Ron Paul Wins CPAC Presidential Straw Poll With 30% of Vote!

The results of this year’s CPAC straw poll of potential presidential candidates are in. For the second year in a row, the winner is Ron Paul, with 30% of the vote. Mitt Romney came in second with 23%. Gary Johnson was third with 6%.


Texas Congressman Ron Paul has won the straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington DC.

Mr Paul, who won last year, came ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who finished second.

The Texas lawmaker received 30% of votes cast by those attending, compared to Mr Romney's 23%. Others were grouped far behind.

CPAC is the Republican party's biggest annual convention.

The summit is an opportunity for possible candidates in the 2012 presidential election to test the waters and attract funding and support.

Although it is less than a year before the first voting in primaries for the 2012 race, no Republican has formally announced his or her candidacy. Correspondents say it is an unusually slow start to the campaign.

Continue reading - BBC - CPAC: Ron Paul wins Republican summit straw poll

And the Winner Is... RON PAUL!


Ron Paul Wins 2011 CPAC Straw Poll!

Ron Paul Rocks CPAC - The Brushfires of Freedom Are Burning!

Here are just a few of the news articles on Ron Paul's rousing CPAC speech today. The reports are almost universally favorable and respectful -- quite a change from 2008:

FoxNews.com: Ron Paul Brings Down the House at CPAC

If anything can be gauged by applause in main ballroom, Ron Paul will once again win the Presidential Straw Poll here at CPAC.

Paul won the contest last year, much to the chagrin of many of the party faithful who attended.

This year Paul was the only potential presidential candidate to directly tackle the tricky subject of Egypt.

CNN Politics: Paul gets CPAC crowd on their feet

Texas Rep. Ron Paul addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday, repeating the mantra of limited government that has rocketed him to stardom among a certain segment of conservative activists.

Easily garnering the most enthusiastic applause of the day, Paul advocated for a complete governmental retreat in every realm of society.

“We’ve had way too much bipartisanship for about 60 years,” said Paul, in comments that drew one of many standing ovations during the 25-munte speech. “It’s the bipartisanship of the welfare system, the warfare system…it all goes through with support from both parties.“

RollCall: Ron Paul Stirs CPAC Crowd

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) got a hero’s welcome from the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.

Paul — who won last year’s presidential straw poll in a landslide that angered mainstream Republicans — has long been a favorite of the conservative activists that come to CPAC, and on Friday he delivered a crowd-pleasing speech.

Entering to thundering applause, Paul started his speech with a call not simply to throw Democrats out of office but to “change our philosophy of what this whole country is all about.”

Ron Paul's Full Speech at CPAC 2011: The Brushfires of Freedom Are Burning!

What is Reality?

There is a strange and mysterious world that surrounds us, a world largely hidden from our senses. The quest to explain the true nature of reality is one of the great scientific detective stories.

It starts with Jacobo Konisberg talking about the discovery of the Top quark at Fermilab. Frank Wilceck then featured to explain some particle physics theory at his country shack using bits of fruit. Anton Zeilinger showed us the double slit experiment and then Seth Lloyd showed us the worlds most powerful quantum computer, which has some problems. Lloyd has some interesting ideas about the universe being like a quantum computer.

Lenny Susskind then made an appearance to tell us about how he had discovered the holographic principle after passing an interesting hologram in the corridor. The holgraphic principle was illustrated by projecting an image of Lenny onto himself. Max Tegmark then draws some of his favourite equations onto a window and tell us that reality is maths before he himself dissolved into equations.

The most interesting part of the program was a feature about an experiment to construct a holometer at Fermilab described by one of the project leaders Craig Hogan. The holometer is a laser inteferometer inspired by the noise produced at the gravitational wave detectors such as LIGO. It is hoped that if the holographic principle is correct this experiment will detect its effects.

Clues have been pieced together from deep within the atom, from the event horizon of black holes, and from the far reaches of the cosmos. It may be that that we are part of a cosmic hologram, projected from the edge of the universe. Or that we exist in an infinity of parallel worlds. Your reality may never look quite the same again.

BBC Horizon (2011) - What is Reality?

TZM Presents - Automation is Here

Take a peek into the future of automation advocated by The Zeitgeist Movement.

AUTOMATION IS HERE

INTELLECTUAL DEBATE: Peter Joseph's Response to Stefan Molyneux [Zeitgeist: Moving Forward]

Peter Joseph's Response to Stefan Molyneux's review of Zeitgeist: Moving Forward.

Peter Joseph's Response to Stefan Molyneux [Zeitgeist: Moving Forward]

Tom Woods lectures at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thomas Woods lectures at University of Wisconsin-Madison January 26th, 2011. Topics include Great Depression, Austrian Business Cycle Theory, and entitlements.

Tom Woods lectures at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ron Paul: Dollar Collapse Will Bring Down U.S. Empire

Ron Paul exposes the Fed's destructive monetary policy and talks about tomorrow's hearing entitled "Can Monetary Policy Really Create Jobs?"

Ron Paul: Dollar Collapse Will Bring Down U.S. Empire

The Future of 3D Printing

Scott Summit explains the current state and future potential of 3D printing (also known as rapid prototyping) technology.

Scott Summit - The Future of 3D Printing


Read also - NY Times - 3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution

Technologies preview in the Zeitgeist Moving Forward documentary.

RepRap is a free desktop 3D printer capable of printing plastic objects. Since many parts of RepRap are made from plastic and RepRap can print those parts, RepRap is a self-replicating machine - one that anyone can build given time and materials. It also means that - if you've got a RepRap - you can print lots of useful stuff, and you can print another RepRap for a friend...

RepRap


What is RepRap? Introductory Lecture - Part 1 of 2


What is RepRap? Introductory Lecture - Part 2 of 2


Contour Crafting (CC) is a layered fabrication technology developed by Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California. Contour Crafting technology has great potential for automating the construction of whole structures as well as sub-components. Using this process, a single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run, embedded in each house all the conduits for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning.



Contour Crafting


Contour Crafting - Concrete-Jet Robot


We are fast approaching the END OF CAPITALISM! Long live TZM!

Ben Bernanke: Audit the Fed at The National Press Club

February 03, 2010 - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke answers questions during a Q&A session at the National Press Club.

The question in this clip pertains to auditing the Federal Reserve.

Ben Bernanke: Audit the Fed at The National Press Club 02/03/11

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RON PAUL: It's Going To Take A Crisis For Real Reform At The Fed

Congressman Ron Paul doesn't think we're going to get real reform at the Fed until there's a crisis that forces change in U.S. monetary policy.

"I think we'll end up with a real crisis and then they'll have to stop, think about it, and have a reform," of Fed policy, he said.

As new Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Monetary Policy, Congressman Paul sees informing the public of the Fed's actions as priority number one. He's being doing that for sometime, but now has a more substantial platform to speak from.

One of Congressman Paul's immediate aims is to challenge what he believes is a gross misunderstanding of Fed policy when it comes to unemployment. He intends to interview Former Fed board governors on the topic at the subcommittees first meeting on February 9th.

"This will give us a chance to make the point that just giving the Federal Reserve a mandate of high employment is not quite so simple and they're the culprits in creating the unemployment and they do nothing to prevent the unemployment," he said.

In the full interview, the Congressman's full thoughts on Fed Chairman Bernanke, on how inflation is being misrepresented in U.S. statistics, and what he expects to find if his audit the Fed bill is passed.

Continue reading - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RON PAUL: It's Going To Take A Crisis For Real Reform At The Fed

LONDON PROTEST - Students join unions to protest against cuts

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Britain on Saturday in a new wave of protests against government plans to hike university tuition fees and scrap education grants.

The protests in London and Manchester are the first major demonstrations since late last year when students laid siege to London's government district and attacked a limousine carrying heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his wife.

Saturday's protests were largely peaceful.

Holding banners marked "What Parliament does, the streets can undo" about 3,000 noisy but good-humoured protesters marched through central London to Westminster.

Ciara Squires, 18, from Portsmouth, at Queen Mary (London University) said she was marching for her 16-year-old sister:

"Education should be free. My little sister is going to lose her EMA (grant) and drop out of college, and then she might not be able to go to university," Squires said.

"Parliament is not listening to us and most of the people in college can't vote, so we should be out here (marching), that's the only way we can express our opinions," she added.

Chanting "London - Cairo, unite and fight" the march then moved on to the Egyptian embassy, where a demonstration calling for Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak to step down was being held.

In the northern English city of Manchester some of Britain's biggest trade unions joined forces with students as anger about the Conservative-led coalition government's austerity cuts boiled over into wider sectors of society.

Media reports said six people had been arrested following a minor scuffle.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), told protestors that the Conservative-led coalition's cuts unfairly targeted young people.

"From sacking lollipop ladies and closing youth clubs, to axing college grants and trebling tuition fees, this is a government at war with our young people and therefore at war with our future," Hunt said.

The coalition government plans to cut 2.9 billion pounds ($4.64 billion) of state support a year for universities to help tackle a budget deficit now at about 11 percent of national output following the global financial crisis.

The government says the higher student fees will be fairer than the present system, and that it will give poorer students more financial support.

Continue reading - Reuters - Students join unions to protest against cuts

London Student Protests, Saturday 29/01/2011


Student protest in Manchester


Student protest, oxford street London


Students Take To Streets For Cuts Protest In London & Manchester - 29th January 2011

EGYPT REVOLT UPDATE - Egyptian Hopes Converge in Fight for Cairo Bridge

CAIRO — The battle had gone on for hours, and the end of the bridge was in sight. Somewhere past the green armored cars and through the smoke was Liberation Square. For miles the protesters had marched peacefully, shouting at balconies for their neighbors to join them.

But water cannons and tear gas halted the march, for a time. Atef Badr, 28, turned to the retreating protesters with tears stirred by the moment, not the gas. “I’m begging you,” he screamed. “All of you in the back, come forward!”

A few tear gas canisters got caught in the wind and drifted away toward the river: an opportunity. The protesters surged forward, chanting, “Overthrow Mubarak!” They gained ground and then lost it, when the dull metal gas canisters started falling again.

So it went all afternoon on the Kasr al-Nil Bridge, as thousands of protesters tried again and again to get past the riot police, who were just as determined to keep them at bay: first with gas and water cannons, and then by beating them with truncheons.

The long struggle for the bridge set the tone for the momentous events throughout the country on Friday. Egyptians slowly shed their fear of President Hosni Mubarak’s police state and confronted its power, a few halting steps at a time.

The protesters came from every social class and included even wealthy Egyptians, who are often dismissed as apolitical, or too comfortable to mobilize. For some of them in the crowd on Friday, the brutality of the security forces was a revelation. “Dogs!” they yelled at the riot police, as they saw bloodied protesters dragged away. “These people are Egyptians!”

Continue reading - NY Times - Egyptian Hopes Converge in Fight for Cairo Bridge

28th Jan. 2011 - Storyful - Egypt Cairo uprising protest video - Mohamed Ibrahim Elmasry

MALAYSIA - Rise in statutory reserve requirement expected

Industry observers believe that a hike in the statutory reserve requirement (SRR) by Bank Negara is likely at the next monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting in March.

The SRR is a monetary policy instrument available to Bank Negara to manage liquidity and credit creation in the banking system. It is used to withdraw or inject liquidity when the excess or lack of liquidity in the banking system is perceived by the central bank to be large and long term in nature.

It is currently at a historical low of 1% from 3% to 4% in 2008.
*It means for every RM100 deposits, they can create RM10,000 in loans. 99:1 leverage! Money multiplier = 1/reserve ratio = 1/0.01 = 100

An economist from a local bank-backed brokerage said a rise in the SRR might be implemented to curb the inflow of hot money.

“Looking at current trends, the central bank will do it. If it feels hot money is coming in and that there is a need to avoid misalignment in asset prices, it will increase the SRR,” he said.

Hot money refers to funds which flow into a country to take advantage of a favourable interest rate, therefore obtaining higher returns.

On Thursday, the central bank maintained the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 2.75% as it considered the existing monetary policy stance as appropriate and consistent with the current assessment of economic growth and inflation prospects.

However, it said that it would consider other policy tools such as the SRR and macro-prudential lending measures to ensure domestic macroeconomic and financial stability.

Affin Investment Bank in its research note yesterday also said the SRR was likely at the next MPC meeting.

“There is a possibility that Bank Negara may raise the SRR, which was cut from 4% in October 2008 to 1% in February 2009, in the next MPC meeting, but keeping its policy rate unchanged,” it said.

Maybank Investment Bank said: “The latest monetary policy statement not only continued to highlight the risk to macroeconomic and financial stability from the volatile international financial market conditions amid increased global liquidity and hence short-term capital flows, but added that policy tools such as the SRR and macro-prudential lending measures may be considered."

“This raises the odds of the SRR rising in the next MPC (on March 11) and we are factoring in (more than) a 100 basis points adjustment.”

According to AmResearch Sdn Bhd senior economist Manokaran Mottain, a 1% hike in SRR can remove at least RM3.9bil from the banking system.

*POOF MAGIC MUCH? The market will squeeze and people will find it harder, if not impossible to pay back their existing loans. Hence, DEFAULTS ARE INEVITABLE!

Continue reading - The Star - Rise in statutory reserve requirement expected

Now that's what you call looting: Tunisians steal ousted president's £125,000 Ferrari using a FORKLIFT TRUCK

While most looters resort to taking home whatever they can carry in their arms, these Tunisian thieves employed a slightly more enterprising approach… using a forklift truck.

They used the industrial vehicle to pick up one of ousted former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's Ferraris from its parking space and then simply drove off with the supercar dangling from the forks.

One looter riding in the JCB was seen grinning as he sped along a highway in the capital Tunis with the 599 GBB Fiorano, which cost £125,000 when new four years ago.

Leila Trabelsi. the former president's wife, was known for her love of fast cars - the family had more than 50 - and widely despised as the ultimate symbol of corruption and excess.

Dubbed ‘the Imelda Marcos of the Arab world’ the former hairdresser, 53, was also known for her luxury homes and frequent shopping trips to Dubai, during which she is said to have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds.


Easy picking: A looter in a JCB forklift truck drives off with a Ferrari belonging to Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali

Thumbs up: Thieves in the truck's cab show their delight at taking the supercar in Tunisian capital Tunis

Finders, keepers: The thieves thought nothing of driving down the road with the Ferrari in broad daylight

Continue reading - Now that's what you call looting: Tunisians steal ousted president's £125,000 Ferrari using a FORKLIFT TRUCK

Ron Paul 2012 - Can you Hear us Now?

The Revolution is alive and well!

Ron Paul 2012 - Can you Hear us Now?