1. A ridiculously great lampoon of the interaction of AT&T with the Feds in relation to them filtering through every piece of data coming through their system.

2. William F. Buckley Jr., one of the grandfathers of the Neo-Conservative (read: big government Republican) movement, passed away yesterday. He is remembered for being a prolific obituary writer himself. He was an interesting figure to say the least. Can’t say I was a fan, but I wish him a peaceful rest anyway.

3. In the American police state of 2008, we now have 1 out of every 99 adult citizens behind bars. The ridiculous War on Drugs has certainly played a large role in this. It honestly hurts me to think about how handicapped our country is right now. $49 billion was spent on prisons in 2007 alone.

4. Mish reports that the fourth quarter banking picture was bleak. I agree with the good man that, due to extraordinarily lax lending standards throughout the mortgage/housing bubble and even before, that some large banks will fail.

5. The American Indian Republic of Lakotah declared independence from the United States due to federal government mistreatment and breeches of historical treaties. Please read more and learn about this under reported story. One thing I must say is that I absolutely do not blame them from seceding.

6. Comparing Citigroup to Long Term Capital Management. These folks really blew it.

Have a good one!

Kemp

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