Judo

With the 2012 London Olympics now underway, ConvergEx's Nic Colas takes a look at the business of the Games.  As it turns out, the five-circle logo of the International Olympic Committee is essentially one of the strongest brands on the planet. The reason for this success seems to boil down to two fundamental drivers. In the developed economies of the world, the games represent an opportunity to reach a large audience that has grown fragmented and hard to reach due to everything from the social media to DVR devices.  In emerging markets, ever-larger middle classes represent excellent growth opportunities for global brands.  The bottom line is that the Olympics may prove to be the last piece of media content that remains relevant and interesting to the majority of the world’s consumers. The Olympics is therefore an unequivocal business success story, unharmed by global recession, sovereign debt woes, and the other economic problems of the moment. It just seems a shame that live-pigeon shooting and one-armed-weightlifting have been removed from the events and did dwarf-tossing ever make it?

Enough with the Keynesian aggregates, already.

There simply cannot be a con without two opposing but cooperative parties involved. And both sides need to expect to get something out of the deal, regardless of whether it happens or not and despite all the facts not being known by one or more of the parties.

Many in our society, instead of taking on the responsibility of preserving their freedoms, have instead handed it over to the trappings of government. The fatal error here is obvious; the corporatized and over-centralized political landscape of America’s government today does not hold the same values as the people it is determined to lord over. We have witnessed the parasitic possession of our system, know it to be corrupt, yet still seem to expect this bureaucratic monstrosity to cradle our liberties in good faith! Government is a tool; a mechanical apparatus that can be used to either preserve freedom, or annihilate it. Its use depends upon those men who wield it, and the men who wield our government today certainly do not have the expansion of freedom in mind. In this article, we will examine the many points of contention (balancing points) brewing as our exceedingly globalist leaning political leaders overstep their bounds. Any one of these points, if allowed to falter by Americans, could throw the whole of our heritage into disarray…

• GM is reportedly looking at "all offers" for Saab. (Apparently only unrealistic offers have been entertained hitherto). [dow jones]
• Dutch automaker Spyker: "Hey, we'll bid."  GM: "Anyone... anyone at all?  Bueller...?  Bueller...?" [marketwatch]
• China's Zhu Min: "The world does not have so much money to buy more US Treasuries." (Current account woes. Who knew?) [shanghi daily via drudge]
• Iranian troops lower flag and withdraw from Iraqi claimed oil well. (Iranian theft of U.S. egg nog shipment to troops suspected).  [reuters]
• In Russia, judo throws you.  (Do not fuck with judo black belt Putin.  Period.)  [reuters]

Nobel 'Peace' Prize winner Obama escalates war in Afghanistan in act of Orwellian tragedy.

CEO of Russia in Perpetuity, Vladimir Putin, was faced Monday with the tough truth of plummeting oil prices. Oil, of course, has been the lifeblood of Russia's renaissance in recent years.

CEO of Russia in Perpetuity, Vladimir Putin, was faced Monday with the tough truth of plummeting oil prices. Oil, of course, has been the lifeblood of Russia's renaissance in recent years.