News

The rest of the year?  We need to have us a little talk about that.  As usual, with “visual aids” because things are beginning to look might dicey from where we sit. Since this is one of my few actual 2-3 day weekends, we will dispense with headlines.  A suitable tradeoff for working on the … Read More

Students of economic depressions may be pretty clear on where America “went wrong.”  Well, at least they should be clear in about five-years or so…the point of today’s outlook: The American economic system?  Strong as ever.  But its fatal weakness? Economic contraction.  We living in a system that has been optimized as a  growth model.  … Read More

Covered my first “real” election in Seattle back in 1970. Wes Uhlman was elected mayor that year.  Stayed up – did the “victory party rounds’ jammed an old Sony TC-110 cassette recorder mic in everyone’s face.  Winners said the same this as today – ditto for losers. Well, except maybe the losers then were a … Read More

UAPs and UFOs are explored in this survey article. In a lot more depth than planne d – 33-thousand words worth.  Still, with end of summer at hand and little of much interest until markets begin to break down, why not expand our horizons, a bit? A few (short) headlines and the ChartPack. With a … Read More

Every so often my consigliere will call with a pertinent observation.  When the phone range Monday, boy, was I in for a treat… “Do you think the Fed likes socialists or Marxists?” “Uh…well…hadn’t been the #1 thing on my “thing to figure out” list, but sure… it’s an interesting question, no doubt.  Say, why do you … Read More

You may not be old enough to remember the MovieTone News.  It showed in theaters from the mid 1920s until into the 1960’s.  I remember seeing ’em at the old theater on the north end of Bean Hill in Seattle.  As kids, we’d go there Saturday afternoons to watch “the serials.” Today we suffer through ModernTone … Read More

Rambling around the ranch this morning.  Been far busier this weekend that I’d been planning on. S/W Update or Hack-Attack? Those who visit Urban frequently (our dynamite comments section makes that a useful pursuit) may have noticed a 2 1/2-hour hole in our up-time Saturday.  Turns out, a key directory on our web server had … Read More

America’s economy requires periodic setbacks or it implodes.  So we begin this morning with a discussion of how many Depression checkboxes has CV-19 ticked off, so far. Then a couple of interesting woo-woo items. But first, an assortment of headlines and the ChartPack.  Which – like Elon Musk – is in Fly Me to the … Read More

This morning features DDD – Decent Data Density and a chance for people to ponder whether typical pre-holiday optimism will show up.  At the same time, the flood waters may be receding a bit as we’ve had our own adventures with rain here at the ranch. Making Up Money Dept. Let’s start with they data because … Read More

Rolling out of bed at 3 AM – intent on tuning up a few website issues – I was all set to work my butt off.  Had a great article come to mind:   Soap Bubble Prosperity! Lo and behold:  No real “work” needed today.  Because there are so many moving targets, the choice of … Read More

Are you still bamboozled by people in Higher Education waxing endlessly on learning topologies and impact on pedagogy before students? With school just around the corner (and Up Ure Street) a light-hearted view on quickly mastering all things “Ejumacational.”Some inside secrets to growing a powerful mind, since most of us either have children or grandchildren … Read More

As we expected, the importance of housing continues to remain in the fore thanks to CV-19.  Toss in low interesting rates and you get a report like this morning’s S&P Case-Shiller update: S&P CORELOGIC CASE-SHILLER INDEX REPORTS 4.3% ANNUAL HOME PRICE GAIN IN JUNE YEAR-OVER-YEAR  The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, … Read More

Which will be out in a few minutes, there’s not too much going on.  Just an important definitional change in markets.  Talking about… Crooking an Index? In a rather stunning development, the folks who write up the Dow Industrial index are about to make it very hard for rational long-term thinkers to make decisions.   … Read More