The futures are down this morning – not end of the world down, but down, nonetheless.
This as we have another shortened trading week with markets closed Friday for New Years. Bond traders will take off early Thursday. A neener moment.
The main economic feature of the week – other than letting some air out after the Santa Rally last week – will likely be the Housing report tomorrow morning. We’ll do a two-parter.
While we don’t offer financial advise, it would be a reasonable guess that the market could drop a bit on some excuse, or other, in order to give the commercials a good price point to enter long positions for 2016. Housing might be a blame point.
So a major turning point could be the housing report tomorrow morning; we will will watch to see how that goes.
Professor Michael Chossudovsky is out with a fine read over at Global Research: War, Terrorism and the Global Economic Crisis in 2015: Ninety-nine Interrelated Concepts. Definitely worth reading because the global macro picture is something that even our own (marginally qualified) government doesn’t seem to understand well-enough to work effectively.
Also: A Charles Hugh Smith piece out over the weekend says if we don’t change the way money is created and distributed, nothing will change.
However, as I’ve argued before, there won’t be any change on the money side until we change on the political side – and NOTHING will happen then until we apply business process re-engineering concepts to democratic government and disperse Washington back to home districts and ban the interstate flow of money that let’s the same-old crooked thinkers hold on at the top…
Do you have any idea what our beloved Constitution would look like if it had been up for bid (and grabs) by lobbyists which hadn’t risen to political dominance at the time? OMG!
Twister Toll
11-dead here in Texas as massive warm air collides with a chill from the north. The system is moving eastward today.
As sadly happens when a story like the weather is breaking, MSM and online media get into something of a footrace to come up with the biggest body counts. Here’s a story citing 18-dead from the storms.
I’ve got a $5 place bet on 23 by the time all’s said and done.,
Oh, wait! Here comes 23…
Do I hear 33?
Mall-evolence
Yah ever wonder how “revolution” would come to America?
A shopping mall up in Louisville, Kentucky was closed early this weekend because of more than 1,000 young people who were committing mayhem.
It’s and interesting model to consider: Could mass violence come to America through a series of timed mall disturbances that then spread to other locations in a community?
It didn’t happen this way in Ferguson, but it’s a matter for serious study in police departments and such: Propagation of civil disorder. Especially when electronically augmented.
Could schools, like malls, be hot-spots?
Some readings on point:
The Link between Poverty, the Proliferation of Violence and the Development of Traumatic Stress Among Urban Youth in the United States to School Violence: a Trauma Informed, Social Justice Approach to School Violence Portia D. Rawles, Adjunct Professor, Norfolk State University
…and…
Violence and mass media: Are laws and regulations effective?
This latter piece is $36-bucks to download, but the abstract will get the wheels turning.
Ultimately Green
The “low emission coffin.”
Killer marketing idea,, huh?
Turkey Leftovers
We see the Russian military is out with “explosive charges” (if you don’t mind the pun) – video footage of what they say are up to 12,000 oil trucks massed on the Iraq-Turkey border.
The open secret is the US is standing by while NATO member Turkey looks to be collecting oil from the Iraqi areas….
And, since Russia is a big oil supplier, this has the Russians firing off ordnance toward the competition while the Saudis et al keep prices low as foreign buyers try to wrap up American resource.
It’s enough to give you a headache…
And there is no sign of improvement as the Russians are laying more sanctions on Turkey for shoot down their jet (which with others was shooting at Turkey’s oil convoys from the ISIS lands…)
Still not a migraine? Well how about the New York Times touting this: “Iraqi Forces Retake Center of Ramadi From ISIS…”
Seems to me Ramadi has turned over enough times now to be featured on Flip that House.
And in this morning’s WaPo we read how the Taliban is still strong in “A year of Taliban gains shows that ‘we haven’t delivered,’ top Afghan official says.”
Add a pinch of plutonium and frappe until glass.
Bookmark This
Former democratic senator Jim Ebb hints he may be running against you-know-who. So take a look at his FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/IHeardMyCountryCalling/photos/a.240139606175966.1073741828.232634213593172/421407398049185/?type=3
Either he runs or he’s going to be VP material – loves to see how negotiations work out in media reports…
But we do give Webb a nod for calling her out on Libya…
Say, here’s a science ponder: Does estrogen vote as a block? I haven’t seen much evidence testosterone does…
The Mexification of ‘Merica
Here comes a story that should send shivers: There’s an AP report about how public housing (360 square feet and smeller)_ is being promoted in places like NYC.
We have long held that illegal (but administration-promoted) immigration (and thousands of Syrians leap-frogging legal immigration applicants) has the net effect of tearing down our lifestyle.
Yet with this latest mish-mash the gigantic conspiracy to con American becomes ever more clear:
Using “green speak” copnvince people they need to have a smaller carbon footprint.” And then, with immigration nonsense, bring in people who will work for cheaper.
The bottom line: More people to tax, and a further concentration of people into small spaces which makes them what? (Come on, think like a chicken farmer here!)
Easier to manage.
Yessir, America is being conned out of her lifestyle with green speak and bleeding hearts.
Gotta love it.
While we’re at it, let’s toss in a side of global warming causing tornadoes, shall we?
Curious thing about Russia and Syria. When Kerry met with Putin and Lavrov, the US did an about face. Assad no longer needs to go, and Turkey was ordered to withdraw troops from Northern Iraq. Makes me wonder what Kerry was told in that meeting. Then Turkey refuses to go along with it and publicly denies US will. When have you ever seen an ally do that??? Does everybody know the US is broke? Does the US even have the money needed to fight a war in 2017 or whenever? All China has to do is dump US Treasuries and the game is over. Perhaps it’s all just a game of cat and mouse now, and I think we all know who the mouse is.
And while estrogen can effect a woman’s mood from time to time it doesn’t make you stupid. I doubt very much that all the estrogen will vote in a block. It’s more a question of who drinks the Kool Aid.
Kerry was told by his handlers to go there and eat crow because they (the army elite realize they would not win a direct confrontation at this time) Russia proved they could shutdown the US’s electronic systems at will. The army ran numerous wargame scenarios with Russia and lost all of them. In other words, all they can do right now is talk tough, that’s why they are useing plan B. C and D, going into Iraq with a coalition of over 30 countries headed by the Saudi’s under the guise of fighting extremists
When the bullets starts a fly in. The kids will start a hide in. And that meme will die.
Flip that house or spank that ass
That’s because testosterone drops with Drinking the kool-aide.( fluoride)
Get self serving cons off the hill. Get cons out of Constitution. You Go Donald talk the REAL Issues
Proposed Constitutional amendment:
Political spending shall be limited to voters qualified to vote on the issue or candidate in the next scheduled election and publicly disclosed as to original source of the money and amount within two days of any commitment to such spending.
G,
It’s a bit late of me, but Dave Barry wrote a beautiful piece about 2015 segmented monthly. I saw it posted at Zero Hedge, but here is another link, if you are interested:
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article51119880.html
Hailing back to the mid 70s and the first embargo, I’m in favor of an across the board $10 per barrel oil import tax. It saves our domestic industry and employment, provides funds to directly funnel into alternative energy, and it leaves the Saudi’s out in the cold. This was proposed in the 70s and rejected because “the Saudis would never allow it”. I suspect we care a lot less now.
In a few — very few — years this world will look far more like Mars than the earth we all once knew. Hope all you people who think you have all the answers — and all the money — enjoy the horrors and the Hell you will be going through. And sorry — but there is no way out and no place to hide. Have fun!! Oh and by the way — the worst and by far the most dangerous country on earth is CHINA !! Keep buying their junk and see where it gets you. LMAO
You know, I read about that story in Louisville a couple of different places and found no mention of a “flash mob” but it sure sounds like that’s what it could have been. A match for your word-watch ?
“Using “green speak” convince people they need to have a smaller carbon footprint. …More people to tax, and a further concentration of people into small spaces”
Agenda 21, been part of The Plan for years.