Monday, February 20, 2012

Presidents Day Randomosity

  • Payroll tax cut, meet $4 gas. The sad reality is that a lot of the payroll tax cut is going to the gas pump.  That means Big Oil Profits!  At some point, expensive fuel will impact the economy.  I don't think $4 is the number, but maybe $5 or so.
  • The market sure seems flat today.  Oh!  It's closed!
  • Wasn't Greece supposed to be resolved today, Monday?  Er, not yet.  The market is rallying anyway, as if it isn't as important as economic growth.  Yet, you know everyone is looking at Europe to see if this is going to be resolved.  So Europe and Greece continue to be a dark cloud overhanging an otherwise good looking market.  A chink in the armor, if you will.  The remaining issues?  Reducing the debt load and cutting spending.
  • By the way, as oil heads to 9-month highs, Iran announces it is cutting exports to Europe.
  • Rose Cliver passed away.  Who?  Rose Cliver.  She was a survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.  She was 109.  Wow.
  • "We're all Knicks fans now" - Richard Nixon.  But seriously, bad paraphrases aside, who isn't cheering for Jeremy Lin?  The NBA needed a hero, and here he is.
  • Foxconn!  Yes, ABC goes inside Foxconn, where iPads and 40% of all electronics are made.  The big news is that Foxconn workers are getting a raise.  What does that mean? Is it good news?  Will the price of your iPad increase?  Will Apple and others move the jobs to Vietnam or somewhere else?  Something to keep an eye on.  Labor costs are often the most expensive part of what we buy.  Keep an eye on it, that's all.

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