Although published in early 2001, Robert Kaplan’s book The Coming Anarchy: Shattering the Dreams of the Post Cold War
The good news (since I’m just full of Christmas cheer today) is that a potential flare-up between Iraq and Iran has been chilled as “Iraq takes back oil well, OKs separate oil deal“.
Also on the positive side is that “OPEC set to leave output limited unchanged” as they meet this week. This puts oil stable around $73.
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On the positive side for the market, there’s some evidence that the Fed’s massive intervention has worked and “TIPS give way to inflation as deflation yields drop“.
But enjoy it while you can since according to the www.halfpasthuman.com validation spiders, we’re starting to get 4-6% linguistic ‘fill’ on the expectation of ‘context shift, economic’ as no less than four Chinese officials have said that as the US current account deficit shrinks, that will mean less Chinese buying of Treasuries. Typical: “China Central Banker says harder to buy U.S., Treasuries” although that should come as no surprise.
What this sets the stage for in early 2010 is a slowly emerging realization that the US could end up buying huge UK debt issues with the UK in return buying ours…a kind of symbiotic Ponzi deal. Which will do fine – maybe – for the January Treasury auction, but after that, someone’s likely to figure out the new circular-reference game. I mean besides us.
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Futures up…Santa’s rally continues?
Will Anyone Notice?
Federal government in DC will be closed today as the Northeast digs out from under two feet of global warming. Can those of us who don’t work for Uncle also get a freebie day off, too? Oh, not part of the ruling class? So sorry….
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One thing making headlines in the snow: A DC cop in hot water for drawing his gun at a snowball fight.
Somehow, It’s a Story
I just love to see stories like this one because they underscore how Americans have been desensitized to our own reality. I refer to the headline that “Venezuela’s Chavez launches new police force“. A little reading around the net and you can pick up on the further demonization of Chavez on this. “Why he must be a dictator to do something like this…” is the thinking.
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Like we don’t have a national police force in the US? Pray tell, what are the FBI, US Marshalls, and NORTHCOM? Get a grip, Ovis.
Christmas Behind Bars
In order to make sense of the headline “Midlands prisoners get better Christmas Menu than brave British Soldiers” it helps to know that’s a large UK prison. Care to bet the TV offers more choices inside, too?
Fake “Attack”?
Headline in the UK Mail online “Was Berlusconi attack faked?” Conspiracy theory YouTube video becomes overnight sensation…“ Say, you don’t think one of the PTB would do that do you?
Urge To Merge Department
Sanofi-Aventis sucks up Gold Bond skin products-maker Chattem for $1.9 B.
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The London Stock Exchange “LSE takes 60 percent stake in Turquoise platform” in case you wonder what the LSE is building in the way of a dark pool platform. Not that you’ll ever trade in that pond…
Sign of the Times
I mentioned in Saturday’s report to subscribers that the sign on the entrance to WW II death camp Auschwitz had been stolen. Today, word’s out that the sign has been recovered and five people have been arrested. Not neo-Nazis, either. Just run-of-the-mill crooks looking to score some cash, according to the reports.
See Spots, See Spots Run…
Over at www.spaceweather.com you can see how there are supposedly three sunspots going on, which you’d think would allay some of the concerns of people like me who have been looking at the data wondering where have all the spots gone? We should (by earlier forecasts) be up in the range of 5-10 sunspots visible now.
But here’s my question, OK? Are the claimed spots visible to the naked eye, OR only with a special filter on…in which case it would be data-cooking, wouldn’t it? We shall see…
Hungry New Year
Go read “2010 Food Crisis for dummies” – interesting and why we’ve been harping on home gardens for how long?
