The Peanut Gallery

Statements, comments and forecasts that have no substance, but just might turn out to be relevant. 


1.Reuters: Medical sources in Cairo report rising death toll as police and military forces charge activists calling on ruling generals to hand power over to civilian gov't; military rulers say violence will not delay elections. At least 45 people are said to have died. PG: The majority of protesters were Muslim Brotherhood. We repeat: What is happening in Egypt has nothing to do with democracy. Its a face-off between the MB and the military, who have no intention of releasing the reigns of power.


2.A retired New York City police officer living in Florida has been ordered to take down his flag commemorating September 11 by his homeowners’ association, WPLG reports. 
Wentz said he ran into Tower 1 and started pulling out people before the building collapsed. He said he lost 43 friends and colleagues that day. Wentz says he now has cancer, from breathing in all the particles during the cleanup of Ground Zero. "I will not take that flag down. That flag will remain up. I don't care how many fines they want to give me, I refuse to take that down," Wentz told the station. PG: I don't know whats happening to the US, but its time for Americans to take their country back. 
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/20/retired-police-officer-reportedly-told-to-remove-flag-honoring-victims-11/?test=latestnews#ixzz1eI3ySXD5


3.BEIJING—China had its first monthly outflow of foreign currency since 2007 in October, signaling that global investors are pulling out money on fears over the global economy and reduced expectations that the yuan will appreciate. Inflows of capital into China have been slowing in recent months as enthusiasm about the Chinese economy has cooled and as many global investors repatriate funds to meet liquidity squeezes in their home markets, economists say. PG: An important indicator


4.A new iPad app developed in Israel lets patients watch angioplasties live. Thanks to technology developed at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Israel, the relatives – and even the alert patient in the operating theater – will be able to view the whole process on their iPad screens.From now on, family members anxious about a patient undergoing a coronary catheterization or angioplasty with the insertion of a stent do not have to wait until the procedure is over to find out how it went. PG: We need to start a new blog "Only in Israel..."


5.Parliamentary elections in Egypt hailed by the media as historical. For the record Egypt has always had parliamentary elections under the watchful eye of the President. The only difference is that the Muslim Brotherhood is now participating and will likely win a majority. The MB have just won a majority in Morocco and the Islamists also control Tunisia. PG: There must be a trend here somewhere.....Looks like the Islamic Spring is on track.


6.Stratfor:  How exactly the Egyptian parliament turns out is, of course, the main question on everyone’s mind. But the military regime does appear so far to have the controls in place to shape the results and allow for a largely weak and ineffective civilian face to be put on the government while keeping that core regime structure in place. PG: There are 18 million inhabitants in Cairo alone. The demonstrations in Tahrir Square numbered at most, 100,000. Despite CNN trying to create a different impression, it appears that the Egyptian street is sick and tired of the BS.



7.A large explosion rocked the western Iranian city of Isfahan, semi-official FARS news reported Monday afternoon. According to the report, the blast occurred shortly after 2:00 p.m. FARS did not reveal the cause of the explosion, which was large enough to be heard throughout Iran's third largest city. PG: The Iranians have since denied it. Within a week the Iranians have threatened Israel with 30,000 suicide bombers, 150,000 missiles, the targeting of Israel's nuclear arsenal and now are threatening NATO defences in Turkey. Meantime the bombs seem to be exploding in Iran. We are well aware that Iran's intelligence services follow this blog (most blogs that discuss Iran). So the Peanut Gallery can confirm for them that an explosion did take place in Isfahan and it wasn't an accident.


8.A Norwegian newspaper is reporting Anders Breivik will not stand trial for July's mass shooting and bombing attack in Norway. A psychiatric assessment out today concludes he is insane, and thus, not fit to stand trial. Instead he'll be sentenced to treatment at a psychiatric hospital. PG: Israel's jails are full of these lunatics, maybe Norway would take care of some them......


9.WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices are falling again in most major cities after posting small gains over the summer and spring, the latest evidence that the troubled housing market won't recover any time soon. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday showed prices dropped in September from August in 17 of the 20 cities tracked. Atlanta, San Francisco and Tampa posted the biggest monthly price declines. Prices in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix fell to their lowest home point since the housing crisis began four years ago.
Prices rose in New York, Portland and Washington.


Some days you're a bug. Some days you're a windshield - Price Cobb