Archive - Nov 1, 2014

Tyler Durden's picture

Warning: Avoid This Corrupt, Third-World Country At All Costs





John Anderson, an American tourist from San Clemente, California, was driving down a poorly-maintained highway when he saw flashing lights in his rearview mirror. After a brief exchange with the local police officer, Anderson was shocked when the cop started searching his vehicle. Anderson had $25,180 in US dollar cash in the car, which by the way was not a crime according to the local laws. When the cop saw it, he told Anderson that we would take it and threatened him with arrest if he protested. Ultimately Anderson gave in; the cop let him go and did not charge him with a crime, but took every last penny in the vehicle. And for the last two years, Anderson has been trying to unsuccessfully fight it in the country’s Kangaroo court system. Clearly we should all avoid going to such dangerously corrupt third world countries.

 

CalibratedConfidence's picture

Morgan Stanley's European Equity Strategy Data Gallery





On Friday Morgan Stanley cut a note highlighting European equity data.  Here's a few key charts.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

When Money Dies: Germany and Paper Money After 1910





The story of the destruction of the German mark during the hyper-inflation of Weimar Germany from 1919 to its horrific peak in November 1923 is usually dismissed as a bizarre anomaly in the economic history of the twentieth century. But no episode better illustrates the dire consequences of unsound money or makes a more devastating, real-life case against fiat-currency: where there is no restraint, monetary death will follow.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

"This Feels A Lot Like 1999" Beware "The QE Bubble"





"Do we really need QE every time the market gets nervous? Right now the world is a very vulnerable place... we are in the midst of a big bubble that will - down the line - be referred to as 'The QE Bubble'"

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Chart Of The Day: "It's Not About Earnings" Edition





During the month of October, three things happened that destroy any credibility that 'believers' had about the stock 'market' being an efficient discounter of fundamental earnings. Stocks began the month weak on geopolitical fears, concerns about the end of QE, and falling earnings; then Bullard unleashed his "but but but we might do QE4" words and stocks exploded higher. But a funny third thing happened as this malarkey occurred... analysts kept on slashing EPS estimates - in fact they slashed them by more than double the average EPS downgrade of any quarter in the last 10 years... So, if earnings are the mother's milk of the market, central bank promises are the Human Growth Hormone, EPO, Steroid cycle of all-time highs.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

ISIS May Be Weaponizing Ebola, Spanish Government Warns





In a somewhat stunning announcement, Spain’s State Secretary for Security, Francisco Martinez, said in an address to the parliament, that extremists connected to the Islamic State (the terrorist organization formerly known as ISIS) have been considering using Ebola as a weapon against the West. As RT reports, Martinez notes a close eye is being kept on online chat rooms, where such attacks are reportedly discussed among jihadist groups where “The use of Ebola as a poisonous weapon against the United States” was the topic of conversation. So far US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson denied these allegations citing "no specific credible intelligence."

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Did QE Work?





Spoiler Alert: No!

 

Tyler Durden's picture

The WSJ’s Pathetic Sunnyside Journalism - Retracts Its Own GDP Narrative





Before: "The U.S. economy expanded steadily again during the third quarter, a sign of sustained growth fueled by American consumers and businesses despite mounting concerns about the health of overseas economies."

After: "The U.S. economy expanded at a healthy pace during the third quarter, a sign of sustained growth fueled by government spending and a narrower trade deficit despite mounting concerns about the health of overseas economies."

While the last clause in that sentence maintains the sunshine optimism, it is hardly the same interpretation, is it?

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Canada Suspends Visa Applications From Ebola-Affected Nations





While the Obama administration continues its schizophrenic approach in countering the threat of Ebola spreading on US soil, on one hand demanding that states eliminate mandatory quarantines of citizens in their Ebola response protocol since a ban on travel from west Africa is considered out of the question, while on the other the Pentagon just approved a mandatory 3 week "isolation" of troops returning from Ebola missions, yesterday Canada announced a far more practical solution: America's northern neighbor said it was suspending visa applications for residents of Ebola-hit nations in a bid to prevent the deadly virus from crossing its borders.

 

Tyler Durden's picture

Artist's Impression Of The Morning After Halloween At The White House





Presented with no comment...

 

Bruno de Landevoisin's picture

And, so it begins..............





The Doomsday Machine has been unleashed in Tokyo...........

 

Tyler Durden's picture

1000s Of Veterans Busted For Massive Benefits Fraud





When work is punished and grift is not, is it any surprise that, as The Washington Times reports, nearly 60,000 triple dipping Veterans picked up $3.5 billion in benefits (collecting their military retirement pay; and disability benefits from both the Veterans Administration and Social Security too). The arrangement is legal, but since everyone else is abusing the system, from crony banks to deadbeat dads to squatting slummers, it was only a matter of time before even veterans decided to dip, then dip again and dip some more. Sen. Tom Coburn, noted it was "hard to understand," but perhaps the hardest thing to understand is why it took veterans so long to realize we live in a world without consequences.

 
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