Central Perk: 16 aug. 2015

duminică, 16 august 2015

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Posted: 16 Aug 2015 02:08 PM PDT

A reader emailed a link to an article proclaiming Ukraine Erupts into all-out WAR! Cease Fire Ends as multiple cities come under attack, hundreds dead, cities burning!

Article Comments

Intense shelling from multiple positions started in #Donetsk
South of #Donetsk very heavy combat, I see lots of explosions there, very scary
Intense shelling started also in #Starohnativka.
#Mariupol can hear heavy shelling from the east.
Intensity of Ukrainian shellings on #Putilovka and #Spartak is increasing!
Ukrainian shellings on #Sahanka and #Oktyabr (with MRLS Grad)! East of #Mariupol

No Confirmation

I can find no confirmation anywhere else. I called my friend Jacob Dreizin (a reader who speaks Russian and can read Ukrainian) and asked what he knew about a major escalation and received this reply:

"Not yet, but likely soon. It's simply too hot for a major advance now. Temperatures are in the 90s (32+ Celsius). We will not see a major advance until temperature breaks to the mid-70s (24 or below Celsius). That may happen sometime this week".

Dreizin did say the shelling has been the most intense since March, before the Minsk accord.

Donetsk Shelling

Link if video does not play: Donetsk Shelling.

Colonel Cassad

Just today, Colonel Cassad stated The fire of a new war in Europe can still be prevented.

"We call on the international community to urgently take the necessary measures to prevent the inhuman and criminal intentions of Petro Poroshenko to unleash a new round of fighting and the genocide in Eastern Europe. New Fire the war in Europe can still be prevented."

Also today Cassad stated "Nearest Night will Begin a Full-Scale Offensive by APU".

"On August 16 or 17, the command MAT plans to begin full-scale offensive against the armed forces of New Russia. According to an informed source in Kiev. The attack is planned in three main areas: the north of Donetsk - the cut line Donetsk - Gorlovka; south of Donetsk - through Granite - Novotroitsk; on Novoazovsk from Mariupol."

War It Is

The statement made by Cassad that war could be avoided appears to be faint hope, not a realistic assessment.

While both sides violated the ceasefire, this major escalation appears to be started by Ukraine. Western media will not portray it that way.

Dreizin believes we will see new weapons used for the first time in this escalation and the Ukrainian forces will suffer very heavy losses.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Driverless Trains: Why Does Chicago (US in General) Lag London (Europe in General)?

Posted: 16 Aug 2015 09:10 AM PDT

Driverless trains are about to make a big impact in London. The Telegraph reports New 'Driverless' Tube trains unveiled by TFL.

That article is from October 2014, recently sent to me by a reader. The trains are fully automated, but will initially be manned. By the mid-2020s the trains will be totally driverless.

Driverless Train Video

Link if video does not play: London's Driverless Tube Trains.

London vs. Chicago

The above video got me thinking about the sorry state of Chicago infrastructure and some spectacular "L" and subway crashes.

Please consider A Rare Non-Tragic Chance to Revisit the Idea of Driverless Trains.

It usually takes a tragedy of considerable proportions to reopen discussions of train safety in U.S. cities. But this time a mere video might do the trick. By now you may have caught footage of a Chicago blue line L train derailing and barreling up an escalator at the O'Hare station earlier this week, as if auditioning for a Bruce Willis movie.

In the aftermath of the crash, much of the focus has been on the driver who evidently fell asleep at the helm (for the second time this year).

Blue Line Crash Video

Link if video does not play: Blue Line Crash

CTA Salaries

Besides crashes, cities and riders pay through the nose for overtime. I did a quick check to see how much these drivers get paid.

Back in 2010, the Chicago Tribune reported CTA Pay for Bus Drivers is No. 3 in Nation.

Taking into account cost-of-living, Chicago bus drivers are the highest paid in the nation.

In 2013, the San Francisco Gate Compared BART Compensation to other cities. BART stands for Bay Area Regional Transportation. This is how the cities rank.

$100,000 Club

In November of 2014, the Sun Times reported Metra's $100,000 Club Includes Conductors, Engineers.

Nearly one in four Metra conductors and assistant conductors pulled down at least $100,000 last year, and an even higher proportion of engineers — almost 40 percent — took home that amount, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis shows.

The six-figure salaries are based on a century-old formula — abandoned by some of Metra's peers — that pays union conductors and engineers for hours worked and miles traveled over a certain allotment.

The sooner Chicago and other US cites get on board with what obviously needs to be done, the better and safer taxpayers will be.

Driverless trains, buses, trucks, and taxis are all coming. Millions of jobs will vanish, but we will all be better off.

Unions will protest, but every one of these driver jobs should (and eventually will) go the way of the dinosaur.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

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