Games, games, games.

The Winter Olympics are here, hurray. Days of stories of sport. I should be enthusiastic and patriotic. I think I used to be until the webs of corruption and cheating were exposed. Now, I’m pleased to see the world at least pretending to get along, but I don’t trust anything about the Olympic movement anymore. I’ve said this before. Why not drop the pretence, allow anyone that wants to wreck their minds and bodies with stimulants and enhancements just go ahead and do it. At least the results will be dishonestly, honest if that makes sense. Side stories this time around about norovirus and it being too cold for the winter games may have more traction.

The stock market has been tumbling. I’m not surprised. I’ve said all along that corporate valuations were too high, ask any dragon. I also think that the market has teched itself into a dangerous corner with algorithmic trading. We’ve already seen wide swings blamed on trading AI. This could be another one and could be made much worse. Rational traders are looking at interest rate rises and corresponding bond yields going up. Bonds are a lot safer than stocks I’ve been told. As I write this column stocks are down again Friday but not so much. I guess we’ll see Monday if the bear is back from the bull.

Banks are falling over themselves to raise rates. Deposit rates, well they suck. My UK bank deposit rate is just 0.10 per cent. If I invested $170,000 in it, I stress if, I could earn 0.25 per cent. My Canadian bank recently wrote to me to inform me that because I hadn’t used my deposit account in a couple of years I had a month to do so or get hit with a $20 non-use fee. No wonder bank is a four-letter word.

South of the border President Trump, is President Trump, we should be used to it by now. I have read that Trump wants a military parade. I suppose that’s to rival Russia, China and North Korea. My missile is bigger than yours kind of thing and I have more than you. Seriously, this reminds me of the 1930s. Not that I was around, I hasten to add. Goose stepping never gets out of fashion it seems.

Finally, something I read about our intelligence agency CSIS had me worried. Apparently, changing your fitness routine, getting rid of personal stuff and repaying debts are signs that someone is getting ready to engage in terrorist activity. Crap, I’m doing all that stuff, as is I expect, a good deal of the country. I’m trying to get fitter to be healthier. I’m getting rid of stuff, because either I don’t want it anymore, or, I can’t get it in the house. Finally, I’m paying down debts because it makes much more sense to me to pay down a higher interest loan or credit card than stick my money in a savings account or term deposit for peanuts.

Finally, there’s an asteroid coming. Yikes. NASA says it’s all good though. Even though it was only spotted a week or so ago. Some of those sci-fi movies may be on the money after all. Wanted, Dr. Evil to invent some kind of fricking laser type deflector thingy, soon please.