June 6, 2008 Sigma Bands

June 5, 2008 Sigma Bands

June 4, 2008 Sigma Bands

Jun 3, 2008 Sigma Bands

Beware the "seasonal adjustment" scam

Last week the US Labor Department reported the latest increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and guess what - the index was only up .2%! That's right! Inflation is very tame. Isn't that wonderful? And the Mainstream Media press is spreading the good news. Inflation is tame. It's not a problem for the US Federal Reserve and Uncle Ben Bernanke.

Now, if you really believe this I'm sure I can find some good, rich, fertile farmland in Capitalistic and Democratic North Korea that I could interest you in buying.

Everyone knows that inflation is out of control and getting to be a real problem. Gasoline prices are over $4 a gallon in many parts of the Country, independent truckers are parking their rigs because the are having to pay close to $5 a gallon for diesel fuel and simply cannot afford to work anymore, milk for the children is over $4 a gallon, food prices are skyrocketing, mortgage payments took a surprising leap for many home buyers, health care premiums are on the rise, apartment rentals are booming, and the list goes on and on.

But, inflation is really tame. All those price increases the typical consumer is paying are illusionary. There is no real inflation. The Labor Department tells us this and the Mainstream Media regurgitates the fiction.

I cannot help but ask - "Who do these people think they're kidding?" Obviously, the Labor Department and the Mainstream Media want everyone to think we, the people, are stupid and can be easily indoctrinated.

But, now the question is - "How does the Labor Department create this fiction?" The answer is - "SEASONAL ADJUSTMENT." The Labor Department does not report to the Mainstream Media the actual prices for all the essential food, energy, rentals, etc. (To get the details and the correct numbers you need to purchase those numbers from various government and private databases.)They take all these numbers and say "Well the prices of these items are supposed to rise by so much this time of the year anyway. So we'll factor out these 'seaonal' increases and report the results without the pesky little truths." The result - on a seaonally adjusted basis food and other commodities actually didn't rise as much as we expected. And overall the CPI only increased by .2%. Isn't that wonderful? There is no real inflation. Your perception of a dwindling wallet is a hoax, a perception, and nothing more.

The Labor Department, other economist and the Mainstream Median may call it "seasonal adjustment." I call it "cooking the books." And I submit that the Labor Department, the Commerce Department and other branches of the Government have cooked the books till there's no juice left in the numbers.

Be careful here. The reality is quite different from what the Government and the Mainstream Media would like you to believe. They have, for years, told us the economy is "strong", it is "robust", etc. And thousands of Wall Street players pocketed the fruits of this fiction along with a large chunk of the huge government deficits incurred in recent years. But, millions of people have lost, and are losing, their jobs. Inflation is eating away at their ability to afford the basic essentials. And the Government/Mainstream Media does not want you to know this. They have spewed out the "party line", the fiction, for so long and now their reputations are on the line. If the economy completely collapses then what are these pundits going to tell us? In the past they have always relied on us to have short term memories. That may not happen this time. What happens if the recipients of these lies hold them accountable? What will our "most trusted name in news" and our "fair and balanced" news organizations do then?

June 2, 2008 Sigma Bands