$30 from $3,000, Ebbinghaus Convergence, 2 Freezes from Spring

by

Did you read the Fed notes when they came out Wednesday afternoon?  No?  (Can’t blame you, there’s a real life going on elsewhere…)

Anyway, the VBD (Very Big Deal) of it is the Fed is worried in their rate talks about the impact of tariffs which will be along in just over a week say recent reports.  Having pointed out to you the inflationary risks of a new set of tariffs on inbound (from ‘not here’ goods), this part of the Fed minutes was key. Because the Fed isn’t clear internally which way things are going to break:

“However, other factors were cited as having the potential to hinder the disinflation process, including the effects of potential changes in trade and immigration policy as well as strong consumer demand. Business contacts in a number of Districts had indicated that firms would attempt to pass on to consumers higher input costs arising from potential tariffs. In addition, some participants noted that some market- or survey-based measures of expected inflation had increased recently, although many participants emphasized that longer-term measures of expected inflation had remained well anchored. Some participants remarked that reported inflation at the beginning of the year was harder than usual to interpret because of the difficulties in fully removing seasonal effects, and a couple of participants commented that any increase in reported inflation in the first quarter due to such difficulties would imply a corresponding decrease in reported inflation in other quarters of the year.”

If you have trouble napping today, click here to read more.

As many of our Readers know, the Fed alleges to be a “leader” but in reality they are “trend followers” and – when not being semi-political (lowering rates too far, which we told you about price to the Second Coming (of Trump), they were sucking up to the socialist coup that had been mismanaging things.

In our view, Trump, DOGE, and (kicking and screaming) even a few Republicans are coming around to common sense. But, oddly we figure, no democrats have been “taken to the wall” (or jail) yet. But give it time.

The Ebbinghaus Learning Curve

As we have discussed, though mainly in the subscriber newsletter (Peoplenomics.com, a whopping $40/year for the high-rollers), we have been conducting slow motion research on something we call the Ebbinghaus Curve.  There’s a mini paper on it here.

The idea comes – like market peaks and bottoms – in stepwise fashion.

  • First, the daily stock or index hits an all-time high or low.
  • The next day, the 2-day moving average comes along to join the party.
  • Then the 3-day catches on, begins to join what’s becoming a Bull or Bear circus.
  • And then all the averages track in a general direction reversing the previous trend.
  • The Ebbinghaus part refers to the long-ago scientist (Hermann) who defined the “forgetfulness curve.”  Basically saying “the more time passes, the less pain you will remember.”  At least, it works that way in nominal Life; applying to things like divorce, medical calamities (if you recover, anyway) car accidents and even minutia like speeding tickets when young.
  • Ebbinghaus got past the ‘big singular events’ idea and looked at how CVC-trigrams (nonsense arrangements of letters) because that gave better insights into human forgetting. Oh yeah, CVC= consonant-vowel-consonants. Made up things to remember.  I found it remarkably similar to stock symbols, but that’s another discussion.
  • Which I then distill down to looking at markets not only as Aggregates but also as “Ebbinghaus surfaces”.

With Orientation over, let’s review what the Ebbinghaus surface (comprised of a semi-log assortment of moving averages of a single index out to 42-days, looks like.

What you see *(look at the far left circled area and then the right-most one) is that we occasionally see the advance of an index stop – flattening out – and then declining.

Now fast forward to this afternoon and tomorrow.  And let me toss one more thinking lever into the mix. It’s called “Prospect Theory” and the Wiki on it goes like this:

“Prospect theory is a theory of behavioral economics, judgment and decision making that was developed by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979. The theory was cited in the decision to award Kahneman the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.  (Apparently, I didn’t win it that year…)

Based on results from controlled studies, it describes how individuals assess their loss and gain perspectives in an asymmetric manner (see loss aversion). For example, for some individuals, the pain from losing $1,000 could only be compensated by the pleasure of earning $2,000. Thus, contrary to the expected utility theory (which models the decision that perfectly rational agents would make), prospect theory aims to describe the actual behavior of people.”

My (nutter-in-the-woods) theory adds a third lever because between them (in combination) Ebbinghaus and Prospect theory form a topology reminiscent of a Class B amplifier in electronics.

“A “Class B push-pull” refers to a type of amplifier circuit where two transistors are used, each amplifying only one half of the input signal cycle (positive or negative), effectively “pushing” and “pulling” the output waveform to create a complete signal, resulting in high efficiency but potentially introducing crossover distortion if not carefully designed; this configuration is often used in audio power amplifiers due to its power-saving benefits.”

Simplified and de-brained for the masses?

Oh, and in our view, much of the rally into the close Wednesday was possibly covering ahead of options and the ETFs squaring up.

From a month ago, on this date, our Aggregate has gone from 50,935.37 to 52,613.17.   Call it a 3.3 percent gain based on early futures.

We don’t offer financial advice now to play in the Street.  76-years into Life, I’ve made far more net worth banking on inflation of assets while debt saturates the economy. So I’m probably not the one to listen to…

Golden, Are We?

The Trump team is doing a hell of a job jawboning down inflation.  But reality is a bitch sometimes and no hiding from it.  Tariffs will increase domestic prices.  Like with Smoot-Hawley in the (first, for now) Depression, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

My pal the Major  and I were talking about the paradoxical nature of perception this week.  He observed “The road to Heaven feels like hell. While the road to Hell feels like Heaven…”

Which gets me to ( a discussion of vodka) noticing Gold futures priced within $30 of $3,000 an ounce overnight and silver almost up to $34.

The reason this matters (bigly and hugely) is long-time gold bugs have heard all the (never-quite-proven) stories about American gold being leased, re-leased, and re-re-leased to give quarter to the paper gold forces that have kept prices sequestered in the basement for so long. Or substituted with gold-plated tungsten bars or spirited off to the gnomes of Zurich, or….well, there’s a list.

But you can almost smell the smoke (which means fire might be around) when reading Elon Musk Eyes Fort Knox As Next Target—What We Know About Its $400 Billion Gold Supply from two days ago. And the follow-up overnight in Trump Says He Will Check Amount of Gold Stored at Fort Knox.

Musk, hopefully, has read the rumors of “plated tungsten” which is nearly the same molecular weight.  And so a “drill audit” on a sizable sample should answer a lot of questions. And maybe – just maybe – put some rumors to rest. Or, impanel a grand jury and a forensic audit team to find the crooks in office past and present…

Philly Fed and UI Filings

Working up to the grind, then: Got the Philly Fed report in hand:

“The diffusion index for current general activity fell from 44.3 to 18.1 in February but remains above its long-run nonrecession average (see Chart). Almost 41 percent of the firms reported increases in general activity this month (down from 51 percent last month), while 23 percent reported decreases (up from 7 percent); 35 percent reported no change (down from 41 percent last month). The indexes for new orders and shipments also declined but remained elevated relative to their long-run averages: The new orders index dropped 21 points to 21.9, and the shipments index fell 15 points to 26.3.

Also the weekly UI filings:

And the Impacted states detail:

Which leaves options (indexes today, equities tomorrow). And a mention of crypto:  Which at $97,383 this morning sure looks like a double top – and my, what a rhyme on the Ebbinghaus model, huh?

The Newser Geezer’s Unmentionables

There “ain’t shit we can do about these” except maybe groan a bit.

End of Imperial Capitalism? Jeffrey Sachs to Tucker Carlson: We Just Had ‘The Most Important Day for Peace in Maybe Decades’. Yup. There’s a reason we call ’em (DEMS) the War Party. (Hat tip to subscriber JD for catching it…) Clinton founded the Deep State???!!!  (10-min vid but damn good.)

What ever happened to the Global Warming, swimming in Midtown lies?  Partial answer: Get ready for coldest winter EVER: Artic blast to bring in -50F temperatures breaking records in 27 states.  Well, at least climate extremism is intact, yes sir…

And say, speaking of climate monetization, did you notice? DOGE Finds $2 Billion in Taxpayer Funds Earmarked for Stacey Abrams-Linked Group

Whiners on the Left just hate what Elon Musk is doing: DOGE Proves Our Tax Money Has Been Stolen, Looted & Wasted. President Trump Should Announce Suspension of Tax Day on April 15th…a National Tax Holiday…Reparations to Taxpayers…and Lie Detector Tests…

What’s this>>> Republicans have learned how to law-fare back? Republican Moves To Impeach Obama Judge Who Restricted DOGE Access To Treasury Payment System.

Rogan’s reality check is pretty good,too:  JOE ROGAN: EVEN AFTER EXPOSING USAID FRAUD, MAINSTREAM MEDIA CAN’T SAY ANYTHING POSITIVE ABOUT TRUMP “The divisions in our culture are insane—completely counter to what America should be. This division isn’t natural. It’s set up by world leaders, the media, and the people

Also out: Russia claims Europe backed Trump hate in 2020 to swing the election to Biden: Megatron on X: “JUST IN: Putin: “All European leaders directly interfered in the US election campaign against Trump, even to the point of insults”

Another day in the saddle, huh? Lifestyle Beats Genetics on Path to Premature Death, Study Finds.But boredom kills, too…so there’s a balance to be struck.

Around the Ranch: Two Freezes from Spring?

We have always like “Alternative Measures of Reality.”

As a young (once upon a…) reporter and news director of KOL and then KMPS, there was a Seattle Times Business Writer whose work was just awesome: Richard Buck.

One of his prize concepts was a “Cost of Nothing” index, I seem to remember. He took all those “minimum monthly charges – so populi;ar with utilities – which punish people for being thrifty – and he built an Index.  I seem to recall it was around $40 a month.  But God knows what it is today.

Pappy and I talked about the lack of mental/financial acuity which was just taking hold – in concepts that linked water bills, for example, to sewer bills.  Theory is that if you got the water, it would have to go somewhere.  Only later in life would I return to an “honest gravity septic system” on moral grounds.  (My pee will kill fish and poison the world’s oceans if not contained, properly.)

Schools, regrettably, have not begun to teach the great wisdom of Buck’s alternative views in finance.  It’s still dollars and time.

But you can learn a lot from (literally) “working for bread.”

A.I. gives us the measuring stick:

  • “In 2024, the retail price of white pan bread in the U.S. reached an all-time high of $1.91 per pound, notes Statista.
  • In 2022, the average price of white bread was $1.70 per pound, which is $1.88 when adjusted for inflation.
  • In 2021, the average price of white bread was $1.52 per pound, which is $1.87 when adjusted for inflation.
  • In 2020, the average price of white bread was $1.45 per pound, which is $1.80 when adjusted for inflation.
  • In 2019, the average price of white bread was $1.30 per pound, which is $1.68 when adjusted for inflation.

Our current “loafing” on social security comes to about 2,251 loaves per month.  Not too many people actually think this way, however.  If you did, you’d be working for a lot fewer eggs per month, lately.

Come to think of it, my friend Wild Bill the Broadcaster who lives out on the Washington coast, is one of the few other people I have  run into  in life who was capable of unplugging “dollars” and substituting whatever matters at the moment (like gallons of gas, or pounds of steak, or….).  Sometimes, people would look at him in disbelief that things could be measured in other than Dollars.

Still, among the intellectual elite there are alternative measures.  Which I don’t mention often because who (other than me) has worked out the “cost per wipe of Cottonelle” for example.

We have other non-traditional metrics.  Progressive costs us 50-cents a mile (roughly) for car insurance. We squeak by seniorhood only able to insure a fleet of 80-90 cars a year.

Anyway – long ago, I was planning to write Buck a fan letter thanking him for his brain-freeing concepts in the Cost of Nothing Index.  So finally, I got around to it.

Let me see – I think the column was in ’79, or so.  So to here (.) its 523 words over 46 years.  Which pencils out to 11.37 words-per-year.

Which is?  (Terrible pun alert!) about a Buck’s worth.

The pseudo-serious financial point is? Time is not linear.  But in the wilds north of Palestine Texas, the last freezes on this side of Fall will be tonight (23) and tomorrow night (31).

So as we can figure it, only two freezes until spring.

Write when you get rich, realizing that metric can be presented as dollars, heartbeats, steak dinners out, or loaves for the loafer class. (Want me to write another Buck’s worth?)

George@ure.net

57 thoughts on “$30 from $3,000, Ebbinghaus Convergence, 2 Freezes from Spring”

    • Physicist and leading atomic scientist Dr. Cal Meacham is flying to his laboratory in a loaned Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star. Just before landing, the jet’s engine fails, but he is saved from crashing by a mysterious green glow that surrounds his aircraft.

      Back at his laboratory, Meacham discovers that an unusual substitute for the electronic condensers that he had ordered has been delivered from a mysterious source. Intrigued that the condensers appear to be made from an unknown and almost indestructible material, he later receives instructions and parts to build a complex device called an “interocitor”. Neither Meacham nor his assistant, Joe Wilson, have heard of such a device, but they immediately begin its construction.

      When they finish, a mysterious man named Exeter appears on the interocitor’s screen and informs Meacham that he has passed a test. His ability to build the interocitor demonstrates that he is gifted enough to be part of Exeter’s special research project. Exeter triggers a beam which causes the interocitor to self-destruct…

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Island_Earth

      This Island Earth (1955) – Clip: This Interocitor Test (HD)

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCMLmm8oLu4

    • I agree 100% see below:

      https://www.cointime.ai/news/how-bitcoin-offers-a-lifeline-for-struggling-companies-looking-to-boost-their-stocks-21754

      Homegamers when creating hyper-financialization is more profitable than making and selling widgets, we’ve arrived at the advent of “creative destruction” (Greenspan) in TradFi markets wherein with our case today, new technology effectuates a complete rip and replace fork lift upgrade of the legacy systems…. Folks, Bitcoin is the first financial asset innovation / creation to come along in 400 years . The last such game changing technology was the bond by the Bank of England 1694 and look at the disruption that has caused for 400 years and forward, it coincided with Europe leaving the dark ages.

  2. Hey Dao bum, I looked up ‘The Practice of Practice is Practice” and couldn’t find anything relating to the Dao, Qi Gong or TCM. I am interested in the Blood Pressure method.
    A link please. Been playing with Qi Gong since the 90’s along with TCM and other disciplines.
    Thanks

  3. Troglodyte Me George .

    Noticed you didn’t mention alternatively thinking in Satoshies. The year is 2025 -that’s a FIVE on the end there – poor eyesight is NOT an excuse for thinking like a Cro-Magon . Youse got engage that Tool making,” big” brain of Ures’, barrels of Oil, pounds of Steak..puhlease.

    Still trying to end it early with all this stuff the Human body has a hard time dealing with. As opposed to a nice warm, transparent non polluting Asset like BITCOIN Satoshies.

    Yeah yeah I can see the puzzled look on ETs’ face when you offer him a some black gold or red meat for a ride in his/her plasma Orb ship.

    How do you measure the natural force ?

    MIDI -Chlorians?

  5. “How long has Fort Knox, and the Bank of England, and perhaps other banks, been leasing their gold? And how near are they to running out of it? What if there’s no gold left in their vaults at all?

    Imagine Goldfinger trying to rob Fort Knox, as they did in the movie, and discovering that it turns out that its vaults are empty, and there’s nothing to steal!”

    https://www.unz.com/mhudson/the-politics-of-gold/

  6. (“the VBD (Very Big Deal) of it is the Fed is worried in their rate talks about the impact of tariffs which will be along in just over a week say recent reports. Having pointed out to you the inflationary risks of a new set of tariffs on inbound (from ‘not here’ goods), “)

    That isn’t such a big concern..they’re placing the tariffs on wholesale costs..I got a bunch of scrap from Temu.. since it came from another country they have to list value..the whole package was valued at fifty cents wholesale.. people are still anticipating the tariff to be placed on retail costs not the wholesale.. interestingly enough..that was the whole idea of the NAFTA treaty..
    the Dollar bill is a symbol ..what does chat gpt have to say…

    (“https://copilot.microsoft.com/shares/WZNiGMjmGMnESPkbBcak4″)
    What keeps it valuable is the velocity that it moves in..nothing is free.. there’s a cost for everything.. we live in a taxi cab meter world.. its extremely fragile to.. put price controls on essentials..
    62 to 80% of bankruptcies are do to extreme medical expenses. you won’t leave with anything..like a cardiac surgeon told my friends father on a bipass..” I have always wanted to own a farm…”
    even though the American citizens pay between two and three trillion dollars for medical coverage insurance the insurance industry reaps some of the highest profits. the taxpayers through their taxes the government hands out medical research grants of about a hundred billion dollars a year just so medications can be manufactured in another country and sold to the American citizens at tens of thousands of percent more than anywhere else on the planet..
    open the borders and put regulated prices on essentials.
    multi million dollar bonuses given to executives that fail their companies ..
    slow the velocity has consequences.. the gas station.. the year we went without an income..we weren’t buying fried chicken and pizzas on saturday.. the extra little thingS that we picked up..that year in a five block area there were six unemployed trying to scrape by..
    one day we stopped and the manager was talking to me that for the year they had seen a decrease in sales.the owner was pretty upset ..they were down about fifty thousand for the year.. I said well that makes sense we spent an average between six and seven hundred a month if the other five had an average expense the loss could be contributing to their loss..
    last years increase in electricity it wasn’t much but realistically to meet that one every employee should have gotten a nickel raise.. prices of products would have had to increase as well..
    instead they cut employee hours.. the expenses stayed the same or increased do to more time at home..
    without the velocity its worthless just a piece of paper or a number on a screen..

  7. Rah, rah, rah-rah-rah. .gov should double the projected savings and send us to $10,000. $5,000 just doesn’t do much anymore.

    How Big Would Trump DOGE Dividend Check Be?
    Forbes

    4 hours ago — When this sum is divided among approximately 79 million taxpaying households, each check would come out to about $5,000.

    Mind-Blowing Game Invented by Russian Sociology Student

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8j1xWbyfjI

  8. Got curious and ran some numbers on just how much the 8 most important “high tech” stocks actully influence the overall stock market.

    Total Capitalization of ALL US traded stocks: $62.200 Trillion
    Total Capitalization of the US S&P 500: $51.684 Trillion

    Total Cap of the leading 8 US “high tech” stocks (listed below): $18.123 Trillion
    Percentage of the S&P 500 total cap: 35%
    Percentage of ALL publicly traded stocks: 29%

    =======================================
    In order of capitalization size
    Apple: $3.693 Trillion (MORE than all cryptos added together)
    Nvidia: $3.388 Trillion (MORE than all cryptos added together)
    Microsoft: $3.098 Trillion (about the same as all cryptos added together)
    Amazon: $2.352 Trillion
    Alphabet (Google): $2.248 Trillion
    Meta (Facebook): $1.766 Trillion
    Tesla: $1.141 Trillion
    Netfliks: $.437 Trillion

    Total: $18.123 Trillion
    ===========================

    fwiw imo the MOST at risk due to China potential War exposure:

    Nvidia … (100% of chips come from Taiwan)
    Apple … (1/2 (+/- roughly) of sales come from China as well as 2/3+ of it ‘s production)
    Tesla … (1/2+ of its production is from China as well as 40%+- of it’s sales)
    Amazon … (1/2+- of it’s revenues and 3/4+- of profits come from data services NOT it’s retail operations)

    • Is Tesla worth $1.4 Trillion? Trump has not been kind to Tesla, yet Musk shows no ill will & continues to be an impressive DOGE Leader. As Musk mentioned on the Hanity interview, his liberal friends have turned to attack mode on him, vilifying him for his patriotism. Trump & Musk are not your average joe, they have immense intelligence, steel balls, money (although the Dems attempted to empty Trump’s pockets but failed) & a desire to do the right thing as leaders.

      • If you don’t believe Musk is for real, consider this.

        TSLL – TLSA 2X LONG 30 day return: -33.1%
        TSLS – TSLA 1X SHORT 30 day return: +18.93%
        NASDAQ 100 30 day return: +2.92%
        TSLA 30 day return: – 16.91%

        Musk owns 715 million shares of TSLA. Now that is a big hit to his pocketbook & it is all negative. How do you feel when your portfolio drops 17% in a month? Ouch!!!

  9. 16 Methods;

    6.
    Imagine your body is starting to feel warm or hot, especially for those who are weak. Imagine in your abdomen, there is a red light or golden light in a lotus, and there is fire under your feet and in your chest. Imagine your internal organs are extremely hot, your whole body has temperature and the temperature is increasing. If the heat in your body becomes real, you should not be afraid or nervous even if you are sweating. To have heat and warmth is to increase your immune system, to improve overall health, to increase your Yang energy and to actualize your inhibited abilities. This phenomenon is natural, it may appear naturally or with conscious guidance. When it does happen, you should not fan yourself or take off your clothes, instead, you should know it is a very good natural phenomenon. In future when you practice Qigong by yourself, especially for those who are weak , you should imagine that your whole body is increasing warm as if you are sitting in a sauna. Imagine at the bottom of your feet, there are two balls of fire; in you abdomen, the light of the lotus flower has temperature. For those who have high blood pressure, you should concentrate on exhalation from head to toe, do not pay attention to inhalation. When exhaling, imagine there is cold water falling down along your back from head to toe. Your body may feel like it is sinking. This is a method to lower high blood pressure.-YX

    • There is a war going on in our bodies. There is a war going on in our feelings. Touch the PEACE inside of you before you touch the problem. If you don’t touch the PEACE & JOY inside yourself, you will destroy it. By touching the PEACE & JOY first, the problem will disappear.

  11. fwiw: The area around Santorini (Santorini and the 3 other badly affected islands to the NE) have now seen 17,000+ earthquakes, big and small, in about the last 3 weeks. (the volcano under Santorini is classified as a “Super Volcano”, just like Yellowstone)

    They are now cancelling Cruise Ship visits to that picturesque place which obviously is NOT going to bode well economically for the locals (2/3 have left, only about 5,000 left on the island)

    Then to add a bit of SPICE to the picture of the Med … suddenly the volcano under greater Naples Bay (regarded as the most dangerous one on the planet wrt potential death toll) has also decided to become active too! A few 4+ earthquakes PLUS outgassing at the surface to the West of Naples proper but within the suburbs!

    Since all those Africans decided to move to Europe maybe the African Plate has decided it needs to “move in” too!! (the African plate subducting under the European plate is what is drives the volcanoes in both of those locations)

    Either of those volcanos, or the super volcano about under the Med 80 miles to the west of the Naples, blowing off while you were taking a cruise in the Med would be a different kind of experience! Maybe Viking can set up a “Volcano Explosion Cruise Package” so you can see it happen in real time!

  12. A conversation with A.I.

    Me: Simple questions, which I am sure have a multi-layered answers.
    What if there’s no gold left in the FT Knox vaults at all? What would the repercussions be? Devaluation of the dollar?

    A.I. – Absolutely, the devaluation of the dollar would be a critical immediate consequence. Such an event could trigger a loss of confidence in the U.S. financial system, leading to a significant economic collapse and a potentially prolonged depression.

    Here are some potential outcomes:

    Hyperinflation: As the dollar loses value, the cost of goods and services could skyrocket, leading to hyperinflation. People would need more money to buy the same items, further eroding purchasing power.

    Banking Crisis: Banks might face runs as people rush to withdraw their money, fearing further devaluation. This could lead to a banking crisis, with many banks becoming insolvent.

    Unemployment: Economic instability often leads to job losses. Businesses struggling to stay afloat might cut jobs, leading to increased unemployment rates.

    Debt Crisis: The U.S. national debt, already substantial, would become even more burdensome. Servicing this debt with a devalued currency could become a severe challenge, potentially leading to defaults on debt obligations.

    Global Repercussions: Given the U.S. dollar’s role as the world’s primary reserve currency, its collapse would have significant global repercussions. Other currencies might also face devaluation, and international trade could be severely disrupted.

    Social Unrest: Economic hardship often leads to social unrest. The stress and uncertainty caused by such a crisis could lead to protests, increased crime rates, and political instability.

    While these scenarios are certainly bleak, they highlight the importance of maintaining robust economic and financial systems. Let’s hope that such a drastic event remains firmly in the realm of hypothetical discussions!

    Then the A.I. asked me:
    Do you think there are any ways to prevent such a collapse?

    Me: The devaluation of the dollar would have a critical and immediate impact with far reaching consequences.., with the devaluation scenario there would be no way to prevent such an economic collapse and deep depression The answer lies in not letting the collapse happen at all.

    A.I. – You’re absolutely right—the key is prevention. Ensuring that such a collapse never happens requires robust financial oversight, transparent governance, and sound economic policies.

    Me: Thanks

    A.I. – You’re welcome! Good conversation. If you have more questions or if there’s anything else I can help you with, feel free to ask anytime. Whether it’s about economics, history, or just a fun fact to brighten your day, I’m here for you.

    Me: One more thing. On average, how many pedals does a dandelion flower have?

    A.I. – On average, a dandelion flower has around 150 to 200 petals. The petals are actually individual ray florets, each contributing to the overall composite flower structure. This abundance of petals is one of the reasons why dandelions are so resilient and prolific!

  13. Gold in Ft. Knox.

    I am going to be a contrarian here and openly state:
    The REAL RICHES of a country are NOT precious metals or even oil (though oil helps a lot more than precious metals do).

    The REAL RICHES of a country lie in the Industriousness and Education of it’s peoples combined with a Stable Political System, Reasonable and HONEST Legal System, and the Freedom of people to do business and CREATE without excessive government intervention.

    South Africa STILL produces a LOT of gold … but what does that get them without the stuff I listed above?

    Japan produces NO gold, has NO oil, little natural resources at all in fact other than coal, and yet is prosperous and well developed even after being totally destroyed in WW2.

    Germany also being almost totally destroyed in WW2 with limited natural resources (basically only coal and iron ore) came back QUICKLY, with NO gold production and little gold ownership. By the 1960’s Germany again had one of the highest GDP’s per person of any country in the world, while Great Britain, which had won the war, had gone down hill eonomically.

    GOLD does NOT make a country wealthy or lead to additional wealth. It is the Education and the Industriousness of it’s people combined with a reasonable political /legal /economic system that makes a country wealthy and able to develop.

    A temporary store of value if the government destroys the “currency” is the best way to describe the benefit that gold may bring to SOME people … but for a nation as a whole that is worthless. Oil is a much better natural resource in that regards than Gold is but even that is no match for the “soft” dynamic of a cohesive educated industrious people.

    OK … fire away and lecture me that Gold is MORE important than a cohesive educated industrious population for a country.

  14. News you can’t use.

    There are 56 super cruise ships on order. 18 have the keels being laid as I write. This seems rather interesting to me. I am not quite sure why though., at the moment.
    Billions are being invested against a possible economic downturn.
    What do you do with an older model cruise ship? Apartments ? Floating village ?

  16. This….., is going to huge – to a lot of people – causing massive problems.., the blow-back could be substantial.
    .

    Trump signs executive order to stop undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits.

      • Did more reading. The Federales don’t cut checks to people they don’t know about, so true “undocumented” don’t get checks directly from GUS, and very few non-residents they do know about qualify for hand-outs. This appears to be leveled at sanctuary cities running giveaway programs with their hands out for Federal reimbursement. But $60 million here and $60 million there, pretty soon you are talking about real money.

      • Turn on the bullshit detctor, stat
        To assess:

        Did Patel receive money from Global Tree Pictures? – This would require checking financial disclosures or investigative reports.
        Is Global Tree Pictures run by Igor Lopatonok? – This is a factual claim that can be verified through corporate filings or credible news reports.
        Is Lopatonok a Russian national with U.S. citizenship? – Again, a check against credible sources would confirm or refute this.
        Has Lopatonok produced pro-Russian content funded by a program created by Vladimir Putin? – This implies financial and ideological ties that need corroboration from investigative sources.
        Has he produced content promoting “deep state” conspiracy theories and anti-Western views in line with Kremlin narratives? – His past productions and their messaging could be reviewed.
        Would you like me to check for up-to-date sources to verify these claims?

        • yes

          ChatGPT said:
          Upon reviewing credible sources, the claims in your statement are largely accurate:

          Kash Patel’s Payment from Global Tree Pictures: Financial disclosures reveal that in 2024, Kash Patel, then a nominee for FBI Director, received $25,000 from Global Tree Pictures, a Los Angeles-based company.
          THE-INDEPENDENT.COM

          Igor Lopatonok’s Role: Global Tree Pictures is operated by Igor Lopatonok, a filmmaker who holds both Russian and U.S. citizenship.
          THE-INDEPENDENT.COM

          Pro-Russian Influence Campaigns: Lopatonok has been involved in projects aligned with pro-Russian narratives. Notably, he directed “Ukraine on Fire,” a documentary presenting a perspective on Ukraine’s 2014 Revolution of Dignity that critics describe as echoing Kremlin viewpoints.
          EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

          Production of Content Promoting “Deep State” Conspiracy Theories: Lopatonok produced the documentary series “All the President’s Men: The Conspiracy Against Trump,” which portrays former Trump officials, including Patel, as victims of a conspiracy. This series was broadcast on Tucker Carlson’s network.
          THE-INDEPENDENT.COM

          While these claims are substantiated by reputable sources, characterizing them as “leftwing bullshit” would be a subjective judgment. The information itself is factual; interpretations of its significance may vary based on individual perspectives.

        • And about the independence of the Independent? Well, a little too left for us: LEFT-CENTER BIAS
          These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or stereotypes) to favor liberal causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Left-Center sources.

        • If Patel was a dem, there’s be screams of racism going through. But, no…crickets, brothers and sisters…
          And that filmn about Ukraine being a Deep State job? No doubt in our mind…well, except the $6-billion in tax money. Zelensky loading the plane, yet?

        • no, GU if patel was a dem republicans would be screaming to lock him up or “normalize indian hate” or that the FBI HQ will smell like curry. he most assuredly would not be confirmed as head of the FBI.

          and rather than being concerned at all with the substance of the matter, that the new FBI director apparently got paid $25,000 by a russian stooge to amplify russian agitprop, you’re nitpicking. not a good survival strategy GU.

          the US is less safe today with patel leading the FBI, but the king is safer. and protecting the king above all else is all that matters to serfs.

      • the FBI has been corrupted for always, never been cleaned up since gay edjar hoover the cross dressing faggot that used blackmail as a power control.
        every pedo hates Trump and Trump’s picks,
        prove me wrong.
        liddle truth sides with the pedos
        liddle truth sides with the corrupt FBI, I rejoice at it being cleaned up, Zippity do dah
        Question about Kash,$25,000 he disclosed it, not like he was hiding it. Pay for film work, you label as “russian agitprop,” but you readily accept the propaganda of the ‘fake news’ that has a financial ties to fight Trump.
        not like Hunter and Joe getting kick backs from USAID funds to Ukraine
        I feel much better now that Trump is going full speed ahead and
        the demons howl like they are losing, how is liddle adam shiffty doing,,, depends is his normal wear
        adam shit link,,,
        https://x.com/RedpillDrifter/status/1892733790155624563

        ya know liddle truth, if you don’t like it here, you don’t have to visit,,, but but but,, thank you for your responses here, as I truly enjoy our visits,,, lets ride this out and see where we all go,,,

        Now playing in the theater,,,
        ‘Guardians of the Pedophiles’
        ‘Panic in DC’
        ‘FISAGATE’
        https://qalerts.app/?q=%23%234904

        Live action history in the making,,, I’ve dreamt of it happening, but did not expect to see it in my lifetime,,, WOW I am amazed !
        DC has a huge sucking sound, like ‘ole sow’
        water down a drain,,, as swamp creatures are being fired.
        some folks compained that Trump did NOT drain the swamp during 1st term,,, well , they cant dodge DOGE, so out they goes.
        Trump 2.0 installed for the clean up in the aisle of pissing and moaning
        THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS VOTED FOR TRUMP, so there is that,,, even after all the bull shit he faced,,, as Bribems was using the FBI and DOJ to attack him. Why did bribems need to issue so many blank check pardons? for uncharged crimes,,, he missed a few,,, the missed ones, well one of them will sing like a bird as state evidence to save their own azz
        “When does a bird sing?” Vindman
        ”Alexander Vindman’s wife says ‘no pardons were offered or discussed’ ”
        https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5096251-alexander-vindman-pardons-offered/

        fold the MAP ya said ,,,well, Minor Attracted Person=MAP

  18. “Whiners on the Left just hate what Elon Musk is doing: DOGE Proves Our Tax Money Has Been Stolen, Looted & Wasted. President Trump Should Announce Suspension of Tax Day on April 15th…a National Tax Holiday…Reparations to Taxpayers…and Lie Detector Tests…”

    The first two are incredibly unlikely, but Musk has already announced if DOGE gets above the $2tln mark in found fraud and recovered assets, a $5000 (rebate & reparations) check may happen.

    Kristi Noem has already announced lie detector tests for everyone in DHS, to help discourage leaks and find/fix the current ones. ISTM asking an additional question wouldn’t be difficult…

  19. “Only later in life would I return to an “honest gravity septic system” on moral grounds. (My pee will kill fish and poison the world’s oceans if not contained, properly.)”

    No, it won’t. The critters who walk the land of North America spray 12 billion gallons of urine onto the ground and into our waterways every day, and have for millions of years. Without seeing a test tube or centrifuge, I feel confident going out on a limb and stating some o’ theirs is worse than all o’ yours…

  20. “Come to think of it, my friend Wild Bill the Broadcaster who lives out on the Washington coast, is one of the few other people I have run into in life who was capable of unplugging “dollars” and substituting whatever matters at the moment”

    Seriously? Although LOOB is the only one here who does that regularly, I thought everyone did. I have always measured “relative inflation” in gasoline and T-Bones and milk, and in whatever I happened to be buying at the moment which seemed totally outlandish. The made fresh hourly donuts at the corner bakery were 6¢ each in 1970. Krispy Kreme’s from McDonald’s are $2.49 each today. I don’t eat donuts, but if I did, I would’ve stopped. Working my way through college (and beyond), I remember when (Marlboro reds) cigarettes went from 37¢ to 39¢ a pack. I had customers about-face and leave the cstore, vowing to quit, before they’d pay such an outlandish price.

    My “relative inflation index” (the average of petrol, steak, and milk) is why I’ve always poo-pooed the Fed’s “inflation calculator” because it is wildly-inaccurate and doesn’t take into consideration stuff that people actually buy…

    • In 1955 – ’56 when I was a kid throwing a newspaper route (two, actually) I’d stop at the donut shop and buy a dozen for $ .50 and a quart of chocolate milk for $ .25 on Sunday mornings and pig out before going to church. Oh, to be able to eat like that again without gaining any weight! Of course I was carrying two newspaper bags full and walking two routes to deliver them, so I kept it walked off pretty well.

    • A leading., well thought of economist used two items to gauge inflation in his town near Boston. Used if for many years., though never told anyone about it – until ten years after he retired – a multi-millionaire.
      Stouffers Meat Lovers Lasagna and a half gallon of milk.

  22. re: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

    Ladies and Gentlemen,
    Please direct your attention to the Oval Ring and welcome Jumbo the Elephant under the BigTop! Reading through the flak on “X” a blurb jumped out suggesting that telehealth service is being shown the curtains from Medicare coverage by the Artful Doger’s circus troupe. It’s perhaps an interesting sleight of hand? Is the 5 year lifespan of the telehealth service benefit close to expiry? How can anyone in their right mind ever forget #45 doing the caring thing?

    It seems like only yesterday that the $2.2 trillion Cares Act magically appeared. Apparently at least a $1.7 trillion hit on the deficit won’t fully kick in until 2030. Later in 2020 the Consolidated Appropriations Act worth $900 billion allegedly trickled down.

    Just a reminder for those craving a concession stand treat to go with the show, birds of a feather have it on good word from “Wikipedia” that ‘Big Balls’ allegedly is in the dna lineage for an inheritance from a snack of lesser evil. Tasty crumbs attest to company co-founding by a former employee of Goldman Sachs, as well as the actor who played ‘Brill’ in “Enemy of the State”.

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