The winds of change could blow this week as a number of “unexplainable events” roll into view.
Since I like to have a mental Kanban board active to reduce thinking-time to most useful topics, the board names are obvious, but the list items may not be.
“A Kanban board is a visual project management tool that helps teams visualize their workflow, limit the amount of work in progress (WIP), and maximize efficiency by dividing tasks into columns representing different stages of a process, allowing for easy tracking of progress as tasks move through each stage; the word “Kanban” itself translates to “signboard” or “visual card” in Japanese.”
As you may know from my mentions, I like a simple board to run my life. All my projects go into a board (from brisqi.com) and in that setting, priorities are set and life “gets organized.” The same “management tool” is also a great template for approaching current affairs. FWIW.
Here’s what we see “on boards” this week and possible economic ramifications.
Winds of Change, II
“News stories” are seldom “one day wonders” in the modern world. Many stories are “Kanban-like” in nature because they have a beginning (think history), a middle (day point of action), and an “ending”. Until, of course, the story resurfaces again in a kind of “news astrology.
Sidebar: An example of “news cycling” can be seen in the abortion rights story which has been intruding into my quiet enjoyment of a low-stress life for 60+ years. I’d first run across the story in Time Magazine around age 12. When it “gets on the board” to be replayed, the same “issue history” is repeated, the “day/point of action” may be different (TDS driven anti-Trump most recently), and then an “ending” which will be played out in a new Congress in 2025 and beyond. As the cyclicity of issues comes into focus. Point? Abortion is a reasonably clear example of story cycling in a long-term political context.
You can get a sense of how the “issues cycling” is tied to “people cycling” in stories that make large statements that may not tell the whole story. This morning we noticed Ex-FBI officials worry that Kash Patel as director may wield unlimited power. Please note, the story says (plural used) “officials” having concern, but only one was quoted that I caught in a quick read. And that one worked on the Robert Muller team and in the record seems to have given money to democrats.
Moreover the article appeared in The Guardian which Media Bias Fact Check characterizes as “These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes) to favor liberal causes.”
Not that there is anything wrong or bad here. It’s just that so much of “news” is opinion anymore. The source is entitled to his opinion, of course, but the story attempts to make it more.
We think it’s important to Kanban track this kind of thing since the story (look surprised here) comes at a time when “Democrats recalibrate their resistance to Trump.” Going into next month there are warnings that democrats may look “weak” if they boycott the inauguration: House Democrats slammed for ‘absurd’ vow to skip Trump’s inauguration. While other formerly more “friendly” media carry stories like Los Angeles County Shows Why Democrats Lost – Mother Jones. Yes, demorats are the party of the new Elites, we’ll posit, supported by the change-up in the father Soros transitioning power to his son.
Who, we note, seems to be linked (in Huma Abedin prepping for engagement party for budding nuptials to Alex Soros) to the Hildebeast clan. The generations change, but not “the stories.” And I think that’s the point.
Stories today like Twitter’s Traffic Falling Relative to Bluesky glosses over the fact that even with losses of traffic (elections are over, what would you expect?) there is scant mention of Bluesky being one-sixth as popular on an apples to apples basis.
Facts – the numerical sort – representing measurements that may be compared over time – are easy to gloss over. As we see it, Bluesky should continue to grow, but at a declining rate, just as Kamala ran out of left-kluged voters, so too will left leaning social media likely run out of traffic sources, as well.
The game of divide and monetize, though…is still game on!
With this as the table setting, let’s see where the winds can blow this week.
Beware the Political Fed
We have warned previously that people with higher mental acuity (like you) need to see that the world of Finance has been mostly taken over by liars.
After reassuring the country (and investors) repeatedly that the Fed was looking for firm evidence that core inflation had dropped under the 2 percent threshold, when push came to politics, they lowered rate too much, too early, and thus proved to our satisfaction that they must be liars OR very political. You don’t lead and then change direction.
The Fed meeting beginning tomorrow (rate announcement Wednesday) will help us refine our view on the liars/politicians issue.
If Political, it would not be off the table for the Fed to do a surprise preemptive rate hike. It would only take a few basis points to blow up the Trump rally and turn markets into a steamy mass of cow poo prior to the election.
On the other hand, couched in phrases like “a short pause in rate decreases” then even (outright) liars might be too strong a label. “Financially inept controlling interventionists” might be closer to the mark.
Remember, the US Department of Labor database showed 355-thousand fewer people working in November. Yet the (politicized) BLS headlines talked (in a very Stalinesque war) about how “jobs were added” for the month.
As the political bullshit continues, the cycle rolls along.
Options Week
With all these potential pivot points ahead, we could see the Fed taking a pass on lowering rates anymore. After all, the latest CPI data was still 3.3 percent year-on-year. Which is how far from the ballyhooed 2 percent target? Yet here’s the pre-story pack: Fed Set to Cut Interest Rates This Week. But Experts Say Next Year Brings Uncertainty – CNET
We already see the long-term “legs out from under MAGA” in Markets Expect A December Fed Rate Cut, But Future Policy Is Uncertain. But the (poker) tell in all this won’t be the pre-stories, but the size of tomorrow’s rally into the hyped announcement. And the Big Reveal Wednesday when it is decided.
UAP Hysteria
Maybe these are just Santa’s reindeer out “free ranging the sky?” Well, OK, maybe not, then. 5 Unexplained UAP Sightings Reported by US Military Pilots.
But the click-based sites are having a great time of it: Wild online conspiracy theories suggest mystery drones are part of Project Blue Beam plot to control skies. We would offer the colleague advice that “It’s only a conspiracy theory until it’s true.” And how many times has government lied about things? I’ve lost count.
Meanwhile, our Founding Axiom of UrbanSurvival and Peoplenomics.com has been proven right again. Memory fail? Everything’s a Business Model. Even UAPs now as evidenced at Forget your camera phone — I’m using these gadgets to get clear images of these New Jersey drone sightings | Tom’s Guide.
Elaine and I re-watched the very thoughtful Danny Sheehan interview on YouTube again last night: pick it up from about the 1:40 mark because Sheehan makes a very interesting case that we are on a collision course between the National Security State (dating back to George H.W. Bush) and an off-world number of civilizations that might intervene on Earth to void a nuclear holocaust.
The reason that this MAY make sense is because of the utterly desperate of the neocons to gaslight Russia into first use of a nuke so that we would respond in kind, so that Israel could have an excuse to use nukes on Iran.
In other words, a kind of “foot-race” between neocon/war-mongers and the War Party to cling to power because if Off worlder’s intervene there will be a HUGE DISRUPTION on Earth. And lots of Elites will be head-rolled as the off planet sorts impose total disclosure. Which is why the term “catastrophic disclosure” is being bandied about.
This is NOT to say Sheehan is right (though he might be). But remember, he’s a Jesuit by his own account and Churches are all/largely based on an Off World authority over human behavior.
This framework would “solve” the “why the rush to War with nukes before Trump takes the Oval J20th.” But, it also creates problems, especially for upper income people and the planned obsolescence crowd that laid the seeds for resource depletion. Which is what my book “The 100-year toaster” is about.
Whew. Much to noodle.
Data Point Updates
Hype versus Reality. Hype first: ABC News agrees to contribute $15 million to Trump presidential foundation to settle defamation suit. While the Reality is: George Stephanopoulos doesn’t mention ABC News settlement with Trump’s defamation lawsuit on his Sunday show.
Trump embracing made-up resource-squandering money? Bitcoin price hits new all-time high after Trump confirms BTC federal reserve plan. He’s a developer by background, what can I say.
With Ukraine food production in freefall, what’s next? Environmentalists Warn Of Disaster As Russian Officials Race To Grounded Tankers In Kerch Strait.
Things to Chew on: Dietary adjustments may help control prostate cancer in men undergoing active surveillance and Best breakfast foods to help lower blood pressure.
At the Ranch: The Hydroponic Workstation
Elaine’s youngest son was by over the weekend. Since I love to entertain (which means cooking) we had a perfect prime rib Saturday afternoon. Then Sunday I did chicken Cordon ‘Bleu in the air fryer. But probably the best part was going into the music studio and harvesting the salad fixings from the hydroponic workstation I wrote up on ShopTalk a couple of months back:
Just dandy! Some blue (bleau) cheese dressing, a good toss of bacon bits, and the ideal chicken with ham and Swiss inside…yep, dandy meal.
Also gave me a chance to pass along my “secret” crusting for the chicken: I take a box of StoveTop stuffing, mash well with a rolling pin, toss in two table spoons of flower and a good teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper?
OMG – delish!
Santa?
Elaine’s new super-fast monitor (1-ms) curved monitor and the new mini computer work fine, so Santa’s job is half done.
I solved my buddy (The Major’s) WiFi issue: diagnosing a bad router wall wart in 3-minutes after he wasted 3-hours on hold for official tech support. (Wall warts tend to fail in the 4-10 year timeframe.)
Still don’t have anything on my List year. Maybe four dozen 2-by-4s for construction around here. Sadly, though, we don’t have a chimney and I don’t want the FoF (fat old f_) cutting a hole in the roof decking, right?
Don’t need another ham radio.
The only thing left on my list is a big Sack of Time. But even this is a misunderstood relisting. Last go round, Santa brought me a back of kitchen seasoning.
There’s a reason I’ve added reindeer hunting to my retirement bucket list. No cookies for the FoF this year. A pack of hearing aid batteries? Maybe…
ShopTalk Sunday is here if you missed it.
Write when I loose weight,
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