Sunday, June 28, 2009

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Chart comparing SPX to VIX: Cobra's Market View. "Complacency is high when VIX (makes a) lower low while SPX (makes a) lower high. This kind of negative divergence usually leads (to) a pullback."

Domino effect in mortgage defaults: The farther homeowners are under water, the more likely they are to default on their mortgages. Also, “The predisposition to default increases with the number of foreclosures in the same ZIP code.” Calculated Risk

"like India, day-to-day changes in the Russian stock market behave opposite of the US: they are momentum, not contrarian driven." This tends to confirm older studies which showed that smaller capitalization stock market indexes are more likely to trend than larger capitalization market indexes. Short-term Price Movement in Russia’s Stock Market - Part 1 – MarketSci Blog.

Beaver Stuffing Kit from Prezzies plus. "Amaze your friends with your new-found beaver stuffing skills - why not demonstrate your new talents at a party or gathering to really cause a stir! Or simply stuff and mount your beaver and keep your secrets to yourself !! Our Price: £7.99"

Play Commodities With New Peru ETF: iShares All Peru Capped Index Fund (EPU). Roger Nusbaum for TheStreet.com.

Is the Princeton EGG Project showing that something BIG is about to happen? Breaking News

FDIC Breaks February Record: 5 Banks Fail Over Weekend, bringing total for the year to 45. Charting Stocks

Real Life Centaur? Woman Creates Robotic Horse Legs for Humans. AMOG

Firefox 3.5 is scheduled to be released Tuesday, June 30. I have been using the beta for several months. My verdict is that Firefox 3.5 is the fastest, safest, and most reliable web browser ever. Webmonkey

In accordance with Michael Jackson’s will, little boys’ pants shall be flown at half-mast today. Open Thread: Michael Jackson jokes.

Change you can believe in: The White House Is Drafting an Executive Order to Allow Indefinite Detention of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo; the Move Would Bypass Congress. ProPublica

Racist Dog

Global air travel demand has fallen for the ninth straight month, down more than 9% in May. FP Trading Desk

Thursday, June 26, 1930 - Dow 215.58 +3.74 (+1.8%). 'Some traders believe the Dow Rails average closing below the 1929 low indicated bear market isn't over. Many important bankers disagree, feeling it's close to a bottom . . . Old-Timer says he's not sure if stocks will go up or down from here, but anyone buying good stocks at this level will do well in the long run. “We get few opportunities like the present to buy things below intrinsic worth.” ' The more things change, the more they remain the same! News from 1930

Why the NYC subway system is going broke: The Empire Center for New York State Policy.
More than 10 percent of the MTA’s workforce--8,214 individuals in all--took home $100,000 or more in total pay, including overtime. The MTA’s six-figure club included:
• 10 employees who earned more than $250,000, averaging $102,000 over their base salaries;
• 44 employees who earned between $200,000 and $250,000, averaging $89,000 over their base salaries;
• 600 employees who earned between $150,000 and $200,000; and
• 7,560 individuals who earned between $100,000 and $150,000.

UK parents banned from taking pictures of their own children at sports day. "Mrs Ethelston's Church of England Primary School, in Uplyme, Devon, prohibited photos and video filming, claiming it was due to changes in child protection and images legislation." Telegraph.co.uk

I am moving to the beach cottage today for a "vacation" until the middle of July. The only way I can tell I am on vacation is that my physical location changes, so the move probably won't affect publication of the blog as long as the internet connection is working well.

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