Some already were disabled, under Social Security rules, but continued working until the job disappeared in the economic rubble. Others lost their jobs, and because of various medical history issues, applied for disability because they could not find other work in the current economy. Social Security applications are spiking -- but approval of Social Security disability benefits is not.

Republican congressional candidate Stephen Broden suggests that a violent overthrow of the government could be possible if the upcoming elections do not produce a change in leadership.

Police removed local geologist Matt Price from the Petroleum building where he was hanging for two hours after being tarred and feathered by disgruntled former friends and colleagues. Patrolman Derrick Quinn reported, "We had to wait for the angry mob to disperse. Man, do they hate radical honesty."

Far too many people expect events to unfold in a more or less orderly manner, with plenty of time to adjust along the way. In other words, linearly. The world does not always cooperate, and my concern rests on the observation that we still face the convergence of multiple trends, each of which alone has the power to permanently transform our economic landscape and standards of living. Three such trends that will shape our immediate future are: * Peak Oil * Sovereign insolvency * Currency debasement Individually, these worry me quite a bit; collectively, they have my full attention.

A US proposal aimed at defusing rising global tensions over exchange rate policy has come under fire. In a letter to his G20 counterparts, Tim Geithner, US Treasury secretary, said countries with large surpluses should adopt policies to cap them, while nations with persistent deficits should boost savings by cutting budget shortfalls.

Nearly a dozen major banks and hedge funds, anticipating quick profits from homeowners who fall behind on property taxes, are quietly plowing hundreds of millions of dollars into businesses that collect the debts, tack on escalating fees and threaten to foreclose on the homes of those who fail to pay. The Wall Street investors, which include Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase & Co., have purchased from local governments the right to collect delinquent taxes on several hundred thousand properties, many in distressed housing markets, the Huffington Post Investigative Fund has found.

A very good report on the relationship between Population, Water, Energy and Food. This sums up where we are heading.

Executives of companies hired by Federal government for 4 year terms to make use of their expertise, while still employed by their firms. In some cases these executives are employed by their companies as government lobbyists! A clear conflict of interest.

I found this interesting because of the source -- I get e-mails at work from Yellow Freight Lines talking about the economy. Looks like Peak Oil is becoming very main-stream.

Prop 19 will open up California to hemp, a multi-billion-dollar crop that has been a staple of human agriculture for thousands of years.