8.6 Pct Unemployment... Not ecstatic, but happy(er)

We had a BIG and possitive move in the US Stock market this week. This Friday, the unemployment rate dropped to an amazing 8.6%. Wow!.. (See: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/business/economy/us-adds-120000-jobs-unemployment-drops-to-8-6.html?partner=rss&emc=rss)
It turns out not to be as good as it seems, though. Much of that gain comes from a reduction in the rate of participation. The percentage of the population that participate in the labor market dropped from 64.2% to 64%. The number of jobs created of 120,000 wasn't so great, and the number of people filing for unemployement wasn't so great. There were positive revisions to prior months numbers (as more and better information comes in to the government).
BUT all signs point toward improvement. So let's no complain.
The price of gas based on $100+ per barrel might start to be painful soon though.
Aiming for the blessings of Christmas, and full(er) employment

Mad Cramer of Mad Money comes up with an insain solution.

After the monday stock market crash, Cramer of Mad Money suggests that we want the stock markets of Europe and the US to get very bad, very quickly. Otherwise we will continue to get continued inaction and nonsolutions to the debt problems of Europe and the US.

See his opening silo of shots at the big federal governments of the world: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000058508

Wall Street sinks on global debt worry - Yahoo! Finance

Wall Street sinks on global debt worry - Yahoo! Finance:

And our con-gress fiddles while Rome burns.

It's not as if there aren't already a coupe workable plans out there.

'via Blog this'

The 4 Failures of the Supercommittee - Yahoo! Finance

The 4 Failures of the Supercommittee - Yahoo! Finance:

So ugly. So very ugly.

Super committee, or Super-Dumb Committee.

Both parties just love this "Russian Roulette" game where the focus is on winning elections. None of them seem to care how difficult it does for the whole of the Economy.

There's s video in there: http://finance.yahoo.com/video/cnbc-22844419/super-committee-failure-27334224.html

At least, we have an across the board cut in December. What you would want to have is smarter spending and less dumber spending. But with the game of Dumb and Dumber being the smart show in DC, that may be the best we can hope for.

Wait until we get all 70m baby boomers in full retirement mode, and then see how easy it is to cut entitlements.

We'll see what happens over the next two weeks. In the mean while the stock markets are tanking. Might be a buy opportunity in the next week or so.

There's no amount of lipstick that's gonna make this pig look any better...

And don't get me started on the dysfunctions of Europe and the PIIGS. :-(

'via Blog this'

A very scary Halloween!:-( ... 7 Billion strong ...

SustainZine Population growth: http://sustainzine.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-2011-global-population-growth.html

Attention: Deficit disorder - MIT News Office

Attention: Deficit disorder - MIT News Office

As we move into the next phase of our Deficit Debt Disorder, November is critical. What happens may make what happened this summer look like the toddlers' ride vs. Space Mountain.

This has great discussion and also have a video. Sorry the video is a little long (1:20min). But it is very informative.

Peter Diamond, Institute Professor emeritus at MIT.

What the Market Wants to See From Europe & U.S. GDP

What the Market Wants to See From Europe & U.S. GDP | Breakout - Yahoo! Finance

Here's what the (Stock) market wants to see from our friends in Europe. The uncertaintanty in the EU is generally killing the rest of the world's economies while we wait to see if they are gonna figure it out, and if/when they do, what they will do.

We'll watch and see. It's tough to be playing in the stock market under these conditions. (But it was a nice day today!:-)

Misery... I hate when that happens.

Misery loves company: http://www.cnbc.com/id/44970105

The misery in the US is up to 13%... If you adjust it down by the rate of GPD growth which is almost zero, and it is still pretty painful.

Not nearly as painful as other countries. Spain has pretty high unemployment rate, for example.

Ouch!:-(

Investing in mega trends (sustainability) your Mad Money...

Check out the investment ideas from Mad Money's Cramer...

Even if you can't make real money at sustainability issues, maybe you can make some Mad Money on some of the sustainability Mega Trends....

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7060730943841798035#editor/target=post;postID=2317546930355124175

Here's the full Mad Money episode from Thursday Sept 29, 2011. Most of this is gotta-watch. But fast forward through the lightning round if you can't stand the Booo haaazzz.

Discussion w Bernanke about QE & ?Gold is money?

Here's a quick vid about gold as money Quantitative Easing (QE1 & QE2) by the federal reserve in congressional meeting with Chairman Ben Bernanke. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NJnL10vZ1Y

(Ignore the extra commentary and links to political stuff.)  
I think that Big Ben is doing a pretty good job giving the circumstances (the federal governmental hasn't and won't do its job related to taxing and spending in a sane way without continual and perpetual deficits).

Video: July 13, 2011 - Congressman Ron Paul questions Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in a U.S. House Financial Services Committee Meeting shortly after reports surfaced that the Federal Reserve was preparing for a third round of quantitative easing.

It's a Mad, Mad World out there in Econ & Finance

We live in unprecedented times!

I don't know if you have noticed this, since you've been a little busy with a rather intense 4-week class, but the markets have gone nutz!:-)

You all need to take control of your own financial future. I highly recommend Jim Cramer of Mad Money. You need to watch it online or tape it (some of it is a little obnoxious). If you watch nothing else, watch the first 5 minutes of each episode. See today's episode (Sept 22, 2011) about one of the ugliest market days in history: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000047012

As the coliseums of Europe crumble (Greece of the PIIGS countries could/should default in the next week or so), encouraging the crash of our stock markets, the talking heads talk endlessly. Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece & Spain. Greece public works will be striking all week (expect more riots) as the country tries to save itself by raising taxes (killing the economy even more) and cutting spending (especially the massive government employee base and overly generous Gov. pensions).

Cramer has been there, and says it like it is. He invests with an "open hand" for his charitable trust and gives unbelievably good advice for individuals who need to manage their own wealth (and build wealth). When a market day is very strange he is one of the only people anywhere who will tell it like it is (either because of other agendas or because of ignorance or both?) [How did it become that bad news is news, and good or no news is not?]

In the meanwhile, corporations in the US are hugely profitable. They hold more cash on the sidelines than any other time in history. Our economy is back bigger than it has ever been. Unfortunately, corporations are more efficient and global so this economic growth has been done without a rebound in employment:-(

Unfortunately, the Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke's comments this week has caused investors to panic. Quick summary including Fed statement: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/22/usa-fed-idUSS1E78L18M20110922

This is unprecedented times we are in...

They are fascinating times as well.

I think that we are far better off than the talking heads would have you believe. But, if everyone starts to agree with the gloom and doom and every consumer (consumer was about ~70% of our economic GDP in normal times) hides at home in the closet, then I will certainly end up being wrong.

Right?

Wild times in the Stock Market.

Wild times in the Stock Market.

Really ugly daze in the Stock Market. Bernanke comments that we might do a recession, again, and the US markets went south for the winter.

It would be nice if Europe would get its act together and solve the sovereignty debt problem. Let's at least fix Greece or let em go bankrupt, one.

More on these subjects soon...