ThinkerX

Alas, your offspring will probably be alive, barring misfortune.

TARP II time huge?

Nah. Bipartisan vote done behind closed doors late at night with no press whatsoever.

Okay...so Russia did their 300,000 man conscription/mobilization last year on top of however many troops they'd already committed. That number is probably way off, but...go with it. Now, if they go for a 400,000 man conscription/mobilization this year...that'll be 700,000 total. Thought I read somewhere that Russia's population was on the order of 140,000,000. Overall, that works out to 1 person in 200 of the population overall, or about 1 male in 100. For Russian troops, being sent to Ukraine is pretty much a death sentence. That is going to make for a *lot* of unhappy people back home. Factor in a million or so people headed for the border or into hiding to avoid being drafted...this is a recipe for serious internal trouble.

[quote] SVB were complacent and deeply incompetent in simple risk management. [/quote] Problem is there appear to be other major industries essential to the economy to which this statement applies in full - like the railway companies who put profit above maintenance and basic safety, resulting in a spate of totally predictable and highly destructive derailments. Likewise, utility companies in Texas and California decided to put profit above weatherization and maintenance, which was a major contributor to power outages and devastating fires. Factor in deliberate stupidity like banning ESG investing and shaky financial institutions, and a major mess is fast approaching. [quote] (BTW since Lehman it is illegal to fuel rumors irresponsibly about banks so people are circumspect about what they say and where) [/quote] And this remains a mindblower - that a handful of ordinary laymen discussing publicly available information could be charged with a crime for doing so on an open website. It speaks of deep paranoia and corruption - an effort to silence cautionary voices.

Probably. Until I read that article, I'd only seen references, not detailed descriptions. From the article, it looks to me like making these available at a commercially competitive price is merely a matter of working out the manufacturing details. If this is doable, then Solar Powered Cars become a viable option...at least in sunnier climates.

Too lazy to track down the relevant articles, but I have seen claims lately of newly developed solar panels with 45% efficiency (double that of the current ones) and major breakthroughs in battery technology - double the current duration. Might be hype, might be premature. If true...potential gamechangers.

Well, lessee here... tech sector laying people off right and left. lots of people with good paying jobs who cannot afford to pay rent, let alone a mortgage. (and up until a few months ago, I was seeing lots of clueless idiots on FB and elsewhere touting the benefits of buying houses, then using inflated rent to cover the mortgage) still significant inflation. severe lingering supply chain issues. Fed raising interest rates. Taken collectively, something systemic? Maybe not quite a repeat of 2007-2008, but with the potential to reach that scale? And when do the demands for bailouts start? (Not the penny Anny stuff so far, but a significant slice of the GDP)

Florida, Florida... DeSantis's de-education package gets struck down by the courts...for now, anyhow. No doubt it'll be back in a revamped form before much longer. But for now, DMC shouldn't have to worry about being whisked away by the gestapo. DeSantis critical race theory ban 'Stop WOKE Act' blocked in Florida schools by appeals court (msn.com) Afederal appeals court judge blocked the reinstatement of a law backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) that would restrict the incorporation of critical race theory in public schools, leaving in place a lower court's injunction against the measure. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit declined to lift a lower court order that prevented Florida's public schools and universities from enforcing the so-called Stop WOKE Act, which aims to restrict how public education instructors can discuss certain concepts relating to race, according to a brief order that did not address the merits of the case. ---- This Florida congress-critter is trying to claim he filed this bill by mistake. I doubt most people believe that explanation. Republican Lawmaker Says He Filed Confederate Flag Legislation 'In Error' (msn.com) Florida State Senator Jay Collins says he mistakenly filed an amendment that would allow the flying of the Confederate flag on public buildings and properties. Collins has denied Confederate sympathies and the amendment has been withdrawn. There are concerns similar legislation would prevent the flying of Pride flags from governmental buildings in the state.

Banks ride to the rescue...of another tottering bank. Bit different than the 2007-2008 fiasco. That these institutions deemed this necessary speaks to more than a minor hiccup. I figure before the year is out, congress will grant banks a massive taxpayer funded gift, no payback necessary, with the full blessing of the republican House (and probably most of the democrats as well). And, of course, no serious regulation at all. Wall Street rides to the rescue as 11 banks pledge $30 billion to First Republic Bank (msn.com) Agroup of financial institutions has agreed to deposit $30 billion in First Republic Bank in what’s meant to be a sign of confidence in the banking system, the banks announced Thursday afternoon. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase will contribute about $5 billion apiece, while Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will deposit around $2.5 billion, the banks said in a news release. Truist, PNC, U.S. Bancorp, State Street and Bank of New York Mellon will deposit about $1 billion each. “This action by America’s largest banks reflects their confidence in First Republic and in banks of all sizes, and it demonstrates their overall commitment to helping banks serve their customers and communities,” the group said in a statement. The deposits would be obligated to stay at First Republic for at least 120 days, sources told CNBC’s David Faber. Regional bank stocks initially fell on Thursday but reversed higher after reports from Faber and others about the development of the deposit plan.

Between deregulation (invite to criminal activity) and the spike in interest rates I suspect a whole lot of deals will start blowing up here shortly.

Problem is the Houston school district was forced to acknowledge serious issues with the way they were running things, thus providing a measure of justification. Now the burden of improvement rests on the state. Be interesting to see if they can manage that.

Team Biden decided to jump into the University mess. I can see assorted profit based educational institutions screaming 'entrapment.' That said, the University situation in Florida is looking downright frightening. How long will it be before DMC is arrested as a subversive and whisked away to a reeducation center? Biden Admin Is Placing Undercover Federal Agents At Universities. Here’s Why (msn.com) The Enforcement Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will use undercover officials to monitor colleges and universities for misleading or predatory practices, the Department of Education announced on Tuesday. The officials will identify any “misrepresentations” in several factors advertised to students including “transferability of credits, job placement rates, completion and withdrawal rates, graduates’ future earning potential, career services, the cost of attendance, the amount of federal student aid, and accreditation status.” “We support reasonable practices that hold all institutions accountable for misrepresentations that financially harm students and taxpayers; however, the federal government has a track record of using secret shopper investigations to malign politically unfavored institutions with distorted findings that later result in the need for public correction,” Nicholas Kent, Career Education Colleges and Universities chief policy officer, wrote in response to Tuesday’s announcement.

A glimmer of hope - majority of people across the western US are in favor of green energy regardless of political affiliation. Then again, the poll could be wrong. New poll shows surprising point of consensus for voters from across the political spectrum — ‘broad majorities’ agree (msn.com) A recent “Conservation in the West” poll conducted by Colorado College found that two-thirds of voters in the American west want to see 100% of their energy come from clean, renewable sources like solar and wind in the next 15 years. More than 60% of voters said they’d like their members of Congress to prioritize clean air and water and wildlife habitats and recreation. The poll spanned more than a decade and surveyed voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

That random nonprofessionals idly discussing publicly available information on websites like this could cause a major financial catastrophe is a bit of a mind blower. It also argues for massively incompetent top level management at the institutions in question.