“Will someone get these Muppets out of my face!”
Sorry but those are Sock Puppets. Manuela Carmena, the new Mayor of Madrid Spain, just insulted Muppets everywhere.
Sock Puppets have been multiplying like crazy but continue to be confused with their comedy rivals, the Muppets.
One indignant Muppet, Bald Eagle, in an attempt to encourage competition was recently quoted as saying, “Sock it to me.”
Please read the quote from MarketWatch.com below and guess why this is bad.
“U.S. mergers & acquisitions activity is on track for a record month in May, with $241.6 billion of deals already announced, topping the previous record of $225.8 billion announced in May 2007, according to Dealogic data.”
ANSWER: The previous record was just before the Great Recession.
Specifically, eighteen months later the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was worth almost half of what it was in May 2007.
Here is a summary of why a recession is coming in plain English.
https://michaelekelley.com/2015/03/02/why-another-recession-is-coming/
Thanks to Team-Studer.net for the photo.
The following is good advice for anyone with a significant other.
What is ironic is this is the opposite of a pitcher of water. When I was growing up in the southwest, we had a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. [Note: This is long before refrigerator’s had a water line and built-in ice makers.]
Nobody would take the last cup of water from the pitcher because then you had to fill up the pitcher with water again. We would rather die of thirst before doing that.
On the other hand, nobody hesitates to take the last donut or the last piece of pie.
I am here to advise you that if you want to have a long-lasting relationship, you need to offer the last piece to your significant other before you scarf it down.
But if your significant other is not around, try this.
Just a thought. Now I am getting hungry.
Here is an excellent article about why derivatives are exploding.
https://marketwatch.creatavist.com/story/7571
Here is a summary of that article.
The Volcker Rule was passed as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill in 2010. It banned banks from trading securities with their own money, or proprietary trading. Nonetheless, banks had already wound down their proprietary trading operations in anticipation of the rule taking effect…
For larger investors, another trick to circumvent liquidity issues is to deal in more liquid synthetic securities such as derivatives contracts, which can be used to bet on the credit quality of a company without having to deal with the same liquidity problems of the bond market.
Douglas Peebles, chief investment officer and head of AllianceBernstein fixed income, says he finds himself using more derivatives. These allow buyers to invest in the same underlying assets, but in many cases, they can be assured of more liquidity that the actual bond. Bond guru Bill Gross, who runs the world’s biggest bond fund, also concedes that he has begun using derivatives in his Pimco Total Return Fund.
Here is another article.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/4-reasons-why-the-bond-market-is-going-wild-2015-05-12
The reasons are “four Feds”, less yield for more risk, lack of liquidity, and fear of a bubble.
For more on derivatives and tranches see this article.
Good luck!
Take a look at this picture. Can you pick your favorite caption?
Here are the choices. Please pick your favorite.
1. Whew! It smells like a men’s locker room in here.
2. Is that the edge of the cliff behind me?
3. Maybe someone should have put air holes in this thing.
4. Is my time up yet? I am more phobic than I thought.
5. Does this come with a barf bag?
6. I am definitely taking a shower and washing my clothes after this.
7. If this thing pops, do I get a refund?
Hope you enjoyed this.
Here is the May USA Today Caption Contest photo. Can you pick the best caption?
Here are the choices. Please pick your favorite.
1. I hear White House security is still having issues.
2. Looks like one of the tourists got lost.
3. Don’t just stand there get me Bill on the phone!
4. I have this feeling I am being stalked.
5. Let’s see what my successor can do with that mess.
Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks to USA Today and Mike Smith.
Do you sometimes feel like your world is upside down? Well it is.
With international monetary policies pumping money to finance debt not productivity, everyone in the world will be drinking the Kool-Aid but wondering when it will end and with what country.
The answer is China.
Everyone knows China is the last growth engine. So everyone is investing in the Chinese stock market. Even Chinese teenagers are investing in it.
But some major financial analysts are very, very concerned with China’s debt which is 3 times over an international threshold.
Analysts are also concerned with sudden spikes twice this year in the cost to borrow yuan.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jump-in-overnight-hibor-a-sign-of-yuan-in-tumult-2016-09-19
But soon the money will run out as Chinese debt peaks and a huge panic will cause the Chinese stock market to crash. That is why smart Chinese economists are buying up gold.
When the Chinese stock market crashes so will all International ETFs. There will be no growth countries to move to. All countries will be equal – equally bad.
The international oil companies will especially be hit hard. That is because the drop will cause a further drop in oil prices. Thus all highly leveraged oil companies will fold. That will create a tidal wave of unpaid debt that someone will have to forgive.
The result will be huge banks with only 4% in equity will fold. But this time the statement “too big to fail” will be ignored.
The Federal Reserve will take a lot of blame and will be totally revamped. Most of its new members will be economists found outside of Wall Street.
New innovative policies like the Kelley Monetary Policy Rule will be adopted.
https://michaelekelley.com/2015/03/27/the-kelley-monetary-policy-rule/
Finally investment in infrastructure will be given priority like the Civilian Conservative Corps. Like a Phoenix, the US economy will be reborn faster than most.
Ever feel like going back to bed and starting over?
Well instead here is a picture and here are some captions for you to pick from. Then you can go back to bed.
1. Why did I eat that Macho Burrito last night?
2. And a whole bowl of nachos?
3. My mother is driving me nuts!
4. I need coffee NOW!
5. My eyes feel like sun-dried raisins.
Please vote for your favorite then you can go back to bed.
Don’t these birds look happy? Here are some possible captions to make you happy.
Which caption is your favorite?
1. Who called this meeting?
2. Hey where are Mark and Mary? Those darn lovebirds.
3. Next time could we meet on a phone line? I am getting dizzy.
4. Anybody seen the neighborhood cat?
5. Weren’t we supposed to be in Texas about now?
Thanks
No I am not talking about this website. I mean this bull.
Here are some possible captions for this bullfighter. What is your favorite?
1. Note to self: Don’t wear pajamas in the ring.
2. Is this what my boss meant by taking the bull by the horns?
3. If I complete a somersault, maybe I won’t get hurt.
4. I should have worn Levis.
5. This is gonna leave a mark.
6. Now I wish I had paid my medical insurance premium.
Thanks
Michael E Kelley 