Simmering Hope

From AP:
“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued the following statement on Sunday night:

“Tonight, talks broke down over Republicans’ continued insistence on a short-term raise of the debt ceiling, which is something that President Obama, Leader Pelosi and I have been clear we would not support. A short-term extension would not provide the certainty the markets are looking for, and risks many of the same dire economic consequences that would be triggered by default itself. Speaker Boehner’s plan, no matter how he tries to dress it up, is simply a short-term plan, and is therefore a non-starter in the Senate and with the President.

“In an effort to reach a bipartisan compromise, we are putting together a $2.7 trillion deficit reduction package that meets Republicans’ two major criteria: it will include enough spending cuts to meet or exceed the amount of a debt ceiling raise through the end of 2012, and it will not include revenues. We hope Speaker Boehner will abandon his ‘my way or the highway’ approach, and join us in forging a bipartisan compromise along these lines.”

Immediate reaction of the market : U.S. stock futures down more than 100 points.

Meanwhile, from Global Research comes the following information:
- An audit of the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending programs, revealed that the Fed provided more than $16 trillion in secret loans to bail out American and foreign banks and businesses. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders responded to the audit by saying, quote, “This is a clear case of socialism for the rich and rugged, you’re-on-your-own individualism for everyone else.”
- The 13 trillion was not even paper money; it was computer keyboard issued
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid described the “cut, cap, balance” bill, proposed by Republicans, as one of the worst bills in the history of the country.
- Unemployment is not quite 9.2%, more likely around 30% (maybe even higher)
- Greece didn’t really get any bailout funds at all. All of the bailout funds were given by European creditor governments to the banks that held the Greek bonds. And Greece was told, “Well, there’s a 50 billion euro loss on your bonds that have gone down. You have to sell off and privatize €50 billion of your land and property in the public domain.”

I wonder if it is the harbinger of the USA collapse? Because right now it looks like the probability of global economic collapse is around the corner.
Are we doomed?

It’s mind boggling to read that while some areas on our planet struggle with drought, famine, starvation, some designers are busy trying to come up with fancier and crazier super expensive yachts to please whoever would afford to buy them for their own relaxation.

I have no idea how much a yacht such the following may cost; however I am quite sure that money could be spend on better humanitarian causes.
Courtesy of Daily Mail, we present you the next super yacht, coming with its own volcano and waterfall coming down into your private pool. Beach cabanas, helicopter landing pad, cinema, library, spa are just about a few of the pieces that are going to complete the new attempt to defy common sense.

In the mean time, poverty shows its ugly face

This must be what Hell looks like

While some Russian oligarch may contemplate on buying the yacht with the volcano, other people live like this

Some people starve to death; others eat themselves to death. It’s like a pandemic extermination of human race. We live in a world of huge contrasts: on one hand are those (the vast majority) struggling with the everyday life or survival; on the other hand is the small but powerful group of the egomanical, insensitive super rich.

With all the darkness keeping a strong grip on our planet we can only hope that aliens exist indeed and that they are coming to our rescue. However,
we are such a barbarian species that sometimes I wonder if we are worth the effort of being helped. Take a look around and you see the humanity at its worst.

Who does not need or want a little bit (or maybe more) good luck in the year to come? We see the passing year as a renewed chance for the better in the new one to come.

Courtesy of epicurious.com, following is a list of food that is considered to bring good fortune:

The six major categories of auspicious foods are grapes, greens, fish, pork, legumes, and cakes.

Grapes: New Year’s revelers in Spain consume twelve grapes at midnight—one grape for each stroke of the clock. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Each grape represents a different month, so if for instance the third grape is a bit sour, March might be a rocky month. For most, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight, but Peruvians insist on taking in a 13th grape for good measure.

Greens and sour cabbage: Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year’s in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune. The Danish eat stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, the Germans consume sauerkraut (cabbage) while in the southern United States, collards are the green of choice. It’s widely believed that the more greens one eats the larger one’s fortune next year.

Legumes: Legumes including beans, peas, and lentils are also symbolic of money. Their small, seedlike appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. In Italy, it’s customary to eat cotechino con lenticchie or sausages and green lentils, just after midnight—a particularly propitious meal because pork has its own lucky associations. Germans also partner legumes and pork, usually lentil or split pea soup with sausage. In Brazil, the first meal of the New Year is usually lentil soup or lentils and rice, and in Japan, the osechi-ryori, a group of symbolic dishes eaten during the first three days of the new year, includes sweet black beans called kuro-mame.

Pork: The custom of eating pork on New Year’s is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. Roast suckling pig is served for New Year’s in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria—Austrians are also known to decorate the table with miniature pigs made of marzipan. Different pork dishes such as pig’s feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages. Pork is also consumed in Italy and the United States, where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity.

Fish: The Danish eat boiled cod, while in Italy, baccalà, or dried salt cod, is enjoyed from Christmas through New Year’s. Herring, another frequently preserved fish, is consumed at midnight in Poland and Germany—Germans also enjoy carp and have been known to place a few fish scales in their wallets for good luck. The Swedish New Year feast is usually a smorgasbord with a variety of fish dishes such as seafood salad. In Japan, herring roe is consumed for fertility, shrimp for long life, and dried sardines for a good harvest (sardines were once used to fertilize rice fields).

Cakes: Cakes and other baked goods are commonly served from Christmas to New Year’s around the world, with a special emphasis placed on round or ring-shaped items. Italy has chiacchiere, which are honey-drenched balls of pasta dough fried and dusted with powdered sugar. Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands also eat donuts, and Holland has ollie bollen, puffy, donut-like pastries filled with apples, raisins, and currants.

In certain cultures, it’s customary to hide a special trinket or coin inside the cake—the recipient will be lucky in the new year. Mexico’s rosca de reyes is a ring-shaped cake decorated with candied fruit and baked with one or more surprises inside. In Greece, a special round cake called vasilopita is baked with a coin hidden inside. At midnight or after the New Year’s Day meal, the cake is cut, with the first piece going to St. Basil and the rest being distributed to guests in order of age. Sweden and Norway have similar rituals in which they hide a whole almond in rice pudding—whoever gets the nut is guaranteed great fortune in the new year.

Cakes aren’t always round. In Scotland, where New Year’s is called Hogmanay, there is a tradition called “first footing,” in which the first person to enter a home after the new year determines what kind of year the residents will have. The “first footer” often brings symbolic gifts like coal to keep the house warm or baked goods such as shortbread, oat cakes, and a fruit caked called black bun, to make sure the household always has food.

What not to eat?
In addition to the aforementioned lucky foods, there are also a few to avoid. Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.

Now that you know what to eat, there’s one more superstition—that is, guideline—to keep in mind. In Germany, it’s customary to leave a little bit of each food on your plate past midnight to guarantee a stocked pantry in the New Year. Likewise in the Philippines, it’s important to have food on the table at midnight. The conclusion? Eat as much lucky food as you can, just don’t get too greedy—or the first place you’ll be going in the new year is the gym.

Throw into the mix round fruits (oranges, grapefruits and especially pomegranates), or persimmons -as per Chinese tradition.

What else to do?
Wear something red and gold, be happy, enjoy the company of friends and family, laugh a lot and send positive thoughts into the Universe. Your kindness and generosity will bring back more prosperity and happiness. In other words, the Law of Attraction will really work.

Happy New Year to all of us!

We have just started looking for a good deal to Mayan Riviera when the news hit the net.

As per Associated Press “An explosion believed to have been caused by an accumulation of natural gas killed six people and injured 15 Sunday at a resort hotel on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, authorities said.

Initial reports indicate that three Canadian tourists may be among those who lost their lives in the blast, said Quintana Roo state Attorney General Francisco Alor.

The explosion happened in the lobby of the 676-room Grand Riviera Princess hotel in Playa del Carmen, which is located in Quintana Roo”

According to official reports, the investigations were focusing on the possibility that naturally occurring gas from a nearby swamp had built up under the hotel and somehow ignited.

The world became such a dangerous place lately, that we don’t feel comfortable anymore leaving our house. You read about tourists being hijacked and killed in South Africa, kidnapped in various places, mugged and raped or killed in explosions and it’s no wonder you start considering that a vacation in your backyard sounds not only economical, but safe also.
I guess we are not going to find out if the explosion at Grand Riviera Princess happened indeed because of natural gas natural ignition or it was an act of terrorism.

We did not feel safe to go to Puerto Vallarta because of Mexican ‘pirates’ and started considering the Mayan Riviera as a safe alternative. Now we don’t know what to think anymore.