Markets: Wake Me Up Tomorrow

There’s not much point rushing into work this morning.  This’ll be a quiet day, more’n likely, with people giving what about the victory speeches around the coffee maker.

In terms of economic news?  A few minor nit today, like the Dallas Fed report later this morning, a bunch of interest rate yawners, and if that doesn’t pump your blood pressure up, there is last week’s money supply data.

Tomorrow things return to “normal” for this time of the month:  Housing price Index and some consumer confidence numbers.  But we already know that housing prices will be likely lower a bit (after all, why spend all that time surfing Trulia.com if there’s no deals?).  As far as consumer numbers, there have been more Christmas returns than usual, but Christmas was bigger than previous years, so it stands to reason.

A quick Google search shows something like 30-million stories about “returns” and while not all of them are holiday oriented, a lot of it is…so that’s been worked to deal in the MSM.

With so many of the phat cats taking extra time off, there’s not much to report on economically:  We’re in a rabid replay of the Roaring Twenties.  Our Trading model which was bullish most of last year continues to argue for more sleep.

I’m going to work only a half day, today.  A move that could collapse the entire economy since proofreaders and punctuation practitioners will have only abbreviated versions of ranting to keep themselves preoccupied.

Tomorrow’s column may feature an in-depth report on eggnog as French Toast batter.  That’s be a spine-tingling counterpoint to the slow slop crossing the wires this morning.

Still Called News

No, the plane that apparently crashed in a storm in Asia has not miraculously resurrected itself

Four more people have died from that ferry fire in Greece.

And president Obama is still claiming race relations are better.  Which, considering payouts in Missouri lately, seems like a fairs stretch.  But “t’is the season to be jolly” so I’ll swallow anything.

Don’t mind me:  I’m just the old guy wondering if slavery has been ended how child support past age 18 works and income taxes are so high.  Yeah, yeah,  “Don’t be tired and grumpy, old man.”

Disruptive Tech

The Chaos Computer Club has come up with a new breakthrough for the utterly paranoid:  The claim to be able to get a person’s fingerprints from a photo.  Not down to mug shot level yet, but headed that way.

Smokers in England

…are being treated to plenty of ross images designed to keep them from smoking.

Dumb enough to kneel, dumb  enough to smoke I figure.  Like the old (American country-western) song put it:  “There’s a fire on the one end and a fool on t’other.”

Co-Marketing of Climate

While we still haven’t gotten all the answers to questions like how do heat islands in big cities sway temperature readings, I have some marketing admiration for the Pope.

He’s about to instruct the world’s Catholics to do something about climate change.

Does this mean the people of South America will put back the rain forest?  Of course not.  That ain’t gonna happen.  Instead, this will be part of the dog and pony show leading to world government.  And, oh, by the by, nice co-marketing move.

Don’t look now, but NOAA is out with climate data this morning that reveals what?

“The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for November 2014 tied with 2008 as seventh highest in the 135-year period of record, at 0.65°C (1.17°F) above the 20^th century average of 12.9°C (55.2°F).”

And, again with bigger, hotter heat islands in urban areas.  The real problem to work out is species depletion which is collapsing the global stock of plants and animals.  But hey, don’t mind me.  Some has to get out and encyclical every year or two.

It’s a good thing I’m not Pope:  I’d split the Christmas holiday in to the Church part and declare the gifting part happen in February so we could all save some dough in the after-Christmas sales.  Dough that could then be…. oh, don’t get me started….