Hate to Ruin the Good Time
I hate to ruin the good time everyone is having as of late, but the world is getting scary. I am not going to debate whether the economy is "good" or "bad" as it matters little at this point. Minds have been made up that devouring assets all of kinds is necessary at any price and the voracious appetite of speculation must be fed constantly so the fire does not go out. While seeing prices of stuff go parabolic is good if you own them (and hope to sell them to someone else) one should not totally be blind to what such behavior results in. I know every person in the world will "get out" at exactly the right moment. Certainly every blogger and financial writer will be out at the top and tell us all 6 months later. Count on it.
Today on Wikipedia (yes I know I have a problem!) I was reading about "The Dust Bowl". You can check it out at the link, but it was the pictures that jumped out at me and made me want to write this section. First, the pictures:
From Wiki:
The phenomenon was caused by severe drought coupled with decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops or other techniques to prevent erosion. Deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains had displaced the natural deep-rooted grasses that normally kept the soil in place and trapped moisture even during periods of drought and high winds.
I think that the gorging on stocks since the later 1990's into the Tech bust, followed by a renewed orgy of speculative fervor in the mid to later 2000's and now the unabashed gluttony of equity moonshots have damaged the underlying structure of the system. 3 bubbles in about 10 years (give or take) have stripped the business cycle of any power to allocate capital; now it is either ALL allocated or not at all with no regard to anything other than the action of motion.
In this sense the roots of the system are now gone. I get the feeling that as speculative fervor runs rampant (like locusts) devouring anything and everything it can, an economic Dust Bowl will be the result. Just a thought. Now go buy stocks!
Note: Readers may wonder why I write this as I have been trading stocks this year and that is 100% fair. Long time readers know where I stand on the macro level (remember macro?) and I would hope people understand the reasons why I have been a bit active in markets.
Rattling a Silver Bull
As a long time lover of silver, today has me unsettled and maybe a touch worried. How is this for a triple goocher:
-Margin requirement hike (to 50%)
-Options Expiration
-Gold not really moving while silver rolls
All three? In 10 years of watching silver I have seen one of these at times but not all three at once. We are in no man's land.
Friday Night Entertainment
Lifting spirits since 2007.
Real Science
In a classic science experiment, a hot lady wears a small camera on her behind to answer the question "Do men stare at women's butts?" The results are stunning I tell you (via Geekologie):
Best ones are when the guys are staring and their girlfriends are like "What's your problem!". Good stuff.
Bizarre
Had to be done, this is out there:
see more Very Demotivational
???
Film Clips
Nobody seems to like "Did You Know" so a shorter post tonight.
A "new classic" is "Road to Perdition". In a film with so many moving scenes, it is hard to pick one. From last weeks contest (which no one entered, you could have an ounce of silver right by now) here is 'I'm glad it's you':
Cannot be beat.
Maybe you have not seen "Capricorn One" but you should:
It's OJ!
Rock Blogging
Music for the masses.
Reader Gawains wanted to hear David Essex and "Rock On" and I do love the tune:
I think YouTube should be valued at over 200 Billion (beat ya Mr. Drogen) as the wonders never cease. How about some live Tears for Fears doing "Shout" live in 2006!:
I like it.
A kind of newer tune that I like is "Push" by Matchbox 20:
Great live performance of "Zombie" by The Cranberries:
Haunting.
Two songs left. First, intermission!
In response to Mark's Stag-E Coach idea and wagon wheels, I submit this:
That is soooooo old school you don't even know!
Ok, back to the last tunes.
Sick as all get out! In case Downtown Josh Brown stops by anymore, this is for you man! Live rock out show with Public Enemy and Anthrax doing "Bring the Noise":
That was so great I just don't know. In case that was too loud and fast, here is the studio version.
Last call! Get a girl, a beer and whatever else gets her going on Friday night!
Gotta go with the flow and stay all live shows!
I cannot pick so you all get two to close.
Bon Jovi and "Runaway" from way back in 1984:
As well as Poison with "Fallen Angel":
I may just love this Friday post best.
....Because I do, here is a bonus! Skid Row with "18 and Life" live of course:
Wow, love it.
Have a good night.
