Friday

The Treasury yield curve (a graphical representation of Treasury bond yields plotted along an X-axis defined by maturity) has continued making headlines this week.  It has spent a substantial amount of the period “inverted,” to wit, the two-year full faith and credit notes are paying more than ten-year Treasury bonds.  Typically, this is seen as a harbinger of a looming re

Insensitivity is on the rise.  It’s taking the world by storm.

A week ago today Southern California was hit with the largest earthquake since 1999.  Just a day earlier, the region shook as a magnitude 6.4 pre-shock rattled through before the main event which was 11 times stronger.  Meanwhile, my buddy John in New Orleans spent his Wednesday of this week moving sand in an attempt to minimize potential flood damage from Tropical Storm (and potentia

Disruptor is an aging buzz word in the American lexicon.  For years we’ve been hearing about disruptive technology (sometimes it only disrupts one’s inner tranquility when it doesn’t work).

"History never repeats itself, but the kaleidoscopic combinations of the pictured present often seem to be constructed out of the broken fragments of antique legends."  Mark Twain in the introduction to The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today.

In yesterday’s note (click here to review) we examined the Census Bureau’s data on Retail Sales.  In short, they were weak.  The headline tally declined 1.2 percent (the largest drop in nine years), and minus signs accompanied most of the components.