Data first.  It’s easy to explain the market weakness over the past few days:  People may have done a bit of selling in order to put some cash in the bank for 2018.  Today, though, unless you’re trading options, the settlement in three days won’t be in this year…so we half-expect a minor rally. About … Read More

Health/Environment:  As the year draws to a close, a survey of what we’ve gotten done over the course of the year makes for an interesting cup of tea. On the plus side, we haven’t missed a column, health is good, Peoplenomics has been spectacularly good at being on the “right side” of the market.  And … Read More

We have again seen a spectacularly correct year in our outlooks for the market.  Importantly, we have also grown our ability to ‘get it right’ this year on several fronts. But we won’t make a foolish forecast of optimism overall, although that was an easy call last year.  The reason?  We have a large (and … Read More

Looks like the market will open to the downside this morning – about 50 points worth on the Dow and even more – percentage-wise – on the NASDAQ. There are plenty of explanations for why this might happen, not the least of which is people selling a bit now to pay some of the taxes … Read More

Health and Environment:  This is a terrible morning.  Not because I have another week to go before my endodontic/walletectomy consultant can fix my bothersome tooth.  And, no, not because is snowed on a good part of the Northeast delivering the White Christmas. (Tho’ a nice touch…) What makes it terrible is that it’s a short enough … Read More

Environment/Health:  We don’t have a lot to say this morning, other than have a great Christmas. If you are looking for good reads, we have a number of suggestions. These will ease the passing of time… (Continues below)   For openers, our friend Chris Tyreman has finally given-in and set up a page of his … Read More

There is something special about this time of the year, alright.  But has little to do with wrappings and trees. I refer to the project each of us own, that is, to work on our “inner realms” while we work out way through life on this plane. This morning, a short but quite remarkable sequence … Read More

We have been speaking for perhaps a month about the Santa Rally.  Since the markets will be closed Monday (and there will be a blissfully short report up then),  it is only appropriate that the Santanista guerillas be run out of town today. Unfortunately, they took Bitcoin hostage and have killed it. When I looked, … Read More

Woo-Woo?  We commence “down time” with an interesting discussion about Nikola Tesla. Was he a great inventor?  Yes. But, is he also being deified by the simple-mind social mobs of the Internet?  Yes, I’m  afraid so.  In this, however, lies a tale of mental acuity that we can all learn from.  Or, not. (Continues Below)   … Read More

This is a very special day:  Lover or Farmer Day.  If you are a Lover, then it is the longest night of the year and you’re happy.  But, if you’re a Farmer, it’s the shortest day of the year – hence you have less light to get things down and you’re not-so-happy.  Aside from Season … Read More

Environment/ Woo-Woo:  I don’t get much time off, despite being nominally retired.  Keeping up on markets, news, and doing original research into topics that really fascinate me leave little time for sleep, and none (to speak of) for outright lazing-about.  Thought you might be interested in where certain projects are…and perhaps they will stir further adventures … Read More

There’s something stirring inside me – and no, not eggnog or sourdough pancakes.  It’s another book…and a follow-on to The Millennia’s Missing Manual: What School Didn’t Teach and What Old People Didn’t Explain.  Although this book is extremely useful, even when coupled with another great book on “matrix thinking” skills,  And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: … Read More

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