Where is all of this money going!?

Larger.

It certainly isn't here. This is the baltic dry index.



Larger.

Still cute.

I need a Sunday do over.

Today was basically like being in a washing machine. We had a huge wind storm blow in over night, and the wind was just howling and shredding everything.

We got our first power hit right when Mr S. was making coffee. This is where we wondered if we now need a UPS for our coffee maker. The power came back on for about an hour, then was out for about four hours.

Trees were down literately EVERYWHERE.



Someone downtown found out today they needed a new roof. Because the wind was strong enough it was literally throwing shingles off. And it sucks because you can't even wait until fall. It feels like summer right now, but the rain will be back soon and that storm shredded this roof. As much as I ate windstorms, at least I'm not that guy.



Not a great shot but this is a tree on it's side.

Power is out at the Snarkolepsy servers. Images are down. I self host. Reply to comments later.

Ericsson has now pulled out of Mobile World Congress. And Nokia is considering it.

Everyone is wondering if they might just cancel it this year.

China.

It's very surreal to see everyone pretending like the China thing isn't happening. That place is completely spiraling out of control. Everyday has a new theme.

Yesterday it was all videos of people trying to escape quarantine because people believe they are just going to be killed. I've seen people drive through barricades. Today social unrest has started. Just look at what they are doing to people!

Everyday I hope things have leveled off, but it doesn't seem to be. Today they are going door to door to round people up for quarantine camps. Which sounds super not real, but..... everyday in China is a new crazy.

And everyone seems to be ignoring the economic hit. More flights have been canceled than 9/11.
Take this gem of a headline. Asian markets surge as coronavirus fears fade.

In what universe have the fears faded? They have run out of hospital beds there and aren't even admitting patients at all!

While everyone is focused on Trump 24/7, quietly companies are pulling out of trade shows.
Lockheed shrinks Singapore Airshow team over coronavirus, Pentagon considers same.

It looked like Trump had manufactured a soft landing with all that money printing, but now I don't think that is going to save us.

Both LG and ZTE have withdrawn from Mobile World Congress. Which I think is the biggest cell phone convention on the planet. It's like the world has just stopped.

I guess nothing truly matters.

Macau to suspend casino operations for 2 weeks to curb spread of coronavirus.

Can't fight the money printers I guess. This would be like shutting down Vegas for two weeks. I mean, like it matters with all the other stuff.

In other news...... this is how they are rounding up Chinese today. Here and here.

Remember how crazy people made us out to be when we called Obama a socialist?

Now the Democrats have their panties all in a bunch because Bernie is getting robbed.

It's really the craziest time to be alive. Before we know it - Obama will have been a Democratic conservative. Said in the most sarcastic way.

You have to wonder if China will ever be the same.

I have to do some yard work today. Then I'm going to watch The Flu.

When the pandemic first started Mr S. told me about this movie because instead of treating infected people - they were just killing them. And now a LOT of people in China think this is actually happening. People are trying to evade quarantine because they just think they will be killed.

I guess last night they started killing their pets. There were a lot of stories of people throwing their pets off of buildings because they think they can transmit the disease. This morning the government said they were going to cull them.

And they started welding the doors shut of people who they thought were infected.

Zombie/horror movies can never be the same after this. Right?

HUH. I didn't think the market could go down with that big REPO bazooka gun.

I mean, manufacturing has been in contraction for seven months and no fucks given.

"Chicago PMI falls to 42.9, well below consensus"

That is a truly ugly number. Any reading below 50 is contraction. And that isn't even kissing 50.

I sort of understand why all the Gadget blogs went all SJW. If we had to rely on technology to write about - ALL THOSE BLOGS WOULD BE DEAD. It's freaking ridiculous!

It's the return of . . . ghost lots.

Well.... it's just one lot for now, so don't get too excited.

I got bored of this last year. The lots stopped growing and in most cases eventually disappeared.

So, when I heard about this new lot pop up at the end of a runway - I had to go out. It's a very recent development, and they were adding new cars while I was there. It seems like a multi lot.

They have a bunch of Hondas, some Audi's ( I don't like the 2020's - so I don't know what these are), a bunch of Subaru's, and a smattering of LandRovers. (probably 10)

Doormat frog.

He decided that he wanted to hang out and watch big screen TV inside. We couldn't figure out how he got in the house. But when I let him out - this is where he went and explains probably how he got inside without us noticing.

It wasn't me.

Field trip Friday.

There is an enormous amount of excitement in the aviation industry in Silicon Valley right now. Next month they are suppose to demonstrate a bunch of those VTOL's. (I'm going to call them drone helicopters for now.)

So.... today I got to tag along to see all the simulators they have at Moffett.

This one was a 180 degree simulator that you got to fly and land a VTOL.



Next was "Future Flight Central". Which was a 360 degree flight tower simulator which was set up to mimic LAX.











In this pod you got to simulate being a passenger.





These buildings are massive.



This is a replica of Vertical Motion Simulator. Because there is no way to get this all in one shot.



A control center for another pod where you could see what it felt like for a pilot.














Then - the wind tunnel!

Peak........ Amazon?

I am pretty loath to believe in peak anything. We go through fads. Sometimes they come back. Sometimes they don't. But when I heard this term being thrown around yesterday  I really had to think about it.

Maybe there could be a peak Amazon.

It seems like people who write about peak anything feel like the world is very black and white. You either have brick and mortar stores, or you have internet stores which will eat the brick and mortar stores. But, the reality is - no one solution fits all. Some things you buy online because it's easier, but you still want to see certain things in person.

Which is really how I think most people shop these days. I shop like a boy, but you still need to go out and browse things sometimes. I will shop anywhere that is the least hassle. The internet can never replace that. And for now it seems that Silicon Valley is making a plan to claw back brick and mortar by thinking beyond Amazon.

Went to an A.I. conference today. I feel like I'm going to have to put "they aren't coming for the jobs you think they are" on a loop.

I remain heavily skeptical it will make a meaningful impact one way or the other. All those people writing stories about this are doing so for sensationalism.

I think one of Googles Captcha challenges should be - mountains or molehills.

When Mr. S. and I leave the house, we leave the TV on for Lacy.  So she won't get lonely. She's an only bunny.

Mr S. has started putting on the Golf channel which he calls - "The grass channel". He doesn't golf, so it's purely so Lacy can fantasize about being on the grass.

Everyone's car sugar was low.

The SandHill show has been pretty sketch. The only reason I went today is because the last of my favorite restaurants is Los Altos. The rest of them closed. You can get dutch babies there and I don't know how long they will stay alive. So, if there are no cars you at least get a consolation prize.

To my amazement - EVERYBODY was out on a cold (for California) day. It was definitely the most well attended so far.

They have sort of been shutting these down all over the Bay Area because these are fast cars. And brakes are for sissy's. I'm guessing it won't be long before they shut this one down too. These people can afford expensive tickets. And the exit is two lanes. Not like Santana Row where you have one exit getting out. They already had the Sherrif sharking through this one. Canine and all.











This is the 2020 McLaren. But he had all the doors up - so Meh.







I just liked the they parked them according to age.