US retail sales increased more than expected in June, pointing to strong consumer spending. The Key takeaway from the report is that it was a solid report overall The report from the Commerce Department on Tuesday did not change market expectations that the FOMC will cut interest rates this month for the 1 st time in a […]
$HGC1, $CU FLASH: Managed Money Driving Explosion in Copper (CU) Options in Big Bet on Prices A persistent Copper shortage has spurred a 32X explosion in the COMEX options market over the last 2 years as hedge funds and other speculators move to cash in on rising prices. Copper at the close in Chicago Tuesday: […]
Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Herbs, and Spices Herbs and cooking spices contain a wide variety of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, and help maximize the nutrient density of our meals. Every time we flavor our meals with herbs or spices we are “upgrading” our food without adding a single calorie. In fact, on a per gram fresh […]
The Big Q: What is So Great About Organic Coffee? The Key thing for coffee lovers is that their attachment to their cup of Java is even better for them after age 45. A 10-year study presented recently at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain showed that people who drank 4 cups […]
Alcohol and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago revealed alcohol may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by disrupting the way amyloid beta is cleared Amyloid beta is a protein implicated in Alzheimer’s disease that can clump together in the brain, building up into groups of […]
Dark Roasted Coffee, ‘The Health Benefits’ Coffee may be the # 1 source of antioxidants in the US diet. Levels of acrylamide, the ingredient California wants to protect drinkers from, in coffee are influenced by the raw materials and the manufacturing process. Coffee beans are dried, roasted and ground before being brewed into coffee. Once the […]
Alcohol Is Not Good For Us, Poisoning Kills 6 People Daily The World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, their highest risk category. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration data reveals, that just over 26% of people over 18 reported binge drinking in […]
Moderate Drinking Has Benefits, How Much is Too Much? Drinking in moderation has been linked, in numerous studies, to a wide variety of health benefits — lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cholesterol. But it’s also possible to get too much of a good thing, experts say. The Big Q: What is drinking […]
Obesity How it Starts, How To End It It is time to get real about food! Obesity is rooted in the wrong food choices, not lack of exercise. And the food industry has been permitted to confuse the issue by shifting the focus and discussion to exercise, omitting the importance of one’s specific food choices. […]
Electrical Power Consumption, Economic Growth and Global Warming $DIA, $GLD, $SLV The DJIA had not seen a new all-time high since June 19 until this week, when it closed at record highs 2 days running. But as the Dow Jones’ BEV chart below shows, last week it closed just 0.53% away from a new all-time […]
Coffee & Tea Protect Liver from the West’s “Happy Diet” Regularly drinking coffee or herbal tea may help prevent chronic liver disease, new research suggests. Scientists in the Netherlands found these popular beverages might help thwart liver fibrosis, or stiffness and scarring due to chronic inflammation. “Over the past decades, we gradually deviated towards more […]
Economic Electrical Power (EP) Consumption… US Historical Review: 1929-2017 $DIA, $SPY, $GLD, $SLV Last Friday promised some excitement for this week; what with the much anticipated interest rate increase by the FOMC and the Federal Government hitting its debt ceiling on Wednesday the 15th. Friday evening, it was all much to do about nothing, with […]
Build a Bigger, Better Brain by Making Smart Choices The human brain is not programmed to shrink and fail as a matter of course as we age. In fact, we can build a bigger, better brain by making smart choices. Lifestyle strategies that promote neurogenesis and regrowth of brain cells include the following. All of […]
Dubai Launches Future Accelerators Program Those selected for the program will have 3 months to come up with a prototype or business plan that can be applied to the entire city Dubai has officially launched its Dhs1bn ($270-M) Future Accelerators program designed to make the city an innovation hub. The scheme pairs government departments with […]
Salt Consumption Increases Risk of Early Death Conventional wisdom says too much salt is bad because it can lead to high blood pressure. And now a new 25-year study finds that salt, even just a little bit could increase your risk of premature death. The research found that if you normally have about 1.5 teaspoons […]
China Focuses on Petrochemical Industry Development China has determined that must shut down outmoded facilities, consolidate production and reduce pollution to increase the competitiveness of its petrochemical industry, according to a government guideline issued Wednesday. The energy sector’s industrial development is hindered by overcapacity along with security and environmental constraints, according to the guideline issued […]
No Empirical Measure Truly Illustrates the Reality of Being Poor Donald Trump is technically correct when he says almost 4 in 10 black American youths live in poverty. According to the official poverty measure, 36% of African-Americans under the age of 18 fell below the poverty mark in Y 2014. The problem with that statistic […]
This is as Good as it Gets for the US Economy $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The US economy is not in recession yet, but it is moving in that direction. The news Friday that Q-2 US GDP expanded by only 1.2% from the prior Quarter (annualized) marks a major change in growth. The last 2 […]
Chinese Eager to Buy More Russian Crude Oil $OIL Russia is on track to set a new record in crude oil exports this year, and Iran is boosting exports to Europe, intensifying competition on the continent, which is a Key market for both countries. At the beginning of June, Russia has surprised analysts time over […]
China: Deep Pockets and Digital Trends Drive Consumption For foreign companies targeting the deep pockets of China’s growing middle class, understanding demand and consumption habits are Key. The future of consumption in China is digital, consumer-driven and aided by safe and secure mobile payment systems, according to attendees of the 3-day annual World Economic Forum […]
Unlike US Consumers, China’s Consumer Plan More Spending Most Chinese consumers will continue to spend in Y 2016 despite slowing economic growth and market volatility, according to research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). About 75% of Chinese consumers plan to maintain or increase their spending this year, down from 81% in Y 2015, according to […]
South Korea’s Household Consumption Falling Private (household) consumption in South Korea fell in Q-1 on lower household income, a government report revealed Friday. Monthly private consumption averaged 2,669,000 Won (US$2,262) per household during the January-March period, up 0.6% from the same frame last year, according to Statistics Korea. Real private consumption, adjusted for inflation, declined […]
Sugar is Linked to the World’s Most Serious Medical Conditions After many years of public awareness campaigns and damning reports, it seems the notion that sugar is incredibly bad for us has finally started to dawn on some people. While not quite impacting the masses as it should, I have certainly noticed more and more […]
Earth Day Proves The Value of Water And More April 22, 2016 Ecological principles guide economic strategies to fit 21st Century conditions. Mekong River floodwaters force Vietnamese farmers to erect barricades to protect their fields. From 1980 to 2014, 41 percent of all the economic losses globally, and 27 percent of the fatalities, were from […]