Hardening War Lines, UN Fiasco, Fools in Charge

Early stock futures had the markets set to give-back half the Friday Bear slaughter.  We’ll be hoping for more, having thrown in with the negative Nelly’s late last week. We will keep this morning’s column short.  Since the major focus around here is still spring cleaning of the office.  And getting ready for taxes which … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Tool Messes that Bury Projects

Two items to go over today.  One is the visiting firefighter learns cutting and welding.  The other is a longish discussion of tool use. To hell with Covid.  I have a bigger problem: Messy Bench Disease. MBD. One of the continuing problems around the ranch – and my office – is that I have a … Read More

Hedging More Shortages

As uncomfortable as 2021 was, 2022 is still setting up to be even worse.  This as shortages, a trucker’s convoy over Covid, and changes in seasonal weather appear. On top of Russia proximity to Ukraine and Taiwan jitters over what follows the Games. In the meantime, markets seem to have genuinely lost even the last … Read More

Crash Watch: Income Fairytales, Which Weekend War?

Super short column today because we may be down to “short strokes” in terms of “How does all this work out?” Data First: Inflation Shows Labor’s out with Employment Costs – which are one of the price drivers when you go shopping: “Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 1.0 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month … Read More

Second Cuban Missile Crisis? Cordon Boom?

There is a near-genius level post in the comments section from overnight which has an odd “echo of future” if you read it just so. Fellow noticed the story about a week back that mentions a small flotilla of Russian landing craft had put out to sea;  Russia’s Landing Ships Are Headed To The Mediterranean … Read More

Prepping and the Art of PH&LP

Personal Hysteresis and Latency Planning. Which is totally worth  (verging on absolutely  necessary) considering when markets are running hard and fast while we’re all trying to figure out how to make “the most” out of what have turned into very uncertain times. We’ll begin with some basics of “cause and effect” then move to a … Read More

Housing Data: Hot – As Expected

Just out from Case-Shiller/S&P/CoreLogic: “YEAR-OVER-YEAR The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported an 18.8% annual gain in November, down from 19.0% in the previous month. The 10-City Composite annual increase came in at 16.8%, down from 17.2% in the previous month. The 20- City Composite … Read More

“Running of the Bears” Comes True, Housing Awaits

We sat out the manic Monday market decline – and furious rally that followed Monday – for a number of reasons:  Statistical and Medical, mainly. Lot of anti-aging notes at the bottom of this morning’s column (see ATR below). We’ll do the medical in the Around the Ranch section.  But, as to the statistical?  The … Read More

Pick a Crash: Bitcoin or Kiev?

Or, for the crooked republicrats and democans who squandered America’s future (*open borders, exported super-computers, living beyond on our means, buying elections, gain-of-function, etc. etc.) we could toss-in the supply chain collapse plus any remaining credibility of the once Almighty Dollar. Could have, should have, would have… Sobering Chart, Sucky Data Economic Fractalist’s Black Monday … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Winter Burn Barrel Festival!

Not too long ago – two or three years, was it? – I picked up a half-dozen 55-gallon drums up in Tyler, Texas.  It was a deal I couldn’t pass up:  $5 bucks each and they’d already had a preliminary rinse-out. Finally, with the old burn barrel sporting a gaping (coffee can size) hole where … Read More

Running of the Bears

WFA (word frequency analysis) time as we assess the week’s damage to markets.  When headlines begin to appear on major (MSM) websites like Drudge, we know enough to be on our toes for a turn… The constant chatter, however, is only one indicator of the changing relationship of “fiat” to Reality.  The overnight dip of … Read More

Markets Flop: We Told You This Was Coming

And whether we like it, or not, the high-risk window for a regional war in Europe is here.  Reprising, along the way, an event set-up very reminiscent of The Guns of August.  Hand me an Archduke? Three, Three, Three Stories in One! Like the Mighty Circus, it’s hard to follow what’s going on in all … Read More

Down Vax – Up War: The Psycho-Social Pivot

Before we get into the (possible Wave 4 rally leading into war shortly) – and the Philly Fed and Unemployment claims – let’s pause to fire neurons at psycho-social controls used by Globalist government proxies, lest you get lost translating the Big Libretto of Life. Knowledge (as we explained in (excruciating detail) in Wednesday’s Peoplenomics … Read More