Sure, the new overnight that the trade talks are continuing and that Chinese consumers are holding their own are fueling the rally at the open of the stock market today.
But there is a much larger game at play than just coaxing consumers to spend more and more than even trade talks. What could be bigger?
Real Estate
While the U.S. has been playing politics and the national “disgraceful distraction” (Mueller et al) has played out, China continues to deftly parry with the U.S. in four huge real estate deals.
The first is North Korea. We don’t need to rehash that in too great detail, except to say that the Hanoi conference dust-up means tensions are continuing to slowly simmer. Not helped by stories like “How North Korea got away with the assassination of Kim Jong-nam.”
The second Chinese real estate deal is their continuing elbowing into the South China Sea by dredging up the ocean bottom and building new islands – which they’ve quickly claimed ownership of and begun installing major weapons systems on.
While it hasn’t gotten a lot of press, the morning’s piece in the WaPo, “Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea” lays out how that game is being played. On the U.S. side? Not many options as there are no particular laws about digging up the ocean to make a new island.
Third Chinese real estate deal that’s pending is the take-back (sold as “reunification”) of Taiwan. This weekend, some Chinese jets crossed some invisible lines between the two countries. On the surface the CNN coverage in “Taiwan scrambles jets to confront Chinese fighters after rare incursion” might be taken as China showing some initiative. But, more thoughtfully, Bloomberg’s report “Trump’s Sale of F-16 Jets to Taiwan Is Making China Nervous” suggests China may have been messaging both on military power and trade in it’s weekend flight.
The fourth real estate deal to remember is that China is in the process of mapping the Moon. If you pay close attention to Space.com, you no doubt noticed that there’s a “battle of picture-takers” going on over the lunar surface as described in “NASA Moon Orbiter Tracks Chinese Rover on Lunar Farside (Photos).”
You probably missed that Israel is also going to the moon…which got the attention of the Chinese over here.
And if all this isn’t enough, and surprisingly NOT touted by Donald Trump was the (amazingly low-key) announcement by veep Mike Pence that the U.S. would be back on the moon with a four-member team in 2024.
Sure, the market will go up today, at least at the open. But, as we see it, there are some very long-term real estate wheeling and dealing going on both here on the rock and soon coming to the Moon. Space Force, and all. “Air Force’s top space officer tapped to lead US Space Command…”
Everything’s a Business Model – Including the Stars?
Because the world operates on an economic pretense, we are about to “blow” a change to take a gigantic leap forward and become a space-faring people.
Unfortunately, our addiction to accounting is drives us to war when scarcity sets in. Cooperation doesn’t toss money to the leech-class that eats the bottom line, don’tcha know?
Were it not so, and were there another way, it might be possible for all nations to venture into space jointly as non-political rational partners. For the benefit of all.
You get the picture in Star Trek, but we’re headed in the Star Wars direction instead. Everyone else is a Klingon.
Leaving petty politics on the Earth – and learning from the an Earth-wide Space Venture – which could disassemble the business model concept, we are instead “piling on the coal” dueling for “Moonership,” and trying to mine asteroids before another country “gets there first” and thereby profits most.
Lots of other news to think about this morning, but China’s playing some stylin’ 3-dimension chess that the (young upstart) West has no clue about. And for that reason alone, seems destined to lose. China has been in “the country” business 10-times as long as the West, is it?
But, not without blowing up Earth, first – that’s the hitch. That adds drama to the mushroom watch, I ‘spose.
Which get us to the Seth Shostak piece here that’s right on point: “‘Zoo hypothesis’ may explain why we haven’t seen any space aliens.”
I can almost hear it: “Wait, Commander Zork! You want US to talk to those blithering apes who stare at phones all day and trade paper for food? They are fools! WTF? Want us to strike up a conversation with some pea gravel while we’re there, too?”
Retail Sales
Better late than never; our latest Census report as “ketchup”
from GovDown:
“Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February 2019, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $506.0 billion, a decrease of 0.2 percent (±0.5 percent)* from the previous month, but 2.2 percent (±0.7 percent) above February 2018.
Total sales for the December 2018 through February 2019 period were up 2.2 percent (±0.5 percent) from the same period a year ago. The December 2018 to January 2019 percent change was revised from up 0.2 percent (±0.5 percent)* to up 0.7 percent (±0.3 percent).
Retail trade sales were down 0.2 percent (±0.5 percent)* from January 2019, but 2.1 percent (±0.5 percent) above last year. Nonstore retailers were up 10.0 percent (±1.8 percent) from February 2018, while health and personal care stores were up 5.9 percent (±2.5 percent) from last year.
A little disengenuous in that they report “prices” and guess what? The money supply is up about twice what retail is up on a percentage basis. So OF COURSE sales seem to be up. (Which is why in “hide the sausage land” they don’t report units. They report cashola. What did I just tell you about apes with phones?)
Durable goods and auto sales tomorrow and then we’re into the sequencing from Wednesday of ADP hiring data, Challenger job cut report, and then federal employment data Friday…
In the Shorts
As Israeli Watchdog Says Social Media Bots Are Promoting Netanyahu as the Election Approaches, we’d suggest they see if Robert Mueller is looking for a new side-hustle.
Vatican liberal-speak? Sure sounds like it in “Pope Francis takes thinly veiled swipe at Trump, calls out leaders who want walls.” Our unabashed view of reality is that it’s easy to preach “open borders”” when you live in your own city-state. Mr. Pope, this is an invasion.
Economic pressures on Turkey are bound to mount as “Erdogan Loses Hold Over Turkey’s Capital but Claims Victory After Local Elections.” Their lira is on its own Slip-n-Slide.
One of our colleagues in the cyber-security insurance field spied this not-so-comforting report: “Malware on a POS system stole 2 million credit card numbers over 10 months.” Makes you wonder how many other systems have been breached and no one has found yet… All part of the breaking of the Internet…
Violent lyrics in real life here: Grammy-Nominated Rapper Nipsey Hussle Shot Dead in Los Angeles, Police Say.
And speaking of music (and pass de duchy): “Elon Musk Has Apparently Released a Hip-Hop Single — And It’s About Harambe the Gorilla.”
On that note, into the grind and moron the ‘morrow…
About once a month I loose my debiy card and go to bank and get a new one. Only cost $5. Just a thought.
I like that thought, though not every month. Just for the times I have a high balance deposit. I keep a very low balance normally in any account where I actually use the debit card regularly.
Yeah, my wallet eats cards too. I have to get replacements for them quite often.
One thing, though, is to have a shielded card holder to protect your chipped card from being scanned. Most cards are of the chipped variety now days and anyone walking by with a scanner can get your information very easily. My wife’s Sam’s card was scanned about a month ago and wound up paying for a laptop and big box of dog food without our say-so. The crazy thing is the scammers tried to call us posing as Sam’s Club customer service to get even more information. We called the real customer service people and got it straightened out but it’s the second time we’ve had our cards compromised … that we know of. Protect your information and your cards! The only way I know how to stop this from happening is public lynching so you know it’s going to continue.
It’s amazing how powerful the media is! ;-((
Should say someting about ourselves, or?
RE: China – That nation’s own national security strategy states “The Taiwan issue bears on China’s reunification and long-term development, and reunification is an inevitable trend in the course of national rejuvenation.” Also, “Some external countries are also busy meddling in South China Sea affairs; a tiny few maintain constant close-in air and sea surveillance and reconnaissance against China.” The time bomb is definitely ticking.
China is firmly intent upon expanding outward, formally termed hegemony, into its historical areas of influence. They unceasingly migrate Chinese ethnic groups with families which remain in China into neighboring territories. This is very similar to what the Russians did with the Crimea and E. Ukraine, eventually claiming territorial rights to those areas due to changed population dynamics.
Regarding the above ‘hegemony’ tactics, the U.S. might want to pay close attention with regard to what is happening on it’s own southern border. No, Mexico will not invade the U.S., however, that nation is ‘renting out’ large numbers of humans which many liberal politicians intend to eventually use to sway local, state and possibly federal election results though a quite literally liberal distribution of social welfare to the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” thus purchasing their allegiance. Credit George Soros for this innovative political scheme.
I can not understand why Soros, given all the powerful toes he’s stomped on over the years, is still up walking around. What happened to the East European countries that were going after him last year? They don’t usually play “nice” with people who interfere in their countries affairs – unless it’s Russia. You don’t mess with the biggest gorilla on the block. How is it a simple billionaire can have this much influence? I mean Kennedy got “offed” for much less!
Folks with lots of money can afford lots of security…
BTW Tom Steyer is also helping fund the Southern invasion.
{Just in case anyone wonders where families whose annual income is ~$3000/yr can come up with the $3000 each, to make the trip…}
Bill… The answer to your question is Money…no matter what your name is
You can buy a diploma you can buy prestige and position.. And seven if your not allowed in some countries because of the black evil that lurks deep in your warped mind. You can own the legislative members of those countries and even get them do do the evil you want them to do..laws are way different for the haves than the have nots..even get the law enforcement to cover it up misdirect and make it vanish..
In the end Its all about Money.
Someone I’m extremely close to..got married.. Wife number3.. He didn’t want kids..she got pregnant..his family lived in a bordering state..his family..large land owners very wealthy and active in politics. Once a week he would head home to help with the family business.
One day he was headed home but they needed a gallon of milk. She rode along pick up the milk then go home while he made his trip.
They missed the corner to the store.. She mentioned it to him where he started to beat her with a wrench. Restrained her trying to knock her out all the while telling her. How he was going to cut the baby out chop it up burn it while she watched. Then do the same thing to her.
Because it was rain snow mix and blowing he couldn’t find a place so this cross country trip went through two states into the third. She was able to keep her consciousness and got an arm free and truned the key making him let up she kept from a car driving 80 miles an hour got a foot hung up and dragged a ways. While she was leaping he grabbed her top she wiggled out of it and when she got up she started to run. He regained control turned the car around to chase her down. Luckily a lady seen it happen picked her up. Calling the police. Got an ambulance took her to the big city in the previous state.
This guy took a bottle of pills. They caught him driving recklessly.. Tiik him to the same hospital. That’s when I got the call.
The way I hear it he tried to do similar things with his two previous wives one he shot at and ran over with the car the second one doesn’t want him to know where she’s living. They didn’t even give him a ticket.
No one wanted to upset the family.
That young lady is still terrified to even go outside her apartment. He is married again to number4.
We might want to be on the moon if this is true. Dryas event
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu-sLX0FbF0
Ben with Suspicous0bservers has been talking about this for the past month or more. Can’t remember if it was in the Chan Thomas book or if it was Ben that said the true mission of the Apollo flights was to confirm the mini-nova events of our Sun by collecting samples of the glass beads in the Lunar soil samples. Something that NASA never talked about.
If you haven’t delved into Ben’s “Earth Catastrophe Cycle” videos you can see them all here –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvjJqIXYT1w&list=PLHSoxioQtwZfY2ISsNBzJ-aOZ3APVS8br. Basically the Chan Thomas book is saying we have something like 27 years left before the end of the current 12,000 year catastrophe cycle repeats itself. Believe me, if our government is going the way I THINK it’s going it may be the best route we can take!
Let`s not forget that Elon Musk is building a space ship to inhabit Mars & leave behind climate change problems. Will Al Gore be attending?
d – your post yesterday sounded like you are against free speech on the Urban comment section. You would like to see it more orderly & purposeful. Also, PT is now focused on immigration which should help reduce the influx of illegal aliens.
Of course every things a business model a corporate business model that is, and their drive for a one world government, where they control the resources the labor and every thing in between.The deep state the neocons the imperialist are all tools of the corporations and have been for years as the orange clown threatens Russia with nuclear war if they protect Venezuela,and to think there are even fools who brag about voting for him as he edges ever closer to war.Robert Kaplan wrote a book called the “Coming Anarchy” back in 2000 and its amazing how far down the road towards that very end we have come…
Agreed; on the Alien stance for our place in the cosmic community. We are not ready, and far too war like. Also, why would space aliens use the same communication frequencies they abandoned ages ago ? Its like trying to shot a moose at a thousand yards with a rubber band wrapped around your index finger and thumb. We will see what the Trumpster will do, but war has always been the answer around hear.
We need to close border with mex til they stop caravans. To show they care for our business
With last years worry that interest rates are going to continue rising in the rear view mirror, & maybe be cut once or twice this year, should be good for the stock market & real estate market in 2019. Remember, low interest rates is what has fueled this Bull market for the last 10 years.
And also was the main driver of the $22 trillion and counting debt.!!!
As long as the rest of the world can’t trust each other, we are in good shape as the only safe haven. I don’t see that changing soon. We sre still the world’s best bet.
We should not concentrate what is “good for the stock market & real estate market in 2019” we should put our attention to what benefits us all as a community, imho!!
Good Luck!
Hahahhahahaha! George, gets it! Monkeys and their candy aka cell phones! Hahhahahahhahahahah!
I have concluded another study! Been a 3 almost 4 year test! I have this Theory that “bad luck” and “good luck” was a designated amount or portion in a persons life. So, i got the idea that if one could use all the “bad luck” portion up in a certain condesed amout of “time”, then the rest of a persons life would be spent using the portion of “good luck”.
In my theory, you have two “buckets” one has “bad luck” and the other has “good luck”.
Instead of having some “bad luck” sprinkled here and there and some “good luck” sprinkled here and there through out your entire life, why not do all the “bad luck” for a condenced period of time and just get it over with? Then all ya have left over is “good luck’.
So, i set out to do exactly that, and test my theory.
I noticed something in the stories like Colonel Sanders, Thomas Edison, Johnny Cash,
Elvis, Tesla, Ec. Etc. Hell even the story of the Creation of the United States itself, that a condensed period of “bad luck” preceded an amazing winning streak and an amazing period of long lasting “Good luck”. I mean, look at isreal for example. The holocaust happend prior to the forming of a nation. One of the Richest nations in the world. 90% of the worlds Diamonds are sent there to he cut. Or take The renaissance itself was preceded by the dark ages. I noticed this consistency at the macro levels and on larger scales. Its measurable and you can calculate it.
So, i set out to test this theory and use myself as my own “guinie pig”.
For the last 3 almost 4 years, i went to the casino, with the intention of loosing, and spending my allotted portion of “bad luck”. Sure, i won 6 jack pots last year. You are bound to win sometimes, but that was not my intention. My intention was to loose and experience “bad luck” and have a serious amount of super sh!tty series of events happen.
It was so Epically bad, my wife cheat on me, move in with the guy she cheated on me with 3 blocks down the road. So i had to drive by and see her there with him every day for 2 years, she did take me to the cleaners financially, lost thousands upon thousands in the casino, and a bunch of other series of unfortunate events. I didnt tell anyone of my study and test. Until now. It was so bad, i damn near ate a bullet a few times. Ha ha ha
I mean where else are ya going to spend your lifes quantity of “bad luck” but at the casino??
So i immersed myself in “it”. Im sure everyone around me at the casino yesterday was tripping when i had a huge smile on my face as i was loosing my ass. Not one of them had a clue i was concluding my test of the “bad luck” theory.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
My new lil kittys name is Felicia, the modern name of Felicitas, meaning Goddess of ‘Good luck”.
http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/faustafelicitas.php
IF, you are just here living and experiencing life and doing what you are “programed” to do. You know, what they taught you in school and sh!t? Memorizing pre-defined and pre-determined answers to pre-defined and pre-selected questions? Well, have fun with that. Im educating myself through unorthodox means. Using myself as a “Guinea pig”. I always have 2 or 3 Theories im testing.
This is Life! Play it! Or be played by it! Ha ha ha ha!
Its a Motown, kinda day. Off to meditate, then get the house chores done and yes! I will be dancing. Good God! Aretha Franklin is sooooooooo right for this moment! :)
https://youtu.be/hsL9UL9qbv8
See ya around! :)
“Hahhahahahhahahahah!”
Take it from a SENIOR, (>20+) it’s not cool!!
Kim jung un.. Half brother.. Don’t forget NK leader Kim fed his uncle to the dogs to..
The way I understood it from News accounts back then. They basically mentioned that both of them had taken money to work against the regime so that the desires of a few could be given the go ahead to snatch and grab what they want.
Unlike America where its ok to buy our legislators support to do their bidding. It isn’t allowed there.. Like him or not he’s the leader and don’t try to under cut his leadership.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/17/the-gruesome-nerve-agent-assassination-of-kim-jong-uns-brother/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/24/did-kim-jong-un-kill-uncle-brother-coup-plot-involving-china/amp/
Shortly after that Kim made threat a telling everyone..go ahead try it and ill drop one in your back yard..
All one needs to do is look at the ALL the Red states on the border with Mexico from past presidential election. Almost ALL of the border states went Demonicrat Hidabeast666. Gee I wonder why…why do the Libertards want open borders ? -its staring us in the face.
Does the pencil necked, shifty, lil adam Schiff remember the Standard Hotel and what he did with/for them?Same family – famous nogoodnik banker from 20-30s..hmmm – no deep state huh – it looks generational from here.
Hmmm was plane crash with Standard Hotel Management (2018)an accident?
Same goes for $@##& one in the Vatican – Jesuits were never supposed to be allowed to be Pope… We know what U did in Argentina, we know who you performed black “rites” with..see house of orange next Queen – light of day baby – no where to hide – almost time for”donkeykong”.