A Polaroid Moment May Be Close For Kodak

| September 30, 2011

Back in 2001 Polaroid went night night (Bankrupt).  The digital age has not been friendly to the old guard since.  Next to potentially see it’s lights go out would appear to be Eastman Kodak….Of course Kodak says no way Jose, but give us a break, that’s what they all say just before the fat lady sings! Eastman Kodak […]

The Rich Now Rule, While The Poor Beg…Expect Riots And Major Economic Changes Over The Next Few Years

| September 30, 2011

The top one half of 1 percent of the population now owns over 28 percent of the nation’s total wealth.  Are they kidding?  And the Republicans don’t want to raise taxes on the rich…..They should be ashamed of themselves, but they’re not.  This from RobertReich.org The President’s modest proposals to raise taxes on the rich – […]

An Interesting Tid Bit…

| September 29, 2011

Hmm…Did you know that U.S. military spending equals that of all other military spending combined in the world.

We Recently Saw A Realtor Sitting On A Curb Crying, Now We Know Why..Maybe The NAR Should Stop Trying To Call A Bottom In Real Estate Every Month!

| September 29, 2011

Pending home sales fell 1.2 percent in August after dropping 1.3 percent the previous month, the National Association of Realtors said. Homeowner sentiment also dropped to the lowest ever, falling to minus 49.5 from minus 47.1. Earlier this week, the S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values in 20 cities fell 4.1 percent in July from the […]

Consumer Confidence Falls To Second Lowest Level Ever

| September 29, 2011

Are we heading for a depression or do we just feel depressed…..Ugh, we’ll let you know in a few months! Consumer confidence slumped last week to the second-lowest level on record as Americans grew more concerned with their financial situation while the buying climate for most things worsened. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index dropped to minus 53 in […]

Pig In A Poke

| September 29, 2011

Soo…The next thing coming is to re-modify the re-modified loans….that should kick the can down the road for another year or so.  That way the bankers can collect on this years bonus money. One in five homeowners whose mortgages were modified under a program aimed at reducing foreclosures defaulted again within a year after their […]

Time To Rebuild America’s Infrastructure

| September 26, 2011

“Problem is, too many in Washington have less than half a brain.” Robert Reich Monday, September 26, 2011 Seems like only yesterday conservative nabobs of negativity predicted America’s ballooning budget deficit would generate soaring inflation and crippling costs of additional federal borrowing. Remember Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the United States? Recall the intense worry […]

Odd Isn’t It? Gasoline Deliveries Are At A 10-Year Low But Consumption Isn’t!

| September 26, 2011

Hmm….Gasoline deliveries fell to a 10-year low but prices haven’t…while year-to-date product consumption (including heating oil and diesel) averaged 19.1 million a day, down only 0.3% from a year ago. Bloomberg reported from API (American Petroleum Institute) that distillate fuel deliveries, which include diesel and heating oil, hit record highs, rising 11% year-over-year to 4.15 million […]

Run Baby Run…

| September 26, 2011

Concerning the stock markets, a proven technique has been when in doubt, run for the hills….. From The Wall Street Journal: In a historic retreat, investors world-wide during the three months through August pulled some $92 billion out of stock funds in the developed markets, according to data provider EPFR Global—an exodus that more than […]

PIMCO…You Can Stick A Fork In Next Years Economy

| September 25, 2011

And so it goes…Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers “I’ve been to 20 years of IMF meetings, and there’s not been a prior meeting at which matters have had more gravity and at which I’ve been more concerned about the future of the global economy.” Billionaire investor George Soros said “something needs to be done” […]

Let’s FIX Congress!!!!!

| September 25, 2011

Here is an idea who’s time has come.    Let’s call it the Congressional Reform Act of 2011. Term Limits. 12 years only, one of the possible options below. A. Two Six-year Senate terms B. Six Two-year House terms C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms 2. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman […]

NASA Said An Out Of Control Satellite Will Hit Earth Tomorrow

| September 22, 2011

A five-metric-ton dead research satellite will crash into Earth tomorrow, the largest such object to make an uncontrolled landing since 1979, NASA said. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the satellite, which has a 1-in-3,200 chance of injuring or killing a person on landing, won’t hit North America. It said it was too early […]

PIMCO’s El Erian…We Are On The Eve Of The Next Financial Crisis

| September 22, 2011

The world is on the eve of the next financial crisis, with sovereign debt its epicenter, according to Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., manager of the worlds biggest bond fund.  El-Erian ranks as one of the smartest financial guys in the bussiness universe.

California Capitulates On Growth Idea

| September 20, 2011

California capitulates, says growth is dead for the time being….but economists have been slow learners about understanding the negative dynamics for California.  Senior economist David Shulman argues basically that the economy is so far down, it can’t really fall that much more. But to assume such a (stupid) thing in the current environment makes no sense! From the […]

Buried!

| September 18, 2011

We have literally buried our young college students with a debt burden that will change their lives for decades. But nobody’s paying attention as the colleges need every penny they can get.  Looking at the chart below, it’s shocking to see that student debt has almost quadrupled in less then three years! Shocking! The unemployment rate for […]

Demographics, My Dear Watson

| September 18, 2011

We’ve gone over this before, but it looks like the idea is catching on….Grey bearded baby boomers are in trouble…..but many don’t even know it!  Deutsche Bank, in a new report expects stock market investors to lose about 10% of their money — in real terms — over the next 10 years, while the economy goes […]

Can Interest Rates Go Any Lower?

| September 17, 2011

So far the record low interest rates have only kicked the can down the road by allowing desperate debt to prolong its misery.  History will likely show this to be a catastrophic economic mistake.  In the process, we have destroyed the retirement class by forcing them into higher risk assets.

No Growth In Europe – Means No Growth In The U.S. – Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Speaks Of ‘Catastrophic Risk’

| September 16, 2011

Yep, here is the way it went down… U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner goes to Europe, and gives a lesson on the benefits of borrowing more money to jump start European economies and save the Euro, then speaks of ‘catastrophic risk’,  but Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter found it “peculiar” to be lectured by the U.S., a country with higher aggregate debt than […]

Household Net Worth Decreases Only 1%…Small Number Sounds Fishy To Us

| September 16, 2011

But these figures speak for themselves….we continue to expect negative numbers over the next few years, actually into 2014. Net worth for households and non-profit groups decreased by $149 billion, a 1 percent drop at an annual pace, to $58.5 trillion, the Federal Reserve said today in its flow of funds report from Washington. It rose at a 7.4 […]

More From Census Breau

| September 16, 2011

So why is it so hard to convince people in high places about this?  Well, because those who sit on top, often can’t see through the clouds.  Governments are first to come to mind.  From The Wall Street Journal: The income of the typical American family — long the envy of much of the world — […]

Ultra-Luxury Automobiles Are Totally Recession-Proof, Sell Out

| September 15, 2011

The rich have it all…..the new Ferrari family car is $356,000 and is sold out, that gets you just one car!  Yep, you read that right.   Ultra-luxury remains totally recession-proof. The gap between rich and poor have never been greater. Maserati aims to boost deliveries by almost eightfold to 45,000 cars in 2014 as it increases dealers by 150 percent worldwide. Lamborghini […]

Consumer Prices And Jobless Claims Exceed Forecasts

| September 15, 2011

This is the government in action! The consumer-price index increased 0.4 percent in August, and jobless claims climbed by 11,000 to 428,000 in the week ended Sept. 10, both negatively exceeded forcasts according to Labor Department figures posted today in Washington.  Unemployment is stuck around 9 percent.

U.S. Mortgage Rates Fall To Lowest On Record

| September 15, 2011

The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan dropped to 4.09 percent in the week ended today from 4.12 percent, Freddie Mac said in a statement. That’s the lowest in the company’s records dating back to 1971. The average 15-year rate fell to 3.30 percent from 3.33 percent.

SAT…Sing A Tune, Nope – Let’s Try Again

| September 14, 2011

SAT Reading Scores for 2011 hit an all-time low, but here’s the reason why….In 1973 at the begining of this chart, and in fact before about 2004, only students planning to go to college took the test.  Now, schools encourage…and in some states make, every student take the test.  That makes the average drop, drop, drop. h/t John […]

Listening Near And Far

| September 14, 2011

Interesting to say the least!  The National Security Agency (NSA) has opened a massive $2 billion, 1 million-square-foot complex in the Utah desert…devoted to storing and sorting through emails, web searches and business transactions. This system is capable of monitoring 10 million people simultaneously this year and will be able to monitor 100 million next year! You’re […]

On The Down Slope

| September 13, 2011

This kind of sums things up, the government said we had slow growth, odd then how median household income in 2010 dropped $1,154 from $50,599 to $49,445!  Hmm, they call that growth? From Bloomberg: Data released by the Census Bureau today showed the proportion of people living in poverty climbed to 15.1 percent last year from […]

Labor Dept. Data: Only 1.75 Full-Time Private Sector Workers Per Social Security Recipient

| September 12, 2011

Bad seats…hey buddy!  Epecially if you’re a baby boomer!  We all need to plan well after reading this. From (CNSNews.com) …. There were only 1.75 full-time private-sector workers in the United States last year for each person receiving benefits from Social Security, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Social Security […]

Government Will Likely Offer New (Sub Prime) Loans In Effort To Save Real Estate

| September 11, 2011

This is what we discussed on August 30 here at www.thestatedtruth.com :   Da boys in the White House are working on a new giveaway to be presented after the Labor Day weekend.  The word is, that it will highlight how to give real estate losers something for nothing (free monopoly money or casino chips) in an effort to turn around […]

In Memory Of September 11, 2001

| September 10, 2011

Image was courtesy of www.ingerletter.com

Egypt Declares State Of Emergency

| September 10, 2011

A bug looking for a windshield! Egypt’s ruling military council declared a state of emergency to restore order after protesters attacked the Israeli embassy in Cairo.  Egyptian commandos rescued embassy security personnel and civil security forces dispersed protesters gathered outside the embassy for a second day. “The fact that the Egyptian authorities acted decisively to bring […]

Egyptian Protesters Take Aim At Israeli Embassy

| September 9, 2011

The Middle East is starting to melt………Egyptian police stood aside as activists tore down the concrete wall of the Israeli embassy to the cheers of hundreds of demonstrators, then burned an Israeli flag. (From Reuters) – Thousands of Egyptian activists destroyed a wall around the Israeli embassy and set police cars on fire in Cairo on Friday at […]

CBS New York…Sources: Authorities Concerned About Possible Dirty Bomb, Times Square Strike

| September 9, 2011

One thing we would observe, the Feds don’t put this kind of fear into everyone for no reason.  Best to stay indoors this weekend.  “Remember, an awful lot of the security we have you don’t see” , Mayor Michael Bloomberg.   Hmm…..sounds like the Eastern flank is covered, but what about the South, Midwest and out West? […]

Consumer Credit Rose In July….But

| September 8, 2011

But wait until you see why?  Non-revolving debt, mostly comprised of educational loans along with loans for autos and mobile homes, rose by $15.4 billion in July, while revolving debt, which includes credit cards, fell by $3.4 billion.  The rise in non-revolving loans was the most since November 2001. We’re going to totally bury (by educational loans) the future pole bearers of our […]

U.S. Homeland Security Reports Specific, Creditble 9/11 Terror Threat

| September 8, 2011

Best to stay in on Sunday, September 11, 2011 The Department of Homeland Security has “specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information” as the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks nears, said agency spokesman Matt Chandler in a statement. A U.S. intelligence official who isn’t authorized to speak publicly said the report is credible […]

PIMCO’s El-Erian: They Don’t Understand

| September 8, 2011

The U.S. Fed doesn’t get it, stimulus won’t work, they’re addressing the wrong things here….we have “structural issues and they require structural solutions.” Ei-Erian Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Mohamed El-Erian said the U.S. faces “serious” economic challenges, including lagging housing and labor markets, that will prove resistant to Federal Reserve stimulus efforts. “You simply can’t […]

Donald Trump’s Thoughts On Libya

| September 6, 2011

We’re not particularly found of him, but Donald makes a good point! “China gets their oil from Libya. Why isn’t China involved? They’re going out and spending billions of dollars a day on trying to take over the world economically. And we’re spending billions and billions and billions of dollars on policing the world. Why isn’t […]

Elephants In A China Shop

| September 6, 2011

Food for thought! China slows, bad for commodities. China grows, good for commodities. Makes sense, right? In case you missed it, China’s manufacturing activity fell for the third straight month in June. The official purchasing managers index stood at 50.9, down from 52 in May. Any number over 50 means expansion and below that means […]

No Miricles Here! A Road Of Hard Times Looms Dead Ahead…

| September 6, 2011

  So…overall household debt to disposable income has declined minesquely from a peak of 134% in 2007 to 125% currently. That doesn’t exactly set the house on fire as most assets have declined at a faster rate, especially for entities that have not experienced stable or growing revenues (main street America comes to mind). If Dick Stoken is […]

The U.S. Post Office Continues To Slip On Its Own Grease

| September 5, 2011

The U.S. Post Office has created many of it’s own competitive disadvantages , but UPS and FedEx are operating with some of the same problems.  The law also prevents the post office from raising postage fees faster than inflation, but the government says we have no inflation….so that should be a moot point!  Or maybe not.  And….The agency […]

Home Refinancing On A Ramp…27% Of Homes Now Have Negative Equity

| September 2, 2011

The positive side of this…..should put more monthly income into the economic system. But…lenders’ capacity to handle loan applications could be an obstacle for the Obama administration, which is weighing options for spurring a housing recovery, including steps to promote refinancing for underwater borrowers, or those who owe more than their property is worth. Almost […]

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