What Gradual Economic Devolution Looks Like

The after-affects of the 1^st wave (there will be 3 waves) of the Super Tsunami “Kondratieff” Long-Waves back in 2007/08 are still negatively effecting the economic landscape in The United States, and causing the continual erosion of aggregate demand, which will ABSOLUTELY get worse from here on out to the ‘Big Bang’ of the ‘Bond Bubble Explosion!’

And nobody, especially the PEC (Professional Economist Class) seems to know why demand is forever contracting – unless they read our website, Market Reviews, Quarterly Updates and (in much, much less detail) these Blogs!

Simply put: IT’S THE KONDRATIEFF Stupid!!

So for a more complete understanding of these things, go read the “New Normal” page on our website at www.polestarcomm.com.

And please don’t forget:

Despite the really hilarious efforts to sidetrack and to delude and to trick the ‘Sheeple’ investors with the recent 9.9% S&P and 11% DJI declines, the stock markets are all ‘Going to Moon” and will be in the DJI 18,500 range in early 2015 - IMO!

And that is precisely because there is now too much at stake for any other outcome.  And this type of stock market move is now certain because the Banksters are now pumping Billions and Billions of Dollars into the stock and commodity markets (they have no other good options either) every SINGLE MONTH for Ad Naseum; thanks to crazed Bernanke’s insanely structured QE’s!!

And for a little sobering perspective on these things, PLEASE remember in that other period of another really ‘Grand Deception’ of the poor ‘Sheeple’ investors back in the ‘Three Trickeroo Rallies' at or above DJI 1,000 from 1966 to 1972 that were then followed by the ‘Mother of ALL Stock Market Crashes’ in 1972 to December 1974, this recent down trend of roughly 1,300 points is analogous to 70 to 80 points on the Dow back then!

GEEZE!  What market UNSAVVY and gutless whimps - we have beget in this country!

Target faces ‘Black Thursday’ backlash from shareholders

Wall Street journal; Nov. 15, 2012, 10:09 a.m. EST; By Quentin Fottrell

“Though shoppers have been grousing for the past couple of years about how Black Friday keeps creeping into Thanksgiving Day, it’s shareholders who are giving Target TGT +1.73%   grief over the decision to kick off its sales at 9 p.m on the holiday.

On Wednesday, in a coordinated effort to rally support for waiting until Black Friday to open their doors, a group of Target customers, employees and shareholders signed a petition with nearly 212,000 signatures on the site Change.org. … “dozens of shareholders” have left comments, arguing that the store’s decision encourages people to work and/or shop on Thanksgiving when they could be at home with their families.

… (Target says that employees) will receive time-and-a-half their hourly rate, plus additional compensation for the hours worked between Thursday and Friday morning.

But several small shareholders contend that’s not good enough, according to Change.org. “I bought stock in Target because I was so impressed by the respect and concern they showed their employees and the communities where their stores are located, wrote shareholder Jill Larson, of Minnesota. “I am disappointed to hear about this decision.”

Fellow shareholder Ben Rabizadeh agrees. “I would gladly accept a slightly lower growth rate or slightly lower dividends in order to preserve the Thanksgiving holiday for all Americans,” he says.

…But larger investors have also accused Target of being the Grinch that stole Thanksgiving. Harrington Investments, a Napa, Calif., based socially responsible investment firm that owns 16,635 shares of Target stock, sent a letter to Target CEO Gregg W. Steinhafel on Wednesday asking him to reverse his decision ( see the letter ). “This will inevitably put our employees in a situation where they must choose between keeping their jobs or spending quality time with their families,” Harrington writes.

…Target isn’t the only retailer opening on Thanksgiving. Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart Stores WMT -3.63%   and Sears Holdings Corp. SHLD +0.10%   will open at 8 p.m. In 2011, Toys “R” Us opened at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Wal-Mart opened at 10 p.m., and Sears opened at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. Macy’s M +1.13%   and Kohl’s KSS -0.08%   will open at midnight on Black Friday, just as they did last year. …”

McDonald’s earnings disappoint

Chicago Business Journal; Date: Friday, October 19, 2012, 1:38pm CDT

McDonald's said the stronger dollar overseas, pressured by the European recession, shaved earnings by 8 cents per share.

McDonald's Corp. reported weaker-than-expected earnings Friday as the company battled a weak global economy and increased competition among fast-food chains seeking budget-minded customers.
…McDonald Chief Executive Don Thompson said although the company is responding to global economic challenges, he expected “near-term top and bottom-line growth to remain pressured” and added October’s comparable sales are currently “trending negative.”…”

 

Jobless Claims in U.S. Jumped Last Week After Sandy

Bloomberg: By Michelle Jamrisko and Shobhana Chandra - Nov 15, 2012 4:44 PM ET

“…More Americans than forecast submitted claims for unemployment insurance and factory production declined in the northeastern U.S. after superstorm Sandy struck the region.

Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- More Americans than forecast submitted claims for unemployment insurance last week as superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the job market. Applications for jobless benefits surged by 78,000 to 439,000 in the week ended Nov. 10, the Labor Department said today in Washington. ….

Applications for jobless benefits surged by 78,000 to 439,000 in the week ended Nov. 10, the most since April 2011, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Indexes of manufacturing in the New York and Philadelphia areas showed contractions this month.
The reports add to evidence of the economic toll taken by Sandy, which killed more than 100 people in the U.S., disrupted rail and subway service, left more than 8 million homes and businesses without power for days and caused insured losses estimated at $20 billion. Many of those who lost their jobs were unable to immediately file claims because of the disruption caused by the storm, swelling the numbers last week.
“People were thrown out of work because of the storm, which is exactly what happened after Katrina,” which struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, said Jeffrey Herzog, a senior economist at Oxford Economics Ltd. in New York, who projected claims would climb to 410,000. “The infrastructure was hit in such a way that it will damage transportation and port links, which will take a long time to come back online.”
Stocks declined as U.S. lawmakers prepared for budget talks. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 0.2 percent to 1,353.33 at the close in New York.
… The prior week’s reading was revised up to 361,000 from an originally reported 355,000. A less-volatile measure of claims, the four-week moving average, rose to 383,750 from 372,000, today’s report showed.
…Sandy posed an additional challenge to manufacturers already affected by the recession in Europe, which has limited export orders, and concerns about the so-called fiscal cliff of $607 billion of spending cuts and tax increases set to take effect in January unless Congress acts.
“Capital expenditures look to be slowing in earnest,” said Jacob Oubina, senior U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets LLC in New York. “In addition to the fiscal cliff and uncertainty, we’ve had a synchronous slowing in global manufacturing that’s affecting us here at home.” …”