Steve Hughes

Jobs Data Divergence: Who to Believe?

Its too bad that what the BLS is doing month after month with the employment numbers. distortions, omissions, falsifications; all these should be a federal crime.

High Gold Prices: It's the Oil, Stupid

Genesis blurted: "...."Three barrels of crude will produce two barrels of unleaded gasoline, and one barrel of heating oil."

That depends greatly upon WHAT crude you are talking about. WTI or Brent may have the properties which breakdown as you suggest. However, other crude oils of the world have different properties which might yield more heavy products like asphalt and tar (Eastern Venezuela), or high sulphur crudes which may yield Sulphuric Acid and yet others might yield other hydrocarbon products like plastics, waxes, greases, lubricating oils, kerosene.

Guidelines for job related and other postings

This info is on the "OTHER" website; not SA. Go over there under Hedge Funds and look at jobs, 1st posting.

How China Helps the Canadian and Australian Dollar

Brazil will still have a goodly share of the iron ore going to Chindia. For the simple reason that their labor costs are considerably lower (at this time) than ozzie union miners get. The longer shipping trip to the Far East is not much of an overhead difference either.

Political Incompetence Could Drive Up the Price of Oil

Venezuela is an interesting situation; I mean petro resourcewise, not politically. They are currently in a decline as their aging fields run out. Since they ran the US and EU bigs off, they have some new deals in the works with China. However, it isn't clear if China is simply going to buy crude or joint venture with VZ in E&P. The Orinoco Delta sure looks juicy.

Mission Accomplished: Time to Sell

mikesa69,

Oh, I don't doubt that this runup will not last. I am trying to make up some of the loss we each suffered over the last 9 months. As long as I keep tight stops, I think I'll come out to the good this time.

Monetizing the Debt: Explanation For Non-Economists, Bankers and Other Laymen

Thank you, both "prudents" for the straight facts, dissection of what is taking place in the financial towers of government, and for the scathing appraisal of those charlatans pulling the strings.

Loss of Manufacturing Jobs Prevents Normal Recovery

Steve: I have 2 Q's

What % of manufacturing cost is labor?

What % of manufacturing labor is unionized?

I suspect that I know what these answers will reveal: that as long as labor, particularly union labor, is a disproportionate % of manufacturing cost, we will continue to see the manufacturing industries flight to offshore locations where a cheaper workforce will do the work.

It's not rocket science here. If one who formerly profited handsomely from high unskilled labor wages doesn't like the new norm, then they might consider spending some of their "squirrelled-away-nuts" on some re-education. Sounds fair to me.

Do You Believe Borrowing Leads to Prosperity? (Part 2)

Mr Quinn,

This needed to be said load and clear. Many thanks for saying it.

The Case for Getting Short

Trotsky +10

Selectively Sell in May and Kind of Go Away

I disagree.. stimulus spending was not near enough to fix structural problems in the economy; the lack of effects will become apparent by this fall.

Money spent on green investment is an utter waste!

Better to put some $ into basic materials and selected emerging markets. Both will outperform US economy far and away.

Putting the Rally in Perspective

The point is that one has to be in this market, regardless of whether this is a Bear Rally, or a new Bull starting. You can't sit on the sidelines forever.

Take some long positions, set some stops and watch what happens. You can't get hurt bad; but you sure will miss recovering some of last years losses if you don't get in now. HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES??

A Particularly Bad Time for a Pandemic

"never let a good crisis pass without striking a low blow"

Homer II, no?

As More Homes Fall Underwater, Trapped Americans Cannot Migrate

Nice piece Mark.

It hit home for me when you said, "..I cannot tell you how often in the local paper I have read over the past few years how families have had to split apart so one spouse can work in another state while the other is trapped in home OR people move to another state... rent there.."

That was me once upon a time, 18 years ago, job loss forced me to move interstate for the best available job. I spent 4 years "out there" while my family stayed put in our home, and I lived in a 600' pillbox apt. I traveled home as frequently as finances allowed, but staying employed, getting much needed skillset upgrades was so much more important. I simply counted my blessings and made the best of an unpleasant situation.

Today, I live in the original home with the original family, and reflect upon those times with pride that I did what I had to do. I am surely the better for the experience.

$200 Oil Is Coming While We Waste a Perfectly Good Crisis (Part 3)

Nice piece. Mr Quinn presented all the relevant facts and stressed the obvious path that the US must take to wean itself about six-fold from their excessive consumption habits. In an effort to cut our fuel use, we must all begin car-pooling, riding public transportation, by using bicycles, rollerblades, run, jog, walk, tele-commuting, moving closer to work and shopping, and otherwise, downsize our lives to cope in a world with far less hydrocarbons. If the Europeans, Asians do it, so can we.