America’s IVD Crisis

Invention Versus Drama! We sit out here in, deep in the piney woods of East Texas, and observe the world in it’s au natural state:  Insane. What we see is a world that has lost its flipping mind because, let’s face it, drama is an addiction.  And, it’s stoked at every turn by the media. … Read More

Time to Shutdown the Old America!

This being Dr. Martin Luther King Day, America today  is more than “half shut down.” And in keeping with Dr. King’s “I have a dream…”  it’s a fine day for everyone in America to ask themselves a really simple question: “WTF are we doing here?” Once upon a time, I could have told you. But … Read More

Making: The Decline of Surplus Stores

Surplus stores have dried up across America and it has resulted in something of a problem for those of us who are “makers” – that is, people who can pick up bits and this and that and turn it into something useful. My first experience with surplus stores came on Saturday in Seattle in the … Read More

The Personal Prepping Audit

Instead of our usual 4,000 word long discussion of something we have three topics this morning.  Although, any one of them could be treated as book length material. First is Donald Trump promising big news this afternoon.  Then, there’s one of our oscillators that suggests we hit a potential turning point at the Friday highs. … Read More

Coping: Personal ADHD Battles We All Face

Yet again this week I faulted myself for two serious mistakes in how I conduct my personal life. and as I worked through each of them, it occurred to me that lots of adults who are marginally ADHD may have the same issues and not realize either the source or the symptomology. ADHD is attention … Read More

The Markets – REAL Stand Up Comedy

In “those exciting days of yesteryear” I used to be on teams in the early 1970’s that would go into the radio station conference room and write either biting sports commentary OR we would write humor for the morning show. This uniquely qualifies us to lend something of a “lighter note” to the DRUDGEry of  … Read More

Will Markets Face a “Shutdown Discontinuity”?

Those of us who like to follow long wave economics (not exactly a normal pastime) tend to look at “the news” trying to place it in some kind of historical framework in order to use it as guidance as to what MIGHT be coming along next. For some reason, I awoke today with the notion … Read More

Recovery of Lost Technologies

Now that I’ve published the Small Trader Power Tool set – and subscribers have enough back-loaded historical data (nothing proprietary, just the Aggregate Indices we create) –  to at least begin back-testing their own trading ideas, I’m trying to “move on” to the projects that resonate most with me and which are both interesting plus … Read More

Prepping: The Trunk Check

Warren Bouffant and his little Brit-speaking gecko insure our vehicles,  So, every six-months we get new insurance cards in the mail and that’s a dandy way to trigger a ton of prepping checks. Even in huge outback of East Texas, it’s a short walk from the glove box to the trunk for an inspection. What … Read More

Caution for Silver Bulls

In Monday’s column, I gave you some pretty impressive data on gold and how it has been a good long-term performer since we bought our “lone coin” back in 2001. This was naturally followed with a number of emails from silver permabulls who told me I was giving the short-shrift to silver. Linguistic point:  A … Read More

Yes, Gold has Kicked the Market’s Butt

As always, we don’t offer financial advice, although if you’re a bull (one who expects stocks to go up) this might be an interesting week.  Part of a financial “education.” I referred to this (possible) timing of markets back in December when I suggested barf bags and seat-backs locked around January 10.  As should be … Read More

Prepping: My Personal Brain Hacks

You never know when disaster will strike.  I mean, most days you will only need to really think at work for a few minutes a day.  The rest of the time, you’ll be in the process mode.  That’s when you do the “same old thing” over and over and (is it quitting time, yet?)… Without … Read More

Peoplenomics_STPT_01.XLSX Released

With little more than Trump-bashing over  Wall funding and resultant government shut-down in passing headlines today, we abandon our regular report format in order to offer a software manual to accompany the Small Trader Power Tool (STPT)  workbook (a collection of worksheets in a single file) being released concurrently.. As you know, I have been … Read More