MN Tea Leaves:

Not a lot happening so far and I think Feb 9th was one of Reinhardt trigger days. Perhaps I am not looking hard enough. Europe closed in the Green everywhere, USA nothing particularly alarming that I can see.

There's a big Bond sale/payout on tomorrow isn't there ? How do you think that will go? Also Geithner is announcing more details about that stimulus package tomorrow instead of today - it's expected to go through as well - could tomorrow be the Big Trigger Day??

Or will we get a week out of this edge-of-the-seat drama because the other day that was pencilled as a trigger was Friday the *gasp* 13th.. It could turn out to be a hoax of course.

If it doesn't happen today then it gives us more time to stock up on stuff; you'll collect enough of everything but you'll forget something essential like toothpicks I betcha. You'll be there in the middle of April with the world crashed around you and some rabbitmeat jammed between your teeth because you've recently shot the Easter Bunny with your .22. You'll have everything anyone could ask for but a bit of floss or a toothpick to get that rabbit out.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Floss I knew there was something I forgot.

Even Rambo had some floss in the butt of his knife.

What Ho! Here cometh youngdaniel with news of ye olde Bondes !

Thing seem normal enough today, Audi? The moment has passed.

Aragon wrote:

Thing seem normal enough today, Audi? The moment has passed.

Well .... Mike the youtuber believes that two events would happen on the 9th and 13th and I saw last night on a video of his that it now may not be financial although the Dark Source, Reinhardt constantly went on about financial stuff. Mike could be chasing down some phantoms but I'd give him some benefit of the doubt as it's an interesting enough hoax if it is a hoax. And coming up to Friday 13th why not have an adult Horror Economics version on the internet. I can't remember if there have been many internet hoaxes on the proportions of HG Wells but it's inevitable that there will be at some time. This could be getting close to one. as his videos have "gone viral".

Anyway it turns out that Reinhardt was some kind of scholar of cultures and their decline. He has a theory that even the Romans had kinds of "Enrons" - corruption that perhaps ultimately led to the end of the empire. Mike believes the expected "Event" on the 9th was the potential for a massive shift in medical knowledge going offshore from the US as a conseqence of the Bill passed yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU5i31T8dWY

For the 13th Mike believes it will be the Treasury market which will go skew-wise but don't hold your breath too much. The Dow was down 400 points yesterday and we'll have to see what will happen next.

DEMCAD on some stuff you may have forgotten to put on your emergency supplies list in the event of a CRASH (sounds like cotton could be currency)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL53Ir8SJ5g

Quote :

Mike believes the expected "Event" on the 9th was the potential for a
massive shift in medical knowledge going offshore from the US as a
conseqence of the Bill passed yesterday.

I saw that too but I'm a bit confused about the significance of it. What do you think?

floatingingalway wrote:

Quote :

Mike believes the expected "Event" on the 9th was the potential for a massive shift in medical knowledge going offshore from the US as a
conseqence of the Bill passed yesterday.

I saw that too but I'm a bit confused about the significance of it. What do you think?

I won't deny I'm not a student of this Reinhardt as Mike thinks he might be. Because your man's website has disappeared it's not easy to get at the information on it but a lot of it was reflections by him on Roman Economics e.g. - outsourcing silk production to x, y, z. Considering that American manufacturing jobs are going to the Chinese and elsewhere and have been for years and that now Obama wants them pulled back from various places to save the economy, could one of the (unintended?) effects of this Bill mean another very sudden haemorrhage of jobs from the US to various places around the globe?

The medical hemisphere in the US is a massive internal economy in itself, imagine leaving a gate open so half of it could flood out of the country? The HSE budget here is 16bn which is about 10% of GDP - it could be a higher fraction in the US. If that industry was to suddenly shrink domestically by half which it could ...

I'm not sure how big this could be, could be nothing. However, some of the most profound things tend to be the most muindane and boring when you see them first.

Auditor #9 wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Thing seem normal enough today, Audi? The moment has passed.

Well .... Mike the youtuber believes that two events would happen on the 9th and 13th and I saw last night on a video of his that it now may not be financial although the Dark Source, Reinhardt constantly went on about financial stuff. Mike could be chasing down some phantoms but I'd give him some benefit of the doubt as it's an interesting enough hoax if it is a hoax. And coming up to Friday 13th why not have an adult Horror Economics version on the internet. I can't remember if there have been many internet hoaxes on the proportions of HG Wells but it's inevitable that there will be at some time. This could be getting close to one. as his videos have "gone viral".

Anyway it turns out that Reinhardt was some kind of scholar of cultures and their decline. He has a theory that even the Romans had kinds of "Enrons" - corruption that perhaps ultimately led to the end of the empire. Mike believes the expected "Event" on the 9th was the potential for a massive shift in medical knowledge going offshore from the US as a conseqence of the Bill passed yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU5i31T8dWY

For the 13th Mike believes it will be the Treasury market which will go skew-wise but don't hold your breath too much. The Dow was down 400 points yesterday and we'll have to see what will happen next.

DEMCAD on some stuff you may have forgotten to put on your emergency supplies list in the event of a CRASH (sounds like cotton could be currency)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL53Ir8SJ5g

Ahead of the game on that one Audi - Id already thought of books and my original heading 'toiletries' signified EVERYTHING that could possibly come under that category.

The rubbing alcohol's a good idea - and of course books. Bycycles would be a good idea too.

How-to manuals as well in case we're in it for the long haul

build your own house
build your own bog
gardening
animal 'husbandry'
mending and repairing stuff
making electricity from potatoes and other stuff?
self-defence

Aragon wrote:

Ahead of the game on that one Audi - Id already thought of books and my original heading 'toiletries' signified EVERYTHING that could possibly come under that category.

The rubbing alcohol's a good idea - and of course books. Bycycles would be a good idea too.

How-to manuals as well in case we're in it for the long haul

build your own house
build your own bog
gardening
animal 'husbandry'
mending and repairing stuff
making electricity from potatoes and other stuff?
self-defence

Just imagine it does happen to be the long haul .... what would you suggest might become tradeable currency in this semi-apocalyptic proto-Mad Max world?

I'd imagine the old tampons would be welcome like your man says also

chocolate
alcohol
cigarettes
sugar (now that the beet is gone)

Anything else as I head out the door to Aldi?

Auditor #9 wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Ahead of the game on that one Audi - Id already thought of books and my original heading 'toiletries' signified EVERYTHING that could possibly come under that category.

The rubbing alcohol's a good idea - and of course books. Bycycles would be a good idea too.

How-to manuals as well in case we're in it for the long haul

build your own house
build your own bog
gardening
animal 'husbandry'
mending and repairing stuff
making electricity from potatoes and other stuff?
self-defence

Just imagine it does happen to be the long haul .... what would you suggest might become tradeable currency in this semi-apocalyptic proto-Mad Max world?

I'd imagine the old tampons would be welcome like your man says also

chocolate
alcohol
cigarettes
sugar (now that the beet is gone)

Anything else as I head out the door to Aldi?

Audi, you rascal. I told ya, 'toiletries' covers all that side of things adequately. We KNOW what's meant by it.

The last four items are luxuries. They can't be on the list.

Some of these might be helpful - everyone will be needing one:

Aragon - listen up. I need to know what might be used as CURRENCY in the new world disaster that might await us ... currency is something that people are willing to do work for .... ya know

I believe for example, that some women - most maybe - prefer to use chocolate instead of you-know-what. That's perverted I know but I believe it to be true. If there is such a strong basic need for chocolate then it's no harm to get a couple of dozen bars of dairy milk in case we end up in a Mad Max situation so I can use them as currency to get stuff off women in order to survive. It's easier to invest in bars of chocolate than bars of gold - they keep their value. Do you see where I'm coming from?

If tampons could be used to bribe/cajole/barter/trade/woo women into giving me half a dozen of eggs then I need to know what value those things have now so I can invest for the future. You could be a good fellow Anarchist and tell me the stuff that women value most so I can stock up on bribes now. I know that tampons are important and also lots of bottles of stuff for doing stuff to themselves cosmetically. If I knew what these were I wouldn't be asking you.

You just don't realise the galaxy of the situation.

Auditor #9 wrote:

Aragon - listen up. I need to know what might be used as CURRENCY in the new world disaster that might await us ... currency is something that people are willing to do work for .... ya know

I believe for example, that some women - most maybe - prefer to use chocolate instead of you-know-what. That's perverted I know but I believe it to be true. If there is such a strong basic need for chocolate then it's no harm to get a couple of dozen bars of dairy milk in case we end up in a Mad Max situation so I can use them as currency to get stuff off women in order to survive. It's easier to invest in bars of chocolate than bars of gold - they keep their value. Do you see where I'm coming from?

If tampons could be used to bribe/cajole/barter/trade/woo women into giving me half a dozen of eggs then I need to know what value those things have now so I can invest for the future. You could be a good fellow Anarchist and tell me the stuff that women value most so I can stock up on bribes now. I know that tampons are important and also lots of bottles of stuff for doing stuff to themselves cosmetically. If I knew what these were I wouldn't be asking you.

You just don't realise the galaxy of the situation.

Oh man, I'm well spaced out about it, honest. Some chocolate might almost be better than sex but none actually is. Mind you, you could be onto something, even so. The Mayans valued chocolate more than gold:

Quote :

The cocoa beans were used for currency… records show that 400 cocoa beans equaled one Zontli, while 8000 beans equaled one Xiquipilli. When the Aztecs conquered tribes, they demanded their payment in cocoa! By subjugating the Chimimeken and the Mayas, the Aztecs strengthened their supremacy in Mexico. Records dating from 1200 show details of cocoa deliveries, imposed on all conquered tribes.

Chocolate is definitely your man, Audi:

http://www.chocolatemonthclub.com/chocolatehistory.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate


If we want to get ahead of the game here, we really ought to send an MN delegation out foreign to see about buying up a few cocoa plantations or something. Or might we be able to create adequate growing conditions here artificially - a few thousand giant growing tunnels perhaps?

Thanks for that. Do you know the fella down in Kenmare - he's French and makes his own chocolates. He runs courses in chocolate making - hmmmmmm ...... maybe I could just try buying up a half a ton of cocoa beans? Link below.

From your link above - chocolate is one of the most important forms of currency

Quote :

1938, World War II: The U.S. government recognized chocolate's role in the Allied Armed Forces. It allocated valuable shipping space for the importation of cocoa beans which would give many weary soldiers the strength to carry. Today, the U.S. Army D-rations include three 4-ounce chocolate bars. Chocolate has even been taken into space as part of the diet of U.S. astronauts.

http://www.lorge.ie/index.html

Minting chocolates of that quality in sufficient numbers as coin (they look to-die-for) might not be so efficient. It'd have to be the beans themselves as you say. We'd need different coin value nomenclature to the Mayans maybe: how do you pronouce 'Xiquipilli'. My best shot at it sounds like 'shicipilli'. 'I got a bargain today - ten shickipillis for a whole bag of carrots.' On second thought, it would be good to revert to the old Mayan denominations. We're unlikely to improve on their system and it would be a mark of respect to their ancient culture - they'd appreciate it I think. So Zontlis and Xiquipillis it is. They must have had more than just those two. Ill see if I can find out - I havent read the full Wikipedia link yet.

I have to get down to Kenmare, soon.

Aragon wrote:

Minting chocolates of that quality in sufficient numbers as coin (they look to-die-for) might not be so efficient. It'd have to be the beans themselves as you say. We'd need different coin value nomenclature to the Mayans maybe: how do you pronouce 'Xiquipilli'. My best shot at it sounds like 'shicipilli'. 'I got a bargain today - ten shickipillis for a whole bag of carrots.' On second thought, it would be good to revert to the old Mayan denominations. We're unlikely to improve on their system and it would be a mark of respect to their ancient culture - they'd appreciate it I think. So Zontlis and Xiquipillis it is. They must have had more than just those two. Ill see if I can find out - I havent read the full Wikipedia link yet.

I have to get down to Kenmare, soon.

I think we need to find out about this chocolate-manufacturing. It's technology that will be essential after the Olde World finally collapses soon.

I'd imagine that name 'Xiquipilli' might be pronounced 'Chiqwipilly' but you'd never know. The Mayan word for chocolate starts with an 'X' and gave its own name to the word the world knows and loves (well, except the Americans who have 'candy' and 'Hershey's' which tastes like vomit)

If we use chocolate the Belgium's and Swiss will be the richest nations on earth. They would hold all the high denomination bars.

Squire wrote:

If we use chocolate the Belgium's and Swiss will be the richest nations on earth. They would hold all the high denomination bars.

Would they have the most bean counters as well? Hmm.

We'd need a good local source of cocoa - I don't think it could be grown here unless global warming were at a more advanced stage ...

Auditor #9 wrote:

Squire wrote:

If we use chocolate the Belgium's and Swiss will be the richest nations on earth. They would hold all the high denomination bars.

Would they have the most bean counters as well? Hmm.

We'd need a good local source of cocoa - I don't think it could be grown here unless global warming were at a more advanced stage ...

What about my giant growing tunnels suggestion? Maybe not so practical since cocoa trees are 50 feet high, and grow best in the shade of 200ft high giant hardwoods - within 15 degrees of the euqator. We'd be hardpushed to reproduce a comparable environment.

There is also the small matter of the World Cocoa Foundation which would have to be got out of the way of our plan. Or we'd have to ask, nay, demand they make an accommodation with us, maybe?

http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/tree-to-table/growing.asp

Aw it looks like it'd have to be very warm to grow that stuff Aragon. Have you spent much time in tropical climes? A good greenhouse here might approximate to it some of the time but at night I'm sure the cocoa plant would freeze to death.

If we could get it together here though I have the name already - Cocoa Currency Co-operative Producers - CCCP

Auditor #9 wrote:

Aragon wrote:

Minting chocolates of that quality in sufficient numbers as coin (they look to-die-for) might not be so efficient. It'd have to be the beans themselves as you say. We'd need different coin value nomenclature to the Mayans maybe: how do you pronouce 'Xiquipilli'. My best shot at it sounds like 'shicipilli'. 'I got a bargain today - ten shickipillis for a whole bag of carrots.' On second thought, it would be good to revert to the old Mayan denominations. We're unlikely to improve on their system and it would be a mark of respect to their ancient culture - they'd appreciate it I think. So Zontlis and Xiquipillis it is. They must have had more than just those two. Ill see if I can find out - I havent read the full Wikipedia link yet.

I have to get down to Kenmare, soon.

I think we need to find out about this chocolate-manufacturing. It's technology that will be essential after the Olde World finally collapses soon.

I'd imagine that name 'Xiquipilli' might be pronounced 'Chiqwipilly' but you'd never know. The Mayan word for chocolate starts with an 'X' and gave its own name to the word the world knows and loves (well, except the Americans who have 'candy' and 'Hershey's' which tastes like vomit)

The Americans can have candy and vomit for their currency. Well, their horrible governments can - the rest of them deserve our love and understanding, poor mites, they've 'endoored' quite enough. Anyone who has ever been anywhere near US government for the last 50 years gets to go to an isolated economic region. Preferably in outer space.

Anyway, I suppose we'll have to keep all these plans on the back burner for a day or two, 'til we see the shape of the imminent 'correction' in all its majesty and terror

Aragon wrote:

If we want to get ahead of the game here, we really ought to send an MN delegation out foreign to see about buying up a few cocoa plantations or something. Or might we be able to create adequate growing conditions here artificially - a few thousand giant growing tunnels perhaps?

I'm heading to Peru next month. I'll keep an eye out for growing tips.

floatingingalway wrote:

Aragon wrote:

If we want to get ahead of the game here, we really ought to send an MN delegation out foreign to see about buying up a few cocoa plantations or something. Or might we be able to create adequate growing conditions here artificially - a few thousand giant growing tunnels perhaps?

I'm heading to Peru next month. I'll keep an eye out for growing tips.

Bring us back some photos with your mobile phone as well will you please? Are you going to make any more good videos in Peru while there?

That's if Peru is still there next month

Auditor #9 wrote:

floatingingalway wrote:

Aragon wrote:

If we want to get ahead of the game here, we really ought to send an MN delegation out foreign to see about buying up a few cocoa plantations or something. Or might we be able to create adequate growing conditions here artificially - a few thousand giant growing tunnels perhaps?

I'm heading to Peru next month. I'll keep an eye out for growing tips.

Bring us back some photos with your mobile phone as well will you please? Are you going to make any more good videos in Peru while there?

That's if Peru is still there next month

Oh stop you...that's the second time you've made me nervous this week.
I'm very tempted to bring camera but I'm not sure about making myself a touristic target.

Squire wrote:

If we use chocolate the Belgium's and Swiss will be the richest nations on earth. They would hold all the high denomination bars.

That is a really scary thought. How do those billiards manage to do that? They've been waiting and planning for the re-emergence of the Chicwiplly global currency all along, haven't they? Is there already another worldwide-chocolate banking-conspiracy-in-waiting? I wonder what 'Mike' has to say about that! Hah!