Archive - Oct 2009 - Blog entry

The banks are no longer making home equity loans. Therefore people aren't building an addition or making big improvements. The impact on the small contractors has been big. The impact to the illegal workers has been bigger. One story.

Germany is the biggest test for Keynesian stimulation versus a hands off approach. The German election clinches their turn away from fiscal stimulus. Germany has done the least Keynesian spending gimmicks of any major economy and the new financial team headed by incoming Minister of Finance, Hermann Otto Solms will turn to free market friendly policies. You won't believe what they have to say about economics and their economy. I predict they will recover from the re/depression long before the U.S.

Zero Hedge has been accused of discussing "conspiracy theories".

Okay . . . but what does that mean?

A round-up of arguments for looking at gold as a reasonable investment, including: 1) China; 2) declining production; 3) inflation; 4) deflation; 5) global short-term interest rates; 6) uncertainty and distrust in government; and 7) flight to safety.

A year after the financial disaster of 2008, the search is on for investing’s winners and for its casualties. There are surprisingly few of either.

Why do economists keep getting it wrong? How can we ever trust what they say again after their miserable performance before the crash? They see what they want to see. Sheep. If we've learned anything it's to ignore mainstream economists. Listen to the outliers because the mainstream never gets it right. Here's today's data brought to you by an outlier. Remember to be skeptical.

Sulfuric acid is a backbone commodity for the economy. If you think the Vol. on oil is high take a look at the price action for this stuff. What's next is the big question. The current price is at a five year low. Looking at history it could be 300% higher in a year.

You stare down into the solid gold basin in the second floor executive washroom on C Street, chuckling lowly to yourself. The memory of the impertinent Congressman asking the location of the Fed’s gold—your gold—fades. You catch a glimpse of your perfectly coiffed beard and immediately sober, then smile wryly at your reflection.

The shorts are feeding again at the S&P trough, feeling confident. Let them be confident.