The Market, Energy, And Political Page, Part 3, T+44 -- December 19, 2018

The Fed: will raise the "rate" another quarter point today, all but guaranteeing a recession next year. That's fine. Great opportunity for those with a long horizon. Some publicly traded companies may take the opportunity to "re-organize." LOL.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, travel, or relationship decisions based on anything you read here or think you might have read here.

Local economy: yesterday, the traffic was so bad in the local area around our new mall that it was impossible to get around by car. I managed to find an "escape route." I drove home, got my bicycle, and then explored the new mall. It is incredible. It's an "outdoor" mall -- a gazillion anchor stores -- all of which have a nice parking lot in place. I guess one can divide it into four phases. The first phase was the Target store and a huge, huge field, and then a Walmart on the other side of a small sleepy country road. That was all there was when we moved here in 2013.

Then phase two: about five new stores including Belk's and Dick's and Tuesday morning and Five Below and Dave & Buster's. Several new fast food restaurants, Those went up in 2014, or thereabouts. Then the huge build-out that began in 2016 or thereabouts. You name it, and it's there, including a hotel (are they called motels or hotels, these days?). I don't think I've quite seen anything like it before. How fast it grew; how much they squeezed in; how much more they plan to build. Best restaurant? Hopdoddy's? Yesterday on my bike I discovered a whole new area in the complex, including a brand new movie theater -- with bar and restaurant. Across from the theater, a sushi and hibachi place. The theater prices are very, very competitive. $7.50 per senior; about $8.00 for non-senior adults.

The satellite image below was probably taken in the summer of 2017, maybe 2016. They moved quickly. I was only able to get about 2/3rds of the area into the screenshot. The new apartment/townhouse complex is not shown. The Super Walmart is farther south, off the screenshot at the bottom. The shopping center is right at the apex of the triangle formed by the shopping mall, Ft Worth, and Dallas. DFW airport is about a mile to the east.

He lost his base.