No, it is not posting more inane crap on FB.
No, it is not wasting time on Hollywood crap dressed as news.
No, it is not recounting your weekend adventures, nor bragging about the size of your hangover or conquests of the weekend.
And no, it is not about wishing that you were able to retire on Social Security, right now, so you could “play all the time.” Trust me, you can’t. And getting old ain’t for sissies.
No, your REAL JOB on this (or any other Monday) is to figure out how to maximize your value to others in general and your employer in particular, so that you can “earn” more paper with ink on it, which the PowersThatBe have convinced others to give you things of actual value for.
Obviously, the notion of trading bits of paper for travel, the finest foods, the most sensual of Life’s smorgasbord, it is, well, insane. Yet that is precisely how the planet works.
We just don’t like to admit it.
So we are surrounded with distractions. And they conspire to keep us from achieving financial independence…it is the main purpose of distractions.
You see…everything is transactional in nature. That is because, as we have long admonished: Everything is a Business Model.
Relationships, government, work, play…it’s all transactional in nature. You give something in order to get something.
Not that this is bad, but it is not popularly discussed.
“How Cynical of you to assert the supremacy of transactions!”
Yeah? Well, welcome to another Reality Monday.
Since the point of going to work is to make money, let’s see what we can figure from a quick scan on the news, shall we? Not the latest body-count from the sandboxes, not the glam and flash…but a selection of items that will help you make money.
Sizing Up the Market
We have been poking along at a very interesting level in the S&P 500. I won’t share the charts that our www.peoplenomics.com subscribers get, but I will tell you that the market is in “pause mode” after the manic rally from the February lows. In Elliott wave terms, that was a 1 up.
What follows, and where we are now, is the corrective 2 down. When you study the charts, it looks like three waves down are complete and that we could pop to the upside at any point.
But will we?
There is still a strong technical case that the decline could last a few more weeks, and we could decline to the 2020 level, although there are no guarantees. The Wave 2 that we are in could be over with three corrective waves down. Still, my spidey-sense doesn’t think so. There is still not enough conviction building to sustain a breakout. Then consider we are a week and three days from a Fed decision on interest rates. So the tea leaves are mixed.
Once we get past that, we should go zooming on to record highs over the balance of summer and even into September.
Then comes the election in November.
In my work, we are in a period very similar to that which occurred before the 1928 presidential election. That was won by Herbert Hoover…and lost by Al Smith if memory *or link* is working.
The Great Depression didn’t show up until the fall of 1929. Hoover took office in early 1929…so he got about nine months into his presidency before the crap hit the fan. Could it be that the GOP will – as they did in 1928 – win the election and “lose the war?” If the timing works out, the Greater Depression won’t start until fall 2017 and then grow in intensity into 2018, which is fine with us. That’s because the accompanying Blow-Off Top should be a marvel to behold.
Historical Context of Today
Societies are funny: We see lots of historical precedents where people seem to become fixated on an asset class.
We saw it in the 1634 Tulip Mania in Holland. We saw the Great Stock Bubble of the 1929 period. Before that, however was the Bubble of 1720.
And we’ve had our share of Land Rush days, Real Estate and Housing Bubbles, including the Florida Land bubble of the 1920’s which echoes oh, so nicely, with the 2009 Housing collapse.
What most people fail to understand us that there is a rhyme to history which is far more useful to the financially-motivated than Kardashified news…yet no one talks about such things. Which explains why more people aren’t rich: The One Percent don’t have a lot of competition…
Elaine and I watched a 1995 speech by the late media genius and “Wall Street Week” founder Louis Rukeyser on Sunday. I had not realized how rare a fellow he was, being for years the ONLY network economics commentator. Yet, how many dozen’s of anchors and wannabe’s flock to a “personality story?” I don’t know which – if any networks – have economics editors offering sane advice, even now.
I have never figured a way to make real money on that infotainment or personality kind of crap. Or, how to really get rich in social media as an investor, not a worker-bee with a billion “Likes.” Perhaps I’m an oddball, wanting to make Money if I’m going to be inconvenienced with the Monday morning interruption of sleep.
Mondays are, on reflection, both a wonder and a spectacle, all rolled into one.
The futures this morning are hovering around the zero mark. No sign of conviction there. A bunch of economic data points will come along this week, but none so important as Consumer Prices and the Fed meeting next week.
This is a kind of “clear your thinking” and wait for developments week. Watch the market for direction which may be evident by week’s end. Which is fine with us…it gives us time to do thoughtful research and figure out where things will eventually head.
Back to the Mundane
To make my point, here is a selection of utterly useless “news.”
Kim Kardashian Flaunts 26-Inch Post-Baby Waist in Skin-Tight Dress
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick take children for meal in LA
Hollywood baby names are making a comeback
Fans Mourn Muhammad Ali at Hollywood Walk of Fame
If you clicked on any of these links, consider yourself personally responsible for the One Percent being without a lot of competition.
But seriously? A bit more useful is knowing that an Army Reserve officer (Deshauna Barber) has been crowned Miss USA.
The Real News
There is a primary tomorrow with headlines like Was California the Last Weekend at Bernie’s House Of Hope? And…in Politics|Could a Muslim Judge Be Neutral to Donald Trump? He Doesn’t Think So.
I’ll take a vowel and whatever is behind Curtain #2.
You want the curtain because what is in the WashPo (which I refer to as the Amazon/Bezos Post) this morning is about enough to make me puke. The story is headlined “5 ways Hillary Clinton and Paul Ryan could make a deal.”
See it? See how you are being conditioned to accept that Hillary will be President and will be able to “cut a deal” with Paul Ryan?
A more balanced story/headline might have been “Which President? Paul Ryan’s Policy Prospects…”
But no, that wouldn’t program people into thinking Hil will win.
You see, this is how the insiders in Washington set things up.
The story is the story…but the underlying premise isn’t even questioned in the headline.
It’s very much like Joseph Goebbels wrote about in his pamphlet on propaganda: You sell the agenda by assuming the premise is correct…and given how much money Hil has – and by the high likelihood of an “October Surprise” – when Hil will predictably be anointed as the greatest SecState ever by some Obama admin footwork, it will probably come to pass. All the hallmarks are right there staring at you…but in the media circus, the Hollywood stuff in the center ring will keep you from seeing the set-up as it comes.
Remember where you heard it: By pardoning Edward Snowden (hinted at last week by former US-AG Eric Holder) Obama et alia will be able to remove the Hil email scandal…oh this is so choreographed!
But at least the Clinton myth-busting book Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate is out there for the thinking class.
Both of us.
Nasty Nest of Neocons: Ukraine Blow-back
Not getting much play in Western Media, since we orchestrated the mess in Ukraine to force them into the EU and line up part of the rich energy deposits in the eastern half of the country….BUT it could be that the NNN was involved in more than just passing out Kiev Cookies.
At least that’s what peeks out from Investigate claims of Ukrainian torture & repression, Duma lawmakers tell international groups which Russia’s RT is reporting.
If the story gets traction, maybe the Regime Change Idiots could be outed, after all. But don’t hold your breath…there’s no alliance like an unholy one, and with defense sales booming, what could possibly go wrong?
Thanks for the heads up on puke hil business as usual 535 scum nuts. Go don or we die give us back America Take away their benefits to start run the scum to the gutter and drain them into sewer financial irresponsible turds
‘Useless’ vs ‘Real’ as in your universe, well now that brings up a Fine Mess, now doesn’t it?
Your basis of decision making for what is ‘Real’ appears to be slightly skewed towards everything and anything related to that ‘Real News’ of roasting alive the Madam Secretary, Anything or Anybody related to the President or Any and Everything associated with policies or views of said persons!!
Herein lies my ‘Real’ problem with your columns. Whereas all bloggers have, as their primary purpose, the need to stimulate and endear to themselves-their followers, you seem to me to lean Way Too Far towards the ‘death by fire’ rhetoric and slip ever further towards the quotes of like minded individuals versus using your amazing ability to communicate and illuminate in a more ultimately useful form?
Actually I am inclined to “real news” as that which will form our future and Hollywood is only the tiniest fraction. As for roasting Hil? That’s a self-basting turkey as are they all. I wrote a year ago that she would buy the election and nothing has changed that v iew. Esp. in light of the violence on the left against trump supporters being widely suppressed as being ‘his fault’ – so no, we probably are doomed – the only question is how much to invest in the death industry the rehab centers and the prisons for profit.
B/S!! Who will survive? Those who ‘communicate and illuminate’ or them that are REAL? Face it AL, you have a hidden death wish!
‘Real’ is as ‘Real’ does, and in every single organism that I am aware of, Death is the Final outcome!
Simple narratives on a Blog site do not of ‘Reality Make’, and You of the Ultimate Knowledge of ‘The Real’ should step back and simply cut those of us who have yet to reach your levels of ‘Enlightenment’- a break!
I hope you and your fellow ‘Real’ messiahs-who have determined that this political, social, and scientific period of earths’ existence, in which everything implodes and apocalyptic events end existence as we now know it-will fess up to knowing nothing more or nothing less than every other poor soul!!
George can in turn give up on his ‘Survialist’ encampment toils and focus on living his everyday degrading physical life form in a place that provides mindful substance( of which he possesses greatly) to all his blogger followers-IMHO
If Trump is allowed to win, he will only be allowed to preside over rubble.
The auto industry is going to be the straw that breaks the back of the USA economy. GM sales down 18% in May, and a tsunami of cars coming in off lease in the next three months.
There is not much left to suck out of the USA economy. 94 million useless eaters not working, and 48 million on food stamps. And remember all those exotic things the big banks create and sell to your pension fund are included in the GDP numbers. It’s the equivalent of Britain including prostitution in their numbers to stay out of depression status.
Chinese employers paying Chinese wages, and prison labor will be the future of the USA economy.
That’s how it looks from Ecuador.
As usual, a finely honed expectation. Trump would be Hoover
Definitely agree with that! (With the added observation that the 1928 election featured two flawed candidates – Hoover and Smith, who was tarred with the brush of being Roman Catholic – impossible situation!)
This is sad. Perhaps it’s best that Mrs. Bill should “win” and fall flat with the economy, and then hopefully Trump would be drafted in 2020 to actually try to fix the mess. We should just call her Mrs. Hoover. I have nothing for disdain for Mrs. Bill Carpetbagger who has never done anything but rage and play housewife to a former president. She was a failed “senator”, a failed Sec’y of State, and yet people still listen to that horrible fake voice speaking as though all citizens were retarded. She’s a disgrace even to the disgrace that feminism has become.
I can’t be the only one who remembers her snapping at a reporter – What am I supposed to do, stay home and bake cookies? I remember that, because that was what I was trying to do at the time, stay home and raise the daughter, and I felt that her dismissive comment was a gross insult to every woman in this country who was trying to make nurturing their family their priority in life. I felt so sorry for her daughter, to have a mom who would say that in public. If she’s playing a woman card, she must have got it from a cia kill deck.
Boxing as a ‘sport’ has gone out of fashion over much of the United States, and it is only popular among people who ‘need it’ because of it being a blood sport or the fading economic opportunity it provides for some disadvantaged groups.
Muhammad Ali is rightfully remembered – not solely for his abilities as a boxer, but also for the impact he had during the Vietnam War – for good or ill, depending on one’s viewpoint.
And for the grace of his bearing a terrible disease . . . I am reminded of the Simon and Garfunkel song – The Boxer. ‘In a clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade, and he carries the reminder of every blow that laid him down, or cut him til he cried out in his anger and his pain – “I am leaving, I am leaving!” – but the fighter still remains . . .’
Adieu, sir – you are remembered!
I am pleased to observe that this instalment of Urban is receiving “likes” on Facebook.
… but,how could we make it required reading in high schools??
George-
Let’s not rule out the alternate (multi) Universe theory that is jumping around certain circles especially with an 1818 Mary Shelly-like shenanigans at CERN. I begin to rub my chin wondering if the crazy weather over there has been altered with their ‘proton shakes’ and weasel distractions shutting down overheated ALICE magnets.
It may all look like theater yet still be in a category of holographic or virtual reality dream-state.
Those vice grips of yours may be just the tool to keep us conscious enough to know the difference.
I’ll vote for a base reality over virtual any day.
Thanks.
George – You reference and use cycles a lot. I wonder what your feelings are about Strass and Howe’s Fourth Turning (the book came out in 1997 I think). About the only place where there are articles on it are at Jim Quinn’s The Burning Platform.