The Banana Peel of Destiny
You will recall, perhaps, that hoary old concept, the "bumpy plateau" of the peak oil story. This was the idea that the actual tippy-top "peak" of peak oil, studied at close scale, would actually take the form of a raggedy line representing the interplay between supply, demand, and most importantly the frantic psychological response of humans operating in markets. It was clear that economies would stagger under the burden of high oil prices, and economic activity would contract, and people would use less oil and the price would go down. When prices were real low again, people would resume buying more oil (and other stuff) and economic activity would mount and oil prices would go up again. We knew this would happen for a couple-few cycles, and that then things would get... more interesting.
Japan
WSJ: Japan Utility Chief Bumped Off Plane at Start of Crisis
CNN: Japan's irradiated waters: How worried should we be?
Reuters: Rebuilding Japan's disaster-hit towns may take a decade
Global Conflict
CNN: Syria launches bloody new crackdown as U.S. threatens sanctions
TheTelegraph: Libya: western leaders call for Nato to target GaddafiSenior western leaders called for Nato to adopt an assassination policy against Col Muammar Gaddafi to salvage the bombing campaign in Libya from a descent into stalemate.
NYT: Syria Escalates Crackdown as Tanks Go to Restive City
Financial News
Bloomberg: Silver, Gold Rise to Records on Bets China's Demand Will Climb
YahooFinance: Boehner open to repealing oil company tax breaksWASHINGTON (AP) -- House Speaker John Boehner said Monday that Congress should "take a look at" repealing the multibillion-dollar tax subsidies enjoyed by the major oil companies.
YahooFinance: Boehner open to repealing oil company tax breaksWASHINGTON (AP) -- House Speaker John Boehner said Monday that Congress should "take a look at" repealing the multibillion-dollar tax subsidies enjoyed by the major oil companies.
BusinessInsider: There Are No Miracle Cures From Inflation And It Will Destroy The Middle Class
TheEconomist: Africans are asking whether China is making their lunch or eating it
Reuters: Ford posts best first-quarter profit in 13 years
ConsumerReports: Is it ever smart to walk away from your mortgage?
WashingtonPost: The word most politicians ignore: Jobs
Reuters: Spanish borrowing costs jump; Greek debt shunned(Reuters) - Spain's short-term borrowing costs jumped on Tuesday as euro zone markets returned from the Easter break still fretting about a potential Greek debt restructuring with knock-on effects on other sovereigns.
NPR: Home Prices Still Searching For A BottomHome prices are falling in most major U.S. cities, and at least 10 major markets are at their lowest point since the housing bubble burst.
Peak oil and Energy News
FinancialSense: The peaking of oil prices and the coming Depression. Resource Wars to follow.
Time: Will Israel's Electric Cars Change the World?
Econbrowser: Saudi oil production and the Libyan conflict
Environmental News
NewScientist: Warmer oceans release CO2 faster than thoughtAs the world's oceans warm, their massive stores of dissolved carbon dioxide may be quick to bubble back out into the atmosphere and amplify the greenhouse effect, according to a new study.
Reuters: Five dead in Arkansas as floods, tornadoes hit again(Reuters) - A tornado destroyed 50 to 80 houses and killed at least two people in an Arkansas town on Monday and floods caused at least three deaths in the state as storms continued to lash the region, authorities said.
ABCNews: Tornado Outbreak: Severe Weather in Arkansas Leaves 7 Dead, Flooding in Missouri
America in Decline
AddictingInfo: Blatant Tea Party Racism. Or “If It Walks Like A Duck…”
“You have declared war on the white man in America-putting the wants and needs of the moochers, leeches, looters and criminals ahead of the producers and the workers of America. And we don’t want 15 to 20 million illiterate Mexicans and Chicanos as our new welfare society, living like rats in our neighborhoods.”Alternet: Texas GOP Fights Catastrophic Wildfires With Prayer and Global Warming Denial
Praying for rain will be little help while Texas politicians work to deny global warming and prevent the changes that might actually deal with their troubles.
TruthOut: Guantanamo Detainee Files Hint at Psychological Research
MotherJones: Tennessee Sharia Bill Too Extreme For Tea Partiers
Food and Water
SFGate: Corn Gains as Rain Delays Seeding; Wheat Jumps to 2-Month HighApril 25 (Bloomberg) -- Corn gained on speculation that wet, cold weather across the U.S. Midwest will further delay planting, reducing yields. Wheat advanced to a two-month high.
Science and Technology
WashingtonPost: Are drones a technological tipping point in warfare?
Medical and Health
ActivistPost: Medical Marijuana Becoming Blockbuster Drug
ABCNews: Seeking 1,000 Brains from the Healthy, the Diseased, the Extraordinary
Other News
RollCall: Reports: Ron Paul to Form Exploratory CommitteeRep. Ron Paul will reportedly announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee Tuesday in Iowa, according to multiple news organizations.
ConsumerTraveler: State Dept. wants to make it harder to get a passport
Alternet: Why Garment Sizing is a Social Class IssueClothiers are now attempting to standardize sizing in the US, alleviating the pain of women everywhere. But why didn't they just do that in the first place?
The Forums
TinfoilPalace: "This guest list reads like a 'Who's Who' of tyrants and their cronies," - Royal Wedding
TinfoilPalace: Moon man in hiding after death threats
TheOilAge: Not the Refineries!
TheOilAge: Prepping For Three Futures...
Hubberts-Arms: My Slver/Gold Conspiracy Thread of the Day :)
Hubberts-Arms: American Hellholes
SilentCountry: Sharon Astyk: Zombietopia!
SilentCountry: Second computer worm 'hits Iran'
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