micrOdOts.org / ramblings [of the ABsurd]

When I discuss the stock market with my folks and their money, it's really a two sided question: First, do you believe the bottom in March 2009 spawned a new bull market for investors, and regardless of down side corrections, you would expect ...

I was recently reminded of the old argument about Say's Law, and that reminded me that it was Keynes who twisted Say's theories around to create the ridiculous argument that supply created its own demand, which I say is a load of crap ...

In the simplest of terms, every closed system will ultimately degrade toward a state of maximum entropy. I'll use the current political system of the U.S. as a convenient example.

Productive, private-sector jobs - the lifeblood of a sound economy - are under assault by politicians in the United States and Western Europe, who have unwittingly taken a number of steps that make future job losses a foregone conclusion.

Everywhere you look ... gold is definitely in "fashion." As for why, one word comes to mind: safe-haven. See, according to the mainstream financial experts, the more unstable the global economy, the greater the appeal for the precious metal.

One of the frustrating aspects about this market environment is that all assets look like the same trade. Betting on equities is a bet against bonds or vice a versa, betting on bonds is a bet against equities. It is that simple.

The March British Pound is extending its weakness from Monday after Fitch Ratings issued a cautious outlook for the U.K. economy. Besides the possibility of a credit rating cut by the credit reporting agencies, bearish traders are citing ...

One of the hallmarks of a vibrant economy is that it is boosted by a consumer who has access to credit, expanding employment opportunities and real (adjusted for inflation) income growth. None of those conditions currently exists.

Home grown credit risks look to come back home to roost. I am actually shocked the following development didn't get more traction in the mains stream media. The recent announcement by the Chinese finance ministry to nullify all ...

The true explanation can always be found in the money supply statistics, yet other factors will invariably be blamed. This was certainly the case with regard to the great "inflation" of the 1970s. According to many pundits, the troublesome broad-based ...

The Greeks are learning the tough consequences of worshiping a false god. For years they sought the blessing of Keynesianism, only now to find it comes with a price. Keynes introduced the notion of government debt as salvation ...

Wainwright recently published an interview with Toronto mutual fund owner Nick Barisheff about using ETFs such as GLD or SLV to invest in precious metals. Mr. Barisheff questioned whether such ETFs provide the investor with ownership ...

To add insult to injury after increasing the money supply, the Feds then lend billions of dollars to bank all of which played a huge part in making a bad situation even worse. The Feds inflate the money supply and then freely give this money out to ...

The best way to understand how far the U.S. has drifted from its original design is to listen to Ron Paul. He sounds like Thomas Jefferson would if he were around, which makes him a flake and a radical to most of today's Republicans ...

Although USD Libor (0.25%) stands below its EUR counterpart (0.59%), it fared more positively over the last 3 months as it remained near 0.25% since November. That is in contrast to EUR Libor, which fell 15% from its November highs of 0.68%.

The U.S. Dollar was up sharply against all major currencies as investors flocked to safer assets following a poor housing report and concerns about Greece's ability to shore up its budget deficit. More the most part, it was a quiet trade on ...

It's a battle between the bull and the bear - fear and greed - inflation and deflation - in the stock market. Of course when it comes to this sentiment the same can be said about all markets, which is what makes them markets in the end ...

There are several commentators on the web that I read consistently, and John Hussman of Hussman Funds is one of them. I always take great comfort when my analysis rhymes with his because like myself I know he does his homework too.

If the federal government really wants to increase compliance with the census, it should abide by the Constitution and limit its inquiry to one simple question: How many people live here?

This past fall, the Kohn Put was announced. Maybe because he was speaking to the choir - at a Federal Reserve conference - he explicitly stated the Fed's grand plan. "[R]ecently the improvement, in risk appetites and financial conditions ...