This post has no title

This post has no title because I can not think of a title that does justice to the laughable "fiscal cliff" events of the day. Beginning hours after I awoke with Obama's rambling "speech", a speech where fittingly he had the middle class lined up like drones behind him as he made barely sensible statements about, well.. some spending, cuts and stuff. It was hard to tell really what he was saying between all of the fluffy "responsible balanced yadda yadda" crap.

Then later, in our suspiciously Hollywood-esk drama of the "fiscal cliff", a "tentative accord" is made, there's just one problem with it: it doesn't actually address the issue which created the whole "fiscal cliff" in the first place: the debt ceiling. Oh, but don't worry:

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner formally notified Congress that the government reached its statutory borrowing limit on New Year’s Eve. Through some creative accounting tricks, the Treasury Department can put off action for perhaps two months, but Congress must act to keep the government from defaulting just when the “pause” on pending cuts is up. Then in late March, a temporary law financing the government expires.

Yep, some "creative accounting tricks", in other words: compounding more bullshit. "Accounting tricks", shifting numbers around, deck chairs on the Titanic. Oh yes, they're really "working" to solve this problem and not abandoning the ship in the population's tax funded lifeboats.

Warning! Ice berg ahead!

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

When will it be enough?

BREAKING NEWS: Politicians are talking, and nothing is getting done. Meetings are being held, and nothing is being done. Money is being spent and still, nothing is being done. For days, weeks, months, and years we've seen countless "meetings" all geared to address one crisis or another by our so called "leaders", and where are the results?

Where are the "results" from the billion dollar G20 summit in Toronto in 2010? Where are the "results" from Elections Canada about the legitimacy of the government and our electoral system? Where are the results? When will the time for meetings be over, and the time for action begin?

I keep seeing questions along the line of 'Why is Stephen Harper afraid to do X', lately 'X' has been 'meet with Chief Spence', but it applies elsewhere too. I'm not sure where people are getting the idea he's 'afraid', unless of course you still believe in the Santa Claus for grown ups called Canadian democracy. Yes, I can see how if you were somehow under the impression that the government is in some way concerned about what Canadians think then their actions or lack of concern might be considered to be 'fearful'. But, since that isn't the case and the government is merely going through the steps and motions required to surrender what remains of our sovereignty to the global banking cartel while simultaneously setting us up for an economic crisis of our own, 'afraid' is hardly the right word.

The fiscal cliff circus continues

I'm going to depart from Canada for a second to talk about the 'fiscal cliff' some more as I don't think many Canadians understand what this means for us. The fiscal cliff isn't pure propaganda as some are suggesting. I've seen a lot of people (usually who support Obama) liken the fiscal cliff to 2012, or Y2K. The fiscal cliff itself does have meaning, however the terminology being used and the methods to hype the situation are being done with the intent to propagandize.

I have to bring up the fact (for all those who still believe in the fake "arguments" between the 'left' and 'right' on display) that up until a couple months ago there was little or no mention of the fiscal cliff despite full awareness of it. The U.S. went through an entire presidential election with barely a fiscal cliff whimper. They talked about Iran, and contraception, and everything including the kitchen sink in terms of issues either designed to repetitively beat a message of fear into the viewing public or in terms of issues designed purely to be conversed and divisive amongst the population while the 'big boys' concentrate on the important stuff. No, it's only after the election you start hearing about this cliff. The fiscal cliff could have been an advantage for the Republicans, yet they didn't take advantage of it, why?

The answer of course is that neither side has any interest in an actual fiscal 'solution', they are both working for the same thing. Every time you hear in the media 'reach a deal', keep in mind that the deal they are talking about is not one for the population, but rather one which allows those in government to continue doing exactly what they have been doing at further expense of the population. Ron Paul has given a similar analysis. It is a deal to stop the status quo from collapsing, to continue running an economy based on fraud with an overstretched military enforcing use of their defunct currency. Why can't they cut military spending? It's pretty simple, they need it to continue forcing nations to use the USD, and nations which challenge the USD - such as Libya, Syria, Iraq, etc - must be invaded.

If cut, fiscal deal will pale against expectations

Gone, however, is the talk of a grand deal that would tackle broad spending and revenue demands and set the nation on a course to lower deficits. Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner were once a couple hundred billion dollars apart of a deal that would have reduced the deficit by more than $2 trillion over ten years.

Yes, 'gone', or perhaps it never really existed to begin with?

There are a few fiscal matters which don't require any debate, discussion, reports, enquiries, or investigations however: Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress, Federal Workers, Joe Biden. When it comes to what's important to the status quo it's expedition, executive orders and the like.

Canadian Style, Eh

Of course it's not unique to the U.S., now is it?

CSIS freed from final shreds of oversight

Late last week, in its familiar stealth-like fashion, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government shuttered the office of the Inspector General (IG) over Canada’s spy service, CSIS.

Now, let's assume that Greece is the model for the world. The canary in the coal mine.

Greek police clash with angry shopkeepers in Athens

Greek riot police fought a group of Athens businessmen who tried to prevent a tax inspection on their shops, officials said on Thursday, highlighting the resistance the government faces in cracking down on the country's endemic tax evasion.
...
Greek tax officials are under pressure to perform after international lenders told Athens it needs to improve its inefficient tax administration to receive further bailout funds.

The government said on Thursday it would replace several heads of local tax offices who did not meet their revenue targets.

You see what this is turning in to don't you? They say "tax evasion" is partially to blame for their crisis, but are going after the small shops. What of the bankers and those who had dealings with Goldman Sachs? They are in control now, still. The Greek people are being shaken down by the "international lenders", the first of many western nations to be shaken down just as the international lenders have been shaking down the third world for decades. As if, what measly tax evasion by this corner store even make a dent in the massive spiral of fraud they've gotten into. But that's where all of the focus is, on screwing the peasants, can you blame them for not wanting to pay taxes while their neighbours starve in their streets all so it can be paid to international lenders?

Observe Greece carefully, because what's happening there will be replicated all across Europe, all across the U.S. and yes, all across Canada, too. What the people of Greece are dealing with now are the same sorts of problems western nations will all be facing. It's where the selling out of our sovereignty leads, a true return to kings and serfs.

Harper is an agent for this banking cartel, and they have their sights on Canada's vast resources. Goldman Sachs lackey Mark Carney has set the stage, the player's are in position, it's time for the show to begin.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Cliff Hangers

There is so much talk going on currently about the fear of 'going over' the cliff, yet little or no talk about what awaits the U.S. population at the bottom of the fall. There is even less talk about how this whole mess is going to affect Canada despite periodic 'warnings' from our "leaders". There are a lot of people talking about the 'cliff' and about 'averting' the 'cliff', but few seem to realize why the term 'cliff' is being used and even less can actually put any meaning behind the word 'avert'.

What exactly does 'aversion' of the fiscal cliff actually mean? Everyone from what I can tell seems to equate aversion with avoidance, as if these useless politicians are going to 'avert the fiscal crisis' which is pretty hard to do when you are in the depths of such a crisis.

The term 'fiscal cliff' is really some of the best propaganda around. It's catchy, which encourages people to use it even though they don't understand it's meaning. Why the word 'cliff', specifically?

The first time I heard the current fiscal crisis referred to as a 'cliff' was before the term 'fiscal cliff' even existed, Chris Martenson in his presentation 'The collapse of the exponential function' uses a 'cliff' analogy quite well to describe the predicament. Martenson uses the term cliff to visualize that there is no going back, that no matter how much you flail your arms around trying to regain your balance you're not going to be back at the top of that cliff. Martenson concludes that your time and effort in such a predicament is better spent bracing and preparing for the fall.

This is where we are at today, the cuts coming are being referred to as 'going over the cliff', because they will be just the beginning of a long, long fall. As I have explained previously, the cuts are coming one way or another, there will be no avoiding them.

It is the economy itself which is flawed

Someone tweeted at me today: "I would prefer to see the world change & prevent collapse than to prepare for economic or ecological collapse". This is perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of change there can be. There can be no fundamental change in our situation without a collapse, if the current paradigm does not collapse than the world hasn't changed at all. The corruption is subversive and ingrained in our society. We are facing a future of continually poorer social services alongside re-introductions of slavery and cheap labour in our society all in the name of 'economic growth'. It is this growth itself, exponential in nature, which can not continue and is destined for collapse.

Even Paul Krugman, who subscribes to the Keynesian economic ideology, is beginning to question the viability of growth. His conclusion is still wrong though, somehow differentiating between a death in growth of labour and a birth of growth of automation and machinery. These two seemingly opposite takes on the 'growth is dead' scenario are actually functions of each other however. Automation along with temporary foreign workers will, in the near term, be looked to as the answer to the "high costs" of western human labour. This is just one stop on a very long journey however, both takes are really of the same analysis but simply looking at different time periods. Krugman still has much to learn in regards to energy economics but at least it looks like finally his whole 'QE saved us' theory may be dead.

It always, ALWAYS, comes back to energy

Still to this day, despite all of the signs, those who ignore the energy equation continue to miss their economic forecasts. Some are doing this deliberately to keep the confidence game afloat, while others simply do not get it at all, particularly those pointing to fracking as the answer. We're now pouring energy and effort into "converting" to an LNG based economy, another centrally distributed energy that can be monopolized by the energy cartels.

Contrary to popular belief, the energy cartels are not against derivative (what is mistakenly called alternative) energy. Oil is not a preference because it is oil, oil is a preference because it is controllable. Oil, which is largely the feedstock for our plastic exponential disposable economy is distributed and controlled by a small, small minority. This minority is desperate for an "alternative" supply of energy, it's quite necessary, however this energy must be one that is controllable from a central authority. The energy cartels already own the patents to most forms of energy but unless they can centralize and control the distribution of energy it's quite simply neglected. Energy is, and has always been, controlled by the ruling oligarchy. Energy is needed for survival, for prosperity, for growth, for everything. A society without energy is barely a society at all, likewise a society with "free" energy will be the best society around.

I'd like to take a moment to define "free" energy, as many misinterpret it's meaning. "free" energy is analogous to the concept of "free" software. Free energy, like free software, is not free to produce. There is an input cost, there is always an input cost in everything. The 'free' actually refers to your freedom to use, administer, and control the energy (or software) as you see fit. It does not refer to the cost, there is 'free' software that costs money, but when you buy the software you are also provided with the source code, you are allowed to make changes, you are allowed to distribute those changes. You can consider 'free energy' in the same light, you still have to pay for 'free energy' - but it's meaning in a modern context would be that you are free of the energy cartels.

Tesla's technology is often referred to as 'free energy', or a solution to peak oil. Again the word 'free' is misunderstood. Tesla technology is highly advanced, makes use of modern alloys, metallurgy, etc. Tesla could not have accomplished what he did without the oil based technological infrastructure to build off. There is an input cost, even to Tesla energy, the electric grid requires all sorts of copper, etc. There are a huge number of highly technical dependencies, however, it is 'free' energy as in should you have a Tesla device you are the creator of your own power. Freedom, true freedom and independence, that's 'free' energy.

Harper’s cabinet mulls massive Chinese resource project in Arctic

Now we see what Harper's claims to 'arctic sovereignty' were really all about in plain view, as I had been suspecting. China seems to be the only country around that's actually acting like it has any idea what the future has in store for the world. China's massive investments in gold, rare-earth metals, and energy should be sending the 'Canadian' leadership a message regarding what I assume will only be described as "increasingly protectionist policy' at some point down the line.

The art of survival

All of these aspects plus an interesting 'special report' from Reuters today provide insight into the future, and the past.

Obama warned allies that oil sanctions were the only way to avert a new war between Israel and Iran. U.S. envoys pressed Iraqi, Libyan and, above all, Saudi officials to pump up their own crude supplies. Washington and its allies massaged skittish oil markets with carefully calibrated messages. U.S. diplomats journeyed to southern Iraq to inspect plans for new oil terminals that could help blunt the loss of Iranian shipments.

The challenge, American officials said, was to clamp down on Iran's oil exports while mitigating the risks of an oil crisis.

There should be no doubt that this last decade of sequential wars was planned, and deliberate, and largely had to do with energy. There should be no doubt that Iran was always in the game plan. Anyone else find it convenient that 'Iraqi' and 'Libyan' government officials were pressured? Governments which have recently been supported, and instated by the U.S. empire? That these governments then proved essential in 'sanctioning' (read: waging war on) Iran and not leading to an oil shock? How perfect, and all while the Chinese have been slowly snatching up resources all around U.S. territory. Ever get the feeling governments just aren't telling the whole story (or even a slightly truthful story)? Yea.. me too...

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

@EzraLevant, 'Veteran Journalist'

So, here is the guy that is 'Hailed as "Canada's no.1 defender of free speech," best-selling author, lawyer, blogger and general trouble-maker, Calgary's Ezra Levant is one of Canada's best-known conservative pundits. A veteran journalist [...]':

The Twitter account '@ChiefSpence' is some guy apparently named 'Spencer'. But Ezra Levant, veteran journalist, doesn't bother to investigate whether the account he's insulting actually belongs to his intended target: '@ChiefTheresa'. Anyway, everything you ever needed to know about Ezra's (and by extension the government's as they adopted his 'ethical oil' ideology as policy) respect for First Nation's culture can be seen right here:

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

When Worlds Collide

You know, knowing what's going on all day everyday, even on holidays, frankly, sucks. Today, another family gathering ends with political disagreement. Or is it political? I don't even know anymore. For myself, and I would imagine many others, it's much more than just 'political'. Opinions on current events, for me, or more rooted in matters of survival. Having the ability and opportunity to provide a good life, a better life, for my children is much more than just political. Some people can simply write off the long term effects of decisions being made to 'remain competitive', I can't.

There is a persistent cognitive dissidence in our society, more so I find within those plugged more completely in to the system. While dealing with the baby boomers of my family for instance: they can admit all of the facts, they just can't admit them all at the same time. Partially, it's because the life they live and the life my generation lives (not to mention the lives those younger than me are going to be living) are completely different. A small example from my own experience is from a few months ago where I was laid off from my job. My dad at the time looked at me (all serious like) and asked me, did you get a severance?

I thought it was a joke. Severance? Unheard of for myself and those I know. Hearing similar news from my friends this question has never even entered my mind. This question doesn't need to enter my mind as I already know the answer: no. This is beyond just some generational gap, a clash of cultures, the two generations are living in completely separate worlds. This isn't an extreme example but it shows the thought process; the first question he asks is a question not even on my radar.

This thought process I encounter over and over in different forms all of the time. It is extremely irritating to hear from a generation whose buzzword of hope is "stimulation" about how lazy a generation they've brought up while putting their unknown results of horrible greed oriented mismanagement on that very generation. There's justification and excuses to go with every irreversible policy made during the reign of this generation spun into stories about how they've had to walk uphill to school both ways. I'm so tired of seeing this shit spread all over the internet like butter; an utter disrespect and disregard for the generation who will be left with the greatest known economic fuck-up to ever hit the earth.

Barack Obama may cut vacation to deal with fiscal crisis

Can you believe that's a headline? What irony. Oh no! The U.S. might 'go off the fiscal cliff'! What exactly does that mean though? What can be done to avoid 'going off a fiscal cliff'? Nothing people! Are we as a society so fucking stupid we don't remember how this whole thing got started? The 'debt ceiling'? To increase the 'debt ceiling', a deal had to be made to cut the deficit (not the debt, there is a difference), and if no deal was made before January 1st 2013, a set of automatic cuts would kick in. There are only three outcomes to this entire scenario and all of them can be considered to be going 'off the cliff' in one aspect or another.

1. No cuts, raise debt ceiling.
2. Cuts, raise debt ceiling.
3. Cuts, don't raise debt ceiling.

Seriously, that's it. With option 1 the result is simply the same as we have now: a perpetual debt downwards spiral as the U.S. government loses credibility worldwide. This scenario will likely climax with a sudden loss in international confidence in the USD. Option 2 is really just a more brutal and direct version of option 1, with no exaggerated pretence about the situation. Option 3 is really the only 'solution', however it would likely be carried out in a way which does not favour the population thus making it the most brutal. They're all cliffs, folks.

Post-Hyperinflationary Zimbabwe Welcomes The Holidays With 80% Unemployment, Empty ATMs And Paralyzed Transport

The general inaction and complete lack of responsibility from the baby boomer generation in regards to the current situation is just frankly, astounding. It is simply astounding to me that many of the young adults fighting now and in the last few decades fight alone, getting beaten by 'riot police' as their parents look on (from their living rooms) with disgust at the framed protest. I know this isn't true of the entire baby boomer generation - and for those fighting for their children, truly, I am sorry if this post offends you - but I am just tired, so tired, of the repetitive cliches.

I am so tired of the persistent cognitive dissidence we live under. The simultaneous idea that somehow bringing in temporary 'skilled workers' will result in more prosperity, not less. More prosperity, for them; those with the assets, the credit, the investments, in short: largely the baby boomer generation. For my generation this is just a race to the bottom, being 'more competitive' for my generation means quite simply: less money. For a generation who has largely sold out the means of their own wealth... well.. it's great! Those dictating today's policy are largely baby boomers, those with the influence to halt it who are not are also largely baby boomers. I'm upset at the entire generation (and in many ways my own generation) because even if they are not directly involved in the creation of such policy, they are not opposed to it either. The promise of a pension and retirement outweighs the horror of modern slavery many of my generation will have to endure to 'remain competitive'.

All signals point to a good Alberta economy in 2013

After an expected 3.4 per cent gain this year, real GDP is forecast to advance by three per cent in 2013 and 3.3 per cent in 2014, just behind Saskatchewan’s pace, according to the board.

Oh yea, things are great. That's why we're in debt, right? Seriously, what fucking growth? Does no one notice the government having to go heavily in debt just to maintain and provide the needed infrastructure while completely destroying industry diversity? It's not growth if the government is going in debt providing subsidies, and highways, and gas credits, and all sorts of shit just so these fucking things can exist. Our whole idea of prosperity is completely scewed, turned into growth for growth's sake.

However, as always, people are going to buy it. Latching on to a false hope of prosperity while selling an invisible, intangible asset: their children's future.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Lockdown in U.S. appears imminent

Militarized police on the lookout for your best interests / source

The fiscal cliff appears to be a catalyst for even more lock down and police state in the U.S. as I have been forecasting. Russia Today reports:

At a town hall meeting on Thursday, Mayor Mike Gaskill and Police Chief Todd Stovall endorsed a plan to send cops dressed in full-fledged SWAT gear and equipped with AR-15s into downtown Paragould starting in 2013.

The militarized police force will be tasked with trying to control a crime rate that has made Paragould an increasingly dangerous place to live in recent years. According to statistics collected by city-data.com, Paragould has had a property crime index rating more than double the national average since 2007. Rapes, burglaries, thefts and assaults per capita are also well above the mean there, statistically suggesting Paragould is perhaps the least-safe among area cities.

"This fear is what's given us the reason to do this. Once I have stats and people saying they're scared, we can do this," Stovall said, according to the Paragould Daily Press. "It allows us to do what we're fixing to do." 

“If you're out walking, we're going to stop you, ask why you're out walking, check for your ID,” the Daily Press reports him saying during last week’s meeting.

"To ask you for your ID, I have to have a reason," he said. "Well, I've got statistical reasons that say I've got a lot of crime right now, which gives me probable cause to ask what you're doing out. Then when I add that people are scared…then that gives us even more [reason] to ask why are you here and what are you doing in this area."

"They may not be doing anything but walking their dog," added Mayor Gaskill, "but they're going to have to prove it."

That's right, folks. In America the police state won't just be limited to occupiers and Santa Clauses anymore. Innocent until proven guilty? That's long gone now. In this 'new world order' we're being lead into, pre-crime is just as valid as actual crime. However, for the scared masses this will of course be perfectly acceptable - so long as it's not you, right?

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

The face of Christmas fascism

This is the future for you all:

Get it yet folks? How bad will it have to get before you take action?

First they came for Occupy,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't an occupier.
Then they came for the activists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a activist.
Then they came for the Santa Claus,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't chalking.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Update-1: What is infomedia.gc.ca?

Browsing my stats, I've received a connection of interest. Notice the name of the document that sent the request!

The requesting website is "infomedia.gc.ca", it won't connect for me. It probably requires a network address from within the government. This entire website is restricted from the public, but the requesting article itself appears to be from within a restricted zone of the restricted website. The article itself? "NAU"? North American Union? With a timestamp of the 5th of December.

The only other reference I could find is a tweet from 2010.

This one, while unrestricted, still won't resolve for me.

So what is this infomedia.gc.ca? and why is an article seemingly about the North American Union (maybe it's just coincidence) referencing my blog? Hmm.

Update-1

Another reference to infomedia.gc.ca has been sent to me.

http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/dpr-rmr/2008-2009/inst/svc/st-ts06-eng.asp

Comments on Variances: The variance in planned and actual expenditures arose due to changes in design engineering decisions delaying several major designs and tenders resulting in a revised construction schedule. However, during fiscal year 2008-2010, there were over $50 million ($30 million federal share) of tenders awarded and there will be in excess of $75 million ($45 million federal share) of tenders awarded in the first quarter of 2009-2009for future construction. http://www.infomedia.gc.ca/pwgsc-tpsgc/articles/unrestricted/2009/03/pwg2009311950657_70.htm

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Canada's "economic engine" runs out of gas

Well now, the moment we've all been waiting for is finally arriving.

Tough choices ahead as plunging oil bites into Alberta's revenue: finance minister

Alberta’s finance [financial bullshit] minister warned Wednesday of tough choices in the coming months as the plunging price of the province’s heavy oil takes a big bite out of provincial revenue. 

 “We did receive some updated numbers from our energy department about where things are headed,” Horner said. “I’m very, very concerned about where those numbers are headed. The differential is not closing in.” 

“They’re going to have to ensure we’re being very aggressive in reigning in and restraining our spending,” he said. “For us to meet our targets, that’s going to be what we’re talking about in the next couple of weeks.”

This right here is a perfect demonstration of the great Albertan financial conundrum of which our ministers of bullshit, spin, and fantasy relish in. More spending cuts?

Edmonton to outpace national growth, says economist

“Construction, trade and personal services are expected to create about 6,000 new jobs over the next 12 months,” he said. “Even as conditions in the international environment slow, the city and region’s annual growth for 2013, when adjusted for inflation, should be in the range of 3.5% to 4.5% compared to the expected annual growth of 2.4% for Canada.”

Housing prices and sales are expected to grow by at least two per cent in 2013.

Throughout 2012, Edmonton saw outstanding growth and a strong economy due to population growth, employment growth and a robust construction sector outlook, Rose said.

Growth is such a misnomer here. Construction? Most of this in Alberta is government funded. People moving here? Well we all know how that turns out, especially when the government already has to borrow so that they can construct the infrastructure needed for the current population (let alone those who are not here yet). Maybe Edmonton's economist should look forward instead of backward, for Alberta (the region) 2012 isn't an indicator what-so-ever of what's to come. Alas, though, when it comes to "economists" the only thing they see is what's already happened. With the way the global economy is right now, historical data provides nothing in terms of reliable data to make projections on. This is why I don't make projections based on historical data, I make projections based on trends that I see across multiple different formats of data.

(PS: Alberta Government: I will provide you financial forecasts for 1/2 the salary you currently pay your minister of financial bullshit, just let me know if you're interested.)

Of course it's not just Alberta, finances across Canada are all falling into debt spirals.

Alarmed by the deficit at McGill University’s Health Centre, which has spiraled out of control, the Quebec government has named an overseer to chaperon the province’s second biggest heath establishment, a move one step short of trusteeship.

All hail the overseer!

Come on Canadians and Albertans, lets put an end to this stupidity. There is no perfect forecast or prediction, anyone who makes forecasts might sometimes be wrong - but these people are always wrong and will never admit to it Whether it's oilsands, the F35, Canada's GDP, or the housing market; what they engage in is either complete incompetence, or more likely: deceit.

Canadian Trends: Canada's fantasy economic outlook is at odds with reality
Canadian Trends: Canada's "skilled businessman" shortage
Canadian Trends: Oilsands Prosperity is a Lie
Canadian Trends: Pinning hopes on donkeys
Canadian Trends: Our small potatoes bring all the boys to the yard; damn rights, they're better than yours
Canadian Trends: A Crisis of Accountability

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Our small potatoes bring all the boys to the yard; damn rights, they're better than yours

Well now, the floodgates have been opened and very quickly the oil sands tune is changing. The old narrative is pretty well gone now (just do a Google news search for "oil sands" - where did all the "ethical oil, economic leader" crap go?). Well, it's gone, of course, as the reality of the situation can no longer be completely hidden and as such this new reality must be spun in a way in which it supports the stupidity of the old narrative. Albertan's so staunchly support their own economic destruction that it will probably work too.

Athabasca Oil considers Duvernay partner

One of the largest drilling rights holders in the Alberta Duvernay says it is considering taking on a joint venture partner following a $1.18-billion investment by PetroChina in Encana Corp.’s part of the play last week. 

“With the Duvernay results coming in, with the industry interest in the Duvernay increasing a lot lately, it’s a place with our 350,000 net acres (140,000 hectares), we will have to take partners in the future, just too much cost,” said chief executive Sveinung Svarte on a conference call with analysts.

“But we’re going to wait now over the next half year, to see how the type curves play out so we actually know the real value.”

"too much cost". This is about to become Alberta's new mantra, both from the business and governmental perspective.

The industry needs around $60-billion of capital annually, which exceeds the available long-term private capital. Meanwhile, Chinese capital — abundant and patient — is an attractive and alternative source of capital to fuel the oil sands’ development.

Chinese enthusiasm for the oil sands is in sharp contrast to the ambivalence of Americans towards the resource.

The U.S. once perceived oil sands as part of the ‘Holy Grail’ of hydrocarbon resources that would ensure energy security and liberate it from Venezuelan and Middle East oil.

But the shale revolution down south has altered how Americans view the oil sands. While new oil sand plays need $80-$90 a barrel to be profitable, companies focused on shale oil in the U.S. can turn a profit at $60 to $70, says the analyst.

In addition, U.S. refiners are benefiting from Canadian crude glut, which makes it attractive for many U.S. operators and decision-makers not to alleviate bottlenecks in a hurry. 

Did you catch that folks? This new "energy renaissance"  that the U.S. is betting on is based on: "oil sand plays need $80-$90 a barrel to be profitable, companies focused on shale oil in the U.S. can turn a profit at $60 to $70". As I've already gone into detail about, the cost of the U.S. new found energy is relatively high still in comparison to conventional oil and production is still being supplemented by the cost saving of having conventional oil still available. We're not going to discover what the true cost of extreme energy extraction really is until our conventional energy stocks are near depleted.

I think the most aggravating aspect of oil sands development for me is that when it comes to the importance of global energy supplies, Canadians and particularly Albertans overstate the usefulness of oil sands. We love to compare our reserves to Saudi Arabia, but the reserves are not what matters, what matters is daily production. To a country like China, with it's measly 2mbd production (Saudi Arabia usually does near 9mbd), it's "small potatoes":

Big. Bigger. Biggest.

If you thought Canada’s approval of China’s biggest overseas energy acquisition, the $15.1 billion takeover by state-owned CNOOC of local oil and gas producer Nexen was big, think again.

The Communist giant’s newly issued passports show a regional map on Page 8 with China laying claim to almost the entire area covered by the South China Sea.

Now THAT’S a big takeover and they achieved it without spending a single yuan.

Here in Canada we love to tell ourselves that China is just all about business now, but do you really think that's true?

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, boosted by his sweeping election victory, has declared there will be no compromise on the sovereignty of islands at the centre of a dispute with China.

Of course it isn't true. China is going to be playing whatever game is needed to get it's hands on the energy it needs for long term prosperity. Canada has stupidly blown it's energy surplus, we can now no longer afford to actually develop our own energy at a time where energy protectionism is about to become rampant. In the meantime, Canada's housing bubble continues it's slow motion crash defying the wishes, plans, and contingencies of our "economic brains".

All of these indicators should be telling you one very important thing (you'll have to rely on indicators because our "financial experts" which have for the last 5 years been telling you how oil sands are essential to recovery have clearly demonstrated they couldn't forecast themselves out of a box): the prosperity won't be happening, the prices won't be happening, the jobs won't be happening.

"The jobs won't be happening? bu..bu..bu..but the unemployment rate!", you're probably saying. What about it? We've been here before, large swaths of people move to Alberta, Alberta doesn't have the infrastructure to support them and the cost of living is driven up so high, they move away. We're already having to borrow to build a fucking highway people! Emergency wait times are atrocious. We're having problems funding education, hell we're having problems funding pretty well everything. The sustainability fund? Well for all we know that doesn't even exist anymore - they sure act like it doesn't exist.

The oil sands are small potatoes with big cost, and you're the ones paying for them.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

My intention, above all

Five years ago I was pretty content in my little world with my programming career and all that. My perceived take on the future was very different then than it is now. Sure, I was political still, had opinions, all that - but looking back they were ill-informed. They were dreams which either couldn't account for or outright ignored certain realities about the way the world worked. It's good to dream, but in the end real solutions and real ideas account for the realities of the day.

When the financial collapse of 2008 finally hit and the markets went all nut-so, what I saw within my little bubble of the world made absolutely no sense at all. At the time I was working on high frequency technology and as a result I also had direct access to a real-time and historical market data feed, detailed down to the tick level. I didn't need a chart to see the increase in market activity and volatility, the practically overnight increase in the data file's sizes was really all I needed to become intrigued. It didn't make sense, and I needed to know why.

Without me even being aware yet, this was a beginning of a complete change in my life direction. My intentions refocused on understanding this phenomenon which lead to a whole wealth of information I was previously oblivious too. I couldn't believe what I was finding! How could I have not seen this before?

Soon I was no longer focused on my career, or politics as I had come to know it. I was now refocused on a seemingly endless black hole of information about banker fraud, third world slavery, peak oil, all sorts of things. I had answered my original question by now, but I didn't care because there were 100s of fresh unanswered questions. My intention was set, nothing could stop me.

Eventually I felt satisfied in the amount of information I had gathered and once again, without my knowing, my intentions in life changed. So starting in 2009 on Facebook, I started doing variations of the posts/link distribution I do now, and I have been doing it ever since (although the format has changed over time as I've been trying out different mediums). My intention since then hasn't changed, I'm determined to do what I can in the ways I know how, and to this day nothing has stopped me.

Nothing will stop me. I post under my name because I have no fear, why should I? I believe in what I write, and I only write because of my intention, not because I enjoy writing or find it easy. For me, it's not easy at all. Frankly, I suck at it - but it's what I know how to do to carry out my intention and I will carry out my intention with the best of my ability because what else is there to do in life but carry out our intentions? Should the day come I am jailed or prosecuted for my words, then my work here is done. We'll have lost.

My intentions didn't come from Facebook, Twitter, or Blogger. Those are tools I discovered and seeked out after I already had my intentions in mind. They were available, but them being available never even once inspired me to utilitize them 'just because'. Had they not been available, it wouldn't have changed anything to do with my intention - in fact I probably wouldn't have even noticed as the intention dictates the options and the options are what is available at the time. Back in 1998 the option was geocities, no one using geocities was missing Blogger. The options of the time.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because of the current debate of the day: 'gun control', or the lack there of. I am neither 'pro' or 'anti' gun, they exist, just like drugs, crime, abortions, etc. Controlled or not controlled, they happen - and the reality is that once they do happen, we really don't have any other solutions available to us other than to create miniature crime school societies often creating major problems where as before it may have been a minor issue to deal with or correct.

I find any 'control' argument to be quite frankly: over-simplified. First, I find it odd that those who are often the most for gun-control also are coincidentally against strict drug control, often instead opting for de-criminalization or even legalization. The arguments for this are quite sound: it increases the predominance of gang control over drugs, despite the control inside a prison there are still drugs, weapons, etc.

Obviously, drugs and guns are apples and oranges - but it is a bit of a contradiction observing how strict drug control doesn't help then advocating such control for guns thinking it will help, it won't.

Now, I know the favorite thing to do in this case is pull up stats, point to every other country but the U.S. and say "see!! They kill each other with guns all the time!". Yep, they do, but is that because guns are available or because their society is overall quite sick and in decline?

Visit Detroit at your own risk, police union warns
Crime-Ridden Camden To Dump City Police Force
Lost Vegas: A growing society under Las Vegas 

This is just a very small example of the situation in the U.S. It's bad and getting worse. There have been 7 mass shootings this year in the U.S. - that's a lot, even for them - yet it's occurring at a time where there is a lot of gun control in the U.S. New York, Boston don't allow guns, etc. New York's ban even gets a mention in Grand Theft Auto 4:

Dimitri Rascalov: "The mayor has a hard-on for gun control."
Niko Belic: "Guns don't seem that controlled, I just got here and already I've seen plenty."
Dimitri Rascalov: "..and now you'll know where to get them for yourself. What's the problem?"

22 Chinese schoolchildren hurt in stabbing spree

The intention will always be carried out, and the intentions in sick, morally unbound societies are deranged and disturbed. As the situation continues to decline unthinkable acts will increase, Gerald Celente puts this best as 'When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it'. When entire cities in the U.S. are laying off their police forces, those people must be armed. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but the situation isn't favorable.

I would love a society where no one has guns, and where guns don't exist. This will be hard to accomplish though so long as western economies use weapons trade as a primary source of revenue. Many talking about gun control now were also cheering the assassination of 'terrorists'. The U.S. is a sick contradictory society, becoming morally bankrupt.

Are guns actually the problem, or is the problem the fact that we as a society condone events like this:

Once again, I am not pro or anti-gun. I am anti-violence however and a healthy society wouldn't need such controls. Gun control is a patch to what is already a problematic situation - it's not a true solution to any of it. There are root problems that much be addressed, HSBC gets a slap on the hand for drug laundering, I wonder how many of you are aware that the liquidity banks use for credit cards, etc, largely comes from drugs? (source-2) Are you aware that by using your credit cards, you have indirectly helped support violence like this:

There are 101 reasons why 2012 has been an insane and disastrous year, I don't think the U.S. lacking gun control even makes the top 1000.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Would you be interested in hearing a 'Canadian Trends' podcast?

Here are some samples of a podcast I did back in 2010, and is probably what a 'Canadian Trends' podcast would sound like (although I might be better at it now):

Please answer on the poll to the left
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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

When it comes to the F35, the price isn't the only changing narrative

F-35 report leaves Tories exposed on previously strong fiscal credibility

Now, for the purposes of this post we will ignore the obvious "fiscal credibility" propaganda. They were never credible fiscally, not before the F35 and not after it. But no, I'd like to focus on the changing narrative of the collapsing U.S. 5th generation joint offensive.

New narrative:

"What's important here is that we act on these recommendations, that we deliver to Canadians the certainty, the surety they require that they're getting the right aircraft for our country for the long term and that we're being responsible with taxpayers' dollars," he [MacKay] said.

Old narrative:

Canada needs the F-35 fighter to take part in international air missions with allies, Defence Minister Peter MacKay argued Tuesday, as he met with a U.S. counterpart who described the costly jet as the only option for his country.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta not only reiterated his country’s commitment to the F-35 fighter, but said he feels there’s no alternative. “It’s the fifth-generation fighter,” he said. “We absolutely need it for the future.”

Mr. MacKay said it’s important to have the right equipment for domestic defence, but stressed that Mr. Panetta has often emphasized the need for allies to work on interoperability – having compatible equipment to make it easier to train and fight together – citing that as a key reason to buy the F-35.

“Being able to participate internationally requires – demands – these considerations around interoperability. The F-35 is one example of that. A modern, forward-looking example of that,” Mr. MacKay said.

And while the U.S. joint offensive collapses due to cost (because all of the nations involved are actually insolvent) the Russian/Chinese initiative for a 5th generation stealth fighter (which the F35 is not designed to counter) proceeds with leaps and bounds.

I have to wonder if perhaps our growing ties with Asian economic policy had something to do with dropping this program now, they were always aware of the costs and had no problem spinning them as necessary for "Canada" (read: NATO). Hmm.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Canada's "skilled businessman" shortage

Oh, Canada is experiencing a labour shortage alright, but it's not amongst "skilled labour" as the latest hype in headlines would have you believe, no our labour shortage actually appears to be in those skilled in business.

To be skilled in business means you can adapt to markets, you can turn a profit on fair free market principles, and that (perhaps most importantly) you can see which way the wind is blowing when it comes to global trends, future markets, and future problems.

Who's looking out for Tim Hortons' temporary foreign workers?

Yes, that's right. The "skilled labour" over at Tim Hortons' is having issues and of course the solution is to bring in temporary foreign workers which have no rights.

I bash TFWs a lot on this blog, so I want to clear something up now before I continue: I am not talking about foreigners or immigration. I don't feel they are "stealing" our jobs, or anything of the sort. The TFW program is not designed to provide these workers a good life, it is not designed to make Canada prosperous, and it is not designed to elevate Canadians into higher wages.

The TFW program is designed to exploit foreigners (in the same manor we've been exploiting them overseas for years already). The TFWs are being used and exploited by our government and so called "business" men because changing the status quo is just too much to ask I guess. Their solution to adapt to our new extreme energy and debt reality is to pay people less. Simple as that really. We don't have a skilled labour shortage, we've got a pay cheque shortage here folks - or are you going to try to tell me that someone with no money at all and no job wouldn't take a job at Tim Horton's if it actually could support them without having to resort to the food bank? Skilled labour my ass, what we're really short on is "cheap labour" - and that's because in the end we're really short on real, innovative businessmen. People who can run a business at a profit while paying decent wages and adapting to current realities.

There is no prosperity in this race to the bottom folks, none what-so-ever.

B.C. mine to hire only Chinese temporary workers for years

None.

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

A Financial "Brain" Aneurysm

I haven't written a post in awhile as I've been busy creating a new system for myself and a select few twitter friends to better manage our massive twitter link collections. This blog post is the first to put the results of this endeavour to the test and so far I am quite pleased. Using this new system I am able to quickly recall the links I've been tweeting about where as before I was referring back in to my time line trying to find this link or that, what a time saver! I should now be able to fill my blog posts with all sorts of back story for the curious mind.

Unfortunately the timing I chose to develop this system coincided with ground shaking events in the world, and as such this post isn't going to have much in the way of focus, I've got a lot of ground to cover and my patience with writing wears thin by the minute. Lets get started.

World's oil industry won't be the same in the wake of shale

As I have previously mentioned, the world's economic speed limit will rise if oil supplies expand because of the shale boom, as the oil price will rise less aggressively in response to rising demand. By extending the supply-side, shale oil also changes the peak oil equation and arguably militates against alternative energy: is shale oil production already balancing declining production from established ''peak oil'' fields?

Shale is also going to produce a new pecking order in the oil industry as the economics of oil production move against conventional oil, and the petroleum multinationals that control it, and towards new unconventional producers including Australia's BHP Billiton.

Shale oil isn't cheap to produce, certainly not as cheap to produce as conventional well once was, but it's commercial at the current oil price range of $US86 and $US108 a barrel (West Texas Intermediate oil and North Sea Brent, respectively), and likely to become less expensive and higher-yielding as the boom ramps up. Cash returns from the conventional fields that are owned predominantly by the world's multinational petroleum giants, meanwhile, are falling.

The majors have bought into the shale boom: but heavy exposure to old fields that cost progressively more to maintain and produce progressively less oil means they are becoming less profitable than independent producers more heavily exposed to ''new oil''.

According to Goldman Sachs, cash returns from conventional fields have fallen by 28 per cent from a peak in 2005, despite a doubling in the oil price.

Goldman estimates conventional producers need $US116 a barrel or more to generate free cash - that's the cash left after the company pays bills, funds capital expenditure and declares dividends for shareholders. OPEC nations need $US90 a barrel for the same reasons, and they also have declining returns.

It's the shale "boom"! Of course "boom" is really a strange word to be using as the world sinks back further into recession, the U.S. announces more stimulus measures, and the 'historic inversion' in shadow banking completes. This is by far the most lack luster "boom" I've ever witnessed, wouldn't you say? Probably because it's not a boom at all. Articles like the one quoted above are quite amusing, as they question the models established by peak oil activists, say that the "equation has changed", and then go on to describe how we are losing all of the surplus profit from conventional energy production while simultaneously admitting "extreme energy" is more expensive.

Where the author gets the idea the U.S. will be able to climb out of a debt that is established on conventional energy spending patterns and production is beyond me. Maybe central banks will start printing hard currency (lol). If you have ever studied peak oil, and the assumed effects peak oil would have - then you know that shale boom or no shale boom, the external factors and issues haven't changed and are unfolding exactly as has been predicted. Shale oil will not be able to compensate for exponential growth, especially at the high end of the exponential curve (as we are now), if you think it will -- well, you're an idiot, seriously. Go back to basic math: Less new returns + less old returns = less returns. It's really not hard to figure out where this is going in the long term.

This supposed shale oil "boom" really pisses me off, because like the oilsands, much of the world governments and corporations - being provided with a (temporarily) cheaper energy solution than other renewable oil derivatives - will simply pigeon-hole us further down the road, when we don't have any oil, and shale is too expensive and depleting. Changing an energy infrastructure requires massive forward looking investment and time. It must be done before the crisis hits, not afterwards. A lot of the "profit" corporations and people have been making today wasn't really profit at all but rather the excess capital returned from cheap energy which should have been put towards the investment of the next generation of energy production. Instead we put it into mortgage backed securities and blew up the global economy. Seriously, even Daniel Yergin knows this is true.

Use of torture-derived information by CSIS slammed as ‘not decent’

There's just "terrorists" everywhere, isn't there? Notice how more and more the "terrorism" is centering on people here at home? This was always the long term goal with this propaganda exercise. The term terrorist has now been normalized in our culture, people actually use this term, in a serious context, as if it has some sort of definitive meaning. It doesn't. This is the method chosen to slowly demolish the traditional rule of law and fair trials here at home.

'Terrorism' is the alternative system for law and order, just as alternative non-democratic systems for budgets and finance as well as trade and resources are being implemented. In the near future you will see "terrorism" more broadly used to describe those who protest or are involved in dissent against the other treasonous policies either already in place or being put in place now.

Everyone always wants to go and tell the government how displeased they are with the actions they are doing, but folks, they already know - and that's why in anticipating a response from you (beyond angry letters) they are pre-emptively preparing for civil unrest and to normalize without question the labelling of dissenters as terrorists. They know you don't like their actions folks, but your displeasure isn't going to stop the actions from occurring because they already knew, from the founding of this agenda, that you wouldn't be happy with it. You're not meant to be happy with it, you're meant to submit to it like the good peasants they want you to be.

Bank of Canada warns of risks of low rates

You have got to love when the bank is warning about the risks of their own policies eh?

The Bank of Canada says low interest policies that it and other central banks have put in place are adding another layer of risk to the already stressed global financial system.

So yet, they persist with the insanity anyway. (Insanity = doing the same thing over and over expecting different results)

The council says central banks have kept interest rates low because the alternative is worse — that is increasing the cost of borrowing and undermining an already weak recovery.

Of course it will be worse, because we've set the stage for it to be worse. This is called full-spectrum dominance. As I pointed out in my last post, our entire "financial plan" rests on consumer spending which is being completely fuelled by borrowing. For those who say "well we're nothing like the U.S." - Our central bank is warning about it's own policies and priorities, while our banks rake in record profits (due to consumer spending), and while banks give out massive bonuses for the "job well done". Yea, doesn't sound like the U.S. at all now does it? But let's just keep pretending we're somehow superior, it's a good narrative and Canadians do love to stroke their ego.

However, while Canada's (and the world's) self-congratulatory pity party continues, the real economy continues to show itself in force.

Rotating teacher strikes have begun and one local school board is among the first to walk out. The Avon-Maitland School Board started the rotation.

Hundreds of teachers walked the picket line in nine locations in Stratford. By Christmas public elementary school teachers across the province, will have walked off the job for one day.

Like most other countries, bankers, and so-called "policy brains" - it apparently hasn't clued into them that the one big wrench in their economic stimulus fantasy banking gears are 'the people'. Greece's experiment with "austerity" provides a great example at this lack of foresight, or rather - lack of caring. Just like here, and in the U.S. - Greece put in the effort to prepare where it counted (for those in control): brutal, thuggish, dumbed down, "riot" police forces. Although, I would propose we stop referring to these thugs as "riot" police, as they are rarely, if ever actually used to control "riots". I suggest referring to them as 'Political Police'. They are not being armed and prepared to control riots - they are being armed and prepared to control you, because some day - perhaps not today, but someday - you will probably decide to speak out. Hopefully you'll do so sooner than later.

Canada’s job growth smashes economists’ expectations

There were more people working in the accommodation and food services industry in November, as well as in retail and wholesale trade. The agricultural sector also added jobs. Manufacturing, however, shed 19,600 positions after stable employment in the previous five months.

A "booming" service sector is exactly what I would expect to see in an economy based on consumer spending and borrowing, where low borrowing costs are seen as "essential". They are essential because we're not producing enough actual wealth to cover our standard of living. Real basic stuff here, but in the world of financial media spin: bad news is better than worse news.


Ottawa won't pay to fix crumbling Cape Breton seawall

To conclude for today, Canada's 'hidden deficit' is on course to "catch us by surprise" in a few years. The infrastructure investment goes hand in hand with energy investment. We've squandered our energy surplus and with an infrastructure mostly designed and priced in the 70s, the amount of energy required today to upkeep it just isn't available. (energy becomes visible in our society as cost). The 'conventional oil boom' saw the construction of super-highways, the introduction of the automobile, assembly lines, and all sorts of "innovation" come into the market field. The "shale boom" will see the destruction of these great undertakings as the excess capital doesn't exist and is never going to exist. Our infrastructure deficit is going to be more damaging and destructive than anyone can imagine, and hardly anyone sees it coming.

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Pinning hopes on donkeys

Oh, good. Finally. The Bank of Canada has now come out with what is obviously the completely correct excuse reason that they were completely wrong, of course keeping in mind that their wrong forecasts were previously corrected because they were wrong. The rosy projections of Q1 are now being re-projected into Q1, of next year. Obviously things are improving, otherwise why would they think that? These are top-men, I tell you. TOP MEN.

Bank of Canada pins hopes on new year

The central bank acknowledged Tuesday that the third-quarter number was “weak,” but attributed part of the slump to “transitory disruptions” in the energy industry. Policy makers held to their view that ultralow borrowing costs will stir enough household consumption and business investment in the months ahead to avoid a prolonged slump. The Bank of Canada in October predicted the economy would expand at a rate of 2.5 per cent in the fourth quarter.

They're not even hiding it anymore! "transitory disruptions", you can't make this shit up folks. Oh, and what's the solution? "Policy makers held to their view that ultralow borrowing costs will stir enough household consumption and business investment in the months ahead to avoid a prolonged slump". TA DA!

Household consumption! Of course. Because, it's debt and "household consumption", and not our "vast resources" which provides all of our wealth and riches. So, folks, let me break this plan down for you because it really is an awesome and excellent plan. This is the sort of plan that some peasant like myself or you could never even dream of nor comprehend fully. Here it is:

1. Spur more borrowing.
2. Wait for energy prices to rebound and new markets to open up.
3. Profit!!!!!!!

But despite the fact they are going to "spur more borrowing", the fear factor must remain alive and well.

The central bank’s response to the third-quarter growth figures suggests Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and his deputies on the governing council remain more inclined to raise interest rates than to lower them, although a change in stance is unlikely for some time.

So, get this. They want to spur more lending so that we avoid a "prolonged slump" (because we're obviously not already in it, right?) but are more inclined to raise interest rates, but that is "unlikely for some time". Brain spinning yet?

Let me simplify it for you: We're the Bank of Canada and we're full of shit.

The confidence game isn't going so well for the world powers right now, but that paragraph "sounds" good. Doesn't it? As I pointed out yesterday:

"Growth in the quarter was almost entirely driven by household consumption (+3.1 per cent)," Enenajor wrote in a note.

Their "plan" is already in action, and has been in action for some time. It really does have to get stranger though, doesn't it?

30% of Canadian businesses face a labour shortage: CIBC

Highest job vacancy rates in Alberta and Saskatchewan

A new report on Canada’s job market indicates 30 per cent of the country’s businesses face a skilled labour shortage, which is double the rate seen in early 2010.

And the issue is more acute in Alberta.

The report, released Monday by CIBC World Markets, also said Canada’s job market shows a growing divide between have and have not occupations.

So far as I can tell, here is Canada's economic strategy in a nutshell: Lets pump everything we have into a sector which most Canadians are not skilled for, isn't doing well nor providing much of a return, has a very uncertain future, and to support this commitment Canadians will just have to go more into debt which will surely be paid back by the jobs they don't have while contending with "Flaherty's Tights". Awesome; this is our "strong stable economy". What a joke.

2012 will be a cakewalk compared to 2013

I've chosen trend forecasting as my medium for putting my thoughts out there as it allows me to analyse events of all different kinds alongside data and to arrive at likely outcomes when certain factors converge. I find it's much more accurate than any sort of economic analysis done by the Bank of Canada, or anyone focused on one particular type of data or event. 2013 is going to be worse than 2012 for a few different reasons, many being financial, but also you can see the early signs of shutdowns beginning.

As cargo ships idled in the harbor or headed elsewhere, negotiators prepared Tuesday to return to the bargaining table with a federal mediator to try to end a costly, eight-day strike that has all but shut down the nation's busiest port complex.

About 44 percent of all cargo arriving in the U.S. by sea passes through the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, accounting for an estimated $1 billion a day in merchandise.

However, since hundreds of clerical workers went on strike, and thousands of dockworkers refused to cross their picket lines, most of that cargo has languished on docks, rail cars or ships.

Events are starting to get closer to home now and supply chain disruptions are becoming more and more likely. You might want to get emergency supplies now (while supplies last). At the very least, store water. Please - even if you never have to use it, you lose nothing but a little space and a few containers.

Conclusion

Our strong dollar says that despite the repeated "interest rate hike" talk, no hike is coming. The fact the bank used specific terminology: "transitory disruptions" makes me ponder if perhaps this transition is the one I have been expecting. I still believe that "transition" or a similar one would be required to raise rates without shocking Canada's remaining U.S. trade.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Of desperation and fiscal cliffs (there's a gong show for everyone)

Our world is many things but boring isn't one of them. Events are really flyin' now eh? Keeping up is a fulltime job and I'm very thankful I have a job which allows me to be productive and also keep informed. The constant drag of monotonous, highly regulated work doesn't allow a lot of people to keep tabs on news sources as I am able to and I hope this blog is helpful towards removing the white noise for you if you happen to fall in that category. It's really the least I can do.

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind now that the great recession is finally beginning to hit the shores of Canada in very noticable ways. Apparently I also am not the only one who feels that opposition MPs (MLAs) should start walking off the job in protest. 404SystemError caught a user comment on Globe and Mail calling for the same thing and then today in Alberta, it actually happened!

"If he's going to make a mockery of question period, then what other recourse do we have? And I think he made a mockery of question period," Ms. Smith told reporters afterward.

This whole thing has been turning into a mockery, and the absolute dysfunction of our government(s) are more indicators to the true state of affairs. From the corruption in Quebec, to the antics in Ontario, to Alberta's freedom to exploit, to the federal government's very legitimacy itself. Mockery indeed.

Canadian Trends: Ready or not; here it comes

The desperation of our leaders is quite apparent. They are moving quickly to implement the new, non-democratic system before the current one implodes. The global economy is fucked 6 ways from Sunday. Don't like that word? Fucked. Fucked. Fucked. k? Fucked.

People are quickly discovering that all of these emperors have no cloths. They have been lying through their teeth about recovery while green lighting the sale of.. well.. everything? And if you don't like it, there will be a line of riot police offering service with a smile.

The fiscal cliff? That's P.R. folks. What do the cuts amount to, like 5% of the budget or something like that? What do you think will happen after that "cliff"? I figure they will be falling head-first off the deep end, what you've seen this year and thought was nuts is going to seem sane by the time this lot is done with you.

Here's an interesting indicator: Canadian Currency in Tightest Range Since 1996 as Growth Slows. This should pretty well blow apart any misconceived perceptions about the Dutch Disease myth. Our growth is slowing, we can't sell our oil, pipelines are unconfirmed, yet our dollar is still better than the so-called and perceived "energy renaissance" of the U.S.? Please. When it comes to markets perception is everything, and we all know what perception about Canadian oil is being sold right now, don't we?

Oh, but it gets even better:

"Growth in the quarter was almost entirely driven by household consumption (+3.1 per cent)," Enenajor wrote in a note.

No kidding? Canadian Trends: Canada's fantasy economic outlook is at odds with reality

Canada is stuck between a rock and a hard-place. High energy prices are driving up the cost of living which is being supported by consumer spending that's fueled by cheap lending which is leveraged on an overvalued housing market. This problem then compounds when you consider that a large portion of Canada's anticipated GDP is based on this consumer spending. To add insult to injury the effects of peak oil on oilsands production that I've been telling you would happen are now happening.

Yea.. no problem over here - am-i-right?

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.

Mark Carnage

Originally posted at Zero Hedge

From John Aziz of Azizonomics

Mark Carnage

The greater story behind Mark Carney’s appointment to the Bank of England may be the completion of Goldman Sachs’ multi-tentacled takeover of the European regulatory and central banking system.



But let’s take a moment to look at the mess he is leaving behind in Canada, the home of moose, maple syrup, Jean Poutine and now colossal housing bubbles.

George Osborne (who as I noted last month wants more big banks in Britain) might have recruited Carney on the basis of his “success” in Canada. But in reality he is just another Greenspan — a bubble-maker and reinflationist happy to pump the banking sector full of loose money and call it “prosperity” before the irrational exuberance runs dry, and the bubble inevitably bursts.

Two key charts. First, household debt-to-GDP.



Deleveraging? Not in Canada.

The Huffington Post noted earlier this year:

Household debt levels have reached a new high, increasing the vulnerability of average Canadians to unexpected economic shocks just at a time when uncertainty is mounting.

Despite signs that Canada’s economic recovery is fizzling, data released by Statistics Canada Tuesday shows that the ratio of credit market debt to personal disposable income climbed to 148.7 per cent in the second quarter, surpassing the previous record of 147.3 per cent set in the first three months of this year.

Second, Canadian house prices:



Famed analyst Jesse Colombo recently wrote:

Booming commodities exports and skyrocketing housing prices are encouraging Canadians to spend far beyond their means, while binging on credit, mimicking their American neighbors’ profligate behavior of six years earlier. (They’re thinking, “Canada is different!”) RBC Global Asset Management’s chief economist warns that Canada’s record household debt could “spell its undoing,” while Moody’s warns that Canadian banks face significant risk due to their exposure to overleveraged Canadian consumers. Maybe things really are different in Canada, where a group of under-21-year-olds got caught by the police for racing $2 million worth of exotic supercars, including Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Or not.

The age-old misperception that this time is different, that Chinese investors will continue to spend millions on crack shacks in Vancouver, that an industrial boom in East Asia will continue to support demand for Canadian commodities, that Canada’s subprime slush isn’t vulnerable, that hot inflows from capital rich low-interest rate environments like Japan and America will continue forever.

Continue reading this at Zero Hedge

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Click here to recommend this post on progressivebloggers.ca and help other people find this information.

Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.