Drudge Retort: Ben_Berkkake's blog

Apple reportedly stops placing Mac component orders

Ben_Berkkake — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:03:43 -0400

Apple has reportedly stopped placing component orders for its Mac series products recently and related upstream suppliers so far have not yet received any word about when the US-based vendor will resume its orders, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

The suppliers originally expected to finish digesting their Mac inventories in April, but are now stranded waiting for further instructions from Apple.

The sources revealed that Apple's Mac orders to the supply chain dropped to almost nothing after the Lunar New Year holidays. Apple had high hopes for its Mac product lines and placed aggressive orders at the end of 2012; however, the company is now badly affected by the decision.

Gitmo Detainee: Why I Refuse to Eat

Ben_Berkkake — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:32:17 -0400

Samir Naji al Hasan Moqbel: I've been detained at Guantanamo for 11 years and three months. I have never been charged with any crime. I have never received a trial. I could have been home years ago -- no one seriously thinks I am a threat -- but still I am here. Years ago the military said I was a "guard" for Osama bin Laden, but this was nonsense, like something out of the American movies I used to watch. They don't even seem to believe it anymore. But they don't seem to care how long I sit here, either. ... The situation is desperate now. All of the detainees here are suffering deeply. At least 40 people here are on a hunger strike.

Over Five Thousand Foreigners Fighting in Syria

Ben_Berkkake — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:54:44 -0400

A day after G8 confirmed that Syria had become the hotbed for foreign terrorists, the international centre for the study of radicalization has pinpointed the exact numbers. The centre, which is part of King's College, London has found more than 450 martyrdom notices that have been posted in jihadist online forums around Syria.

IRS: Individual Audit +62%, Businesses Audit over 10m -18%

Ben_Berkkake — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:57:01 -0400

The IRS plans to expend 18% percent less effort auditing businesses with assets of $10 million or more compared with just two years ago, according to a very timely IRS planning document.

For the same period, the IRS also projects a 14% drop in the amount of available time for the specialized revenue agents it needs to conduct these audits in FY 2013 -- the year ending on September 30 -- compared to what it was in FY 2011.

Japan Unleashes QE Godzilla

Ben_Berkkake — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:33:04 -0400

The Bank of Japan unleashed the world's most intense burst of monetary stimulus on Thursday, promising to inject about $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years, a radical gamble that sent the yen reeling and bond yields to record lows. New Governor Haruhiko Kuroda committed the bank to open-ended asset buying and said the monetary base would nearly double to $2.9 trillion by the end of 2014 in a shock therapy to end two decades of stagnation. "This is an unprecedented degree of monetary easing," Kuroda said.

Madoff Suddenly Feeling Sucidal, May Be Having Chest Pains

Ben_Berkkake — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:59:29 -0400

Bernard Madoff, speaking out from prison, says the banks knew of his Ponzi scheme all along. The perpetrator of a history-making $50 billion Ponzi scheme wrote in a letter to MarketWatch from jail that he is now telling government committees the story.

In the emailed letter, he pointed to J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Bank of New York Mellon Corp., HSBC Holdings PLC and Citigroup Inc. as having access to information about his scam. He added that other banks also knew.

Interactive Map of US Drone Strikes in Pakistan

Ben_Berkkake — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:35:46 -0400

Humanitarian aid...American style.

Wireless Brain-CPU Interface Created

Ben_Berkkake — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:33:41 -0400

Researchers at Brown University have succeeded in creating the first wireless, implantable, rechargeable, long-term brain-computer interface. The wireless BCIs have been implanted in pigs and monkeys for over 13 months without issue, and human subjects are next. The long-term goal is equip people with movement disabilities with a wireless brain-computer interface.

US May Directly Aid Syrian Rebels

Ben_Berkkake — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:32:33 -0500

The Obama administration is moving toward a major policy shift on Syria that could provide rebels there with equipment such as body armor and armored vehicles, and possibly military training, and could send humanitarian assistance directly to Syria's opposition political coalition, according to U.S. and European officials. The administration has not provided direct aid to the military or political side of the opposition throughout the two-year-old conflict, and U.S. officials remain opposed to providing weapons to the rebels. Secretary of State John Kerry told a group of German students Tuesday that the United States wants a "peaceful resolution" in Syria, but if its leaders refuse to negotiate and continue to kill citizens, "then you need to at least provide some kind of support" for those fighting for their rights.

So...Remember California Balacing It's Budget? Yeah...

Ben_Berkkake — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:05:53 -0500

SACRAMENTO -- The surge of revenue that showed up unexpectedly in state coffers last month may well be offset by a revenue dip in coming months, according to Gov. Jerry Brown's administration.

The surprise money has been the source of much speculation in the Capitol. Unanticipated tax receipts filled state coffers with more than $5 billion beyond initial projections for January -- more tax dollars than are allocated to the entire state university system in a year.