Click here to seeHigh Quality March 11, 2011 Japanese Tsunami Footage
Japan experienced a THIRTY MINUTE earthquake this morning that measured 8.9 on the Richter Scale! GEEZ. This is a MAJOR movement of the tectonic plates and was the strongest quake on record for the last 140 years. Watch for Japan's offering of some bonds to pay for the massive reconstruction projects that are sure to ensue. This will present additional "supply" and an opportunity for further degradation of the US bond pricing (and and increase in yield) It is just amazing how many earthquakes there has been in the last few years.
FNMA 4.0% bond lost 31 bps this session to close at $98.44. Some of that is profit taking and analysts are pointing to the Consumer Sentiment report's indication of inflation as another factor. Remember that when the value of Mortgage backed securities go UP...rates get better. When the value of mortgage backed securities go down (like today) rates go UP.
More "DARK Laboratory"
Interesting shift occurred with me this week. On Wednesday I related the story of the "Dark Laboratory" that you can peruse <here>.
Over the last few days, my five-year-old has given me some more details of the "ride" that he envisioned. Each detail was thought of as "cute" by me but they really hit me this morning in a different way.
The ideas he shared:
- The ride would have mechanisms that would keep you in it…even when it went underwater. If you did happen to fall out: there was a mechanism that would put you back in.
- The ride would give you a "nerf gun" to shoot at the "bad things" as you went through the ride…but when you got done with the ride you got to keep it.
As I mentioned: at first I just throught it was pure "cuteness" but it seemed to resonate with me differently this morning.
Thinking about the "mechanisms" to keep you "in the ride" and "put you back in" I got the feeling that there are many forces at work in my life keeping me in one path or even RUT that I may or may not want to be in. When I try to get free of those things it seems as though there is always something encouraging me to get back in. I suppose that can be the converse as well where there are forces that want to keep me in the BEAUTIFUL ride of life and when I slip off there are forces there to pick me up and put me back in. I think I would like to make that important decision Einstein References and decide that there are forces keeping me IN the BEAUTIFUL parts of my life.
As for the "nerf guns" I would have to say that this reminds me of the TOOLS that I am given to DEAL with life. If there is no way out of the ride, but I have the resources necessary to "fight off the bad guys" or to effectively protect and provide for myself. The more I use the TOOLS (nerf gun, YEAH!), the better I get at using them. Interesting to note that when the ride is done: the tools are mine. When we go through things that are difficult like the ride to the "Dark Laboratory" we are able to develop parts of ourself that we wouldn't otherwise been able to. We get to see what we are "MADE OF" and we become made of better or stronger stuff.
I don't know…just a thought.
Cheers,
Chad
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Chad Schauers
Montana Mortgage Lender, Bozeman, Montana
