Cheating, Animated

Dan Ariely on the Truth About Dishonesty,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBmJay_qdNc&feature=player_embedded

What is Bitcoin?

Some are hyping this service as a replacement for banks.

 

Personally, I like a credit union with oversight and actual physical presence under the jurisdiction of some government entity(ies).  This may catch on, but it does seem to have a weakness, and that is the integrity of the system not getting hacked, such that digital “coins” don’t just disappear one day.  See what you think?

Everything works perfectly, until it doesn’t. Then what?
 

Inequality For All Gets Distribution

RADiUS-TWC Picks Up Economic Doc ‘Inequality For All’

“An Inconvenient Truth’ for the Economy”

Go to film website.

 

 

 

It’s A Wonderful Life (full film)

For Christmas, why not consider watching It’s a Wonderful Life, below?

 

 

Frank Capra’s masterpiece has lived on as THE Christmas Movie, in part because it’s in the public domain.  Yes, anyone, anywhere can play the film or broadcast it, now that it has slipped into the public domain.  A couple of years ago I caught the DVD version, and interviews with Capra’s son.  Through a clerical mistake the film’s copyright lapsed.  Then it became the most played Christmas movie of all time mostly because it was free, and no royalties need be paid by television broadcasters.

The film should resonate today, as its main character is fighting the evil banksters of the day by championing a public interest bank, like a Credit Union.  Economist Ellen Brown has been writing about similar struggles as in the Bank of North Dakota, and efforts to enact state banks that don’t siphon off profits to private profiteers.

The Public Banking Institute is the place to go learn more about that.  Their site proclaims, “Public Banking — it already works in the United States and is catching on! 20 States are considering some form of state banking legislation.”

P.S.

“Peace on earth and good will toward men (and women).”

How Stagnant Pools of Government Money Could Help Save the Economy

[While this article does not deal with film, it does advance Ellen Brown's previous article, and it's just good, solid information that people need to see. -JG]

The Mysterious CAFRs:
How Stagnant Pools of Government Money Could Help Save the Economy

Ellen Brown
www.webofdebt.com/articles
May 21, 2010

For over a decade, accountant Walter Burien has been trying to rouse the public over what he contends is a massive conspiracy and cover-up, involving trillions of dollars squirreled away in funds maintained at every level of government. His numbers may be disputed, but these funds definitely exist, as evidenced by the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) required of every government agency. If they don’t represent a concerted government conspiracy, what are they for? And how can they be harnessed more efficiently to help allay the financial crises of state and local governments?

The Elusive CAFR Money

Burien is a former commodity trading adviser who has spent many years peering into government books. He notes that the government is composed of 54,000 different state, county, and local government entities, including school districts, public authorities, and the like; and that these entities all keep their financial assets in liquid investment funds, bond financing accounts and corporate stock portfolios. The only income that must be reported in government budgets is that from taxes, fines and fees; but the investments of government entities can be found in official annual reports (CAFRs), which must be filed with the federal government by local, county and state governments. These annual reports show that virtually every U.S. city, county, and state has vast amounts of money stashed away in surplus funds. Burien maintains that these slush funds have been kept concealed from taxpayers, even as taxes are being raised and citizens are being told to expect fewer government services.

It is hard to envision how all the municipal governments hording their excess money in separate funds could be complicit in a massive government conspiracy, but if that is not what is going on, why such an inefficient use of public monies?