Trade War Expansion, Fresh Data, Market Jits

Although we would normally begin with the latest breaking data (since markets seem to love it), we will hold for a second to see what the (geniuses) in D.C. have cooked up. Tariff Wars Specifically, the big White House press release beginning: “President Biden Takes Action to Protect American Workers and Businesses from China’s Unfair … Read More

IPCA: Insider Preview of Coming Attractions

Funny stuff we call “Future.”  Like the weather “everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it” was how Mark Twain complained about weather. Bet you didn’t know Mark Twain was a Freemason, did you? Or that he failed to pay his dues for a while before being demitted from the Craft?  Naw, … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Dead Bands, Heat’s a-coming

I was really impressed with the first-hand observer report from New Mexico, on the Northern Lights filed by reader NM Mike in the Comments section Saturday.  Seems the solar activity is putting some real points on the board. Out west, reader Hank reported the 40-meter inter-island ham radio net was up and down, catch-as-catch-can.  And … Read More

Reader Discretion Advised

There are some things we don’t like to talk about on the “open web.” Although we normally confine our “deep thinking” to once per week, a very troubling observation from a colleague is our lead topic this morning. We have our eyes on a very serious “change of sea state” and its part – we’re … Read More

Speaking of Trajectories – Falling Cities Weekend?

Thursday morning, I mentioned about Trajectories and how – once events achieve liftoff velocity – things take up a trajectory and the future is out ahead of us. Like some deterministic landing zone. Today we get into just a couple of things that matter.  Trajectories of Markets and what about the “falling cities”? In a … Read More

“Trajectory Think” – Projected Future

I almost didn’t write a column this morning. There was just so much great info in the Comments section from Wednesday.  Click over here and scroll down to the long piece from Ray (H) who did a dandy “more to think about” on our subscriber “Get Home Plan” on Peoplenomics yesterday. Even more savory are … Read More

The “Get Home” Plan

Nuclear war was – for a couple of decades – back in the “unthinkable pile. Something that you’d heard about, maybe, but certainly not something a person in their right mind would actually plan on. Yet here we are.  The television shows are starting.  Amazon’s series Fallout is rolling and doing OK in the ratings. … Read More

“Get home!” Time Nearing?

Reader Robert gets to take a bow. Because he asked, in effect, “When do I talk to an adult daughter about coming home?” Because of the world hitting a rough patch where (literally) things could all blow up. The long answer (maps and strategies) will be on Peoplenomics tomorrow. For this morning, just a quick … Read More

Rafah and Ready – Future Sniping

With a lack of positive news – the apparent breakdown of Gaza peace talks and all (Israel Shutters Al Jazeera Bureau,  while the Israeli military tells 100,000 people to leave eastern Rafah) – we are braced for a world where news events will drive the markets. As we go over the “planned and scheduled) for … Read More

ShopTalk Sunday: Building an Electronics Bench (2)

Part 2 of an ultra-slow-motion series, the first part of which was presented last July in “The Electronics Workbench.”  All three tube-type oscilloscopes are gone. So’s a signal tracer, two full-sized vacuum tube voltmeters (VTVM’s). And an early Heathkit Signal generator. Poof. In a cloud of fury powered by Mrs. Olson. It’s time to resume … Read More

Pre-Apocalypse Countdown

It’s axiomatic that the “markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.”  But in our ChartPack section there are more than passing storm clouds to be considered on America’s horizon. Not the leastd of which is the country’s internal condition where the word “declining” would have to be taken as charitable. With a … Read More

Fool’s Folly? Friday Financial Feeding Frenzy!

Hand me the Financial Truth Detector kit, would you? OK, turning it on… Yikes!  Bitcoin is down at $59,000 and change, so if this is an upside market breakout (rather than crass manipulation) it’s one of the strangest ever. Jobs – Dig Deep Second item in “the kit” is the total number of people working … Read More

Coin Toss Future – Cult Kids – Spring Storms

Markets are set to rally today after a manic upside pop on the Fed “Do-Nothing” meeting results Wednesday that slammed (scammed?) the Dow up 450-points for a few minutes before falling back to Earth. Today, with the Challenger Job Cuts report looming, the market was pricing to retest those levels again today – with a … Read More