I’d be willing to bet that most Americans have no clue what the Johnson-Reed Act was.  Passed in 1924, and in 1929 setting an annual immigration quota of 150,000, the act was a continuation of restrictive immigration laws that were enacted before 1900.  As the Office of the Historian at the U.S. State Department site … Read More

Too many subjects and not enough time at Old Man Labs.  But, some of it is just damn useful so we will wade through a nicely sized helping this morning. Talking trees, light crown construction,  and free energy are all on the agenda. After the usual headlines, charts and half-caf. More for Subscribers      |||     SUBSCRIBE … Read More

One of the joys of being an amateur radio operator is that the hobby is really a whole bunch of hobbies all bound-up under one roof. There is, quite literally, something for everybody.  And no Morse code requirement, so that hurdle doesn’t exist like it did for a bunch of us “oldtimers.” It’s also great … Read More

Before we get into the nitus-gritus of the Jobs report from Uncle Fed, a short dissertation on what it all means is in order. The short version?  Normally, when the unemployment rate has hit historically low levels (check), and then begins to rise again (check), when the rate is 1/2 a percentage point higher than … Read More

We think the market may be nearing an important (3-6 month type) peak, although there’s not investment advice, of course. Reason?  Quarterly job cuts just out this morning, are at the highest level since Q1 of 2015.  Read ’em and weep in the Challenger numbers: “U.S.-based employers announced plans to cut 60,587 jobs from their … Read More

Was he a “linguistic magician” or a “mystic linguician?” The latter, linguician, not to be confused with the language and music app for Android, of course. What we deal with today is the logical problem of analyzing what to make of Nostradamus’ work, Especially in light of the fine work on point done by long-time … Read More

“My, what an odd title,” you may be thinking. And you’d be right, of course.  But it sounds more business-like than “Success begins in bed…”  Although, that would at least ensure a following of slimy politicians. But, seriously…Think prepping and anti-aging in the same context. One of the great learnings of 70-years is that there … Read More

I happened to catch a “news commentary” on WOAI out of San Antonio Monday and I was shocked at how the border crisis is being morphed into a “mush-headed economic marvel.” The station news director’s commentary pointed out that if president Trump indeed closes the border in order to deal with the unchecked, illegal immigration, … Read More

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 … Read More

Instrumentation, Installation, and Use Case Notes.  Our book on building your own reliable power system for future events winds up today with a number of interesting tidbit. Which we will get to after we look at the market and where things are heading… More for Subscribers      |||     SUBSCRIBE NOW!       |||   Subscriber Help Center

I was talking to my buddy Gaye Levy about this, just this week and it feels like a good time to repeat some of the ideas I shared with her. Beware of “Hot Lingo” Just because something says “tactical” doesn’t mean its any better than a “regular consumer grade” product. Let me tell you a … Read More

It’s spring here in the Outback and the time of year when we get back to nature and chores.  In the winter, there are a huge number of “rules” most city-folk don’t know. Walking on the grass, when frozen, tends to kill it.  Driving a tractor on good earth is verboten for 3-days after a heavy … Read More

Here’s how today ought to roll:  The market should pop up a hundred, or so, but today’s daily dart lands on some selling starting around 10:43 Eastern/9:43 Central time as the market gets ready to wind up Q1.  A drop of a bit today and maybe a further drop next week (to drive prices down … Read More