News

Not exactly a busy weekend.  Sure, the word is a budget deal has been cut, but for now, we’re just waiting to see how the reviews will go on the hill where the Cast of Clowns II takes over.  Where prospects are uncertain.  Debt-Limit Deal Sets Up Tough Battle for Passage in Congress. We are … Read More

Sorry to report the anti-Alzheimer’s light project (designed to flick at 40 Hz to potentially improve cognition) didn’t get completely finished this week.  Too little time and too much else going on. But we did make a good start on assembly, so let’s go from there. We begin with the pile of parts.  (See last … Read More

OK, line ’em up! We begin with a slug of reports of modest importance today.  Let’s start with the Durable Goods because this is as much bellwether of future, as anything: It’s an OK report in that it doesn’t look like a recession before lunch. About the same time, here comes the International Trade report … Read More

I guess we should get the economics of life out of the way first.  This being Thursday, the new unemployment filings are out: What matters most to us, here lately, is the state-drilldown into UI filings: GDP is holding up but remember when inflation is running “officially” in 5+ percent range, we get a lot … Read More

Party Before Work, we believe.  So before jumping brain-first into the news flow, it’s focus on the fun that we (supposedly) buy with all our hard work in Life: Pre-Hol(iday) Tasking Memo is a simple concept.  We are 3 1/2-days out (no one will really work after lunch on a holiday weekend Friday, right?) from … Read More

Maybe one more uptick to go this week before things get “interesting.” See, there are many parts to the game of Musical Chairs – subtext “the Blame Game” – being played now: The GOP budget no-go-ciators are trying to unwind the Buy’ed Em madness hamstringing of America’s energy independence.  The dim’s are going-along with the … Read More

Yes, we are going to build something (first of 2 parts today) but there is a TON of important background to wrap-around before heading into the shop. So, from the beginning…NONE OF THIS IS MEDICAL ADVICE. You are reading ravings of a crazy man – pure and simple – right? We have, over the years, … Read More

As we forecast Thursday (not as advice, only for entertainment) the Markets slammed higher Thursday as the May monthly index options matured.  Today, action could be interesting as equities settle, What we face, with the “filling” of a major “Trading Box” is the problem – in long wave economic terms – “What’s next?” I’ll walk … Read More

This week, Ure did something very uncharacteristic:  He lost $98 in a stock trade.  Which normally would be very bad news, but in this case, the Markets were telling us “times have changed.” As a result, we are pleased to report (barring the airborne seizure of Taiwan – something of a wildcard even now) that … Read More

Cocktail Napkin Economics – CNE – is our focus before returning to “money-grubbing trader” activities. Economics does NOT have to be so full of bullshit and mathematical obfuscations.  It got this way because of “quants.”  Economics, understand, is at its core pretty simple.  People will generally earn and spend in their own best interests.  Thence … Read More

OK, we are stuck “between realities” lately in the stock market. We saw disappointment in earnings recently; so much so that one fin-writer remarked “…the Recession may already be here…” But not down on Main Street. Well, at least until TODAY. NY Fed Data Freefalls Empire State Manufacturing survey: “Business activity fell sharply in New … Read More