Steve Lendman – Netanyahu And Rohani In Davos – 25 January 2014

Davos, Switzerland hosts the annual World Economic Forum (WEF). It’s a money power celebration. It’s a billionaire’s ball. It’s a convocation of rich, powerful, privileged elites.

They’re “committed to improving the state of the world” for greater personal power and enrichment.

Numerous heads of state show up. Central bankers and other policymakers join them. So do hundreds of corporate bosses, investors and economists. 

James Corbett – The Corbett Report – 26 Jan 2014 Interview 812 – The Asia-Pacific Perspective With Broc West – 25 January 2014

Link to podcast

Welcome back to The Asia-Pacific Perspective, that monthly show where James Corbett of corbettreport.com and Broc West of apperspective.net break down all the latest news and headlines from the Asia-Pacific region. In this month’s conversation:

ZeroHedge – Which Door Will Yellen Chose? – 25 January 2014

Two theories to explain the year-to-date global dumpathon. The first is that it’s all local issues – no single macro story explains the depth of the sell off. Some examples (and why they are individually no big deal):

+ Turkey is facing big domestic political/economic problems – it’s no surprise that some of the ‘air’ is coming out of the currency, bonds and equities that were so recently loved. All in, Turkey is now cheap – one should buy this dip.

+ South Africa is facing labor issues. This explains the drop in the Rand. This is not a ‘contagion’ story. It’s an isolated case.

ActivistPost – Mississippi Is Tenth State To Consider Legislation To Ban Cooperation With NSA – 25 January 2014

With the introduction of the Fourth Amendment Protection Act this week, Mississippi became the tenth state in the country to consider legislation to make life difficult for the NSA’s ongoing mass surveillance programs.

Senate Bill 2438 (SB2438), introduced by Sen. Chris McDaniel, would make it the official policy of Mississippi to “refuse material support, participation or assistance to any federal agency which claims the power, or with any federal law, rule, regulation or order which purports to authorize the collection of electronic data or metadata of any person(s) pursuant to any action not based on a warrant that particularly describes the person(s), place(s) and thing(s) to be searched or seized.”

Read the full story at : www.activistpost.com / link to original article

SGT-Report – Drone Footage: Divided Kiev – 25 January 2014

From RussiaToday:

www.sgtreport.com/link to original article

John Ward – Breaking…Ed Balls’s 2020 Vision – 25 January 2014

Ed Balls is about to make a speech to the Fabian Society, and we are reliably informed it will say these among other things:

“The next Labour government will balance the books and deliver a surplus on the current budget, and falling national debt, in the next parliament….where this government has failed, we will finish the job. We will abolish the discredited idea of rolling five-year targets and legislate for our tough fiscal rules within 12 months of the general election…We will get the current budget into surplus as soon as possible in the next Parliament. How fast we can go will depend on the state of the economy and public finances we inherit.”

Karzai Demands US Enters Peace Talks With Taliban – 25 January 2014

Afghan president denounces US-paid propaganda pushing for implementation of the Bilateral Security Agreement

– Lauren McCauley, staff writer

Afghan president Hamid Karzai said he will not sign the Bilateral Security Agreement unless the United States enters into peace talks with the Taliban.”In exchange for this agreement, we want peace for the people of Afghanistan. Otherwise, it’s better for them to leave and our country will find its own way,” Karzai told a Kabul news conference Saturday.”Starting peace talks is a condition because we want to be confident that after the signing of the security agreement, Afghanistan will not be divided into fiefdoms,” he continued.

Read the whole article at: www.commondreams.org / link to original article

Lisa Gawlas – The Root System Of The New Tree Of Life: Truth – Wisdom – Spontaneity – 25 January 2014

Wow, who put more accelerant down!!??  By my second reading yesterday my brains felt like tinsel on a Christmas tree on a windy day, not to mention weirdly dizzy, kinda like the dizzy was deep inside my head (no doubt emerging from the pineal gland itself) and breathed itself outwards, then collapsed back into itself.  Just an ongoing weird feeling thru the day until my last connection of the day, when all that dizziness from the day seemed to wad itself up and got wedged in the middle of my heart chakra.  Ouchies even!!

Mish/ Mike Shedlock – Retail Sales Cannibalization – 25 January 2014

Retail firings continue. Today, Wal-Mart announced a 2% Reduction in Sam’s Club Employees to thin middle-manager ranks.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is laying off about 2,300 employees at its Sam’s Club warehouse unit to help thin the ranks of middle managers in its weakest stores, marking the club chain’s biggest round of job cuts in four years.

Nearly half the job cuts at Sam’s Club will target salaried assistant managers, and the remainder will be hourly employees at underperforming stores.

“Over the years, we’ve migrated to a top-heavy structure in our management,” said Sam’s Club Chief Executive Rosalind Brewer, in an interview. “What this does is align the number of assistant managers to the sales of the club and to where our growth areas are.”

The cost-cutting moves come as Ms. Brewer aims to better compete with brick-and-mortar rival Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) as well as to take on online membership clubs like Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) Prime service. She seeks to double revenue and turn it into a $100 billion business, roughly the size of Costco.

J.C. Penney Cutting 33 Stores and 2,000 JobsThe Sam’s Club cuts are fresh on the heels of this announcement: J.C. Penney cutting 33 stores and 2,000 jobs
J.C. Penney Co. is attempting to right-size itself by closing 33 under-performing stores around the country and eliminating 2,000 positions, the retailer said Wednesday.The Plano, Texas, company said it hopes the effort will save $65 million a year beginning this year.

Units getting the ax will finish shutting down in early May.

Macy’s to Lay Off 2,500 EmployeesAlso recall this announcement earlier this month: Macy’s to Lay Off 2,500 Employees Amid Cost-Cutting
In the same breath as it announced a “successful” holiday season, Macy’s Inc. said it would lay off some 2,500 employees as it attempts to achieve $100 million in savings a year.In addition to the workers losing their jobs, some associates will be reassigned or transferred, the retailer said. Not all open positions will be filled.

Customer CannibalizationLet’s now return to the lead story, Sam’s Club. “CEO Brewer aims to better compete with brick-and-mortar rival Costco as well as to take on online membership clubs like Amazon Prime service. She seeks to double revenue and turn it into a $100 billion business, roughly the size of Costco.”

Is that remotely possible? If so how?

The only way it is possible is via reducing prices and costs to the bare bone and taking customers away from Amazon, Macy’s, J.C. Penny and its own parent company, Wal-Mart.

The deflationary repercussions are enormous.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock
www.globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com /link to original article

Suzanne Lie – Meanwhile On Earth – Part 5 – The Portal Of Manifestation – 25 January 2014

MYTRIA SPEAKS:

I think it is the NOW for Sandy and Jason to return to the Ship. What do you think my love?

“YES,” answered Mytre. “I have been observing their energy as they work together. I think they are ready for an experience of merging into one being.”

“Yes,” I responded with a bright smile. “Do you remember our first merging?”

“I have never forgotten,” he responded with that special look in his eyes. “I see how the energy of their working together is greatly expanding, and know they are ready for a conscious merging on the Ship. Do you remember, beloved when the Arcturian guided us into our first conscious merging into ONE?”