Normally, when you come to U.S. National Holidays, there is a modest upward bias to market action.  Whether it’s from people anticipating good times (oh, and MAYBE a beer or six), or whether it’s just that pessimism fades in bright sunlight (from Vitamin D going up?), we don’t know. The reason, suggests a 2017 paper … Read More

Thursday Data Festival!!!  Which we will jump into in a moment (there’s a lot of data today). First, we want to arrange the data plate that may leave you grabbing at the breakfast table.  To hold on for a “white knuckle experience.”  Deep breath, first…  [aauuummmm manu padme auumm]  (This is the Texas spelling…) Irwin … Read More

If stock market behavior, of late, hasn’t “hung together” for you, we have the answer!  A very short – and pithy (as in “I’m pithed”) at the academic crookery involved in selling the scam called “Modern Monetary Theory” to the witless and stupid that comprise 80% of Americans. But, before we go into the fact-free … Read More

What was it I said in the column this morning?  Here, let me help: “And I’m pretty-sure I had the “earthquake tireds” last night…so we shall see…In  the Valley Between Eclipses, now.“ Why are we NOT surprised at: Event type:                       Earthquake Region:                           Oaxaca, Mexico Geographic coordinates:           16.035N, 95.909W Magnitude:                       7.4 Depth:                           23 km Universal Time (UTC):             … Read More

Dow Futures were up 250-earlier.  So what if CV-19 casea are growing?  Hospitalizations up?  Few showing up for rallies?  Police being “defunded”?  Icons falling?  Who cares?  Making Up Money is the “New Sheriff” in finance. Our Guess? Last-gasp of a failing global economic system.  Torpedoed, in large measure, when “Slippery Dick” Nixon took the U.S. … Read More

We will “roll backwards” this morning. There is much to think about as the Summer Doldrums begin to swirl between the ears.  Sure, a bit of tiredness this morning.  But, is it a precursor (“earthquake tireds”) or just the result of taking Sunday off from my “High Photon Diet?”  (Down 10-pounds, thanks for asking!) Social … Read More

In a Life-or-Death situation, here’s a useful tool:  Being able to “tap-in” to almost unlimited energy.  While, at the same time, remaining clear-headed and detached from what’s going on around you.  With this skill you can make clear-headed decisions with some immunity from calamitous events. This is the mental dimension of prepping.  We talk about … Read More

“A Training Routine for Digital Knowledge-Fishing” is our focus today. Originally, I sat down to write up my plans for a ideal survival computing platform….  But, suddenly, there was this whole way of becoming “Web-Empowered” that doesn’t seem to get much notice. Moreover, it crosses a lot of “traditional societal views” in the process.  That … Read More

“Economists” call it “Modern Monetary Theory.”  Wiki it and you’ll find the idea is dreadfully simple – make it up: “MMT argues that governments create new money by using fiscal policy. According to advocates, the primary risk once the economy reaches full employment is inflation, which can be addressed by gathering taxes to reduce purchasing … Read More

Breaking:  Weekly Unemployment Data Just out from Labor: “In the week ending June 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 1,508,000, a decrease of 58,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 24,000 from 1,542,000 to 1,566,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,773,500, a decrease … Read More

If MIGHT be really interesting.  Pepto for the open. Sometimes, we have a pretty solid feel for how things MIGHT play out.  From this morning’s (8AM) Peoplenomics ChartPack comments: “Although I don’t offer financial advice, there would sure be a grand and graceful solution here if the market rallied a bit, perhaps into the European close … Read More

Today, a prepping topic few people talk about:  In the event TSHTF, how will you “chill?”  Sure, we could ask hard questions like “Why are publicly owned companies giving away shareholder profits to “social causes?” But that might get folks riled-up. On the other hands, in recognition of what is already a Long Hot Summer … Read More

Retail’s Back You can see it in this chart – even the auto sector is back in a big way: The Happy Talk? “Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for May 2020, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $485.5 billion, an increase of … Read More