Thought Provoking

[MetalMeister]

Nah.

Didn't keep me busy but for about a minute.  I have already seen that video some time ago.  The fact that there are counterfeits is an old story.  None of those counterfeits had any real impact on history. 

But the one true God has had an impact on history for at least 6,000 years now and 2,000 years, clearly, since the birth and death of Christ.

Here is one that you might ponder for quite sometime:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRk4ZBCxO3s&feature=related

Also the website:

http://www.bethlehemstar.net/

[sidewinder]

Can't believe I watched all that and got nothing from it other than the guy's a lawyer and he has the answers after 2000 years. 

I have about two pages of notes I made during all that but can't see any purpose in sharing it.  Like many others before him, he has a good game going on.  That's my opinion.  In order to buy anything he say other than the astronomy first you must believe the bible is something other than here say.  Sorry.

Make sure you read the book on Keynes It explains much. 

[MetalMeister]

Well, I did a little looking around because I was not satisfied either.

I guess I just need more scientific evidence and the video did not do it for me.

Then I found a wiki page about the star of Bethlehem:

http://creationwiki.org/Star_of_Bethlehem

Then found a reference, that did not work, in that wiki page to Baltimore Sun article and on the second page:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2007-12-25/news/0712250125_1_star-of-bethlehem-wise-men-king-herod

there is mentioned a scientist by the name of Roger W. Sinnot:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/about/generalinfo/3305191.html?page=1&c=y

Seems that Mr. Sinnot traced interesting things in the sky to 2 B.C.

Rick Larson, in that video, does not supply much of the math or where he is computing all of this.

However, Mr. Sinnot is altogether another story.

What I want to know is how do they track all this stuff back 50 years, or 1000 years, 0r 200 years?

But apparently Sinnot the scientist and Larson (maybe) the lawyer do it.

Then there seems to be the issue about Herod's date of death...

Worth investigating all this to find out how...

And then there are these scientists who apparently recognize such an event:

http://www.askelm.com/star/star001.htm

But is the year wrong?

[sidewinder]

I don't doubt the astronomy part, today's computing power could certainly roll the sky back in time with a good program. 

So, what if the celestial alignment occured?  What does it prove?  because two celestial bodies due to alignment would appear as one bright star still leaves far too much to assumption. 

The guy in that video postulates the people could view the stars better that us because they didn’t have smog.  How can he say that?  (I guess ‘cause he’s a lawyer and obfuscation is his business)  Have you ever been near or in a large village where the inhabitants are 3rd world.  They burn more shit than the Division Headquarters latrine detail.  Charcoal, coal, wood, anything that will burn, just to cook and warm the hooch.  Imagine a large city or even a small one in ancient times simply going about life.  No smog, yea, right.   

I think you know me at least well enough YC that I am not beating up on you but I just don't buy into guys with these religious revelations.  Every single one I have encountered in a long life have always turned out to be simply BS.  I personally know 4 guys making a living at religion.  Known them all my life since childhood.  In private when I press the issue they all admit "hey it's a living."  This does not mean these guys are not good men and intend good for their parrish.  But as I have iterated to each one "if there is a hell, you in deep shit"  Or maybe not;  blind faith seems to be the ticket.  I believe there is a God but that's it.  No secrets, no mystery, no contradictions. 

[MetalMeister]

I think the guy should just have left it at no city lights.

I can drive out into the country 30-40 miles from where I live and the sky is unbelievable without all the city lights around.  Great place to take a chick!  Romance doesn't get much better than when it's under stars with no city lights around.  I prefer fall when the temperatures are dropping and less bugs are out there.  Just take the blanket into a corn field and do some star gazing!  Anyway, works for me!

I would say if it's just a living to them that they are in deep doo doo.  I don't believe in blind faith, there's just way too much evidence to the contrary for one to need to be blind.  Problem is most never hear about the evidence.  Now I will admit there are secrets and mysteries in Christianity but there are no contradictions.  It's like the mysteries and secrets about the end times.  All the prophecies seem to point to a time very much like these days and the secrets and mysteries take a lot of work to uncover before, during, or after they happen.  Like right now and the Obama is the anti-Christ deal.  There is just way too much math supporting that beast to be coincidental.  Someone could have figured out 10 years ago who he was and maybe someone did but no one really announced it until just before he was elected.

We all like a good mystery thriller!!  So let's get some well buttered popcorn and corn chips and SS can bring the Jack Daniels and sit back and watch this mystery unfold.

[sidewinder]

This is the umpteenth time I have heard all the comparisons of current conditions to "end times"  in over 60 years none panned out as we are still here.  Same as speculations on anti-Christ.  I will admit that in order to get hyped up about it first you must subscribe to some religion or the other which I do not so from my perspective it's little more than cocktail talk.   

Obama is just a smart mulatto kid who fit the bill for political objectives of so called "progressives" a new word for the likes of Fabian Socialist.  Actually many Democrats fit the description quite well and socialism has been alive and well here at least since FDR.  But anti-Christ is quite a stretch IMHO. Again, first one would have subscribe to that particular version of religious theory.  Offhand I would say that Obama is no anti-Christ although he may have sympathy towards the Islamic crowd due to circumstances of his childhood.  He is just a lefty in way over his head and really unqualified for the position.  With trusted advisors who have agendas including theoretical social justice and such the whole crowd will likely be thrown out in 2012.  So, not to worry ........ UNLESS ....... BIG TIME Black swan   then all bets are off.   This generation of Americans have already demonstrated after 9-11 that they are will to give up freedoms for the perception and warm feeling of security at the hands of the Federal government. 

I think we are in a period of economic decline that will last for some time.  The reason is again government in markets and made up of politicians trying to make a name for themselves and guarantee their re-election to the detriment of the Republic.  This too will pass with time.  There is still enough "American Spirit" remaining in the country who really do understand what America means and at some point they will prevail and put us back on the right course. 

Until then just enjoy all the market volatility and make lots of $$ playing the oh so obvious game. It really is almost a joke.  They are driving all sorts of otherwise sensible people into the jaws of the market with these ridiculous policies. 

I heard now the Democrats want to give $50,000 no interest loans to people underwater on their mortgages to be drawn on like a credit line to pay house payments and property tax.  How friggin crazy is that? These will be of course, no recourse loans which will be available ONLY to those already months behind on house payments.   So now if you are upside down on your house you can first play the show me the note game and buy 12-18 months in the house without making payments.  Now the government will just extend by two years that time so in effect one can get 3-3.5 years in their same house without paying anything other than utilities and then just walk away on the upside down property.  If you happen to be unemployed you can pay the utilities with that for what seem forever as Congress keeps extending it so my question to anyone who is way upside down on the house is ..... why work? why are you still making house payments?  and why worry.  You can take a 3 year vacation before it gets to be crunch time. Meanwhile, in lieu of $1500 each month buy an ounce of gold.  By the time this all shakes out you will have live 3+ years for practically nothing and have 36 oz of gold which by then may be worth 90-100K.  More than most will need to start over. 

I'm not saying this is the thing to do from a moral standpoint but you can bet the farm that many in that situation will do just that, and morals aside I won't blame them one bit.  We have idiots calling the shot so anything is possible.  Honestly, it's wide open for speculation as to what the morons running things will do next.  Public confidence in government (all of them) just HAS to be at some low.  If not all time low.  i would look for surprise after surprise over the next 10 years.     

[sidewinder]

I will add, that since I retired and no longer have the distraction of the day to day grind making a living and trying to stay one step in front of assault after assault by the company on my wage I can see all this happening as in slow motion.  Naturally, I have given myself quite an intense, accelerated education in markets, economics, survival, history and physics.  I have to say the past 3+ years have been the greatest learning experience I have ever been involved in.  College, Military flight school, war college, all the airline training pale in comparison to the last 3 years as far as enlightenment is concerned. 

I grew up in a farming environment so I have a little understanding of how to grow things and get the most out of animals.  This  past year I learned to construct solar heating and power from almost nothing in parts.  Now i am finding ways to store energy and rebuild batteries so no matter what I can keep some comfort no matter what.  Military skills never will disappear as I relive much of that everyday that passes (maybe that's PTS) so I don't feel that threatened.  And if it really became necessary, becoming aggressive is always an option. 

I don't PLAN to use any of the above as I hope the world will come to its senses and this will all just be a lesson in economics but I have never in my life had this nagging feeling that something is just not right as I have over the last 4 years.   We shall see.   

The thing I recommend YC is to have your priorities in order about the future.  I realize faith is paramount to many and in fact they claim it is the number one priority.  It would be a shame to find out what's on the "other side" prematurely because of effort wasted in finding out WHY?  At the most critical time why is not important. 

Well, so much for now the late shows come on in a few minutes and the futures are down 1.77% for today and I'm just waiting to get back in.
 
Oh, I don't particularly like Glenn Beck but he was quite good last week with his history lesson.  The guy should be teaching history.  As I said don't particularly like the guy's melodramatic style but he has started making some good points lately.  Like 'em or not I do watch all of them occasionally, from Hannity to Oberlman and even the dyke Maddow can be interesting so I give them all equal time.  Beck has come a long ways though. 
 

[MetalMeister]

My money is on the black swan event.

Did you see my new Hindenburg Omen thread?

I do not see any way possible for the world financial system to recover itself.

If you do then lay it out there for me!

There is no way to cover BP if it goes bankrupt.  How will they keep it afloat?  More FED and country's central bank guarantees that the people will "cover" all the bad derivatives if another oil giant takes it over?

At some point the people just rise up and kill anyone that says the word "bailout".

6-7 months ago I got rid of my cable TV hence no nothing because I will not hook up an antenna to watch the networks.  Gone.  Finito!

I catch Beck once in a while if someone references a video or transcript but for the most part I know all the history and what I don't I get from other sources.

I even though about paying the monthly fee for Beck's website and live streaming or whatever and said "nah!!!"

The internet has way too many resources for free out there to be enslaved to cable tv and the networks.  Will not give them the privilege of getting my cash every month.

What has changed since doing that?  I get all the same news in a fraction of the time.  My house is more quiet.  I read a lot of books now both real books and books online of which there are a tremendous amount free in libraries.

I am finding out that many movies that I purchase or would purchase are out there for free anyway so live and learn.

Anyway, back to the end times...

There is no amount of printed money going to hold this system up much longer...

It's over IMHO.

I have 50K I intend to put in junk silver in the next 30 days and then that's pretty much it for me.  No more screwing around I'm working the farm as much as I can.  Going to get several animals next month and I already found a farm kid to watch over them when I am gone.

18 more months and you will not even recognize this country.  Oooops!  Make that 22 more months.

I say by June 2012, no one is going to want to be here.

But that's just me and my take on things the way I see them going down. 

I read somewhere a little while earlier this evening that Cramer has a 10-12 stocks sure to beat the Hindenburg Omen.

Well, if Jim Cramer has found a way to beat it then you can rest assured a disaster is coming and soon!  LOL

[MetalMeister]

Now this is fun times coming from out of Boston:

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/%22enron-accounting%22-has-bankrupted-america-u.s.-deficit-really-202-trillion-kotlikoff-says-535354.html?tickers=udn,tlt,tbt,uup,TIP,^gspc,GLD&sec=topStories&pos=9&asset=&ccode=

[sidewinder]

Most of the money lost in the depression was in the bond market not the stock market.  Yet, all the bond futures have gone up with the 30 year up around 20% since April.  I personally would have no part of it. 

Kotlikoff makes some sense.  You know you will only get what TPTB want the perception to be truth is not important and “it all depends on how you look at it”. The basis of all the government numbers is the key and they don’t seem right. 

Mike Montagne’s MPE keeps me thinking.  Notice the Fed rates are at or near zero which in effect eliminates usury for the overnight window.  That started as we hit bottom and seems to have saved the scheme for a while now.  You know, this is all so big and so much money involved if you control the source you CAN prolong the game for a while.  The question is how long is a while.  There are some people who must be on pins and needles constantly just praying for conditions to remain favorable and no big events which will upset the cart.  You may recall I have said many time that Bernanke et al are standing astride a razor blade with the dollar and the markets.  Take a pick.  And the balancing act goes on.  This takes a lot of cooperation at the highest levels.  Doesn’t mean the highest levels really know or understand what’s taking place though.  Even more reason to become guarded as an individual. 

Certainly some kind of termination to all this has to take place but remember my mantra “things are not always as they appear”  When you consider the history of the world this is not that unusual and man simply picked up the pieces and progressed.  I too believe that failure is unavoidable but it may actual take some time or a final “push” over the edge.  There are just so many things going on right now.  I remember reading somewhere that near the end of this cycle things may actually seem to become compressed, as though time speeds up.  I see a lot of things happening quickly but at the same time this all seems in slow motion.  I guess when you live history it’s different than reading about it in a book. 

I don’t believe you will hurt yourself with the silver other than a security issue, be careful.  Junk silver is the way to go IMHO for “getting by”.
 
In the event of some mass upset, I have plans to stay in place for 6 months if the security of the area is manageable by ME.  If security is a risk I can bug out and be self sufficient maybe 3 months before expending anything.  That gives me time to see how the family responds and adapts and also make some decision on longer term lifestyle.  Then, if it’s bad enough I can fly anything I can get cranked.  LOL.  Partial to fast twin engine jets to put a lot of distance between me and whatever real fast. 

I spent a day with a South Vietnamese Major who was, like me, rated in numerous fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft.  When Saigon fell he with others moved into the delta and was 40 or so miles south of Saigon.  As everything fell apart we all can remember the helicopters being pushed overboard on many ships standing offshore.  He hung in until being captured and spent 19 years in a “re-education camp”.  I asked him why the hell he didn’t grab something that flew and get the hell out.  He said his family was stuck in Saigon and he could just not bring himself to leave them.  For this he gets 19 years learning to be a good commie and when they let him out he had no papers and spent another 10 years moving village to village because as soon as the people found out he was former VNAF they ran him and his family off.  Most of those in the North came down and simply took what they wanted.  I met very few original “Southerners” in South Vietnam in the many trips I made there over the last 5 years at the airline.  It really parallels the south in the days of reconstruction after the Civil War.  Not that we face anything like that but it speaks volumes about having a plan and having your family onboard with any plan in the event of big time break down. 
I’m not anyway near some panic mode but it is foolish and irresponsible to not have considered what you would do in several scenarios.  So anyone reading this …………  this is not gloom and doom from my standpoint but simply a reminder that anything can happen and things are not all that good right now.  So , this is as good a time as any to re-evaluate your sustainability in the case of some break down. 
I got a little drill Saturday night actually Sunday morning.  About 12:30 in the morning I heard a big BOOM and all the power went off.  My family room is in the back of the house and I had the back door open and lights in the pool and patio area on as we had just had a birthday party.   The noise came from what seemed like the back and there were some power workers working on the power line just off my property the day before.  The first thing that came into my mind was they screwed something up and the transformer blew.  I went outside and nothing appeared wrong.  I then went out front to see if it was just my house or were others out.  Sure enough all the houses on my little grid were dark but up the street the lights were on.  We have underground power lines and there is a transformer sitting in my neighbor’s front sidewalk.  I looked next door and the transformer was off the foundation and lying on its side.  I had my flashlight and phone with me and as I walked up to the box I could see tire marks on the curb leading right to the transformer.  Some drunk I guess had hit the box and kept going.  I called the non-emergency number and informed the police who patched me through to the power company.  I told them what happened and even gave them the transformer number and location number.  It still took 4.5 hours for the box to get replaced.  Actually not bad considering they had to replace the entire unit.  Meanwhile some of the neighbors started streaming outside “what’s going on” ?  Of course there was a little neighborhood outing for a few minutes and I came back to the house, cranked my generator, made a pot of coffee and finished watching the replay of the Bristol race.  I delayed the generator for about 20 minutes but as the family was adjusting to the darkness and quiet I got to thinking how much was on the computer that I don’t have a hard copy of.  Of course I only need to power up the computers and printer to get what I might need but still what if?  I have just printed a couple of my “manuals” just in case and will print other stuff I may think I need and place it in my “bug out” trailer just in case.
 
Alright, time to go play market guru.  The ES is taking a bounce here at 6AM EDT so I will be waiting for another short entry but we may get a bounce this morning from the looks of it.  Have seen them run it up just before the open like this in order the whack it good on the open, sort of like a big wind up.  It’s down until it ain’t.  Dow futures are on the line of death if you ask me right now.  We have a week to go and if it closes here or lower on the monthly its more downside.  The next 7 days will be critical for direction.     

[MetalMeister]

An you think it's bad in Nevada!!

Check out my home state...

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/illinois-bankrupt


Here is a good site for the real news.  I got the above from this list:

http://thetruthwins.com/archives/40-bizarre-statistics-that-reveal-the-horrifying-truth-about-the-collapse-of-the-u-s-economy


Which came from the site:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/index.html

[sidewinder]

thanks for the links.  Interesting sites.   

[sidewinder]

Here ya go YC.   ..................  Doomsday alogrythm...     right up yer alley ... Impress your friends.
 
http://rudy.ca/doomsday.html

[sidewinder]

Can't get the RFID thing out of my head.   Just saw a guy who implanted one at home so only he can open his locks and use computers and such.  Pretty smart guy but a real geek.  Actually his setup make lots of sense.  

Now here is another possible use for these tags a bit more sinister.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XXaqraF7pI

Have been busy lately learning to design my own printed circuit boards and knowing everything possible about batteries.  Reason is to monitor everything about battery banks on solar systems.  the maint. gets old and a good monitoring system is worth a lot IMHO.  Also you can control state of charge etc among other things.  That's what led me back into the world of RFID.  I may experiment with this a bit. I see people all the time paying 60K for solar systems and have no clue what they are doing.  Usually the result is ending up with a very expensive system and getting somewhere between 30-60% out of the potential.  This technology is right now is far from idiot proof and many of the idiots are selling and installing.  Shame, It can really be a solution for much of our energy needs.  I have some ideas how to overcome many of these problems but for now I will just withhold those thoughts until I can prove it to myself.  

And then there's this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X034R3yzDhw&feature=related


But, the fascinating thing to me is all the thing that can be done via RFID AND the multitude of attacks via RFID as well.  Even simple hacks to create a denial of service on tags is so simple.  99.5% of people are just not aware.  There is a company selling non-conductive cloth to line pockets to protect any who understand the possible threat and are paranoid enough. 

[sunseeker]

Hi SW
When I worked in the electrical/electronics industry someone brought a copy of “Electronics Workbench” back from Saudi Arabia. It was very good then, and I am sure that they've improved it very much since then. It's an invaluable tool for anyone intrested in electronics. Drag and drop componants, conections and test equipment down onto the your screen.You can put together circuits on screen and see how or if they work. Sometimes the circuit still needs a bit of tweeking as small differencies (tolerances) in componants effect the outcome to a greater or lesser degree (the difference between the theory and real life). It's an excellent starting point though. Now I think that there's even the facility to produce the pattern for the printed circuit board when you're satisfied with the result.

http://www.electronicsworkbench.com/
http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/202311

Printed circuit boards at home.
http://www.riccibitti.com/pcb/pcb.htm

After reading my own post offline I had a flash back memory moment.
Permanent marking pen ink     (http://www.staedtler.co.uk/Lumocolor_permanent_markers_uk.Staedtler?ActiveID=23191)
is resisant to the ferric chloride etching solution, and can be used draw on the copper clad board directly or to go over the thinner track lines which can easily lost in the etching process.

The RS and Farnell Electronics catalogues are invaluable sources of information.
There is an IC/Microprocessor (or a combination of them) to build anything. You don't need to have  much componant level knowledge, unless you're a chip designer/developer. That's why I moved out of the industry (nearly 8 years ago now).
 
http://www.rs-components.com/index.html
http://www.newark.com
http://onecall.farnell.com/

The "full version" catalogues (hard copy or on disc) give full and detailed descriptions/specifications of the componants and their uses.

Whilst waiting on the airport to meet someone flying in from Australia, I saw a leaflet on one of the airport desks:
Tag n Traq
http://www.calluma.com/tagntraq.aspx

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/columnists/2497709/50-top-packing-tips.html

“You may be able to locate lost luggage more quickly by using a tracking service. Tag’n’Traq, operated by CallUma, supplies laminate tags with unique tracking numbers and a 24-hour contact number. The service costs £4.95 a year; further details at www.calluma.com.”

Another application for RFID tags.

http://buy-high-sell-higher.com/forum/general-discussion/precious-metals-t1018.0.html;msg13823#msg13823

10.9mg of silver in each one, and the applications for them are growing all the time it seems.

I keep looking in on your blog (http://sidewindersview.blogspot.com/).
Right click. “View Image Info”
http://www.visualeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/national-debt.gif

Very interesting.

Having problems with my broadband. My ISP is sending me out new a modem and software.
On a dial up connection for the time being. Not wishing to run up a phone bill like the “US Debt Clock,” I'm limiting my time online (which means I'm missing parts of your posts. Video etc).

My portfolio is doing very well despite the handicap.

ATB