The John Batchelor Show

Friday 21 August 2020

Air Date: 
August 21, 2020

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
 
Hour One
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 1, Block A: Dan Henninger, WSJ Wonder Land & editorial board; in re:  The plot against the post office.  The DNC convention, where almost all speakers emphasized anxiety and [misery]; no one said a word about violence in the land, nor offered information on Biden-Harris policies. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-postal-service-democrats-11597877645
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 1, Block B: Jeff Bliss, Pacific Watch, in re: A wildfire north of Lake Tahoe has created a tornado—called a “fire tornado” for a Venturi effect. Moves very, very quickly, take out huge swaths in the blink of an eye. Totally terrifying; very loud.  We have more than 30 wildfires out of control right now.  Lightning storms created lightning strikes that caused the fires.  Governor solves heat problem: turn down your thermostat and we’ll all get through this.” The rolling blackouts are his doing from bad planning and preparation. Incompetence, malpractice, in some cases malfeasance. 
      Many California phones, esp. iPhones, suddenly contained an unsolicited app that says it’ll track the holder for flu. 
      LA mayor, Garcetti, promised to turn off water and power in a house if parties were too large; he has. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIAvcAmA1P0&feature=youtu.be
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 1, Block C:  Gene Marks @genemarks   #SmallBusinessAmerica,  Guardian, Philadelphia Inquirer, TheHill, in re:   Macro vista: family formation.  Home sales growing, almost 25% in July. Look at actual metrics to see where the economy is going: construction industry home sales, the countless businesses that support that industry. Architects report that their bigger projects not happening yet. Gasoline consumption: no one in stations in March and April; price now is  much higher, is a leading indicator. (See: CalculatedRisk blog)  PPP / paycheck protection program:  If your revenues this year are the same as last year and you make estimated tax payments: you can’t deduct the PPP funds—need to step up estimated taxes.  Caveat!   Complete accidental oversight by Congress.
Existing-Home Sales Continue Record Pace, Soar 24.7% in July   https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/existing-home-sales-continue-record-pace-soar-24-7-in-july
Builder Confidence Matches All-Time High on Record Traffic    http://nahbnow.com/2020/08/builder-confidence-matches-all-time-high-on-record-traffic/
July architectural billings remained stalled    https://www.aia.org/press-releases/6320448-july-architectural-billings-remained-stall
Philly Fed - Manufacturing activity in the region continued to expand this month,    https://www.philadelphiafed.org/research-and-data/regional-economy/business-outlook-survey/2020/bos0820
NY Fed - Business activity edged slightly higher in New York State   https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/survey/empire/empire2020/esms_2020_8_survey.pdf
Gas consumption down 11% YTY but up from the 50% of YTY during pandemic   https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DhvFGpaHl-Q/XzlNVzNJxxI/AAAAAAAA10U/n6MygeeCtg8t_4QmzF7K5OdNEZwWvFuaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/GasolineAug162020.PNG
Thanks to the PPP, small business owners could face a huge tax bill this year    https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/508546-thanks-to-the-ppp-small-business-owners-could-face-a-huge-tax-bill-this-year
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 1, Block D:  Gene Marks @genemarks   #SmallBusinessAmerica, Guardian, Philadelphia Inquirer, TheHill, in re:  Work from home?  It’s overstated.  Joe Biden: does he have a small-business problem?  Not audible in his speech. Apparently much less friendly to small bz than a Trump Adm—he supports tax increases in many realms (to 39/.6%), and sides with labor in most matters, incl overtime wages.  People stuck at home adopted cats and dogs; result is that organic cat food businesses are doing extremely well.   The work from home myth    https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/510639-the-work-from-home-myth
Would a President Biden mean the death of freelancing?    https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/512809-would-a-president-biden-mean-the-death-of-freelancing?rnd=1597873300
The pandemic is a good time to be in the cat food business – and many others     https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/14/small-business-cat-food-opportunities-pandemic
 
Hour Two
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 2, Block A:  Michael E Vlahos  @JHUWorldCrisis, Johns Hopkins, in re: Joe Biden’s speech emphasized empathy, recall Star Trek: the Empath, story of a people suspected of not being worth saving, but they have a star named Jenn who can take on your pain, anxiety, and wounds; then she can heal herself.  Warm Springs, Georgia, spa for people who had polio: FDR was empathic, but maintained clear thinking.  Biden’s new role suits him.  Elements of Christ, or saints—someone who’s given himself up for humanity.  First American convention that’s fully religious, takes the Church of Woke toward a ceremonial framework. Theology of Wokism.  Church of Woke Lite.  
       Germanicus and Gaius in First Century AD in Londinium.  Divine emperor: simultaneous spiritual and political leader. Another dimension: ceremony.   DNC so heavily scripted, was almost a [ceremony] coming to life: distant spectacle of the god-emperor looking down on the people as the source of all they have while being a bit forbidding and very distant. Amazingly, Biden was sitting on a Bishop’s chair somewhat modernized.  #NewAmericanCivilWar: Biden the Prince of Peace.
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 2, Block B:  Michael E Vlahos  @JHUWorldCrisis, Johns Hopkins, in re: Biden’s darkness; vide Gustav Dore’s Nineteenth-Century drawings (last night, used the angel Satan falling from heaven to Hell).  The demiurge: Manichaeism, world of light and darkness in perpetual struggle; also Mithraism.   This notion is carried into Christianity with Satan being subjugated. Biden’s picture today is Manichaean.  US can be redeemed only if the darkness submits to the embrace of the Churchy of Woke.  If not, it needs to be cast down into eternal fire. Biden portrayed current president as the Prince of Darkness.  In one speech, Biden presented himself as empathetic and divine, and that he’ll defeat Satan.   #NewAmericanCivilWar: Soon the Prince of Darkness.
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 2, Block C:  Chris Riegel  @Scala, @STRATACACHE, Scala.com, in re:  Manhattan streets are not safe; people moving to Stanford, Connecticut.  Dayton, a “secondary city.”   A resurgence in Dayton, where companies are re-evaluating the Midwest, fvor not-West or -West Coast cities, Also, Eugene, Oregon.   Facebook signed up for 730,00 square feet in Penn Stati0n, New York.  Now, however, no restaurants or concerts to appeal to talented young staff members.  Trend was coming, anyway; virus merely accelerated it.  In London, no easy way to get to the City by foot.  Large Qatari dvpt for housing, can't sell expensive flats in London. 
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 2, Block D:  Niko Cacos, Golden Arrow Resources (mining exploration company, precious and base metal discoveries, based in Vancouver), in re:  Argentina and Paraguay; Andean gold exploration.  Chilean mining is very well developed, of course; but Argentine border is not at all.  We began 27 years ago.  Three major gold and silver discoveries; one is the world’s largest silver discovery. Grosso Group management team and geologists have done well, found many opportunities.  Early on we realized nothing can be accomplished without support of national, provincial and local governments—as well as, importantly, the support of local people. Before doing anything else, we send a team to explain exactly what we intend to do, and have been well received in all cases.  Paraguay invited us to explore.  May have a whole new gold district. 
 
Hour Three
Friday 21 August 2020 / Hour 3, Block A:  The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President, by Lee Smith @LeeSmithDC
Friday 21 August 2020 / Hour 3, Block B:  The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President, by Lee Smith @LeeSmithDC
Friday 21 August 2020 / Hour 3, Block C: The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President, by Lee Smith @LeeSmithDC
Friday 21 August 2020 / Hour 3, Block D:  The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President, by Lee Smith @LeeSmithDC
 
Hour Four
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 4, Block A:  Bill Whalen  @Hooverwhalen, Hoover, in re:  DNC convention: Biden’s speech in key words.  Said little about what we vote on, our pocketbook; instead, that he’s the best grandfather we’ll ever have.  No controversy or offense.  . . . Although Biden spoke of Charlottesville three years ago, he said nothing about the current violence in Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis. 
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 4, Block B:  Francis Rose  @FRoseDC, Government Matters, WJLA, Channel 7 in Washington, D.C., in re: The plot against the post office [again].  The USPS moves 400 million pieces per day.  If twice as many people vote in 2020 as did in 2016, that’ll constitute 2% of the volume. 
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 4, Block C:  Hotel Mars, episode n.  Alan Stern @AlanStern, planetary scientist, space program executive, aerospace consultant; NASA's New Horizons; and David Livingston, The Space Show, in re:
Friday 21 August 2020  / Hour 4, Block D:  Hotel Mars, episode n.  Alan Stern @AlanStern, planetary scientist, space program executive, aerospace consultant; NASA's New Horizons; and David Livingston, The Space Show, in re: