The Weekly Watch

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Seeking Balance

This week Max and Stacy have been discussing the coming digital currency on the Keiser Report. They suggest the IMF will digitize money to cover all the printing and central bank bailouts. As Max and Stacy often say, "You can't taper a Ponzi scheme". Stock trader, Greg Mannarino, has been saying he thinks the Fed will issue its own digital currency, but perhaps the plan is to work in conjunction with the IMF. The meme has been "money printer goes brrr", yet it seems eventually the piper must be paid. The idea of digital dollars which WILL track every transaction isn't a pleasant thought to me.

plunder.png


It is a question of When the system will collapse, not if it will collapse?

We are piling up massive deficits and neglecting our basic infrastructure, including electrical grids, roads, bridges and public transportation, to spend more on our military that all the other major powers on Earth combined. We are the world’s largest producer and exporter of arms and munitions. The virtues we argue we have a right to impose by force on others — human rights, democracy, the free market, the rule of law and personal freedoms — are mocked at home where grotesque levels of social inequality and austerity programs have impoverished most of the public, destroyed democratic institutions, including Congress, the courts and the press, and created militarized forces of internal occupation that carry out wholesale surveillance of the public, run the largest prison system in the world and gun down unarmed citizens in the streets with impunity.

https://scheerpost.com/2020/10/19/chris-hedges-the-politics-of-cultural-...
Author, activist and dissident Chris Hedges spoke at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy NY on October 16, 2020. In this talk he examines the cultural and social forces that have given rise to extremism in the United States. He explores the myriad of factors that led to the proliferation of neo-fascist militias, extremist organizations, demagogic leaders, vast social divides defined by hate, a hyper nationalism and virulent racism as well as a mass media that has descended into burlesque and fans the flames of social disintegration. Meghan Marohn moderates a Q&A following the talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxSN4ip_F6M (2 hours)

I had to buy some bulbs for my tail light the other day. When he handed them to me I noticed they were made in China, and said, "I guess most of your parts come from China?"
He replied, "All we make in the US is trash and babies".
To which I said, "Oh no, we are the world's leading manufacturer and exporter of weapons, violence, and war."
Which brought no reply...

The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world’s leading arms dealer. It dominates the global trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the endlessly war-torn Middle East. There, believe it or not, the U.S. controls nearly half the arms market. From Yemen to Libya to Egypt, sales by this country and its allies are playing a significant role in fueling some of the world’s most devastating conflicts.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176761/

War is the US' actual economic machine, so the collapse might be a good thing. Sadly there will be plenty of collateral damage. Inequality has never been so extreme, and it is perpetrated, exaggerated across the system from media to the the injustice system.

corporate media—whose owners are overwhelmingly from the class that would be paying a wealth tax—are returning to throw cold water on the idea, after successfully sidelining the candidates who most enthusiastically promoted taxing the wealthy during the Democratic primaries this year.

https://scheerpost.com/2020/10/22/its-no-surprise-corporate-media-abhors...

The United States legal system, it turns out, is nothing more than an enabler of greed that has turned American society into a depraved playground for the decrepit rich. That’s the devastating lesson found in the pages of attorney and literary agent Ronald Goldfarb’s latest book, The Price of Justice: Money, Morals and Ethical Reform in the Law. In the latest installment of Scheer Intelligence, Goldfarb joins host Robert Scheer to discuss his book, which Scheer describes as “scathing in its indictment of the corrupt legal profession where too often profit smothers commitment to justice in criminal or civil jurisprudence.”

(audio or text)
https://scheerpost.com/2020/10/23/ronald-goldfarb-americas-prized-legal-...

Consider the story of Steve Donziger.

Donziger was charged with misdemeanor civil contempt for refusing New York Judge Lewis A. Kaplan’s orders to turn over to Chevron his client communications—which would force him to violate attorney-client privilege— his personal electronics, his passport and to cease trying to collect the $9.5 billion from Chevron for his Indigenous clients. As a result, he has had his law license revoked and has been confined under house arrest in New York since August, 2019, wearing an ankle tracking bracelet. He is buoyed by the support of 29 Nobel laureates and 475 lawyers and legal organizations that issued statements of support, along with countless other supporters.

https://scheerpost.com/2020/10/16/steve-donziger-how-big-oil-weaponized-...
(audio or text)

While The Nation, The Intercept and Courthouse News Service have reported on Donziger’s current legal battle, no major mainstream publication has touched it.
“Corporate influence over our federal judiciary has increased dramatically in recent years,” Donziger said. “This firm [Chevron] has captured an element of power from the government and deployed it against a human rights activist.”
He continues...
“I cannot get a fair trial with a judge appointed by Judge Kaplan rather than though the random assignment process,” he lamented. “I cannot get a fair trial with a prosecutor whose law firm [has worked] for Chevron. These are egregious conflicts of interest. It’s misconduct on a grand scale. I’ve been locked up four times as long as the longest sentence ever imposed on a lawyer for criminal contempt in New York. Anyone who cares about the rule of law should be appalled.”

https://scheerpost.com/2020/08/25/how-corporate-tyranny-works/

At least there was some good news this week with the election in Bolivia reversing the US coup created last year. Max and some of the grayzone staff were election observers. Max reports on his experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4UWcAxPgUY (36 min)

Finding Balance

So how do you find balance in a collapsing empire? One way is with humor...

(7 min)

(10 min)

Perhaps we are out of electromagnetic balance. Have you heard of "Grounding"?

Earthing, also known as grounding, is simply reconnecting to the Earth's healing energy. How do you ground? It is very simple; you've no doubt done it before! Walk barefoot in the grass, sand, dirt or on concrete. Like your body, these are conductive surfaces and the Earth's energy flows through them and into your body. Wood, asphalt, and vinyl, are not conductive. You can also connect to the Earth's energy by using simple barefoot substitutes. Barefoot substitutes consist of mats, bands, patches, and sheets, that when connected to the ground port of a grounded home or office outlet with a simple cord, connects you to the Earth's energy via the ground wire of the outlet.

The Earthing Movie: The Remarkable Science of Grounding (full documentary 1.25 hours)

Some people choose to reconnect with nature and themselves with psychedelics.
This was a new drug to me...Ayahausa.
The Nature of Ayahuasca (2019) Documentary (1 hour)

Music is another technique to find some balance. Yesterday QMS asked me what I've been listening to, and the answer is "Rising Appalachia". I've watched these two young women (Chloe and Leah) grow into excellent performers. They've been a part of our dance community since they were little kids.

RESILIENT
[Refrain]
I am resilient
I trust the movement
I negate the chaos
Uplift the negative
I’ll show up at the table, again and again and again
I’ll close my mouth and learn to listen

[Hook]
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh

Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh

[Verse 1]
These  times are poignant
The  winds have shifted
It’s all we can do
To stay uplifted
Pipelines through backyards
Wolves howlin' out front
Yeah, I got my crew but truth is what I want

Realigned and on point
Power to the peaceful
Prayers to the waters
Women at the center
All vessels open to give and receive
Let’s see the system brought down to its knees

[Hook]
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh

Ooh, oo-ooh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh
Whoa, whoa, oh-oh

Ooh, oo-oo-oo-ooh
Ooh, oo-oo-oo-ooh
Ooh, oo-oo-oo-ooh

[Verse 2]
I’m made of thunder
I’m made of lightning
I’m made of dirt, yeah
Made of the fine things
My father taught me that I’m a speck of dust
And this world was made for me
So let’s go and try our luck

[Bridge]
I got my roots down, down, down, down, down
Down, down, down, down deep

I got my roots down, down, down
Down, down, down, down
Down, down, down, down deep

I got my roots down (I got my roots down)
Down (I got my roots down)
Down deep (I got my roots down)

I got my roots down (I got my roots down)
Down (I got my roots down)
Down deep (I got my roots down)

[Verse 3]
So what are we doing here? What has been done?
What are you gonna do about it when the world comes undone?
My voice feels tiny and I’m sure so does yours
But put us all together, make a mighty roar
Roar

[Refrain]
I am resilient
I trust the movement
I negate the chaos
Uplift the negative
I’ll show up at the table, again and again and again
I’ll close my mouth and learn to listen

When COVID came it threw the entire world for a loop. We may be entering the darkest phase of the pandemic...(6 min)

Folks we need to stay the course. I'm tired of it all just like you, but I'm going to continue to avoid mixing with people. When I do, I'm going to wear my mask, keep my distance, and stay outside if possible. Like the doctor above says, with the holiday season coming it is going to be difficult to limit gatherings.

This week John Campbell discusses people who have long term effects from COVID.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN8y_VV6a7w (26 min)
https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/long-covid
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/long-haulers-covid-19...

Meanwhile Trump continues holding his spreader events...

stupidman.jpg

I wonder how many people attending his crowded rallies come down with COVID.

Get Back to the Garden

I find balance growing things. This week digging sweet potatoes was like finding buried treasure. Amazingly there was no vole damage. Like Josh I think fall is a great time to garden. Check out his drill driven greens harvester at the start.

Richard Perkins reports on the growth of his no-dig technique...

It's incredible to see our approach to no-dig market gardening ripple out across the globe; here's a small selection of hundreds of the farm's we've influenced to take better care of their soil and ecology when growing vegetables...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3wX09l2w-c (4 min)

When will we get so out of balance that the empire collapses like a house of cards? The sooner the better I think...before we start a major war with China or Russia or Iran or...
My hope is that we fall because of our fiat currency rather than through war, but what will be will be. In the meantime, I hope you all are finding some sort of balance in these odd times. Anybody have a successful technique they want to relay? Other things that come to mind are various forms of meditation, yoga, and so on. So be well, stay healthy physically and mentally, and find joy where you can!

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Comments

Raggedy Ann's picture

Congratulations for speaking out about what American really produces. Although you got no retort, you got the person thinking - they cannot unhear what you said. I need to remember your words and use them myself!

The rise in pandemic cases is a clear sign Americans are still living hedonistically! Really America?

Enjoy the day! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Lookout's picture

@Raggedy Ann

That the virus is a change agent. It certainly is. I think 2020 will be a well remembered year. We've got several months of increasing problems ahead.

I hope your life changes are filled with joy and meaning, and that all is well with you and yours. All the best!

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10 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Raggedy Ann's picture

@Lookout ,
2021 will be a year of chaos as we bring all people together, to unite, and we heal our divisions. This will take us beyond 2021, so keep the hope alive because by 2025, we will be moving in our new paradigm of earth life and transitions into the new consciousness. So exciting!

My life changes came about suddenly, but it was only the universe shaking up my world and telling me there is something new for me around the bend. I can't wait to find out what it will be. I will keep myself free - not tied down to anything or anyone - so that I may be ready to walk down the path intended for my life purpose.

Enjoy the day! Pleasantry

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9 users have voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann

also seeing changes coming down the pike
ready or not, here comes the train
best wishes fellow desperado

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7 users have voted.

@QMS

red neck mothers vote for trump

[video:https://youtu.be/WI1sTyaErW0]

kicking hippies asses and raising hell

yeehaw!

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

When I saw JtC's tribute yesterday. More Texas based than Alabama but still sings strong from my youth. Here's one of Alabama's great troubadours...The Lovesick Blues
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xu71i89xvs]

Edit to add:
I like the Guy Clark song you led with too.

In this classic Country song, Guy Clark tells the story of a boy who idolizes an old man who showed him the ropes. As he watches the man grow older, he sees him become just like all the other old men. Throughout the song, he compares this man and himself to desperados waiting for a train - something that seems exciting and dangerous, but in the end is quite mundane.
In our 2011 interview with Guy Clark, he told us, "It's a true song about someone in my life - I mean, you couldn't have made that up. It's just as true as you could make it. It was about a guy who was like my grandfather. And when I started writing songs, that was one of the songs I knew I was gonna write at some point."

Have a good one!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lookout's picture

@QMS

SPECIAL REPORT: Bank of America AND The Fed. WARN. Mannarino
(15 min but 5 will give you the idea)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V974rbZ-xY]

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

RantingRooster's picture

@Lookout n/t

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C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Lookout's picture

@RantingRooster

That we're about to get screwed yet again.

Hope you're hanging in there. Let me know (PM me) if there's anything I can do to help you.

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Raggedy Ann

of collapsing empires. So is entertainment and diversion.

be well and have a good one

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8 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

Wonder when the train wreck will happen? As I said earlier I hope it is an economic collapse rather than military based.

Have a good one!

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

adjunct to your pithy comment:

"Oh no, we are the world's leading manufacturer and exporter of weapons, violence, and war."

is that we are the number one maker and exporter of WMDs. Although the propagandists use and have used that term to denote oh so scary things like nukes and chemical weapons the real WMD is small arms:

Small arms have a disproportionate impact – while accounting for only one-fifth of the global arms trade, they maim and kill far more than any other conventional weapons. Small arms were the most commonly used weapons - and in some instances the only weapons - used in the 101 conflicts fought worldwide between 1989 and 1996. They are relatively inexpensive, portable and easy to use, and are effortlessly recycled from one conflict or violent community to the next. Their durability perpetuates their lethality. An assault rifle, for example, can be operational for 20 to 40 years with little maintenance.

https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/204/42564.html

Max and Stacy (and everybody else on that bandwagon) to the contrary, digital currencies are doomed except as a speculation vehicle for the rich, they are not for the hoi polloi. We, the people, humankind, sentient life and the globe's ecosystem, cannot afford digital currencies. The energy to account for a single bitcoin transaction is enormous, that required to create a new one is cataclysmic.

A quick glance at current information gives results like 511 KWH for one bitcoin to change hands one time and 72,000 Gigawatts to mine one. These are not full absorption costs, that's just the juice to run the hardware and doesn't include the resources to build and upgrade the ever growing server farms nor the costs of housing them nor, if I am correct, the ever escalating costs of cooling them. Then there is the energy and energy equivalent of the costs to house, feed and clothe those who are doing the work, etc. Just the direct energy consumption of the entire bitcoin netwoek already equals that of countries the size or Switzerland and Ireland and that's just to run the machinery, and the system is designed to require perpetually increasing energy usage.

be well and have a good one

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11 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

and doing away with access to cash. Not saying it will happen...just that the IMF is calling for a new Bretton woods to roll out a "controlled" digital currency....in contrast to bitcoin. https://www.imf.org/external/mmedia/view.aspx?vid=6200738336001

“If you don’t think Central Bank Digital Currencies are coming, you are missing the big and important picture,” Raoul Pal tweeted on Sunday morning. “This is going to be the biggest overhaul of the global financial system since Bretton Woods. This IMF article alludes to a huge change coming, but lacks real clarity outside of allowing much more fiscal stimulus via monetary mechanisms. And tomorrow, the IMF holds a conference on digital currencies and cross-border payment systems…”
https://sharecaster.com/2020/10/19/the-great-financial-reset-imf-managin...

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard provided a broad description of the Fed’s ongoing research and plans in the potential development of a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC), also described in the U.S. as a Digital Dollar. Brainard, who has for years led the discussion at the Fed on distributed ledger technology and digital currencies, noted the Fed is active in conducting research and experimentation in these areas.

In her speech to during Federal Reserve ‘Innovation Office Hours’ at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco today, Brainard noted, “Given the dollar's important role, it is essential that the Federal Reserve remain on the frontier of research and policy development regarding CBDCs. As part of this research, central banks are exploring the potential of innovative technologies to offer a digital equivalent of cash...We are continuing to assess the opportunities and challenges of, as well as the use cases for, a CBDC, as a complement to cash and other payments options.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbrett/2020/08/13/federal-reserve-revea...

I went for metals instead of bitcoin. Prefer things at hand instead of in the innertubes.

Edit to add:

Don't forget they made owning gold illegal...

One of FDR’s first acts as president, therefore, was to declare the fact that Americans were withdrawing their gold and currency from the beleaguered banking system “a national emergency.” He ordered all banks to close from March 6-9 “in order to prevent the export, hoarding, or earmarking of gold or silver coin or bullion or currency.”

Because he believed this action was not sufficient to prevent runs on banks and the resulting drain of gold from the system, on April 5, 1933, one month after taking office, Roosevelt used the powers granted to the president by the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 to make gold ownership illegal. He issued Executive Order 6102, which made gold ownership—both in coins and in bars—illegal for all Americans and punishable by up to ten years in prison. Anyone caught with gold would also have to pay a fine of twice the amount of gold that was not turned over to the Federal Reserve in exchange for paper money.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/when-owning-gold-was-ille_b_10708196

Just saying this digitalization of currency could be a strong form of control.

Thanks for the visit and comment! Hope you have a nice day.

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13 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout
and can't eat gold. So, we eat sweet potatoes and be happy, no? I am happy to emigrate to ape country and eat with my favorite gorillas some other green stuff than dollars.

They will run out of BS.

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Lookout's picture

@mimi

can't eat gold. So, we eat sweet potatoes and be happy, no?

As I'm fond of saying...
Find joy in your family and friends, solace in nature, and treasure every day.
That's real wealth.

Money is a weird concept in general, but when they mess with it, it is weirder yet.

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

purposes. How the hell can one "give a bum a digital dime"? Rebirth of barter on a huge scale, hang on to those taters.

be well and have a good one

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7 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

I need to dust it off again. Kind of a tricky piece with three different melodies...different than my usual folkie material. Who would even bum a dime these days? Everyone wants at least a buck.

All the best!

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCtIEeO-NrY]

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,

When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.

They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,

Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.

Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;

Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,

Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,

Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,

And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.

Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,

Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,

Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,

And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.

Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout
I wanted to be sure the waitperson got it, not the manager and not shared.

Now with the cash shortage, that goes on the credit card too. Doing fewer checks too. More ACH's over the internet. Did one today that's due late next week. It came about a week late. Can't trust that new PMG. Took less time to pay on line than to type this reply.

I used to handle millions in invoices in the '70s for the Navy. it never seemed real. Now, my personal finances are also funny money. Digital cash into the checking account (SS, pension, MRD's) and digital cash out (checks and ACH's). A phrase from an old novel comes to mind. "You could pass the label off an olive oil bottle. It's printed and greasy." I'm old enough to remember silver coins. real silver, not plated (probably alloyed for endurance).

EDIT: As they taught us in High School "Federal Reserve Notes are money because you can pay your taxes with them." Try that with bitcoin. Also, as they told us in Sunday School (paraphrased) "And Jesus said `whose picture is on this coin?' ... Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's"

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3 users have voted.

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

Lookout's picture

@The Voice In the Wilderness

Just from being ornery, I don't care to have my purchases tracked. I go to the ATM and then play cash most of the time. I use a card for on-line purchases and a check for a bill or two...how old timey have checks become? They're a thing of the past barely on life support.

Money is what people think has value. Young folk that have grown up in the digital world are comfortable with crypto like bitcoin. Old foggies like something more tangible like a silver coin. US 1 oz coin is selling for about $30 today. Hit about $120 in '79. We'll see what we see.

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout
There has to be an audit trail for everything.

Young people are entranced by autopay and the only thing they ask about a bank account is "what are the overdraft fees". I'm 75 and I haven't had an overdraft in my entire LIFE. It used to be a criminal offense.
The only thing paid automatically is my mortgage. The same bank has my checking account and my mortgae. A few years ago they reorganized. Now my account is debited on the st and the mortgage credited on the 3rd. And I pay three days extra interest. when I yook out the loan it eas supposed to be no interest if paid by the 7th. Citibank which a friend calls "shittybank". The major alternative is Chase, OMG! The Land of the Fee.

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2 users have voted.

I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

magiamma's picture

and all

Here on the left coast we are about to take off. Hang on to your hats.

Red Flag Warning, High Wind Watch And PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff Updates For City Of Fremont

A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are happening now or will occur in the near future. A combination of low relative humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Dry conditions make for easier fire starts and create potential for the rapid spread of fire. A High Wind Watch is issued when the following conditions are possible: 1) sustained winds of 40 mph or higher for one hour or more OR 2) wind gusts of 58 mph or higher for any duration.

This is our normal high-fire-danger month.

Take good care, all.

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Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

Lookout's picture

@magiamma

I feel for you all. We had 0.5 inches last night and a hurricane is due here on Thursday with 2-4 inches.

Anyone in denial of climate chaos simply isn't looking.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

late November, but in spurts, fits and starts, except in some el niño years.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

Winter is our wet season too. Our typical rainfall is 52" or so, but of late we've been trending over 60 or even 70 inches per year. Now next year it could shut off. We've had years where even the river went dry.

Wishing y'all well out on the left coast!

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

It was 30 degrees this morning which is 10-15 degrees colder than normal. At 1st the storm was supposed to be a weather maker, then it started getting walked back to not so much, errr less now to never mind. But here is what lake effect looks like. I have driven in storms where one minute you're in sunshine and the next you're in a white out.

radar_ogden.jpg
radar_wasatchfront.jpg

The weather service is warning of a "widespread hard freeze" on Monday, with forecast Monday morning lows of 21 degrees in Salt Lake City, 17 in Ogden, 19 in Provo, 14 in Cedar City, and just 5 degrees in Logan.

The west coast is in La Nina and the map I saw had Utah as being warmer and drier this winter. Hard to believe that we had the 2nd wettest spring in history. Our monsoon season has basically dried up from my memories of sitting in a hot tub on the North bench watching as thunderstorms rolled in over the Great Salt Lake. The water is getting so low that it is going to affect the ski season soon if they don't stop the water flowing into it. If the lake continues to recede then the dust will blow on whatever snow we get melting it faster.

It was around this time many moons ago that SLC got hit with a massive storm. I was listening to the radio about it and they were telling people to stay home. I looked out and there was but a skiff so I merrily jaunted down to SLC and boy should I have stayed home. Lake effect dumbed 4 feet on SLC. Finally getting to the office to have the boss tell me to go home. Ha ha... but it all melted by noon and that's another story.

3.5 inches halfway up the Bountiful bench with it still falling. After the dry summer, I'll take anything I can get.

Not a cloud in the sky in Ogden.

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9 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

from here on out I'm afraid. As Earl Butz once said to farmers...adapt or die.

I reckon that's the way of it for us all now.

Hope you are well. Have you got any dogs now? So sorry about Charlie. We're currently dogless waiting on our old cat to move on before getting another.

Hope you have a good week. Stay warm!

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

RantingRooster's picture

$3.55 BTC right now. lol, I'm sooo fucked...

Where the fuck are the Replicators? God Damn Star Trek, fucked up my childhood, leading me to believe humanity was on the right trek... Crazy

Hey everybody, stay safe and be well.

Drinks

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8 users have voted.

C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Lookout's picture

@RantingRooster

and sold them (at a little profit) to buy metal. Decided I'm more comfortable holding an asset. But hey I'm just a retired teacher, not a big roller. We've been careful and stayed debt free which made all the difference for us.

wishing you the best!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

RantingRooster's picture

@Lookout I do video streaming with, turned me onto a "app" and I got $3.00 in BTC free. I was like, ok, maybe it's a way to learn about it?

We've been looking into and evaluating LivePeer, a block Chain video streaming technology.
Thebeast.jpg
The big box with the big fans, in the lower right side of the pic is the "streaming machine". We were running 4 HD cameras at 1080P, 60fps, as well as board audio, mixing it all together, and the CPU usage was barely hitting 1.2%. The guy IS a fricking super genius I tell ya.

I wish I could afford a couple crypto minning computers. He's got, I think 4 machines, dedicated to crypto mining and is cranking out about 3-5 dollars a day, all running off a solar energy system he built and installed himself. Zero grid energy. (Nice name for a business no?)

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5 users have voted.

C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Lookout's picture

@RantingRooster

Of some young folks visiting a deserted logging town in remote Canada. There was an un-used hydroplant there and evidently a couple of people tapped into it to use it for mining bitcoin. And sorry I mis-read your comment. I was thinking you had 3.5 bitcoins which is $36,000 or so. I was thinking hey there's you a nest egg for sure.

I once had about 3 btc - bought in at $3000, sold at $7000, and felt pretty good about the trade. Now I wish I had held on, but did shift into metals which has also done well....and easier to trade with here in the boonies.

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

RantingRooster's picture

@Lookout no no no, just $3.00 lol.

I have more spare change stashed for emergencies than BTC lol.

Just a heads up on the Metals Market, JPMorgan was indicted under the RICO act for rigging the precious metals markets. Crazy

Two current precious metals traders and one former trader in the New York offices of a U.S. bank (Bank A) were charged in an indictment unsealed today for their alleged participation in a racketeering conspiracy and other federal crimes in connection with the manipulation of the markets for precious metals futures contracts, which spanned over eight years and involved thousands of unlawful trading sequences.

There's nothing quite like a friend to poop in your coffee no? Apologies, but I thought you should know.

Drinks

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3 users have voted.

C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Lookout's picture

@RantingRooster

Since we went off the gold standard in '71.

gold.png
https://www.macrotrends.net/1333/historical-gold-prices-100-year-chart

silver.png

https://www.macrotrends.net/1470/historical-silver-prices-100-year-chart

In both cases the big peak is about '79

JPMorgan Chase & Co. admitted wrongdoing and agreed to pay more than $920 million to resolve U.S. authorities' claims of market manipulation in the bank’s trading of metals futures and Treasury securities over an eight-year period, the largest sanction ever tied to the illegal practice known as spoofing.

https://www.inquirer.com/business/jpmorgan-chase-bank-gold-silver-prices...

I'm aware no rain on my parade...doing better than a bank account for sure. Not sure about the market vs metals, but I'm pretty certain we're due a major market crash in the near term.

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”