The Worst Heatwave was the 1930s

by Martin Armstrong QUESTION: Marty, wasn’t the Dust Bowl the worst heatwave in history? DL ANSWER: Yes, you are correct. Despite the hype this weekend, the heatwave is nowhere near historical records. The peak was the 1930s which created the Dust Bowl. The agenda is clear and these people will use every heatwave to end civilization … Read more

The Calm Before The Storm

Authored by Pater Tenebrarum via Acting-Man.com, Intra-Market Divergences Galore  US big cap stocks have rallied to new highs in recent months, but just as in the rally from the low of the February 2018 mini-panic to the September/October 2018 peak, sizable divergences between different indexes have emerged in the process. New highs in the big … Read more

The Planetary Insanity of Eternal Economic Growth

by Charles Hugh-Smith This is the fantasy: we can rebuild our entire global industrial society every generation or two forever. “Earthrise” is one of the most influential photographs ever published. Taken on the Apollo 8 mission in late December 1968 by astronaut Bill Anders, it captures Earth’s uniqueness, isolation and modest scale: a blue and white … Read more

I’m in Awe of How Long Zombies Like J.C. Penney Keep Getting New Money to Burn. But Bankruptcy Beckons

Wolf Richter wolfstreet.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter In 2013, I called Goldman Sachs a “snake-oil salesman” for underwriting a $1 billion J.C. Penney stock offering. Investors got wiped out. Now the bonds, including a 100-year bond, which has collapsed. J.C. Penney, which just took another step toward what will eventually be a bankruptcy filing and likely liquidation of … Read more

The cost of *one stitch* at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital? $3,300.

via missionlocal: ZFGH — which ran at a stunning 24.5 percent operating deficit in the latest fiscal year — works to collect $3,321.47 from unemployed former bike messenger who received one stitch “Goddamn,” says Conan Mattisson with a laugh. “It was probably one of the dumbest accidents ever.” You know how it is. You buy a … Read more

Macro imbalances abound as fundamentals are deteriorating. How long until US stocks catch up to the downside?

The US is the only stock market in the world to make new highs recently. Every other G-20 index already peaked a long time ago. Macro imbalances abound as fundamentals are deteriorating. How long until US stocks catch up to the downside? pic.twitter.com/9HkTY3kuqP — Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) July 19, 2019 The market is fundamentally … Read more

Here’s why the fed is terrified – industrial slowdown only getting started

here's why the fed is terrified – industrial slowdown only getting started pic.twitter.com/esz87RTBW5 — Alastair (@StockBoardAsset) July 19, 2019 50 bps cut probability collapses – setting the stage for disappointment – too many implied cuts were priced in, and fed know its w/ damage control friday pic.twitter.com/jIOJTc6eFL — Alastair (@StockBoardAsset) July 19, 2019 Expect a … Read more

Altria (MO) is effectively a vice fund

by vipnasty This post is meant to be a follow up to what I wrote roughly 7 months ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/investing/comments/a4esl5/the_case_for_altria_mo/ I want to preface this by saying that I understand those who have a moral objection to investing in tobacco. I’m trying to write about this purely from an investment standpoint. The stock dipped earlier this … Read more

Study shows a correlation between screen time and depression in teens

From Fortune: Teen suicide rates are at their highest level since 2000. And a new study released Monday says too much time on social media could be contributing to that. A study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that the teens who spend too much time on social media or watching television become notably more depressed. The six-year … Read more

Instagram launches new features to fight online bullying

From Fast Company: Facebook’s Instagram said today it is launching new tools designed to combat bullying on its platform, especially among teens. One tool, which Instagram has already begun rolling out to users, is focused on would-be bullies. It uses artificial intelligence to notify users when a comment they’ve just composed might be considered offensive. “This … Read more

Nestle creates new chocolate without any added sugar

From Bloomberg: Nestle SA has found a way to create chocolate without adding any sugar, relying on leftover material from cocoa plants for sweetening as consumers look for natural and healthier fare. The food company is using a patented technique to turn the white pulp that covers cocoa beans into a powder that naturally contains sugar. … Read more