Indicators Talking Inflation: The Yield Curve Is Not Listening

The rising prices of Gold, Silver, Copper, Housing, Taxi Fares, Gasoline, Oil, Natural Gas, Firewood, Contractor Salaries, Scrap Metal, The US Dollar Foreign Exchange rates all say that inflation is here. However US Treasuries 5, 10 and 30 year bonds have similar the same yields. Usually, those longest term bond yields go far above intermediate term bonds when there are fears of inflation. It would seem to me that someone is going to be wrong. ...

Click to read more ...

Fed Rate Increases Not Near Done - Inflation is Here Now.

March releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) www.bls.gov show that inflation is here. At 3.4% year over year and a March monthly rate of 0.6% (that’s 7.2% annualized) inflation is really going now and we are not near the last interest rate increase in this series by the Fed. I think there are many more to come. There may be a pause in the steady stream of rate increases but the fact is that if this Fed pays attention to inflation, rate rises have to continue. Take a ...

Click to read more ...

Rebirth Brass Band at Howlin' Wolf New Orleans - Review

The Rebirth Brass Band took the stage late at Howlin' Wolf. This Warehouse District venue moved to a new larger location. I found it eay to get to the bars and see the stage well from anywhere. Rebirth had a great show that ended when they invited every woman in the audience on to the stage. ...

Click to read more ...

Rescue Inspector Markings

Click on photo to see what each part of these post hurricane/flood inspection markers mean. It's really morbid. It put a lump in my throat to imagine the government official on boats looking through houses for bodies.To see the rest of my photos of post Katrina damage click hereTo see all my flickr photos from this New Orleans trip click here ...

Click to read more ...

Words of Wisdom

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez ...

Click to read more ...

T-Shirt Wisdom - Make Levees Not War

This just about sums of the attitude of New Orleans Locals I've spoken to. For a link to my constantly updating New Orleans Jazzfest 2006 Photos click here: ...

Click to read more ...

Cafe Du Monde and Polystrene: A Review

Cafe Du Monde at 1039 Decatur in the French Quarter is a New Orleans icon but I don't ever remember it being a nice place to hang out nor do I ever remember disliking it. Of course, I'd never been there sober or during the day until today.I ordered a large cafe au lait (half black coffee half milk), decided to skip the beignets (translation: french fried dough covered in powdered sugar) after last night's eating festival and too many Red Hots Candy from the free machine that the W Hotel cruelly put in my room. ...

Click to read more ...

Procter and Gamble (PG) partial unwind

This is a partial follow up of last weeks trade where I bought PG strangles. PG earnings did come out and the stock got hit. It's down 4.6% to 55.45 as I write this. Though I don't think the earnings did anything to hurt the long term prospects of PG. Missing sales estimates did spook some analysts and investors into selling. The strangles I bought last week have served their purpose and while the calls are basically worthless I did managed to sell out 20% of the puts for $0.50. I'm offering out another ...

Click to read more ...

Jazzfest Day One

First Day in New Orleans. Went to dinner at Cochon Restaurant. Had some real high quality cajun cooking. I found the chairs uncomfortable and the atmosphere sterile. However, when the food arrive my opinions changed and I fell in love with this place.After dinner went on a tour of the 9th tour. It all looked like something from a postarmageddon science ficiton movie. You know the one where all the people are missing and the lights are off. It looked like that. I kept looking for the zombies. Signs like these are everywhere:The ...

Click to read more ...

New Orleans Jazzfest and FestAid

My friend and fellow New Orleans Jazzfest fanatic, Shiela Byrd sent me this link to a WWOZ news release about FestAid. What a fantastic group of fans of both New Orleans and Jazzfest who want to give something back. I leave Tuesday for New Orleans and will be there for six, YES six days and nights of wonderful of fatty food, good music, dancing and reoconnecting with old friends. Pre-Jazzfest Opinions:My Favorite Jazzfest Food: Gator Po' Boy (not bad for an ex-vegetarian)My Favorite Jazzfast Band: (it always turns out to be one of these bands that combines various ...

Click to read more ...