Kim Jong Un’s war games

ON FEBRUARY 7th, North Korea fired an Unha-3 satellite-launch rocket into space. The UN Security Council unanimously condemned the exercise—which America, South Korea and Japan see as a part of a programme to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile—promising fresh sanctions. Experts believe that if modified to carry a 2,200lb (1,000kg) warhead instead of a satellite, the Unha-3 could reach Alaska and possibly Hawaii. Less clear is whether North Korea has made the strides it claims in miniaturising a nuclear warhead for the missile to carry.

The launch comes just a month after an announcement by Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s young despot, that the country had detonated its first hydrogen bomb, a weapon far more powerful and much more difficult to build than the atomic sort. Many outside observers agreed that the claim was far-fetched however: both the estimated explosion yield (six kilotons) and the magnitude of the earthquake that followed the blast (5.1) were much too small for a thermonuclear weapon.

But both tests are further reminders of how far the North’s nuclear-weapons programme has advanced through three generations of the ruling Kim family, despite outside efforts to block it. According to a recent estimate it may have as many as 100 weapons by 2020 if its programme is left uncurbed. So how to rein in Mr Kim? The UN Security Council has applied sanctions before, to little effect. Unless and until the country’s only ally, China, loses patience, little can deflect the rogue state from its chosen path.

is a recession inevitable?

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Better than 50% chance recession is coming: Analyst

The odds of a global recession taking hold in the next 20 months are now better than 50 percent, The Lindsey Group's Peter Boockvar said Tuesday.

"Central banks have guaranteed a messy outcome from the reversal of policy," the chief market analyst told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street.""There's going to be a recession when central bank policy reverses. It's inevitable."

In Europe and Japan, central banks are in the midst of bond-buying programs aimed at propping up their economies, while the U.S. Federal Reserve has held its benchmark interest rates for short-term borrowing near zero since December 2008.

Read MoreRobert Shiller: THIS is the sign we're in a bubble

The Fed should raise its fed funds rates when it meets this week, or else the impacts will only get worse the longer it waits, Boockvar said.

He expects the Federal Open Market Committee will do just that, and will soothe markets with dovish language that assures investors the pace of increases will be gradual. The short-term impact, he said, will not be much different than doing nothing.

On the other hand, by not taking any action, the Fed would be telling markets there will be a time in the future better suited for monetary policy tightening, and the fact is there is no good time, Boockvar said.

Investors should view a recession as a "healthy cleansing" that sets up the economy for a better recovery, rather than something to avoid at all costs, he added.

Michael Hanson, senior U.S. economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research, said he too expects the Fed to announce a rate rise Thursday. He believes a market selloff is primarily a short-term risk.

"The question is, as we go further out, is this going to be a much more sustained hit to market psychology because the Fed has hiked?" he asked in a "Squawk on the Street" interview. "I'm not so concerned that that's the likely outcome at this point."

Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG, said investors awaiting a chance to buy stocks after they presumably dip on the central bank's announcement are missing an opportunity presented by the recent stock market selloff. 

Read MoreJeremy Siegel: How a Fed hike could boost stocks

"If you agree ... that the bull market does not end with the first rate hike, and you think higher equity prices await us in the future, then the investment opportunity has already been presented to you," he told "Squawk on the Street." "The only question is how much further do equities have to run before the inevitable cycle runs its course?"

Greenhaus said he no longer expects the Fed to announce a change in policy Thursday because markets are not expecting that outcome following the selloff. He said central bankers do not want their first rate hike in more than nine years to be a surprise.

Six Steps To "Stash Your Cash" Offshore

From wealthy citizens trying to pay less tax, to savvy swindlers and drug lords with riches to hide, people have spent decades stealthily shifting money via European principalities, Caribbean archipelagos, and Pacific islands. ICIJ provides the following simple six-step process for 'stashing your cash'; from 'Choosing a haven' to creating a 'secret identity' and from opening the 'right' bank account to how to 'move' the money; this picturesque guide may be indispensable as Europe's final 'deposit haircut' solution draws ever closer - especially now we know there is 'no plan B." The muddle-through is over...

Step 1 - Choose A Haven
For people hiding money, choosing one of the world's 60 or so offshore jurisdictions is tricky. Each has advantages and drawbacks. It' snot unusual for secrecy seekers to continually move funds around, trying to find the best place for their assets...

No one know for sure how much of the planet's private wealth is parked in tax havens. One estimate is that there's $32 trillion stashed offshore; a more conservative calculation puts it a minimum of $8 trillion. Either way, that means tens - if not hundreds - of billions of dollars in last tax revenues for the world's governments.

Now do you understand why these 2.5 million files covering 120,000 offshore entities was 'accidentally' leaked into the public purview... governments realize that they are running out of options fast and as we noted before - the muddling through is almost over.

inShare5

 What Haven't I given you?

USA Electoral College System

And your vote?

In each state, whichever party garners a majority of popular votes, regardless of how narrow the margin, wins all the electoral votes. By forcing residents in each state ultimately to vote as a block, the system is supposed to ensure that small states' interests are not drowned out by those of larger states.

In all, there are 538 electoral votes and the number given to each state reflects the sum of the representatives and senators it sends to Congress. It takes 270 or more Electoral College votes to win the election.The biggest states California (55), New York (31), Texas (34), Pennsylvania (21) have the most impact on the result of the presidential election. 

Usually, the result is nearly the same as it would have been if the election were direct. Yet the system has produced presidents who received a minority of the popular vote but a majority of the electoral votes. NOTE: In the elections of Harry S Truman, Woodrow Wilson and Abraham Lincoln, there were more than two candidates and each of the elected Presidents won more popular votes than any of their respective opponents. 

President Bill Clinton was also elected in 1992 with only 43 percent of the popular vote, but 370 electoral votes. In his case there was also more than two candidates. 

Several times in recent electoral college history, a relatively small shift in voter preference in key states could have reversed election outcomes. 

In prior elections, four U.S candidate for President won the popular vote but lost the presidency: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but lost the election to John Quincy Adams in 1824; Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote but lost the election to Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876; Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the election to Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election to George W. Bush in 2000.

Educate yourself.

How to Buy a House Using a Lease Option

If you're ready to buy the home of your dreams, but your credit or savings isn't quite ready yet, a lease with option to buy (often simply called a "lease option" or, somewhat inaccurately, "rent to own") may help you move in. Lease options, in which you lease (rent) a property and have the option to buy the property at the end of the lease term, can allow you to control a home that you want even if you don't have enough money for a down payment yet. A lease option may also be helpful if you need some time to improve your credit before you can get a good mortgage rate.

1

Determine if a lease option is a good option for you. Lease options can be useful home-buying tools, but they're not for everybody. In fact, the majority of lease options do not end with the lessee (the renter or prospective buyer) purchasing the home, and while that's sometimes for a good reason, it's often just a waste of money. Ask yourself a few questions before you decide to pursue a lease option in general or before you sign one on a particular house..

• Can you afford the option money? The option money or option fee is required for a lease option contract to be valid. This upfront payment may be quite small (equal to one or two month's rent, for example), or it may be 3-5% of the purchase price. All of this money should go toward the purchase price or down payment on the home if you decide to buy the house at the end of the lease term, but unlike a security deposit, you don't get the option money back at the end of the lease if you can't purchase the house or decide not to.
• Do you plan to stay in the area? Since a lease option typically costs more than simply renting, you should be fairly certain that you want to buy the house at the end of the term. If you don't, you lose your upfront option money and any additional money in excess of the fair rental value that you've paid in your monthly payments.
• Will you be able to secure financing at the end of the lease term? In some cases the seller will finance the purchase of the home after the lease option. Most of the time, however, the buyer will need to find his or her own financing by applying for a loan. A lease option can help you get a more favorable loan than you otherwise would be able to, but it's no guarantee, so you'll want to be reasonably sure that you'll be able to qualify for a loan at the end of the term. Check with a mortgage broker or loan officer to examine your situation.
• Can you afford the monthly payments on the lease. Typically (but not always) the monthly payments on a lease will include the fair rental value plus option money that will go toward the purchase of the home. Thus, the monthly payments under a lease option will usually be more than you would pay if you were renting the same house.
• Will you be able to make the monthly payments on the home and meet other expenses of ownership? Even if you're able to get the loan, it won't do you any good if you can't afford to keep up with the expenses of owning the home. Be sure to factor in not only the mortgage payments, but also property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs, all of which renters don't have to pay.

2

Find a house you want to buy. Keeping the above considerations in mind, look for a house that you like and that you can afford. There are some companies that specialize in lease options, and there in some places government programs will buy a house for you and then offer you a lease option. More typically, however, you can just find a house for sale and see if the owner will consider a lease option.

3

Discuss the lease option with the owner. Some homeowners have never heard of a lease option, and many are suspicious of them. In addition, some sellers need a lot of cash fast, and so there's no way they can do a lease option. Still, if you're lucky, you or your real estate agent may be able to convince the seller to work with you.

4

Get a home inspection. Once you've found a suitable house with an agreeable seller, it's time to get the home inspected. Get an independent professional home inspector to do a full inspection so you can become aware of any problems the house may have. In most jurisdictions the seller is also required to give you a seller's property disclosure attesting to the condition of the home, but an independent inspection is still important. If there are problems, make sure they're not issues that will prevent you from getting a loan, and make sure the contract specifies who is responsible for making repairs. The lessor may also offer an allowance off the purchase price to enable the lessee to make the repairs if the option to buy is exercised.

Image titled Buy a House Using a Lease Option Step 5

5

Negotiate the terms of the lease option. The purchase price, term of the lease (usually anywhere from 6-24 months), the amount of initial option money, and the amount of the monthly payments that will go toward the purchase price will all be negotiable. While you can find lease option contracts online, it's best to get one from a local real estate agent or attorney, since laws concerning lease options vary from state to state, and there may even be local regulations. A real estate agent or attorney can help you draft the contract and negotiate the terms, and it's important for both the buyer and the seller (lessee and lessor) that the contract be well written.

Continued full > http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-House-Using-a-Lease-Option

10 Places to Find Free Computer Networking Tutorials on the Web

Free online courses in networking are offered by some real schools. Learn which networking courses are available, what topics they cover and which ones lead to real college credit.

Online Computer Networking Courses for Credit

Students interested in computer networking can find a variety of free courses available online, but these options generally don't lead to college credit. Students who want to earn credit for the classes they take might want to look for online options that charge a small fee in exchange for access to online lessons. These fee-based courses help students earn alternative forms of college credit.

Study.com offers this style of distance learning through its short, engaging video lessons and self-assessment quizzes. There are also free transcripts available. Both the transcripts and the video lessons can be used to earn college credit. Students interested in this path to college credit might find this Business 104: Information Systems and Computer Applications course useful. Some of the chapters in this course include:

• Information Systems in Organizations - Topics include components of information systems, networks and hardware, software and business strategies.
• Network Systems Technology - Learn about telecommunications system components, client/server and mainframe systems, network operating systems and wireless communications.
• Systems Development - Subjects in this chapter include the software development process, graphical user interfaces, sourcing and project management.
• Data Management - Study database elements, purpose of a management system, database management system models and data types.

Free Online Non-Credited Computer Networking Courses

The Computer Technology Documentation Project

• CTDP Protocol Summary
• Networking Tutorial

The Computer Technology Documentation Project offers free networking tutorials for those interested in learning more about computer networking. The tutorials can be accessed from a Web page and are separated by chapters. However, the tutorials do not lead to college credit. The CTDP Protocol Summary provides students with a guide of protocols used for network routing, network management and host management. TheNetworking Tutorial provides information regarding TCP/IP network protocols, network architectures and other topics. Experience with networks is not needed. Students also are given references for additional information regarding networking.

Laynetworks

• Subnetting

Based in India, Laynetworks is a non-profit organization that provides free information for students related to computer science, including specific topics on networking. The tutorials do not lead to credit, but students can access the information online for free on a Web page. The Subnetting tutorial provides background information on IP (Internet protocol) addresses and networking.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Network and Computer Security

Massachusetts Institute of Technology allows students access to courses covering a variety of computer-related subjects. While taking these classes do not lead to credit, real course material is available, including assignments, exams, lecture notes and projects for free online. The availability of certain material may vary, however, because of the course. The Network and Computer Security course provides students with information regarding risk assessment, software protection, computer security and secure operating systems.

National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning

• Computer Networks

The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) is based in India and provides video lessons that can be streamed, downloaded or viewed on YouTube. NPTEL materials do not lead to college credit. The Computer Networks course consists of 40 videos, including topics such as network management, satellite communication, routing, wireless networks, cellular networks and network topology.

The Open University

• Network Security

The Open University offers courses that do not lead to credit. Classes are broken down into multiple lessons. Information from the Network Security course is offered through 10 lessions and covers network security, network vulnerabilities, firewalls, authentication, encryption and other subjects.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Computer Communication Networks
• Broadband and Optical Networks

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute provides free non-credit online courses for students in a variety of networking topics. Students can learn from class notes, slides, homework, streaming video and exams. By takingComputer Communication Networks, students can learn about routing, internetworking, network layers and other topics. Broadband and Optical Networks includes lessons in traffic engineering, optical transport networks and routing.

Teracom Training Institute

• Tutorial: Dynamic IP Addresses and DHCP

Teracom Training Institute specializes in providing free online course previews on telecommunication for students who are not engineers. The site's online tutorials offer free instruction, as well as serve as previews for more extensive courses that are provided for a fee. In Tutorial: Dynamic IP Addresses and DHCP, students can learn about IP addresses and their uses.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

• Telecommunications and Networking

This free OpenCourseWare course in networking and telecommunication features lessons in PDF format. While not earning credits, students can still access instruction in network topology, Web programming, communication systems, Web-based learning and other topics.

University of Michigan

• Networked Computing: Storage, Communication, and Processing

The University of Michigan offers this free online course with materials available for download. The course does not lead to credit, and students may not be able to access all features from the original course syllabus. In the Networked Computing: Storage, Communication, and Processing class, students can gain sound knowledge in areas sucn as data modeling, technologies on the Web, service-oriented architecture and information systems security.

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