Two Big Adventure stories hold focus this morning: Where the markets go from here and how to deal with some remarkable healthcare issues. Since Urban is about economics and prepping (mainly) let’s start there.
Mo Money – Mo Money!
Yeah – after calling for a war-time-like effort at Job Creation, the Fed Boss this week seems to have missed one of the “current realities of contemporary life.”
People don’t need much more stuff. What’s worse? Well – backing up a bit – in order to increase jobs there needs to be some kind of new demand.
Therein lies the stuff of Depressions.
As tech runs its course, other than the social media bubble….
For now, the Fed is printing money like fools (with apologies to fools!):
For now, the Fed’s answer to “all that ails us” has been to print ever-more money in order to grease the skids of commerce. Thing is (putting on the marketing hat) you’ve actually got to be able to sell something.
Otherwise, America ‘ain’t buying’ and that’s why no new jobs. Fact is, and a point often repeated here – we need some innovation in Congress. Bring back something like the Civilian Conservation Corps, or the Works Progress Administration.
Absent that – we are now living in a country where out National Debt exceeds the Gross National Product. Which means, we are in the same position that led places like Cyprus to enact things like Bail-Ins. Looks to me like we’re getting close.
Balance of Trade…or Guillotine?
With the Senate presentation of the Trump Defense today, the end-of-the-line for the largest political monetization in history. It was made possible by social media which managed to de-platform opposition views. And which continued into the aftermath of the Capitol demonstration as we’re learning how Facebook helps the Feds go after people. We are wondering whether Facebook or Twitter has de-platformed and gone on a facial recognition binge against the violent uprisers in Portland and Seattle’s CHAZ…but no, they likely wouldn’t since there’s a radical left agenda being pulled over our eyes. But, I digress.
Data Matters, Guides
The latest report out this week from the Association of American Railroads fails to shed any light on where economic salvation will come from:
“For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 495,815 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending February 6 were 226,393 carloads, down 2.5 percent compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 269,422 containers and trailers, up 6.4 percent compared to 2020.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2020. They included grain, up 5,070 carloads, to 25,951; chemicals, up 909 carloads, to 33,581; and farm products excluding grain, and food, up 551 carloads, to 16,801. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2020 included coal, down 4,936 carloads, to 60,071; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,530 carloads, to 24,821; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,546 carloads, to 9,321.
For the first five weeks of 2021, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,156,696 carloads, down 2.2 percent from the same point last year; and 1,442,642 intermodal units, up 11 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first five weeks of 2021 was 2,599,338 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 4.7 percent compared to last year.”
The term intermodal may be thought of as “containers” which then parses in the economic lookup table to “China/Asia.”
America’s forthcoming problem with China is – and the numbers support this – holding America by her privates. Those intermodal numbers scream that China completely owns our “middle consumption” now. The 3 micro chips will come from Asia while the current best American is 14 microns. This is repeated in almost everything you look at.
America Buy Out Targets
Say you’re a denizen of the Middle Kingdom (China) and you believe it to be “China’s Century.” How do you “take-down America?”
Consider her dependencies:
- Technology (phones and droids)
- Housewares and appliances
- Clothing
- Energy and Food
Look at the US as China Might
What would your workplan be to take down such a country with minimal effort and at the same time offering the highest rates of return?
- In tech: Get American companies to use proprietary Asia parts. Make them realize that only South Korea and Taiwan can produce the products needed. And so, with manufacturing facilities in hand and parts under control, who really owns tech? No, not the folks in Cupertino. In fact, however, since they do have some savvy engineers, it becomes an acquisition target in the aftermath of the financial calamity to come.
- In Houseware and Appliances, what would the PLA’s business control strategy be? An acquisition of controlling interest in Wal-Mart would be a start. Then press (owning congress) for breaking up of big companies that offer an alternative – or acquire them at pennies on the dollar – which is I expect one of reasons Jeff Bezos opted out. What wou7ld you buy if control was the objective?
- Clothing? Same thing: Limits to fashion mean less variance in product, less flair – and here’s the critical part: Less individuation. People who are forced to dress the same, live in the same locations, buy the same cars, vote for the same (effing) idiots?
They tends to be manageable because of their lack of variability. Penned in sheep. Which is why Paris and NY used to be fashion centers. Now, we all look Beijing and Russian. Only the few in power have anything approaching access. - Last, you would control food and energy. On the food side, any of the big meat producers. China would have to lust after control of Tyson’s, P&G, and others. And on the energy side, only the companies with the most proven – recoverable reserves in ground – would be worth it. Anything that looks like it would slow America’s fall – like completing the Keystone pipeline? All handle by Joe Bribem’s cut-outs both in family and on the Hill.
A sick survival strategy may be to look at companies who are China’s biggest partners in the American market now and invest in those. Thinking they may be more likely to survive a post-collapse “great reset” – which is nothing more than a final beat-down by the rich to steal what little real working people have.
China is used to long, drawn-out wars, more so than use. Countries with thousands of years of history look at periodic upstarts like the West has weak wannabe’s.
And the hell of it is? They are probably right.
Distracto-Matic
One option for when the media monetizations of Trump end, is for mainstream media to come up with New Monetizations to increase hate levels and therefore play the great game, again. Go ahead…name that game!
The Great American Sucker-fest.
Go head – read some of these headlines and let’s see it works out. Ready?
From Time: “How The Black Panther Party Inspired a New Generation of Activists.”
From the WaPo: ‘I am a child!’ Pepper spray reflects policing of Black kids.”
And, we should be able to make out who’s on the in and who’s on the outs in politics to come. Just keep an eye open stories like “Cuomo aide’s admission on nursing home coverup sparks calls for probe.”
Against this dismal excuse for a country – one lacking unity that comes from shared goals not divided monetizations – we see the Dow futures were only down 27 with 50 minutes to the open.
Three day weekend? Crazies taking over…yeah, we continue to be short because the future isn’t calling, yet.
Adventure Story #2
Elaine’s ongoing recovery from hip surgery ought to speed up a bit today, since I’m going to take her up 2 1/2 steps into the studio entrance to the house and get her out of the guest room.
Not that it’s a bad place in the guest room. Just that the weather here in East Texas is about to go to shit and in event of power failures, we have backup propane heat in the house. Solar enough to run the office, but the new panels aren’t mounted yet…
So in our strategic picture here? We have:
- Elaine still bedbound with escorted exercise breaks. I run the “escort service.”
- George still suffering horrible gout in right kneed from the parking lot fall 10-days back. Banged it again Wednesday in parking garage…d’oh!
- Low temps of 5 down to zero in the forecast for Monday. Likely power will go out…
- 8+ inches of snow forecast from Sunday-Wednesday. With near zero break pipes?
- Insurance has delayed the assignment of a Home Health physical therapist…
This last if of interest: We have a national “Medicare Advantage” plan (AARP/UHC). But, when sent to the healthcare agency (primary) they said No due to the outfit that does the “plan administration” in Texas – outfit from Austin. (Sounded like a cut-out in a flim-flam, to me.)
So today, the doc’s staff will be trying to get that ironed out. They have to send the order in to the home health people, who then have to be signed off by the plan administrators in Austin…and if I don’t have something nailed down by noonish, I’ll have to “ring the lawyer bell” and see if they hear it.
Oh…look: A Microsoft update also this morning swiped 10-minutes of task time, too.
Been up since 4:30- changing bedding, running laundry, getting hot-set PVC glue ordered to come in tomorrow before the crappy zero temps. Going through the plumbing and getting pipe caps and the PVC pipe cutters out, too. Plan for the worst, so water in advance and so forth…
Don’t mean to bitch, though. I figure that folks like Jack London and Robert Service all had episodes where “Universe throws all the shit it can at you...” This mine? Easy (though busy) so far…. just a pain with the gout flaring…
Who knows? With enough such “pressure-testing” maybe I will improve as a writer. You think?
Hand me my cane…off and running again. Peoplenomics on schedule for tomorrow…interesting project there, too.
Blizzard II in a place where snow it a once-a-decade event? Global Warming, huh? (Bullshit! it’s weather!)
Pray for warmer weather and write when you get rich,
George@Ure.net
Fingers are crossed Elaine’s recovery and you gout treatment will not suffer due to administrative incompetence. I’ve found from three recent hospitalizations for pneumonia induced Afib with associated tachycardia (all since gotten under control) that the billing codes used by physicians were my major problem when it came to receiving Medicare payment for services rendered. It took working with the Doctor’s office administrators to resubmit bills with new codes to Medicare in order get the billed payed. This needed to be done 2-3 times for some procedures and tests. All but one bill, for a blood test which I certainly didn’t personally order, have been paid in full. I’m still working that one bill after three resubmissions and may have to eat the charge. Bureaucratic induced incompetence seems to be quite contagious at the most inconvenient of times. Good luck on your quest and good health, George & Elaine.
Here’s a movie short that may bring you back to the good ole days when there was absolutely NO incompetence in your work!!
Cowboy 57 (1959) James Stewart short on B-52 Crew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPnW5GIB0JU
Enjoy!
ps, Sometimes I miss pulling an Alert!
Nice find, sir. Nods to General Stewart, who hails from Indiana, PA and for those who don’t know was an Army Air Corps B-24 bomber pilot in WWII, serving after the war in the newly minted USAF reserves. Jimmy actually flew ‘on’ an Arc Light B-52 mission once over Viet Nam as an observer. That ‘lost short’ was a bit before my time in the BUFF – Westover AFB in MA had already been closed when I entered active duty. I was a Navigator and then Radar Nav/Bombardier in G & H models.
G&H Models – like Kenworth coming out with a sports car, lol. Didn’t go much faster than other trucks, but OMG the radar detectors!
B-52G’s had 8 water injected Pratt & Whitney J57-P-43WB turbojets; H’s had 8 Pratt & Whitney TF-33-P-3 turbofans with about 3,400 lbs more thrust each for high temp takeoffs and better low level flight maneuvering. The H was the sports model for the BUFF. They are the only model still flying, rumored to soon be getting new engines all across the fleet.
“Nice find, sir. Nods to General Stewart, who hails from Indiana,”
Nice guy to.. I’ll have to share his bean recipe sometime..
But but but….DIVERSITY!
Tucker was able to point out to the ATC brass the fact they were applying that to prospective air traffic controllers, choosing “diversity” over any knowledge or talent. My understanding was they reversed course. But with the idiot now in charge we could be in real trouble.
I wonder if Stanley Kubrick had access to that film when making Dr. Strangelove? He certainly set off a lot of alarms when the movie became known to the Air Force.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw43EQs4-fQ
George, read up on Apple Cider vinegar and Gout.. Some interesting information there and here. Had a mini stroke, knees going to hell. Have been drinking ACV for a week now(app 2 plus tablespoons once a day…My wife said, You’ re walking better today. I am , and less pain.. Works for me. Quick trade, the 15 feet of red UV cord. What, where to get.. Hacker messed my computer up badly, and I can’t do much more than e mail . My regards to the gal, and remember ZINE promotes healing,
I love ACV…BRAGGS I mix it with apple cider great stuff ..Another thing to try is… and it works.. ( atleast for me) Acupuncture..make sure you get someone that knows what they are doing and do the full back.. not the ear thing…
They told me three sessions but couldn’t feel it tight away..the downside is..its expensive and pills are the cheaper alternative..
But I could feel it right away…dam auto correct
“People don’t need much more stuff. What’s worse? Well – backing up a bit – in order to increase jobs there needs to be some kind of new demand.”
Around here.. the business landscape is..
Bar, Casino, bank,restaurant,fast food franchise, bar , casino, bank restaurant ,fast food franchise, walmart, strip mall, gas station, motel, bar, casino, bank
with covid around most of those that I know have stopped frequenting the service oriented companies..Hell they cancelled Dart Ball and sunday brunch at the church… no shuffleboard either.. those are huge activities around these parts.. and the farmers aren’t allowed to congregate and have coffee and bitch about the current events..
Every part on my car is made from someplace else..and there are major companies that hire here that are owned by other companies from other countries.. I think your onto something there George..
Holy Crystalline Snowflakes G,
Ure be in the area – energetically speaking – for a new “spin” on things as it were.
How long I wonder before the Palestine Peak Ski Resort opens up down there in TX?
What nobody told U bout the Palestine Glacier? Coming from a mini ice age near U inna couple years..
Hard to believe CON gress critters -dems&rhinos – presenting False -FAKE Evidence on the floor of CONgress, getting called on it- trying to Withdraw said fakes- and Literally running from the podium – AYFKM ? No really – a travesty, a sham – NOTHING adequately describes the level MALFEASANCE on display in DC this weak.
Not to MENTION lil barkies fav hero/fake president IS now SOLELY Responsible for KILLING 60,000 AMERICANS via covert19 – and he has only been office 3 weeks. Great job – chynah joe ! Wonder how many kam gonna kill when its time comes..
Happy Lunar New Year – the year of OX!
As if the year of the Rat – was not bad enough..lots anger, diabolical-deception,riots,stealing elections, war, Infection..
What was one of Enil’s names ? “Lord of Infection”..more ya know..
Best keep Our heads down in 2021, and party-on as best U can.
Now where did I leave that litium niobat? for that matta – anybody got a recipe for biblical “shew bread”..deus machina? – wonder where/how the got “juice” to power the device..
here is an interesting video…
blob:https://www.brighteon.com/0d875796-c30f-4504-96e0-6a68b2962fb5
Getting a 404 error, fyi.
that sucks.. I wondered how long that one would stay up LOL
George, what do you think of this?
https://onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2021/01/08/warning-hr1-is-the-building-block-for-a-blue-nation
“Ham Radio Forms a Planet-Sized Space Weather Sensor Network” Not sure you’ve seen that already, very interesting read
(https://eos.org/features/ham-radio-forms-a-planet-sized-space-weather-sensor-network)
George,
I would like to get your longer term view on the Great Reset and Build Back Better which appears to be going right to plan just now. With the global elite agreed on the plan and, as I understand it, even China joining in the centralised digital SSD currency to replace Bitcoin, gold etc do you think global conflict will end? (When the Elite have us all under full control and they have the World to enjoy for themselves)
Thanks.
Paul S
Nah higher up than “red reptos/redshield”
– that would be the shriveled up, pale white kingu-repto Lord’s
IKE was coward – could never admit we Lost WW2 to Germans /why Forrestal was tossed out window in DC. Also – See Admiral Byrd & Fleet get its ass kicked in Antarctic – fled in fear. Hennebu, liquid mercury&iron dust filled disks/counter rotating..Space Nazi’s! its why we never went back to Moon..
Wow, sounds like you might be up to your backside in alligators with the weather that is coming your way! ” 8+ inches of snow forecast from Sunday-Wednesday. With near zero break pipes?” Simple answer: YES! Especially as it sounds like you have PVC piping. Suggestion: Make a premtive strike and drain your pipes before the weather hits. Turn off your well pump and make a quick fitting to go on a outside spigot with a male fitting that will quick connect to your compressor. Slightly open a inside faucet and just let the compressor run. Yeah I know it’s not a high pressure system but any moisture that can be evacuated is better than none.
Look at it as a trial run for things that may be coming our way down the line. Oh yeah, when you flush the hopper pour a large pan of really hot water in the bowl when you hit the lever. With those temps potentially coming might save some further grief! Might seem like a hassle to do this now but how much more of a hassle trying to repair broken pipes with a bum paw! Good Luck!
Around here, we just leave the water dripping or running slightly. Moving water will not freeze as easily as static water. The cost is minimal, unless the power fails and the well pump stops. With two recovering invalids, it’s not the time for test runs on anything if it can be avoided. George can’t afford to get any more physical injuries as Elaine needs him for physical as well as emotional support! I do hope there’s someone trustworthy nearby outside the family that can be called in case of a real crisis(other than 911).
In the Spring, it might make sense to replace freeze-prone parts of the plumbing system with PEX. It’s easy to work with and is largely freeze resistant, since it can flex and expand. Just make sure it’s out of the sun as it can’t take UV. I do hope there’s a lot of extra drinking water stored inside the warm parts of the house. At least there’s jugs of wine, and that won’t freeze!
I’m expecting the exact same weather forecast here along with lots of strong winds and some snow for most of next week. There’s one currently unheated area of the house that might be freeze prone and I’m watching that.
We can all thank God that Elaine’s surgery got scheduled and completed before this coming arctic blast! Best of healing to both of you!
leave under sink cabinet and bathroom vanity doors open to allow the heat to get in and warm the plumbing
Another option is a recirculating pump.. and heat tapes..
A friend always had issues with frozen pipes.. we put one similar to this on and set the timer for four times a day for five minutes..and we put heat tape on.. he has had a freeze up since .
https://www.amazon.com/Watts-500800-Instant-Recirculating-Install/dp/B000E78XHG
Hi George,
Good points about China. I work in the meat industry and Smithfield Foods is owned by a Chinese company called the WH Group.
I just saw on the news about a huge pileup near Fort Worth due to an ice storm. They said it was over 100 cars involved and unfortunately 6 people died.
Good luck with the weather and your recoveries!
Your situation is why close extended families can be so helpful. To have some extra help nearby when the family has some short term needs. It is important to have someone nearby we feel comfortable asking for help, and they feel the same way, where that relationship is not abused by clingers. That normally means family that you have a close relationship with. You have mentioned before about your son perhaps coming to homestead on your property. That would be best case. Secondarily might be useful to set up for an apprentice, that might want to live on the property to learn to operate their own homestead and learn from someone with as much experience as you. I can think of many young men or women that might was to get away from bad family situations but don’t think they have good options. Room and board, plus a portion of any additional income they can help create could be a powerful incentive.
As Chris Hedges so succinctly stated, “How well you do in what is coming directly depends on the importance you place on the welfare of your neighbor!”
I had a severe gout attack a couple years ago, put me on crutches. More than a dozen people came to the house the first two days once it leaked out into the community. 1.5 hits of really strong pot took my pain away 100%.
I use organic celery tea as a preventive. The leaves from w small stalks of organic celery in a liter of water, simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and refrigerate, take 1/2 cup every day or finish the liter in one week.
Haven’t had a touch of gout since. It is also a diuretic, keeps the blood pressure down and excess fluid out of the extremities.
OK is w stalks – 3 stocks of cel?
I am so upset. Everyone knows that Valentines day is one of the two holidays that I truly cherish….. my valentines theme this year was now and forever.. with the flower arrangement to have one live rose and a forever rose…
this is similar to what I bought… its not the same brand etc… so I don’t know if it is exactly what I bought.. and I won’t buy another because I don’t want to be disappointed..
https://theonlyroses.com/products/beauty-and-the-beast-glass-dome-regular-shaped
so I didn’t even open the box.. I kept it in the box until I got to the florist.. where I am well known for doing the unconventional.. seriously how many bud vases can you have.. the toilet bowl brush holder was one of the coolest.. LOL seen a beautiful scone.. had a foam block put in the center and flower arrangements and the one single rose around a pair of love birds.. a small fountain pump under the block.. babies breat and small flowers up the sides with lights and it became a water fall… really looked awesome.. and although threw the years the brush holder ended up being replaced.. everyone still talks about the toilet brush that was a waterfall… well I was going to do something really impressive with the forever rose..
we opened up the box.. what was inside wasn’t a real rose preserved.. it was a plastic thing.. pretty don’t get me wrong.. but nothing like what I had in mind and it cost a lot of money in my world.. and there isn’t enough time to make one myself.. she will still get the forever rose..I will make it myself.. but I am … disappointed I should have opened the box a month ago..
Making the forever rose isn’t very hard.. but it is time consuming and you would have to do it where the wife could see it.. and that is why I bought one..the jewelry store has preserved gold tipped roses.. but they are just gaudy.. and that is not what I have in mind.. put gaudy someplace else.. simple the one rose symbol
In 2016 FB accepted rubles as payment for ads that russia ran to get trump elected. Can someone explain how that promotes the “radical left agenda”? Maybe the agenda isn’t political but like GU always says …money.
Russian-linked operatives bought hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of advertisements across Twitter, Facebook and Google, and impersonated Americans online to spread divisive content and fake news to real voters across the country. Critics say that the companies significantly underestimated the threat and that their response lacked urgency when it was revealed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/google-facebook-twitter-russia-timeline-16-election-n816036
100% BS
No Proof, No Sources named..jus NBC & USnews – how convenient,no.
Run rabbit run.. hahahhahaha – U know/no way to out run it – in the end..
..its all U dims/dems/libs ever do – spew lies, pure unadulterated 3D- decievers
This is real simple stuff for any rational, reasonable, pragmatic adult. None of which you seem to be by reading your “comment”. Denial is a bad survival strategy son.
From Vol 2 of the republican lead senate intel committee report: “According to Committee analysis of materials provided by Facebook, almost all the advertisements were purchased with Russian rubles.”
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume2.pdf
George
China is paper dragon. Cannot sail more than1500 kilometers from their shores, they have been printing 3 times as much as we have since 2009. They are having food shortages, severe flooding all over the country,must import 80%of their coal for energy,same for Gasoline,same for gas fired generators. Must import 50% of food to feed themselves. None of their business stats are accurate. To stay in control you have to have jobs,loose jobs lose control.Replaced by another party official. Piss off those in power you get replaced. Need loans must get frfom state bank,must pay off local officials, state bank and Shadow bank too.. They are in deep trouble. May need a war to keep it together. India has kicked their butts 3 times in last year near the India/ China border,high mountains. India has troops who grew up in high mountains and cold. China none. They lost. When your army has multiple young men ALL only kids,you have a problem. China’s one child problem..
China is very vulnerable and may break up into 7 to 9 parts.
Its a power house because of the USA. It will fall.they cannot hold,make same mistake through out their history.
Prayers of healing for E and you. Daily.
Are increasingly progressive Americans support going into a regional conflict or all out war over Taiwan?
I personally believe Kim (or his sister) will start some trouble in the region, which will trigger massive massive Chinese military and economic support, with Korea serving as a distraction for naval movements into the S. China Sea, Sea of Japan and ultimately against Taiwan.
We know China has deployed a drone swarm in and around the Malacca Strait. Fishermen have snagged several of them around Malaysia & Indonesia. I’d expect the same types of vessels to appear in other SW Pacific naval theaters. I’m not certain the U.S. and our allies are prepared for the type of cyber and drone warfare China is capable of unleashing should hostilities erupt.
I know all of it has been game-planned out but if just one of our ships are sunk what do you think will happen to the Chinese mainland? I’d assume there’d be nothing left of any kind of military apparatus. There’s a lot of people over there but there aren’t enough to throw themselves on top of these sites to shield them from attack. I think you’ve pointed out (or someone did) some time back that Russia’s forces really aren’t that formidable given the antiquated nature of their visible forces. Do you think they could be persuaded to stand down?
“if just one of our ships are sunk what do you think will happen to the Chinese mainland? ”
God this is going to sound like some sort of conspiracy theory .. but it isn’t meant to be its just how I interpret the crap going on in the news that everyone is hearing you can answer the who what when where and why questions by looking at what is in the news….. my opinion on What I think on what would be done.. … …NOT A DAM THING BILL…These guys in control are not stupid.. Unless of course you wanted to use that as a diversionary tale to draw the attention of the people away from the economic status…
A few thoughts…
Lifelog (DARPA) shut down same day as ZUCK incorporated Facebook….NOT unrelated! So if you think Zuck is in control or a genius you have simply not been looking at facts. The same can be found out about Twatter and 23andme and others….
Yes – many people need more stuff. However, if the current crop of bought elites keep disenfranchising the middle class – there will be even fewer with homes or cars to live in. No house, no car = no needs for stuff. IMO, the final push by the Great Reset folks will be food, because it works really fast. Plan accordingly…
I think the best plan is to ignore anyone that is not at your door, armed. The people pushing this want COMPLIANCE – that is all they want, because they personally have more stuff than they know what to do with. Their “middlemen” are the ones who have decided their best plan is compliance at OUR expense. So make it expensive.
I do believe that ROME, in her final years, was very similar. Their Senate went nuts, passed laws nobody obeyed, tried to get squads to force compliance but their money was worthless. The big difference now is that guns make the goon squads highly vulnerable compared to arrows and swords.
The current farcical shitshow by Congress is so far from reality that IMO there is ZERO legitimacy in anything they profess. Old Joe’s decrees are even funnier…
150 million men in the country are going to bend over for 50,000 random alphabet agency ‘soldiers’? Really?
It’s a shitshow – best to just watch occasionally when you are not doing things that benefit you or your fam and friends…
Good perspective. I’m not paying any attention to the idiocy in the senate this week. They’re not worth my time, and I do have family affairs to help out with this week. That’s important!
Happy Year of the Cow, or Ox as we Americans call it. I’m glad to be done with the year of the Mouse/Rat, as it was a critical year for me. It was also a terribly sad year in recent American/world history. This year will be most challenging as the communists try to secure their tenuous grip on “power”. So far, I see very little evidence that anyone is paying attention to them. To quote Eric Cartman: “I do what I want!”.
We got an Anal Swap covert19 test for U and Ures – buddy.
The next play is obvious to anyone who remembers Clinton.
The FBI drama shows, all of them, have had nothing but white supremacist nationalist bad guys for 4 years now. The brain washing is done. Time to go to phase 2.
There will be a Waco standoff like situation, or like the national forest standoff in Oregon. Doesn’t matter if it ends peacefully or in a bloodbath with tanks and flame throwers. It will last for 2 months.
Then there will be a response, probably April of 2022. Think OKC. This will be an obvious FBI setup like literally all the other domestic terror cases that have ever been “caught”. The public doesn’t know, they believe the tv shows, remember?
Wave after successive wave of media panic, new TV show ideas, and the monetization extends over the horizon. Sooner or later a wag the dog war will take center stage.
I say all this because nothing is new under the sun. They don’t need to be creative. And it’s engineered, so what works works. And please, these are not conspiracies, I’m only repeating known facts from history, wide open truths especially the involvement of the FBI in domestic terror plots.
Don’t forget Las Vegas country music fest – at same time & place MBS was videoed in..in plain clothes – no robes, head towel..
Not so sure regards timeline..too long.
“Masters of the Game”/We are down to the last 2-3 moves for both sides – check?
All possible “moves” are known at this point – its is the timing&reactions – there r still multiple outcomes…
Pfffffftt!! Whut!? I’d LIKE to know just WHAT YOU, of all people, consider a CONSPIRACY?? You’ve just regurgitated every plot carried out against our country from within resulting in squashed, burned, mangled and shot-up body counts from Waco to 3,000+ people ground up in the Twin Towers and blown up at the Pentagon. Can talking out of both sides of your mouth get any better outside of the floor of Congress?
You wrote:
“Fact is, and a point often repeated here – we need some innovation in Congress. Bring back something like the Civilian Conservation Corps, or the Works Progress Administration.”
Well, George, it ain’t gonna happen.
I am so tired of listening to prognostications and solutions that simply cannot be implemented in the toxic culture of the USA. I have been listening to this crap for twelve years, and not a single bit if it has come about and if examined honestly and logically when presented it was obvious it was BS.
As one commenter so succinctly said to an article about this, “You know exactly what to do, but you don’t even have the courage to type it into your comment!”
Civilization ends when bad things do not happen to bad people!—EcuadorExpat
George, we live in a factory home and there’s a crawl space under it. About 21/2 feet clearance. Previous owners had freezing problems, so I bought a farmers type heat lamp like we used to use to keep the little pigs from freezing. Have it mounted so it’s not near anything flammable, and pointed at the concrete floor. But the key is, I purchased an indoor/outdoor thermometer, one sensor under the house, the other in the living room. Very seldom have to turn on the light, and I can immediately know when I need to, and when I can turn it off. Works for me, could work for you, or some others trying to live out here in the outback!
Using “innovation & congress” in the same sentence does not compute.
George,
When I worked in KDOC clinics, the doctors were ordering Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) 600 mg capsules instead of gabapentin/Neurontin 600 mg. Gabapentin is great for both psychiatric issues (Depression, Mania and Anxiety), siezures and diabetic/idiopathic neuropathy – pain. I take it once a day for foot pain from plantar fasciitis – and I can tell when I decided to go “pill free” for a day. The studies that I have read showed several side effects for gabapentin, fewer for alpha lipoic acid with no food interactions for ALA.
Because both can have some anti-inflammatory properties, might work on the gout. (Although allopurinol or colchicine, and limiting intake of purine producing foods works faster, or so I learned in nursing school.) ALA can lower blood sugar and may cause nausea, so take it with food. People with cancer should avoid it because it may decrease the effectiveness of chemotherapy meds.
Here’s one opinion: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30114983/
And one geared toward using ALA for gout pain: http://www.goutdiet.org/alpha-lipoic-acid-gout-relief-prevention.php
600 mg capsules are available from GNC and Puritans Pride. I like PP’s better.
YMMV
Tamarah
Ahooooogaaaa Dive Dive Dive.
Down bubble Chief – dont be too long.
This market going into 3 day weekend what wit Presidents day on Monday the15th.
Coots charts, data, gut are saying hedge.
SPY Mar 300 puts, SPY Feb 380 puts, QQQ Feb 325 Puts – feelz like a pullback is in the cards soonly.
Record unemployment, Record Business Bankruptcies, Record # Zombie Companies, Streets & businesses CLOSED, closing for good, Record number Children NOT in classrooms, Record # Mental Health Emergencies, Incredible/record Levels of Sovereign Debt , Record cold temps pending/Nat Gas? -Having Never,ever been able to Ignite Inflation, the fed wants U to believe that this time is different..
Coot will see IT, when he believes it..in the meantime I’ma Seller.
George, my mother was a nurse back in the day before computers and cell phones. People always came to her for home remedies and the one the she swore on was real cherry juice for gout. Have to find the real stuff not the sweetened kind with corn syrup. Over the years I watched all of our friends,neighbors and family use cherry juice to treat gout. It worked every time ,apparently it flushes the uric acid out of your joints , which is what causes the pain. Once you start taking the juice it only takes a day or two to work. My mother even had the doctors she worked with ,recommending it to their patients .good luck.
We were forced to bailout GM.
One of the taglines was “to protect the supply chain”.
GM sent part makers overseas.
Now GM won’t be able to build cars because, well, the supply chain is gone.
Seems like we’ll be getting a “re-shore tab”.
Adventures in dentures. Ha ha. I love it.
I was talking to the big bearded dude in the clouds this morning George and I said is there anything we can do about this potential zombie appocolyps” floating out there in the Abstract Unfolding potential. He actually said to me, change it. I said I don’t obviously don’t have the power to do that. I feel it all when I see it like I’m there. It super hard on me. I have tried and tried to change stuff.
He said don’t do It alone. Use it or loose it. Then he laughed. I said what. He said this life 101 Andy. What is the first word? I said when. He said no. The first word is We. Ya the Term God is a plural. God is a We. We the Gods and We the People and We the plants and we the cats. All singlarities are we fractls encompassed as “we”. Magnetically and in every other way. Even time is past, present and future. Or we as time.
I got an award last night from a group a “fellowship” of sorts for my service work and it’s always weird when other people call ya a genius who walks the razors edge between brilliance and insantiy.
I don’t think I’m really that big a deal. Alot of other people helped me be the man I am. So yeah, life 101 is now in session.
The first word is We. We can change the world. Why not try.
Andy
Hey George,
I saw this posted on WallStreetBets this morning and thought you might want to see if this is something to add to your chart pack????
https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/li5vch/i_think_i_found_a_way_to_predict_dips_with_nasdaq/
Excerpt Below…
I Think I Found A Way To Predict Dips with NASDAQ PSX and FINRA Volume, Or Maybe I Really Am Autistic
OCDD
Last night I looked into SNDL and started comparing activities across the various markets that I could find, two for NASDAQ and FINRA’s off-exchanges volumes. I sort of expected the relative volumes to be comparable in ratio, but they’re not.
No, in fact there is some SERIOUS delay in tracking when markets start to swell up in short volume. If you look at Figure 1 you can see that they don’t really seem to follow each other at all most of the time.
Except, when the different market volumes DO start to overlap and follow each other, THAT is when we see the larger dips in stock prices for those days!
Old school gout treatment direct from former German field medic. Well he actually was doctor for a county in eastern Montana when I lived there back in the 70’s. Former Father in law went in to see Dr. Hoff for gout of his big toe. Doc took one look at the red, swollen joint, turned around to his workbench, turned back around, grabbed said FIL big toe with one humongous fist, jabbed the joint with big syringe needle and pushed the contents while FIL screamed on the table writhing with shock and pain. Finally, after catching his breath and getting past the colorful language, he asked the Doc what was in that thing. Doc said Vitamin C and by tomorrow you will feel no pain in that toe. Worked like a charm! I cannot vouch for medical knowledge – just the storyteller!
LOL I actually had that done Connie.. and it works…
All the best to Elaine in her recovery and you be careful out there in the boonies Mr. Ure!!!!
BTW you really might want to consider swapping out your Medicare Advantage plan next enrollment. I’ve dealt with UHC and their favorite word is “NO” when it comes to approvals….the plan my wife & I are on here in SoCal is “Healthnet Gold” and it’s marvelous. No bullshit and most everything is covered with almost zero out of pocket. A few drugs have copays as does the Chiropractor but that’s only $10 a visit. No, I’m not an agent, but I think it’s the best plan.
“Low temps of 5 down to zero in the forecast for Monday. Likely power will go out…
8+ inches of snow forecast from Sunday-Wednesday. Will near zero break pipes?”
George: The BIG risk will be broken tension lines.
It is utterly amazing, how much high-tension wire shrinks when temps drop. In da Nort’ we put loops in the wires between towers and still sometimes lose them. BE ADVISED: If’fn the crap starts at near-freezing, and the initial salvo starts as rain, with that kind of snow and temperature drop your area WILL lose medium tension runs and HT transmission wires, blow transformers, and could be without power for weeks. It shouldn’t be a big deal for a prepper, but be advised, your neighbors, especially those close to towns, are going to get a lesson in frontier American life. I hope they’re prepared…
“Near zero” will rupture metal piping, if that temp holds for more than about 16-18hrs for copper, and a couple days for steel — shouldn’t break PVC or CPVC but might crack fittings. Dunno about polypro or PEX. The big things WRT this that don’t occur to you warm-weather flyers is uncharged/undercharged batteries will freeze and die, and water-cooled vehicles with water, or insufficient anti-freeze in their cooling system will freeze — radiators will freeze and burst, engine blocks will freeze and crack. (NOW is a good time to buy a hygrometer for radiator fluid testing!) If you have tubular fenceposts without caps, they will freeze and split, unsealed concrete will freeze and check below-surface (you won’t see the damage for 3-4 years), and if you have a “naturally-heated” greenhouse with drip or mist irrigation, the spray-heads will freeze and crack or shatter. Any open or water-filled glass or pottery container that’s outside will crack or shatter, as will any PVC-ish polymer container (they become so brittle that the vibration from a passing car or airplane can shatter them.) There’s thousands of things that “zero” can affect. I’ve mentioned just a few.
Your PV array should be fine, but you may need to make multiple trips to brush the panels off. A commercial “floor broom” works best, and speaking of, the basic O’Cedar or Libman nylon broom makes a very efficient tool for de-snowifying your car.
For shovels, the absolute best show shovel ever made is the spring steel Yo-Ho ( https://yo-ho.com/spring-steel-snow-shovel-with-square-handle/ ). Either Ace or True-Value hardware stores can special-order this Yeoman shovel. {BTW LOOB, military issue and made in USA} EVERY review I’ve read rarely lists any steel shovel — they’re nearly all plastic, with a smattering of aluminum shovels. It is obvious that none of the writers have ever shoveled snow, more than a linear foot or two at a time.
As someone who’s shoveled hundreds of tons of show in my lifetime, I guarandamtee they are all junk, unless you are shoveling a dusting of dry powder. The “heaviness” of the steel shovel allows the shovel to do the work and despite the extra weight of the shovel, makes the job both easier and much faster. With that said, please don’t buy ANY snow shovel unless you don’t think the Southern snows are an outlier. A square-bottom garden spade or aluminum coal shovel should be sufficient for a “once-in-a-decade” snowfall…
If you get ice with your snow (“wintry mix”), DON’T shovel it until the temperature drops. Ice on top of snow is much easier to remove than ice on either the ground, or under snow (goes for windshields, too.) If your car is parked outside and you get rain or sleet, your car door locks may freeze, and your doors may freeze shut. I use a mini butane torch to heat a key, to melt the ice in the door lock (NEVER heat the lock directly! You’ll burn the paint off your car before you thaw the lock.) For keyless entry vehicles, a tent and heater is the only fix for a frozen lock — good luck! A light coat of Vaseline or silicone grease on door gaskets may make a mess, but will keep doors from freezing shut.
When temps go below about 10°, turn the water in your house on, let it trickle or stream lightly at the faucet that’s farthest from your water inlet, on any plumbing run that’s near an outer wall at any point, unless the plumbing runs through a heated basement or crawl-space. Prime and fill a heater as a “just in-case” (we’uns use “salamanders” — forced-air kerosene heaters) and devise a means of using it without setting your house on fire. Few things suck as much as putting an immersion heater in a bathtub full of cold, dirty water, to enable one’s family to bathe (ask me how I know…)
Your forecast is the same as mine, except we’re expecting 13-16″ and -10°. The difference is, this is typical for my area. Note the scare-porners in the weather world have already dropped the “40 degrees below average” meme for the pending weather. That is exactly correct and completely useless. As a for instance: The AVERAGE temperature in International Falls, Minnesota is around +10°F for February, but the NORMAL nighttime temperature ranges from -18 to -45 (currently -38°F, BTW.) {sigh} EBM…
Also remember, Fahrenheit based his scale on the temperature at which saturated salt water would freeze — IOW salt won’t touch ice if the temps are below zero… use sand instead.
I decided yesterday to write the ultimate “cold weather driving primer.” I will send you the “Cliff’s Notes” version when it’s writ.
Be safe…
“Low temps of 5 down to zero”
Dam its twenty below right now… suppose to warm up to ten below in a few days…tomorrow and monday it is still suppose to be in the minus twenty range with a high of minus one or two…
what gets me is a few years ago when I seen the grandkid out.. scooping snow.. in a blizzard high winds and negative fifty.. he had on a sweatshirt.. a stocking hat gloves mask.. shorts and barfoot and flip flops while I was in full arctic gear.. I was visiting with one of the contestants on Naked and afraid at the time on the phone about the weather she was stuck in her car .. and started to laugh and I told her.. well naked and afraid is one thing but I am looking at naked and stupid right here in front of me and its one of my own. we still visit once in a while.. told her how to make old fashioned apple jack.. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL I still can’t get that kid to wear a coat.. he will wise up as he ages..
Hey, be nice — they’re Southerners and make better BBQ than we do…
Once I’ve had my first dose of cold* for the season, I’m no longer “bone-cold.” Until that time, I f*kin’ freeze every day.
* A “dose of cold” is a cold snap which goes below -12°F and stays there for two days or longer.
Checking the antifreeze in my tractor is on the menu for today. My intent was to cut some deadfall yesterday and drag it up to the house where I can process it for the woodstove if the electricity goes down for an extended outage. The main chain saw, which has never required more than four pulls to fire, wouldn’t start. I buggered the throttle trying to troubleshoot. I cut my losses and took it in for service, and bought a new easy-start as a back-up this morning. I need to get some of the old dogs serviced for the spring l)windstorm season.
I pulled the insulated boots out of the closet yesterday. The soles delaminated and pulled off in my hand. WTF. I still have those Canadian pac boots I bought on sale in a box by the back door. Except, they weren’t there. I have no idea where I squirreled those boots away. I hope Amazon delivers on time. Until then, I did find the heavy wool socks.
$400 lesson – start preps sooner.