Three Humble Thoughts

 First....car repossession rates in the US are surging to levels not seen since the 2009 Great Recession.

Driving force?  Record-high auto debt (over $1.66 trillion), soaring vehicle prices (average new car at nearly $50,000), elevated interest rates (averaging 10.16% for loans), and broader economic pressures like inflation and job instability. 

Overall delinquency rates for auto loans have doubled since the pandemic low, reaching 3.52-percent for 30=plus days past due.

So....not only do we have banks in trouble  for commercial building loan issues....but now car repossessions  as well.

Second, this whole Canada-trade-tariff thing.

I watched a Canadian bank official do a talk today....more or less suggesting that the clock is now ticking....living standards are going to lessen very shortly (he didn't say years or months....but I got the impression he's talking about a massive problem within 60 days.

The Prime Minister? Varney?  At best....he's probably got until Christmas to figure some 'deal' (either with Trump, or with China), and show some recovery underway.  If not....I'd say he's finished and  resigns by mid-January.

Anyone's guess who comes next.

Third, all this SNAP-BS....seems likely that grocery stores on Saturday....will be robbed around the clock, and most urbanized regions will see the stores shutdown until Monday....with armed guards then set at all doors.   

Crazy BS....but it's like some ultra modern civil war script.

Explaining The Warner Brothers 'Problem'

 A couple of years ago....W-B felt it could acquire a number of networks, and become a dominant figure.

So they picked up HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Magnolia Network, TLC, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), Investigation Discovery, NBA TV (full ownership), MLB Network, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, American Heroes Channel, and a number of international networks.

Along the way, they acquired DEBT.  Some networks....like CNN...marginally made it.

Right now....Paramount is heavily trying to buy all of W-B, with W-B fighting them off.   In the background...both Netflix and Comcast are discussing a buy-situation.  Both Apple and some private  investment  groups are at  least talking about a buy deal.

My impression....W-B wants to continue on.....but dumping the losers (mostly CNN and probably a package deal of NBA-TV and the  cartoon  channels going  to someone).

I pondered  upon this.  No one really wants CNN. I asked Grok to assign a value, and  he came back to suggest $4-to-$8 billion.  Paramount's idea was to take CNN and merge it into CBS....probably dumping 50-percent of CNN's manpower. 

I also pondered upon Elon Musk....he'd probably like to buy CNN, and  fire 70-percent of the folks.....remaking it  into XNN 'creature'.

Will all the dust settle shortly?  With debt issues....I don't see W-B dragging this  past January.  

Five Thoughts

 1.  This 'war' down south with Venezuela?

Look, the cartel guys are thinking all this chatter they do....routes,  instructions, packages....is secure.  It's not....the Pentagon is listening in and have the schedule and route.

Trying to say it's a war?  Well....it's been at this level since Reagan's days.  Nothing new.  

Along the Caribbean/Gulf of America and east coast....along about early December....there's going to be a massive shortage of drugs going on, and junkies won't be able to afford their drugs.

2. Amazon letting 30k management jobs exit shortly?

Well...who is hiring  right now?  No one.

3.  If you've been unemployed for 6 months, and get a interview chance.....if the HR guy asks what you've been  doing  for 6 months....you need a pretty decent answer.

4. If you own a bank, and have 10,000 car loans on the books, and 7-percent are likely to fail before the 96th month (8-year loan).....the odds are you will be getting a vehicle landing in your hands.....without adequate value,  and unable to get it sold for what you want back.  Your bank will eventually fail.

5. Another .25 cents off the prime tomorrow.

Relationship With One's Self

 Some Hollywood gal came up and said she was 'self-partnered' recently.....I had to go and read up on this condition.

It refers to being intentionally single and in a some type of fulfilling relationship with oneself, rather than viewing singlehood as a temporary or negative state while waiting for a romantic partner. 

In simple terms....it's self-love and independence....no husband/wife....no BF/GF....no drama....no heartache.  

Emotional completeness without needing a partner.  Course, I am assuming she has a cat or two, or dog or two....to make up for things.

I thought about this for a while, and rationally came to the conclusion....rather than screw up things....with some dimwit who drags you along eight hours per day on some faked-up drama.....you might be better without the partner.

Inspection?

 Over the weekend, I noticed this odd Air Force story.  The top brass announced that they were ordering complete 100-percent immediate inspection of all barracks Air Force-wide.

There were two mandates.

First, if conditions were crap.....discovered in the inspection....they were to remove the 'boys-and-girls' from  the situation...ASAP.

I paused over this...thinking....maybe in the 70s and 80s....there were barracks like this (I was in one in Louisiana). By the late 1990s....I didn't think anyone could complain about conditions.

Second, if any barracks had renovation situations....list them and what'd it take to bring them up.

What drove this?  No one says much....other than new leadership entering the picture in the last six months.

What I find funny.....at least though the 1970s and 1980s....the barracks all had a once-a-week inspection.  Things like they suggest...would have been  noticed and improved.  It just makes me wonder if they halted inspections  over the past decade.

My Five Problems With Trump's Ballroom Stuff

 First, ballrooms mean dancing, and 80-percent of American guys can't dance.

Second, these ballroom dinners mean fancy tuxedos.....which only 2-percent of American guys have.

Third, these ballroom dinners will have a cost-factor per guest of $150 (DC cost for catering)....which gets you a marginal piece of roast beef, some mashed potatoes, and a scoop of ice cream.

Fourth, at every dinner.....at least three US Senators will collapse and have to be hauled-away by ambulance.

Fifth and final, at least 25-percent of the women will attend....will dress up trampy style....with their boobs hanging out. 

Four Humble Thoughts

 1.  The landscape of NY City by November 2026?  They will have had roughly two years of Zohran Mamdani as mayor.  The exit of police....at least 500 will have resigned and moved out of the state. Population decrease in the city...near 400k will have left. The subway fare revenue is 10-percent less....with a lot of grumbling over crime.  Financially, the city will have reached a point where they need fed-funds, and both Trump and Vance refuse to help.

2.  The Trump ball-room business?  Look....for several decades, if the President wanted to hold a ball....they hired up a company to erect a 'fest-tent' and they'd spend near half-a-million to put the temp-tent up, and seven days later...dismantle. Back in the 1920s....they should have taken the steps and put up a ball-room somewhere on the grounds.

3.  I just can't imagine the stupidity of allowing men pretending to be women to compete in women’s sports.  All within a decade....it was like some guy walked around  whacking people in the head with a hammer.

4.  Just my prediction...in about 4 days...with the gov't still shut down and NO welfare supplements going to the EBT crowd....there will be grocery stores hiring up guards to halt shoplifting....with tens of thousands detained/arrested.  Police/deputies will be working over-time to cover the mess.