Trade and NFIB Data, Guillotine Trading

by

Although the US market broke to lower (recent) lows Monday, our optimism about America seems likely to be buoyed.  At least, so say the early futures.

I’ve discovered a new method of investing, lately.  It’s called the guillotine trading method.  Works really simple:  You invest, market promptly heads the other direction, and you’re account balance screams “You’ve lost your head!”

Notwithstanding, the market is a data-driven place and data (along with news) is our stock-in-trade.  We never offer financial advice and have no plans to do so before making our first several million trading.  Still, I love reporting financial news because money is not just the “root of all evil.”  It’s also the root of all relationships, weight gain, vacations, exotic dinners at high-end restaurants and…hmm…seems like I’m overlooking something…

Oh yeah.  Dom Perignon.  Try picking up a bottle of, oh, the 2012 brut, luminous for less than three bills in decent setting.

For reasons unknown, the saying “Money is the root of all [good] champagne” didn’t take off like Evil.  Which ought to tell you something about markets and wealth accumulation. Given a choice between “evil” and bubbly?  Not a difficult choice.

Meanwhile, at the Guillotine

In pops an email from my deflationist pal Jas:

““Trade of the Decade: Short Tech and Long Commodities” 

That is from Ruchir Sharma who appeared on CNBC. He said that long-term decline in tech is already underway.

 I am Short Tech and my friend George is Long Commodities. If we hit recession soon then commodities might not do well for a while. “

Long commodities we grow – like trees.  Sequester carbon, qualifies as ag for tax purposes and can supply four-legged protein in a pinch.

Been mulling over the idea of building an electric sawmill to run off the solar.  No telling how it would work, but it would give us finished product to sell.  “A couple of 2-by-4’s with those tomatoes today, buddy?”

NFIB

The National Federation of Independent Business has its month Small Business Optimism report just out.  Not good enough to act as super glue after Monday’s guillotine trading adventure. The “sticking point” is inflation:

“In February, the NFIB Optimism Index decreased by 1.4 points to 95.7, the second consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Twenty-six percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business, a four-point increase since December and the highest reading since the third quarter of 1981.

“Inflation continues to be a problem on Main Street, leading more owners to raise selling prices again in February,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Supply chain disruptions and labor shortages also remain problems, leading to lower earnings and sales for many.”

On the other hand, we are seeing signs of a recovery in many areas; store shelves are filling up again.  And the “American moodset” doesn’t seem so grim as during the lockdowns.

International Trade Data…

…is also just out.  With America’s energy independence vanishing in the rearview, here’s how it laid out:

“MARCH 8, 2022 — The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $89.7 billion in January, up $7.7 billion from $82.0 billion in
December, revised.”

Other highlights:

  • January exports were $224.4 billion, $3.9 billion less than December exports. January imports were $314.1 billion, $3.8 billion more than December imports.
  • The January increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit of $7.1 billion to $108.9 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of $0.6 billion to $19.2 billion.
  • Year-over-year, the goods and services deficit increased $24.6 billion, or 37.7 percent, from January 2021.
  • Exports increased $29.9 billion or 15.4 percent. Imports increased $54.4 billion or 21.0 percent

One thing to consider (and I don’t mean this as a cheap shot) BUT are we the only ones who are asking “How does all the exporting of war materiel impact the numbers?

A couple of weeks back, National Defense Magazine reported that Foreign Military Sales was down last year:  “The agency reported $34.8 billion in total FMS transaction value for 2021, down 31 percent from fiscal year 2020 when the total reached $50.8 billion.”

Granted, $34.8 billion isn’t much money (*in terms of government accounting – our checkbook is a little lighter).  But there may be a silver lining to defending Eastern Europe from its two worst enemies:  Us and Them.

Meanwhile, of course the deficit will grow with increased imported energy costs.  How hard is that to follow?

After the data, stock futures went negative – so don’t stand too close to the falling blade, there.

Newslag Archipelago

The ex-president of Ukraine – who was ousted in 2014 for asking for Russian aid to overcome western “help” in Ukraine’s previous contentious blow-up.  Ukraine’s Deposed Leader Urges Zelenskiy to ‘Stop the Bloodshed’ – The Moscow Times.

By the way, dude’s name is Viktor Yanukovych and you get 10-bonus points toward your Junior Reporter Merit Badge if you can spell it flawlessly first time.  (Spelling has always been a bother.  Which is why I loved doing radio news.  When things just have to sound right.  If no paper, simply ad libbing a five minute newscast was doable since most stories are easy to template.)

Also in the war propaganda flow:  Russia says West arming Ukraine will cause ‘global collapse’ in chilling warning – Mirror Online.  We expect the markets to be momentarily brave today, but trading the guillotine is bloody awful.

What Putin can’t blow up this week, the Fed meeting will next week.

Drone and Missiles

We’ve been kicking around how drones have changed the face of modern warfare.  Old leaders (Putin) tend to fight with yesterday’s tools.  While the young *(and not wedded to welding up tanks down the road from the steel plant) take a lighter view and come up with disruptive warfare.

As in Ukraine Army uses Bayraktars to stop four enemy columns in Sumy region (ukrinform.net).  Gas powered drones, four missiles and more…yeah, you can betchertass China is watching and thinking things through…

In a Food Mood

Caught an interesting read over on Fast Company today about perception management internally at Google:  Google says it’s reduced food waste just by using different plates and bowls.  (My food all seems to go to waist…)

Really an interesting topic to explore.  As Pappy once taught me:  “If you are served a beer in a very, very thick, heavy glass, it will seem like more beer than it really is…”

Not sure how much research has been done on the optics and sensory-appetite linkage.  But Elaine says she gets “…full just looking at food.”  At the other extreme, I get famished just thinking about it. (Only workable solution found is be too busy to eat…)

Digital MPD/DID

Let’s assume you remember MPD is short for multiple personality disorder.  I’m sure you’ve read the books of seen the movies. DID is dissociative identity disorder.

While we’ve been contemplating how Social Media makes people crazy (mass media manias), along comes a brilliant article in the new First Monday exactly on point.  Have a read of Contiguous identities.

“We then argue that the virtual self is not a singular entity per se but forms a contiguous connection between the lived experience of VR and data gathered through social media about the identity associated with said experience.”

Hell of a topic for either of the Kings (Stephen or Tabitha) to write as a new genre of horror.  Since, in traditional MPD/DID, one persona is dominant at a time and memories may not transfer.  In this other construct (after Saker and Frith’s paper) virtual personalities (and potentially identities) begin to sound very similar to a dissociative/MPD state but with memory transfer between personas...   (Persona A on social, persona B in VR, persona C in chat, persona D on Zoom, persona E on phone, persona F in email, and so forth…)

Somehow, I have a feeling that this virtual personas has already bloomed in real life.  As multiplicities of genders and other aspects of self are rising.  Would mass gender-change marketing have ever occurred without social media?

Mr. Ure #6 is looking bewildered by the thought, but Ure #2 has it all sorted out.  Yes, insanity is quite entertaining!  Which explains the psychotopology of the web.

ATR:  I Need Greenhouse Help!

I’ve run into a technical question in fine-tuning the automation of our semi-automatic veggie greenhouse.

On the far end of the room (20 x 10 remember?) is a screened hot air exhaust port.  up at the roof line (heat rises) about almost 4 square feet worth.   Today or tomorrow I will get a door cobbled up to  close  over this when the weather gets cold.  We may hit freezing going into this weekend.

Rather than “build myself a job opening and closing this heat cover” I figured I’d just use an automatic greenhouse window opener.  (See where this is going?)

Here’s the design question:  Will said automatic opener/closers work when mounted horizontally or do they work only in the vertical orientation?

Your immediate reply as a comment with this arcane bit of greenhouse knowledge would be appreciated!  (No telling me from the other vegetables, anymore…)

Write you get rich,

George@Ure.net

58 thoughts on “Trade and NFIB Data, Guillotine Trading”

  1. “Given a choice between “evil” and bubbly? Not a difficult choice.” Yes, but evil spelled backwards means live! You takes your choice and pays the price!

  2. George,
    I have a small purchased greenhouse that came equipped with an automatic vent opener. It looks like a small version of an automotive liftgate opener – it is gas filled and responds to a range of temperatures. It has a fair amount of power and operates a 2 sqft roof vent w/o difficulty. I don’t see any problem with a horizontal orientation. Mine needed replacement after several years as it lost it’s gas charge.
    I’m in SE Louisiana and GFS is predicting 28 DegF for Sat nite – I may have to do some replanting afterwards – damn ‘Global Warming’!
    Good luck,
    Alk B.

    • I actually was going to use a bookmark that I had given to play with to do that.. It could easily open or shut a vent door.. I sent that to George a while back.. amazing little piece of metal.. I bent it twisted it and did all kinds of stuff playing with it.. then just used it as a book mark.. always thought provoking..

  4. I’d bet the automatic vent will work just fine but I’d keep the hinge ‘to weather’ as the seals / flashing will most like work as if in vertical mounting. Kapisch?

  5. The openers I have seen lift a window so go from there. How heavy would your window be? Something louvered may be a bit pricey for this project. Maybe a modded kitchen exhaust vent or something. as long as it passes Codes Enforcement aka Elaine. For just the one space a simple sliding door would probably work for you. Greens prefer somewhat cooler temps while tomatoes and cukes go the other way.

    For the hoop house here at el Ranch de Chaos in the great state of Mizzery the sides are down from Dec to mid to late Feb then get rolled up about now. Unless you didn’t get them rolled down last year and everything got froze out.

    Fun huh.

  9. I used shutter motors and aluminum louver – that way you can partially open or close and they don’t care about orientation. I bought 4 of them 30 years ago for about $50 each (110V). I just looked and they are about 2X that now.

  10. I use the automatic openers in my greenhouse and I see no reason why they couldn’t work in any position.

  11. Hi G

    as always appreciate your insight and that of your commentors.

    Throwing a wild dart – could a person in desperation gin up a mechanism/lever(s) where opener is in required orientation yet applies force in required direction?

    Also – the folks at TekSupply.com are generally pretty friendly so perhaps they can help if we all cannot answer the question.

    CTM

    • The other George does not no what he is talking about. The Russians have drones and use them quite extensively with aircraft and rocket forces. The Russians could have taken Ukraine in a week had they wanted to go ape shit on the Ukrainian people, but Vlad is smart enough to plan for a day after this conflict will end and the Russian and Ukrainian people must get along.

      In the end, the big loser will be the US – as we were in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Much higher energy prices and a much weaker USD will manifest themselves over time – and not a long time. I am afraid Dementia Joe would not be able to avoid even the simple dilemmas of life. But let me not be biased, as the Republicans have shown equal stupidity in this situation. In fact, after the covid con, I thought I had witnessed ‘peak stupidity’, but how wrong I was!

      This was a conflict that should have never started in the first place. The Russians were asking for very intelligent and reasonable demands – namely, recognize Russian speaking and Russia cultural regions of Ukraine as Russia, and keep NATO out of Ukraine. Why anyone would want NATO forces in Ukraine anyway is beyond me. It is senseless provocation, and since the matter is existential for Russia, then naturally the Russians were willing to go to war over it.

      • Sounds like you’re angling for the job. Better get your application in early since there’s sure to be a long line. Good luck as I hear the swimsuit competition is brutal and if you get the job, the life insurance premiums are astronomical.
        Maybe ambassador to the U.N. would be better as a consolation prize. Just take orders, and say “Nyet” when asked to vote on anything. Plus, you get to live in luxurious style in NYC at Mother Russia’s expense and not in some shit-hole country (I think this was DJT’s term of art).
        No doubt, after eons of domination and now THIS, the Ukrainians can’t wait to “get along” with Russia. Plus, there’s all those centuries of religious rivalry and genocide I’m sure they’ll be glad to get rid of and forget about. Let bygones be bygones, eh.

      • “The Russians could have taken Ukraine in a week had they wanted to go ape shit on the Ukrainian people, ”

        exactly.. Vlad does not want to harm the people.. watched one news coverage where they showed some fighting and a child in a swing as the army went on.. mother came out frantically grabbing the child.. Residential neighborhoods look quite normal and the russian army is doing their best to not get close to the citizens.. NOW look back at who we have gone after and the devastation from our advances.. and compare.. it looks to me like it is a pretty clean war..
        He was asked to help get the corruption out.. he wasn’t going to go in at all.. not until we plopped nukes on his border.. and he told everyone he wanted them to get them off of his front porch..
        what happened we moved more in.. now it looks like we may be playing that same game with China.. now seriously.. what could go wrong with that…
        https://youtu.be/iZebYm-nenY
        in twenty four hours I only seen one military vehicle and I seen the police stop two drivers for driving violations..
        https://linktr.ee/livestreamevents
        I visited a while back with someone I know and the kids still had school..I believe that it isn’t what we are seeing on television .. Their fear is with NATO going in.. that terrifies them.. I would like to hear from others in the country to get a more rounded opinion.. but it is what it is.. like here.. there are two sides to this coin..

    • 30 BioLabs in Ukraine run by US DoD ..

      Just 1 issue -the kompromat coming out Russia is frightening regards bioweapons. Next level up in lethality – Russians arent the only ones who are Infuriated about this stuff.
      Serious BETRAYAL of Humanity by Ure precious, scrambled egg wearing/cake eating, war hawks at Pentagram.

      Good to see Ure counter intuitive desire for eradication of the entire Human race – not easy being a psychotic mass murder wannabe in today’s modern society, no?

  13. That pudgy little prospector Yukon Cornelius is running around in circles shouting “SIL-ver!!” now that it’s taken a buck and change leap up today. I just might see if I can find or create a personal avatar with Yukon. I’ve never been big on those kind of things.

    Stay tuned for Clif’s wild swings in the PM prices.

    Looked over at Kitco to see if some war industry hasn’t yanked a few tons off of the market but nothing so far.

    • Oh Noooo – Mr Bill!

      Check the Premiums on phyz metals – seeing 50% and higher on Sliber Eagles – Insanity. On Sell side You only get Paid flat $$ – No Premuims Paid when you are the Seller.

      Everyone who insists on “Murhican” PM coinage – will EAT 100% of any/all Premiums paid. IOW – dont pay a Premium for your metals.

      Sell Side Econ – You only get paid a flat rate – therefore it seems Rounds & Bars will provide the most efficient exchange of money and value..

      Wait 4 it….they dont want anyone to see the “panic” – there is panic in Commodities market today – you can hear it, might even be able to smell it if you were on the trading floor. Lots of multi- billion&million dollar margin calls last night – Nickel halted in Trading today. FUGLY does not begin to describe the Search 4 Phyz….how much you say that Solar Panel costs today?

      • OOOHHH YYYEEESSS Crash! You don’t HAVE to sell to anyone like Apmex or JM Bullion or the like as you allude to. There will be a side/black market for PMs before the year is out. Even Craig’s List will do. Ebay buyers are totally nutzo right now. You’d be crazy to sell now anyway, though. The spot + premium IS the real price and probably at a discount to what it’s really worth at this moment. You know as well as anyone here the spot prices of PMs are a controlled environment and that control is falling apart before our eyes today. I don’ wan’ no stinkin’ US$’s for my metal! Just more metal. … Got goats? Want some? When you’re hungry they’re worth their weight in … what?

  14. There’s nothing like baby goats to put the world back in perspective. We got 4 babies last night, so grandpa’s busy keeping kids corraled and making sure they all get fed. Mama only has two places at the dinner table, so with 4 kids she sometimes needs a little help.

    • I feel Ure pain! I have two corraled across the bar from me right now in the kitchen as we bring them in at night. We have a tray that was originally intended to go in the back of a Suburban that fits the floor area almost perfectly. We put down newspaper in layers as they “use” it and have a pet screen that reaches between the cabinets and reinforced with large containers for when they get rambunctious. These kids are some of the quietest we’ve ever raised but sometimes it’ll be like watching a motorcycle in a cage make its rounds or a scene from the Matrix in there.

      I’ve lost too many keeping them outside on cold nights even if they have shelter and each other to keep warm. We hope and pray each Winter to not have to raise any but with this last bad cold snap I found two that wouldn’t have made it through the day when I was out feeding. There’s always the possibility of finding more each day. It’s dusty dry out there so many of the nannys/dams, whichever name you choose, will simply walk away from their kids if you don’t feed them something AND the damned buzzards are back. I watched a kid try both faucets on mom out there a few days ago and there was nothing coming out. The kid was pretty big, though, and capable of grazing some. But, all in all, goats are considerably more entertaining than sheep and almost maintenance free.

    • “There’s nothing like baby goats to put the world back in perspective.”

      ISN”T THAT THE TRUTH……
      I had a goat for milk LOL LOL… her name was bessie.. but it should have been Houdini … she would get out.. then go the neighbors and climb on his car.. billie her kid was more work than I could handle and still keep a job.. I didn’t have them to long.. gave them to a farmer that had goats already. without an adequate space like a farm.. it is almost to hard to try and keep them in a small town..

  15. The PMs are up nicely today and probably will continue to rise in the coming days as their price reflects a dying financial system. When the system collapses, what obligation do those with a few ounces of precious metals have to the poor that have none? There will be many items for sale at that time, as people will be scrambling to find food, housing, and transportation. What are your thoughts?

    • Find and read how people coped with the Wiemar inflation. The rich with their nice things put them up for sale and people outside of towns and cities wound up with incredible treasures for a day’s worth of food. We’re four hours away from San Antonio and I still think it isn’t far enough to be safe when people start pouring out of the big cities looking for food and shelter. I’m most worried about how the taxing entities are going to react as everyone is squeezed going forward. It’s already to the point people are self-regulating their speed on the highway to around 65! Diesel was 4.59 yesterday at the cheapest place I could find. 4.99 and higher elsewhere.

      Find the books in the series “One Second After” for some good insights.

      • “The rich with their nice things put them up for sale and people outside of towns and cities wound up with incredible treasures for a day’s worth of food.”

        AMEN BILL……
        I use to have a photo of people going to the country with silver and gold services jewelry diamonds etc.. just for a basket of vegetables..
        I was told yesterday to expect any and everything made with flour or using vegitable oil to skyrocket.. they are already showing signs of shortages..
        the same thing happened in the gold rush and depression of the 1800’s a cup of water was three ounces of gold..
        not to long ago and probably still going on in Greece you could feel as lucky as Andy for a can of soup..
        college girls even today for assistance with obtaining books or paying tuition.. living expenses one in five would rather go out and spend quality time with someone willing to help..
        last summer I was at my grandson’s.. he had a few friends over and one young lady not his girlfriend made the comment.. if she couldn’t find a dentist that would take payments she was going to find someone to pleasure if they would pay for it…
        people just don’t get it though.. a number is just that.. a number.. if you can’t eat it keep warm with it or wear it.. it is pretty much worthless..

  16. I’m sure you saw the amazing by product of doing buisness, Russia Invades Ukraine, the EU and US sanction the shit out of them, and whalah! Everyone is lining up to do business with Israel for Natural Gas. Greece and Turkey both rolling out the red carpet. OyVey! And Washington DC? who shot the idea down of a pipeline, well you know, DC Changes changes their stance like a weather Vein in a tornado.

    Nothing to see here. Just another day at the office.

    Truly I am Blessed and Highly Fortunate! it is my hope……… you are as well.

    Cue: ~ Let it Ride ~

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmSXIOlN6mY

    BTO

  17. I use to have a 3000 square feet commercial green house in Neb year around. I grew tomatoes and peppers for up vents I used a vent that had a opener built on the vent. Look up wax vent openers.

  18. I’d think if an actuator needs a particular orientation, a bellcrank would be an (easy?) fix. Failing that, perhaps a control cable.

    One cheapo way out for things already running on 12V would be a window actuator from your local Pull-N-Pay salvage yard or a back door window of the Lexus. I’m sure Elaine wouldn’t mind. That, operated by a thermostat and a bit of mechanical linkage should work. Whether or not it’s worth the effort is the question.

    I just realized that I already have a place here that could easily be a grow room. At 8’x20′, it’s not as large as yours, but it already exists. I have to figure out how to set up plants and keep moisture off the floor, but at least the structure is already there and beyond the reach of most critters. Manual watering, ventilating, and weeding are out of the question though!

  19. i can see it now. isreal…. whisper into putins ear, here is a schematic of the plans to place a patriot system in the Ukraine. kill a few spys and make it look legit so that it was really hard earned intel. so putin gets the info juicy as a porterhouse still hot and cooking for 6 minutes after being pulled off the grill… money then he thinks, F that shit! We are not letting that happen. regulators mount up all in his russian accent. we are going to stop the US and EU from putting missals in our back yard. jewish banker on the phone. yah i dont blame ya Vlad. I tottally get it. look at us, we got people in our back yard firing on us all the time. wish my goverment was as smart as you Mr Putin. Id put a stop to that shit too.

    so now DC changes is mind. The EU needs gas. And the Hebrew bank says. ok ok okay… shucks, i spose we will lend ya the money for that natral gas pipeline. but you are going to pay some interest on that! You hear? And DC and the EU, say Oh thank you so much. yes yes we will pay. the people need the gas. fine! Submit the loan docs signed in triplicate by monday morning on my desk…

    you see how that works???

    that is exactly how the Russia Ukraine deal went. i assure you.

    mean while on Urban Survival, everyone is like ohhhh shit! world war threee is upon us!

    nope. just buisness as usual. that is all.

    lol

  20. wait for it… wait for it… wait for it…

    14 hours ago, like a good propaganda press… fox news posts,

    “Chevron CEO says natural gas pipeline from Israel to Europe could help alleviate shortage”

    https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/chevron-ceo-says-israel-pipeline-could-supply-europe-with-natural-gas-amid-crisis

    golly gee, well that is just Dandy…. all those people in the EU will be gassed up by the good fortune…. of a pipe line from Israel to EU to “Help”. The timing of such things! thank God for Israel and Chevron!

    whew! just in the nick of time. saved the day!

    sure is beautiful tree outside my office. been blooming for over a month now. longer than the average tree.. noticed a few pedals on a few other ones this morning on the drive to work.

    lovely new Yaght you got there. thanks! bought it at the government auction.

    we are all gullible sheep. hahahahah bleet bleet bleet!

    hahahahahahhaah

    see ya alll around. i got an empire to build

  21. George;
    YES there are multiple studies of large plates of foo versus small dinner plates.
    Many people were just as full after eating their meal from a small supper plate as opposed to a larger plate..As documented at Weight watchers, Tufts University health and Nutrition leter as well as studies out of Harvard, Johns Hopkins,UCLA..
    Using a 10 inch plate will get you just as full as the 12 or 14 inch plate.. Another way Human perception is played with.. We were all taught to clean our plates (as in eat all the food on it)..
    Anticipating World famine again in Africa, India,China thanks to Ukraine,Russia crap..Some in Mid East too..

    • Heck I thought about going on the BANQUET diet.. eat a banquet meal for every meal.. each one is what five hundred calories.. then become a national celebrity..

  23. Bosnea and Serbia….Ukraine and Russia…NATO was to keep the peace, but no NATO. So…no food.. no food, no get along..wider war… in theory Russia in the 1990s store US grain. Long time. if air, probably no good… weather getting much colder earlier, Soviet north, no food…in end bad things happen.

    • https://personalliberty.com/one-year-in-hell/

      We in the USA have no idea…
      We are in the same boat as our present administration that has no real life experiences except for those he observed as a child growing up in a middle class home.. His whole life has been spent at the feeding troughs of the Bubble in the beltway..
      a few pop off here and it would be pandemonium in the streets..
      https://youtu.be/PG6MUIK-SDM
      Think about it.. LOOK what BLM and Antifa achieved in less than a month… defunded the protection of the vast majority of the poorest citizens living in the highest crime area’s.. now amplify that by five hundred or a thousand times..more chaos…
      We have dumbed down our children .. they have not seen tough times or had to work hard to get what they want.. we sold that off to another country to be the industrial giants of today over greed of income and cheaper products..
      https://youtu.be/VUBY6bMZn8w
      https://youtu.be/NZ-o1N2swMw
      NOW imagine IF.. all those illegals smuggled over the border in the dead of night .. are in fact what the countries leaders have told us they were going to do actually did it with the administrations assistance.. pandemonium, mass murders, no police, and very few skills other than flipping a burger or punching a keyboard…
      If that doesn’t scare you in the slightest.. you sure are not paying any attention..

    • Pathfinder Bob,

      Venezuela? One imagines there will be laptops of intrigue to observe as the Russian diaspora and Venezuelans tutor honest Northerners in the arts of corruption.

      How will negotiators tiptoe around the Venezuelan 100% government-owned oil sector under PDVSA which owns 100% of Houston-headquartered Citgo. Where are Citgo remittances to Caracas being held pending resolution of US sanctions that followed 2018 Venezuelan election tiff? Holding 49.9% of PDVSA debt, surely Mr. Putin will be extending kindly offers via the Rosneft reps at the negotiating table? Free lubricant product with every fill upon presentation of valid WH id at their local retailer?

      Hold the start of this movie, please! Gotta’ butter up the popcorn!

  25. “(Persona A on social, persona B in VR, persona C in chat, persona D on Zoom, persona E on phone, persona F in email, and so forth…)”

    That’s me. I am normally introverted, and probably sound like an imbecile in face-to-face speech, until I get to know the people around me (then I sound exactly like I do on the Internet, only more-spontaneous – and profane), but when I was dealing with the public I put on a completely different, and outgoing persona, was friendly, joking, familiar, and spoke in this silky-smooth and really sexy voice — kinda like an NPR dude, only smoother and without the patronizing platitude or attitude. It took me years to figure out why I could pick up girls easily, but only form relationships with the ones who were bat-shit crazy.

    Honesty rulez…

    • This is the reason I love writing. Public speaking is terrifying to me – and imagining everyone “nekkid” doesn’t help at all. With writing you can have unlimited “do overs” thanks to the Backspace and Delete keys while trying out different word usages and patterns. Not something I do on the fly at all.

      • I placed 3rd in the State in the HS oratorical contest. That didn’t help me a damn’ bit, as a grownup… Just taught me how to wade through the bullshit of the political animals to see if they were ever actually saying anything. ANYBODY can give a speech off a crib note or teleprompter. The guy or gal who can give one, mic in-hand, while strolling the stage and looking at their audience is the one with the 7- or 8-figure income, because that’s the one with the necessary skill to be a successful salesman or marketer…

      • “Public speaking is terrifying to me – and imagining everyone “nekkid” doesn’t help at all.”

        I hear ya Bill… Loud and Clear.. there wouldn’t be anything more embarassing than to be in front of a crowd and seeing a cutey in the front row and getting little willie all reared up and thinking for itself LOL.. the little guy can make sure everyone would notice..

  26. “Here’s the design question: Will said automatic opener/closers work when mounted horizontally or do they work only in the vertical orientation?”

    If powered, yes.

    If not powered, they depend on a charged-gas cylinder (thermal), or a fan (passive), to open, and gravity (the weight of the pane or louvers) to close, so they must be oriented a single way.

    Frankly I can’t think of any reason to mount one horizontally, unless you’re going to use it as an airfoil so wind can suck the hot air out more-quickly, and in that case you’d have to roof-over it, to keep rain water from screwing with your established ph balances.

  27. Does the opening in your roof need to be so large? Recreational vehicles have many smaller fans which are temperature sensitive, operate automatically by solar power, and are relatively inexpensive. They all operate in a horizontal position.

  28. “Gas powered drones, four missiles and more…yeah, you can betchertass China is watching and thinking things through…”

    Stopped in at my favorite eating spot.. all the young ladies that were working as waitresses.. GONE…. I asked the one young woman working there.. the young girls are members of the family all from china.. I had let the one I always have know that if it got ugly I would give her shelter at least as long as it was safe.. anyway.. they are all from Beijing and they are all gone.. their parents called them back to china.. working as waiters is men..
    I was in a store to pick up banana’s.. the store manager and I were talking.. I couldn’t find one item on the grocery list.. he said get bread or flour.. seems our wheat comes from.. guess where.. and they can’t get anything in from the warehouse.. along with many other products.. …
    then to top it off.. china is now questioning what was being developed at all those bio warfare labs.. and since we keep moving in they are now doing war drills..

  30. Yo G, the Pfizer filing (form 25) was for maturing bonds and not a delisting of the company, screwed the pooch on this one. Trying to pre-empt the blow back from previous post.

  31. so good to see the new brain dead gold investors . yeeeehhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddddd.. give em a mushroom cloud

    • Hey Lenny – the yellow brick road has many twists and turns but always winds up in the same place – last man standing.

  35. Hey. Seeing Mr. Burgess offering above I think he may have the answer for your application.

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