As an only child, much of my 2021 was spent handling the estate of a loved one who passed away unexpectedly last spring. As I went through my childhood home and organized possessions that had been accumulated by my family over 50+ years it became obvious that the best way to get the job done eventually and minimize wastefulness (by finding good new homes for most items) was to go the consignment route. With a category such as apparel and accessories, the natural fit was The RealReal (REAL), a publicly-traded full service online consignment web site.Unlike some of their competitors, REAL does the hard work for you and takes a higher cut for their efforts. While I was not considering the shares as an investment, the … [Read More...]
Schedule for Week of January 23, 2022
The key reports scheduled for this week are the advance estimate of Q4 GDP and December New Home sales. Other key indicators include December Personal Income and Outlays and November Case-Shiller house prices.For manufacturing, the Richmond and Kansas City Fed manufacturing surveys will be released.The FOMC meets this week, and they are expected to announce the final asset purchases.—– Monday, January 24th —–8:30 AM ET: Chicago Fed National Activity Index for December. This is a composite index of other data.—– Tuesday, January 25th —–9:00 AM: FHFA House Price Index for November. This was originally a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index.9:00 AM ET: S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for November.This graph shows the Year over year change in … [Read More...]
Countries Where People Have the Highest Average Net Incomes
Salaries differ massively across the globe and highlight how much or little people live on to get by. Several different factors affect salaries including work opportunities available in a country, a… [Read More...]
Saturday links: nothing is forever
TransportEV sales are going to depend on the reformation of car dealerships. (theatlantic.com)Only five automakers—BMW, Ford, GM, Tesla, and Subaru—have added driver monitoring alongside the technology. (axios.com)The CPI is going to use JD Power data for used car prices. (bloomberg.com)Amazon ($AMZN) wants more electric vans than producers can manufacture. (nytimes.com)What it’s like to idle in an EV in cold weather for 12 hours? (insidehook.com)EnergyCoal rebounded in 2021. (grid.news)The coal industry is pulling out all the stops to hang on. (washingtonpost.com)Why is California trying kill off much of the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) industry? (thehill.com)How Norway became a leader in heat pump installations. (reasonstobecheerful.world)Producers of nuclear power, ranked by country. (visualcapitalist.com)EnvironmentThe price for post-consumer PET has shot up. (ft…. [Read More...]
‘Whoa, that’s not right’: Georgia towns lead census appeals
SOURCE: Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines – Read entire story here.
Schedule for Week of January 16, 2022
The key reports this week are December housing starts and existing home sales.For manufacturing, the January NY and Philly Fed manufacturing surveys will be released.—– Monday, January 17th —–All US markets will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day—– Tuesday, January 18th —–8:30 AM: The New York Fed Empire State manufacturing survey for January. The consensus is for a reading of 26.0, down from 31.9.10:00 AM: The January NAHB homebuilder survey. The consensus is for a reading of 84, unchanged from 84 in December. Any number above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor.—– Wednesday, January 19th —–7:00 AM ET: The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.8:30 AM: Housing Starts for December. This graph shows single and … [Read More...]
The Most Popular Names In America Since 1880
Have you ever wondered why your parents picked your name and why you are not, say, Lucifer? Deciding on a child’s name is usually a negotiation process, often ending in a compromise. Cultural… [Read More...]
Saturday links: mental and physical health
AutosHyundai and Kia outsold Honda in the U.S. for the first time. (cnn.com)The 2022 North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year snubbed EVs. (axios.com)Peer-to-peer car sharing service Turo is planning an IPO. (techcrunch.com)EnergyWhy did the costs of nuclear power stop going down? (austinvernon.site)What’s involved with the DOE’s “Building a Better Grid” initiative. (theverge.com)It’s hard to see how we decarbonize the economy without nuclear energy. (wsj.com)Battery Resourcers is set to open the nation’s biggest battery recycling plant. (fastcompany.com)Climate change2021 was the second-worst year for weather disasters in the U.S. (washingtonpost.com)A fifth of the planet experienced record temperatures in 2021. (cbsnews.com)Measures of ocean temperatures hit another record high. (theguardian.com)EnvironmentWhy hurricanes are likely to shift … [Read More...]
Jan. 6 hearings ‘are going to blow the roof off the House,’ Raskin says
SOURCE: Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines – Read entire story here.
Schedule for Week of January 9, 2022
The key reports this week are December CPI and retail sales.For manufacturing, the December Industrial Production report will be released.—– Monday, January 10th —–No major economic releases scheduled.—– Tuesday, January 11th —–6:00 AM: NFIB Small Business Optimism Index for December.10:00 AM: Testimony, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Nomination Hearing, Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate—– Wednesday, January 12th —–7:00 AM ET: The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.8:30 AM: The Consumer Price Index for December from the BLS. The consensus is for 0.5% increase in CPI, and a 0.5% increase in core CPI.—– Thursday, January 13th —–8:30 AM: The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for 210 thousand initial claims.8:30 AM ET: … [Read More...]
25 Ancient Civilizations Destroyed by Natural Disasters
Every year, cities around the world are devastated by natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Although modern technology has given us earthquake-proof buildings, urban flood… [Read More...]
Saturday links: attention seeking emails
AutosLuxury car buyers today need to consider EVs due to how the used car market will play out in a few year’s time. (washingtonpost.com)The ongoing new car shortage will permanently change how cars are sold. (axios.com)Bi-directional batteries change the nature of EVs. (whyisthisinteresting.substack.com)Amazon ($AMZN) was always going to have multiple electric van makers. (bloomberg.com)You can have great racing without a combustion engine. (newscientist.com)EnergyEurope is dangerously dependent on Russia for natural gas. (bloomberg.com)The Biden administration wants to speed up the approval of new high-voltage power lines. (wsj.com)How Energy Vault, uses gravity to generate (and store) electricity. (wired.com)Environment2021 ranked as the fifth-hottest year on record. (axios.com)The story of Monsanto IS the story of the environment. (slate…. [Read More...]
Colombian man felt tranquil before euthanasia ended his pain
SOURCE: Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines – Read entire story here.
RIP: Gold
I find it pretty amazing that 2021 did not turn out to be “the year of the gold bug.” You know the long-standing argument for the precious metal; huge deficit spending by the government leads to surging inflation, which in turn leads to a tremendous performance for gold – cementing its place as the dominant inflation hedge. Well, the consumer price index is setting up to exceed +6% for the year, the highest inflation rate in several decades. So let’s pop the champagne for the gold bugs as their bet finally paid off in spades: Oh. Nevermind, I guess. Couldn’t even muster a gain of any kind this year. The nail in the coffin for that strategy, I suppose. Hopefully that moment came a long time … [Read More...]
The Saddest Restaurant Closings of 2021
The pandemic sounded the death knell for many of America’s most famous restaurants. Among the casualties in 2020 were such iconic institutions as K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in New… [Read More...]
Schedule for Week of January 2, 2021
Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2022.The key report this week is the December employment report on Friday.Other key indicators include the December ISM manufacturing and services indexes, December vehicle sales, the November trade deficit, and November Job Openings.—– Monday, January 3rd —–8:00 AM ET: Corelogic House Price index for November.10:00 AM: Construction Spending for November. The consensus is for a 0.6% increase in construction spending.—– Tuesday, January 4th —–10:00 AM ET: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for October from the BLS. This graph shows job openings (yellow line), hires (purple), Layoff, Discharges and other (red column), and Quits (light blue column) from the JOLTS. Jobs openings increased in October to 11.033 million from 10.602 million in September.10:00 AM: ISM Manufacturing Index for December. The consensus … [Read More...]
Saturday links: the most valuable commodity
AutosBetting on EV adoption, automakers are going at different speeds. (ft.com)Car brands are turning showrooms into ‘client experience centers.’ (nytimes.com)The key to EV charger profitability is usage. (wsj.com)TransportCompanies are designing hydrogen-powered locomotive systems. (axios.com)Autonomous trucking startup TuSimple has completed its first autonomous truck run on open public roads without a human in the vehicle. (techcrunch.com)WaterThe problem of extreme rainfall is only going to get worse. (theatlantic.com)The American West is running out of water…underground. (theatlantic.com)How four different cities in the West are dealing with future water shortfalls. (bloomberg.com)French officials want to make the Seine swimmable. (washingtonpost.com)EnvironmentThe costs of extreme weather are not linear. (arstechnica.com)Particulate pollution kills millions of people. (vox.com)Can a performance cotton textile … [Read More...]
Rapper Kodak Black arrested on trespassing charge in Florida
SOURCE: Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines – Read entire story here.
Schedule for Week of December 26, 2021
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2022.The key indicator this week is Case-Shiller House Prices for October.—– Monday, December 27th —–10:30 AM: Dallas Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for December.—– Tuesday, December 28th —–9:00 AM: FHFA House Price Index for October. This was originally a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index. 9:00 AM ET: S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for October.This graph shows graph shows the Year over year change in the seasonally adjusted National Index, Composite 10 and Composite 20 indexes through the most recent report (the Composite 20 was started in January 2000).The consensus is for a 18.5% year-over-year increase in the Composite 20 index for October.10:00 AM: Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity … [Read More...]
This Is The Deadliest State For COVID-19
The U.S. is in for a brutal winter of COVID-19 infections, perhaps worse than the period last December and January. Omicron spreads more rapidly than earlier variants, and people have gathered… [Read More...]
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