There isn’t any significant news today (you know it’s a slow news day when the Academy Awards is one of the top stories), so I decided to do a special notes today. First, a look ahead at next week’s important economic reports:
TUESDAY: Durable Goods Orders
WEDNESDAY: The second guess at 4th quarter GDP.
THURSDAY: Personal Income and Spending, and the ISM Manufacturing reports.
While these reports could have an impact next week, I don’t see them impacting the markets today.
Among other stories…
–China has it’s own “occupy” movement. Over there, the women are occupying men’s restrooms. Pardon the pun, but I can’t make this “crap” up…
–If you are going to pick a restaurant to walk into and make your own meal, why Denny’s? Some guy in Wisconsin actually did that. I shouldn’t point fingers, since I would need a restaurant with a microwave…
–Speaking of food, if you “have a bachelor’s degree in either math, engineering, biological or physical sciences, or computer science”, are a non-smoker, and speak English, you too can spend 4 months eating astronaut food for free! You also get a free “round-trip travel to Hawaii, lodgings…and $5,000″. If this sounds too good to be true, don’t worry: It’s part of a NASA study of people’s tastebuds, as they plan for a trip to Mars, which the government can’t afford anyway.
Some quotes that now look very wise for today from Dwight D Eisenhowe:
If all that Americans want is security, they can go to prison. They’ll have enough to eat, a bed and a roof over their heads. But if an American want to preserve his dignity and his equality as a human being, he must not bow his neck to any dictatorial government.
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
I despise people who go to the gutter on either the right or the left and hurl rocks at those in the center
I have only one yardstick by which I test every major problem – and that yardstick is: Is it good for America?
The purpose is clear. It is safety with solvency. The country is entitled to both
Thanks Sam, Maybe we should send all of those and especially the last one to everyone in office!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike,
Our politicians don’t read the bills they write. Do you honestly think they would bother to read something intelligent?
No I do not- but you have to remember I am all for FIRING THEM ALL and maybe then we could get someone to read about what “WE THE PEOPLE WANT” instead of the Buffet’s of the world.
Ed or oil fans: any thoughts on JJ article: http://jubakpicks.com/2012/02/24/why-theres-talk-of-120-a-barrel-oil-maybe-even-150-and-three-stocks-to-take-advantage-of-that-possibility/
Jubak makes some good points. Without Iranian oil, nearly anything could disrupt the supply, even if you assume nothing happens with Iran. Even a small black swan event in the oil industry could push us into higher oil prices.
On the other hand, he also makes a good point that companies that supply oil drilling could see some new business out of this.
I read an interesting article, but can’t find it now, about the fact that oil prices are high because their has been a 4% decline in refineries. Many of the old eastern US refineries processing the higher priced Brent sea crude are losing money and are closing. Only the refineries that can either also process Nat Gas because it is so cheap or the oil that is from the Oil sands in Canada or the North Dakota fields are making money. They expect more refieneries to close which will continue to pinch supplies.
Another article about high oil prices:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203918304577241623995642182.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read