We consider the next moves for the leadership of our fictional Directorate 153 going forward.  We periodically look at a fictional extra-government unit that really pulls the strings in global affairs.  Not that it’s real, of course, but when we look at what goes on in the world, we can see what seems at times so much like an “invisible hand” that we have to consider the existence of such a group as a real possibility.

When we do, some interesting insights appear.  Particularly when there has been recent talk of the Berlin Wall anniversary and such.  Think of it as the “How we get bent-over next” search.

First, though,  coffee and headlines plus our trading model.  Oh, and do we thank climate change for this morning’s iced coffee?

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I’ve got good news for you and I have bad news for you.

The good news?  We may see the slow end of Prepping (at least for a while) because of a curious twistization *(to make up a word) of economic history.  I’ll explain in a moment.

The bad news?

My friend Howard Hill’s new book has been released.  And we’ve got permission to share a transcript in which he makes a startling prediction:  Another global financial crisis is coming.  Time to rethink Dodd-Frank.

If these two items aren’t enough to get your attention, along with Russian tanks moving into Ukraine according to reports, along with another bank failure, you might skip Peoplenomics this morning and rush to the obituary section of the local newspaper.

You’ll want to see if you’re listed.  If not, check your pulse.

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This morning we take up two matters of practical, personal economics:

Our first question is “What’s more important than the election returns and the expected Republican win of the Senate” in Tuesday’s elections?”  I think the answer might surprise you.

The second project?  I’ve come up with a new way of looking at those “star ratings” that Amazon uses and a discussion of how to decide on what’s worth buying follows.

Not before coffee, though, although with everyone suffering “News overload” we will skip headlines this morning and focus on these two macro topics which (unlike election trivia) are actually useful.

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People ask me on a regular basis (since I hold both commercial and ham radio licenses) what would I do to prep?  I mean really prep on the electronic side of things.  How do you go about it…and what do you need to know?  This morning we have some radio basics as well as some shopping list items to go over.

Also, an update on our Trading Model which sure feels like a “buy the rumor” with regard to this coming week’s elections and tonight’s time change back to standard time.

With record cold this morning, plan on about three cups for this morning’s update.

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Happy Fed Day.

The advertising and the positioning of America is wonderful.  Come to our shores (cross our border while we’re asleep) and you’ll be in the land of milk and hand-outs.  (True) You’ll be in the land of unlimited opportunity.  (Maybe not…)  And you’ll be in a land run like a business on behalf of the people!  (no way!)

If only we lived up to the messages we convey to the world about this once-Great nation of ours.  So this morning, in a moment of pre-election madness, I decided to dissect how we delude ourselves by skewing data and setting up elections so that not all the most current and useful facts are yet on the table.

After coffee, headlines, and a thoughtful look ahead at what markets hold in store for us…

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Want a part-time job that can earn you $20-$25 per hour?  This morning not only do we deliver the goods on one, but we also show you the method to research many more potential money-making ideas that will be worth their weight when times turn down.,

Before we go “back to the future” however, we’ll first have some notes on major news stories and update our Trading Model. And many cups of coffee to warm up a fall morning…

[ May take longer than usual to load due to large number of graphics. ]

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We know the market is dropping just as soon as the little rally we’re in presently wears off.  It’s a lot like “hair of the dog that bit you” on the way to a monumental hangover; the underpinnings of the market are in trouble, everyone knows this, but we’re still in denial – and that’s a sure-fire formula for a rally.

In  the meantime, however, the problems of negative growth are still coming down the tracks at us; it’s just we don’t have the vision to see the train clearly, at least just yet.

As we covered in our last report, importing a new underclass from South America via the perishing once-upon a time border may seem like the easy way out.   Besides, it’s a lifetime meal ticket for political manipulators who promise the moon and then tax people to pay for it.  Not that the republicons are any better than democraps; they all helped surround Washington with the garrison of checkbook bandits from K Street who buy public policy the way you and I might hit Subway for lunch.

How to preserve a little sanity (and family wealth) is our topic this morning, after a few headlines, the charts, and the trading model.  Fine stuff to watch as we await the next slide of the markets down to…..let’s start there.  Then we’ll dance the “Cost of Living Samba.”

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We’ll get to the overnight episode of “5,500 Cruise Ship Roulette” in a minute.  But today is also time to update the mass invasion of the US through the former Mexico border.  And regrettably, the latest statistics back up our earlier contention that the great “Dirty Secret” the Washington Cartel is hiding from voters until after elections and the Executive Reconquista to follow, is that without mass immigration, our economy is going to implode.  Seriously.  Ka-Boom!  Blooey!

But before we get to that, our usual weekend smorgasbord of the  headlines du jour and the enchanting story of “Lazarus, the Options Worker” who made an appearance (guess where?) on Wall Street this week.  So on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen. You, too, Dolly…Where’s my coffee?  And don’t wake Elaine up.  Have you seen the sugar-plum index?

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The market is not acting worth a damn this week.  We really ought to be putting in a much stronger rally given that we’re in an options expiration week and also seeing a supposed “recover”  the leading role in which is being played by the Invisible Man.

What’s killing us (a poor choice of words) is Ebola case #3 in Dallas, deflation, and did I mention retail sales?

Light off some coffee…much to cover in this morning’s unvarnished view of Hard Reality Coming for Your Ass and will Take Your Savings if you Blink.

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You know?  I really should stop looking at the “crap-coming-at-us” list between now and 2025 because – sorry to say – I don’t see a happy ending.

Not that we can’t “get happy” for however long a good hit lasts, or the effects of whatever you poison your liver with.  Those things will always be around.

But what’s missing is economic growth of the organic kind.  And since that’s heading for the exits almost every turn, it’s time to do some real straight-thinking about supply, demand, shortage of resource, longage of humans, and where we fit into the mix as things head for “10-years in the blender.”

And toward what end?  To redefine what (and maybe IF) we can do anything about it.  Prepping, as you’ll read in this morning’s report, misses much of the point.

Which we’ll get to after coffee and the all-important Trading Model update.

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These are rare as hound’s teeth.  But you need to read it…

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It would be deliciously simple if I could tell you “OK, that’s IT.  Growth is going away and it will mean worse-than-Depression unemployment is a certainty by 2025.  So make your amends with Universe, the SHTF is going to be a slow motion ending orchestrated by Ebola.”

But it’s not that simple.  (What can’t anything be simple and direct, anymore?)

Still, we’ll take a crack at it – using some very revealing research done years ago by the Federal Reserve – on what a post pandemic world might look like.  If China, Peak Energy, Warburg, Taxes, Robotics, and all the rest of it doesn’t get us first, pandemic economics is worth a look.

The only reassuring part of this morning’s report is we can still get a decent cup of coffee and this is real-life economic, not just some wild-eyed “doom porn” about the world sinking in Atlantis-like fashion or being blown to smithereens by the Long Valley Caldera.  Reality, I hate to mention, could be a whole lot worse…

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We’re not big on spending money foolishly, but the net is afire with crazy talk about Ebola, risks, and what people are planning to actually do about it.

Therefore, this morning we will go through the basic systems of Life (all seven of them) and work though a common-sense prepping plan – one that we put into operation on Wednesday when the word of the confirmed case in Dallas was making the rounds.

What we’ll focus on today is the concept of “dual use.”  In other words, what are the disease isolation tools that you will have use for no matter what and what future purchases that you’ll need in the coming year, or two, can be moved up to present day purchases?

Along the way, we’ll hear from “warhammer” – who long-time readers will remember is a real (legit) war-gamer whose bailiwick includes the B of NBC warfare.

That and the latest from our Trading Model following yesterday’s market action and a few other notes, promises to make this morning’s report a “two or three-cupper.”   Well over 6,000 words, this morning’s report is about prepping for a truly novel situation.

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