Waiting on Housing Data

A quick reader reminder that we will update with the Case-Shiller/S&P Housing Index about 8:15 Central when the data comes out,  A leveling off of sales may be anticipated, I think, because at some point the “easy money” VC folks (that’d be the vulture capitalists) will run out of free money to buy up money from bank REO departments.  Oh, and we here the rental revenue isn’t so free and easy, after all.

That worry may be somewhat premature, since the Fed blew its chance to begin the inevitable drug abuse withdrawal from the coke of “free money”.  And, to be sure, there is some evidence the Fed may be right.

When I looked this morning, the dollar was running about 0.7411 to the Euro, which means although there was some drop down in the few days after the Fed meeting, what we’re seeing is a persistently high dollar and the effect of this is what, class?

Obviously, anything denominated in paper (housing, gold, oil, etc) should be dropping in a nicely synchronized deflationary way.

So yes, oil was back down to the $104 and change level, gold ought to fall down below the psychologically important $1,300 range, and housing?  Well check back in a few minutes for that.

The key moving pieces of the big, globalist, clockworks of capitalism, are continuing to show a weak Europe, a troubled European Central Bank and it all adds up to the serious investors greatest nightmare: A Muddle Through which, because of low beta/volatility makes investing about as much fun as watching paint dry.

More after this:

Prepper Note in Passing…

By the way, since we’ve been writing about the prepper space since before it was a space or niche, I wanted to point out how little emphasis is placed by most prepper sites on useful home equipment like sewing machines.  The way I figure it, people can (and have) lived without air conditions, but sewing machines, even running on a small inverter and car battery, or old lawnmower engine and scrounged up alternator, could still be one of the most useful tools out there, especially if you’ve got an assortment of old sheets, used denim, and even scraps of leather and so forth.  So when I put an ad up like one that suggests you consider a sewing machine, it’s not like we haven’t put some thought into it, and yes, Elaine’s good a good sewing machine and has made a lot of clothes, including women’s suits and so forth.

OK, back to passing headlines…

Kenya Mall Inaction

Even as we continue to hear about how Americans are involved in the Islamic militant attack on a shopping mall in Kenya, we continue to be appalled at the lack of response by the Obama administration.

I bet it would be different if Kenya has an air defense system linked with Syria and controlled pipeline rights of way, huh?  Not that the Kenyan government can’t handle it, but the precedents are out there is the administration was willing to play more than a TS chit on this.  (Definition #4 if you’re young)

Principles or Money?

We note the reports this morning that while Texas senator Ted Cruz is looking to filibuster as efforts to defund Obamacare, which has turned into a corporatists and congress versus we the people economic class warfare too, that Cruz is running into opposition from his own party.

Why, if I weren’t traveling today, I’d be running out the details of those opposing defunding to see ifs there was a correlation between campaign contributions for the next election cycle and Big Money from the beneficiaries of this change in healthscare,

No, I’m not claiming there is a correlation.  I just wouldn’t be particularly surprised  by it.

Oh, and on the class warfare angle, I’m sure there’s a more watered-down way to characterize the special dispensation/delays for big corporations to comply with the AHCA, but none seem to be coming to mind just yet.

Sleep and be Screwed Dept.

Go read how secret negotiations are putting the Trans-Pacific Partnership in place in CounterPunch.. 

What’s going on is very simple: Having successfully purchased the US government, lock, stock, and congress through lobbying and special interest (not to mention massive cross state line campaign dough) we have to behold this latest tax-avoidance corporatist scam as totally appalling.  With the exception of a few, however, this is yet more evidence of Profits first, People second.

I assume you remember that America ran for a very long period on just the tariffs and duties and now we’ve talked ourselves out of that so corporations can corner markets and profiteer to their balance sheet’s delight?

True, the Made in America movement is going through something of a resurgence, but free tradists who leach on the wage-rate differentials between countries (and operate human replacing robotics as much as possible to avoid worker incomes and tax contributions) are busting their asses to make sure their “We’re special” crap is codified into more or less permanent exceptionalism for the rich.

Shakes and Quakes

While Oregon is getting reader for its “Great Oregon Shakeout” disaster drill shortly, we noticed a 7.7 quake in Pakistan this morning which hit the Baluchistan region.

By the by:  You do know that the list of participating regions in the Shakeout.org disaster drills is located here?

Our inquiring minds noticed that Washington DC is not practicing with one of these quake drills.  And then it occurred to me!  No need to plan there, since congress is doing it’s own Great American Shakeout of consumer wallets every day…

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George Ure
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/George-Ure/e/B0098M3VY8%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share UrbanSurvival Bio: https://urbansurvival.com/about-george-ure/
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