OK, maybe this isn’t the first financial story of the day, or maybe it is THE DEFINING HINT. Going to let you figure that out but here’s the story: “Remote Alaska to Stockpile food, just in case…“
Parnell’s Lunch in Seward’s Folly? Or, about as big an in-your-face hint as you’ll find?
Reader Anna is wondering if there’s some reason that birds have vanished in the “Birdmuda Triangle” too…
Macroeconomic Holiday
The US Fed is wrapping up with words from Ben at the Jackson Hole meetings today…and after tanking 106 yesterday, the markets are set for a dead cat bounce this morning.
Meantime, the latest money-printing numbers show three months annualized run rates of 11.3% for M1 and 6.5% inflation of paper. Not a Q.E. but nearly quacks like a small goose.
The US Department of Transparency
…doesn’t seem to exist. So, we get to go tripping about trying to find hints as to what’s really going on in America and lo and behold! “Judicial Watch obtains stack of ‘overlooked’ CIA reports detailing meetings with bin Laden filmmakers...”
As the risk of sounding a bit rude: “Overlooked my ass.”
Go Ahead, Make My Convention
Well, not quite. Seems the non-paertisan republican mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, was not exactly bowling ‘em over in Tampa. (That’s OK with me though, since my idea of a 44 was always Carol Doda, anyway.)
Just goes to show, no matter how the republicorp tries, you just can’t get back to the good old days.
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Seriously (or nearly so) how come the probusiness republicorps didn’t just do this who damn thing online? I mean what was the point? Double for the demos if they’re trying to lead us into the future (pardon me while I laugh at the absurdity of what my friend Howard calls the grand Kabuki of it all…) This is the year “None of the Above” could win…
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A federal court says Texas can’t use a photo-IF requirement to vote. Kinda hard for dead people to get licenses, I guess…
Iran Notes
The International Atomic Energy Agency figures Iran is playing hide and seek with the growing number of centrifuges it is bringing on line to make stuff that could be upgraded to weapons grade.
Monthly Awards Time
Sobering though of the week award goes to the NBER economist(s) who figured out that almost half of Americans die broke. Send me an email and we’ll give you our mailing address if you’re in the other half…we’d like to do what we can to help you get into the other camp.
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This month’s gold award for goodness goes to researchers who are on the verge of being able to make and implant a bionic eye. Oh, sure, make take 10-years or longer, but it’s in the works and with it: No more computing eye-strain.
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Our mud pie award on the other hand goes to the Grand Island (NE) Public Schools which was on the verge of making a preschooler change his name because signing it would have infringed on the schools “No weapons in school policy.” Didn’t last long, cue the Big Back-pedal.
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And our Inline Skater of the Month award goes to: Jon Corzine who is still not being brought to federal trial for the disappearing billion from MF Global and who is…last we heard…still bundling for ‘Bama.
And the monthly Teflon award goes to Eric Holder for sliding Jon and the Gunwalker case nearly simultaneously. Way to go, Eric! (With emphasis on go, please…)
A Holiday Thought
From an email something to ponder this weekend:
“Many a man stumbles across the truth, then picks himself up and hurries on as though nothing had happened.” -Winston Churchill
More after this…
