Relaxed On "Economy"

I've made a few posts over the last few years highlighting Google's cool "Trends" technology.  They provide the ability to chart the volume of searches and news items relating to a search word or phrase.  The chart provides a great insight into what is on the minds of the "masses".  The chart below on the word "economy" presents a few interesting conclusions.  First, it appears that we've greatly relaxed with regards to the economy.  The searches are must lower than they have been over the past few years.  The second insight is that no matter what the economy is, we care less about it during the summer.  Lulls consistently show up during the summer months. The third observation is that in most years, the economy is on our minds more in the early part of the year than the end.  A final observation is on the lower half of the chart where the news reference volume appears.  Note that at the beginning of 2008, there was a significant increase in news stories that ultimately preceeded the great contraction in the fall of that same year. 

So, does our relaxed attitude bode anything about the future??

Google Trends Search on "economy"

The Next Internet Blockage

It appears that Syria is the next to turn off the Internet.  A new ploy for "crowd control".

"Just like Egypt, Syria too is said to have made some similar moves in an attempt to stop the rebellious voices coming up. Syria too has reportedly blocked the internet on the same day as on Egypt."

Source: Topnews.com

Anger & Hope

"It all began in one small Tunisia town with one despondent man, frustrated by lack of employment who set himself on fire and in turn set the whole Arab world ablaze with anger and hope. As the dominos fall throughout the Arab and northern African world, many of us wonder what is waiting on the other side. Will the people in these countries get the freedom and hope they desire?"
Source: Africana Online

An updated N. African protest map.  The "nodes on the network" continue to connect.  It might be a good time for a re-read of Gladwell's "Tipping Point"!

Protest Map - N. Africa / Middle East

I've used my analogy of The Onion probably too much, but my "Argentina-Onion" post still ranks as my highest visited ever.  The N. African onion layers are peeling back quickly.  What's interesting, is that right across the "Mediterranean pond" there are countries such as Spain, Italy, and Portugal that are in much more financial trouble, but the power of the EU keeps them afloat.  When the outer layers of the EU onion peel back further, it will be interesting to watch.  Tunisia, Algeria, and Jordan haven't really attracted major news coverage, but Egypt sure has.  Why, because Egypt is a more important peace in the "chess game".  A U.S. ally, but a country with a long history of major conflict in the region, especially with our good friends in Israel.  Stay tuned.

China's Approach

I've made a few posts lately regarding the use of technology for the purposes of organizing protests across the Northern African countries.  Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging appears to be the method for communicating and organizing amongst these angry youth.  I thought this was interesting to see how the Chinese are proactively preparing for potential uprising.

"Even China, worried about its citizens being inspired by the uprisings, disabled searches for the word "Egypt" on some internet services, underscoring Beijing's continued concern over the Internet and its potential to access anti-government information and organize opposition to China's ruling Communist Party."
Source: LA Times

Terrorist Technology

This one has to make one chuckle.

"A "Black Widow" suicide bomber planned a terrorist attack in central Moscow on New Year's Eve but was killed when an unexpected text message set off her bomb too early, according to Russian security sources.  The unnamed woman, who is thought to be part of the same group that struck Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Monday, intended to detonate a suicide belt near Red Square on New Year's Eve in an attack that could have killed hundreds.  Security sources believe a message from her mobile phone operator wishing her a happy new year received just hours before the planned attack triggered her suicide belt, killing her at a safe house."
Source: Leader Post

Sudan's Secessation

I spoke with my "One World Order" buddy last week. He's still convinced that the "powers that be" behind the scenes are moving us to a single currency across the globe.  I still argue that in late 1999 we entered a contraction cycle where cooperation declines and treaties dissolve.  I've stated many times in the past that I believe that the European Union will be the key one to watch.  Also stated before, it will happen on different levels. Countries will pull back and we'll likely see it on the state level in the United States.  When the boat starts to take on water, we'll see who gets thrown overboard.

The most recent example of separation is occuring in Sudan. 
"While the world media zealously focus their gaze on Egypt’s political upheaval, there is another storm brewing just south of the border in Sudan. We might witness, as early as next month, the genesis of a new nation. After years of civil unrest and conflicts, the people of southern Sudan are knocking on the door of independence. It is time we welcomed the birth of a new nation, albeit with a pinch of salt.  Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who came to power by staging a military coup in 1989, leads a government of national unity that includes leaders from southern Sudan. A national unity "which has limited autonomy and which has been promised the option of full independence in a referendum in 2011,” according to the BBC. The casting of votes for this referendum is finished and 99 percent of southern Sudanese have opted for independence from the north.  According to the BBC, Sudan is the largest and most geographically diverse nation on the African continent. After the formal disassociation from the joint British-Egyptian rule in 1956, Sudan has gone through several decades of civil wars, which have resulted in 1.5 million deaths. This civil unrest between northern and southern Sudan is Africa’s longest-running civil war. The loss of human lives on this scale deserves a justifiable end."
Source: The Daily Evergreen

The Power of The Sheeple

My bubby, J, shared this one with me. Note the trucks moving in reverse. The power of the people.



This scene brings back memories.

Mega Tipping Point

Will this be mega-millionare minister/life coach Joel Osteen's tipping point to the back nine?

"Evangelist Joel Osteen, who rarely uses the condemnatory word "sin," rolls it out for homosexuality in his CNN interview with Piers Morgan that aired this week."

Source: USA Today

"Religion will become smaller, "deeper", and more traditional. The megachurch and megamillionaire ministers might have seen "the peak". Hopefully they saved all of those millions from the book deals. The trend toward more "traditional" might spark some old flames. Keep an eye out for increased religious conflict though."

Random Roving, January 1, 2010

"Ted Haggard kicked off the trend and Robert Schuller was the next major pillar to fall. When will Joel Osteen's basketball palace collapse?"

  Random Roving, January 1, 2011

"Haggard told the GQ reporter that if he were 21, he might call himself a bisexual.  But at age 54, he's not going to do that. Especially after his wife published a book called "Why I Stayed," and after he's now turned into an insurance salesman and founded his new St. James Church.  Haggard says he's set boundaries for himself and staying heterosexual and monogamous with his wife Gayle."

Source: KDVR Fox News

Dilbert Investing Tips

This from Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert.  It's a great chuckle.  His theory is buy stock in companies that you hate.

"If you buy stock in a despicable company, it means some of the previous owners of that company sold it to you. If the stock then rises more than the market average, you successfully screwed the previous owners of the hated company. That's exactly like justice, only better because you made a profit. Then you can sell your stocks for a gain and donate all of your earnings to good causes, such as education for your own kids. Having absorbed all of the wisdom I have presented here so far, you are naturally wondering if I have any additional investment tips. Yes, and I will put my tips in the form of a true story. Recently I bought something called an iPhone. It drops calls so often that I no longer use it for audio conversations. It's too frustrating. And unlike my old BlackBerry days, I don't send e-mail on the iPhone because the on-screen keyboard is, as far as I can tell, an elaborate practical joke. I am, however, willing to respond to incoming text messages a long as they are in the form of yes-no questions and my answer are in the affirmative. In those cases I can simply type "k," the shorthand for OK, and I have trained my friends and family to accept L, J, O, or comma as meaning the same thing.  The other day I was in the Apple Store, asking how to repair a defective Apple laptop, and decided, irrationally, that I needed to have Apple's new iPad. The smiling Apple employee said she would be willing to put me on a list so I could wait an indefinite amount of time to maybe someday have one. I instinctively put my wallet on my nose and started barking like a seal, thinking it might reduce the wait time, but they're so used to seeing that maneuver that it didn't help.  My point is that I hate Apple. I hate that I irrationally crave their products, I hate their emotional control over my entire family, I hate the time I waste trying to make iTunes work, I hate how they manipulate my desires, I hate their closed systems, I hate Steve Jobs's black turtlenecks, and I hate that they call their store employees Geniuses which, as far as I can tell, is actually true. My point is that I wish I had bought stock in Apple five years ago when I first started hating them. But I hate them more every day, which is a positive sign for investing, so I'll probably buy some shares.  Again, I remind you to ignore me."
The entire article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704025304575285000265955016.html

Handcuffing The Kids

"Currently, your child's share of the national debt is around $45,000. Come 2015, provided current trends continue, it'll be bumping up against $70,000. China will own an unnervingly large portion of that debt. If policy makers in the US are so concerned about China's human rights record and its monetary meddling, how can they possibly justify shackling their children with debt handcuffs that are, so to speak, 'Made in China'?"
Source: Joel Bowma, The Daily Reckoning

P.S. See "Passing Along The Cancer"

The Mammalian Herd

"Algerian opposition supporters clashed with police during a banned protest in the capital, Algiers, on Saturday."
Source: CBS

"Thousands of Yemenis are demonstrating in the capital Sanaa, calling on Ali Abdullah Saleh, president for more than 30 years, to step down."
Source: BBC

"Thousands of Egyptians have vented their rage against President Hosni Mubarak's autocratic government for two straight days of protests that defied a ban on public gatherings."
Source: The Jerusalem Post

"Inspired by Tunisia and Egypt, Yemenis join in anti-government protests."
Source: The Washington Post

Can one really argue that we're not just one big herd of mammals?

Protest Map - N. Africa/Middle East

You're On Your Own - Part II

 "There are no end of commentaries on the recent murders in Arizona, resulting in the usual debates. Pundits argue over whether there should be stricter gun laws, whether talk radio, the movies, or “extremism” contributed to the tragedy, and, most obtusely, what the government should do to prevent a similar incident from occurring again. What is lost is the fact that this tragedy provides yet more proof of something that has been demonstrated to Americans repeatedly over the past decade. The government cannot protect you from the harsh realities of life.  Most people are good people, most of the time. Under normal circumstances, most people would rather cooperate with their fellow human beings in order to achieve their goals rather than steal from them or kill them. However, some people, at least some of the time, do not “live and let live.” During every moment that we are alive, someone somewhere is committing a crime. Someone is experiencing hardship, whether due to their own bad judgment, laziness, or just plain bad luck. Worst of all, someone is planning to commit an act of violence. These truths are confirmed by all of human history.  What is unique about the time that we live in now is the extent to which people believe that the government can shield them from these challenges. Never has a society had such high expectations of their government to ensure their security - both personal and economic security. The early 21st century is truly a high-water mark in terms of belief in government to eliminate all risk from the game of life. Over and over, we are offered proof of how foolish this misplaced faith is."
Source: Tom Mullen (The Daily Paul)
Reading this article made me think of Hurricane Katrina and the videos of the police looting the stores with the hoodlums.

25 Years & A Billion Asians

"The United States and the enormous buying power of U.S. consumers will not be enough to drive earnings growth for big U.S. businesses in the decades ahead. The American consumer will always be important. But for the next 25 years, it's probably not going to be the engine of global growth.  It's going to be the billion people joining the middle class in Asia, it's going to be what the resource-rich countries do with their newfound wealth."

Jeffrey Immelt, CEO, GE; Newly appointed economic adviser to the President

Copycat Rebellion?

It appears that the Egyptian youth liked what they saw for the outcome in Tunisia.

"Egyptian police clashed with anti-government demonstrators as thousands took to the streets demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's decades-old rule. Officials say three people have died in the unrest. Two protesters were killed during a demonstration in Suez while a police officer in Cairo died from his injuries.  In Cairo, police fired tear gas and used water cannons Tuesday on rock-throwing demonstrators. At one point, demonstrators climbed on top of an armored police vehicle. Another protest erupted in Alexandria, where demonstrators shouted anti-Mubarak slogans. The protests - reported by foreign media to be Egypt's largest in years - began peacefully. Egyptians have been calling for political and economic reforms in protests inspired by demonstrations in Tunisia that led to the ouster of that country's president this month. The rallies are taking place despite government warnings that demonstrators could be arrested. The rallies were promoted online by groups that say they speak for young Egyptians frustrated with the kind of poverty and oppression that triggered Tunisia's unrest."
Source: Voice of America

The War On Cops

"A spate of shooting attacks on law enforcement officers has authorities concerned about a war on cops.  In just 24 hours, at least 11 officers were shot. The shootings included Sunday attacks at traffic stops in Indiana and Oregon, a Detroit police station shooting that wounded four officers, and a shootout at a Port Orchard, Wash., Wal-Mart that injured two deputies. On Monday morning, two officers were shot dead and a U.S. Marshal was wounded by a gunman in St. Petersburg, Fla. On Thursday, two Miami-Dade, Fla., detectives were killed by a murder suspect they were trying to arrest.  'It's not a fluke,' said Richard Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations. 'There's a perception among officers in the field that there’s a war on cops going on.'  With the Florida deaths, the nation is on track in 2011 to match the 162 police officers killed in the line of duty in 2010.  The 2010 toll ended a two-year drop in fatalities and spiked 43 percent over the 117 killed in 2009"
Source: MSNBC

From my most popular post of all time:
"When the bottom is at hand or already in place, the rage will be greater and more widespreead, and there will be no question what the rebellion is about."

Robert Prechter - Elliott Wave Financial Forecast - April 2009