At the Ranch – Reader Note: You may get an “odd response” from this website while I am doing the final round of tuning before we go behind a paywall Feb. 14, of next year. Our present web tuning is designed to speed up the site, but while the ads are gone, so are a few minor features, like being able to turn on the Dark Theme. This is so I can track down some unwanted script overhead slowing down the works. The feature may come back – but for now, not happy with performance and we do respect your time available to spend on line, such that focusing on less “dead time” during page loads and the like is our goal.
The reality of an ad supported website (like Urban) is that when you get ads to pay for overhead, there’s a lot of “digital dirt” attached in terms of script overhead to serve people the “right ads.” This puts a simple-minded old man (played by me) in the awkward position of having to make continuous judgments of whether to favor revenue (Everything’s a Business Model) or the page loading speed and reduced level of clutter.
Going behind a paywall is our plan – when I turn 76 (in a couple of month) I want to focus purely on the “joy of writing” as opposed to the “work of computing” which I’ve been involved in since 1982. Paywalls are simple business relationships. Ads, much less so. And we’ve come to value confidentiality and simplicity a lot in recent years.
Data Day Today
A week out from the “American PsyOp” (election) we have a few important data hurdles to jump. The change point for trading could be the Housing report which we’ll post separately when I get the press release email from Case-Shiller/S&P. Or, at 10 AM today, the Labor JOLTS report will fly out. This one is the foreshadowing event ahead of the ADP (and GDP) reports tomorrow, the Challenger job cuts report (and UI filings) Thursday. And the whole Festival of Numbers wraps Friday. Then we get into the window Sunday that various seers and prognosticators have been red-flagging. So, an interesting time to be “web tuning”.
For starters, first out of the gate is the International Trade report from Census. Which has been a (politically?) very noisy data series. With lots of reports that trade is good and revised as bad to consider. It’s also a time to remember that we have December 7th ahead in astrology when there’s fear that China could begin to throttle U.S. exports (and exert influence in a military way in the Pacific) and that will come “too late to change” the (Psy-Op) outcome is voters get it wrong. Of that much we can almost be sure.
With that, here’s the report card on Imports and Retail Inventories.
“The advance international trade deficit in goods increased to $108.2 billion in September from $94.2 billion in August as exports decreased and imports increased.”
[Editor inserts picture of trade train wreck hole being dug deeper:]
Back at the dime-store MBA school, they never mentioned about using the degree mark to denote billions of dollars. Hmm…too late for a tuition refund or is a DEI hire doing proofing at Census? After the numbers Dow futures dropped 150 and the S&P down 10-ish.
This is a small enough (economic nit) that it’s unlikely to influence the campaigns. Housing – only if it’s a 24 kt train wreck – and that’s unlikely because inflation is good for fixed assets.
About that Psy-Op (Election)
Our retired fellow of the oak leaves who offers ideas to improve understanding of things in general (“warhammer“) has some poignant thoughts on what happens over the next week – and beyond:
“You’ve discussed at great length the certainty of our nation implementing a domestic psychological operations (PsyOps) program on the general population. Like it or not, we are smack dab in the middle of a full fledged domestic PsyOps engagement.
It’s called an election, a highly volatile presidential campaign. How can one party win out over on another? The winning side deploys the best propaganda, the best PysOps. PsyOps and politics seem to resonate with basic human nature. They go hand-in-hand.
PsyOps deploys strong negative emotion to achieve an objective. Emotion is one of the most powerful tools available to politicians. The faction holding power wants to have positive emotion generated for their platform, party or cause and negative emotion, specifically fear and anger, against the policies and platforms of their opponent(s).
Why fixate on the negative, one might ask? Negative emotion, particularly anger, enables a unique psychological superpower in the everyday common (wo)man. “Anger lowers risk perceptions by increasing perceived control and strength, reduces information seeking and processing, and mobilizes adventurous political action to preserve a threatened worldview.” See: Negative emotions and political engagement.
In other words, anger is a basic human psychological response to one’s world view being threatened. The penultimate message? “If you are with us, us = good. Them = bad!”
‘Merica and allied nations of the world are witnessing the liberal, progressive powers that be putting on a proverbial ‘full court press’ of negative emotions against Trump and, by association, the GOP. Mainstream media news factions such as ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, MSNBC are all-in on Kamala as are Politico, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and lately the former conservative Drudge Report on the web side. All are thumping Trump at every turn. Then we have career political hacks from former presidential administrations voicing their opposition to ‘The Don.’ So what gives?
The political hacks barking against Trump, especially those who’ve served in past GOP administrations, know to a person that Trump, should he win the day, will not include them in his expected presidential staff. In turn, they hold great personal animosity to this usurper (Trump had never held political office ‘until’ his election in 2016. He is a classic political outlier.) Trump violates their world view. In turn, Trump is more dangerous than the opposing political party. And ‘Mericans must fear the enemy. Message? Fear Trump! Classic PysOps.
It will be interesting to see how history records this election and what eventually flows out of it. I am reminded of these words by one much wiser than I:
“History can be well written only in a free country.” ~Voltaire
How silly has it gotten? Let’s see how you’d score these moves:
Bezos’ clear thinking is admirable.
Side of War with that PsyOp?
Coming for your phones and electronic life in general? China Conducts EMP Tests With Concerning Results – Armed Forces Press
Which come coincident to China pressing U.S. to alter language on Taiwan after request from Xi to Biden.
Well, oh yeah? Take this… Biden to stop U.S. citizens from helping China’s AI sector find talent | Fortune Asia
Over in the Ukraine war, we wonder how much escalation Ukraine will ultimately be able to afford as At Reykjavik summit, Zelenskyy called for equipping AFU brigades, investing more in weapons production.
And the wait is on to see what Iran’s next attack will be, Wrong-Way-Bernie timing is impeckerble. Because as Sanders: Harris presidency would alter US policy on Israel-Gaza conflict, comes at the same time Jabalya encircled: IDF claims hundreds of Hamas operatives surrendered. Timing, Bernie, timing.
Actual News?
Are you kidding?
A health note (and at least wash your hands!): Are you still touching receipts? DO NOT EVER TOUCH RECEIPTS. We have been covering this for upward of 20-years now and still the Fooled and Drugged Administration (captured regulator central) can limit NMN sales but not poison in your pocket? Get outta here!
Recovery not of FEMA: Appalachian Liberty on X: “A group of coal miners from West Virginia have finished building a road from Big Chimney in under a week. A road that North Carolina Government Officials said would take several months to a year for them to do. Giod I love Americans who kick ass stories.
Out to lunch or out of lunch? Popular restaurant chain abruptly closes almost 50 locations in a week as bankruptcy rumors swirl.
And if you’re pissed about the high cost of boat moorage fees, pay attention as the Location of ‘Noah’s Ark’ is revealed as scientists decipher world’s oldest map on 3,000-year-old Babylonian tablet. No word about parking or moorage rates.
Back in a few with Housing Data…
Write when you get rich,
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