Wednesday, November 2, 2022

"They Won’t Be Able To Deny The Cold, Hard Reality Of What Is Happening To The U.S. Economy Much Longer"

"They Won’t Be Able To Deny The Cold, Hard Reality 
Of What Is Happening To The U.S. Economy Much Longer"
by Michael Snyder

"They are trying really hard to convince all of us that everything is just fine. But close to one-fifth of the U.S. population is skipping meals because food prices are too high. And nearly 40 percent of our small businesses couldn’t pay rent in October. Our leaders are trying to put a positive spin on things, but the truth is that we are witnessing a tremendous amount of economic suffering all over the United States right now. The core consumer price index just surged to “the highest level since 1982”, and this is putting an enormous amount of financial stress on American families and businesses.

This week, I was stunned to learn that a survey that was just released found that 37 percent of all small businesses in the United States could not pay rent last month…"The survey of 4,789 randomly selected small business owners saw more than half of respondents say their rent is at least 10 percent higher than six months ago."

If you go back seven months, the majority said their rents had increased by at least 20 percent. Moreover, the study found that roughly 37 percent of small businesses – almost half of all Americans working in the private sector – were left unable to pay rent in October. Prior to getting this news, if someone had asked me to guess the percentage of small businesses that are currently unable to pay rent, I would have responded with a figure that was far lower.

So often, things turn out to be even worse than I thought they were. If those small businesses continue to be unable to pay rent, they will eventually be forced to shut down. So what will our communities look like if millions of small businesses suddenly close up shop on a permanent basis?

Meanwhile, a different survey has discovered that 18 percent of Americans are now skipping meals because food prices have become so crazy…"Over the last 12 months, nearly two in five American households (40%) received food or goods from a food bank (22% for Millennials), and the same amount (17%) stopped buying healthier foods (organic or high-priced healthy foods). Nearly one in five Americans (18%) say they skipped meals or didn’t buy groceries due to high inflation (including 28% of Gen Z and 23% of millennials)." Skipping meals can be a positive thing, because fasting is actually really good for your health. But most of these Americans are not skipping meals for the health benefits.

In addition, the same survey found that many Americans are not taking medications or seeing their doctors because prices have gone up so much…"Many have cancelled or postponed plans in the past 12 months to see a specialist (14%), take a prescribed medication (10%) or get an annual physical (11%) due to high inflation." If things are this bad already, what will those numbers look like next year at this time when economic conditions are significantly worse?

The American people are going to become increasingly frustrated as our standard of living continues to plunge. All of us have to eat, and so many of the products that so many of us buy on a regular basis have gone up dramatically in price…"A year ago, a bag of potato chips at the grocery store cost an average of $5.05. These days, that bag costs $6.05. A dozen eggs that could have been picked up for $1.83 now average $2.90. A two-liter bottle of soda that cost $1.78 will now set you back $2.17."

Sadly, this is just the beginning. Even though the Federal Reserve has declared war on inflation, food prices are going to continue to rise for a variety of reasons. And as the cost of living keeps becoming more oppressive, more American families are going to struggle to make it from month to month.

Even now, nearly two-thirds of the entire country is currently living paycheck to paycheck…"As rising prices continue to outpace wage gains, families are finding less cushion in their monthly budget. As of September, 63% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck, according to a recent LendingClub report - near the 64% historic high hit in March. A year ago, the number of adults who felt strained was closer to 57%. “Consumers are not able to keep up with the pace that inflation is increasing,” said Anuj Nayar, LendingClub’s financial health officer."

The worse things get, the more we will see people clamoring for the federal government to help them. In fact, one recent survey actually discovered that 63 percent of all U.S. voters are in favor of “inflation stimulus payments”…"A recent poll found that almost two-thirds of Americans are proponents of the federal government sending out inflation stimulus payments. About 63% of eligible U.S. voters expressed some degree of support for federal inflation relief checks being distributed, the Newsweek poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies showed. Of those who agreed the federal government should do so, 42% indicated they “strongly agree” while 21% said “agree,” according to the poll."

Sadly, most voters don’t seem to understand that sending out more stimulus checks would create even more inflation. There is always a cost when the government gives out “free money”. If our politicians would have exercised discipline over the past several years, we would not be in the mess that we are in today. But now years of very bad decisions are catching up with us in a major way, and economic conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

At this point, the vast majority of the U.S. population can see this. According to one recent Gallup survey, a whopping two-thirds of all Americans believe that economic conditions in this nation are getting worse. So many people are talking about the possibility of a recession in 2023. If all we have is a recession next year, we would be extremely fortunate. Because right now the economy is starting to crack and crumble all around us, and the outlook for the months ahead is exceedingly bleak indeed."

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Greg Hunter, "$2.5 Quadrillion Disaster Waiting to Happen "

"$2.5 Quadrillion Disaster Waiting to Happen "
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com

"Egon von Greyerz (EvG) stores gold for clients at the biggest private gold vault in the world buried deep in the Swiss Alps. EvG is a financial and precious metals expert. EvG is a former Swiss banker and an expert in risk. He says the risk in the global markets has never been this high.

EvG explains, “Credit has increased dramatically through derivatives. All instruments being issued now by banks, pension funds, stock funds, it’s all synthetic. There is no real underlying payments in anything almost. Therefore, my estimate for derivatives would be at least $2 quadrillion, and I think that is probably conservative. Then, we have debt on top of that of $300 trillion, and we also have a couple hundred trillion dollars of unfunded liabilities. So, we are talking about $2.5 quadrillion, and that’s with a global GDP of $80 trillion. So, there is a disaster waiting to happen, and especially because all this created money has created no value whatsoever. I always knew this would collapse, and it’s taken longer than I expected, but I think we are at the end of a major era. 

These derivatives, at some point in the coming few years, will actually turn into debt. Central banks will have to cover all the outstanding liabilities of the commercial banks as we are seeing now with Credit Suisse, Bank of England and etc. This is going to happen across the board. Whether it’s called derivatives or called debt, as far as I am concerned, it’s the same thing. It will have the same effect on the world financial system, which will be disastrous, of course.”

EvG says the derivative markets were simply a way for financial institutions to carry debt and not show it on their balance sheets. In the end, everything will balance out. EvG goes on to say, “Nobody can repay the debt, and they can’t even pay interest. So, therefore, when the debt implodes, so will the assets that were financed by this debt. So, both sides of the balance sheet have to come down. Whether it comes down by 50%, 75% or 90%, I don’t know. All I think about is risk, and the financial system will not survive in its present form. Central banks only use one kind of medicine, and that is more printed money. Now, you are getting negative returns on printed money. So, that is not going to save anything. 

Sadly we are looking at a situation when this system will start to implode. The rich are still rich, but the poor are really poor. Overall in the UK, Germany and most European countries, people don’t have enough money to live. This is a human disaster already. With food costs going up 25% and energy going up the same and gasoline, interest rates and rents, people don’t have enough money, and that is happening now. It’s a human disaster of mega proportions. It’s so sad, and governments will have no chance of doing anything about it.”

In closing, EvG says, “This is why it is getting closer for implosion because the whole system can’t take this. The risk is increasing exponentially. So, I think people should be prepared. Most asset markets have lost money, and it is going to get worse.” There is much more in the 43-minute interview.

Join Greg Hunter on Rumble as he goes One-on-One with Egon von Greyerz
 of Matterhorn Asset Management, which can be found on GoldSwitzerland.com.

Canadian Prepper, "WW3 Alert: US Troops Enter Ukraine; Iran And North Korea Prepare For War"

Canadian Prepper, 11/1/22:
"WW3 Alert: US Troops Enter Ukraine; 
Iran And North Korea Prepare For War"
"US troops officially on the ground in Ukraine, Iran may attack Saudi Arabia within 48 hours, North Korea thinks the USA is ready to invade, Putin unofficially declares war on UK (NATO) over liz Truss iphone row, climate chaos and diesel shortages."
Comments here:

"Walmart Reports Major Shortages As Fears Of Hard Times Rising"

Full screen recommended.
"Walmart Reports Major Shortages As
 Fears Of Hard Times Rising"
by Epic Economist

"Walmart’s supply chain is far more chaotic than most people can imagine. Not even the world’s largest retailer is immune to the shortages and disruptions that have been plaguing U.S. businesses in recent years. But given its market dominance and its vast network of suppliers, the fact that empty shelves can still be seen across many of its stores is quite alarming, especially at a time when pretty much everyone in the industry is saying that food supplies are going to get increasingly tighter in the months ahead. Even though its executives say that the company is actually overloaded with too much stuff, shoppers tell a different story. Many customers have recently reported on social media what they’re seeing every time they go grocery shopping at Walmart: plenty of stock outages, bare aisles, and scattered merchandise all around the superstore. The company’s latest woes might be a hint of what the entire sector will be facing soon, and if that’s really the case, we all should start worrying.

With the holidays approaching, Walmart continues to be a one-stop-shop for many people, suiting customers’ needs for clothing, appliances, entertainment devices, and groceries. However, in many recent Reddit threads, shoppers have been voicing concerns over growing food shortages in their Walmart stores, especially for frozen goods, fresh produce, meats, and more recently, several people reported they can’t find chicken anymore at the store. Countless commenters noted that their local Walmarts had either run out of chicken or were about to.

Perhaps due to the scale of its sales volume, Walmart is being the first major retailer to experience the impact of the bird flu pandemic on its food supply chain. One commenter asked, “are people hoarding or is there a production shortage?”

In an e-mail sent to Thrillist, the company confirmed that there is a chicken shortage in their U.S. stores, but they noted that Walmart is not the only one facing it. A representative for the retailer wrote: “This is not just an issue isolated to Walmart, it is affecting every chain—it’s an industry issue,” he said,

The imbalances in Walmart’s supply chain will take several quarters to be sorted out, says President Doug McMillon. In September, he said that supply chain problems and inventory shortages are as stark as he can remember in his 30 years in retail. Moreover, McMillon noted that 2022 supply chain costs were more than $400 million higher than anticipated. The company also took a $1 billion hit on its operating income, and now executives are scrambling to stabilize the business.

The deeper we look, the more Walmart’s issues rise to the surface. And if the retail giant is in trouble, that means everyone else is also experiencing volatility in the supply chain. These trends will continue to accelerate in the near future. And many other retailers will be facing similar challenges or worse. And as consumers deal with the impact of higher prices, retailer continue to see their sales dropping, and those that are on edge may fall off of it way before people notice."
Comments here:

Gerald Celente, "Trends Journal: False Flag War, Blame The Other Guy"

Full screen recommended.
Strong language alert!
Gerald Celente, 11/1/22:
"Trends Journal: False Flag War, Blame The Other Guy"
Comments here:

"Dollar General Ripping You Off Again; The FED Created An Economic Disaster"

Jeremiah Babe, 11/1/22:
"Dollar General Ripping You Off Again; 
The FED Created An Economic Disaster"
Comments here:

Musical Interlude: 2002, "Gathering the Clouds"

2002, "Gathering the Clouds"

"A Look to the Heavens"

"Colorful NGC 1579 resembles the better known Trifid Nebula, but lies much farther north in planet Earth's sky, in the heroic constellation Perseus. About 2,100 light-years away and 3 light-years across, NGC 1579 is, like the Trifid, a study in contrasting blue and red colors, with dark dust lanes prominent in the nebula's central regions.
In both, dust reflects starlight to produce beautiful blue reflection nebulae. But unlike the Trifid, in NGC 1579 the reddish glow is not emission from clouds of glowing hydrogen gas excited by ultraviolet light from a nearby hot star. Instead, the dust in NGC 1579 drastically diminishes, reddens, and scatters the light from an embedded, extremely young, massive star, itself a strong emitter of the characteristic red hydrogen alpha light."

"All Sins..."

"All sins, of course, deserve to be treated with mercy: we all do what we can, and life is too hard and too cruel for us to condemn anyone for failing in this area. Does anyone know what he himself would do if faced with the worst and how much truth could he bear under such circumstances?"  
- Andre Comte-Sponville
Joe South, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes"

Paulo Coelho, "The Bird And The Cage"

"The Bird And The Cage"
by Paulo Coelho

"Once upon a time, there was a bird. He was adorned with two perfect wings and with glossy, colorful, marvelous feathers. One day, a woman saw this bird and fell in love with him. She invited the bird to fly with her, and the two travelled across the sky in perfect harmony. She admired and venerated and celebrated that bird. But then she thought: He might want to visit far-off mountains! And she was afraid, afraid that she would never feel the same way about any other bird.

And she thought: “I’m going to set a trap. The next time the bird appears, he will never leave again.” The bird, who was also in love, returned the following day, fell into the trap and was put in a cage. She looked at the bird every day. There he was, the object of her passion, and she showed him to her friends, who said: “Now you have everything you could possibly want.”

However, a strange transformation began to take place: now that she had the bird and no longer needed to woo him, she began to lose interest. The bird, unable to fly and express the true meaning of his life, began to waste away and his feathers to lose their gloss; he grew ugly; and the woman no longer paid him any attention, except by feeding him and cleaning out his cage.

One day, the bird died. The woman felt terribly sad and spent all her time thinking about him. But she did not remember the cage, she thought only of the day when she had seen him for the first time, flying contentedly amongst the clouds. If she had looked more deeply into herself, she would have realized that what had thrilled her about the bird was his freedom, the energy of his wings in motion, not his physical body.

Without the bird, her life too lost all meaning, and Death came knocking at her door. “Why have you come?” she asked Death. “So that you can fly once more with him across the sky,” Death replied. “If you had allowed him to come and go, you would have loved and admired him ever more; alas, you now need me in order to find him again.”

"I Have Hope..."

 

The Daily "Near You?"

Mira Loma, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"A Bodyguard of Lies"

"A Bodyguard of Lies"
by Jim Rickards

"Treason doth never prosper. What's the reason? 
Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason."
- Sir John Harington

"The all-important midterm elections are just one week away. I’ve said a lot about them, and will have more to say about them in the days to come. But today, I want to talk about something even more important: truth vs. official lies. More specifically, I want to talk about truth and propaganda. It’s said that truth is the first casualty of war. And Churchill once said that in wartime, truth is so precious that it needs to be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies. That’s why propaganda plays such a large role in modern warfare.

The fact is wars are conducted in part through lies and propaganda. For example, in the early days of World War I, the British cut the undersea communications cables that ran from Germany to the U.S. The British wanted to control the flow of information and issue what we call today “misinformation.” And so they created inflammatory accounts of German atrocities to sway public opinion, like German soldiers skewering Belgian babies on bayonets. While there will always be individual acts of atrocity in wartime, these reports were largely propaganda.

Here in the U.S. itself, President Wilson had special police forces who arrested anyone reporting negative news on the progress of the war. Sound familiar? It’s like the social media companies today canceling or censoring anyone who reports that the vaccines don’t work or masks don’t work. The media call it “misinformation” (even though it’s scientifically valid) and move on. The same is true with the war in Ukraine. The propaganda machine kicked into overdrive early on.

Bodyguard of Lies: The CIA and MI6 leaked a steady stream of anti-Russian lies to prop up morale. These lies were reprinted in warmonger media outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times and NBC News. That means it’s almost impossible for U.S. citizens to get the real story through mainstream media outlets. Still, there is some honest reporting going in if you know where to find it. You just have to filter the sources and find those with good pipelines of information (including inside the government) who do not have a hidden agenda and are willing to speak the truth.

It’s not necessary to rely on Russian sources (the Russians are certainly not above propaganda, although they’re generally more truthful than the U.S. media, believe it or not). There are excellent analyses to be found among Swiss sources, German experts who are not in favor of the war and some on-the-ground reporting from the front lines on specialist websites.

Get Ready for the Russian Counteroffensive: Some of the best sources are found among retired U.S. military officers who are experts on warfare, still have good contacts inside the military and intelligence communities, and who consider the war in Ukraine to be highly detrimental to U.S. national security and the economy.

One top commentator who fits this description is Colonel (Ret.) Douglas Macgregor, who wrote a recent commentary about the war. Macgregor points out that Russia is preparing for a full-scale counterattack to roll-back recent Ukrainian gains near the Donbas and Kherson. The Russians have been consolidating their positions. resupplying, mobilizing troops, and preparing for winter warfare at which they excel. It’s just a matter of waiting for the ground to freeze so trucks and armor can maneuver without getting bogged down. The attack could come as early as November or December at the latest. Yet, that is not Macgregor’s main concern.

Is the 101st Airborne Division Being Used as Bait?: His fear is that the U.S. will double down in the face of this attack and deploy U.S. troops to the battle. The Pentagon recently deployed units of the 101st Airborne Division to Romania, just miles from its border with Ukraine. Airborne forces are generally light infantry that lack the firepower of, say, armored units or mechanized infantry. But if these forces did get directly involved in the fighting, heavier reinforcements would be on the way. From there, it could be a short step to nuclear war with Russia.

To some, that might sound unrealistic or even paranoid. They’ll say it’s just scare-mongering. But this is a legitimate possibility, and there’s a real chance of it happening. The fact is, we’ve been on the path of escalation with Russia since 2008 and the tempo of escalation has accelerated since the war began in February. All experts on nuclear warfighting agree that if a nuclear war begins, it will be the result of escalation to the point that one side feels it is cornered and has no choice but to use nukes. That point is getting closer by the day. Macgregor calls on Congress to stop the White House, but he’s not optimistic that’ll happen.

Nuclear War? It’s Not the End of the World: The possibility of nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia is a shocking development after thirty years, during which nuclear weapons and nuclear war between superpowers were almost forgotten.

What is as disconcerting is the fact that the discussion of nuclear war is casual, almost flippant, and carries none of the seriousness with which the topic was formerly addressed. It also carries no comprehension of the existential consequences and sheer horror that the use of nuclear weapons entails. It’s almost as if the warmongers in and around the White House were playing a game of chicken without realizing the other driver had no intention of changing course.

Now the U.S. elites have started psychological operations (psyops) aimed at Putin with nuclear weapons as the bait. They claim that Putin has threatened to use tactical weapons in Ukraine and possibly other parts of Eastern and Central Europe.

That’s a lie; Putin never said that. When asked, both Putin and Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev said that if attacked, Russia would defend itself by all means necessary, including the possible use of nuclear weapons. That’s not news. That has been Russian or Soviet policy since the early 1950s. It has also been U.S. policy since then. Neither side has ever renounced the first use of nuclear weapons.

Putin’s expected answer to a question posed has been turned into a threat he never made. This is U.S. and UK propaganda at its worst (and most dangerous). This lie about Putin’s intentions quickly morphed into another psyop about a “false flag” operation. That’s when you stage an attack disguised to look like an attack by your enemy in order to justify your own “retaliation,” which you were planning all along. Recently, the narrative that Putin would use nukes or conduct a false flag operation morphed into a related narrative that Putin would use a “dirty bomb.”

He Said, He Said: In effect, Putin would detonate a dirty bomb and then blame the Ukrainians and Americans. A dirty bomb is not a nuclear weapon, but it does employ radioactive material wrapped around conventional explosives. When detonated, the radioactive material is dispersed and can poison or kill any people or livestock in the area. Not to be outdone, the Russians countered by saying the U.S. or Ukraine would conduct the false flag by detonating a dirty bomb and then blaming the Russians as an excuse to escalate Western involvement in Ukraine.

At this point, we have both sides warning the other side will conduct a false flag with a dirty bomb in order to justify their own pre-planned escalation. If a dirty bomb does go off, each side will blame the other and the truth will be a casualty of war. Meanwhile, a senior Russian foreign ministry official has warned that U.S. satellites, which have been providing critical targeting information to Ukraine’s armed forces, may be “legitimate” targets of Russian forces. How would the U.S. respond if Russia starts taking out its satellites? We may soon find out."

The Poet: William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"

"The Second Coming"

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?"

- William Butler Yeats, January 1919

"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world," indeed.

Gregory Mannarino, "Special Report: False Flag Alert"

Gregory Mannarino, PM 11/1/22:
"Special Report: False Flag Alert"
Comments here:
Gregory Mannarino, PM 11/1/22:
"False Flag Update: 'Fear Campaign;' 
OPEC Wants Crude Prices HIGHER; US Industry Is Dying"
Comments here:

"How It Really Is"

 

"Things Are Getting Scary, Plus Credit Card Surcharges"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, iAllegedly 11/1/22:
"Things Are Getting Scary, Plus Credit Card Surcharges"
"I am in Huntington Beach California for the great Halloween party. Things are getting scary in the economy and people are realizing that it’s not going to get better anytime soon. Plus there are banks that are starting to charge you a surcharge every time you use your credit card."
Comments here:

Gregory Mannarino, "The 10-Year Yield Nosedives Overnight!"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 11/1/22:
"The 10-Year Yield Nosedives Overnight!"
Comments here:

"Recalling All Saints"

"Recalling All Saints"
by Byron King and Joel Bowman
Hallowed Days

"The celebration goes back over 1,700 years in fact, to the 4th and even 3rd Centuries of our calendar. It gets into the very DNA of modern Christianity and Western culture. And even those long-ago, misty, worshipful origins were likely grafted onto previous, far more ancient, pagan, Roman Empire customs such as the fall harvest celebration in a post-glacial world where, if the crops failed, you’d almost surely die of cold and hunger.

Way back, people actually “hallowed” things. They honored what they regarded as deeply important, which leads to a hallow-evening (or “ae’fen” in Olde English). In other words, Halloween was the night before a day of something sacred. Say that phrase fast a couple of times… “Hallow-ae’fen…” and you’ll get a feel for how the older expression transformed into the modern term.

Which brings us to today, November 1, All Saints’ Day; and I may as well mention that tomorrow, November 2, is All Souls’ Day. In essence, we’re in the midst of a trio of holy days in the Christian church devoted to honoring saints as well as departed souls. In France, All Saints’ Day is called Le jour des morts, the Day of the Dead, a public holiday. In Germany, it’s Stiller Tag, or the Quiet Day. It’s Día de Muertos in Mexico, a celebratory day to recall the departed.

You’ll find similar names and styles of celebration, if not formal political holidays, in countries across the globe. That is, on November 1 and 2 different people in different geographies pause to recall their deceased. And to remind themselves of their own, temporary mortality.

These particular days of saints and souls are firmly moored in longstanding custom, if not ancient liturgy. Memorials and venerations are part of the culture throughout Central and South America; across northern, central and southern Europe; in parts of Turkey and into (the few) remaining and constricted Christian enclaves of the Middle East in Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt; down into parts of Africa; across the deep blue sea to Christian areas of India; then further east as far afield as the Philippines.

And of course, you’ll find remembrance and reverence to the departed in Australia, New Zealand, and other far distant lands where shadows of Christianity still fall, however faded the social fundamentals might be down there, beneath the Southern Cross.

Out of Control: Here in North America, where most Bonner readers reside, many quaint customs have become – sad to say, and not to put too fine a point on it – part of the throwaway culture. People are too busy. Time is too valuable. There’s work to do, if not stocks to trade online. And it’s simply burdensome for many to drive across town to a cemetery and visit mom’s grave. Meanwhile, who really has a spare hour to visit some dark, dank church? Or as a certain high political figure might say with his characteristic eloquence, “Hey, c’mon, man.” Whether it’s the Episcopal palace on a high hill or a sturdy Methodist fortress down in the valley, there’s just no time. Go to chapel, recall the departed, and nod towards that rugged old cross? No, not today, pilgrims. Other… ahem… priorities.

It’s not hard to diagnose the underlying issue. It’s modern culture. There’s too much else to do. By way of comparison, most people scarcely read books anymore, either. Along these lines, have you heard about the massive numbers of de-accessed books that fill dumpsters outside of America’s libraries? Clearly, much of what happened before about the year 2000, if not 2005, is simply being carted off to the pulp recycler if not the landfills.

“It’s all online,” they tell us. On Google Books, no less. As if, for example, you’ll ever read online the likes of American history by Bernard DeVoto, or of World War II through the pen of Hanson Baldwin. And besides, there’s so much else that’s currently happening right now that our entire civilization seems amenable to discarding its past. The sooner the better, some might say.

Obviously as well, many currently sit on the edge of their chair awaiting the next, much-anticipated Fed interest rate increase, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, November 2. Should we buy stocks or sell? Great fortunes hang in that balance. And all the while, the clock of destiny ticks down to the night of Tuesday, November 8 next week. Then, America will count her votes and determine which political party controls the House and Senate. And yes, it matters.

Meanwhile, with just these two elements of current life – Fed and Congress – we have well and truly corralled the problem. Too much of that Fed-money floating around. And way too much politics, such that Beltway Progressive partisanship is the new secular religion. Plus, with all that money and politics in action is it any wonder that greed, fraud and corruption are killing the country? Hmm… Oh wait; it’s All Saint’s Day and here we are again, speaking of the dead.

No, of course the country hasn’t died; not yet. Although it’s worth noting how Russian scholars routinely and seriously discuss the ongoing, evident failure of America as a political system. They say that the place no longer works. It doesn’t function. They describe potential breakup scenarios that make the dissolution of the former USSR look like an orderly effort, a day at the beach. If you don’t want to consider Russian analysis, how about a recent poll by no less than CBS News, totally mainstream establishment if there ever was such a thing. CBS calculates that 79% of Americans believe that the country is “out of control.”
Better Off? The results are not just, say, that the country is “moving in the wrong direction,” mind you. But “out of control.” Think of a runaway train. Or it’s kind of like saying that the place is ungovernable. Well, it is kind of ungovernable anymore, right? If nothing else, this CBS poll is hardly a ringing endorsement of the current political leadership class. It thoroughly indicts the collection of grifters, mobsters, fools and imbeciles who’ve run the place for, oh… say… 30 years and more. Since the end of the Cold War, at least, although you could go backwards from there too.

Or if you’re no fan of CBS, perhaps you would just take your own poll. Ask yourself if this is the “same country you grew up in” back in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, even 90s. Okay, let’s adjust for some improvements like more civil rights, safer cars, and better cardiac surgery. Things like that. But still, is modern America safer from crime? From drugs? Homelessness? Are major cities better off? Are roads and bridges better? Are job prospects better? (Are there enough plumbers? I’m asking for a friend.)

For all the computers everywhere, is the country more productive? Have social media companies improved overall output of useful goods and services? Has Big Pharma really improved your life? Is American food better than it used to be? Is the population healthier in terms of weight and general fitness?

Or does Hollywood make better movies these days? Are TV shows better (okay, does anyone even watch TV)? Do singers belt out the tunes better? Do actors perform better?

Is America’s energy situation better, such that you can both run the air conditioner and charge your electric car at the same time? Or if you still buy old fashioned gasoline and diesel, are you pleased with what you see at the pump? And are you currently living in fear of your heating and electric bill this coming winter? (If not, why not?)

Are American public schools better? Or even private schools? How about U.S. colleges and universities? Is the country educating young people better than in the olden days? Do costs justify the outcomes? Well, are math and science test scores going up or down?

The Foreign Past: I could go on but you get my drift. Which brings us back to the beginning, to the point that the first three days of this week are a traditional time to remember saints and souls. Remember the dead and contemplate one’s mortality. Yet for the most part, here in the U.S. (and Canada I’d add) we no longer follow those old, outdated paths.

It recalls that famous line by novelist L.P. Hartley, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” And obviously, the country that many of us recall – the America in which we grew up – is no more. You’ve noticed, right? And riddle me this, dear reader. If the past really is Hartley’s foreign country, when and how did so many of us emigrate? Just where exactly do we live, anymore? Are we all now somehow illegal immigrants to this new nation that claims jurisdiction over half the continent? Are we just mere squatters in the newly formed United Deep States of America, perhaps?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t recall ever agreeing that the country that used to be was so bad that we needed to burn it down. And yet here we are. We live in a nation and culture that has abandoned its past with no clear vision of the future, surrounded and controlled by corrupt institutions that have lost credibility and respect.

You don’t have to get all religious and churchy to appreciate that something deep has been lost from the foundations, if not the very heart of America. Hey, you can go to church, or not. Visit a cemetery, or not. Recall the saints and souls, or not. But don’t think that fate will never catch up with all of us. Or that in the end, we won’t get what we want but will almost surely receive what we deserve."

That’s all for now… Thank you for subscribing and reading.
Best wishes…
Byron W. King
Joel’s Note: Dear readers will recall Byron’s dire warning from our very first Bonner Private Research Investment Summit, hosted back in December of last year, which we titled “The Winter Catastrophe.” Cautioned Byron: “The modern age is absolutely an evolution of the industrial revolution. And the industrial revolution was all about boiling steam and burning carbon and we spent 250 years doing it… “The idea that we can just turn the valve and make it all go, is absolutely ridiculously stupid, crazy, lunatic, suicidal...

You can build an industrial civilization, which is where we are. We are drinking from wells today that we did not dig. People a hundred years ago invented things and set things up. And again, the idea that this is all bogus, that it was all wrong. It was some sort of big mistake, you're really asking to rewrite history. I think it's a form of modern insanity. It's a form of mass insanity to deny the history of how you got to where you are, because the idea that you're going to change it all is completely, totally crazy.”

Byron predicted that German’s “green transition” pipe dream was leading the country on a road toward “Energy Stalingrad.” That might have seemed extreme at the time, but given what’s come to pass in the months since, where citizens across Deutschland are being asked to ration their hot water use… where they are already dimming street lights and shuttering public pools… and where fearful citizens are burning lignite, felling ancient forests and stockpiling firewood, medieval style… Byron couldn’t have been more spot on.

So when he says that the US “is on the precipice of a winter fuel crisis, just like Euroland,” we take note. Indeed, the cracks are already beginning to show…"According to the latest weekly report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), distillate fuel inventories in the US are about 20% below the five-year average for this time of year. The EIA report shows that, at approx. 106 million barrels, national diesel reserves have not been this low since 1951 (when they were at 102 million barrels).

That would be bad enough… except, back in 1951, during the “good ol’ days” to which Byron was referring, above… the US population was only 150 million. Today, it’s 332 million (officially). Moreover, back then demand stood at about 1.02MMB/D. Today, due both to the increase in population and our increasingly industrialized economy (think A/Cs in every room and exotic foods trucked from sea to shining sea), daily demand stands at 4.2MMB/D.

What does all this look like then, in real terms? As of today, the U.S. has just 25 days of diesel supply in reserve. Accordingly, prices are already up 33% for November deliveries, with acute shortages showing up in key markets, in particular America’s northeast. (Remind your Antipodean editor again… does it get cold in those parts?)

According to its Winter Fuels Outlook in October report, the EIA predicts Households in the Northeast that rely on heating oil for space heating will see a 27% bump in their winter bills compared to this time last year.

But wait… can’t we just “make more?” As Byron warned at our first Winter Catastrophe summit, it just ain’t that easy. You don’t just “turn a valve and make it go.” Part of the bottleneck comes from a lack of US refining capacity, which is now below where it was pre-pandemic, even as demand has rebounded to above where it was when know-all governments locked the world down. From the EIA:
(Operable atmospheric crude oil distillation capacity, our primary measure of refinery capacity in the United States, totaled 17.9 million barrels per calendar day as of January 1, 2022, down 1% from the beginning of 2021. According to our annual Refinery Capacity Report, 2021 was the second consecutive year of decreasing refinery capacity. Source: EIA)

While most people see shortages manifest themselves as higher prices at the pump or in heating bills, the problem with a diesel fuel crisis is actually more “systemic.” Of the 15 million-plus commercial vehicles registered in the US, more than three-quarters (76%) are powered by diesel engines. These commercial trucks move almost 70% of the nation's freight tonnage. Extreme shortages in this critical market means industry closes down, food and medical supplies don’t get delivered, farms and factories are shuttered and store shelves remain empty.

Meanwhile, owing to acute shortages over on the continent (see Nord Stream explosions and European “green energy” policy stifling refining activity there), refineries on the US Gulf Coast are exporting about 1MMB/D to Europe.

What does this spell for America’s own Winter Catastrophe? What does it mean for prices not only at the pump, but at the grocery store, too? Should we expect shortages and, if so, which industries are most susceptible? What about diesel used in farming and fertilizers? And what about the nation’s fast-dwindling Strategic Petroleum Reserve, about which we haven’t even touched on today?"

Stipendium peccati mors est..

"Strange Prices At Meijer! This Is Getting Ridiculous!"

Full screen recommended.
Adventures with Danno, 11/1/22:
"Strange Prices At Meijer! This Is Getting Ridiculous!"
"In today's vlog we are at Meijer, and are noticing some strange price increases! We are here to check out skyrocketing prices, and a lot of empty shelves! It's getting rough out here as stores seem to be struggling with getting products!"
Comments here:
For comparison:
Full screen recommended.
Travelling with Russell , 11/1/22:
"Russian Brand New Supermarket During Sanctions (Opening Day)"
What does a brand new Supermarket look like after sanctions were imposed on Russia? Take a look with me at a Russian brand new Supermarket in Moscow, Russia. How does it look? What items will we find, how have sanctions affected the Russian food markets in 2022?"
(A ruble is worth 0.016 United States dollars.)
Comments here:

Monday, October 31, 2022

Canadian Prepper, "Entire US Air Force Goes Dark, What's Going On?"

Canadian Prepper, 10/31/22:
"Entire US Air Force Goes Dark, What's Going On?"
"We are dangerously close to midnight."
Comments here:

"Could Be Worse..."

Dig your way out, they said...

"Housing Crash Begins And It's Worse Than You Think"

Full screen recommended.
"Housing Crash Begins And It's Worse Than You Think"
by Epic Economist

"Now it’s official: The U.S. housing bubble has finally burst, and home prices are in free-fall with no floor in sight. After two years of stratospheric price appreciation, a major shift has begun, and at this point, homeowners are already seeing property values collapse at the fastest pace since the Great Recession. This downturn is escalating much faster than experts anticipated as mortgage rates surpass the 7% mark, and home sales continue to plunge all across the country. Given that the vast majority of markets are overvalued by 50% or more, we’re about to witness the worst housing crash of our lifetime, and the consequences are going to be brutal for the U.S. economy.

Last week, the National Association of Home Builders reported that slumped home construction subtracted 1.37 percentage points from U.S. GDP in the third quarter, which represented the biggest housing contraction since 2007. At the same time, mortgage purchase applications plunged by 41.8% on a year-over-year basis, and total mortgage applications are now lower than at any point during the Great Recession.

Home sales are also cratering. In September, they declined for the eighth month in a row. In the West, sales have dropped the most dramatically, sinking 31.3% since last year. Meanwhile, pending home sales, declined by a staggering 35% nationwide this month, the biggest drop in at least seven years. All of that is thanks to the highest mortgage rates since 2002. This month, they hit a new high of 7.16%, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. That suggests housing will continue to become less affordable, even if prices keep going down.

On the flip side, they're still up 4.8% in the past six months, 13.1% over the past year, and 42.2% since the beginning of the health crisis. And the market’s biggest irony right now is the fact that even as the price of housing is steadily falling, the cost of housing is still climbing to new highs.

Axios analysts estimate that if someone bought a median-priced home in September rather than June they would have paid 5.1% less for their house (approximately $427,000 rather than $450,000), “but, assuming a 20% downpayment and a 30-year mortgage, that person would face monthly mortgage payments almost 10% higher, at $2,260 per month,” they explained.

The firm noted that the monthly principal and interest mortgage payment on the median-priced home is up $930 from a year ago, a painful 73% increase. A Wall Street economist recently estimated that a 20% drop would occur in the very first stage of this new bubble collapse that will extend through the end of 2022, and from that point on, they would continue to free fall as ”tumbling demand for homes amid sharply rising mortgage rates add immense pressure on home prices,” says Ian Shepherdson, chief economist with Pantheon Macroeconomics.

This is neither a sellers’ nor a buyers’ market, it’s an environment where everyone loses, argues financial analyst Bill Holter, alerting that we could soon see a crash that will make previous crashes “blush”. Many people are going to lose everything overnight. All indicators show that this is just the beginning of a nightmarish crisis, and this new crash is going to be way more devastating than what we experienced back in 2008. Very rough weather is headed our way, and everyone is starting to feel that things are about to get really ugly."

"The Party Is Over And You Are Not Prepared"

Full screen recommended.
Jeremiah Babe, 10/31/22:
"The Party Is Over And You Are Not Prepared"
Comments here:

Musical Interlude: Deuter, "Music of the Night: East of The Full Moon"

Deuter, "Music of the Night: East of The Full Moon"

"A Look to the Heavens"

“These three bright nebulae are often featured in telescopic tours of the constellation Sagittarius and the crowded starfields of the central Milky Way. In fact, 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier cataloged two of them; M8, the large nebula left of center, and colorful M20 on the right. The third, NGC 6559, is above M8, separated from the larger nebula by a dark dust lane. All three are stellar nurseries about five thousand light-years or so distant. 
The expansive M8, over a hundred light-years across, is also known as the Lagoon Nebula. M20's popular moniker is the Trifid. Glowing hydrogen gas creates the dominant red color of the emission nebulae, with contrasting blue hues, most striking in the Trifid, due to dust reflected starlight. The colorful skyscape recorded with telescope and digital camera also includes one of Messier's open star clusters, M21, just above the Trifid.”
- http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

"When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged
in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams,
to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where
he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars."
- Walt Whitman

"Be The Person..."

"We are fast moving into something, we are fast flung into something like asteroids cast into space by the death of a planet, we the people of earth are cast into space like burning asteroids and if we wish not to disintegrate into nothingness we must begin to now hold onto only the things that matter while letting go of all that doesn't. For when all of our dust and ice deteriorates into the cosmos we will be left only with ourselves and nothing else. So if you want to be there in the end, today is the day to start holding onto your children, holding onto your loved ones; onto those who share your soul. Harbor and anchor into your heart justice, truth, courage, bravery, belief, a firm vision, a steadfast and sound mind. Be the person of meaningful and valuable thoughts. Don't look to the left, don't look to the right; we simply don't have the time. Never be afraid of fear."
- C. JoyBell C.

Chet Raymo, "Lessons"

"Lessons"
by Chet Raymo

"There is a four-line poem by Yeats, called "Gratitude to the Unknown Instructors":

"What they undertook to do
They brought to pass;
All things hang like a drop of dew
Upon a blade of grass."

Like so many of the short poems of Yeats, it is hard to know what the poet had in mind, who exactly were the unknown instructors, and if unknown how could they instruct. But as I opened my volume of The Poems this morning, at random, as in the old days people opened the Bible and pointed a finger at a random passage seeking advice or instruction, this is the poem that presented itself. Unsuperstitious person that I am, it seemed somehow apropos, since outside the window, in a thick Irish mist, every blade of grass has its hanging drop.

Those pendant drops, the bejeweled porches of the spider webs, the rose petals cupping their glistening dew - all of that seems terribly important here, now, in the silent mist. There is not much good to say about getting old, but certainly one advantage of the gathering years is the falling away of ego and ambition, the felt need to be always busy, the exhausting practice of accumulation. Who were the instructors who tried to teach me the practice of simplicity when I was young - the poets and the saints, the buddhas who were content to sit beneath the bo tree while the rest of us scurried here and there? I scurried, and I'm not sorry I did, but I must have tucked their lessons into the back of my mind, a cache of wisdom to be opened at my leisure.

Whatever it was they sought to teach has come to pass. All things hang like a drop of dew upon a blade of grass."

"for The Most Part..."

"Human beings never think for themselves, they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told- and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their 'beliefs.' The reason is that beliefs guide behavior, which has evolutionary importance among human beings. But at a time when our behavior may well lead us to extinction, I see no reason to assume we have any awareness at all. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion."
- Michael Crichton, "The Lost World"

"Rickards’ Updated Election Forecast"

"Rickards’ Updated Election Forecast"
by Jim Rickards

"Democracy is the theory that the common people know 
what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."
- H.L. Mencken

"After months of analysis, headlines, debates, commercials, polls and more we’re finally on the brink of Election Day. On Nov. 8, just a few days from now, Americans will vote for senators, governors, House members and other offices from coast to coast. These contests will determine which governing philosophy controls the country for the next two years. It will also lay the foundation for the presidential election in 2024 (that campaign starts the day after the midterm election). Everything that citizens, investors and markets care about is on the line.

Put on your crash helmets. This is going to be a wild election ride. Where do things stand just over a week away from the elections? Let’s break it down…

If the economy is good, stocks are going up and the U.S. is not involved in any wars, then voters will just reelect incumbents or vote for their party’s nominees without paying much attention to the issues. The voters are content, and the politicians are free to implement the wish lists of the special interests. This is not one of those times…

Rarely Have Issues Mattered More:
• The economy is not good. We had a mild recession in the first half of 2022 and are headed for a much worse recession in late 2022 and 2023…
• Stocks are down 20–35% since late last year depending on the index used…
• The U.S. is indirectly involved in a major war in Ukraine, which has the potential to escalate into a new world war including the use of tactical nuclear weapons…
• Inflation is up, crime is up, reading and math scores are down and it seems the main role of teachers is to indoctrinate children in transsexualism and drag shows.

In all, there has seldom been an election since the 1930s (and before that, the 1860s) when issues mattered more. The Republicans get this, although they are often too afraid of being called names to say so. Democrats don’t get it. They’re still talking about climate alarmism, abortion and bail reform when it’s clear either that voters don’t care or rank those issues far down their lists of issues that will dictate how they vote. When it comes to issues, Democrats are clearly missing the boat.

Biden’s a Real Drag: Meanwhile, research shows that presidential popularity is one of the biggest determinants of a wide range of outcomes in midterm elections. If the president is popular, his party can hold its own and limit losses. If the president is unpopular, his party will not only lose control of the House and maybe the Senate but could get caught in a so-called wave election that gives the opposing party control with comfortable majorities.

The best measure of presidential approval is the Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll. This poll uses a sample size of 1,500 likely voters, which is a solid representative sample. The margin of error is +/- 3%, which is reasonably tight for a poll of this type. As of today, this poll showed the percentage of voters who strongly disapprove of Biden’s performance is 44%, and the percentage who strongly approve is 22%. This gives Biden an overall approval rating of negative 22% (0.22 – 0.44 = -0.22), one of the worst approval ratings ever recorded.

I consider Rasmussen to be a reliable poll, but I also look at Trafalgar, which has an excellent track record. Trafalgar shows Biden’s “strongly approve/strongly disapprove” gap at almost negative 39%! This poll supports the Rasmussen result and suggests that Biden is in an even deeper hole than most analysts realize.

A midterm election for a first-term president almost always results in losses in Congress for the president’s party. With Biden’s approval rating at negative 22%, there’s every reason to expect a red wave in this election. In fact, it may look more like a red tsunami.

My Forecast for the House: In the House races, my final forecast is that Republicans will win 245 seats while Democrats take 190 seats. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy will be elected as speaker of the House in January. The House currently consists of 220 Democrats and 212 Republicans with three vacancies. My forecast means a pickup of 33 seats for the Republicans and a loss of 30 seats for the Democrats. That result is consistent with midterm election swings in the first presidential terms for presidents of both parties.

The Cook Political Report projects 211 seats that are solidly or leaning Republican, 192 seats that are solidly or leaning Democratic and 32 seats that are too close to call. If those 32 close races were divided 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats, the final result would be 227 Republicans and 208 Democrats. That’s still a healthy working majority for Republicans, but it’s a far closer result than my forecast. But I expect a number of districts that Cook is calling for Democrats to go for Republicans.

Politico shows 211 seats solid or leaning Republican and 196 seats solid or leaning Democrat, with 28 toss-ups. If the toss-ups were divided 50/50 the result would be 225 Republicans and 210 Democrats, almost identical to Cook. This should not be surprising because Politico has the same D.C.-based bias as Cook.

RealClearPolitics, which is far more reliable than Cook or Politico, has a forecast of 225 Republicans and 175 Democrats with 35 toss-up races. If those toss-ups were divided 50/50 (with the rounding given to the Democrats), the final House would be 242 Republicans and 193 Democrats. That’s within a few seats of my forecast and lends support to my methodology. If just a few more than half the toss-ups go Republican, then my forecast is right on the money based on the RealClearPolitics models.

To sum it all up, the Republicans are almost certain to take the House of Representatives. The majority will be substantial by any measure.

The Senate: The Senate is currently divided 50-50. The Democrats have control because Vice President Kamala Harris has a tiebreaking vote. There are 35 Senate seats up for election in this cycle. Democrats control 14 and Republicans control 21. My final forecast for the Senate is that Republicans will have 53 seats in the new Senate and the Democrats will have 47 seats. (That count includes two non-Democratic senators who both caucus with the Democrats. Neither is up for election in this cycle).

I project that Republicans will win in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Democrats will win in Colorado, New Hampshire, and Washington. If this forecast is correct, then Republicans will hold their seats in North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and will flip seats in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada.

The Democrats will hold their seats in Colorado, New Hampshire and Washington and will lose seats in Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. The Democrats will not flip any current Republican seats. This outcome leaves the Republicans with 53 seats, and the Democrats with 47 seats. Incidentally, my forecast is identical to RealClearPolitics, which projects a Senate of 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats with the same states in each column. Any wins by Democrats not in my forecast are likely to be offset by unexpected wins by Republicans leaving the outcome at 53-47 in favor of Republicans.

Expect the Unexpected: But it wouldn’t be a 21st-century American election without some shocks and surprises. Here are a few to watch out for:

Pennsylvania has active litigation on whether mail-in ballots should be counted if they lack a signature on the envelope as required by state law. In a close race, this issue will come to the fore. It could drag out the declaration of a winner by weeks or months with acrimony from both sides…

Georgia requires a winner to have more than 50% of the vote. If neither Warnock nor Walker reaches the 50% level (due to third-party candidates and write-ins), then there will be a runoff election between the two leaders on Dec. 6, 2022. That will also delay the final declaration of a winner. If, after Election Day, control of the Senate itself is uncertain because it hangs on those undecided races (such as Pennsylvania and Georgia), you can expect a strong negative reaction from markets.

The stock market can deal with Republicans or Democrats. It cannot deal with uncertainty. All I can say is don’t be surprised if all this drags on for a while. Expect the unexpected!"
"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, and intolerable."
- H.L. Mencken

The Daily "Near You?"

Union, Kentucky, USA. Thanks for stopping by!