First thing out of the hopper today is the Housing Start report from the Census Bureau: “Building Permits Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,298,000. Housing Starts Privately-owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,297,000. This is 3.3 … Read More

Survival:  Sitting at the dinner table for a Christmas dinner can be one of the most socially-awkward times of the year.  All depends on how Ure relations are with the other people at the table. Since Elaine and I are “dispersed parents” we don’t have but ourselves to entertain over Christmas, though we may jump … Read More

We awaken today on an odd planet where financial history is neither read nor understood.  A planet where people will buy into a manic episode of Bubble Finance without being to even produce the supposed inventor of the scheme. In short,  it’s like having a global Ponzi bubble without the convenience of someone to go … Read More

Communications: We have been bemoaning the over-abundance, over use, over-price, over-tech, over-indulgence, and over-rudeness of cell phones for a good, long time. Finally, although they get things generally wrong, California may be about to get something right. Start with the Forbes article here: “California’s Latest Precautionary Move Against “Cell Phone Radiation”. (Continues below)   The story is potentially … Read More

We delve into an interesting trend in today’s report:  What’s the future of home automation?  Shoot; let’s try some on and find out!  Yee-haw… We have plenty of media models (auto-opening doors on the Enterprise, for example) but we look at some of the other issues involved.  After headlines, charts, and a few snide remarks … Read More

You ever see one of those movies where a really hopped-up car (usually with either a supercharger of nitrous injection system) is “lit up” with the wheel cranked over…and then goes around in tire-smoking circles? That’s about as good a mental picture as it gets to explain what’s going on with the U.S. economy right … Read More

Food:  We have arrived at the most calorie-laden of yearly events, at last.  So this morning I wanted to share some things that will make you drool and wonder why is it Elaine still weighs what see did in high school. We can divide this into four parts:  Breakfasts, Lunches, Cocktails, and Dinners.  Sized for … Read More

We were almost astounded to see the Fed actually raise rates at their Wednesday session. But what was even more remarkable was the trading on Wall Street in the aftermath. The two key takeaways:  the Dow still gained 34-points and it’s set to open (again) on the upside by another 30 according to the futures. (Continues below) … Read More

Survival/Prep:  I had a toothache this week so one of the first items on my “survival/prepping” list is a good supply of whole cloves, clove oil – anything clovey.  Bet you weren’t expecting that, were you?  A trip to the dentist yesterday (and an emergency walletectomy is being scheduled with a colleague), some antibiotics and pain … Read More

In higher education circles it would be called an SER (self-evaluation report) and people would read it knowingly. This morning we review how well our market model has done this year (amazingly well, BTW) and we consider a bit of what’s ahead for 2017.  But, not before some talk of the new CPI data (which … Read More

As we outline (eventually getting to the point in Coping this morning), ultrasociality seems to be the new ruling paradigm.  Thanks to one of our brilliant readers, who used the phrase “like Microsoft software – there’s a million ways to do something,” Ultrasociality may be a great key for understanding the world in a new way.  (Suggested reading: Ultrasociety: How 10,000 … Read More

Communications:  We begin this morning with an interesting phenomena up on the “gurney” here at  Cleat Through Labs. We look at the problems around us and wonder how much of it is being whipped up by electronic versions of mob rule? Let’s back up for a second and understand how it happens.  Maybe the best … Read More

Environment/Health:  Here’s a health tip that we picked up from Zeus the Cat that I’d completely forgotten about.  Yet, it is potentially one of the easiest health pick-me-ups you can find.  The effects aren’t huge – at first – but it’s one of those slow poisoning deals that may constitute an unseen attack on the middle class. So … Read More