({Payson, AZ) We’ll get to our usual ranting and raving about economic this and that’s after we note the two major earthquakes overnight. One off Northern California and one down off Mexico. Down toward the Guatemala border area.
Here’s the short data on both:
M6.9 – 77km WNW of Ferndale, California
The other one:
M5.8 – 37km SW of Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Mexico
Now, since I’ve spent all weekend in a casino doing, ahem, statistical field research, why would I mention the earthquakes? Well for one, Grady is just tickled pink since “quake” popped up in our data runs this weekend: Nostracodeus correctly predicted a 6.9 quake (last night off California) published yesterday at www.nostracodeus.com.
Speaking of which, note from Grady this morning:
One of George Ure’s ‘Woo Woo’ moments happened to me today, when my cat found my hand crank radio in my Emergency supplies kit and brought it to me. What does it mean?
Beats hell out of me, but since there have been recent rains in SoCal and now some quakes, we seem to recall an old (nutter) theory that rains helps to “lubricate” fault lines and they might be followed by major quakes. Did last year’s floods in Alberta do same-o up there? Or, is the cat just looking for disco music? We may never know…
Since both of these quakes today were underwater, no point to the rain mention, but SoCal and the Washington and Oregon (in fact up through Vancouver Island ) area? Well, put it on your check list to see how the prepping items are holding and update your fresh water supplies…
The odds of this being a smart gamble are about like “insurance” bets here in the casino. They don’t often pay off, but when they do, you will feel like a damn genius. Motion along the eastern edge of the Pacific plate gets my attention. And Grady’s cat? You figure that one out.
More after this…
Global Spending Binge Fallout Pending
A Bloomberg report that global spending has resulted in a pile of debt $100-trillion deep, as measured by the Bank for International Settlements may, or may not, mean something.
A look at overnight trading action suggests that the Big Boyz will have every reason to open the US markets about flat, then load up on short positions, and then drive the market down by afternoon.
The hint is a look at Asia where the Hang Seng was down 1.75% overnight. And like they say, when China sneezes, the world gets the flu.
Japan was down 1% too, but give them time. The week is young.
Europe is holding about steady, maybe waiting to find some suckers in the US – something which historically hasn’t been too difficult.
The news tickler file is about empty this week when comes to juicy items until Thursday when the retail sales figures come out. We’ll watch that one with some amusement since one of these months the auto industry will not be able to hold things together for the US economy.
Friday’s Producer Prices are another item to keep an eye on. Inflation in the pipeline could crater everything. Or, give us a bounce if the week begins with a big flushing sound by this afternoon.
Big Lie Weekend
National Delusion is a fine thing and what better proof of its existence than Day Light Savings Time? The Gothamist offers 22 reasons why we should stop lying to ourselves about what time it is.
There’s hardly any point to my mentioning this, however. I mean we lie to ourselves about recovery, debt, the market going up forever, and there’s never going to be a Big One on the West Coast./
So what’s the problem with lying to ourselves about time, too, as long as we’re at it?
Smack Dab on Point
While it is nice to read that US Attorney Eric Holder is properly concerned about the increase in heroin deaths here in the US which have become something of an epidemic, he’s missing the point.
I’d suggest that Holder, et alia, go have a come-to-Jesus with the three letter agencies, the White House, and the Pentagram about who was guarding those poppy fields in the Stans, know what I’m sayin?
That heroin ain’t coming from Vermont…
Calling Out TIME on NK
As long as we’re in the “getting real about shit” Monday mode, here’s a fine article in Time magazine about how North Korean elections are a “sham worth studying.”
In the interest of fairness, how about we lobby TIME to do a mathematical study to disprove (if it can be) Ure’s Theory of Elections which states that the public is no longer represented in the electoral process in the US?
You see, the out of state money is going to blow out whoever gets in the way of our powerful congressoid running for reelection. And the out of state dough from the dark pools own pretty much every position of power among the Fools on the Hill.
And what they don’t control outright is handled by the K Street Mafia that move votes out of retirement homes and deals in favors for votes in virtually all legislation.
That’s no more a “democratic republic” than most of those we’re throwing rocks at or shooting at, is it?
Elections have gone eBay and I think TIME (or The Atlantic) could score massive points with the sixteen remaining thinking people in ‘Merica by running the numbers.
If they don’t, I’d point the editors to Matthew 7:3-5 after questioning elections in (pick as many as you please here) Egypt, Ukraine, Crimea, North Korea, yada, yada…
(And no, there’s nothing preachy about that passage at all. There’s a lot of just plain common sense around if you know where to look for it. But most people are so bound up in their own beLIEfs that they can’t see the Acres of Diamonds around them.)
Crimea River
Russians are tightening their grip on the Crimea and the Ukrainian mobverment is trying to get the US and EU dragged into a showdown with Vlad Putin.
Looks to me like the next move will be putting a soft, but then hardening border, between Ukraine and Crimea. By the end of this week, or next, headlines should be flaring again.
And thanks to reader Michael for the note:
Just chuckling here on how good your ‘trouble after Olympics’ prediction was!
It’s not exactly the Ruy Lopez figuring this stuff out. Divide country or share mushroom pie.
Mass Transit Numbers Up
Seriously worthwhile press release from the American Public Transportation Association:
In 2013 Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation, which is the highest annual public transit ridership number in 57 years, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This was the eighth year in a row that more than 10 billion trips were taken on public transportation systems nationwide. While vehicle miles traveled on roads (VMT) went up 0.3 percent, public transportation use in 2013 increased by 1.1 percent.
“Last year people took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation. As the highest annual ridership number since 1956, Americans in growing numbers want to have more public transit services in their communities,” said Peter Varga, APTA Chair and CEO of The Rapid in Grand Rapids, MI. “Public transportation systems nationwide – in small, medium, and large communities – saw ridership increases. Some reported all-time high ridership numbers.”
Some of the public transit agencies reporting record ridership system-wide or on specific lines were located in the following cities: Ann Arbor, MI; Cleveland, OH; Denver, CO; Espanola, NM; Flagstaff, AZ; Fort Myers, FL; Indianapolis, IN; Los Angeles, CA; New Orleans, LA; Oakland, CA; Pompano Beach, FL; Riverside, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Carlos, CA; Tampa, FL; Yuma, AZ; and New York, NY.
Since 1995 public transit ridership is up 37.2 percent, outpacing population growth, which is up 20.3 percent, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is up 22.7 percent.
“There is a fundamental shift going on in the way we move about our communities. People in record numbers are demanding more public transit services and communities are benefiting with strong economic growth,” said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy.
“Access to public transportation matters,” continued Melaniphy. “Community leaders know that public transportation investment drives community growth and economic revitalization.”
Another reason behind the ridership increases is the economic recovery in certain areas.
When more people are employed, public transportation ridership increases since nearly 60 percent of the trips taken on public transportation are for work commutes.”“The federal investment in public transit is paying off and that is why Congress needs to act this year to pass a new transportation bill,” said Melaniphy.
Biggest increases: Ft. Meyers (FL) Los Angeles, and NYC.
Washington DC ridership was down which goes to my “Do as we say, not as we do…” outlook for that area…