Market Crash info

At the beginning of the housing market crash of 2007/8 , housing sale prices dropped from $ 305,800 ( Q4-2007 ) to $ 290,400 ( Q1-2008 ) ( -5.04 % ) Today , 2020 , Q1 to Q2 dropped from $ 383,000 to $ 368,700 ( -5.74 % ) US House Prices consistently correlate a 6 month forecast of Real Personal Consumption Expenditures ( PCE ) , according to Oxford Economics .
Q2 ( 2020 ) GDP decreased 32.9 % , where Q1 had only decreased 5 % .
Disposable Personal Income increased $ 1.53T ( 42.1 % ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 157.8B ( 3.9 % ) in Q1 where a stimulus package for unemployment was nonexistent .
Real Disposable Personal Income increased 44.9 % for Q1 , compared with an increase of 2.6 % for Q2 .
Personal Saving increased to $ 4.69T 3x from Q1 to Q2 .
Gold has been on a bull rise since April , steeper than World Technology , and also World Alternative Energy .
As of mid-June , Gold bull sentiment has made an even steeper rise to today .
Goldman Sachs Global Investment ’ s Risky/Safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April was around only 5 % .
As of the beginning of July , their assets were forced up to 82 % risk .
And in the last month , they ’ ve managed to decrease their risk to 60 % .
Stock Market Valuation from Dec2007 to Jun2008 dropped 38 % from neutral ( 0 % ) to deeply undervalued .
Autists , if you read this , and read it again , you will see that in 6 months from now , we will be at the bottom of the market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it took 18 months for the market to level out to normal , this time it will take 36-48 months .
Disclaimer : This information is only for educational purposes .
Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article .
Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision .

by DIRTY_MAGICIAN
At the beginning of the housing market crash of 2007/8, housing sale prices dropped from $305,800(Q4-2007) to $290,400 (Q1-2008)(-5.04%)
Today, 2020, Q1 to Q2 dropped from $383,000 to $368,700(-5.74%)
US House Prices consistently correlate a 6 month forecast of Real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), according to Oxford Economics.
Q2(2020) GDP decreased 32.9%, where Q1 had only decreased 5%.
Disposable Personal Income increased $1.53T(42.1%), in Q2 compared with an increase of $157.8B(3.9%) in Q1 where a stimulus package for unemployment was nonexistent. Real Disposable Personal Income increased 44.9% for Q1, compared with an increase of 2.6% for Q2.
Personal Saving increased to $4.69T 3x from Q1 to Q2.
Gold has been on a bull rise since April, steeper than World Technology, and also World Alternative Energy. As of mid-June, Gold bull sentiment has made an even steeper rise to today.
Goldman Sachs Global Investment’s Risky/Safe Asset Flow Sentiment shows asset risks in April was around only 5%. As of the beginning of July, their assets were forced up to 82% risk. And in the last month, they’ve managed to decrease their risk to 60%.
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Stock Market Valuation from Dec2007 to Jun2008 dropped 38% from neutral(0%) to deeply undervalued.
Autists, if you read this, and read it again, you will see that in 6 months from now, we will be at the bottom of the market. But, unlike last time where it took 18 months for the market to level out to normal, this time it will take 36-48 months.

Source:
isabelnet.com
eaccny.com
investorsmonitor.com
nber.org
Disclaimer: This information is only for educational purposes. Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article. Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--LOOK What these Pro-Life Activists Chalked on the Street that got them ARRESTED

Andrew Mark Miller from washington examiner reports , Two anti-abortion activists were arrested Saturday morning after writing “ black preborn @ @ @ @ @ a Planned Parenthood building .
Writing the phrase in chalk on the sidewalk outside of @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C. , was part of an event held by Students for Life of @ @ @ @ @ Foundation , according to the Daily Caller .

Andrew Mark Miller from washington examiner reports, Two anti-abortion activists were arrested Saturday morning after writing “black preborn lives matter” outside of a Planned Parenthood building. Writing the phrase in chalk on the sidewalk outside of a Planned Parenthood site in Washington, D.C., was part of an event held by Students for Life of America and the Frederick Douglass Foundation, according to the Daily Caller.
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Read More/Source/Credit/FairUse:
www.washingtonexaminer.com/ne…


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Fauci Warns Trump About Rallies, Then Welcomes the RIOTS!

Back in mid-June Dr. Fauci warned the Trump White House that holding a campaign rally was dangerous .
When asked if he would attend a Trump campaign rally , he responded , “ Of course not !
” The Huffington Post reported : Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned White House officials of the serious health risks posed by the massive Trump rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , this Saturday , NBC News reported on Friday .
Dr. Deborah Birx , the COVID-19 response coordinator of President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus task force , also raised concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the discussions told NBC .
THOUSANDS of leftists marched in downtown Chicago on Saturday night calling for city to abolish racist police .
Chicago has seen a 139 % uptick in murders in July 2020 .
The mayor still has the city in lockdown , that is except for the Democrat planned riots , THAT ’ S OK !
Proof Of The Democrat Agenda To Spread the Virus !
And Invite Economy CRUSHING Regulations !
Democrats try desperately to blame the second wave of the virus on reopening , but here is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fault of riots : It was the RIOTS that caused the second wave .
If you look at charts it ’ s obvious .
Take a look at how these Democrats “ social distance ”

Back in mid-June Dr. Fauci warned the Trump White House that holding a campaign rally was dangerous.
When asked if he would attend a Trump campaign rally, he responded, “Of course not!”
The Huffington Post reported:
Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned White House officials of the serious health risks posed by the massive Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this Saturday, NBC News reported on Friday. Dr. Deborah Birx, the COVID-19 response coordinator of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, also raised concerns about the rally, two sources familiar with the discussions told NBC.
Wow Rep. @Jim_Jordan GRILLS Dr. Fauci on whether protests are increasing the spread of the virus. Watch This 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DHxSs7lDUH — Benny (@bennyjohnson) July 31, 2020
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/fraud-dr-fauci-warned-trump-campaign-rally-dangerous-refuses-condemn-leftist-street-protests-riots-video/
THOUSANDS of leftists marched in downtown Chicago on Saturday night calling for city to abolish racist police.
Chicago has seen a 139% uptick in murders in July 2020.
The mayor still has the city in lockdown, that is except for the Democrat planned riots, THAT’S OK!
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/coronavirus-thousands-leftists-march-chicago-chanting-no-justice-no-peace-defund-police-video/
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Proof Of The Democrat Agenda To Spread the Virus!
And Invite Economy CRUSHING Regulations!
Democrats try desperately to blame the second wave of the virus on reopening, but here is a chart that shows it was the fault of riots:
realclimatescience.com/page/6/
It was the RIOTS that caused the second wave. If you look at charts it’s obvious. Take a look at how these Democrats “social distance”
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/1/riots-poised-be-coronavirus-super-spreader-events/
George Floyd protests threaten to become coronavirus 'super-spreader' eventst.co/E4ehrDRYpc pic.twitter.com/qOfdSDB7de — The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 1, 2020
h/t Natura Naturans


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Bidens Likely Behind $6 million Bribe to Fire Ukrainian Prosecutor

An individual was reportedly arrested by Ukrainian Law Enforcement who was attempting to bribe government officials with $ 6 million to end an investigation into Burisma and Hunter Biden .
It was first reported yesterday that : This evening Ukrainian investigators seized $ 6 million in cash and arrests were made in an alleged bribe to Ukrainian prosecutors to halt investigations into the Burisma group of companies and involvement with Hunter Biden , the son of Democrat Presidential Candidate Joe Biden , CDMedia has learned .
The bribes were allegedly to the Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Special Prosecutor ( SAP ) .
This information was posted on official NABU social media .
We are told the operation had been under way for 2 weeks and is still ongoing .
The first deputy head of the Kiev tax Nikolay Ilyashenko tried to bribe the leadership of NABU and SAP for closing criminal proceedings against the largest Ukrainian gas producing private company Burisma , which was owned by former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Nikolai Zlochevsky , writes Obozrevatel .
This was announced on Facebook by journalist Yuri Butusov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainees Ilyashenko himself and Andrei Kicha , director of legal affairs at Burisma .
“ ( They gave money ) for the fact that the special anti-corruption prosecutor Nazar Kholodnitsky will close the case of the infamous Burisma company , which was owned by oligarch Nikolai Zlochevsky , and whose supervisory board was the son of Joe Biden , a former US vice president and , in the near future , a probable candidate for US president from the Democratic Party , “ the journalist wrote .
Not the first time Biden was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor of his son ’ s oil company .
Here he is ADMITTING he threatened Ukrainian president Poroshenko with withholding a BILLION DOLLAR US donation to Ukraine if he didn ’ t fire the THEN prosecutor of Biden ’ s son .
Biden Reportedly ‘ Bragged ’ About the Firing of a Prosecutor Who Was Investigating His Son ’ s Firm Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden reportedly “ bragged ” about his role in the firing of a prosecutor who was , at the time , investigating his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be fired was Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin .
The threat was issued to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko .
In March 2016 , Biden told Poroshenko the Obama administration was prepared to rescind $ 1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Shokin was given the boot , according to an investigative column in The Hill .
There was initially some push back from Ukrainian authorities on the demanded dismissal , Biden said , adding that he “ had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko ” that action would be taken against Shokin but this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself described the turn of events at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in January 2018 : I said , “ Nah , I ’ m not going to—or , we ’ re not going to give you the billion dollars.
” They said , “ You have no authority .
You ’ re not the president.
” The president said—I said , “ Call him.
” I said , “ I ’ m telling you , you ’ re not getting the billion dollars.
” I said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m going to be leaving here in , I think it was about six hours.
” I looked at them and said , “ I ’ m leaving in six hours .
If the prosecutor is not fired , you ’ re not getting the money.
” Well , son of a bit*h. He got fired .
And they put in place someone who was solid at the time .
“ What was the Serious Offense of Viktor Shokin ?
Why Did US Come to Conclusion he Had to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reveals He is Looking at Biden ’ s Burisma Scandal ( VIDEO ) Senator Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) joined Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures to discuss the ongoing investigation of the historic Obama Spygate scandal .
Senator Johnson : What I thought was very interesting about Rod Rosenstein ’ s testimony it was an astonishingly lack of curiosity and management oversight regarding an investigation into the sitting president of the United States .
I mean , think about , Maria .
I look at Rod Rosenstein and I think either it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or he simply wasn ’ t being truthful .
I want to get to the bottom of who knew what and when did they know it .
Later in the interview Senator Johnson told Maria that Senate Republicans are still looking at the multi-million dollar Biden Burisma scandal .
Senator Johnson : But the big question I have is what was the serious offense of Viktor Shokin ?
Why did the US government come to the conclusion that he had to be fired and that resulted in a very serious threat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It doesn ’ t make any sense and literally we ’ ve been trying to get from the State Department , we actually have an oversight letter that specifically to ask that question .
Why did the US government require the firing of Viktor Shokin ?

An individual was reportedly arrested by Ukrainian Law Enforcement who was attempting to bribe government officials with $6 million to end an investigation into Burisma and Hunter Biden.
It was first reported yesterday that:
This evening Ukrainian investigators seized $6 million in cash and arrests were made in an alleged bribe to Ukrainian prosecutors to halt investigations into the Burisma group of companies and involvement with Hunter Biden, the son of Democrat Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, CDMedia has learned. The bribes were allegedly to the Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (SAP). This information was posted on official NABU social media. We are told the operation had been under way for 2 weeks and is still ongoing.
The first deputy head of the Kiev tax Nikolay Ilyashenko tried to bribe the leadership of NABU and SAP for closing criminal proceedings against the largest Ukrainian gas producing private company Burisma, which was owned by former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Nikolai Zlochevsky, writes Obozrevatel.
This was announced on Facebook by journalist Yuri Butusov. According to him, among the detainees Ilyashenko himself and Andrei Kicha, director of legal affairs at Burisma.
“(They gave money) for the fact that the special anti-corruption prosecutor Nazar Kholodnitsky will close the case of the infamous Burisma company, which was owned by oligarch Nikolai Zlochevsky, and whose supervisory board was the son of Joe Biden, a former US vice president and, in the near future, a probable candidate for US president from the Democratic Party, “the journalist wrote.
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/breaking-report-ukrainian-law-enforcement-arrest-individual-allegedly-attempting-end-investigation-burisma-hunter-biden-6-million-bribe/
Not the first time Biden was caught blackmailing the Ukrainians to fire a prosecutor of his son’s oil company. Here he is ADMITTING he threatened Ukrainian president Poroshenko with withholding a BILLION DOLLAR US donation to Ukraine if he didn’t fire the THEN prosecutor of Biden’s son.
Biden Reportedly ‘Bragged’ About the Firing of a Prosecutor Who Was Investigating His Son’s Firm
Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden reportedly “bragged” about his role in the firing of a prosecutor who was, at the time, investigating his son’s company.
The prosecutor to be fired was Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. The threat was issued to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. In March 2016, Biden told Poroshenko the Obama administration was prepared to rescind $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Shokin was given the boot, according to an investigative column in The Hill.
There was initially some push back from Ukrainian authorities on the demanded dismissal, Biden said, adding that he “had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko” that action would be taken against Shokin but this allegedly had yet to occur.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Biden himself described the turn of events at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in January 2018:
I said, “Nah, I’m not going to—or, we’re not going to give you the billion dollars.” They said, “You have no authority. You’re not the president.” The president said—I said, “Call him.” I said, “I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars.” I said, “You’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in, I think it was about six hours.” I looked at them and said, “I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money.” Well, son of a bit*h. He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.
lawandcrime.com/high-profile/bid…sons-firm/
“What was the Serious Offense of Viktor Shokin? Why Did US Come to Conclusion he Had to be Fired?” – Sen. Ron Johnson Reveals He is Looking at Biden’s Burisma Scandal (VIDEO)
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) joined Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures to discuss the ongoing investigation of the historic Obama Spygate scandal.
Senator Johnson: What I thought was very interesting about Rod Rosenstein’s testimony it was an astonishingly lack of curiosity and management oversight regarding an investigation into the sitting president of the United States. I mean, think about, Maria. I look at Rod Rosenstein and I think either it was willful ignorance, complete managerial incompetence, or he simply wasn’t being truthful. I want to get to the bottom of who knew what and when did they know it.
Later in the interview Senator Johnson told Maria that Senate Republicans are still looking at the multi-million dollar Biden Burisma scandal.
Senator Johnson: But the big question I have is what was the serious offense of Viktor Shokin? Why did the US government come to the conclusion that he had to be fired and that resulted in a very serious threat on the part of Vice President Biden. It doesn’t make any sense and literally we’ve been trying to get from the State Department, we actually have an oversight letter that specifically to ask that question. Why did the US government require the firing of Viktor Shokin?
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06…ndalvideo/
h/t Natura Naturans


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Iron, Not Saturated Fat, May be The REAL Cause of Heart Disease

After reevaluating the early studies of saturated fat and heart disease no evidence was substantiated that saturated fat causes heart disease : Conclusions : “ A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD .
More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.
” Interestingly , red meat seems to be related to heart disease AND cancer , so if it ’ s NOT saturated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
It turns out the “ red ” comes from a lot of iron , and THAT may be the culprit in heart disease : Too Much Iron May Lead to Heart Attack FROM THE WEBMD ARCHIVES Oct. 25 , 2000 ( Washington ) — As the level of iron goes up in your bloodstream , so apparently does your risk for heart attack and stroke .
A new study by Japanese researchers shows that high-level iron injections can cause almost immediate constriction of blood vessels .
In fact , the scientists believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step in a cascade of events leading to the thickening and hardening of the arteries known as atherosclerosis .
“ Our study shows that we should recognize iron as a risk factor , ” says Hidehiro Matsuoka , MD , PhD , lead researcher and chief of the Kurume University School of Medicine ’ s hypertension program .
The cardiologist presented his findings Wednesday at the 54th Annual Fall Conference of the American Heart Association ’ s Council for High Blood Pressure Research .
The debate over iron ’ s effect on heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A number of studies have suggested a link .
Those who suffer from abnormally high levels of iron in the blood are believed to have an elevated risk for heart problems .
But people who donate blood , depleting their iron levels in the process , may be less prone to heart attack .
However , the Japanese study apparently is the first to show that deliberately increasing a person ’ s iron interferes with the lining of the blood vessels , called the endothelium .
After giving 10 healthy young men a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-resolution ultrasonography to measure any impact on blood flow .
According to Matsuoka , the normal blood vessel dilation was reduced by as much as one-third by the experiment .
It ’ s not clear what causes the change , but it could be that the iron generates oxygen free radicals , which have been linked to both cancer and heart disease .
I eat little meat of any kind and mostly Chicken , but I have long wondered at how little evidence there was against meat eating and heart disease and cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opens up a simple cure for heart disease and allows those who like meat to eat it freely without danger of disease .
Wouldn ’ t it be wonderful for meat eaters to just take a supplement to reduce iron in the blood instead of adopting the Soy boy diet ?
I ’ m sure Ahanata would approve , I know she took great umbrage years ago when I posted some research implicating meat in disease .
Now this research is in the early stage so we can ’ t recommend any changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting .

After reevaluating the early studies of saturated fat and heart disease no evidence was substantiated that saturated fat causes heart disease:
Conclusions: “A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat.”
academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/91…f_ipsecsha
Interestingly, red meat seems to be related to heart disease AND cancer, so if it’s NOT saturated fat, WHAT makes red meat dangerous? It turns out the “red” comes from a lot of iron, and THAT may be the culprit in heart disease:
Too Much Iron May Lead to Heart Attack
FROM THE WEBMD ARCHIVES
Oct. 25, 2000 (Washington) — As the level of iron goes up in your bloodstream, so apparently does your risk for heart attack and stroke. A new study by Japanese researchers shows that high-level iron injections can cause almost immediate constriction of blood vessels. In fact, the scientists believe the iron damage could be the first step in a cascade of events leading to the thickening and hardening of the arteries known as atherosclerosis.
“Our study shows that we should recognize iron as a risk factor,” says Hidehiro Matsuoka, MD, PhD, lead researcher and chief of the Kurume University School of Medicine’s hypertension program. The cardiologist presented his findings Wednesday at the 54th Annual Fall Conference of the American Heart Association’s Council for High Blood Pressure Research.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The debate over iron’s effect on heart disease has preoccupied doctors for years. A number of studies have suggested a link. Those who suffer from abnormally high levels of iron in the blood are believed to have an elevated risk for heart problems. But people who donate blood, depleting their iron levels in the process, may be less prone to heart attack.
However, the Japanese study apparently is the first to show that deliberately increasing a person’s iron interferes with the lining of the blood vessels, called the endothelium. After giving 10 healthy young men a megadose of iron, the researchers used high-resolution ultrasonography to measure any impact on blood flow.
According to Matsuoka, the normal blood vessel dilation was reduced by as much as one-third by the experiment. It’s not clear what causes the change, but it could be that the iron generates oxygen free radicals, which have been linked to both cancer and heart disease.
www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news…t-attack#1
I eat little meat of any kind and mostly Chicken, but I have long wondered at how little evidence there was against meat eating and heart disease and cancer. Now if this is true it opens up a simple cure for heart disease and allows those who like meat to eat it freely without danger of disease. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for meat eaters to just take a supplement to reduce iron in the blood instead of adopting the Soy boy diet? I’m sure Ahanata would approve, I know she took great umbrage years ago when I posted some research implicating meat in disease. Now this research is in the early stage so we can’t recommend any changes to diet, but it’s interesting.
h/t Natura Naturans


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Scientists Have Warned That A 400 Foot Tsunami Could Hit The East Coast If An Asteroid Hit The Atlan

Scientists Have Warned That A 400 Foot Tsunami Could Hit The East Coast If An Asteroid Hit The Atlantic Ocean

We live at a time when giant space rocks are whizzing past our planet with alarming regularity .
Sometimes we know in advance that they are coming , and sometimes we don ’ t .
In fact , on July 28th an asteroid the size of a car zipped past our planet “ at a range that rivals the orbits of some high-flying satellites ” , but we had only spotted it for the very first time on July 26th .
If we couldn ’ t see that one until it was nearly upon us , could it be possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurtling toward our planet that we currently know nothing about ?
In 1998 , a big Hollywood movie entitled “ Deep Impact ” imagined what would happen if a very large asteroid hit the Atlantic Ocean .
It is hard to believe that it has been more than 20 years since it first came out , because I can still remember it very vividly .
In one of the most memorable scenes in the film , a massive tsunami that is hundreds of feet tall slams into the east coast of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But that is just a movie .
Could something similar actually happen in real life ?
On Tuesday , a British news source reminded us that scientists have discovered that such a scenario is actually a very real possibility… Of course an asteroid could potentially hit anywhere on the planet , but in their research Ward and Asphaug specifically focused on the Atlantic Ocean , and what their computer simulation came up with was extremely disconcerting… For the simulation , the researchers chose an impact site consistent with the orientation of the Earth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – in the Atlantic Ocean about 360 miles from the US coast .
Dr Ward explained that the 60,000-megaton blast of the impact could vaporise the asteroid and blow a cavity in the ocean 11 miles across and all the way down to the seafloor , which is about three miles deep at that point .
Such an impact would send a series of giant waves in all directions , including toward the east coast of the United States .
Today , almost 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in a county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the population density right along the east coast is particularly dense .
Florida would probably be the first state to get hit by the waves , and it would be particularly vulnerable because most of the state is just barely above sea level… South Florida has two big problems .
The first is its remarkably flat topography .
Half the area that surrounds Miami is less than five feet above sea level .
Its highest natural elevation , a limestone ridge that runs from Palm Beach to just south of the city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just three feet of sea-level rise , more than a third of southern Florida will vanish ; at six feet , more than half will be gone ; if the seas rise 12 feet , South Florida will be little more than an isolated archipelago surrounded by abandoned buildings and crumbling overpasses .
And the waters won ’ t just come in from the east – because the region is so flat , rising seas will come in nearly as fast from the west too , through the Everglades .
In other words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep the tsunami waves from racing across the entire state .
Much of the rest of the east coast would be extremely vulnerable as well .
For example , New York City is less than 50 feet above sea level… Boston , New Haven , Jersey City , Newark , Atlantic City , Philadelphia , Virginia Beach , Wilmington , Myrtle Beach , Charleston , Savannah and countless other east coast cities are all also less than 50 feet above sea level .
So we are talking about the potential for death and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Washington D.C. would fare a little bit better , because some parts of the D.C. area are up to 410 feet above sea level… So I would rather be in D.C. than New York or Boston when a giant tsunami hits , but without a doubt the devastation would be immense in our capital city as well .
We should hope that such an event can be put off for as long as possible , but we have been warned that our planet is apparently “ in the midst of an epic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted at the beginning of this article , we are still discovering more asteroids all the time .
The one that was discovered on July 26th was not a threat , but it did come alarmingly close to us… Despite all of our advanced technology , we remain extremely vulnerable , and scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before our luck runs out and a gigantic space rock hits our planet .
The good news is that we do not currently know about any asteroids that appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course the bad news is that there are plenty of asteroids that we still haven ’ t discovered yet , and one or more of them could possibly be traveling directly toward us .

by Michael Snyder
We live at a time when giant space rocks are whizzing past our planet with alarming regularity. Sometimes we know in advance that they are coming, and sometimes we don’t. In fact, on July 28th an asteroid the size of a car zipped past our planet “at a range that rivals the orbits of some high-flying satellites”, but we had only spotted it for the very first time on July 26th. If we couldn’t see that one until it was nearly upon us, could it be possible that there are much larger potential threats hurtling toward our planet that we currently know nothing about?
In 1998, a big Hollywood movie entitled “Deep Impact” imagined what would happen if a very large asteroid hit the Atlantic Ocean. It is hard to believe that it has been more than 20 years since it first came out, because I can still remember it very vividly. In one of the most memorable scenes in the film, a massive tsunami that is hundreds of feet tall slams into the east coast of the United States causing immense death and destruction.
But that is just a movie. Could something similar actually happen in real life?
On Tuesday, a British news source reminded us that scientists have discovered that such a scenario is actually a very real possibility…
A computer simulation of an asteroid impact tsunami developed by scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz (USCS), showed waves as high as 400 feet sweeping onto the Atlantic Coast of the US. Steven Ward, a researcher at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at UCSC, and Erik Asphaug, an associate professor of Earth sciences, reported their findings in the Geophysical Journal International.
Of course an asteroid could potentially hit anywhere on the planet, but in their research Ward and Asphaug specifically focused on the Atlantic Ocean, and what their computer simulation came up with was extremely disconcerting…
For the simulation, the researchers chose an impact site consistent with the orientation of the Earth at the time of the predicted encounter – in the Atlantic Ocean about 360 miles from the US coast. Dr Ward explained that the 60,000-megaton blast of the impact could vaporise the asteroid and blow a cavity in the ocean 11 miles across and all the way down to the seafloor, which is about three miles deep at that point.
Such an impact would send a series of giant waves in all directions, including toward the east coast of the United States.
Today, almost 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in a county that directly borders a shoreline, and the population density right along the east coast is particularly dense.
Florida would probably be the first state to get hit by the waves, and it would be particularly vulnerable because most of the state is just barely above sea level…
South Florida has two big problems. The first is its remarkably flat topography. Half the area that surrounds Miami is less than five feet above sea level. Its highest natural elevation, a limestone ridge that runs from Palm Beach to just south of the city, averages a scant 12 feet. With just three feet of sea-level rise, more than a third of southern Florida will vanish; at six feet, more than half will be gone; if the seas rise 12 feet, South Florida will be little more than an isolated archipelago surrounded by abandoned buildings and crumbling overpasses. And the waters won’t just come in from the east – because the region is so flat, rising seas will come in nearly as fast from the west too, through the Everglades.
In other words, there would be absolutely nothing to keep the tsunami waves from racing across the entire state.
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Much of the rest of the east coast would be extremely vulnerable as well. For example, New York City is less than 50 feet above sea level…
Despite having some of the tallest buildings in the world and being well-known for its towers and skyscrapers, New York City has a very low elevation of just 33 feet (10 m) above sea level. New York’s elevation is so low due to its location right on the coast of the United States.
Boston, New Haven, Jersey City, Newark, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savannah and countless other east coast cities are all also less than 50 feet above sea level.
So we are talking about the potential for death and destruction on a scale that is unimaginable.
Washington D.C. would fare a little bit better, because some parts of the D.C. area are up to 410 feet above sea level…
Washington D.C. is relatively flat and located at 410 feet above sea level at its highest point and at sea level at its lowest point.
So I would rather be in D.C. than New York or Boston when a giant tsunami hits, but without a doubt the devastation would be immense in our capital city as well.
We should hope that such an event can be put off for as long as possible, but we have been warned that our planet is apparently “in the midst of an epic asteroid surge”…
And as I noted at the beginning of this article, we are still discovering more asteroids all the time. The one that was discovered on July 26th was not a threat, but it did come alarmingly close to us…
A car-sized asteroid discovered over the weekend made a close flyby of Earth today (July 28), passing our planet at a range that rivals the orbits of some high-flying satellites. The asteroid 2020 OY4, which was first detected on Sunday (July 26), made its closest approach today at 1:31 a.m. EDT (0531 GMT) when it zipped by Earth at a speed of about 27,700 mph (44,600 km/h), according to the European Space Agency. The asteroid is just under 10 feet (3 meters) wide and posed no impact risk to Earth, but did approach the flight paths of geosynchronous satellites.
Despite all of our advanced technology, we remain extremely vulnerable, and scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before our luck runs out and a gigantic space rock hits our planet.
The good news is that we do not currently know about any asteroids that appear to be an imminent threat.
But of course the bad news is that there are plenty of asteroids that we still haven’t discovered yet, and one or more of them could possibly be traveling directly toward us.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Did The “Mushroom Cloud” Explosion In Beirut Just Push The Middle East Closer To A Major War?

2020 just keeps getting weirder .
On Tuesday , an absolutely massive explosion caused a red mushroom cloud to rise high over the city of Beirut , Lebanon .
It is being called “ Beirut ’ s Hiroshima ” , and the blast was heard as far away as Cyprus .
You can watch a two minute compilation that contains video clips of the explosion from several different angles right here .
It appears that the shockwave did even more damage than the initial explosion did , and at this hour a large portion of the city of Beirut lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands are injured , and the entire city is now in a state of complete chaos… Two enormous explosions devastated Beirut ’ s port on Tuesday , leaving at least 73 people dead and thousands injured , shaking distant buildings and spreading panic and chaos across the Lebanese capital .
The second blast sent an enormous orange fireball into the sky , flattened the harbourside and drove a tornado-like shockwave through the city , shattering windows kilometres ( miles ) away .
It is being reported that Beirut ’ s port “ is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a really bad time because Lebanon is already in the midst of an epic economic collapse .
In recent months , we have become accustomed to hearing about “ mystery explosions ” all over the Middle East , and many believe that those mystery explosions indicate that the region is on the brink of a full-blown war .
But this incident was different .
A large section of the capital of Lebanon has been flattened , and many eyewitnesses are comparing the blast to a nuclear explosion .
Here is one example… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up “ Hiroshima ” and “ Nagasaki ” when asked about the explosion… Immediately after this happened , a lot of people began wondering if this was an Israeli attack , but that does not appear to be the case .
One unnamed Israeli government official told AFP that “ Israel had nothing to do with the incident ” , and Benny Gantz has actually offered to send humanitarian aid to Beirut… If Israel really had been behind this attack , I seriously doubt that they would be offering to patch up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel ’ s style either .
The Israelis prefer surgical strikes that avoid civilian casualties as much as possible , and this explosion definitely does not fit that profile .
Instead , it appears that this was some sort of deeply tragic accident .
Lebanese officials have admitted that 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored in the unit that exploded , and that amount of ammonium nitrate can definitely produce the sort of explosion that we just witnessed… But Donald Trump is apparently not buying that explanation .
He told the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and that it was caused by “ a bomb of some kind ” … At least 60 people were killed and thousands were wounded in an explosion that caused widespread damage in the Lebanese capital .
Trump said he had been briefed by “ our great generals ” and that they “ seem to feel ” that the explosion was not an accident .
“ According to them – they would know better than I would – but they seem to think it was an attack , ” Trump told reporters at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bomb of some kind.
” If this really was an attack , the Lebanese are going to want revenge , because a substantial portion of their capital city has been absolutely decimated .
And needless to say , there are already voices all over the Middle East that are eagerly pointing a finger of blame at Israel and are calling for war .
But unlike the “ mystery explosions ” that have been happening in Iran , the evidence does not indicate that Israel had anything to do with this great tragedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there are going to jump to their own conclusions , and many of those that hate Israel will use this as another justification to call for armed conflict .
Over the past couple of years , there have been so many moments when it seemed like a major war could break out at any time in the Middle East .
And here in 2020 , tensions are running higher than ever .
The IDF has been regularly hitting Iranian and Hezbollah targets all over the region , and we just witnessed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It appears that it is just a matter of time before a huge war erupts in the Middle East , and it certainly isn ’ t going to take much to trigger one .
So could this explosion push the region over the edge ?
Let us hope not , but without a doubt this blast is not going to help matters .
The devastation that we just witnessed has caused great pain and anger in Lebanon , and terror groups such as Hezbollah will inevitably try to channel all of that pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ultimate goals .

by Michael Snyder
2020 just keeps getting weirder. On Tuesday, an absolutely massive explosion caused a red mushroom cloud to rise high over the city of Beirut, Lebanon. It is being called “Beirut’s Hiroshima”, and the blast was heard as far away as Cyprus. You can watch a two minute compilation that contains video clips of the explosion from several different angles right here. It appears that the shockwave did even more damage than the initial explosion did, and at this hour a large portion of the city of Beirut lies in ruins. Dozens are dead, thousands are injured, and the entire city is now in a state of complete chaos…
Two enormous explosions devastated Beirut’s port on Tuesday, leaving at least 73 people dead and thousands injured, shaking distant buildings and spreading panic and chaos across the Lebanese capital. The second blast sent an enormous orange fireball into the sky, flattened the harbourside and drove a tornado-like shockwave through the city, shattering windows kilometres (miles) away.
It is being reported that Beirut’s port “is totally destroyed”, and this comes at a really bad time because Lebanon is already in the midst of an epic economic collapse.
In recent months, we have become accustomed to hearing about “mystery explosions” all over the Middle East, and many believe that those mystery explosions indicate that the region is on the brink of a full-blown war.
But this incident was different. A large section of the capital of Lebanon has been flattened, and many eyewitnesses are comparing the blast to a nuclear explosion. Here is one example…
“It was like an atomic bomb,” said Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired schoolteacher in her mid-70s who has lived near the port for decades. “I’ve experienced everything, but nothing like this before,” even during the country’s 1975-1990 civil war, she said. “All the buildings around here have collapsed.”
And even Beirut Governor Marwan Aboud brought up “Hiroshima” and “Nagasaki” when asked about the explosion…
“This reminds me of what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” said Beirut Governor Marwan Aboud. “I have never seen such widespread destruction. This is a national catastrophe. This is a disaster for Lebanon. We’re already living through days where we can barely keep going.” “And now this…I don’t know how we’re going to recover from this,” Aboud told Sky News, before bursting into tears.
Immediately after this happened, a lot of people began wondering if this was an Israeli attack, but that does not appear to be the case.
One unnamed Israeli government official told AFP that “Israel had nothing to do with the incident”, and Benny Gantz has actually offered to send humanitarian aid to Beirut…
Offers of aid also came from bitter rivals Israel, with which it is still technically at war. Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government – via international intermediaries – medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance,’ said a joint statement from the two ministries.
If Israel really had been behind this attack, I seriously doubt that they would be offering to patch up their enemies.
And this isn’t Israel’s style either. The Israelis prefer surgical strikes that avoid civilian casualties as much as possible, and this explosion definitely does not fit that profile.
Instead, it appears that this was some sort of deeply tragic accident. Lebanese officials have admitted that 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored in the unit that exploded, and that amount of ammonium nitrate can definitely produce the sort of explosion that we just witnessed…
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Lebanon’s interior minister said ammonium nitrate had been stored in the unit since 2014, with experts agreeing that the chemical would cause the red plume of smoke which burst up from the blast. Local media are reporting that 2,700 tonnes of the chemical exploded, which scientists making initial calculations said was about three kilotonnes of TNT – roughly a fifth of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in the Second World War.
But Donald Trump is apparently not buying that explanation. He told the press that the explosion “was an attack” and that it was caused by “a bomb of some kind”…
At least 60 people were killed and thousands were wounded in an explosion that caused widespread damage in the Lebanese capital. Trump said he had been briefed by “our great generals” and that they “seem to feel” that the explosion was not an accident. “According to them – they would know better than I would – but they seem to think it was an attack,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It was a bomb of some kind.”
If this really was an attack, the Lebanese are going to want revenge, because a substantial portion of their capital city has been absolutely decimated.
And needless to say, there are already voices all over the Middle East that are eagerly pointing a finger of blame at Israel and are calling for war.
But unlike the “mystery explosions” that have been happening in Iran, the evidence does not indicate that Israel had anything to do with this great tragedy.
Unfortunately, a lot of people out there are going to jump to their own conclusions, and many of those that hate Israel will use this as another justification to call for armed conflict.
Over the past couple of years, there have been so many moments when it seemed like a major war could break out at any time in the Middle East. And here in 2020, tensions are running higher than ever. The IDF has been regularly hitting Iranian and Hezbollah targets all over the region, and we just witnessed a harrowing confrontation on the Syrian border.
It appears that it is just a matter of time before a huge war erupts in the Middle East, and it certainly isn’t going to take much to trigger one.
So could this explosion push the region over the edge?
Let us hope not, but without a doubt this blast is not going to help matters.
The devastation that we just witnessed has caused great pain and anger in Lebanon, and terror groups such as Hezbollah will inevitably try to channel all of that pain and anger in a way that furthers their ultimate goals.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--TikTok and our Last-Ditch Desperation for Social Mobility

Social media offers hope of achieving higher social status , something that is increasingly out of reach in our winner-take-most economy .
I ’ ve often addressed the decline of social mobility and the addictive nature of social media , for example , Why Is Social Media So Toxic ?
I have long held that the decline of social mobility–broad-based opportunities to get ahead financially and socially–is part of a larger dynamic I call social depression : the social decay resulting from economic stagnation and the decline of social mobility and financial security .
America ’ s Social Depression Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lab experiment in the negative social consequences of economic stagnation , a topic I ’ ve addressed since 2010 : The Non-Financial Cost of Stagnation : “ Social Recession ” and Japan ’ s “ Lost Generations ” The conventional explanation of social media ’ s addictive hold is that it activates the human brain ’ s reward circuits much like an addictive drug : in effect , we become addicted to being “ liked ” and to checking our phones hundreds of times a day to see if we received any “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missing out on some emotion-stimulating “ news ” or a “ like ” from someone in our network also feeds the addictiveness .
The innate addictive appeal of social media is pretty clear , but that ’ s not all that ’ s at work here .
Being social animals , humans naturally seek to identify their status in the pecking order and improve their position by whatever means are available as a way of increasing their reproductive success and their relative share of resources .
Traditional societies were bifurcated into a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commoners .
As a general rule , social mobility was limited to those extraordinary commoners who were especially valuable to the ruling elite as soldiers , scribes , etc .
From its inception in the early 1800s , the American Dream was to acquire the “ good life ” via mass produced luxury goods via conventional employment or entrepreneurial drive–two avenues available to the masses .
This access to the social mobility of higher earnings enabling the purchase of status symbols that boosted one ’ s social status has been the mainstay of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mass-produced luxury items ( status symbols ) is that in a credit-based economy , just about everyone can afford to own them .
Thus just about anyone can qualify for a mobile phone plan that offers a status-symbol iPhone as part of the multi-year contract .
As a result , the upper classes have been forced to greater extremes in cost and scarcity to differentiate themselves from the masses .
For example , now that exotic travel is a affordable to anyone with credit , travel has little status value , unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to duplicate .
The same is true of the arts and other cultural status markers , along with the traditional markers such as yachts and second ( or third ) homes .
As the underlying economy has stagnated , access to higher social states via earned income has decayed , and so commoners have been forced to find some other non-financial means to improve their social status .
Social media fits the bill perfectly : it ’ s essentially free ( since everyone has to pay for Internet service anyway ) and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : time snapping and posting photos on Instagram and Facebook , time posting comments and links designed to attract tribal “ likes ” and so on .
A commoner with essentially zero social status economically can with enough effort become a “ big shot ” in some social media platform .
The bar is low enough to attract millions of players : a few dozen “ likes ” is still a potent reward to most people , as are having a couple hundred followers / readers .
Social media superstars with millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the other social status rewards of recognition and fame .
Social media offers hope of achieving higher online social status without having to succeed financially in a winner-take-most economy or having any of the conventional attributes of becoming famous : physical beauty , extraordinary talent , etc .
These attributes are of course helpful in attracting a social media following , but they are not essential .
As a result , everyone wonders “ how did so-and-so get hundreds of thousands of followers ?
” The answer varies , of course : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of marketing moxie , an engaging style , charismatic presence on camera , a knack for something others admire , etc .
If we understand social media as a new and accessible-to-everyone way to improve our social status , its tremendous grip becomes less of a mystery .
As Jesse explains in our Salon # 15 podcast , Toxic Tech Platforms and Disposable Social Media Stars , TikTok ’ s explosive popularity is the direct result of its ease of access and promise of social mobility .
TikTok ’ s model bypasses the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collecting masses of followers/friends and offers an instantly accessible version of semi-celebrity via the number of people viewing one ’ s videos– a semi-celebrity that can be monetized once the numbers get big enough .
Achieving social status through social media is the last-ditch desperation of a society that has lost all other meaningful social mobility ladders .
Conventional wages have stagnated for decades and unconventional wages ( gig economy , etc . )
are generally low and insecure .
Credential pathways that once led to secure , high paying , high-status jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were told their years of sacrifice and effort would lead to tenure-track faculty positions or secure positions in government or industry are academic ronin , wandering from temporary position to temporary position , in effect highly credentialed gig-economy workers .
The rungs of the ladder of entrepreneurial drive have decayed as the costs and risks of starting a business have soared , crowding the get-rich-quick hopefuls into the insanely over-crowded casinos of venture-capital funded tech start-ups , all of whom hope to reach the pinnacle of going public and skimming instant wealth–the tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an NBA star .
A winner-take-most economy is the only possible output of our corrupt financial/political system which has systematically stripmined all sources of social mobility , leaving the masses with little hope of escaping debt-serfdom / just getting by .
In this bleak landscape in which the masses constantly lose ground , TikTok and other social media platforms offer a rare beacon of hope to those who have little chance of winning recognition or riches in our winner-take-most economy .
TikTok and other social media reflect the last-ditch desperation of a society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive social roles .
Unfortunately the social media platforms are toxic to both their enthralled users and society at large .
What ’ s Behind the Erosion of Civil Society ?
November 2 , 2018 Charles Hugh Smith on the disconnect between the Markets and the Economy ( 51 min )

by Charles Hugh-Smith
Social media offers hope of achieving higher social status, something that is increasingly out of reach in our winner-take-most economy.
I’ve often addressed the decline of social mobility and the addictive nature of social media, for example, Why Is Social Media So Toxic?
I have long held that the decline of social mobility–broad-based opportunities to get ahead financially and socially–is part of a larger dynamic I call social depression: the social decay resulting from economic stagnation and the decline of social mobility and financial security. America’s Social Depression Is Accelerating.
Japan offers a real-world 30-year lab experiment in the negative social consequences of economic stagnation, a topic I’ve addressed since 2010: The Non-Financial Cost of Stagnation: “Social Recession” and Japan’s “Lost Generations”
The conventional explanation of social media’s addictive hold is that it activates the human brain’s reward circuits much like an addictive drug: in effect, we become addicted to being “liked” and to checking our phones hundreds of times a day to see if we received any “likes”.
FOMO, fear of missing out on some emotion-stimulating “news” or a “like” from someone in our network also feeds the addictiveness.
The innate addictive appeal of social media is pretty clear, but that’s not all that’s at work here. Being social animals, humans naturally seek to identify their status in the pecking order and improve their position by whatever means are available as a way of increasing their reproductive success and their relative share of resources.
Traditional societies were bifurcated into a small elite and a much larger mass of commoners. As a general rule, social mobility was limited to those extraordinary commoners who were especially valuable to the ruling elite as soldiers, scribes, etc.
From its inception in the early 1800s, the American Dream was to acquire the “good life” via mass produced luxury goods via conventional employment or entrepreneurial drive–two avenues available to the masses. This access to the social mobility of higher earnings enabling the purchase of status symbols that boosted one’s social status has been the mainstay of the modern consumer economy.
The downside of mass-produced luxury items (status symbols) is that in a credit-based economy, just about everyone can afford to own them. Thus just about anyone can qualify for a mobile phone plan that offers a status-symbol iPhone as part of the multi-year contract.
As a result, the upper classes have been forced to greater extremes in cost and scarcity to differentiate themselves from the masses. For example, now that exotic travel is a affordable to anyone with credit, travel has little status value, unless it’s extremely costly or difficult to duplicate.
The same is true of the arts and other cultural status markers, along with the traditional markers such as yachts and second (or third) homes.
As the underlying economy has stagnated, access to higher social states via earned income has decayed, and so commoners have been forced to find some other non-financial means to improve their social status.
Social media fits the bill perfectly: it’s essentially free (since everyone has to pay for Internet service anyway) and the only “investment” is in time: time snapping and posting photos on Instagram and Facebook, time posting comments and links designed to attract tribal “likes” and so on.
A commoner with essentially zero social status economically can with enough effort become a “big shot” in some social media platform.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The bar is low enough to attract millions of players: a few dozen “likes” is still a potent reward to most people, as are having a couple hundred followers / readers.
Social media superstars with millions of followers on YouTube have cult-like groupies and all the other social status rewards of recognition and fame.
Social media offers hope of achieving higher online social status without having to succeed financially in a winner-take-most economy or having any of the conventional attributes of becoming famous: physical beauty, extraordinary talent, etc. These attributes are of course helpful in attracting a social media following, but they are not essential.
As a result, everyone wonders “how did so-and-so get hundreds of thousands of followers?” The answer varies, of course: a viral video, a high level of marketing moxie, an engaging style, charismatic presence on camera, a knack for something others admire, etc.
If we understand social media as a new and accessible-to-everyone way to improve our social status, its tremendous grip becomes less of a mystery.
As Jesse explains in our Salon #15 podcast, Toxic Tech Platforms and Disposable Social Media Stars, TikTok’s explosive popularity is the direct result of its ease of access and promise of social mobility. TikTok’s model bypasses the laborious process of gaining social status via collecting masses of followers/friends and offers an instantly accessible version of semi-celebrity via the number of people viewing one’s videos– a semi-celebrity that can be monetized once the numbers get big enough.
Achieving social status through social media is the last-ditch desperation of a society that has lost all other meaningful social mobility ladders. Conventional wages have stagnated for decades and unconventional wages (gig economy, etc.) are generally low and insecure. Credential pathways that once led to secure, high paying, high-status jobs have crumbled; legions of PhDs who were told their years of sacrifice and effort would lead to tenure-track faculty positions or secure positions in government or industry are academic ronin, wandering from temporary position to temporary position, in effect highly credentialed gig-economy workers.
The rungs of the ladder of entrepreneurial drive have decayed as the costs and risks of starting a business have soared, crowding the get-rich-quick hopefuls into the insanely over-crowded casinos of venture-capital funded tech start-ups, all of whom hope to reach the pinnacle of going public and skimming instant wealth–the tech version of a kid dreaming of becoming an NBA star.
A winner-take-most economy is the only possible output of our corrupt financial/political system which has systematically stripmined all sources of social mobility, leaving the masses with little hope of escaping debt-serfdom / just getting by. In this bleak landscape in which the masses constantly lose ground, TikTok and other social media platforms offer a rare beacon of hope to those who have little chance of winning recognition or riches in our winner-take-most economy.
TikTok and other social media reflect the last-ditch desperation of a society stripped of economically meaningful social mobility and positive social roles. Unfortunately the social media platforms are toxic to both their enthralled users and society at large.
Of related interest:
What’s Behind the Erosion of Civil Society? November 2, 2018
Recent Podcasts:
AxisOfEasy Salon #15: Toxic Tech Platforms and Disposable Social Media Stars
Charles Hugh Smith on the disconnect between the Markets and the Economy (51 min)


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--The World’s Tech Giants, Ranked by Brand Value

The pandemic has businesses everywhere on the ropes , with many firms filing for bankruptcy since lockdowns began .
Despite the uncertainty , tech giants and major digital retail brands are still thriving—and some are running circles around those that are less pandemic-proof .
Using data from Kantar and Bloomberg , a recent brand report released by BrandZ shows which tech companies are proving their worth to consumers during COVID-19 chaos .
With data covering almost 4 million consumers , BrandZ also reveals that the tech sector leads the world ’ s 100 most valued brands in terms of financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s how the top 20 tech brands from the report stack up : Out of the top five tech brands , Microsoft made the biggest moves with 30 % brand value growth .
Other big movers in the top 20 were Instagram ( owned by Facebook ) , Adobe , and LinkedIn ( owned by Microsoft ) , rising 47 % , 29 % , and 31 % , respectively .
Broken down by nation , U.S. brands are dominating tech ’ s heavy hitters , claiming 14 of the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round out much of the remaining top 20 , including tech entertainment and social media giant Tencent , which rose 15 % in brand value since 2019 .
Tech ’ s top brands are raking in billions of dollars , capturing consumer mindshare , captivating people , and comforting them during volatile months .
Apple , Microsoft , Google , Tencent , and Facebook—tech ’ s leading contingent—have made those moves look easy during what are rough times for many world brands .
While most tech brands in the upper half of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value , only Facebook and IBM were in decline from 2019 , at -7 % and -3 % respectively .
The biggest loss in tech ’ s top 20 came from China ’ s Baidu , which fell by -29 % in 2020 .
Waning consumer trust , thanks in part to the perceived misuse of personal data , is a gap that tech ’ s popularity alone won ’ t fill forever .
( Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal , nearly 25 % of Facebook account holders reported being “ extremely ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal data . )
Coming in at eighth place , Facebook-owned Instagram gained 47 % in brand value—a huge percentage , but less than the whopping 95 % growth it had in 2019 .
On the whole , digital apps have been faring well during the pandemic , especially those built for entertainment , shopping , social connection , and delivery .
While the brand value growth rates of tech giants aren ’ t entirely immune to the effects of COVID-19 , the likes of Apple , Microsoft , and Google are growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon .
With data collected into April 2020 , BrandZ ’ s report on the world ’ s top 100 brands reflects multiple shifting needs and consumer concerns at a categorical scale .
While consumer affinity for e-commerce and social media brands has increased , fast food and beer brands took a hit , despite reports of increased alcohol consumption and food delivery during lockdown .
It would seem then , that consumers have been valuing their tools and means of consumption .
Of the report ’ s 14 brand categories , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 5 % .
Of the top risers , six were tech brands and six were mainly e-commerce .
Other upwardly mobile brands were those in the apparel and personal care categories .
Much like retail , those categories had an increasing reliance on technology to deliver their products .
The above chart shows overall categorical changes for 2020 led by retail , tech , and insurance .
In the opposite corner , energy , and bank brands took the biggest hits .
The economic impacts of COVID-19 are undeniable .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brands marked a steady increase of 6 % in value in 2020 , compared to 7 % the previous year .
This pandemic has offered up era-defining change , with tech and e-commerce seizing the day .
But in a climate where nothing can be taken for granted , brands large and small are still taking their knocks .
For now , the brands that are embraced by consumers will be those that can apply a salve to the blows that 2020 keeps delivering .

by visualcapitalist
The pandemic has businesses everywhere on the ropes, with many firms filing for bankruptcy since lockdowns began. Despite the uncertainty, tech giants and major digital retail brands are still thriving—and some are running circles around those that are less pandemic-proof.
Using data from Kantar and Bloomberg, a recent brand report released by BrandZ shows which tech companies are proving their worth to consumers during COVID-19 chaos. With data covering almost 4 million consumers, BrandZ also reveals that the tech sector leads the world’s 100 most valued brands in terms of financial power and consumer sentiment.
Here’s how the top 20 tech brands from the report stack up:
Out of the top five tech brands, Microsoft made the biggest moves with 30% brand value growth. Other big movers in the top 20 were Instagram (owned by Facebook), Adobe, and LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft), rising 47%, 29%, and 31%, respectively.
Broken down by nation, U.S. brands are dominating tech’s heavy hitters, claiming 14 of the world’s top 20 tech brands. Chinese brands round out much of the remaining top 20, including tech entertainment and social media giant Tencent, which rose 15% in brand value since 2019.
Big Tech’s Heavyweights
Tech’s top brands are raking in billions of dollars, capturing consumer mindshare, captivating people, and comforting them during volatile months. Apple, Microsoft, Google, Tencent, and Facebook—tech’s leading contingent—have made those moves look easy during what are rough times for many world brands.
While most tech brands in the upper half of the top 20 saw significant increases in brand value, only Facebook and IBM were in decline from 2019, at -7% and -3% respectively. The biggest loss in tech’s top 20 came from China’s Baidu, which fell by -29% in 2020.
Waning consumer trust, thanks in part to the perceived misuse of personal data, is a gap that tech’s popularity alone won’t fill forever. (Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, nearly 25% of Facebook account holders reported being “extremely” or “very” concerned about their personal data.)
Pandemic-Proof Applications
Coming in at eighth place, Facebook-owned Instagram gained 47% in brand value—a huge percentage, but less than the whopping 95% growth it had in 2019.
On the whole, digital apps have been faring well during the pandemic, especially those built for entertainment, shopping, social connection, and delivery.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
These brands had anticipated, even invented, the online-offline dynamics of modern life that became indispensable for survival during the lockdown homebound weeks of avoiding the contagion.
— BrandZ 2020 Global Top 100 Report
Top Brands, by Category
While the brand value growth rates of tech giants aren’t entirely immune to the effects of COVID-19, the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and Google are growing steadily, surpassed only by e-commerce leader Amazon.
With data collected into April 2020, BrandZ’s report on the world’s top 100 brands reflects multiple shifting needs and consumer concerns at a categorical scale.
While consumer affinity for e-commerce and social media brands has increased, fast food and beer brands took a hit, despite reports of increased alcohol consumption and food delivery during lockdown. It would seem then, that consumers have been valuing their tools and means of consumption.
Of the report’s 14 brand categories, only six increased in value, mostly by less than 5%. Of the top risers, six were tech brands and six were mainly e-commerce.
Other upwardly mobile brands were those in the apparel and personal care categories. Much like retail, those categories had an increasing reliance on technology to deliver their products.
The above chart shows overall categorical changes for 2020 led by retail, tech, and insurance. In the opposite corner, energy, and bank brands took the biggest hits.
Rolling with the Punches
The economic impacts of COVID-19 are undeniable. Even still, BrandZ’s top 100 brands marked a steady increase of 6% in value in 2020, compared to 7% the previous year.
This pandemic has offered up era-defining change, with tech and e-commerce seizing the day. But in a climate where nothing can be taken for granted, brands large and small are still taking their knocks.
For now, the brands that are embraced by consumers will be those that can apply a salve to the blows that 2020 keeps delivering.


Disney earnings summary

• Adj EPS : + $ 0.08 ( exp - $ 0.63 ) .
GAAP EPS of - $ 2.61 ( about a $ 4.72 bn loss ) – thanks /u/CapitalGains • Disney+ Subscribers : 57.5 mil ( exp 59.4 mil ) at quarter end .
60.5 mil currently , as of yesterday .
• ESPN 8.5 mil , up > 100 % y/y from 2.4 in 2019 • Hulu 35.5 mil , up 27 % y/y from 27.9 in 2019 • Still made 983 million from the Parks , Experiences and Products department • $ 454M in free cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash and cash equivalents .
• In total , estimates “ the net adverse impact of COVID-19 on our current quarter 2 segment operating income across all of our businesses was approximately $ 2.9 billion , inclusive of the impact at Parks , Experiences and Products.
” • Disney introduces a new streaming platform , Star , that ’ s like Hulu but for other countries .
Chose Star brand over Hulu because of the Star brand ’ s international recognition .
Star will not route third-party content like Hulu does but will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century , etc ) not published on Disney+ .
• Star is expected to drive adoption of Disney+ in other countries .
• Live-action Mulan will be released on D+ on 9/4 as a pay-per-view for $ 29.99 .
Will also be released theatrically in markets where theaters are viable .
I would expect this to be combined with the Disney native “ Netflix Party ” feature that was previously announced to be in development so that families can still watch the movie “ together ” .
• Reopened Disney parks are profitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been consistently profitable .
Disney World is less profitable than expected , blamed on Florida coronavirus outbreak , but still profitable .
Execs previously said they would not reopen unless they thought they could be profitable and delivered .
• Attendance at Disney World is 50 % locals and 50 % out-of-state .
Chapek says Disney World will be “ in good shape ” when consumer confidence returns .
Execs say they ’ re seeing pent up demand .
• Expects a 1 billion cost to ramp up media production in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including coronavirus tests etc .
• Bringing Hotstar ( Indian version of Hulu with content like new Bollywood films ) to Indonesia and other markets .
• Recognizes that one of the biggest drivers of user acquisition for streaming is new content and plans to invest big into this area .
Disclaimer : This information is only for educational purposes .
Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article .
Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision .

by visvya
$DIS | #Disney Q2 20 Earnings:
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Revenue: $11.78B (exp $12.39B) (previous year $20.35B)
Adj EPS: +$0.08 (exp -$0.63). GAAP EPS of -$2.61 (about a $4.72 bn loss) – thanks /u/CapitalGains
Media networks Revenue: $6.6B (exp $6.38B)
Disney+ Subscribers: 57.5 mil (exp 59.4 mil) at quarter end. 60.5 mil currently, as of yesterday.
ESPN 8.5 mil, up >100 % y/y from 2.4 in 2019
Hulu 35.5 mil, up 27% y/y from 27.9 in 2019
Still made 983 million from the Parks, Experiences and Products department
$454M in free cash flow at quarter end. 23B in cash and cash equivalents.
In total, estimates “the net adverse impact of COVID-19 on our current quarter 2 segment operating income across all of our businesses was approximately $2.9 billion, inclusive of the impact at Parks, Experiences and Products.”
Highlights from the call:
Disney introduces a new streaming platform, Star, that’s like Hulu but for other countries. Chose Star brand over Hulu because of the Star brand’s international recognition. Star will not route third-party content like Hulu does but will route Disney-owned content (ABC, 20th century, etc) not published on Disney+.
Star is expected to drive adoption of Disney+ in other countries.
Live-action Mulan will be released on D+ on 9/4 as a pay-per-view for $29.99. Will also be released theatrically in markets where theaters are viable. I would expect this to be combined with the Disney native “Netflix Party” feature that was previously announced to be in development so that families can still watch the movie “together”.
Reopened Disney parks are profitable even at reduced capacity. Disney Shanghai has been consistently profitable. Disney World is less profitable than expected, blamed on Florida coronavirus outbreak, but still profitable. Execs previously said they would not reopen unless they thought they could be profitable and delivered.
even at reduced capacity. Disney Shanghai has been consistently profitable. Disney World is less profitable than expected, blamed on Florida coronavirus outbreak, but still profitable. Execs previously said they would not reopen unless they thought they could be profitable and delivered. Attendance at Disney World is 50% locals and 50% out-of-state. Chapek says Disney World will be “in good shape” when consumer confidence returns. Execs say they’re seeing pent up demand.
Expects a 1 billion cost to ramp up media production in a way that is safe for workers, including coronavirus tests etc.
Bringing Hotstar (Indian version of Hulu with content like new Bollywood films) to Indonesia and other markets.
Recognizes that one of the biggest drivers of user acquisition for streaming is new content and plans to invest big into this area.
Disclaimer: This information is only for educational purposes. Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article. Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--10 Year Treasury Yields Drop Nearly 10% Today, Gold/Silver Spike

10 year treasury at or near the all time low of .507 Gold Spot over 2000 , and Silver futures @ @ @ @ @ the smart money running for the exists , or just a sign of the times @

10 year treasury at or near the all time low of .507
www.investing.com/rates-bonds/u.s.-10-year-bond-yield
Gold Spot over 2000, and Silver futures over $26
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Is this the smart money running for the exists, or just a sign of the times?
Here’s his daily wrap up:
h/t Bud Fox


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-06--The most bullish thing I’ve ever seen

The most bullish thing I’ve ever seen

The most bullish thing i’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/zS311pO42r — Alessio Urban (@AlessioUrban) August 5, 2020
FED'S MESTER SAYS WE'RE GOING TO NEED MUCH MORE FISCAL SUPPORT $10 trillion — Breaking Market News (@breakingmkts) August 5, 2020
Jeff Bezos Just Sold Over $3 Billion In Amazon Stock t.co/UlgbqpsS25 — zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 5, 2020
#SP500 I think it is done. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/DHGx9ySKWB — SP500 (@DrForecast) August 5, 2020
$VIX forming an undercut and rally setup. A move above the low line could result in a big move upwards. pic.twitter.com/GXif16wRe6 — Hoz (@Hoz94s) August 5, 2020
Because nobody knows what it should stimulate … t.co/97kAybjQ0k — GregTheAnalyst (@Analyst_G) August 5, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--The Dollar’s Ongoing Fall From Grace Will Soon Catapult Precious Metals to Even Greater Heights

I have been telling readers to put savings into gold and silver for well over 14 years now , and in that time , precious metals have had spectacular rallies as well as intense corrections .
Weak hands have been selling and strong hands have been buying and holding for some time now .
We have done this with the expectation of something far more than just a parabolic event ; some of us have been predicting an economic crisis the likes of which have not been seen in almost a century .
Specifically , in 2018 , I warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Reserve policy that would puncture the massive debt bubble they had been building since 2008 .
The crash of the “ Everything Bubble ” would inevitably lead to a spike in metals prices .
In an article published in January 2018 , I warned that the Fed would increase the speed of its balance sheet cuts and interest rate hikes and that this would trigger an initial implosion in the U.S debt bubble and the dollar , along with flirtations with a stock market plunge .
By the end of 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Fed had reversed its fiscal tightening policies , but of course , it was too late ; Pandora ’ s box had already been opened and economic instability was increasing .
I continue to believe that this action on the part of the Fed was absolutely deliberate and that they knew they were initiating the beginnings of a crisis .
The minutes of the October 2012 Federal Open Market Committee even reveal that Jerome Powell openly discussed what would happen , years before he became the Fed Chair .
I predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metals would launch .
Sure enough , gold has almost doubled since the third quarter of 2018 , and silver is beginning to catch up .
It is important to cut through the propaganda and disinformation to understand why this matters .
In another article published in February 2018 , I outlined certain misconceptions about precious metals during economic breakdown .
This including the ever present lie that metals “ only track inflation ” and therefore never generate a profit .
I showed how during times of crisis , including the hyperinflationary event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased DOUBLE the rate of inflation , therefore profit is more than possible .
The idea that gold is nothing more than a placeholder for dollar devaluation is , I think , designed to dissuade people from investing in it , as if protecting one ’ s savings is “ not enough ” .
There has been a proactive and aggressive campaign to scare Americans away from precious metals for years now .
Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke attacked gold vehemently in 2012 in a series of lectures at George Washington University , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a “ barbarous relic ” .
Ron Paul had nailed Bernanke on gold only a few months earlier when he asked WHY , if central bankers think gold is not money , do they continue to stockpile gold ?
Bernanke ’ s dishonest answer that it was merely “ tradition ” was an epic fail .
In fact , one can predict when an economic crisis is about to erupt just by watching central banks around the world and their gold buying behavior .
They know EXACTLY what is going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I examined this trend in my article “ Is This Why Central Banks Are Rushing To Buy Gold ?
” , published in January this year .
You can also guess to some extent which nations are going to better survive the economic crisis depending on how much gold they purchased and how far ahead of time they began to prepare .
For the past several years , the biggest buyers of gold have been Russia and China , while numerous central banks have been rushing to repatriate gold stores held overseas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ central bankers are buying precious metals as a hedge against collapse , then we should be doing the same , because maybe they know something is about to happen that we only suspect is about to happen .
How would they know a collapse is coming ?
As I mentioned , they know because THEY CREATED IT .
Understand that the current economic downturn is only partially expedited by the pandemic situation and the lockdowns .
In reality , the current crash started at the end of 2018 and has been growing ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been consolidating their own metals holdings while seeking to suppress market prices through paper ETFs .
In my article “ Physical Gold Will Soon Break Free From The Paper Market In Spectacular Fashion ” , published in March of this year , I warned that attempted price suppression at the time was a signal that prices were actually about to skyrocket .
In the article , I stated : Gold ’ s market price has jumped over $ 500 per ounce since March and the street price has climbed higher than that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ?
I once again suspect that physical prices will completely decouple from the paper market price , even though the ETF price is now racing to catch up to reality .
The fact is , physical bars and coins will probably start disappearing as we head into the end of 2020 .
With government mints now in partial operation , new coins are unlikely to be available for a while , and in the meantime smart investors are going to be buying up physical , even at a premium .
Once the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be far beyond the values suggested by the Comex and the CME Group .
In the near term , I predict gold will continue to climb well beyond its current heights , but silver will be the real performer with higher increases by percentage .
Look for $ 35 silver by the end of summer .
Here is the problem : Extreme dollar devaluation is now built into the current trend , but it ’ s not just about the dollar .
The pandemic , civil unrest and geopolitical tensions are all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. now on a path toward total economic warfare , I expect that the Chinese will move from quiet dumping of U.S. Treasuries to a full on attack against the dollar ’ s world reserve status ( look for this to happen post-U.S. election ) .
If this occurs , many of their major trading partners will follow their lead , which means trillions of dollars held overseas will come flooding back into the U.S. through various channels .
The stagflationary situation in the U.S. is going to be bad enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain disruptions , but it ’ s going to be a hundred times worse if the dollar loses its reserve currency position .
While many people will repeat the old tired and lazy argument that “ you can ’ t eat gold ” , you sure as hell will be able to exchange gold and silver for high value and buy far more food than you would have been able to do otherwise with dollars .
I want to be clear that most proponents of gold do not see economic collapse as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do take pride in the fact that our advice is helping to save people from financial heartache and potential poverty during this disaster .
Metals still have a long way to go ; I suggest that if you do not have at least a small amount of savings in gold or silver , you should make that happen now .

From Brandon Smith
I have been telling readers to put savings into gold and silver for well over 14 years now, and in that time, precious metals have had spectacular rallies as well as intense corrections. Weak hands have been selling and strong hands have been buying and holding for some time now. We have done this with the expectation of something far more than just a parabolic event; some of us have been predicting an economic crisis the likes of which have not been seen in almost a century.
Specifically, in 2018, I warned that there was a dramatic shift in Federal Reserve policy that would puncture the massive debt bubble they had been building since 2008. The crash of the “Everything Bubble” would inevitably lead to a spike in metals prices.
In an article published in January 2018, I warned that the Fed would increase the speed of its balance sheet cuts and interest rate hikes and that this would trigger an initial implosion in the U.S debt bubble and the dollar, along with flirtations with a stock market plunge. By the end of 2018, we saw exactly that.
By mid-2019, the Fed had reversed its fiscal tightening policies, but of course, it was too late; Pandora’s box had already been opened and economic instability was increasing. I continue to believe that this action on the part of the Fed was absolutely deliberate and that they knew they were initiating the beginnings of a crisis. The minutes of the October 2012 Federal Open Market Committee even reveal that Jerome Powell openly discussed what would happen, years before he became the Fed Chair.
I predicted that once this process began, precious metals would launch. Sure enough, gold has almost doubled since the third quarter of 2018, and silver is beginning to catch up. It is important to cut through the propaganda and disinformation to understand why this matters.
In another article published in February 2018, I outlined certain misconceptions about precious metals during economic breakdown. This including the ever present lie that metals “only track inflation” and therefore never generate a profit. I showed how during times of crisis, including the hyperinflationary event in Weimar Germany, gold prices actually increased DOUBLE the rate of inflation, therefore profit is more than possible.
The idea that gold is nothing more than a placeholder for dollar devaluation is, I think, designed to dissuade people from investing in it, as if protecting one’s savings is “not enough”. There has been a proactive and aggressive campaign to scare Americans away from precious metals for years now. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke attacked gold vehemently in 2012 in a series of lectures at George Washington University, channeling John Maynard Keynes’ claims that it was a “barbarous relic”. Ron Paul had nailed Bernanke on gold only a few months earlier when he asked WHY, if central bankers think gold is not money, do they continue to stockpile gold? Bernanke’s dishonest answer that it was merely “tradition” was an epic fail.
In fact, one can predict when an economic crisis is about to erupt just by watching central banks around the world and their gold buying behavior. They know EXACTLY what is going on and are preparing ahead of time. I examined this trend in my article “Is This Why Central Banks Are Rushing To Buy Gold?”, published in January this year.
You can also guess to some extent which nations are going to better survive the economic crisis depending on how much gold they purchased and how far ahead of time they began to prepare. For the past several years, the biggest buyers of gold have been Russia and China, while numerous central banks have been rushing to repatriate gold stores held overseas. My position has always been, if central bankers are buying precious metals as a hedge against collapse, then we should be doing the same, because maybe they know something is about to happen that we only suspect is about to happen.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
How would they know a collapse is coming? As I mentioned, they know because THEY CREATED IT.
Understand that the current economic downturn is only partially expedited by the pandemic situation and the lockdowns. In reality, the current crash started at the end of 2018 and has been growing ever since. In the meantime, banks have been consolidating their own metals holdings while seeking to suppress market prices through paper ETFs.
In my article “Physical Gold Will Soon Break Free From The Paper Market In Spectacular Fashion”, published in March of this year, I warned that attempted price suppression at the time was a signal that prices were actually about to skyrocket. In the article, I stated:
I believe we are currently at the stage of price suppression which may cause weak hands to sell. I recommend not only holding fast to your metals but also using price drops as an opportunity to buy physical while you can…. The pandemic is likely to accelerate the flow from suppression to physical decoupling. What took a couple of years to develop into a massive gold rally after the crash of 2008 may only take a couple of months today with rapid changes to geopolitical and economic conditions. Watching how central banks behave can help give us a sense of timing.
Gold’s market price has jumped over $500 per ounce since March and the street price has climbed higher than that. But where do things go from here?
I once again suspect that physical prices will completely decouple from the paper market price, even though the ETF price is now racing to catch up to reality. The fact is, physical bars and coins will probably start disappearing as we head into the end of 2020. With government mints now in partial operation, new coins are unlikely to be available for a while, and in the meantime smart investors are going to be buying up physical, even at a premium. Once the metals are gone, the street price will be far beyond the values suggested by the Comex and the CME Group.
In the near term, I predict gold will continue to climb well beyond its current heights, but silver will be the real performer with higher increases by percentage. Look for $35 silver by the end of summer.
Here is the problem: Extreme dollar devaluation is now built into the current trend, but it’s not just about the dollar. The pandemic, civil unrest and geopolitical tensions are all driving precious metals demand.
With China in the U.S. now on a path toward total economic warfare, I expect that the Chinese will move from quiet dumping of U.S. Treasuries to a full on attack against the dollar’s world reserve status (look for this to happen post-U.S. election). If this occurs, many of their major trading partners will follow their lead, which means trillions of dollars held overseas will come flooding back into the U.S. through various channels. The stagflationary situation in the U.S. is going to be bad enough with the coronavirus and the intermittent supply chain disruptions, but it’s going to be a hundred times worse if the dollar loses its reserve currency position.
While many people will repeat the old tired and lazy argument that “you can’t eat gold”, you sure as hell will be able to exchange gold and silver for high value and buy far more food than you would have been able to do otherwise with dollars.
I want to be clear that most proponents of gold do not see economic collapse as a mere “profit opportunity”; but we do take pride in the fact that our advice is helping to save people from financial heartache and potential poverty during this disaster. Metals still have a long way to go; I suggest that if you do not have at least a small amount of savings in gold or silver, you should make that happen now.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Democrats Aren’t Even Campaigning And Now Biden Will SKIP The DNC, Are Democrats Planning To Lose??

Democrats Aren ’ t Even Campaigning And Now Biden Will SKIP The DNC , Are Democrats Planning To Lose ?
@ @ @ @ @ will accept the democratic nomination virtually and they will announce his VP pick in the @ @ @ @ @ report claims that the Trump campaign is knocking on a million doors per week meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ is doing zero .
That ’ s right , the Democratic campaign is not doing @ @ @ @ @ is just hiding in his basement .
It seems that Democrats are either planning to @ @ @ @ @ and thr Republicans or they are hoping that the hidin biden strategy is their best @ @ @ @ @ incapable of speaking or remembering things .

Democrats Aren’t Even Campaigning And Now Biden Will SKIP The DNC, Are Democrats Planning To Lose?? Joe Biden announced he will accept the democratic nomination virtually and they will announce his VP pick in the same way.
A new report claims that the Trump campaign is knocking on a million doors per week meanwhile Joe Biden’s campaign is doing zero.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
That’s right, the Democratic campaign is not doing any door canvassing and Biden is just hiding in his basement.
It seems that Democrats are either planning to lose in November to Trump and thr Republicans or they are hoping that the hidin biden strategy is their best bet considering the man is incapable of speaking or remembering things.


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--Did you know the Three Gorges Dam is under tremendous stress and might fail?

The Three Gorges Dam , on the Yangtze River , is the largest dam in the world .
Did you @ @ @ @ @ stress from massive raining and floods in China ?
Did you know over 100 MILLION @ @ @ @ @ China due to the flooding ?
Did you know 130 cities in China have been @ @ @ @ @ what will happen to China if the Three Gorges Dam fails ?
400 million people @ @ @ @ @ dam .
Do you believe the US has the ability to manipulate weather ?
If @ @ @ @ @ cause the massive rains and floods to weaken and destroy the dam ?
Did you @ @ @ @ @ spies working in China and closely monitoring the situation and supposedly the dam looks very @ @ @ @ @ ?
Would you like to know more ?

by _QZ_
The Three Gorges Dam, on the Yangtze River, is the largest dam in the world.
Did you know it is under tremendous stress from massive raining and floods in China?
Did you know over 100 MILLION people have been displaced in China due to the flooding? Did you know 130 cities in China have been flooded?
Can you imagine what will happen to China if the Three Gorges Dam fails? 400 million people live down river from the dam.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Do you believe the US has the ability to manipulate weather? If they can, could they cause the massive rains and floods to weaken and destroy the dam?
Did you know there might be Russian spies working in China and closely monitoring the situation and supposedly the dam looks very bad and will likely breach?
Would you like to know more?
boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/271272759


investmentwatchblog--2020-08-05--THIS IS CNN: CNN political analyst April Ryan “can’t wait” to see armed forces eject Trump from Whit

THIS IS CNN: CNN political analyst April Ryan “can’t wait” to see armed forces eject Trump from White House.

CNN political analyst April Ryan “ can ’ t wait ” to see armed forces eject Trump from White House .
April Ryan allowed her personal fantasies to get the better of her as she weighed in on the upcoming presidential election .
On CNN , Ryan , one of the cable news network ’ s political analysts predicted that if President Trump loses the election , he will refuse to leave the White House .
She sees a split-screen scenario in the future .
“ There ’ s going to be a split-screen on Jan. 20 , 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the 46th president of the United States , you will have him being inaugurated and watching police and armed forces trying to pull Donald Trump out of the White House .
I can not wait for that split-screen , ” Ryan said .
She isn ’ t alone in this particular fantasy .
Several politicians and public figures have voiced the same scenario .
Others in the media have spouted the same nonsense .
● CNN ’ s April Ryan Accuses Mike Huckabee Of Inciting Violence After He Quotes Her Saying Sarah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Off.
’ ● CNN Pundit April Ryan ’ s Bodyguard Charged with Assault after Removing Reporter Covering Her Speech .
● CNN ’ S April Ryan Tweets Fake News About Trump Getting Booed During ‘ Celebration of America.
’ ● No big deal , just April Ryan sharing an article that asks if Trump is running a child-trafficking ring .
● April Ryan : Omarosa Was Dragged Out of the White House by the Secret Service .
Secret Service : Yeah , that never happened .
And of course , who could forget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal ?
And when then-Press Secretary Sarah Sanders actually baked a pie , Ryan ’ s retort ?
“ Okay I want to watch you bake it and put it on the table .
But forgive [ me if ] I won ’ t eat it .
Remember you guys don ’ t like the press .
”

CNN political analyst April Ryan “can’t wait” to see armed forces eject Trump from White House.
April Ryan allowed her personal fantasies to get the better of her as she weighed in on the upcoming presidential election. On CNN, Ryan, one of the cable news network’s political analysts predicted that if President Trump loses the election, he will refuse to leave the White House. She sees a split-screen scenario in the future. “There’s going to be a split-screen on Jan. 20, 2021. If Joe Biden is now going to be the 46th president of the United States, you will have him being inaugurated and watching police and armed forces trying to pull Donald Trump out of the White House. I cannot wait for that split-screen,” Ryan said. She isn’t alone in this particular fantasy. Several politicians and public figures have voiced the same scenario. Others in the media have spouted the same nonsense.
Earlier:
● CNN’s April Ryan Accuses Mike Huckabee Of Inciting Violence After He Quotes Her Saying Sarah Sanders’ Head Should Be ‘Lopped Off.’
● CNN Pundit April Ryan’s Bodyguard Charged with Assault after Removing Reporter Covering Her Speech.
● CNN’S April Ryan Tweets Fake News About Trump Getting Booed During ‘Celebration of America.’
● No big deal, just April Ryan sharing an article that asks if Trump is running a child-trafficking ring.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
● April Ryan: Melania Trump Is ‘Not Culturally American.’
● April Ryan: Omarosa Was Dragged Out of the White House by the Secret Service. Secret Service: Yeah, that never happened.
And of course, who could forget Ryan recreating the fake Bush plastic turkey scandal? And when then-Press Secretary Sarah Sanders actually baked a pie, Ryan’s retort? “Okay I want to watch you bake it and put it on the table. But forgive [me if] I won’t eat it. Remember you guys don’t like the press.”
Exit quote:
h/t Ed