OSINT Friday: Jobs & Growth, Nuke Power Play, Odessa

We can frame today’s report this way:

“Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is an intelligence that is
produced from publicly available information and is collected,
exploited, and disseminated in a timely manner to an appropriate
audience for the purpose of addressing a specific intelligence
requirement.”

Although Life under Joe (Biden, not Stalin, at least not yet) seems superficially acceptable in “the war” so far, collapse mode this summer (and beyond) is coming into focus.

Losing Ukraine, Nuke Gambit

The severe Russian shelling of a nuclear power station in Ukraine, a subsequent fire, and then the plant’s Russian occupation, reveals much about media lies, western agendas, and what’s ahead for Taiwan.

From the top: State Emergency Service: Fire at Zaporizhzhia NPP extinguished, no casualties reported (ukrinform.net).

Unfortunately, there are multiple critical issues in play on the war front that seem likely to inconvenience America as much – and possibly more – than Russia:

  • First, Ukraine and NATO are likely lying about casualty figures.  This suspicion is advanced due to the release – claiming as news – file pictures and footage. Much of it months and years old.
  • Second: Sanctions of Russian energy and much touted release of strategic reservice are not likely to stop the pain coming our way within 90- days as refinery feed stocks begin to decline: See the US Energy Information Administration’s data:

  • Third: Conflict will drive global food demand. What’s more, Ukraine’s war will no doubt result in reduced agricultural production in 2022.  We’d suggest a snip and save of their baseline ag production data for 2021:

– Wheat – harvested 7.1 million hectares (ha), resulting in approximately 32.7 million metric tons (MMT) of grain;
– Barley – under 2.5 million ha, resulting in approximately 9.6 MMT of grain;
– Rye – approximately 172,000 ha, resulting in slightly over 600,000 MT of grain;
– Corn – harvested slightly under 5 million ha, resulting in almost 40 MMT of grain, which is a record for Ukraine.

We don’t think this last will repeat this year.

  • Both sides have mis-assessed and mis-reported events:  On the western side, the impact of sanctions on Russia has been moderate (at best) and knock-on effects may be expected in North America.  While propaganda offices wish it weren’t so, the Russian nuke plant takeover was a precision operation; only a training building was burned.  This gives Russia control of about 25 percent of Ukraine’s nuclear power. Western narratives about Russia’s military deviate from reported outcomes.
  • Expect U.S. Stockholder Losses to Mount.  Already, we see how Russian Tech Giant Yandex Says Might Default.  Take a Russian company off the digital stock market and its implosion sounds good only to the naive.  The action not only screws U.S. investors in Yandex, but also passes on losses to Americans with managed money which may have money in Yandex.
  • Odessa in play this weekend.  We’ve mentioned how key this is not only for Ukraine internal politics, but also port value: Odessa: Ukraine could suffer ‘massive strategic blow’ if Russia seizes vital southern port city, says general.  My consigliere is worried this could be a Grozny-level wipeout.  He’s not the only one worried – What Putin’s destruction of Grozny in 1999 means for Ukraine now | On Point (wbur.org).

The obvious – to all sides – has gotten totally lost in the Fog of War mindset.  As chest-thumping idiots proclaim solidarity (with one side, or the other) – we seem to be a silent majority able to grok that in a highly inter-connected world, war makes losers out of EVERYONE.  It’s what linkages does, fool.  No more Detroit iron for the Oli’s, eh? Russian-language software?  Poof.  In case you needed more evidence of U.S. delusional thinking on this, we noted earlier this week how U.S. Expects Chinese Tech Firms to Help Choke Off Russia Chips Supply – Bloomberg.  You bet they will, lol.  Sure, uh-huh, You Betcha!

Gone-wan?

Meanwhile, the drive toward global war presses on the Western front, as well.  See where In unofficial capacity, (Mike) Pompeo urges US to recognize Taiwan – The Washington Post?

We continue watching closely to see how much time China will let elapse before they simply go in and take-back the island of Formosa.

Western happy talk will, as usual, we’re afraid, let to more flat-footedness from the Sliden administration.  Because they only hear what they want to hear and that includes China will only take military action against Taiwan when victory is guaranteed: Former Australia PM. Not sure which planet he’s on…

Biden’s Missed Opportunity

Executive overreach is a dangerous thing.  Especially when married to executive under-think – a result of farming out real decision-making to junior ideologues in the OBiden administration.

Specifically, we see a number of ways that America’s Future could be modified in productive ways:

55 – Alive and Thrive

Solve oil, greenhouse gases, and Russian shortfalls, anyone?

  • Immediately Reduce speed limits to 55 MPH.

Lower speed limits worked before. According to the Government Accountability Office back in 2008:

High fuel prices have focused attention on conservation. Congress previously used a national speed limit as an approach to conserve fuel when, in 1974, it provided for a national 55 mile per hour (mph) speed limit to reduce gasoline consumption in response to the 1973 Arab oil embargo. The law prohibited federal funding of certain highway projects in any state with a maximum speed limit in excess of 55 mph. In 1987, Congress allowed states to raise the maximum speed limit to 65 mph on rural interstate routes. In 1995, the 55 mph speed limit was repealed. Since then, states have been free to set speed limits without the loss of federal highway funds.”

The policy box the administration finds itself in is that initial implementation of lower speed limits will damage the (self-inflicted) supply chain disaster (esp. California).

As we figure it, announcing a 90-to-180-day phase-in of 55 MPH (accompanied by truck driver accommodations in regulations) could offset both global warming as well as supply side issues.

As we figure it, returning to 55 MPH would:

  • Reduce the death toll from motor vehicle accidents (MVAs).
  • Allow reduction of front impact requirements which would decrease vehicle weight, improving fleet economy.
  • Exempt new vehicles with less than 50-horsepower (1,200 pounds max and under) from certain safety requirements.  (Think of this as George’s “four-wheeled -go-ped” regulation.  Regulated top speed of 55 MPH (with governor) and exempted from 5 MPH bumpers.
  • Result in some benefit to hotels, motels, and eateries as road travel becomes less manic.
  • Defuse the Road Rage epidemic.  According to one report “In 2006, only 80 fatal crashes were related to road rage. In 2015, the number of road rage-related fatal car accidents was up to 467, up 500% in just 9 years.”
  • Provide for a modest increase in demand for new trucks.  This is because at a slower speed, 73.3 percent of previous cargo would be moved (75 MPH vs. 55 MPH).

Gasoline consumption increases about 1 percent mile of per hour over 55.  Going from 55 to 65 increases fuel consumption up to 10 percent and again from 65 to 75 pops it up another 10 percent.

Tax Deduction for Home Ag, Manufacturing

Auditable and with receipts:

  • Home Food Act:  Grant a 50% tax deduction up to $500 for home food gardening expenses.
    • Better quality nutrition.
    • Less fuel demand to move food.
    • Begins to re-diversify excessively concentrated corporate control of food.
  • America Prepared Act:  Another 50% tax deduction for certain classes of home/hobbyist/maker machinery, up to $250.  This would increase public understanding and spur development of endpoint based mini-manufacturing.  (Part of our prepping has been preparing a library of locally printed goods along with stocks of both filament and copper-clad PCB boards to CNC route.
  • The America Chill Act.  Legalized marijuana federal  Because it helps to slow people down a bit and frankly, the whole world is far too manic for relaxed, deeper thinking, unless like us you flee to the woods.  Paid for with a modest tax (like we all pay on homemade spirits, right?  Wink-wink…).  The tax money would fund an amnesty and retraining program for existing marijuana-only offenders.

Not to pick on Slow Joe, here.  But he COULD – if he’d ever held a real job like other people do – see some obvious ways forward.

These modest ideas (this really should have been a Peoplenomics report) should convince you that we are our own worst enemies as a Country.

There are clear actions that any administration could embrace.  They would combine to reduce climate impacts, increase food resilience, neuter Russia’s oil-garchs, and spur new development while slowing down a bit to “smell the roses.”

America can find its own way.  We don’t need self-righteous, arrogant leadership provided by a Leech Class that can’t even balance the books with 148.3 million contributing taxpayers kicking in to help.  On top of tariffs, fees, surcharged and things like the Fool Use Tax…

Instead, let’s now see how we’re REALLY doing with today’s…

Jobs Report – OSD

(Open Source Data)

Here we go, kiddies:

“In February, the unemployment rate edged down to 3.8 percent, and the number of unemployed persons edged down to 6.3 million. In February 2020, prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, and the number of unemployed
persons was 5.7 million.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (3.5 percent) and Hispanics (4.4 percent) declined in February. The jobless rates for adult women (3.6 percent), teenagers (10.3 percent), Whites (3.3 percent), Blacks (6.6 percent), and Asians (3.1 percent) showed little or no change over the month.”

Before you get all excited (yes, it’s a good report), some checks are in order.

For example, in the CES Birth-Death Rate model, estimated jobs accounted for only 156,000 of the newly minted jobs.

On the other hand, we are now only 2 1/2-years of no growth in jobs. How much of that is from open borders and how much from “estimations” can be debated.  So let’s stick to the data:

Zero jobs growth can be blamed on Covid, of course.  Or because in a mania, when the fever breaks, a pullback is only natural.  Which is how the balance of year will likely roll as we get into summer and face whatever facts come from there.

Keep an eye on Drought Maps, though:

Best investments we can think of going forward?  Robust water and food sources.  A great deal of which you can do something about, right at home.

ATR:  Busy as Hell

My plans to reduce the workload a bit by reducing writing has been dashed on the rocks of Reality again.  But next week, yeah…you just wait.

Peoplenomics charts will be especially interesting this weekend.  That’s when we recalibrate that US vs. Rest of World chart.  Don’t look now, but after some morning hype, the U.S. seems likely to be weighed down by 3% losses in Europe.  We’re trying to console ourselves with a 1.7% overnight gain and wondering how much to take next…

Speaking of OCD (obsessive-compulsive day trading) – keep an eye on the SEC which is moving to speed up transaction settlement from T+2 days for stocks to T+1 day.  Eventually, it will become indistinguishable from a casino, lol.

G2 is off on one of his “secret missions” but not before getting his EMS-300 certification this weekend.  He’ll pull EMS-400 in April.  It promises to be a walk because he’s “played all positions” in the past two-years on forest fires and as a Covid warrior.  Don’t know if I mentioned it, but he’s now on a volunteer fire department board.

Most of today will be spent on the gardening projects:  A 4 by 8 raised bed garden is in the works.  Will try to get pictures for a ShopTalk Sunday article.

The balance of the Veggie Grow room (45 patches of square foot gardening with much trellising planned) will go in today. Other notes on ShopTalk Sunday.

Write when you get rich,

George@Ure.net

114 thoughts on “OSINT Friday: Jobs & Growth, Nuke Power Play, Odessa”

  1. Hal Turner Radio said yesterday that Russia is going to back it’s currency with gold. Anyone else here about this?

  2. WHEAT

    Found this a couple days ago.

    https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/grains-us-wheat-hits-14-year-peak-on-black-sea-supply-concerns-0

    Not everyone reads Reuters, nor can they understand it but, Kristen Waters over on Twitter puts it in layman’s terms …

    “Bread and cereal could soon become “luxury items” as the world braces for the “largest wheat shortage” in history

    The price of wheat swelled to $10.28 on Tuesday, marking the highest price per bushel since 2014. Today, some economists are concerned that the global economy could soon face the largest wheat shortage in history due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
    More than 29% of the world’s wheat supply comes from Russia and Ukraine. Currently, the Black Sea ports in Ukraine that are used to ship wheat and other agricultural goods to the United States and other parts of the world are closed. No one knows when or if they will reopen.

    With the current economic sanctions that have been placed on Russia and the strained geopolitical environment with the United States, it’s safe to say that wheat supplies from Russia have come to a halt as well. Many shipping companies have already stopped accepting orders or deliveries from or to Russia.
    The effects of the impending shortage are already starting to be felt around the world. In the United Kingdom, the price for a loaf of bread has already gone up 20pc in anticipation of the global wheat shortage. It will likely continue to rise the longer international political and military conflicts go on.
    Egypt is now facing a food security crisis as its economy relies on countries like Russia to provide enough wheat and grain to meet the demands of their people. In the United States, the wheat crop in Oklahoma is facing issues due to droughts and lack of rain. As a result, crop predictions for wheat in the US this year are looking “pretty dismal.”
    Soon, we may have to add bread, pasta, and cereal to the long list of products facing shortages or missing altogether from grocery store shelves this year.”

    *****

    If someone doesn’t understand that, the term, “we’re f*ucked” pretty much sums it up.

    • Ya the world is going gluten free.

      Wheat being a gluten source. I don’t know if we are all Fucked. That is above my pay grade. I mean I like a good fuck. It depends on the context of the word, I spose Bob.

      I mean Bob, my office permeates the smell or sage. People can smell it from the street. People comment about it all the time. I don’t know why that is. It just smells like sage.

      If you read some transcripts of The Cloud upon the Sanctuary by Karl, written 1888, it mentions two things to note: Germs and Gluten. Which were not discovered until later.

      But they burned Karl at the Steak for Heresy against the Church for uhm uhh being a head of his time.

      When I see our US government officials on MSM calling for the assassination of a heads of other countries aka Putin.

      At the same time I see so many posts on Facebook about people having heart issues after getting the jab? After the United States invaded Iraq and Afghanistan and occupied them for 20 years on the premises of WMD which were never found, and as soon as we pulled out the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan I think… hmmmmm….. those sure are some beautiful trees outside my office.

      Ya that Thunder Video is weird as f. If you watch it. I’m more about the lyrics.

      “You say you’re basic, you say you’re easy, you’re always riding in the back seat, now I’m smiling from the stage, and your clapping from the nose bleeds”

      Love that.

      Go grow something Bob. Plant a flower or something. I mean it’s not like Dream George had a whole back where I told him to tell his “expert” who has lennon glasses on to get bent. We are not going to be sitting around the bonfire singing kumbya anytime soon.

      Communism is a failed business model. The world needs a sacrifice. A bad guy. Why not putin. They don’t want a war with us. If Russia was turning Mexico into a state? We would put a stop to that shit asap if russia did that. Why do we think Russia is the bad guys when The EU was turning the Ukraine into a state, right in their back yard. Ahh the hypocrisy and Big Pharma’s valiant attempt at keeping the masses distracted from the FACT! mrna jab actually begins to alter your DNA, 6 hours after dose. Spare no expense.

      All theater.

      I have an empire to build. I’m all about it.

      • Andy, that’s one of the best reads I ever read, thank you for writing it to me. Appreciate that.

        I’m an outdoors kind of person too. Love watching nature just do it’s thing, while humans create their own chaos. Like a two sided coin that has very different sides.

        Gluten free? That was my thoughts but I didn’t have the heart to mention it. :)

        May the angels keep your safe burning and may your rages always be hot, in a good way.
        Amen, to the Empire.

        Peace, Brother.

    • You beat me to it! That is exactly what I thought of when I read that. Back in the day I had a t shirt with “I Can’t Drive 55”. I sure hope we don’t go back to that again.

      • “I remember that “55 speed limit” bullshit you’ve shoveling George.”

        It depends.. when the price of fuel goes sky high.. Hummer sales dropped.. I was in looking for a prius.. before they had the plug ins.. the salesman looked at me and said.. you would look good in a hummer.. I said sure would.. my big question is .. where is the hitch.. he said on the back.. I said no on the front.. and he said why would you need a hitch on the front.. well hell I need a place to hook up the team of horses.. I sure can’t afford the gas for this pig..
        then a year ago.. they had a four year old Bently sweet.. god it was nice.. twenty four thousand actual miles on it.. needed a brake job..
        it had all the perks to.. and the actual sticker.. the guy paid two hundred and sixty seven thousand and change..
        we took that sweet thing for a test drive to Walmart.. dam nice.. the salesman said.. offer me fifteen grand and it is yours.. I said why fifteen.. well they want to get the cost of the brake job out of it.. It was tempting.. but then it would have to be parked outside on the road.. we need the wifes car.. that one would have been just to show off.. at three miles to a gallon I couldn’t afford to drive it to walmart.. the cost would be a tank of gas.. affordability.. and with the cost of fuel jumping a buck a gallon and the owner of the station telling me he was told to expect it to skyrocket.. which would you rather have.. double nickle speed limit to conserve money and fuel..
        https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7181566
        there is a reason why they push caddies and bentleys off on some young single mom.. no one that can afford to show off wants a used car.. it just doesn’t say hey I am special.. and the cost of fuel and repairs is beyond a wage earners ability to pay.. so those cars usually are the cheapest on the lot.. friend bought a mercedes nice car.. I bought a chevy chevette.. I paid more for the used chevette than he did for the mercedes.. the first time It needed something.. it ended up in the shelter belt.. I drove the chevette till I had almost a half million miles on it..

    • 55 MPH speed limit is actually brilliant in its simplicity G. City and county coffers here in so cal would benefit big time as there is no shortage here of the Parnelli Jones type with there 500+HP corvettes, mustangs, challengers and foreign super cars. These guys won’t mind paying $300 for speeding ticket a couple times a week, they definitely have money to burn. That settles it.
      George Ure for president!!!

  3. George, allow me to compliment you on two perfectly reasonable suggestions for public policy.
    55MPH Speed limits on the highways worked once, though I do remember your buddies in TX with bumper stickers something like “Drive 90, Freeze a Yankee”, so your local sales of this idea might find some resistance.
    $ 500 tax reduction for front yard gardens would be great. But who do you envision providing this benefit? Fed? State? Local? More devil in the details questions.

  4. The ghost of road nazi Jill Claybrook rears it’s ugly head. Limit speeds to 55 to stop road rage and save gas ….you say? What codswallop is this? Sorry George, you are off in a ditch on this one.

    • Hmmm…. a kid loves to spin on a swivel chair.. the sense of speed makes him think he is moving faster.. when in reality he is only spinning on a swivel chair and not gaining any ground.. if I was making a trip across country.. I would probably not go any faster than I normally drive.. but would see the sense in considering the speed since time is an element.. being in a hurry doesn’t gain you a thing in reality.. just gives a person more anxiety..
      https://youtu.be/Md6k-c05V5A

      • Yes, and a lot of drivers, seeing the red traffic light ahead, don’t decelerate, they go fast, and stop at the last second…

        That “hurry up and wait” style of driving never made sense to me, but it’s certainly very popular.

      • “Yes, and a lot of drivers, seeing the red traffic light ahead, don’t decelerate, they go fast, and stop at the last second…”

        They only do that because they’ve never driven in snow country… ;-)

    • I have to agree. You under estimate both the affect on supply chain and the frustration of not getting to where you are going. Druve from Fort Worth to El Passo some time and stay at 55.

      • “Drive from Fort Worth to El Passo some time and stay at 55.”

        The longer the distance with a perishable load the greater the savings.. going from point a to point b in just a short distance.. just doesn’t pay off a minute is a minute..but a minute isn’t going to save you any money unless it is with a life saving medical service..As a general travel well the rate of return is greatly reduced and the cost variable of the trip increases beyond the return received.. many places still use trains.. and public transportation..

    • JAC: When G2 gets G1 out of ditch unharmed I hope he relays the definition of codswallop= nonsense. Almost 72 on the odometer and I had to look that one up! Cheers!

  5. George,

    Don’t count on the O’Biden administration to do anything even remotely resembling a rational approach to our current state of affairs. Whomever is the “real” puppet master is, they have had a plan from the beginning to do whatever is necessary to destroy the United States and install the “New World Order”.

    As for “Slow Joe”, he has a problem deciding which flavor ice cream to have next. The man is incapable of making the decisions necessary to run his own life, let alone the entire country. Good example is his energy plan.

    The “green energy” crowd does not have a clue about life in the real world. Read an article not to long ago about the so-called clean electric vehicles. Seems our “green energy” folks have neglected to account for the energy required to produce materials for the batteries, etc. They also overlook (conveniently) the environmental impact of the mining for those materials and the fact that most come from third world countries, with few worker safety regulations. According to this article, if we took all the known reserves of materials necessary for production of electric vehicle batteries; we could not “electrify” even Great Britain. Also, there will not be enough generating capacity to recharge the batteries.

    So I would not count on this collection of “Bozos” in D.C. to make anything remotely resembling a good decision. The whole plan is to eliminate as many “useless eaters” as necessary, down to the level required to sustain the “elite” in the manner they are accustomed.

    • Lloyd, you hit the nail on the head. Good post. Where is the electricity going to come from. Sure isn’t wind turbines and solar.

    • Almost all the studies account for the lifecycle of materials mining through the auto use and some account for battery recycling. ICE autos of course also have materials requirements so much of that does not change. Studies I trust show BEV produce less carbon from materials collection, build , use and through disposal. But saying all that I don’t really care. We humans will adapt to climate/weather changes as we have many times, but we need to consume energy to continue our development. Just because we don’t like some of the green policies does not mean we cannot read and understand data and the studies are pretty clear.

      https://www.gardnerweb.com/news/on-building-evs-lifecycle-costs-virtual-design-in-action

      If our overlords truly cared about carbon release, we would see them walking, riding bikes, moving into smaller houses, using zoom for international climate meetings, leading by example. But we don’t see this, so we know they don’t believe it, or believe they are special and their needs are so important they must use more energy the other peons.

      • They know “carbon” is a non-sequitur.

        Everything which lives on this planet is a carbon-based life form. Everything which lives and is not an animal, absolutely requires atmospheric carbon in the form of carbon dioxide, to live. Earth was at its most-vibrant when atmospheric CO2 levels were 42x higher than they now are. This is when plants truly flourished. When plants flourish, they produce lots of oxygen. Everything which lives and IS an animal, requires oxygen to live.

        The “greenies” who tout CFCs and long-chain hydrogen molecules may know what they’re talking about. The ones who speak of “carbon” or “carbon dioxide” as something bad are either really stupid, or want Earth, and everything on, in, or under it, to die.

        People who use “carbon,” “CO2,” “carbon credits,” “carbon offsets,” etc. in principal speech are people who wish us all, dead. When WE use these terms, even if to make a point in an argument or discussion, we lend credence to their root assumption that “carbon” is bad.

        No “carbon” = no us, no Bambi, no Fido, no Zeus, no fishies, or birds, or anything else. Earth becomes a cinder, until a space rock with a live bacteria cell, or God Himself, comes by and recreates or Terraforms the planet.

        Please, just stop…

    • “The “green energy” crowd does not have a clue about life in the real world. Read an article not to long ago about the so-called clean electric vehicles. Seems our “green energy” folks have neglected to account for the energy required to produce materials for the batteries, etc. They also overlook (conveniently) the environmental impact of the mining for those materials and the fact that most come from third world countries, with few worker safety regulations.”

      I agree.. everything has its cost.. The point I stand on is utilize all forms.. ( except nuclear.. we just don’t have the necessary ability to deal with the waste by product.. or the understanding of nuclear)
      But.. with solar and wind etc.. there is a way to support the more conventional production methods.. take one large wind turbine and its cost.. https://weatherguardwind.com/how-much-does-wind-turbine-cost-worth-it/#:~:text=%241%2C300%2C000%20USD%20per%20megawatt.,on%20wind%20turbine%20operational%20cost.
      That doesn’t take into consideration the INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.. the booster to push the energy further.. etc.. where if we built smaller systems.. a solar tower.. at every transformer station every twenty miles starting at the furthest point and working back to the main energy plant.. you not only secure the grid.. there are fewer infrastructure changes..
      In some countries they just don’t have the land available.. so they give home owners the ability to allow them to put up a micro home solar system and wind on their homes.. for a reduction in their energy costs..
      by promoting solar and wind.. stabilizing the rate if you put a system in for lets say ten year period.. you energy costs will remain the same.. low interest loans.. that for the same cost of putting up three of those three MW systems.. you could place a ten kw solar array on every home in our state.. instead of having nine MW of energy potential per hour you would have about 7600 mw potential for the same money and the grid would be secure from break down.. with putting up a solar tower at every sub station.. there again the cost is less and you have enough energy produced to supply the homes and businesses for that area.. similar to a TREE you need the roots.. but each leaf on the tree is its own energy source to help support the roots.. I forget what the voltage is again per leaf.. it has been a while since I showed the kids.. but I believe that the tree is the most efficient power production system known.. want to know what pitch your panels should be.. look at the crown of your trees..

      • “I agree.. everything has its cost.. The point I stand on is utilize all forms.. ( except nuclear.. we just don’t have the necessary ability to deal with the waste by product.. or the understanding of nuclear)”

        You DO understand solar panels produce much more waste, of a much deadlier nature, than atomic piles, right? The U.S. is currently sitting on 750,000 tons of waste arsenic, gallium, germanium, lead, etc., from solar panels and wind generators, with which we have no clue how to deal, and that’s just the waste from the start of the solar/AE industry — y’know, before people started paneling their roofs and companies began replacing farmland with solar fields. The waste from reactors is minuscule, less-dangerous, and easier to sequester than the waste from the alternative energy sector.

    • LS, Tesla manufactures with solar power, Norway with hydroelectric, both beat the C02 emissions of conventional car manufacturing:

      https://www.industryweek.com/technology-and-iiot/article/22026518/lithium-batteries-dirty-secret-manufacturing-them-leaves-massive-carbon-footprint

      Graphene batteries may be feasible in the future:
      https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21330

      Take ’55’ seconds of slow deep mindful breathing, let your heart chakra envelope all the listener/readers today, notice the beauty and miracles of nature by slowing down, ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination’, btw, old state hwys are THE way to motor travel, 55mph means you get to enjoy the farm scenery (and smells), etc. with barely any traffic if done off peak…

      • Many places in NM have only ONE through route without going hundreds of miles out of your way! These are where the freeway has replaced the old highway and the old one no longer exists. This state is famous for not having secondary ways to get somewhere – even on dirt roads.

      • “both beat the C02 emissions of conventional car manufacturing:”

        And you think this is good?

        Why do you hate trees?

  6. My father was a wise man. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1938 — right out of high school. He told those around him then that he thought war was inevitable, and he wanted to be in, and gain some rank and time-in-grade before everybody else got drafted.

    He made Radio/SONAR man First Class fairly quickly, and spent his six years on the U.S.S Colorado, and in several submarines, all in the Pacific Theatre. He didn’t want to talk about it much, but he had some good times, and some very bad times. (I learned later he was involved in the development of RADAR, too.)

    He saw the future from a cold assessment of How Things Were Going in the nineteen thirties.

    Those of us who are coldly self-honest can see what’s coming, dimly — but we all know the general outlines of What Must Be. There are several paths, but they’re more similar than different.

    It will be an interesting ride. (Stay logical — it’s your best hope.)

    – 73 –

    • Oh how fun! My dad joined the navy in 1937 (as he said: “for a job”, unemployment was high and wanted to leave home). FUN! his first mission was on the USS Colorado searching for Amelia Earhart. He two rose quickly in the ranks, became Signal Man first class (Chief Petty Officer) and had amazed people with his ability to learn morse code quickly. USS Colorado. They must have known each other – and went to the reunions?

  7. Less energy to push an EV at 55 Vs 70…. but IMHO jumping from 55 to 70 allowed the expansion of the suburbs.

    Say you want to live “30 minutes from the city”. With a jump from 55 to 70 the driver can now move out 7.5 miles further without losing time. A lot of subdivisions can be created in the 7.5 mile band of space.

    There’s hope for more Stimmies!! Although they’ll be called something else. The checks are starting in Alaska.

    “As oil prices skyrocket, the Alaska House of Representatives is set to consider paying a one-time $1,300 energy relief check to all Alaskans, in addition to the Permanent Fund dividend.”

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/alaska-house-majority-proposes-one-time-1-300-energy-relief-check/ar-AAUxd9I

    • “Say you want to live “30 minutes from the city”. With a jump from 55 to 70 the driver can now move out 7.5 miles further without losing time.”

      I am razzed by the kids all the time.. because I drive slower.. why because at short distances.. you not only save fuel but the time isn’t that great..
      at thirty miles at fifty five.. the time it takes to drive is 33 minutes.. at seventy it is 27 minutes.. not counting stop lights etc.. on average at a short distance.. you saved a gallon of fuel and are pulling into the parking lot just as the one going seventy is getting out of his car.. both enter the building at approximately the same time..
      Now if you were going to drive from the east coast to the west coast.. you would save close to a hundred gallons of fuel but time saving because of distance would be greater by a few hours..
      Less stress as well.. fewer risks of being picked up for speeding and given a ticket.. which is wiser.. a nice relaxed ride enjoying the drivers singing to songs on the radio.. or listening to a book.. or the blurry eyed of anxiety..https://youtu.be/Md6k-c05V5A

      • Very Zen, LOOTB! Namaste! An added bonus to driving slower – instead of the world speeding on by, you sip it in slowly and revel in its remarkable beauty, ugliness and turbulent complexity. Bravo! Bravo!

    • Um, Alaska residents get a petroleum “stimmy” every year. The State “profit-shares” its petroleum profits with all property owners. If they get $1300 now, they’ll probably have to pay it back at the end of the year, out of the $15,000 – $20,000 profit-sharing checks they’re likely to receive then…

  8. The hopes for a post-WWII ‘global’ economy and democratization of the former USSR and the PRC has suffered a catastrophic blow in the Ukraine. Alas, the world as we have known it for the past 30 years has crumbled seemingly overnight. More changes will come. Bet on it!

    Now, prices for everything rise, as does ideological and political rhetoric and the prospects of prolonged war in Europe and quite possibly Taiwan (followed by Korea and the Middle East?) And while avoiding involvement in the kinetic battle (and quite likely a nuclear escalation), Americans must not overlook the fact that events in Afghanistan and Ukraine have seriously undermined the rest of the free world’s faith in the U.S. ability to lead the world out of chaos and oppression and into the Novus ordo seclorum. “What to do” is a certified conundrum. Putin is showing-off his insanely inspired strategic skills. The ‘bully’ looks to solidly gain power, albeit by force, while the best America and NATO can hope for is to minimize losses.

    I have no doubt that, along with his kinetic show of power, Putin has had his minions figure out how to use new technology for his evil ways. The entire West – our markets, our banks – will surely, collectively, soon feel increasing levels of pain in the coming days, weeks, months and possibly years. Let us not forget that Putin ‘hosts’ one of the foremost inside hacker/moles of our time, Edward Snowden, the former NSA geek who is now a full-time resident in his Russian sanctuary. Snowden’s knowledge of U.S. and allied intel systems is still being non-stop siphoned off, or else he is living in a self-made Russian hell. Per his Wikipedia entry, “Snowden has been variously called a traitor, a hero, a whistleblower, a dissident, a coward, and a patriot.” Which description best fits him depends upon what side of the fence we sit. I defer my opinion to the people of Ukraine.

    But we in free nations must also beware during times like these. Evil spawns evil when the ends justify the means. Quoting FDR:

    “True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”

    • “events in Afghanistan and Ukraine have seriously undermined the rest of the free world’s faith in the U.S. ability to lead the world out of chaos”

      that was a good post Warhammer..
      Actually… I think the citizens had lost faith in our nations ability to lead a long time before that Warhammer.. but good post overall..

    • “People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”

      I heard this put a different way many years ago.

      “A growling stomach is a universal and dangerous language.”

    • The boarder of your words. The spacing to the right is alot less choppy from your other comments dude. If you look on a cell phone. The wave count, right side of your words today are large rolling waves. Alot less “choppy” or short rises and sharp indents where the cut off ends and the next line begins.

      It’s like an unnoticed algorithm.

      All this hysteria about Ukraine and Russia. LOL! Did you know. I have 2 cherry trees outside of my office. They are the only two cherry trees for a 10 mile radius in Seattle that are blossoming. They been blossoming for ohhh about 3 weeks now. Not a single tree in the area has a blossom or a bud on it for all that time. Expect the two trees outside my office. I came into work this morning and all the other trees are starting to bud. If you were in Seattle and Drove on airport way from way down past South Boeing Field all the way to the court house in down town Seattle, the only two trees that have flowers on them. Are the two trees infront of my office.

      And those two trees. Everyone thought they were dead trees. They havnt had a leaf on then in a few years. Even the owner of my company was going to have them removed. Because as he said, those are dead trees. They are kinda ugly.

      Now every single morning since I been at my office. I would stand out, on my office entry facing Airport Way. And pray for everyone who walks by. And I greet each one of them and say, Happy Monday! We are so blessed! Happy Wednesday, Stay Blessed! Today is a beautiful day. To everyone who walked by. No matter their stature, size, color, or status. And every morning I would say a little prayer for them. DUDE, be with this person, you know their needs and wants and thoughts. Help them find their way. Help them see YOU, DUDE today. And every morning I would greet those two dead trees. Good Morning Tree! Happy Monday! Happy Saturday or Happy Sunday!

      And for over 3 weeks now. They are the only trees with blossoms on them, I think in the whole city of Seattle. I haven’t seen one tree in Seattle with buds and blossoms on them.

      Guess they weren’t dead after all. Maybe they were just sad trees and needed hope?

      I met probably the coolest person ever in the world last night I have ever met. She has to be the coolest. Out of all the famous people I have met. Maybe Bob Hopes mistress I met in Palm Desert who was 108 years old. Sat and shared a bag of chicken with as she told me her life story was as cool. Nah this is lady I met last night was way cooler.

      When she was 17 she was placed in a US Japanese internment camp in 1942. She is 97 years old. She found AA there. Got sober 10 years later and she had 70 years sober. 70 years! She has helped hopless people who were alcoholics and couldn’t get out of the bottle, find God and a path to help others, for 70 years. I don’t know how many miracles she has participated in, in 97 years. I could just sit and listen to her for days. By far the coolest person I think I have ever met in life.

      You know what? She never mentioned the war in Ukraine. Not a single time. She didn’t seem concerned about it. At all. Anymore than my two trees are concerned about what is going on in the Ukraine. The two trees that everyone thought were dead. Who were going to be ripped out of the ground , stump grinded next month by the owner of my company and are now covered and full of cherry blossoms.

      Humans create distractions. Alot of the population of the world is addicted to hysteria.

      I honestly think that THE DUDE wouldn’t resurrect the two trees outside my office, to let Putin Nuke them. What would be the point. LOL

      Interesting, how you had sharp jagged waves on the right side of your thought and today the lines are more rolling waves. Peaks and Valleys.

      Ahh I’ve arrived at the Promis Land. Thanks for the signal.

      Beautiful day out there. :) new site will be up soon. Hopefully next week.

      Truly I am Blessed and HIGHLY FORTUNATE! It is my hope you are as well.

      Imagine Dragons is in town tomorrow. 2 shows. And no I’m not going to Que their song [Radioactive] hahaha

      Que: ~ Thunder ~

      https://youtu.be/fKopy74weus

      Imagine Dragons

      • Andy, Ure mind is a magnificent maze of meaningful multiplicity, magnified by manifestations from the marvelous multiverse. I have no more words except. . . . awesome, dude!

      • I am a certified arborist by trade and I don’t want to cloud your day but its never good when a dormant plant or tree flowers too early in the spring, late season frosts can damage the fruit. Sometimes when a weak plant flowers out of season it means it knows it’s days are numbered and it’s trying to flower and set fruit and seed so it can reproduce before it dies. Time will tell for your cherry tree and the rest of the world.

    • Warhammer,

      One could well imagine Snowden being a silent whistler before his revelations to “The Guardian”. That his wife was a pole dancer with Prisma Dance is an ironic tell. May his millions reap him a bitter harvest.

      • I’ve always been amazed that a geek like Ed Snowden was ever able to attract a ballerina/gymnast/pole dancer type! She’s quite amazing in both looks and ability. Pole dancers are comfortable with their sexuality and have incredible core strength!

        What’s not to love?

    • Evil is NOT Putin, you need to look towards the illegal pedo Biden! there IS where you’ll find not only evil but corruption beyond your imagination.

  9. The first 4 years of my attempt at full time farming fresh out of school and after time playing in the Southeast Asian Conference I followed a business plan that included partial funding by banks and government Ag loans. Huge, HUGE mistake! After 4 years of PROFITABLE operations, I approached the lenders with my plans for the upcoming year. After my presentation, I was informed that I did not show them by their determination enough growth in my plans. Then they proceeded to “encourage” me to take on an additional nearly 1 million dollars (in 1979) debt to build a finishing operation on my paid for farm. This would have set me up to produce 4 times my currrent numbers but would have required me to take on even MORE debt to pay for the shipping of the finished stock to markets located several hours away. I picked up my papers and walked out. Ended up running the ranch part time where I kept the books and prepared my own taxes while working “in town” for the next 30 years.
    Bottom line. IMO government and taxes beyond basic infrastructure and safety are evil and unproductive unless you like living as a slave to them. Your thoughts about tax breaks for home preparedness and gardening are good ones in themselves but, if you need to prove to the Government what you did to prepare for yourself to get a break on your taxes…No thanks. NOTFB.

    73
    Peace.

  10. “Congress previously used a national speed limit as an approach to conserve fuel when, in 1974, it provided for a national 55 mile per hour (mph) speed limit to reduce gasoline consumption in response to the 1973 Arab oil embargo. ”

    THAT is true to.. at 57 mph i gain five miles to gallon of fuel.. and at 55 mph.. I gain fifteen on the hybrid

    • Hows they gonna calculate that in Volts Per Mile ? or Amps or whatever Ures’ measuring with..impedance..U know Z=R=iX -where R is ohmic resistance and X is the reactance..Wonder how many miles per volt increase G’s new speed limit gonna get zippitydodaadaze driverz like lefty.

      – I propose a $5 per gallon rebate for gallons purchased and consumed. We are giving trillions to foreign banks, arms makers, and illegals every year- whats another 5 Billion in rebate checks for the proletariat ?

      hell before long we will bee thinking of Gas in cost terms like “LTC per mile” (litecoin @ $104) today.

    • My Jetta is 49.9 @ 55, 49.8 @ 65, 49.2 @ 75, 46.7 @ 85, running 50 cetane summer diesel and 42 pounds of tire pressure all-around, tracked, measured, and logged over more than 200,000 miles. (I didn’t buy the oiler for its mileage, but hanging out with dieselheads made me pay attention to it, after I acquired the car.)

      It is also somewhat more aerodynamic than a shoebox and will run a 13 second quarter-mile — and it will absolutely blow the doors off any Prius, while going uphill with an 1800 pound trailer hangin’ off its back AND getting better mileage.

      You likee 55? Drive across Texas or Montana, or for that matter just from the four-corners to the Navajo Nation in Northern Aridzona. The extra hours in the saddle are considerably more-dangerous than the 30mph difference in speed. You likee saving petrol? Buy a better ride. I like not spending money on fuel. I like not dying, a whole lot more.

  11. “The America Chill Act. Legalized marijuana federal Because it helps to slow people down a bit ”

    I am on board with that.. not because I would use it for recreation but.. look at the positive’s about the plant and the things you can make from it.. it doesn’t take very many pages of positives to realize that .. hey this is a miracle plant..that positively effects every aspect of human life..

    • There are many miracle drugs (synthetic and botanical) that help people find both happiness and heart centered-ness. They are ALL illegal because “there is no accepted medical use”. That’s bureaucratese for “we don’t want people to be happy or they won’t need us”.

      Of course, a few are available on the illegal market – if you can find them. Most of us can’t. Until we have the freedom to risk our lives(not others) in any way we choose to, we’re just not free and we’re precluded from the legitimate pursuit of happiness.

      Instead, many folks compensate by drinking, smoking, wild street racing and other antics in order to impress the females sufficiently to get laid.

  12. Dam dude – way 2 walk the walk and talk the talk this AM with a Ure Wake & Bake edition. “impact of sanctions Mother Russia has been moderate” ?!?!

    what chu talking bout Willis?

    Ure harvard boyz (Summers,Sachs, Lipton and R. Rubin) engineered the financial ruin of Soviets – abolished all subsidies and price controls, induced hyperinflation destroying all avail capital for real investment, and used “vouchers” and “loan for shares” schemes that handed over entire industries to gangsters and oligarchs.
    The consequences for the Russian economy and Civilian population was beyond Severe.
    They were devastated – life expectancy fell by double digits across country.

    See Brit National Archives – formerly secret document minutes of meeting – with political directors of the foreign ministers of America,UK,France, and Germany – March 6, 1991 – german rep Jurgen Chrobog says “we made it clear not expand nato beyond the Elbe.”

    Billary gave us nato expansion – shocking right, as well as bombing the hell out of Yugoslavia – Mother Russia really enjoyed that USA display of bravery.
    Our Russian brothers and sisters have very looong memories & legendary patience.
    – truly fear of Russia’s Rape and Revenge on the DS Global Organized Crime “Club”/Club Ba Al .

    * solving nosty predic/picture. top of picture wheel of time, below it yellow V (ufo) with crescent looking shapes inside of yellow V (solar trinity) Arrives on Dec 25 (sol invictus) Sun/Earth/Moon aligned .

    At bottom of drawing is famous red Scorpion with the Milkyway and a Wormhole in between his pincers.. how “they” got here from War in Heaven.
    Proof – Go on star map – type in HD283271 and click view from here – and look at Earth from HD283271. You will see perfectly clear our planet EARTH in between the pincers of the Scorpion/Scorpio! Thats how our Progenitors got here -thats the big secret of 33degrees. “Their” home star – its where the obliesks point too Dec 25.
    Belt of Orion also points the way -the grail -3 stars in line, top being Aldebaran 33 degree swing points to Pleiades and the leg of the Bull – as seen on thousands of Egyptian & Mayan tombs. Bottom of leg of Bull are three stars = Solar Trinity.
    Remember Phoenix lights ? mile wide triangle…hello anyone awake out there ?
    Awaiting an Asteroid – that should complete the cycle – kowabunga time be approachs..maybe.

  13. “Putin has had his minions figure out how to use new technology for his evil ways. ”

    Hmmm.. maybe they just didn’t learn from the USA and the rest of the world on how to cover the evil over as good.. Just who is evil and who isn’t..
    Looking at Our agencies that were designed to protect the innocent that are now being used to protect the evil.. makes sense to me.. what could go wrong right.. and heck.. Congress is still out on vacay on the lobbyists money… so how bad can it seriously be right..

  14. “But we in free nations must also beware during times like these. Evil spawns evil when the ends justify the means. Quoting FDR:

    “True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”

    GREED is what ruined past civilizations.. we lost ours by outsourcing industry.. we lost control over our infrastructure by going to wars to make silver coins for those that don’t give two cents over us and not keeping them repaired.. we will loose our POWER GRID over our need to keep control over it.. rather than strengthening it.. again GREED… by allowing those to gain and tossing the middle and lower classes under the bus.. cost us our freedoms.. and Historically dictators were born when those of affluence had the attitude.. LET THEM EAT CAKE.. or don’t talk to me Until……

  15. For you radio/electronics buffs, a warning about vacuum tubes. More than half of them are made behind the new Iron Curtain. Most of the “brands” like Mullard, Groovetubes, Electroharmonix, are just rebrands of tubes from Sovtek, Svetlana and other Russian factories. Inflation was already getting out of hand there ( A JJ 12ax7 went from $10.50 to 15.50 in about a year). Expect it to get much worse, if what you want is available at all.

    JJ, another major manufacturer, is in Slovakia, not that far from the war.

    • Mine mostly say “GE” and “RCA.”

      FWIW I may actually dump some common NOS this summer.

  16. “I want to stress again that we have no … we’ve been always saying this, there are no ill intentions towards our neighbors,” Putin pointed out during a video-conference on Friday.

    “I would also advise them not to stir tensions, not to introduce any restrictions,” he said, adding there was no need for bordering nations to further deteriorate ties with Russia.”

    He has been saying that from the get go..We feel threatened so take the nukes away from our border..

  17. 55mph?

    Oh, oh.

    Has free market Ure joined the Biden big government takeover plan?

    A few years ago we bought a used car that got around 40 mpg (gas).

    We took a trip from Minneapolis to the West coast and back of about 6,000 miles.

    We averaged 38.5mpg going about 72mph on the highway.

    Lets see what happens if Ure’s 55mph rule takes affect.

    Assume 40 mpg today and 44 under the 55mph plan.

    6,000/40 = 150 gallons of gas.

    6,000/44 = 136 gallons of gas.

    14 gallons saved or @$4 = $56 saved.

    6,000/72 = 83 hours of drive time.

    6,000/44 = 136 hours of drive time.

    Assume driving 9 hours per day:

    83/9 = 9 days

    136/9 = 15 days

    $100 per night hotel implies $600 additional and probably another $200 in meals.

    The 55mph plan cost $744 and takes 6 more days than keeping the current plan.

    Ure didn’t mention it but it would have to apply to trucking as well. Ouch.

    • Not so much — There’s an awful lot of bigrigs on the highways with 62mph governors and geotrackers.

    • At some indeterminate time in the next months, I’ll be driving at least 4K miles total on a road trip. I’ll be planning to do one way in two days flat. That means at best there are 14 extra hours for sleeping/eating/pitstops at 75 mph, and only 4 at 55. Of course, none of that accounts for traffic, construction, etc. I usually drive at night with the trucks and then the dead time between 3 and 6 am too. Lucky for me, there are no hours of service rules or scales for private drivers. There’s absolutely no benefit to stopping along the way since I’ll be alone. One real problem with driving at 55 on a road designed for more is that you’re subject to highway hypnosis or just dozing off. There’s no edge to keep you sharp. It’s one time where a self-driving car would be appreciated, but only level 5.

  18. Returning to 55 mph limit would not only piss off a lot of people , it will up the costs of shipping goods. You think a truck driver who gets paid by the mile will go for this payroll cut . Hey china joe , didn’t you tell employers no pay cut . China Joe is an idiot.

    • Not just that, but hours of service rules would mean that many more days to get the goods there, and on roads(and truckstops) congested by more trucks en-route and going at 55. We have problems already with turtle races between trucks trying to pass going uphill at 75, but doing it at 55 means the left lane will never be available at all. Think of the road rage from that!

  19. Oh dear Lord, George. I remember the days of 55 out here in the West. Vehicles were very different then as they’ve obviously played with the gear ratios since then. As an example the biggest fuel guzzler I have, the ’05 F350 6.0L diesel, peaks out in its fuel mileage at 65 on the highway as long as I’m not pulling a loaded trailer. After that overcoming wind resistance figures into fuel requirements considerably. Around the pasture where it spends most of its time, though, you can forget about mileage. People hate it when I travel at 65 or so on the highway but I do pull over for them to relieve the road rage. Watching the fuel mileage figure on the dash head Northward on that beast is a personal joy of mine. The average mileage on the truck stabilizes around 15.5mpg, which still amazes me on a vehicle that tips the scales at 8400 pounds without my big, fat butt in it, but there are instances where it can jump considerably. Coasting makes a big difference on large vehicles’ mileage figures and I do it every chance I get. I see a bigger difference in the truck’s mileage jumps while coasting than I do with the Expedition or other gas cars we have.

    We’ve had a good run of a few decades now where things have plodded along with a fair amount of steadiness but it looks like the boat is about to be rocked big time and I’m not so sure it’s not one of Putin’s alternative reasons for starting down this road. The idea of World domination is evidently still alive and well on the other side of the globe and they can not only smell blood in the water, they can see it quite plainly.

  20. Hmm.. death and destruction.. kyiv.. SO here I sit watching live traffic cams from several areas around the city.. so far there was someone riding a bike, the restaurant and bars are busy a woman out with her baby in a stroller traffic on their highways is normal with several couples leaving the restaurant hand in hand.. looks pretty calm in comparison to what we see on network news..
    Kind of like the only places affected were military.. oh oh the woman with her baby entered an apartment building…what I am finding interesting..is those driving are not in a hurry driving normally and using their turn signals..
    I wonder what they serve at the restaurant

    • Dam thought o had something out of the ordinary there for a second.. a car that was going to pull a u turn.. but he just whipped out so he could back into the parking space..hell i do that..lol.. the gut on the bike just came out with what appears to be a take out order..
      There is Absolutely nothing going on in the domestic areas of the city that is out of the ordinary.. oh oh someone just put some trash in a trash can..I will watch to see if the can starts on fire or something..

      • Uh oh. I’m seeing a gunfight in two street cams; a pile-on, knock-down, drag out on another; a car’s buring on a fourth.


        Oh, never mind. That’s Chicago.

  21. Guess I’ll buy stock in a radar/lidar manufacturer again. Remember the Escort? Not the stupid Ford pile of junk car, but the “radar warning receiver.” Cincinnati Microwave. Ah, those were the days. Mike Valentine and Jim Jaeger (both amateur radio operators, if I remember correctly) left Drake radio as engineers (remember the Drake R7?) and started CNMW which was the ticker symbol. When the company went public, Mike took the money and disappeared for a time. Mike still is in the business manufacturing the Valentine One. I proudly owned stock in Cincinnati Microwave for a few years. When talk of a 65 mile speed limit came about, the stock started going in the toilet. I honestly think that with the gearing/efficiency of these cars today, it would not be as effective as when we drove those big boats back in the 70’s.

  22. George! George! George! This an economic website. How does one make profits in a whirled and times such as these. How is the wave count affected by such things. All this hysteria and not much substance on the topic of navating profits from it.

    Sigh…. …. ~Feelings are reactions to not reflections of reality ~

    Lest you forget that. Data doesn’t get whipped up in hysteria and emotions. I thought on this site in particular, we navigated data. Not our reactions to it.

    Urban survival is now a sowing circle? A beauty salon? A scene from Steal Magnolias? The latest national enquire tabloid?

    I don’t come here very often much anymore. After reading yesterday’s see of white caps or dog dishes….. I might suggest you take a step back and look at the data for what it is. Not what you want it to be or how you feel about it old dude. Don’t let Ure site turn into a fucking Tupperware party. Jeesh.

    George! You set the pace! You set the tone! You are at the helm of this place. Act accordingly!

    Good day sir.

  23. 55 mph correction.

    6,000/55 = 109 hours / 9 = 12 days.

    26 more hours, or 3 days.

    $300 plus food, $340 extra.

    Sorry.

      • Airplanes are great – when you can walk out back to the hanger(on both ends). I’ve flown all around this country(except the PNW) in a little 900lb short coupled taildragger built for two. It had a cruise of 160 and a Vne of 210 which I kissed more than once. I’d be hard pressed to find anything with more than two wheels that’s legal on the road at 900lbs except a trailer! Unfortunately, few of us have aircraft or the budget to maintain them, and fewer still have a convenient strip on each end of regular travel. I didn’t.

        And then there’s weather……

  24. Oh well..watching the live cams of kyiv and nothing going on except life as normal.. there must be an 8 o’clock curfew.. 8 o’clock hit and the bar and restaurant closed.. people all filtered into their homes.. and traffic slowed to a stop..
    I will check back tomorrow.. it was definitely different than what MSM is telling us..

    • Loob,

      It kind of reminds me of before Keanu Reeves did “Matrix”. Who can forget Sandra Bullock behind the wheel in “Speed”? The bus couldn’t go faster than 55 or else, and fuel was a lot less expensive then too. Anyhow, the passengers finally started getting off the bus until the tape looped. People see the BBC Europe’s live feed today with an uncredited picture of a soldier at Kiev’s Maidan Square next to piled sand and anti-tank defenses while on webcam traffic can proceed unimpeded and the square is lit up like Piccadilly Circus. An image search indicates a cropped version of the picture originated yesterday with an association to Tengri of Kazakhstan. Tengri apparently was a sky god of ancient Turkic peoples dating back to the 4th century bc. It seems their rune-like Orkhon Inscriptions were only deciphered a century ago. The truth comes out when it’s time.

  25. George, I usually agree with you. In the case of 55 mph, I strongly disagree! I lived through that idiocy and it was a nightmare. It was so bad at one time that I was flying my own aircraft just to make up for the loss of time when driving at such a reduced speed.

    Yes, I agree with the nonlinear effect of wind and rolling resistance with respect to speed. I also realize that today’s cars(for the last 30 years) have been streamlined to a large degree, consistent with their mission profile. We have a shortage of workers(those that actually work), and their time is both limited and valuable. I’ll include myself. At 55 mph, there are far more cars on the road than at 75, and therefore the level of attention needed is at least as great as at 75. The time and effort savings are not trivial at all. For a given number of miles, the risk is actually greater, as is the exhaustion from driving. It’s far more tiring to drive way under the design speed of the road than to drive at it! Ask any trucker! One of the major expenditures of fuel is congestion, via either construction or simply too many cars on the road. This alone can negate any savings from increased mileage.

    Back in the nasty old days of the double nickel, people drove between 55 and 75 on the highways. Cops had a field day. Today with most freeways posted at 75, most people drive between 60 and 80. I generally drive at 70 in the car and 60-65 in the van. I can drive faster, but the optimum speeds are determined both by the highway and the vehicle. There is a sweet spot where everything plays well together. This should be determined as much as possible by the driver and not by arbitrary signs.

    BTW, I hypermile, aka driving with maximum efficiency for the mission profile. I get far better mileage than the EPA numbers and the cars last much longer than expected. This is a good skill to acquire regardless of the laws, though braking to keep the speed at 55 on the downhill is rather stupid if the road is designed for much more. IMHO, we have far too may restrictions on our lives already and we don’t need more. We need greater productivity, not less! That means planning for minimum hours AND miles on the road consistent with our objectives. I drive a four cylinder car when possible and an 8 cylinder van for heavy loads or towing when needed. I’d have more registered vehicles if insurance was on the driver instead of each separate vehicle. That way, the optimum vehicle could be used for each function rather than making do as much.

    If the government was really serious about increasing mileage, they would allow for ultimate weight reduction on a car – either used or new. Modern cars are far too heavy. They also use a “rich burn” technology designed to feed the cat(converter) rather than a lean burn tech that would use less fuel to begin with. There are lots of alternatives other than a “one size fits all” speed limitation.

  26. 55 no, heck no. People can self adjust if they want to save energy. We don’t need our overlords telling us what is best for us to save energy or lives. As the price rises people will drive less or slower, or not and more of their income will go toward fuel. I recall you also being against mandatory vaccinations, but in this you assume the federal government has the authority to tell us what to do. The market will work through this and much better and faster then any regulation or law. Interfering with the market never ends to the advantage of the consumer.

  27. A weekend programming note for soccer fans in China:

    UK Premier League games will not be streamed by their Chinese rights holder, iQiyi (The Company) owned by an American-educated Chinese billionaire, due to planned tributes to Ukraine resistance at the games’ stadiums.

  28. Convoys AND the double nickel?! The Seventies are back, Baby! Good thing I never threw out my lime-green leisure suit. May need to be let out a bit though. My 1kw SSB C.B. radio is warmed up and rarin’ to go!
    As for the 55 mph limit. I thought you guys were all about resisting Big Government and its overreaching into our lives. Heck, the original 55 dictate is arguably what sent many in this nation into an anti-government jag in the first place. What’s changed, guys?
    And George, I’m shocked that you put transportation ahead of human life. 55 is FAR TOO FAST. Think how many lives would be saved (and fuel conserved) if the max speed limit was 35 or 25. Just ask any ER staffer or the CDC. If it saves just one child’s life….
    Neil Armstrong once remarked that the solution to the 70’s energy crisis was to find a way to harness nervous energy.
    Anyone who expects to hear truth coming out about the Ukraine thing has been standing too close to the microwave.
    10-4, Good Buddy. Over and out.

  29. As China watches and waits to take Taiwan, it seems to me it is going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to put sanctions on them like we have with Russia. Economically and geopolitically they are giants compared to Russia. How committed are we to protecting Taiwan like we are with Ukraine?

    • “Joint Communiqué switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. In the Joint Communiqué, the United States recognized the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.”

      – Wiki

    • Not at all.

      Biden is a bully, which means he’s all talk (until and unless he snaps.) I would be willing to bet a mess of our politicians and media have an arrangement with China such that we’d not even “bad-mouth” them, no matter how egregious their acts…

    • “it seems to me it is going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to put sanctions on them like we have with Russia.”

      Exactly my thought.. Just How would that work anyway.. since they own a great deal of our debt.. and they make everything we use and a vast majority of what we consume. our existence is dependent on them.. maybe we should play nice LOL. LOL…

  30. George – 55 mph?? Are you kidding me? No thanks, I don’t want to return to the 70’s and Jimmy Carter. This is liberal thinking – ‘we’ think this is good for everyone?? Who is this ‘we’ that you speak of? It ain’t me and you would not get most people in FL to say so.

    Why don’t you float this idea first to your fellow Texans – I guarantee many will have a ‘contrary opinion’ – but I am being nice – there response to you may not be so nice. Suggest you try your ideas in the EU nanny state – The Germans may not like it because they like running their high end Mercedes on the autobahn.

  31. It is all rather depressing. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t believe I would see this in my lifetime. I mistakenly thought we had made it past this. I thought we, somehow, were better than this. I was wrong. and seemingly, Dead Wrong.
    “Breathe deep the gathering gloom., as watch-lights fade from every room”. It’s going to be a very bad decade, folks. Probably the worst the world has seen. Prepared? I doubt that you are. So much is going to be lost.

    “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
    “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ., and that time is now.., very short.

  32. George
    The way to increase and smooth traffic flow, decrease road rage, increase gas mileage, and decrease accidents, is ENFORCE lane discipline like they do in Europe. If you get caught planted in the Passing Lane the fine should be DOUBLE a speeding fine.
    No tractor trailers in passing lane, no trailers of any kind boats RV, utility, Uhaul, whatever. Move them over.
    Stay right except passing is in every state MV code but never enforced.
    I drove back to AL from KY last night in my pig boat LeSabre with the big V6, and by staying on the right in cruise got an actual 27.5 mpg.
    Make everyone keep right except to pass, use da cruise, and leave the left lane open to release traffic pressure and everyone saves. Tell the a-hole in the underpowered Schneider or Averit truck not to pull into the passing lane going over the Cumberland Gap and everyone will be happy.

  33. Don’t forget the BIOWEAPON . 2 Australian sporting greats died in 24 hours from heart attacks . Shane Warne , rod marsh . Evil and shock beyond beleif

  34. Guys shuffle your feet lose your seat gasoline went up a dollar a gallon from noon till now

    • Everything is made using petroleum Plastics it’s a carrier oil for our pesticides and everything else not to mention the cost to transfer porting products from one section to the other it’s going to Skyrocket now

      • It was going to skyrocket before. RUS/UKR merely gives the Administration an out, and the commies on the Hill the ability to hang many more trillions in debt around our grandchildren’s necks…

        I wasn’t kidding about the $7/gal gas in August. With this kerfuffle going on, it really could, realistically, go to $20/gallon at the pump, in some places.

        ‘Gonna make that JIT stuff on the grocery shelves really expensive…

  35. Well when this is over there’ll prolly only be about 30mm of us left in the States so I don’t see energy being a problem – the problem will be if you enough oats to feed the horse pulling the cart. Russia is firmly in control militarily and financially – the counter party risk can take the whole down. Just default on all the liability’s held by everyone outside of Russia. 2 weeks to wrap up ops in Ukraine another 2 to stabilize the country and China will take Taiwan and guess what? We won’t do squat about that either- and anyone who thinks we are a dependable ally will rethink that relationship. The Dems better get crackin and soon about replacing Biden…..

      • Yep…..I have to agree right there with you Ray.
        Things are about to get really real.
        Regards,
        Ray, Canberra, Lap Dog Nation

    • Nice Mark, another great memory of my youth in the same week here on urban. Saw the New Riders of the Purple Sage at the Golden Bear theater in Huntington Beach back in the late 70s. Dickey Betts came on stage for a cameo guitar jam. Smoking doobs in the theater was encouraged back then, what a great place. They demolished that place and now its a 2 story restaurant and corporate surf shop as it sits right there on PCH across from HB peir. I grew up a 1/4 mile away from there and If I didn’t surf everything day I thought the world was coming to an end. Thanks for reminding me of a great band…

  36. 55 mph made sense in the 1973 era when people were waiting in line for gasoline. I’m going to suggest that with 2022 engine technology and aerodynamics, 65 mph would be efficient enough. Bring back the VW diesels, and raise that limit back to 75 mph

    • “Bring back the VW diesels,”

      Until they turbocharged them, those diesels’ speed ratings were in hours per mile. The Caddy (Rabbit pickup) was EPA-rated 63/70 but VWOA never told you it took four miles to get it up to highway speed, before you could get that “70.”

      I STILL want one.
      It would look good, parked beside the TDI and the Metro LSx…

      • The only brand new vehicle I bought in my life was a VW Rabbit pickup. It was full of third world plastic junk. I burned up three wiring harnesses before I finally slit the insulation on the new one and soldered the poor crimp joints for the radiator fan…. which ran after the engine shut down (no circulation) and killed the battery while I was in the store shopping. The damn truck depreciated faster than my loan payments. I got hit from behind which folded the bed and totaled the truck. After the insurance payment, I still had $6 grand to pay off on the auto loan. There was a reason VW only made them for three years.

      • Had the Diesel Rabbit. Decked out with a sunroof and everything.

        Original owner bought it after the second oil shock (1979-1980), you know the one when oil prices ONLY tripled, used it to commute about 12 miles each way to work but didn’t drive it much other than that, but then the gas prices came back down and he wanted something bigger so I bought it at 3 years old for less than 1/3 of what he actually paid and it had under 20,000 miles on it.

        Drove it for a few years until I was rear ended coming home from a New Years Eve party on a bad snowy night … had it up to 170,000 miles and the insurance company paid me almost 1/2 of what I had paid for it 150,000 miles before.

        Non turbo in those days so when going across the PA turnpike while I could go faster than the semi’s uphill it wasn’t by much. I had to stay in the right lane so I wasn’t rear ended by those who could actually go up those long hills at a reasonable speed. Didn’t complain though since I did get about 38 around town and about 42-44 on the highway at 70 which was darn good in those days. And remember in those days diesel was about 25%-35% LESS than gasoline.

        Only thing that did better on the milage front back then were the early Saab’s if you could find a decent one used. Had all of 3 cylinders I seem to recall. They would do 50 mpg with no problem and if you managed them properly when on a long trip you could get 60mpg with them. Work acquaintance and summer room mate had one and I remember 3 of us got in it for a weekend trip from DC up to Newburg NY one weekend for a great FREE concert for the “Save The Hudson” charity (outdoors with lots of big name people playing for free) and YEP, it really did get 60+mpg both up and back, and he was speeding most of the way up and back on I-95. After that it became our go to car for our weekend get aways to the Maryland and Jersey shore and everywhere else that summer … left each of us more money for MORE beer!!

      • There’s one for sale right now in SoCal, at a car auction site: Never wrecked or rusted, under 50k, etc.

        With 3 days to go, current bid is, IIRC, $10,900…

        @Hank:

        That’s sad. The Rabbits were all American-Made, except for the cabriolet. Until I owned one, I never realized the VW Rabbit was a disease, nor that owners commonly swapped-out dashboards & clusters, trim, and most-common of all, they’d swap out the grille for a GTI part, just to get them there snazzy lights. (Go to a VW GTG now and try to find an A-1 that’s bone-stock and not fresh from the VWOA museum…)

        My Rabbit was a gasser. It got 44mpg in town and 42mpg on the highway by actual measure over about 40k miles (never could figure that out.) I lent it to the ex, and somehow she blew up the injection pump, which cost more to replace than the car was worth…

  37. Hilo International Airport (ITO) has a 10k ft. runway and is an ‘alternate’ landing spot 250 miles east of Honolulu… and has been used as such when hurricane winds closed Honolulu. No international flights to Hilo these days, only inter-island flights. But occasionally we see ‘heavy’ (C17, etc) military flights come thru for a touch-and-go or two. In all my years here I have never seen fighter jets thru here… until yesterday. And again today… squadron of four F22s came roaring thru Hilo. Air patrol frequency in the Eastern Pacific has obviously stepped up. FWIW

  38. I took a few moments to think about this Russia & Ukraine buisness venture away from my primary focus.

    A few things spring to the mind and a couple of odds and ends.

    All these siezing of rich Russian yachts and properties. Seems is theft. If US government makes a choice, and other counties dont like it then proceeded to fleece your bank account and all you owned, no matter how large or small. That is theft. Let’s say you HOA decided to paint the entire fence around your neighborhood bright purple, the city you live in doesn’t like that. The HOA does it anyway. So the City says, well we are taking control of your house and everything in it, cleaning out your bank account and taking your car, job, business etc etc Even if you voted against the president of the HOA and painting the fence purple. They still took all your stuff.

    yep. That is bullshit. They shouldn’t do that. It’s not right. At all.

    Where is mosad involved in this? When i was thinking about this. Mossad came to my consciousness. And The Bolshavics certainly have a hand in it.

    And March is notorious for in like a Lion and out like a lamb.

    Another note worthy thing that sprang to the forefront of my mind is this. Only 72 million in the former soviet union states total are completely vaccinated. Out of over 300 odd million. Quite a bit lower than the average of other nations in the world.

    That story of the 12 catholic priests praying in a small building together when Hiroshima went off and not a blade of grass was bent outside their building… and nobody inside even knew the bomb was dropped until they walked outside came to mind. Not sure why, but it did none the less.

    Further more, it seems to me. this is Part of a cycle much like the mass shooting cycle, since the year prior to this was the entry of George Floyd and the year prior to that was the entry of covid 19. Or something like that.

    In like a Lion and out like a Lamb. Hmmmm….

    Found some new totems recently. I won’t tell you all of them, because I don’t tell all of them. They are for me, not everyone else. I will mention this one. Because it is very peculiar.

    I found a perfect 9mm hollow point laying on the ground. In a stadium parking lot I was at. Not sure what that means. I know when I find them, they are good future tense and take about 10 months in most cases to manifest. Never found a bullet thow. And I found something else very very rare. Only 1 of 2,987, 618 made and only 100,000 of those are left in existence. Found it the same day and the bullet. Someone actually gave it to me thinking it was a quarter in their till. I didn’t notice it wasn’t until later the next day.

    I’m a strong constitutionalist, law abiding citizen. Love my county. But I did smile when putin told Twitter, CNN and Facebook to get bent and shut them down. Not even Trump did that. Nobody has ever done that. And those company’s push the jab agenda more than anyone else.

    And that natral Gas pipeline coming out of Isreal through Syria should be complete by now. That is very close to completion if it hasn’t already been.

    Hmmmmm….

    I think this Russia Ukraine thing will blow over by the end of the month. In like a Lion and out like a lamb.

    Putin has health issues. That also sprung to the mind along with Edgar Cayce. Not sure why anymore than mossad did. But they did spring to the mind as having a hand in all this.

    Anyway. That is my thoughts on the Matter. I’ve spent enough thoughts on the matter of the buisness brokerage between Russia and Ukrain and the negotiations they are currently labeling “war”…. because all war is buisness negotiations. No different.

    Later. Just stopped in to see what you guys were all up to. Im very busy. See ya next time. I have my own site to run. It’s all ready to roll. Just timing and tempo picks the date not me.

  39. On another note, in my personal studies of symbols of power, I understand that the reason the nazis didn’t win world war 2, is found in the incompletion of the swastika. The swastika symbol is in- complete. It’s a partial of the original symbol of power. The orginal symbol is the true symbol of power. All the symbols of power including the penticals, the Cross and the Alchemy symbol for gold and the cross, the swastika and all the major architectural archetype symbols relating to power. Are found within that one symbol. Even the Ank is found within it, if you look at it just so.

    I will keep that symbol to myself.

    Ever notice the all seeing eye looks like a person lookig through a key hole? Even that symbol is found within that one symbol. If you view It in added dimension.

    Yes. In like a Lion and out like a lamb. That is Russia and Ukrain.

    • It IS theft. I wondered if anyone else would notice, and am somehow not surprised that you were the one who did.

      Please bear in mind that the whole saying is: “March will come in like a lion and out like a lamb, OR in like a lamb and out like a lion.”

      I expect a link when your site is up…

    • To further Ure studies – check out planet Pluto – every 246 years he comes around. Whenever he arrives – heavy scheisse goes down. You can follow his most powerful ass thru history – start with Romans – Pluto’s visits corresponds with MAJOR change. Rome/Britannia/USA -see Revolution. Me thinkz he arrived on the 2-22-22

      No need to keep symbol (missing Stars) to Ure self – Humanities “place of origin” and why great Pyramid points to it on 12-25 & encoded in every Humans Soul.

  40. Ohhhhh and don’t forget. Today is Saturday. Ruled by Saturn. The true sabbith was yesterday. Friday. The color corisponding for today is of course black.

    Prior the whole let there be light. Which marks the first day. It was dark and there was no light. Because it had to be dark first before light was created. Or the Torah would say, and God said let there be darkness. But it doesn’t say that. It says let there be light. So today is the first day of the week not sunday. Sunday is the first day of light. Saturday being the day before. Marked by Saturn. Black or dark is Saturn’s corresponding color.

    One these days we will get everything fixed and sorted out. Nobody everything is all off set around this planet. Lol

    OK, on the calander for today. BJ’s, bologna sand~witch’s, my new haircut, keytones and the crew.

    “Reminds me of my crew theme song. Black shoes, black pants, black laces. All black everything up. You know the uniform. Opening portals and altering planes of existence.” Or something like that. I forget the lyrics. It is our theme song. That is certain. On Spotify for a change. Lol

    One of my guys who works pass gate. Nobody goes back stage unless through him, someone made a tictok video of him at badbunny and its going viral.

    Just tiktok badbunny security guard and Seattle. I had just walked away to go back stage when the person made the video.

    Pretty cool

    Cue ~ you feel me ~

    https://open.spotify.com/track/2IfDGY0NSaCucgusiXGhFX?si=dnv3OZzwR9uitwox9rmDpA&utm_source=sms

    Haezer

    Alright. Enough bullshiting. Leave that to the rest of the world. I’m a man of action. Lol

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