This morning, a reader responded to my referencing that report from San Jose California about personal drones spying on neighbors.
- Some years ago people saw space travelers from distant planets. Now perhaps they see drones. Have you seen any valid reports, substantiated by other evidence?
So, I checked it out and in my somewhat limited research, I did find numerous police reports, but I did not find any actual arrests for drone spying, which would be “other evidence.” What I did find, however, is that a number of US states and the Federal government are preparing legislation that protects privacy relative to drones by restricting what folks can and cannot do with their personal drones.
It’s the same kind of story
That seems to come down from long ago
Two friends having coffee together
When something flies by their window
Now, despite Fleetwood Mac suggesting space travelers have visited our planet, as far as we know (think Roswell and Area 51), no space travelers have actually been arrested for spying on our planet, and the UN, has not passed any legislation protecting global privacy rights by restricting what space travelers can and cannot do with their personal flying saucers, so we can conclude that the evidence for the existence of space travelers is limited and flimsy, at best.
The same might be said for neighbors spying on neighbors with drones; however, we do factually know: a) drones exist and b) your neighbor can buy one for $1000 new, or less on the secondary market; and c) they are easy to remotely fly, whereas I imagine a space ship that can traverse the vastness of our universe is not so easy to fly …
- A rapid revival of commodity prices and a sudden sell-off in top-rated, low-yielding bonds have signaled the passing of this year’s global deflation scare, forcing a rethink of both the consumer price outlook and investments worldwide.
As I said the other day, the market is looking for a cue, which it has been doing now, at this time of the year, for some six years now. So, any news sends the big money spinning.
- It has been a busy period in markets across the globe, with trends (and trades) breaking down everywhere.
This is normal for a period of adjustment, which is what we have now. The Fed is still a question mark in the market’s mind (rational or not). Europe is looking healthier, but it is not quite there yet, China is dealing with its banking issues, growth issues, and bull-market issues. Oil is fighting hard to become high-priced again. Bond prices are unstable. Greece is, well, Greece, and Iran and Putin are still playing games that impact geopolitics in a big way.
So, when Janet Yellen speaks, the market listens and reacts.
- U.S. stocks moved lower in morning trading on Wednesday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said equity valuations are “generally quite high,” and warned of potential dangers.
The relevant questions regarding Yellen’s warnings are:
1) Is the market in danger of collapsing because valuations are too high?
2) Is Yellen simply trying to bring the market back a bit to keep it from getting too far ahead of the coming interest rate hike?
My guess is the latter, because this is what the Fed does – try to control markets. In any case, she also said the financial markets are stable, which is an important clue as to any potential collapse in the market, or relative to the economy.
- The U.S. mortgage delinquency rate fell to the lowest in almost eight years as the job market strengthened and rising home values gave struggling borrowers a chance to sell.
So, it is what is in the market, for now, which means we should still be looking to the future and deciding what is real and what is not real.
- As the value of a bitcoin has plunged from more than $1,100 to around $200, the cryptographic currency’s image has been sullied. The most popular Bitcoin exchange has imploded, the currency has been used in high-profile scams and heists, and despite the fact that tens of thousands of merchants now accept bitcoins, it has failed to catch on widely as a way to buy things.
So, is the world ready for money it cannot touch, feel, or otherwise consider real? Is the world ready to accept money residing in a digital wallet protected by a security key, when the CIA, Sony, Target, and Home Depot cannot keep folks from getting into their digital “vaults?”
- Distrust of the security of wallet services, fueled by a long list of recent private key thefts and wallet scams, is one of the most important reasons Bitcoin is stuck.
Well, maybe the average Jane is not ready for bitcoins, or digital money for that matter, but there is still a heap on money flying into the digital money realm, which suggests that digital currency might become real in the not-so-distant future.
- A growing number of startups are scrambling to develop apps they believe will inspire mainstream use of money that isn’t backed by any government. “A billion dollars has been invested in this industry in the past 24 months,” said Barry Silbert, the founder of the financial technology firm SecondMarket and an investor in 48 Bitcoin-focused startups
If I have to choose between space travelers, bitcoins, and neighbors spying on neighbors with drones, I choose space travelers. Oops! I meant neighbors spying on neighbors. It was a slip, really. I just got confused for a moment, really.
Trade in the day; invest in your life …
