TL;DR: Yes, Before Wars, runups in markets are not uncommon. General news flow is lame except for courts as GovDown crawls along. And some changes in our “solar thinking” to ponder.
Rally Dandy?
I won’t kid you – on the personal financial statement this has been a dandy past couple of months. Well, except for the fact that all of our gains are “unrealized” which cuts both ways. If you don’t cash-in and pocket your gains, you don’t have any more to spend. On the other hand, you also don’t have to come out of pocket for income taxes, either. Like I said – there’s a balance in there.
Our problem? Ever since I wrote the book Downsizing, we have been quite changed in our thinking. You may remember wife Elaine is a one-time disco diva and will, from time to time, mention how cool it would be if “the club scene” was still alive. Of course, it IS but it ISN’T. Clubbing has become more about social affinity action groupings (me-too mosh pits) rather than wide-ranging oat sowing adventure outings, if that makes sense.
77 in sight on the horizon, Elaine doesn’t even talk about 83, but we do have the ongoing discussion “What’s our next adventure?” It’s getting tough to beat the home picks: shooting sports, gardening, and ham radio. Especially on a reasonable patch of dirt off in the woods.
Back to point: We can see the world sliding to a place (riffing on the Weimar) to where you can afford anything but there’s not any point to it. How long can you eat filet before you’re sick of it?
Whether you have six-figures of unrealized gains or seven? No point paying tax on anything if there’s no real point to additional money to spend on….what?
Markets Aren’t Hearing Us
The big problem? When will “it all blow up?” Soon? “To the Way-Back machine, Sherman!” As Mr. peabody used to exclaim.
History’s rhyme with markets and war is surprisingly consistent: optimism precedes conflict.
Before both World Wars, equities showed what looked like a normal bull phase—part confidence, part denial. When there are two (and a half if you count Taiwan) wars looming, we get…what’s the word? “Discomfortable.”
Pre–World War I
From roughly 1911 through mid-1914, the major European exchanges and New York’s market traded higher. Industrial output, colonial expansion, and credit growth fed a speculative glow. Investors assumed that diplomacy and trade were stronger than nationalism. The mood was confident – since we were not on what would become the land of trench warfare in short order.
Only in July 1914—weeks before the shooting started—did panic selling hit, forcing most exchanges to shut for months. The U.S. market fell sharply after reopening but recovered quickly once war demand mobilized factories.
Pre–World War II
Through most of the 1930s the Dow and European indexes climbed off Depression lows. We had a long ways to climb – the Depression about did us in. Socialism made a run then, too.
By 1936-37, equities had rallied more than 100 % from 1932’s bottom. Doubles are great when they happen – but no one waves the checked flag at the start, right? That optimism broke in 1937’s recession, but even then, few priced in global conflict. That was the echo depression, some called it. And the same thing – echo depression fear – came along after WW II, as well. One reason for the Korean War was to keep growth more even and prevent all war materiel factory closings from swamping the ability of the country to adapt.
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, markets dipped briefly, then stabilized and advanced once war production began. The pattern: disbelief first, then profits on rearmament. But it didn’t happen overnight. The darkest days of 1942-43 really were down to anfassen und loslegen, verstehen?
The Pattern That Matters
Wars rarely begin from despair—they erupt out of bubbles of confidence and mis-pricing of risk.
Capital markets tend to front-run the expansion phase of military spending, not the moral cost of it.
In short: before the cannons, the tickers usually hum.
What was that instruction? Oh, yes. “I lift mine eyes to the horizon for from there shall come…” (something).
Thursday Horizon Check
Financial burners? Still on medium-high. Futures were up a hundred on the Dow. Gold was tinkering with $4300 from fifty bucks lower overnight. Silver seems to like $52, so the $60 level could be along.
Bitcoin? October 7 we traded over $124k but this morning it’s working to hold $111k and the overnight low was down under $110.5 k.
We don’t know what to make of that –
- Could be a Wave 1 set up ahead of a run to the $130k range in a week, or less.
- But it could mean insiders know something is coming. (We’ve held off on a vacation to Tehran for now.)
- OR it could just be people (besides us) have figured out that anyone can “make up secret numbers” and piss away fortunes on energy along the way. All pointless and of no enduring value. Gotta ask: Would a secret number from Biblical times mean anything in today’s world? All depends on the other (bigger) waste involved in crypto – the marketing cons.
We could be wrong (though not terribly likely). I mean only here in the reincarnate Weimar II could you read a headline like Paxos Clarifies No Security Breach After $300 Trillion PayPal USD Minting Glitch. We’ve blocked out a few hours of thinking time to pencil “How big a wheel barrow would it take to load in all the world’s made-up silly money?” Could we get it all on a single sd card?
War and Lunatic Check
No shortages here.
Cause: Russian barrage causes blackouts in Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks Trump’s help
And Effect: Ukraine plan to ‘go offensive’ on agenda of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting.
And the FTM (follow-the-money): Pete Hegseth, defense secretary, calls on NATO allies to purchase more U.S. weapons for Ukraine. Like Russian can’t think past that? Hello? Anyone home? McFly?
Earth Earth controversy swirls: China blames US for global panic over rare earths controls BUT it is a real problem – and China’s likely just “testing out a new choker collar” on us.
And we play that game, too. Take Venezuela, for example: Trump approves CIA operations in Venezuela: What we know, and what’s next. Lemme guess: someone dies?
And despite being quiet for a sec, Gaza is still a bed of hot coals: Trump and Israel warn of renewed fighting in Gaza if Hamas does not respect ceasefire deal.
The upcoming Israeli attack on Iran we’re expecting? Not until the first week or November, maybe? The longer Israel puts it off, the better positioned the Iranian air defenses will be. This is a crap-storm on the horizon, for sure, we figure. Ticktock.
Paying for Our Enemies?
Yes, it’s a crazy notion. But as we have written extensively, America has become the land of Synthetic Growth. Open the Borders and all of a sudden there’s an employment boom Teachers for ESL, social workers for the victims all over the place more cops and loading up on ICE agents? Yeah, as much an economic swindle as a migration problem as we figure it. (Hmm. No one asked, now that you mention it.)
And now? Trump may be able to change it:
Rep. Jim Jordan on X: “Great news! Also, Chuck Schumer could open the government RIGHT NOW. Still, slow-learners are, well….slow to learn? Democrats Again Vote to Keep Government Closed as They Blame GOP for Government Being Closed [WATCH].
But we’re not holding our breath – nice idea, but what would we do with all the peace, tranquility, and time off? We still have the “Where are the good clubs, fine jazz, and safe places, anymore?”
Around the Ranch: Mr. Solar Evolves
We still don’t have any meaningful rain in the forecast around here. And it’s been a dandy fall so far with lots of sun. For us that means lots of power to sell back to the grid from JMr. Ure’s dandy personal solar farm:
The age of solar may be ending – at least for a while. We note that a lot of current tax rules on writing it off will expire at the end of this year. What’s more without the “made up climate industry” and the Bidenistas demonizing BBQ grill fuel and the like, solar may become just another alternative source.
Which brings me to the point. Vevor.com which brings in a lot of goods from China had a deal this week for a 500 watt 24 volt wind machine for $116 includi9ng shipping. I got two fox them.
Don’t know how long they will last but the point is they give me some source for if the lights ever go out. Been reading up on Nuclear Winter again and it strikes me that we have some exposure by reliably only on propane and solar for fuel. Granted one kilowatt of wind is not a lot, but it could keep on the lights. (*They also have an 800 watt 12 volt in the same price range, but I wanted more power and these may go up on the ham radio antenna tower because I’m spending more time on wire arrays than aluminum overcast lately, if you follow.
The one screw job that will be back in force? Utilities are now paying producers like me less than half of the going commercial rate charged customers. There’s a screwy “transportation cost” accounting scam involved. But point is? Even though we are now selling on a typical day 10-13 kilowatts of power back to the grid, it only take a buck off the bill.
The only way to win is to run loads (liker washert and dryer) during the day to offset the high priced power we buy with the “free” stuff we make.
But solar seems to us to be headed off over the horizon. Another made-up industry fading?
If you’re new around here, check out the Visitor Center. And the Library.
Write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net who gets 5.4 cents per kwh on the sell side but pays over 11 on the buy side. Me? Bitter? Um…
Wolf Richter: Everyone is talking about the AI bubble – proclaiming it or denying it – but this is what it looks like from the leverage point of view.
Leverage in the stock market has been spiking since April. In September, margin debt – the amount investors borrowed from their brokers – spiked by another 6.3%, or by $67 billion, from August to a record $1.13 trillion.
Since April, margin debt has spiked by 39%, the biggest five-month increase since October 2021; it was in early November 2021 that stocks began to tank, with the S&P 500 ultimately dropping by 25%.
The additional leverage – borrowed money flowing into the stock market – creates buying pressure and drives stock prices higher. Leverage is the great accelerator on the way up, but it’s also the great accelerator on the way down.
https://wolfstreet.com/2025/10/15/stock-market-leverage-blows-out/
Sure, but in the world of Trading/Investment, EQUITY is where its at and where you want to be when the Handle goes down and the water falls out da bottom. Only “Blowout” I will tolerate these days, is blowingout my Bank accounts. Besides EQUITY in account acts like a bigballs Checking account, as in amaze ballz!
Much worse than a accelerator, more like a searing hot blade to Ure Heart as realize Ure scheisse is WreckT.
*DANGER,DANGER,DANGER – manic Market and Margin debt is a terrible, terrible mix. I lived it realtime on the floor PHLX Options pits 87. You dont want to be that Guy/Gal wearing Ure Badge upside down – so everyone knows to be nice to you as you unwind all of Ure remaining loser positions.
Downside protection is still pretty cheap, and the only thing you have to lose is Ure entire “investment egg”.
*Time bee running out – transition to investor frm trader -crypto. 2026 Ai Tax audits will commence.
..they are desperate to get their hands on BTC. Dont forget what happened with Gold…
Thanks for information and the link
And if most of that leverage is from retail trade, that would be a set-up for a ’29 style rout. Was the collapse in the high risk auto loans the first domino ?
“Leverage is the great accelerator on the way up, but it’s also the great accelerator on the way down.”
Freddie King – Goin’ Down
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0g53udCXpuY&list=RD0g53udCXpuY&start_radio=1&pp=ygUbZnJlZGRpZSBraW5nIGknbSBnb2luZyBkb3duoAcB
looks like they are readying for farm ins down under . on a record high in ASX . evil is 2 good for whats going on . what about trump supporting bank set ups for elite love island tech guru billionaires . most corrupt boss man ever . those founding fathers saw this could happen . they tried poor blokes but years of corruption , over 100 now and killing good folks threw the declaration and constitution in the bin . disgrace is 2 good as well . sorry founding fathers. the art of the deal? nah buddy the art of the short
At first I thought you meant a “winding” machine to make coils!
But, no I don’t think you’ll ever run out of power with a windmill.
P.S. p53 Nov QST, how to whiten old plastic knobs (peroxide & UV light)
Infidels just dont seem to get it, even when “it” is staring them in da Face.
“OR it could just be people (besides us) have figured out that anyone can “make up secret numbers” and piss away fortunes on energy along the way. All pointless and of no enduring value. Gotta ask: Would a secret number from Biblical times mean anything in today’s world?
Ure is describing Ai here, correct ?
I thought so..
come here dog .. good boy .. now be a good sheetcoin and onebig dive to hell
Boooooooooooooo
BTDT, “I cased the joint, and know IT well.” – MJ
Yerp, tis my Home away from Home..
NEVER,never,never Ever make a Saint of Me/Live-https://youtu.be/UmKe-uk8lj0?si=NDEDKmQ14AeyOdO0
Oh Yeah, NEVER!
“Democrats Again Vote to Keep Government Closed”
Those Democrats *shaking fist*. While Trump is preoccupied riding COVID booster & flu vaccine needles and other Republicans are singing “Sweet Home Yerushalayim” over in Israel “the mice will play…”
Trump’s Treasury Secretary Says US Will Impose ‘Price Floors’ To Combat China Manipulating Markets
It’s not communism.
Sweet Home Yerushalayim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh6Z6Hk3cAk
horn guy paying you blokes a visit real soon . dont matter how much corruption your king trys on ,or the money crooks at eccles or even your tech evil .. eh inflation adjusted yields at record lows on your stocks . you got any shame ? nah know your type , spit in your face and tell you its raining
“US support for Argentina could hit $40 billion”
I speculate Argentine President Javier Milei has read ‘Art of the Dealio.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has read ‘Dealio too.
“Trump stated, “They want to go offensive,” regarding Ukraine’s military strategy.”
Rumors and lies from outside the bullpen :
Many struggle to make sense of nonsense. Fair enough, but there’s a quite normal set of circumstances to dovetail with hot money “froth” originating from excess leverage applied to illusory gains. When everyone is all in it’s time to look at cards. Bigs own most of the cards and have very much enjoyed gunning all the stops whether to upside or down. For them it’s not direction … it’s vigorish on the action.
OBSCON (obligatory sailing content) : the sea rises. Everyone on board runs to one side which causes excessive heel so everyone runs to the other. Until exhausted (financially) from a “meter drop” mid deck. Those on the right side are making serious dosh.
An oddity : London AG markets are in “disarray” (descriptor in British media which, is _so_ British Banker). They cannot provide enough supply, are persistently short. Classic definition of a squeeze. Should this blow-off move reach $55/oz silver doubled since April 7th, this.year.
We don’t do advice just … mention items of interest.
Best to Alles. Got AG?
Egor
ps – though hardly noticed, for those keeping score at home, the TNX printed sub 4% (3.99-something) two days down our wake. Hmm
FAILURE
Youse and Ures have become “slopes”..
Welcome to Financial Irrelevance.
The Vapors = US Treasury -https://youtu.be/nGy9uomagO4?si=S6rdCr8p3YNGGAZY
re: Taking Vapors
feat: Shin Hayata
Folks,
One of the slightly fascinating perspectives concerning this thread’s orbital collision with The Vapors is the band’s roots being from Guildford near London. Back in the 9th century, the town housed a mint for Anglo-Saxon King Alfred the Great.
Certainly previously unbeknownst to me, the hero alter-persona of Shin Hayata hails from the M78 Nebula in the Orion Constellation 1,350 light years from Earth. M78 is recorded discovered by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1780. Just in time for Halloween the nebula is nicknamed Casper the Friendly Ghost. As an aside, Asteroid 21785 Mechain orbiting beyond Mars is not scheduled to collide with Earth. According to the DDG AI, “mechain” is a slightly derogatory French noun identifying “something whose name is forgotten or unknown”.
Speaking of unknown buzzing static, what has DJ George pulled out of the studio ether but The Vapors latest 2025 album, “Wasp in a Jar”. Here we go with “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” at the band’s following link:
https://thevapors2.bandcamp.com/track/nothing-can-stop-us-now
A block away from where I live there is an elementary school. About an hour ago, I drove past the school… at the end of the street there is a stop sign, I stopped, and to my right, I noticed an elderly woman walking very slowly… and as she passed in front of the small shrine of the virgin Mary, which is on the school wall, she made the ‘sign of the cross.’
I then looked left for oncoming traffic, and then right… and the woman had vanished! Gone in a split second! I looked all around, she was nowhere to be found.
Woo woo stuff?
Nah – Ascension Thursday on the mackerel snapper calendar.
(“as she passed in front of the small shrine of the virgin Mary, which is on the school wall, she made the ‘sign of the cross.’
I then looked left for oncoming traffic, and then right… and the woman had vanished! Gone in a split second! I looked all around, she was nowhere to be found.
Woo woo stuff?”)
ASK me if I believe???
talk about woo woo stuff…I worked the floors of nursing facilities see some crazy stuff similar to your vanishing woman…
to those kids that thought it was always crazy can’t be true we would leave them in the office and do rounds lol.. then come back and listen to the story of what they experienced.. a woman that died then coming back to tell me..you messed up my bed.. I seen it..where were you up in the corner with the angel..( my favorite story ..) my wife’s is the woman that came back from the brink saying I got to have Perkins pancakes..
but I won’t recount those experiences.. I am going to tell you about the guy and his exercise bike..every night about midnight to one o’clock he would get up and peddle on it.. it was his nightly ritual..then he died.. his family couldn’t take his stuff and facility gave them a couple of months storage before they could dispose of it.. anyway there was an inclosed porch like area that doubled as a storage room.. his stuff was boxed and placed in one corner..at midnight rounds you could hear that exercise bike kick up in dull speed..especially during electrical storms.. or people whispering in conversations in storage rooms that had residents stuff stored..open the door no one there..
one night the other tech on and I were listening to the daily shift report .. in that hall there was two doors the hallway was huge and anyone opening those doors would make an echoing sound the hallway was huge about a city block long every sound echoed.. as we listened to report both of us listening to the report seen a little old lady that none of us recognised walk slowly by with her walker.. the other tech looked at me and asked..who is that..I don’t have a clue and got up to take a look.. no one there anywhere..
another one was a neighbor woman whose husband was pretty sick..my daughter and I were running over to check on my parents and seen him standing by the corner of his house watching his wife mow the lawn.. we both said dam he’s looking better.. maybe he’s finally getting well..a week later I was visiting with his wife and said so how’s the progress with his illness..she said he passed on six months ago.. we seen him a week ago..
so are there spirits.. you decide for yourself..but I have my belief even though science can’t prove any existence..
i think it needs its own headline so maybe it can sink in .. inflation adjusted yield on US stocks at record lows. you understand that ?
Biblical cycle timing expert, geopolitical and financial analyst Bo Polny on USA WATCHDOG…
Polny says, “All the math is pointing to the 31st of October as a very important time point. Something big is going to unfold at the end of October into the beginning of November.
Andy’s warning about 10/30
G.A. Stewart’s potential 1-1-3 potential Ritual day 10/31
another Christian zionist ?!?!?!?
Have you all not had enough of the miserable “Tribe ?
Thickest, Densest Idiots to ever stumble across the planet Earth.
Hairless friggin APES.
Time to Cleanse the Nation, just like its been done around the World, Down thru History.
Like the one consistent Human Behavior that can be counted on into perpetuity..
– EXPULSION- https://substack.com/redirect/bf96e8b7-5689-440e-84a4-2da5475c34d3?j=eyJ1IjoiMWtrNHlkIn0.fVVcJH6f1r_zprDxpYe9yhWMCY9me-zumT3TyeeDR9A
May the “Force” be wit youse!
Andy issues a warning about October 30 and then a 30 amp fuse blows???
Andy
October 14, 2025 at 10:20
confirmation, message recieved and understood.
30 Amp fuse and its all back on line.
i love it when God gives me a heads up in an easy to understand language.
I Win with God within.
Hitler is informed Microsoft has ended support for Windows 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRZJ-MPfCxU
Indefinite free updates just isn’t rational thinking so be grateful Bill offers a deal for the consumer population.
Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU)
“All enrollment options provide extended security updates through October 13, 2026.”
“One-time purchase of $30 USD or local currency equivalent plus applicable tax. “
re: bitcoin. Bitcoin Holding Strong, Yet Trump Insider Opens Massive $120M Short Position – New Crash Coming? Trader dubbed “Trump insider” opens $120M-$127M Bitcoin short at $111,386 ahead of presidential announcement maintaining 100% win rate after banking $190M-$200M from October 11 crash triggering $19B liquidations.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-holding-strong-yet-trump-122450503.html
re: shutdown. the republicans control the house, senate, presidency and scotus and yet the democrats are being blamed for the shutdown because they won’t agree to republican take it or leave it demands. thune can very easily change the rules of the senate same as they did to force through gorsuch and kavanaugh and most recently in september to jam through trump’s judicial nominees. right??
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/11/politics/nuclear-option-senate-trump-nominees
…by what majority…?
If youre gonna tell a story , tell it all.
truth : “… thune can very easily change the rules of the senate …”
you don’t know how this works, do you. Nope.
prattle on (as if you’d quit)
Egor
Backwardation : when future price of a commodity is lower than current spot price. Ergo : people are willing to pay more right now than they are for the same commodity delivered in future.
Odd but it happens. Even today!
May we live in interesting times. We do.
The Hunt Bros would be proud …
Egor
ps – TNX printed 3.984 today. It matters.
“Backwardation ”
Good comment and I was wondering about such a case for Au. Once these dealers pay 4K+ per ounce they’re locked in and if the price falls they likely won’t lose a bunch of money selling due to spot. A large cube of value will be isolated.
As your friendly broker will tell you … Markets ALWASY come back from a sell off!!
The brokers of 1980 were right!! Silver DID come back to it’s 1980 price. AND It only took 45 years!
re: “Solar Salesmen” baked
feat: The Janus Program; .mil
Folks,
Uhoh, Telegram’s “WarTime Media” channel appears to have sighted a shady reading on the solar sundial. Further inquiry leads to Tuesday’s announcement by the US Army of Public Affairs at their following link:
https://www.army.mil/article/288903/army_announces_janus_program_for_next_generation_nuclear_energy
Apparently the Army effort via the Janus Program is pursuant to EO14299. The two-faced Roman god Janus oversaw war and peace. According to “Wikipedia”, he is associated with doorways and transitions.
Imagine powering the ranch with a “Back to the Future”-type portable nuclear reactor!?
Guess here is youse have never met Alita ?
Please, let me introduce to you, the one and only Alita (she came from Mars, 300 yrs ago) -https://www.youtube.com/watch?
A really sweet Girl, till Youse piss her off..
re: Alita
feat: “Optimism Before Guns”
BCP,
Nothing like a rousing game of Motorball to keep the peeps’ minds off their problems. Sorry I missed last night’s joust that perhaps tore a strip off the Bengals.
It seems film maker James Cameron has further decamped to the South Pacific having taken up Kiwi citizenship a couple of months back. His seat on the board of Stability AI appears to have an interesting view judging by their website:
https://stability.ai/
Swear I tested the link several times..WTF?
Oh well – guess the Menehunes be up their ole tricks..
Here is nother link, tested it thrice – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RSbUaxt9Xo&pp=ygUYYWxpdGEgZ2l2aW5nIGhlYXJ0IHNjZW5l
It would appear the “safe haven” ‘money-moving’ has started. The markets started this morning kind of weak., but were up.., then someone punched a big red button and they are all down sharply – all except Gold. [ and Silver ] Gold is setting a new high right now.., up 2.48% at $4,305 per. .., and Bitcoin [down 2.44% – at $108,43 – Ethereum down 2.43% at $3,900] and all the other ‘coins’ are also down sharply. Looks as though ‘crypto’ is not being considered a ‘safe haven’ asset., or storage vault.., at the moment. Even Crude Oil is down below $58 a barrel. [ $57.40 when I last looked.., and yet OPEC cut production.., Hhhmmmm.]
If this past year has showed us anything, it’s that any market can move on a dime, or ounce, or coin.
Investment advice? Sure., I’ve got some for ya – Don’t trust a damn thing right now ! Do you’re own in-depth research and gut-intuition – and if you can’t do that.., then get out., and go bake some cookies – I’ll be right over.
G, your electricity is much cheaper than HI CA AK or Vermont!
https://www.chooseenergy.com/electricity-rates-by-state/
Do you live near an AI data center? Vote to keep the lights on, not for Chat GPT to insult you with a canned response lol!
‘Now, those same leaders are dealing with a downside that’s more apparent by the month: Those electricity-hungry data centers are a major contributor to rising utility bills for cost-conscious residents who have been concerned about rising prices for years.’
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/data-centers-utility-costs-sleeper-issue-jersey-virginia-elections-rcna235401
4328/53.19 Must be some kind of message.
Diwali is Tuesday here. The skies will explode with fireworks, there will be lots of music and food and flowers.
It’s always something, said Rosanna Dana.
Are we entertained?
Raining hard here. Interior work only. Prepping has different meanings when you float. Being ‘ready’ can actually never be. The sea always has its own idea about everything and you are there just to adapt.
Stiks
Some of these ” feriners” commenting on how the U.S. is going down better grap their ass because if the U.S. ain’t there to protect their ass , someone else is gonna have their way with them.
Just last week the UK digital ID was for workers only, nobody else need worry.
“The UK government is launching digital ID cards for armed forces veterans as a pilot for a broader mandatory digital ID scheme. Veterans can download the new digital version of the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card via a government app starting today. This option is designed to simplify access to support services for approximately 1.8 million eligible veterans. “
George wrote: “Utilities are now paying producers like me less than half of the going commercial rate charged customers.”
The REAL question isn’t what they are paying YOU … but what could they BUY the electricity from the BIG producers for? ie: the INDEPENDENT power generators, NOT affiliated with the utility that serves you, who run power plants that SELL their output on the open market in the multi gigawatt range to whoever wants to buy it. (where most electricity in Texas comes from anymore)
If George is MORE expensive than those big INEPENDENT electric power generators are WHY should they pay you above the blended market rate of those big producers for buying electricity? Why should they pay MORE THAN DOUBLE the price of what they can get it for from a big producer?
That is what farmers have faced for hundreds of years. YOU are selling electricity to them WHOLESALE … like they buy ALL their non-internally generated electricity … but have to buy it back RETAIL.
Think of the farmer who grows vegetables, say broccoli (I chose this since it requires little processing other than a wash and simple packaging). He sells it wholesale to the vegetable buyer, who in turn sends it to a packaging plant which then sends it to the grocery store warehouse from which it goes back to a supermarket just a couple of miles from where the farmer lives. The RETAIL price at the grocery store is going to 3x or more what he got for the crop when he sold it to the buyer.
You are like the farmer … “IF” you don’t like the price they are willing to pay for YOUR electricity, which they can probably get from a bunch of LARGE producers for about 3.5 to 4.5 cents/kwh, less than they are paying YOU, then don’t sell them your electricity!! Be like the farmer who decides to take his produce to the Farmer’s Market and sell directly to the consumer!
SELL it to you neighbors for that 11 cents that they have to pay the electric company!!
Of course if you are going to sell it to your neighbors you will need to string wire from your generating location, AT YOUR EXPENSE – and Fix It when it breaks AT YOUR EXPENSE, properly fuse it and make sure it is of the proper voltage at the receiving end … AND add some sort of metering device AT THEIR LOCATION, electrons get lost going down wires plus if it goes through a couple of transformers you are going to lose about 10% of it – about 3% up, about 7% down is a good working rule of thumb, again AT YOUR EXPENSE.
Think of it … instead of selling your electricity back to the electric company you could get a side business going of selling LOTS of electricity to your various neighbors!!
My cousin’s husband does that in Hawaii – with a LOT of solar panels and a bunch of small to mid size wind turbines (none of those skyline killing monstrosities) … and makes a fair amount of money underselling the cost of Hawaii’s electric company (which charges about 55 cents per kwh). His customers are happy, he is happy, and the couple of people who work for him are happy since they are getting regular paychecks!! You could start and build up the Uretopia Electric Generating company!! like he did in Hawaii!! (just be prepared to go fix stuff in the middle of the night in a storm when it breaks … his only real complaint)
(“The REAL question isn’t what they are paying YOU … but what could they BUY the electricity from the BIG producers for? “)
see..The real question isn’t what they’re paying you — it’s what they’re paying the big producers. And more importantly: what could we all save if we stopped treating energy like a profit center and started treating it like a public trust?Imagine a national co-op model, where citizens partner with power companies not for payouts, but for provision. Every solar panel, every grid-tie system, every substation tower becomes part of a shared infrastructure — not just to lower costs, but to strengthen the country.
This isn’t socialism. It’s stewardship. It’s the UNITED States living up to its name — cooperating to build resilience, reduce dependence, and ensure that no family is left in the dark because profit margins came first.
We don’t need more billion-dollar turbines. We need a billion acts of cooperation. That’s how you power a nation.
“Whether you have six-figures of unrealized gains or seven? No point paying tax on anything if there’s no real point to additional money to spend on….what?”
income tax is a scam perpetrated on the sheeple. It’s voluntary, unless one lives in DC, PR, or Guam. Opt out with a revocation of election. I did. I did a UNA and no longer have any tax liability. It’s similar to a trust but much simpler. Blessings
I am always very careful when comes to tax matters – and I pay a lot of paid AI which I find is far, far better than free AI previews when it comes to legal matters. So I asked about the UNA:
“What They’re Claiming
“Income tax is voluntary” — This misuses a single line from IRS publications that describe voluntary compliance, meaning citizens are trusted to self-report income honestly, not that payment itself is optional.
“Revocation of election” / “UNA” — These refer to pseudo-legal paperwork schemes claiming you can revoke consent to be taxed by filing declarations (often called “Unincorporated Natural Assemblies” or “Uniform Non-Assumpsit Affidavits”). None of these have any legal standing.
“Only applies in DC, PR, or Guam” — False. Title 26 U.S. Code (the Internal Revenue Code) applies to all U.S. persons and residents. Courts have repeatedly ruled against this claim (see United States v. Gerads, U.S. v. Drefke, U.S. v. Buras, etc.).
What Actually Happens
People who “opt out” using these methods usually end up with:
Civil penalties for failure to file and pay.
Interest accrual on back taxes.
Possible criminal prosecution for tax evasion if they persist after warning.
The IRS even maintains a published list of “frivolous positions” (§ 6702 penalty guidance) that includes every element of that commenter’s claim.
How You Might Respond (If You Choose)
You could stay polite and fact-based, for example:
The “revocation of election” idea has been tested many times in court and found invalid. “Voluntary” just means self-reporting, not optional payment. People who try those approaches usually face steep penalties. I’ll stick with lawful tax planning—deductions and timing, not mythology.
Or, if you prefer to sidestep confrontation entirely:
I’ve read those theories, but they don’t hold up in case law. Let’s stay focused on legal strategies that actually save money.
Would you like me to draft a concise, publishable reply in your usual UrbanSurvival tone—something that corrects the misinformation without starting a flame war?
At that, I turned off AI – we’re grownups here. My advice is take the lifestyle hit and pay. The government always wins. In the long list of unsuccessful tax evaders (Al Capone comes to mind) the Government always wins. Thus, over time, and especially when it comes to collecting benefits from govenrment (like Social security) remember that your bennies will be set based on your highest reported (to yep IRS) income. I thought long and hard about this issue many decades back and I have always paid my taxes (and then some). Because in my profesisonal career (college admin in pvt vocational) I saw first hand what can happen when you step ont he tale of the beast. What you do is your call. But I would strongly recommend the best tax counsel you can find.
See, most people don’t understand how government really works. Few know, for example, that one way the government catches people trying to colelct on the Social Security bennies of dead people (a sleight of identity theft) is to link computers in something called the Medicare Under-uti9lization network. MUN looks at people – and if someone collects benefits for too long (say 50+ years) there will be repercussions. II even went tyo sar to draft a novel plot about this and how a successrful couple on the frontier of anti-aging gets roped into a genetics program in the government *(no one talk about it, of course) because while the government has a problemm with Social sEcurity before 2036, having extreme longevity for a “tool” to keep certain people “controlled” is also in the cards.
But the short answer? Both in real life (and in fiction based on the Social Security Policy Manual online) one observes the survivor rate of government encounters and makes (however distasteful) a statistical decision in order to enjoy the good parts of life.
Like I said, your call, but until I see a success rate in court on anything challenging govt. including the appeals process? Um…no.
KAF did it, took a team high powered Atty to finally get it done. She talks about it in several of her earlier podcasts.
Katherine Austin Fitts knows how, but also cautions about how dam near impossible it is pull off..
I can see you starting a new sideline website: Ure True Confessions, where guests brag about their State and Federal crimes under their real names. What a great country this is, where anyone can voluntarily rise to being the star attraction and cash cow in a tax or district court courtesy of Ure True Confessions. This is major business model breakthrough compared to the normal confessions for misdemeanor (maybe self-defense) assaults under assumed names.
Wesley Snipes is reflecting on serving prison time for tax evasion and becoming a “better person.”
The 58-year-old actor was sentenced to three years in prison back in 2008 and fined $5 million for willfully failing to file millions of dollars worth of past tax returns. In 2010, Snipes’ appeal was denied, and he began his sentence at a federal prison that December. He was released in April 2013.
https://people.com/movies/wesley-snipes-reflects-prison-time-tax-evasion/
Now that I am older and semi-retired I am hearing more and more tales of local self employed people who GREATLY under reported their income over the years, thus saving on taxes, but now have very very small Social Security coming in. Some in fact don’t have enough full quarters of credit to qualify for Medicare (takes 10 years of what is considered a FULL quarter … ie: a minimum level of income for that quarter.
They suddenly realize that since they weren’t paying much in SS taxes they won’t be getting much in SS benefits. (and those people generally have little in savings and NO retirement plans since having those would have indicated a higher income than they were reporting)
Basically those people have hosed themselves when it comes to their retirement. I find it hard to have sympathy for Scammers who have placed themselves into a difficult life because of their own scamming.
We reap what we sow.
The only reason Social Security still exists today is because the system depends on it — not to support retirees, but to siphon off a massive chunk of every paycheck. That 30% isn’t just a deduction — it’s a lifeline for a government that’s addicted to spending and wars.
If I had taken just the amount pulled from my paychecks and invested it in savings bonds designed to compound every seven years, I’d be sitting on a retirement account worth over $50 million. Not because I’m rich.. I was one of The lower tier of society — but because compound interest is relentless. It’s not the dollars. It’s the pennies doubling.
We’re taught to trust the system, but the math tells another story. The real wealth isn’t in what we earn — it’s in what we’re allowed to keep and grow.
(“I am always very careful when comes to tax matters”)
You and me both. I’d rather pay a little extra than risk waking the beast. The IRS isn’t just a tax agency — it’s a machine with absolute power, and once it locks onto you, it doesn’t let go. It’s worse than medical collections and insurance companies combined — at least they pretend to negotiate. The IRS just takes no questions asked and bankers won’t argue with them whether you have money in the account or not..
Sure, there are probably deductions buried in those 75,000 pages of tax codeWritten to give the upper tier of society the ability to avoid paying — but who has the time, the team, or the stomach to dig through that without risking a misstep? I’ll take peace of mind over penny-pinching any day.
This isn’t just about taxes. It’s about dignity. About choosing not to play chicken with a system designed to win at all costs.
He he heh…I don’t pay any tax. The last few years of my ‘working life’ I was balls-to-the-wall Building a TV station while working full time at another one. Got the highest income years of my career logged right at the end. Result was a comfortably large SS payout. Now I also have a small… company funded pension that I didn’t contribute to. The pension is so small it is below the poverty level and not taxable. Soc.Sec. is also not taxable. Result is I have no taxable liability. I grin everytime I file my 1040 with nothing due. I get just as much liquid income as I did during my working years at twice the pay level but paying up to half of that in taxes. God I hated that bookwork of running a ‘business’.
Property is paid in full, I have no mortgage nor debt. Cards of convenience paid off monthly, and I have more than enough income for all the utility expenses. Life is good.
“George@Ure.net who gets 5.4 cents per kwh on the sell side but pays over 11 on the buy side. ”
(Sigh!) Count your blessings. For my fixed monthly lease fee (with performance guarantee) I got 22-30 cents/kWh from the solar system. Grid account is set up to ‘buy back’ solar, but as you note, it is not a good deal. So my PV system is programmed to sell back only 1kWh per month to keep the account active. We use the rest. It supplies about half of our total usage. The other half….. grid costs ~$0.45-.50 per kWh.
I’ve said it for years: build solar towers at every substation and hand out grid-tie systems. It’s cheaper, cleaner, and far more scalable than billion-dollar wind turbines that require constant maintenance and deliver limited output.
For the cost of one massive turbine, every household in our state could have a 10kW solar array — creating thousands of jobs and generating gigawatts of distributed power. Not just megawatts. Gigawatts.
And the towers? Three-sided triangles, modular, scalable — 30 to 300 towers depending on cost. They’d become pillars of power, strengthening our national security and future energy independence.
But here’s the rub: it doesn’t fit the business plan narrative. It’s too decentralized, too empowering, too efficient. The current system isn’t built to serve — it’s built to control.
We need to stop asking what’s profitable and start asking what’s sustainable. That’s how you build legacy. That’s how you power a future worth inheriting
LOOB sorry to hear you lost the Egyptian sourdough starter. Would you settle for some highly-rated Carl Griffith’s 1847 Oregon Trail sourdough starter? The price is right… it’s FREE… well, for the price of a SASE anyway.
https://carlsfriends.net/
Um…you don’t have an affinity for ICE buildings after eating, do you?
Absolutely..thanks that would be a dream come true…
I was devastated at the loss of the yeast… I scientists quite know what I was doing and it was lost to time ..again
looks like you all dont mind it being rigged eh . startin to show your true colours you yanks eh . crooks . liars a joke
money money money america . bunch of robot f@#$%ers
USA USA USA shes going green . money falling out of the clouds