A Congressional report claims millions of gallons of known carcinogens were injected into wells as part of the process to withdraw natural gas from shale deposits. It's the latest health concern over hydrofracking, which has tapped untold reserves of gas, but threatens contamination of water supplies. [View news story]
Having lived in upstate NY, I know the difficulty and expense of drilling a well for fresh water. Sorry, wyostocks, but the poisoning of one's well may not be financially burdensome to the gas driller, it can be devastating to the home owner. Injecting chemicals into the ground and having a detrimental effect is a no brainer when it comes to drinking water. Think the early days of chip-making in silicone valley, all wells lost due to contamination from heavy metals.
Rising oil prices can't kill the retail rally, Stuart Frankel's Steve Grasso says; shorting retailers because of crude gains "has proved to be the worst bet you could have made." Retail's up around 52-week highs (XRT +1.1%, RTH +0.4%) after most of this morning's same-store reports beat expectations, and Grasso expects more of the same through April and May. [View news story]
Slow down the expected growth. One has to remember that gas prices are not at an all time high, and mpg are higher than they were a few years ago. With each energy "crisis", the effect on our economy lessens due to conservation.
Japanese Equities: The Buy of the Decade! [View article]
In the 1920s, a massive earthquake leveled Toykyo killing over 100,000 people. Less than 15 years later, their war machine was able to almost destroy the US naval fleet. Just a historical perspective. I know, these are different times, but....
The Truth About the U.S. Housing Market [View article]
I have to agree that over-regulation may have indeed decreased the supply-side of the equation. Does that mean no regulation, or smart regulation, such as the preservation of farm land? And I wonder about places like NYC and San Francisco, where the only place to build is up.
Have to agree with you there, Tack. When builders construct ten condos for every flip-it investor, but don't do the math when figuring out how many actual dwellers there are, housing can't come roaring back with a huge excess inventory.
The One Economic Chart That Really Matters [View article]
Right. We actually have more personal liberties now than we did after world war two. Think of the cold war, think of black listing. Think of Richard Nixon and his list. Anyone hounded my the government now just has to turn to the net and bloggers - people scream bloody murder. Oh, you are right to a point about most citizens living on farms during the depression, but the great dust bowl also occurred at that time. Poor soil management helped destroy millions of acres of farmland and destroyed many family farms.
Lack of volume is no surprise - there is still a lot of fear out there. Too many problems need to be resolved, and they are all big problems with no quick fix. Charts are helpful and maybe insightful, but it is human psycology that will drive the market in one direction or the other.
I've looked at hundreds of job applications. A lot of people seem to get bored at working in just one position for any length of time. There is a LOT of turnover out there. Warehouse work has a lot of turnover. Some guys quit, some had a pet peeve with the ownership, some are just incapable of holding a job. When I get lucky, I find a 50 year old who worked somewhere for 30 years and his place of emplyment closed down on him. And I agree with Jeff - I hire because I need someone. No regs or taxes keep me from hiring someone when I need them.
Retirement's 4% Rule: Why Mr. & Mrs. Income Don't Need It (Part 2) [View article]
And having observed my aging parents and my wife's, spending goes down the last decade of life. Both sets of parents ate less, traveled in their car less, bought fewer clothes, and never saw the sense in buying an appliance that would outlast them by double. In fact, I have no idea what my parents spend their money on.
Retirement's 4% Rule: Why Mr. & Mrs. Income Don't Need It (Part 1) [View article]
A Congressional report claims millions of gallons of known carcinogens were injected into wells as part of the process to withdraw natural gas from shale deposits. It's the latest health concern over hydrofracking, which has tapped untold reserves of gas, but threatens contamination of water supplies. [View news story]
Rising oil prices can't kill the retail rally, Stuart Frankel's Steve Grasso says; shorting retailers because of crude gains "has proved to be the worst bet you could have made." Retail's up around 52-week highs (XRT +1.1%, RTH +0.4%) after most of this morning's same-store reports beat expectations, and Grasso expects more of the same through April and May. [View news story]
Japanese Equities: The Buy of the Decade! [View article]
Just a historical perspective. I know, these are different times, but....
The Truth About the U.S. Housing Market [View article]
Few could have anticipated that Ben Bernanke would (apparently) reverse an economy rapidly spiralling out of control, and still get so little credit. [View news story]
Election Results: Big Win for GOP, Potential Loss for the Economy [View article]
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The Fireworks Are About to Start [View article]
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February Nonfarm Payrolls: +236K vs. consensus +160K, 119K previous (revised from +157K). Unemployment rate 7.7% vs. consensus 7.9%, 7.9% previous. [View news story]
Aug ADP Jobs Report: +201K vs. +149K consensus, 163K prior. [View news story]
Rally Not Confirmed By Volume [View article]
Understanding The Jobs Debate [View article]
And I agree with Jeff - I hire because I need someone. No regs or taxes keep me from hiring someone when I need them.
Retirement's 4% Rule: Why Mr. & Mrs. Income Don't Need It (Part 2) [View article]