US State Economics

 

• State Politicians and the Public Pension Cookie Jar http://t.co/NLyWlK2X Politicians don’t cut public pensions b/c they pad own pensions $$ Jun 09, 2012
• North Las Vegas Crisis Shows Fragility of Nevada Economy http://t.co/sCnrcmRk Moral laxity of Vegas invites elements that lead2trouble $$ Jun 09, 2012
• Wrong: What Scott Walker can teach Barack Obama http://t.co/lpO5hETn When Walker campaigned he did not know he would have a majority in +1/2 Jun 06, 2012
• both houses of the legislature. He seized the opportunity & did something bold in order to fix Wisconsin’s finances. Result: Survives recall Jun 06, 2012

 

US Fiscal Policy

 

• U.S. House May Split Up Package of Expired Tax Breaks http://t.co/hXcmb1Ec Good idea; let each tax break stand on its own &b abolished. $$ Jun 09, 2012
• True Capitalists Are Pro-Market, Not Pro-Business http://t.co/HVQjkfk2 Get business special interests out of tax code & govt subsidies $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Senate Dealmaker Baucus Turns to Rewrite of US Tax Code http://t.co/naa2hePj Baucus is going to try to gore everyone equally, maybe? $$ Jun 08, 2012
• RT @TheOneDave: True capitalists are pro-market rather than pro-business, according to Yale’s Stephen Carter: http://t.co/vQQ64YDa via @ … Jun 08, 2012
• Americans Cling to Jobs as U.S. Workforce Dynamism Fades http://t.co/acaAmcGm Inverted Mtge, 2 earners, ec uncertainty reduce flexibility $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Teachers Unions Have a Popularity Problem http://t.co/QGqzD8Ys Pct of electorate backing rights of teachers 2 collectively bargain falls $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Monetary Aid Coming as Wal-Mart Helps Housing http://t.co/pBBoiRH6 Mixed Bag: QE3, Youth unemployment & being near a WalMart boosts home $$ Jun 04, 2012
• U.S. Multinationals Lobby to Alter Tax Rules They Sought http://t.co/7maKR41m Would be better to eliminate, & raise taxes on divs & CGs $$ Jun 04, 2012

 

US Mortgages & Real Estate

 

• Mortgage Rates Hit New Low, 30-Year Drops to 3.67% http://t.co/BLQGkosE Because housing is not recovering, mtge rates continue to fall $$ Jun 08, 2012
• FHA Turns to Investors as Losses Continue to Rise http://t.co/c73e01TU US Govt messes up another lending guarantee area. They always do $$ Jun 08, 2012

 

Asia

 

• Strong Yen Won?t Survive Japan?s Fiscal Cliff http://t.co/e7P6RyFl Shilling argues that Japan will suffer as it ages & sells govt debt $$ Jun 09, 2012
• Ikea to Consider India Entry, Plans More China Stores http://t.co/lfrvVgTY Many difficulties setting up biz in overregulated India $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Japan Confronts Flight to Quality With Brutal Yen http://t.co/bWj62zo3 Wondering when the “flight to quality” may no longer benefit Japan $$ Jun 07, 2012
• China Cuts Interest Rates for First Time Since 2008 http://t.co/7bIbIdUd Unlikely to do much to stimulate, not much demand 4 loans now $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Bad News Piles Up for China’s Economy http://t.co/coT0mfgf Repeated cycles of malinvestment are finally hitting tipping point of failure $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Keep tight stops RT @mercenaryjack: Contrarian buy signal $USDJPY RT Japan Confronts Flight to Quality With Brutal Yen http://t.co/D98ax8rH Jun 07, 2012
• Japan?s Debt Sustains a Deflationary Depression http://t.co/6sUCexpl As Japan ages & shrinks, will be hard 4 it to maintain economy $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Bob Fu: The Pastor of China’s Underground Railroad http://t.co/1HXIypo5 Fascinating tale of life in China & influencing China from outside Jun 04, 2012

 

?Politics

?

• Brown Challenged Over Dodd-Frank http://t.co/UsRpt5tf Scott Brown best chance at election: pro-business moderate; paint Warren extremist $$ Jun 08, 2012
• What’s Changed After Wisconsin http://t.co/rTa0vaWi Don’t normally link2 Peggy Noonan, but the last line was quite a stinger. Jun 08, 2012
• “Because Bill Clinton loves politics, he hates losers. Maybe he just can’t resist sticking it to them a little, when he gets a chance.” $$ + Jun 08, 2012
• Romney Executive Style Forged in Faith He Rarely Mentions http://t.co/SOOSDnwI He has 2b quiet; there is no upside explaining Mormonism $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Hollande Gets Crisis-Protection Tips From Business-Friendly Lyon http://t.co/4emjSYXn Interesting piece; Lyon businessmen guide Socialism $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Walker Bets on Brats to Heal Wisconsin as Praise Pours In http://t.co/9Kto2qIA Smart move on Walker’s part after a bitter election fight $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Chavez Losing Grip on ?Benjamin? as U.S. Dollars Sought http://t.co/YQ9aLNTp Thier’s law in action in Venezuela http://t.co/mNNp2KzJ $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Congressman to Bernanke: Take QE3 Off the Table http://t.co/QpQnU0BZ I’m sorry, but the Fed doesn’t listen 2 Congress; they’re above that $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Bernanke Cites Risks, but Doesn’t Signal Action http://t.co/Ew9Nc2K8 Bernanke is a dove, but does not like to telegraph views, only leak $$ Jun 07, 2012
• French, Greek Unemployment Rise http://t.co/vKfvrwWY Highest jobless rate in France in a decade and a record unemployment rate in Greece $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Hollande Deficit Vow Lures Investors to French Debt http://t.co/25CZUhHS I’ll believe it when I c it. What taxes rise & programs cut? $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Merkel Allies Signal Progress on Fund to Pool Debts http://t.co/p8UGaOXr Don’t see how this works economically or politically long-term $$ Jun 07, 2012
• RE: @bloombergview Bloomberg’s regulation fails one basic test: “I’d like two sodas, please.”? Very dumb, and he went? http://t.co/GphkCClc Jun 07, 2012

?? Student Loans Held by the Federal Government http://t.co/IsW6eywX When the govt enters a lending business, it typically creates a bubble $$ Jun 06, 2012

?? Obama’s Debt Boom http://t.co/OsPykK3q $$ borrowed & misspent produces no growth; same 4 QE which inflates goods and Hi-Qual asset prices $$ Jun 06, 2012

• Wisconsin Voters Head to Polls in Recall Election http://t.co/9pNJvCsL <2% of WI voters uncertain. Most divisive election I can recall.. $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Recall Stirs Passion in a Purple State http://t.co/2NsLiisy I think Wisconsin would b more civil if it weren’t recall election $$ #civilwar Jun 04, 2012

 

Energy

 

• Oil Heads for Longest Weekly Losing Streak in 13 Years http://t.co/Gx0wPKr4 After oil bubble popped in 2008, we went down to $50, not now $$ Jun 09, 2012
• Oil Tankers Squeezed as Rates Drop to Lowest Since ?97 http://t.co/dXFAzMw4 Could go lower; what will the bondholders do w/the boats? $$ 😀 Jun 05, 2012
• Romney Aversion to Wind-Power Aid Alienating Republicans http://t.co/V7yp3lHE Good. End *all* energy subsidies, especially ethanol. $$ Jun 05, 2012

 

Bond Markets

 

• Investors Bail on Junk Bonds http://t.co/Iwk1URn2 This is still early, & we lack notable defaults necessary to have a full-scale panic $$ Jun 09, 2012
• A Safe Haven in ‘Cat’ Bonds http://t.co/MbXh1KLB Every fixed income subclass eventually underwrites crud in a mania; still waiting here $$ Jun 07, 2012
• MF Global and the Risks Looming in the Repo Market http://t.co/AD8XXOGh Should have been a red flag to see Corzine change the core biz $$ Jun 07, 2012
• The TIPS curve has become inverted http://t.co/DN0ZHsbY CPI inflation expectation falling in near term; may justify some dumb move by Fed $$ Jun 06, 2012
• Thought experiment: What if PIMCO Hi Inc $PHK 70% prem2NAV did a rights offering giving each share a tradable right 2 buy a share @ par? $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Quirks of High-Yield ETFs http://t.co/voVBkmvr Good article; I will follow up w/a piece comparing time- & $$ -weighted returns of bond ETFs Jun 04, 2012
• In all of the bond furor of last week, anyone else notice that the real yield on the on-the-run 20-yr TIPS went negative? I didn’t either $$ Jun 04, 2012

 

Eurozone

 

• I like to think that I am pretty imaginative, so, wow! $$ RT @betandbetter: @AlephBlog and the reality of France is worst than u CAN imagine Jun 07, 2012
• The rise and fall of European banking http://t.co/94t9dzk2 Lenders retreat within own borders to minimize losses in breakup scenario $$ Jun 07, 2012
• 4 reasons why the euro will survive http://t.co/PcDpsERP Too painful, Votersr risk-averse, euro is innovative?? & ECB can handle troubles $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Spanish, French Borrowing Costs Diverge http://t.co/X2XfTUem Spain had to cut the size of its auction to make it succeed $$ Jun 07, 2012
• My Self-Esteem a Mess Is Refrain for Spain?s Unemployed http://t.co/sV7l8Gbq When the economy turns down many other problems occur $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Germany Grapples With Role in Rescue http://t.co/dvkQXL38 Will the rest of Eurozone embrace the idea of a Federal Europe? Open question. $$ Jun 06, 2012
• Maybe the solution is to send unemployed Greek, Portugese, Spanish, Italian & Irish workers to Germany, there is low unemployment there $$ Jun 06, 2012
• “It has brought untold suffering to Europe” http://t.co/JDvp91eq Interview w/Felix Zuluaf, translated from German, regarding the Eurozone $$ Jun 05, 2012
• @JackHBarnes @japhychron Maybe define a euro as exchangeable into fixed %s of subcurrencies, and let the subcurrencies trade; learn new wgts Jun 05, 2012
• RT @JackHBarnes: How hard would it be to relaunch sub currencys at the N.C.B level, but have a quote vs the Euro as a whole? Dynamic int … Jun 05, 2012
• Spain Warns Market Access Being Shut http://t.co/tkr6No7s Spain auctions 2-yr, 4-yr & 10-yr bonds on 6/7, which will tell us a lot. $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Germany refuses Eurobonds: http://t.co/RLqELufX Germany would accept eurobonds if full fiscal/banking unification http://t.co/qXcrvsXh $$ Jun 04, 2012
• Portugal Props Up Three Banks http://t.co/xJOpX1yP The Eurozone must either centralize, or break into smaller compeatible units $$ Jun 04, 2012

 

Companies

?

• Intel Can?t Break TV?s Bundles http://t.co/4RUtMAPi Difficult 2encourage a la carte pricing for television shows; few incentives FD: + $INTC Jun 08, 2012
• Pushing the PRAM: when chips just can’t get any smaller http://t.co/G7Tcd6hg Fascinating technologies 4 future shrinkage of storage & NAND $$ Jun 08, 2012
• Could value investors be the reason a stock’s cheap? http://t.co/xAMVjAqx No, cheap stock is y value investors show; we don’t make it cheap Jun 08, 2012
• Big Customers Are Taking Longer to Pay http://t.co/7JS1Nov0 Causes everyone to seek longer financing terms; not a good sign $$ Jun 07, 2012
• The (very) bullish case for the American auto market http://t.co/ukPi2GUj Premature to forecast a boom here; credit is not that good $$ Jun 05, 2012
• JPMorgan Faces $4.2B Trading Loss, ISI Forecasts http://t.co/0FPsl5bR $JPM looks cheap here, but is it safe here? Almost tempted 2 buy $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Hedges Gone Awry Set Back Chesapeake http://t.co/Kw7gUpOD How many times does a hedger lose $$ speculating? Usually once, the last time 😉 Jun 04, 2012

 

Monetary Policy

 

• Rely on BB2provide dovish $$ policy RT @cabaum1 Bernanke says nothing without committing to anything http://t.co/qCV9J5SF via @BloombergView Jun 07, 2012
• Why Everyone Still Wants Dollars http://t.co/9QbDkaxl $$ hegemony will stop when neomercantilistic nations stop subsidizing exporters via FX Jun 07, 2012
• Pimco?s Home-Loan Wager Seen as Prescient on QE3 Odds http://t.co/gr8BmHOr Key Q: if QE3, what will the Fed buy? Tsys, Agys, Mtges, other $$ Jun 07, 2012
• @ampressman Monetary policy has not been run properly since Volcker left. $$ Jun 06, 2012
• RE: @bloombergview Where is your proof that QE works? A stupid idea thought up by ivory tower economists. Rubbish. http://t.co/Wgzpx01I Jun 06, 2012
• @GaelicTorus Sorry, disagree. Fiat monetary policy is constrained by the total resources/productivity of an economy @ a given price level $$ Jun 06, 2012
• Bill Gross: Global monetary system may be fatally flawed http://t.co/Hm2kIEFD System doesn’t work well if savers don’t earn more than CPI $$ Jun 06, 2012

 

Economics

 

• Behind every model is an analogy; behind every datum is history; marry the 2, you have a story. Math obscures, doesn’t reveal econ truth $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Wrong: What If Speed Traders Competed on Price? http://t.co/jZm0dlOs Moves to lower the tick size have always led to more games, not less $$ Jun 07, 2012
• Are Economics PhDs Learning the Wrong Thing? http://t.co/oT5oH9eK If more Economics depts taught philosophy & history would help fix Econ $$ Jun 07, 2012

 

Resources

 

• Gold Bugs Defy Bear-Market Threat With Soros Buying http://t.co/Q3g6xOwS Gold does well when real interest rates fall, & vice-versa $$ Jun 06, 2012
• Exhausting the Earth’s Resources? Not So Fast http://t.co/OZlc0GS5 It will b a long time b4 mining asteroids will b economic. $$ Jun 05, 2012
• Next Frontier: Mining the Ocean Floor http://t.co/o7DAp8Oi After years of discussing it, it is finally happening, w/Glencore buying ores $$ Jun 05, 2012

 

Miscellaneous

 

• Wall Street to Muppets: Thanks for the Love http://t.co/d0KLKPYF Blunt opening: “The dumb money is back.” Equity mutual funds get $$ inflows Jun 06, 2012
• 10 Things Law Schools Won’t Tell You http://t.co/l5NcIHBd Most of it boils down to oversupply, high training costs, low quality, job lies $$ Jun 06, 2012
• Bristol Immune Drug Success in Cancer May Spur Industry Race http://t.co/kivy3JgW Promising therapy awakens immune system 2fight cancer $$ Jun 05, 2012
• NRA-Backed Law Spells Out When Indianans May Open Fire on Police http://t.co/8v922BB2 Law will likely not last long; few corrupt cops $$ Jun 05, 2012
• AIG Chief Sees Retirement Age as High as 80 After Crisis http://t.co/VF0thYCp A bit of a tin ear as he relaxes at his Croatian villa $$ Jun 04, 2012
• IPads on a Plane Let Scoot Save Fuel by Shedding TV Tons http://t.co/50POpeO2 Never realized the entertainment system weighed so much $$ Jun 04, 2012
• Q: What Is New and Scary? A: The Revised GMAT http://t.co/Z0LR8dq4 Nu requires test-takers2read & sort complex charts & analyze much data $$ Jun 04, 2012
• Iran and Israel Can Agree on This: Rita Jahanforuz Totally Rocks http://t.co/83HxNwsx Jewish Star Remakes Persian Oldies; Fans in Tehran $$ Jun 04, 2012
• European Project Trips China Builder http://t.co/7jtu1Q5M Long tale of woe in Poland from accepting lowball bid from Chinese construction co Jun 04, 2012
• Good time had by all $$ MT @interfluidity: a mexican lunch in ellicott city with @interfluidity makes for a delightful afternoon. Jun 04, 2012