Podcast 252

The Gathering Storm. Business and Economic News. The latest headlines include a Mayor who throws alleged gang signals to curry favor with unsavory characters, a video of an MIT Obama Care ‘architect’ who says the law was poorly written to fool ‘stupid’ voters (what a surprise!), and the mainstream media election 2014 chatter is increasingly vapid. Time to turn to an issue no one seems to be paying attention to, save for the financial and market watchers. As commodity and housing prices decline the mainstream media tells us deflation is bad, because falling prices mean people will ‘wait’ to make purchases. Never mind we have had deflation (dropping prices) for things like flat screen TV’s and tech for years, and people keep buying. The real problem with deflation is that governments need inflation to pay off their debts. Inflation is how governments have robbed Americans of purchasing power and hidden the ill effects of profligate spending for decades. Central Banks and governments all over the world are trying, and failing, to create inflation. Now they are terrified that slow, or no economic growth may finally be creating a deflation, which means debts will become more difficult to repay. What the mainstream media isn’t telling you about lower oil prices is, major economies all over the world are stalling, lowering demand for energy and everything else. The EU, Japan, China, Russia, India, Brazil, even the US have anemic economic growth, or they are contracting. Housing is not cooperating with efforts to stimulate. Half the people in this country make less than $28,000 a year, the average college graduate has at least 26,000 dollars in debt, making some wonder what the millennials will be buying houses with. Years of anemic economic growth is taking its toll in people out of the labor force, stagnant wages and substandard job creation. The statistics look good, but don’t tell the real economic story in the United States and the rest of the world; Things aren’t going so well. The gathering storm isn’t deflation, it’s the political reaction to it. Bill Gross said recently, stimulative efforts by governments and central banks aren’t ‘working as well as they used to’. The cure? More of the same! What about the idea that what they’re doing just isn’t working? Politicians aren’t addressing this issue at all, whether they be democrat or republican. Does this mean a disaster is brewing? Democrats want to double down on failed economic policy  (basically print and borrow more money) and Republicans don’t seem to have an agenda which will lead to the growth we need. Add to this, chaos in the world as the US withdraws … a confused foreign policy … and you have a recipe for disaster; A gathering storm. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and by Depotstar

Podcast 236

At Peace With The News Cycle. When frustration with the news cycle sets in, the Doctor recommends a News Cleanse, and then sparing reintegration of the daily rush of the Video Game we know as the News Cycle. Or Cartoon. Whatever you wish. Once you have gone through this cycle rinse and repeat as necessary. Suddenly we’re either in a news rich environment, or the news has become more interesting, in reality. In any case, in the rush to create fantasy story lines about two big stories these days; Ebola and Election 2014, there are other things going on people are missing. First, we have all been subjected to the proselytizing Vegetarian, or worse; the evangelistic Vegan. A new study reveals that the pale, thin wrested Vegan down at the coop, may have less sperm and sperm that swim slower than meat eaters. So take heart those of you who enjoy tearing the seared flesh from the bones of dead animals, you will have more kids than the Vegans. Still worried about Ebola? Columbia University Scientists have discovered the rats in the public transit tunnels of New York City are teeming with viruses and other infections science didn’t even know existed, and worse, that these may have already been passed on to humans. For those following the 2014 election, a new Politico Poll shows 65 percent of Americans believe the country is ‘out of control’. That’s the good news. If you want to hear the bad news, read the open ended responses as to why Americans say these things. We have met the enemy … and he is us. U2 recently was so excited about their new album they decided to give it away, by forcing it onto millions of iTunes subscribers’ libraries. Frontman Bono says they ‘got a little carried away’ … this may qualify as one of the great understatements of the year. (Editor’s Note: I do not want ten crappy U2 songs showing up with my music, which has been carefully curated over the years, and contains no U2!) HBO has announced it will create its own streaming service ‘like Netflix’ later this year. Hopefully this means we can actually get Showtime and HBO shows as they come out rather than having to wait for them, or spend half on the night with support in order to watch Showtime Anytime. Everyone should read the New Yorker’s interview with Marc Andreessen, the creator of Netscape … years ago. Andreeson’s take on technology and politics is important for people who are trying to get a handle on what’s going on these days. We’re at the very beginning of a revolution that, despite what the naysayers believe, will have equal significance in human history to the industrial revolution. And, it won’t follow a schedule or Republican or Democrat political ‘rules’. In fact this revolution, like all revolutions comes in fits and starts and is from time to time chaotic. Whether it is additive manufacturing, empowering individuals to start their own businesses and transform their lives, or comes in the form of portable hydrogen power generators, or portable fusion reactors, driverless cars, on demand entertainment and information, or dissemination of high quality education and training, autonomous machines and software, robotics or just basic IT, batten down the hatches, but read this interview with Andreessen. And, finally, a recipe. Yes. It involves meat. Sponsored by Baklund R&D

Podcast 225

Superstition. Stevie Wonder wasn’t singing about your great grandmother, was he? We’re told we live in a complicated modern society, yet some of us believe things that can only be described as fantasy; superstition. While updating subscribers on the key stories for the week ahead, a question comes up? How does belief in conspiracy theory, apocalyptic theory and other fantasies detract from being able to make decisions based on fact, how do these modern-day superstitions effect rational problem solving? Especially since more and more adherents to these theories appear to be on the political ‘right’, which believes itself to be rational, as opposed to the ‘irrational’ and ’emotional’ left. We start with Ebola, and the rapidly spreading idea – usually through social media – ebola is a ‘weaponized virus’ being used to ‘scare’ the American people, or it is being brought over the border by illegals tasked specifically to infect Americans. This week features a full moon lunar eclipse. This is the second in a series of lunar ‘blood moon’ eclipses some say herald the apocalypse. (The other two are in 2015 so don’t worry, you don’t have long to wait.) Why are these eclipses called ‘blood’ moon eclipses? What’s special about this one? Did you know it’s Enterovirus Season? No, there aren’t any decorations for ‘Enterovirus Season’, or any special celebrations, but now adults are getting sick from the virus labeled ‘Enterovirus D68’, which is thought responsible for the deaths of at least one child, and paralysis in others. Enterovirus is a ‘common cold’ like virus, but apparently D68 packs a punch. A government that can’t provide security to its president, protect the borders or its embassies, collect taxes, or figure out how to solve the most vexing current problems is somehow managing a vast conspiracy to kill US Citizens? Finally, yet more fantasy coverage about the Republicans chances of winning the senate and gaining more seats in congress than they did in 1946. Admittedly always possible, but considering the democrat ground game in 2014 might sober up Republicans who believe this kind of hokum from the mainstream media. Or is it hokum? We’ll find out on November 4th around midnight. For Republicans, the question is, what are you doing to make this fantasy a reality? Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul, and Depot Star