuters 1 COMMENTJoin the Discussion Tim Boyle | Bloomberg | Getty Images CME Group said technical issues had shut down contracts on its Globex electronic trading system on Tuesday afternoon with primarily agricultural and grains contracts affected and no impact on oil or metals. Trading continued in the open outcry pits on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. Shutdowns on the electronic trading system are rare. "We can confirm that we are experiencing technical issues ... we are working to get this resolved," CME spokesman Chris Grams said. CME said all grain futures and options currently halted on CME Globex will be settled Tuesday via open outcry methodology. CME posted this message on its website earlier: A trader on the floor said the market was "in a panic'' due to the shutdown of the electronic system, which handles more than 90 percent of the volume on a typical day. The CME Globex trading systems went down at approx 1:50 p.m. ET, about 25 minutes before the market close. Wednesday is a big day as USDA monthly crop reports are due out midday. That report is supposed to show new demand reports that the market is expecting. It's important to note that while trading on certain parts of the Globex electronic platform was halted, trades continued to be executed and the market was to be closed in open outcry trading.  Visit stage3alpha at: http://s3alpha.net/?xg_source=msg_mes_network To control which emails you receive on stage3alpha, click here

EXCLUSIVE: MICHELLE WALKS OUT AS OBAMA DIVORCE BATTLE EXPLODES!

http://m.nationalenquirer.com/entry/view/id/1585/pn/all/p/0/?KSID=7037d5ec3cd7169fcb94943f134015c0

EXCLUSIVE: MICHELLE WALKS OUT AS OBAMA DIVORCE BATTLE EXPLODES!

By Steve Herz, NATIONAL ENQUIRER
April 3, 2014 | 5:40am EDT
Full Size Image
IN a major behind-the-scenes blowout, President BARACK OBAMA and first lady MICHELLE waged their worst White House fight ever over her lavish vacation trip to China!
Sources tell The ENQUIRER that Obama exploded when Michelle refused to cancel her pricey getaway - even after White House advisers warned him that the first couple's six-year string of extravagant vacations had already drained the U.S. Treasury of a whopping $150 million in taxpayers' money.
Instead of postponing her trip, a furious Michelle - still seething over the embarrassing "selfie" Barack recently snapped with a leggy blonde head of state - announced that she was taking her mother along for company.
She further declared that she didn't want reporters covering her activities overseas.
"This was a blowout of epic proportions - probably the nastiest White House fight they've ever had," a Washington, D.C., insider told The ENQUIRER.
"They were both screaming at one another.
"The president was infuriated when advisers told him that they'd added up the costs of all their 'vacations' and China was putting them over the $150 million mark.
"But he's defenseless to stop Michelle because their marriage has collapsed. She's doing what she wants - and that's seeing the world on the American taxpayers' dime."
The embattled commander in chief flat-out begged his wife of 21 years to postpone the trip, according to a family insider.
"But she refused," said the source.
"Then, when Barack asked why she had to take her mother along, Michelle ripped into him. She screamed that he was 'lucky' that she hadn't left him after that embarrassing 'selfie,' and then she stormed off."
Michelle arrived in Beijing with her mother, Marian Robinson, and the Obamas' daughters, 15-year-old Malia and Sasha, 12, on March 20 for a planned seven-day, three-city trip.
They checked into the lavish presidential suite at the Beijing Westin hotel, costing a whopping $8,350 per night. The 3,400-square-foot suite included 24-hour butler service and a steam room.
One published report quoted hotel employees grumbling about Michelle's mom "barking at the staff " and added that the first lady's party was "inconveniencing pretty much everyone."
And it quickly became clear that Michelle had apparently won the battle to avoid media scrutiny.
While she was scheduled to deliver a speech to students at Peking University, "The Weekly Standard" reported that "she won't be accompanied by the press" because "she does not plan to give interviews."
As a result, the White House went into spin control, noted the D.C. insider.
"They're defending Michelle's trip by calling it 'a people-to-people exchange' and emphasizing 'the importance that both nations place on education,'" said the source. "But the fact is Michelle specifically demanded that reporters not follow her every move."
Media were granted access to only two of the 22 events on the first lady's schedule, and sources say Michelle's media ban hid her secret agenda to split from the president.
Besides being humiliated by the president's "selfie" photo with the sexy Danish prime minister at Nelson Mandela's memorial service last December, sources say Michelle was further outraged when she learned the Secret Service had been covering up the president's cheating.
The first lady has already met with divorce lawyers and is planning a separate life after her husband leaves the White House.
"Obama's advisers told him he must try and keep Michelle 'under control' until then," divulged the D.C. insider.
"They explained that if Michelle walked out while he was still in office, the impact on his presidential legacy would be catastrophic."
And Michelle isn't doing him any favors by traveling like a queen.
Besides the family's annual August vacation on ritzy Martha's Vineyard and Christmas holiday in Hawaii, Michelle jetted off to Mexico and Spain in 2010, and kicked up her heels at a posh ski resort in Vail, Colo., in 2011.
In March 2011, she spent five days in Latin America with her mother and daughters. Three months later, they were joined by Michelle's niece and nephew for a safari in South Africa.
In June 2013, the first lady spent two days in Ireland. That trip required booking 30 rooms at an exclusive hotel for her staff and security detail, costing taxpayers a reported $5 million.
According to one published report: "The president's pricey travels have become so controversial that 'Judicial Watch' was forced to sue the Secret Service and Defense Department to get them to turn over records on the amount of taxpayer money used to fly the first family all over the world..."
But Michelle couldn't care less, said the D.C. insider.
"It's clear to everyone at the White House that Barack has completely lost control of his wife," said the source.
"Michelle does whatever she wants and goes wherever she wants. It's as if she's tacked up a map of the world and put pins on all the places she wants to visit. The sad part is that taxpayers are paying for her bucket list."

Banks “ACCEPT” Loans As “DEPOSITS” Of Money

Banks “ACCEPT” Loans As “DEPOSITS” Of Money

The “ONLY” thing banks loan to any transaction is their “NAME”

"Show Me The Money"

People are mislead as to what money is and where the money comes from to fund a bank loan check. Most people incorrectly think that money is only cash and that other depositors funded the bank loan check. Everyone agrees the borrower should repay the lender. We all agree we should repay the one who funded the loan. The problem is that most people are mislead as to who funded the loan.

In America, money is more than just cash. Money is anything that has value and can be sold for cash and is accepted as money. If you use gold to buy a car, the gold is used as money. If you have $10,000 of government bonds that can be sold for $10,000 of cash and you use the bonds to buy a $10,000 car, you used the bonds as money.

Banks routinely accept bonds as money and deposit the bonds into checking accounts. If the bank accepted $5,000 of bonds from you, deposited the bonds into your checking account, and loaned the $5,000 to a borrower, the borrower should repay the bank, and the bank should return the $5,000 to you. A bond is a fancy name for a promissory note (a promise to pay).

If you ask for a $10,000 bank loan, the banker has you sign a $10,000 promissory note. Did you ever give consent to (authorize) the bank to sell your promissory note to investors for $10,000. (When most people want to sell their homes they locate a real estate agent. The homeowner signs an agreement with the real estate agent giving the real estate agent consent to sell the home. Once the home is sold the homeowner receives the amount the home sold for, the real estate agent receives a commission (percentage of the amount the home sold for). The real estate agent is not entitled to keep the full amount of what the home sold for.) The investors want the interest. If you do not pay the interest, the bank forecloses and collects the money? Both the bond and the note can be sold for cash giving them equal value to cash. Actually the bank has no "STANDING!" No "STANDING" to sue, foreclose, or claim your deposit as theirs. When the bank "accepts" your loan (deposit) they must now act in "good faith" as "trustee" with a "fiduciary duty" for your benefit "ONLY!"

According to Federal Reserve Bank publications, the promissory note that you signed is money.

When banks deposit the borrower's promissory note into a checking account, the bank accepted the promissory note as money. If you deposit money at the bank, it is like loaning the bank the money. If you deposit it or loan the bank the money, you can get the money back.

If you travel to Brazil, you will go to a moneychanger to exchange equal value of American money for Brazilian money. If you exchange $100 of coins for $100 of cash, you traded value for value. An exchange is not a loan.

If you deposit $100 of cash and withdraw a $100 check, that is a return of your original loan (deposit).

If you loan (deposit) $100 of cash to the bank the bank has to return the $100 on your demand. The bank makes two entries onto their ledger with each and every deposit they receive, double entry bookkeeping. The first entry is the asset side of the ledger for $100, the second entry is the liability side of the ledger for $100. With every new deposit the assets of the bank increase. With every withdrawal those same assets of the bank decrease. If you loan the bank a $1,000 bond or promissory note that can be sold for $1,000 cash and this loan funds the bank loan check back to you, the bank has to return your original loan (deposit)

RETURN defined: To bring, carry, or send back; to place in the custody of; to restore; to re-deliver. "Return" means that something which has had a prior existence will be brought or sent back. Sims v. Western Steel Co., C.A. Utah, 551 F.2d 811, 820. Black’s Law Dictionary Sixth Edition (page 1318)

See: http://www.scribd.com/doc/217014218/Banks-ACCEPT-Loans-As-DEPOSITS-Of-Money

An unseen, personal battle at the State of the Union

By Lisa Desjardins, CNN

updated 5:58 PM EST, Wed January 29, 2014

Everyone sees the President, the VIPs, the robes and the brass. But CNN went in search of the unseen guests, the everyday Americans in the balconies for the State of the Union speech. Members of Congress can invite one guest each. These are some of the people they chose. We lead with Matt Cooke. During the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Cooke threw himself between attacker Nidal Hasan and a fellow soldier and was shot five times himself. A shy man who works to prevent military suicides, he struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and sat near a House chamber door during the State of the Union in case of a panic attack. He said he attended the speech to fight for Fort Hood families and their push that the 2009 attack be considered a terrorist act.

 Luis Castaneda: The fifth-grader won his ticket from Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, in an essay contest. Luis wrote that going to the State of the Union would change his life forever and help move him toward his lifetime goal of attending Yale. Asked if his family is proud, Luis' grandmother Sylvia choked back tears.

 Shelly Collins: A Silicon Valley CEO, Collins runs Enscient, an information technology company. She sits on the National Women's Business Council and also is an activist pushing for more science, technology, engineering and math education. Rep. Mike Honda, D-California, invited her as his guest.

 Katie Greene: Fifteen years ago, Greene and her neighbors in Riverside, California, formed "The Group," a determined we-can-fix-our-community organization that still meets every other Thursday morning. Greene begged Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, for a State of the Union ticket for a year, and she beamed that attending the speech was on her bucket list. "This is exceedingly special," she told CNN.

 Aaron Hirsh: The 44-year-old father of two came to the State of the Union because of his personal experience with Obamacare. Hirsh told CNN that his individual market policy was canceled and the insurance company replacement was 80% more expensive. When Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, put out a call for stories related to Obamacare, Hirsh responded and was invited to be Scalise's guest Tuesday night.

 Rev. Mark Tyler: Tyler is the pastor of the historic Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. He also works with a group called POWER -- Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower & Rebuild -- to bring together different faiths and races and help people who are struggling.

 Jeff Colaiacovo: Wearing his Purple Heart ribbon to the speech, Colaiacovo told CNN that Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Florida, invited him to the State of the Union after he had difficulty getting his Veterans Affairs benefits. Colaiacovo served in Vietnam but said VA red tape still blocked his benefits until Frankel helped. "The system is a merry-go-round," he told CNN.

HIDE CAPTION

Real people go to Washington

Washington (CNN) -- It was a crowning achievement, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to be there. He wasn't sure he could make it through the speech without running out of the House chamber in panic. And he didn't know how many of his country's leaders cared.

Matt Cooke wore his camouflage combat uniform, surrounded by lawmakers, innovators and a few celebrities, and he stepped into a room that would hold the world's greatest concentration of power per square inch for an hour or so.

But the everyday hero just wanted to get through the State of the Union on Tuesday night. His seat was next to the door, just in case.

The much-coveted invitation came because of his heroism on November 5, 2009, when he stopped by the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at the sprawling Army base at Fort Hood, Texas.

Moments after military psychiatrist Nidal Hasan opened fire, Cooke threw himself on top of another soldier, likely saving that man's life but taking five bullets himself.

His wounds still affect him. His eyesight may deteriorate for the rest of his life.

But as Cooke looked out from the House chamber balcony Tuesday night, the biggest potential issues were his mind and fears.

"I don't like being by myself," he said earlier before the event, pausing. "I don't trust, it's hard for me to trust people now."

Cooke was honored to be at the Capitol, of course. But logistics dictated that the shy, blue-eyed veteran had to sit with strangers. (Each member of Congress got one ticket.) And he didn't like that.

Cooke needs to be around people he knows. And after he survived the massacre in the middle of a U.S. Army base, he has a hard time trusting security anywhere.

The increased measures at the Capitol actually added to those concerns, raising the idea that this place was especially threatened.

But the unassuming man came anyway, battling his post-traumatic stress disorder-instincts out of gratitude to his hometown congressman, Republican Robert Pittenger of North Carolina, and to push for what he believes is long overdue recognition for the victims of Fort Hood.

"The Department of Defense says it was workplace violence," Cooke relayed hours before the State of the Union, sitting on a window bench tucked into a House office building stairway. "It was a terrorist act ... to me, it seems they're trying to cover it up, almost as if it never happened the way it did."

There are multiple issues here. Under the "workplace violence" designation, benefits are lower than if the attack were considered terrorism or part of an active conflict. Victims and families face lower disabled income or death benefits. Thirteen people were killed at Fort Hood.

A softer Republican side in response to Obama

Cooke spoke with determination on this.

"It's not about the money for me. It has nothing to do with the money," he said.

He wants the families to be recognized, for victims to be able to receive purple hearts for their wounds and be afforded all honors appropriate to that at a military burial.

But Cooke and his family believe the vast majority of Americans don't know about their continued battle. And that Congress is happy to move on.

"There is a bill, H.R. 3111, to declare Fort Hood a terrorist act, but Congress ...," he shakes his head. "September Eleventh at the Pentagon was a terrorist attack, but this, no."

Hasan was convicted last August in a military court of murder and attempted murder. A jury recommended a death sentence. Thirteen people were killed at Fort Hood.

A U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent who was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, Hasan admitted to targeting soldiers. He said at one point that he wanted to protect the Taliban and its leaders from the U.S. military.

Comprehensive coverage: State of the Union

Investigations after the massacre found he had been communicating via e-mail with Anwar al-Awlaki, an Yemeni-American radical cleric killed by a U.S. drone attack in 2011.

Cooke's foot taps as he talks about it, but otherwise his bearing was deeply calm. Almost tired.

His injuries rewrote his life. A marriage failed. He is no longer allowed to drive. And he lives with his mom, Diane Frappier, and stepdad, Jerry Frappier. The couple sometimes can't get the 34-year-old to leave his room.

"Before (coming to Washington), he spent three days in his bedroom," Diane Frappier confided. "He was really nervous."

That bedroom is a safe place, he thinks. The Capitol is not.

To help, Diane and Jerry made the road trip with their son. They stood next to him during interviews. Walked beside him down Capitol Hill's hard marble hallways.

For Diane, the trip is a part of her son's recovery and his mission now.

"I think it's time for some of his story to come out," said Diane, who is as feisty and confident as her son is humble and careful.

This is the first time Matt Cooke has ever heard a State of the Union address.

But frankly the speech was not his main interest.

He was at the Capitol to represent people who served the military, suffered at the hands of a gunman and who now feel overlooked.

When asked what he hopes for himself, the 13-year veteran gave an answer of recovery.

"I don't know. Right now, I'm hoping for today," he said.

And, it turns out, the day was good.

In the teeming House chamber, Cooke saw the unexpected -- the face of fellow Fort Hood survivor Alonzo Lunsford, just a few seats away.

Cooke knew his friend was in town, but not where he'd be during the speech.

The room felt better. He made it. He didn't need to run. And he could listen as the President and Congress honored another surviving soldier -- Sgt. Cory Remsburg.

High up in the balcony, off camera, Matt Cooke soaked in the wave of cheers.

"It was a pretty good night," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/29/politics/state-of-the-union-guest/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

HOORAY - 53-46 vote

Some of my Friends feel I am anti Democrat or anti Obama.  I really am not.  Really!  What I am is Very Pro American !!  I did my time.  I gave up two years of my life to be there on the 'front lines of Freedom'  and I get really upset when the DCites start messing with things like the constitution.  Vietnam war 'right or wrong' is not the issue.  I lost friends from school over there cause they answered the call to "defend America's way of life" as they were told to do.  They did that for each and every one of you!  We all did our part.  ....  Our existing "Commander In Chief" does not make me very proud.  I beg to differ with him.  THIS IS A JUDEO CHRISTIAN NATION!!  It was founded on Judeo Christian Principles.  But Washington steadily moves it further and further away from our foundations day by day.  AND THAT MAKES ME VERY SAD !!  Why is this happening?  Because those principles demand Justice and Fairness for Everyone!!  Rich man - Poor man -  And all in between.  And that is not the goal of the Elite and their pawns in DC.  So why are we where we are at?  It is simply just that America has a very NON Christian Leadership today.  I invite ANYBODY to prove me wrong.  I AM NOT SAYING HERE THAT EVERYONE HAS TO BE CHRISTIAN TO BE AN AMERICAN.  ABSOLUTELY NOT !!  There is a HUGE difference in being 'a Christian' and living by Judeo Christian principles ...

I'm getting off my Soap Box Now.  If any one receiving this rant wishes to do so, go ahead redirect my emails to your Spam or Junk folder and be done with it.  But if you've got the guts to do it, and if you can, prove me wrong.   BTW  -   Please remember.   Only a friend has the guts to say what he believes his friend might not care to hear.  ....  Tom J.  Senior   PS:  If you agree, please 

forward.  Americans have got to know what their representatives are doing/trying to do.  If we don't tell folks, who will??  Thnx

----- Forwarded Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 12:46 PM
Subject: Fwd: HOORAY - 53-46 vote

Subject: Fwd: HOORAY - 53-46 vote.   To: Me & on 2 U 2 - Because every one ought to see for themselves that there was not one Republican in the list who wanted to give away a large part of our Constitutional rights to a foreign entity

Subject: HOORAY - 53-46 vote

Pass this one along to your friends.                   

In a 53-46 vote, the Senate narrowly passed a measure that will stop the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.  The Statement of Purpose from the Bill reads:  "To uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty."  The U.N. Small Arms Treaty, which has been championed by the Obama Administration, would have effectively placed a global ban on the import and export of small firearms.  The ban would have affected all private gun owners in the U.S. and had language that would have implemented an international gun registry, now get this,  on  all  private guns and ammo.

 

Astonishingly, 46 out of our 100 United States Senators were willing to give away our Constitutional rights to a foreign power.

 

Here are the 46 senators who voted to give your rights to the U.N.

Baldwin (D-WI)

Baucus (D-MT)

Bennett (D-CO)

Blumenthal (D-CT)

Boxer (D-CA)

Brown (D-OH)

Cantwell (D-WA)

Cardin (D-MD)

Carper (D-DE)

Casey (D-PA)

Coons (D-DE)

Cowan (D-MA)

Durbin (D-IL)j

Feinstein (D-CA)

Franken (D-MN)

Gillibrand (D-NY)

Harkin (D-IA)

Hirono (D-HI)

Johnson (D-SD)

Kaine (D-VA)

King (I-ME)

Klobuchar (D-MN)

Landrieu (D-LA)

Leahy (D-VT)

Levin (D-MI)

McCaskill (D-MO)

Menendez (D-NJ)

Merkley (D-OR)

Mikulski (D-MD)

Murphy (D-CT)

Murray (D-WA)

Nelson (D-FL)

Reed (D-RI)

Reid (D-NV)

Rockefeller (D-WV)

Sanders (I-VT)

Schatz (D-HI)

Schumer (D-NY)

Shaheen (D-NH)

Stabenow (D-MI)

Udall (D-CO)

Udall (D-NM)

Warner (D-VA)

Warren (D-MA)

Whitehouse (D-RI)

Wyden (D-OR)

 

Folks: This needs to go viral. These Senators voted to let the UN take OUR guns. They need to lose their next election. We have been betrayed.

Please send  this to SOMEONE!