12.30.05 Somebody asked about a 911 Ground-zero slabbed silver American Eagle, and what the premium should be.

Firstly, PCGS will put an american flag on more slabs than the one to which you refer.

Secondly, I suppose you would have to ask that somewhat disconcerting question: can I find a bigger fool tomorrow on whom I can unload this bombastic bauble?

As a point in fact, these types of issues I have seen on ebay seem to command a high price from the seller, but no prospective bids.

If so, say: I'll sell you an obsolete asian coin, wrap it in tinfoil, and scribble -Rape of Nanking- on it in grease pen and only charge %1,500. wot a deal!

Or, how about some 10-year african scrip celebrating 10years of Hutsi/Tutsi genocide and intercine incest unrest?

PCGS wallows in their medium -draping plastic dreck over what once represented beauty, purity and value. Did they shine it up real purty like for a little extra value added?

This years water year has been a mess so far. Currently the spigot is open wide, incoming from Kamchatka. Has been raining on Northern Ca/Nv a good part of the last several days. Rain during the winter season is not desirable, snow drives the society. Currently raining between the California coast all the way to Lovelock, Nv. The snow level was predicted for 7,000 feet today, but currently well over 8,000. Rain is pouring on the ski resorts, and colder weather will move in later tonight. This creates a deadly situation, literally. Movement of colder air behind rain that had been falling on the minimal snowpack creates an unstable snowpack. The current rain on snow will freeze as a layer. New colder and lighter snow will pile on top and build a heavy pack. This heavier snow will slide along the ice bench - i.e. avalanche. This type of weather situation reminds me of the deadly 1986 season. The major difference is that the minimal snowpack will not melt and cause the major floods that plagued the Truckee, Carson, Yuba, and American Rivers that year. [i well remember sandbagging the Truckee in feb or march 86 only to watch her run completely dry two miles downstream and 18 months later (where the new truckee meadows treatment plant was installed)].

The lack of snowpack dries up the snow/tourism income and further pressures irrigation, farming, development, industry and mining down the road.

Water rights in the Truckee Meadows are up roughly 800% in the last 4 years, going parabolic. The market is amazingly thin and illiquid. Buying rights in volume is practically non-existent; they are bundled into auctions and the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and the LEN/CTX/RYLs of the world compete head to head (for some Head, get it?).

This further depletes allotment for recreation set aside guaranteed via various compacts, regulations, and agreements. Hence the State Water Engineer needs to capture mine-dewatering to meet their obligations or face the wrath via the wraiths in the antimining/environmental21agenda alliance (who seem to forget to staff their office with waterologist yet see no shortage staffing with english/pre-lasw majors seeking a beginning gig.)

How about a hyetograph based on the 06 water year to date for the Humboldt basin?

Or better yet, why not model out the mercury fate and transport from the vadose to and through the hypophreatic zone via Modflow/netpath et. al. and submit to the Battle Mountain BLM per the open Environmental Assessment period for the current plans on the Cortez trend, the future of water battles in the state and industry, and see what the DOI hydrologist have to say in reply to your articulated concerns?

12.30.05 For those who pundits predict a regime change in Saudi Arabia for 2006

Just like every year, picture this: Their stock market is up about 200% in the last couple years.

Does that look like a country - or at least the smart money -betting against continuity, or otherwise expressing despair and intuiting imminent change?

Friend of mine regaled an attempt to climb a mountain that instead resulted in the rescue of a couple fools a few hours ahead that tried a 'shortcut'. I've seen a couple of those myself. Interesting thing, it isn't too easy to spot a denizen of the mountains who may make a mistake while in the big city, but sure is obvious when a city fool tries to shortcut the mountain and outsmart mother nature.

Body recoveries suck, period. Usually occurs in bad weather and a chance to hurt yourself trying to rescue a worthless bag of bones. And that is under better conditions. Body part recovery, at least those parts not smeared over the bedrock apron, is a whole nother exercise in despair. One of my friends filmed an accidental death; worse than having to scoop up the body I imagine. She was rather shaken by the event, accidental snuff filming wasn't her goal.

So then, in the stakes of the one-upmanship contest; who is NEM sidewardley glancing at; reclining deliciously under the mistletoe?

Nevada Cement, a Utah Corporation. missed a filing date and was temporarily suspended from trading on the Nasdaq. Under this circumstance an 'E' is added to the ticker symbol . i.e. NCEM becomes NCEME. The delisting was temporary because the paperwork came through just a couple days later, so the E was dropped very quickly.

literally, a system broke down.

management creates and oversees systems.

short term listing/delisting and price action are mere symptoms.

keeping the e on the end is a swipe.

a swipe test is an analytical diagnostic.

not sure cosmology has a temporal input...

ciao

( fyi, there is another Nevada Cement corporation; based in Nevada )

This Nevada Cement is owned by Eagle Materials, a publicly traded company from Dallas Texas. Some of the locals (Fernley, Nv.) believe that the plant is (or at least was) owned by the Lyndon B. Johnson family. Have not been able to determine whether this family has, or had, substantial ownership proportion of Eagle Materials (Ticker: EXP). Also unclear to me if Eagle Materials was a spun-off subsidiary of the large company Eagle-Picher (privately held), also based in Texas. Based on EaglePicher history, location, geographic nexus, and sector activity - there could be a bit of truth kernel in the mix. Curiously, they also happen to have an aggregate plant (diatomaceous earth) fairly near the EXP plant; (Lovelock). EP also has a DE plant in Clark County. Hence, they have aggregate plants in two of the largest booming areas of the country. EXP performs quite well on their own; maybe some merit to the strategy of holding any publicly traded 'Nevada Cement' company.

Rising sector. Nevada aggregates not a bad place to hold a position. The bug in the ointment, of course, is the historic metals issue. EP was one of the earliest and major manufacturers of white lead. Nearby barium production. And of course, the soap operas series presented on an installment basis by yours truly over the Northeast Nevada clusters and the focus by NDEP/FEDEPA on metal byproduct emission, specifically tungsten, from the aggregate production plants.

Though fund managers should parse the details, any mainstream press/bubblevision mention will likely bollox up the relations.

So i'll type it: Ownership of 'construction companies' by 'Nevada interests' - if you get my aeolian high competency drift -has long proven a curious topic; holding interests in the wandering minds of many who preceded this metalline one.

they want goodies in the Christmas stocking.
All of them looking to score gold at 478.
Not everybody can get everything they want for Christmas.

Some will have to be sated with coal miners.

Traders couldn't get to wall street today or yesterday so they spent the day at home - 'telecommuting'. Which means they were supposed to be working but just surfed the Peer to Peer sites all day...

classic cars are -pretty hot-
real estate is -in a bubble-
commodities are -overdone-
coins have been -on fire-

why is gold gonna go down?

Hearing a couple stories about leaving life behind the Iron Curtain served a chilled reminder.

Not all government propaganda, just those relating to purported economic issues, must go through the censor board at Homeland Security. The other worthless piffle can be simply made up and release immediately as had previously been the case.

The Helium Fund, which I had never heard of, is apparently larger than probably 90% of all companies in my county COMBINED.

Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Education, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Veterans Affairs, and State.

If you have ever voted for a Republican or Democrat more than once (allowing a youthful indiscretion), I hold you personally liable for the destruction of my republic.

And why the Supreme Court originally struck down the income tax as unconstitutional: b.c. the government would grow into the current leviathan: reporting to none and detrimental to all.

Interestingly enough, Reid failed to support Gibbons proposed bill to overhaul the 1872 Mining Act; hence it was pulled. Nobody seems to notice or care. The main issue here is not so much that many want the bill updated, but that more individuals want to uphold the DOI moratorium on processing new applications.

"The Salvation Army officials are unsure of the exact value of the coins, which
they showcased at a press conference today." The Press spokesperson further states that they are far behind their fundraising goals for the year. Well, perhaps if they new the value of the dollar, they might do better attracting a few more. That said, Salvation Army is one of my preferred choices. I have given up on the majority of charity orgs that I previously supported.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-16-2005/0004235522&EDATE=

This supports stock performance b.c. now ETF-linked funds must purchase the security.

For predicting the price movement of certain models and was wondering whether, when, or how to publish the work,. this was my partially solicited opinion:

IF to make a name for yourself, THEN why not make the money with your work and leave a legacy via multimillion dollar foundation for troubled youth or other worthy cause that will last for years after your mortal demise?

IF to show the formula works, THEN why not trade enough trial runs to prove to your self, and then see option one (get rich).

Just look at Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko’s face (remember the poison attack against him that resulted in permanent physical impairment) and know he will make it personal…

How many future courses of events have changed based upon this change in position?

An inert metal that has held its chemical form for thousands of years has been judged by a mechanized program as losing %.00019 of its value within a span of a few hours.

RGJ Journal and comes out against Jim Gibbons proposal for Mining Act of 1872 revision.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051211/OPED01/512110332&SearchID=73229265669577

Jimby got it riding on some other terrible legislation in the house, but could not muster any support where it counts - with Harry Reid in the Senate. So, not sure this version is going any where.

mr Gibbons tried to get the lead dog alpha sled view, but pulled up short. He would've loved to had a shot, Nv politics getting some serious play. One of the swing states last election, a canary in the wings, and possibly moving up the primaries next time around.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051211/BIZ10/512110303&SearchID=73229265461682

They got picked up in two different trade newsletter today accounting for the rise, amongst other things...

First week of March the new 10 dollar bills go out. Go to the bank and get a couple crisp sheets with consecutive serial numbers.

John Gilmore wins a coin mine cookie. Challenged the 'requirement' that you must present and ID to board a commercial airline. To date the government has been completely unwilling, and more likely unable, to produce the requirement that one must present ID to travel. One of those cases that the government maintains you must do something in their honor yet refuse to produce the authority for such. Basically, the type of 'Democracy' they are attempting to spread throughout the globe. Using you tax dollars at your expense.

NOTE: For those that maintain this is necessary b.c. of the 911 hoax, and further cite the Patriot Act as Authority, please note that the 'requirement' is actually an internal Federal Vitiation Administration policy. Also note the policy directive has never been released to the public or the courts. Further note the date of such policy is 1996. Indeed, all the provisions in the Patriot Act were developed Loooong before 911.

Birth of firstborn, beautiful baby girl. Everything else I ever discussed here doesn't matter when compared. An yet this entry will end at 25 words.

12.2.05 When looking at alternative energies, don't forget to look down the supply chain.

Buy on the dip? When the price backs to the 13DMA as it in turn kisses the 50DMA?

Or, just b.c. you sold your silver/MRB/house/first son and need to put the money somewhere?

Not as much as metals are high, but that the VALUE of the WRONG TYPES of PAPER are getting rather low.

Interestingly enough, I am beginning to see correlation between price of gold and Yucca depository project inertia...

Sure wasn't a matter of much discussion at the agricultural trade expo in Beijing two weeks ago. Most US Western ag states sent reps. No mask wearing, no obvious flu discussions. Business as usual...

equals a drop in one percentage point in the Elko County, Nv. unemployment rate.

One thing I do know is the extra one percent in the workforce is not the miners themselves. You see, 100 dollars ago (price of gold) the mines and properties had already upped production schedules and were scrambling for qualified personnel. The extra one percent employed are those in the service and commercial industries that are supported by the miners paycheck (the highest aggregate wage in the state of NV) as the paycheck flows through the local economy.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051202/BIZ10/512020375/1071/BIZ

Infometrica reports that Nv exports were down substantially for the last reporting period, August.

"Precious metals -- mainly gold -- was the state's largest export earner, generating $60 million in foreign sales in August, adjusted for seasonal variation. Precious metals accounted for 28 percent of all foreign sales, plummeting by 32 percent from a year ago."

Interesting how the production of metals remains so high, yet the manufacturing output faltered. Can the cost of energy be blamed? No, not really. The mining sector is the largest user of power in Nv. (yes, even ahead of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip).

He is a major west coast coin dealer; known as a fair man with good inventory and high prices.

But first, had to get myself a coffee at the local non-chain barista training venue. (Not that I mind chains though, since we hold both PEET and SBUX). Always good to check out the market competition (or, any excuse for a buzz). Ordered a coffee for $1.50. Gave the cashier 2$. She put the two FRNs in the till and looked at me blank, expecting why I didn't walk away. At that point I realized the extent of her ability and reminded her that I indeed the change back. See, I am the old fashioned type that believes the tip is based on service after the fact, not assumed. Further, I like to look see what they give me back in change. (I try to remember to ask if they have seen anything unusual in change.) Of course, with the quality of the baristas they hire now - and the underlying quality of education - they will often hand me a half-dollar as representing something completely unique and mystifying.

There were a few handmaidens behind the counter and they let me browse a few moments before asking if I needed any help. So, I immediately queried them a question which I believe they would have no idea on how to answer. You see, at any negotiating table you want to talk with everybody to engender good will and build relationships, but at those points where you offer substantial matters (such as price and terms) you need to speak directly to the one who holds the decision-making power. Usually this individual is not the one who speaks most or first. Of course you are always better off f you can identify this person well before sitting down at the table. In this case I had done so through due diligence and already knew what I wanted to find out - was a trip to his store worth the extra time and gas over a venture to my tried and true coin locations. (Certainly I had no intention on quibbling over price or any matter of substance on any expeditionary purchase trip).

(Still, he didn't have the one thing, and one thing only, that I inquired about. For that matter, had no idea what I was asking. Indeed, the exchange 'twas a minor comedy sketch).

The housing stock is fairly robust in my neck of the woods. Days on Market and Inventory going up whereas the listing and closing prices are receding. Seasonal fluctuations may subtend some of the trend (home sales week during late fall/early winter). BIL reports inventory is low in Seattle.

1. How can the government get more money out of your pocket? It can install new fees, license, and taxes. This happens as often as they can get away with it, which isn't every time. Occasionally the people do vote down new taxes and fees. So, the government looks for alternate revenue streams that will lie below the radar. One of these is taxes on land and houses and permits for such.

2. As the average price of the home raises, they can now loan out more of the junk paper fiat.

Fannie Mae Announces 2006 Conforming Loan Limit of $417,000

Fannie Mae announced today that it will apply new conforming loan limits, as determined by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) based on federal data on mean (average) home prices, to increase its single-family mortgage loan limit to $417,000 for 2006.

As a result of the new loan limit, Fannie Mae estimates that in 2006, as many as an additional 466,326 homeowners would be eligible for a conforming loan.

Conforming loan limits may adjust annually .

Say, when do you think was the last year that the conforming loan limits actually went down?

Has the energy picture actually put Yucca Mountain on the skids for good? Will Harry Reid introduce new legislation to this effect given his increased stature in the senate, or will they silence him first?

Here is the Yucca Mountain Information Station in Goldfield, Nv., on a slow day. Gonna get slower...

11.27.05 A relatively rare earthquake yesterday centered in Vallejo/American Canyon

on the Hayward fault. Usually centered more south. Made me think less askew about the dude who predicted a larger one centered in Vallejo/Napa for next year...

11.27.05 Why does the Secret Service do nothing to prevent counterfeit coinage

coming in from mainland china? bogus trade dollars by the gaggle on ebay. now seeing bogus seated coinage also.

Funny that, the secret service wasn't commissioned to go after counterfeit (1865) until after the USGovt began printing paper money en masse as currency....

Jipangu wraps up purchase of Apollo's Nevada properties as it executes its strategy to become a miner itself.

hey, why not buy up the rest of the state and give sumitomo a run for the yen. Or is the dragon the boxer?

for a fryer flyer

25% in two months ain't too shabby. sell the news and put the original grubsteak in the deep storage freezer just like the big boyz learned me. nothing like going into thanksgiving fat and happy.

Read a (poor) piece about increasing bankruptcy filings in the Las Vegas Review Journal (terrible rag). Though one of the worse financial articles I've read this year, one of the the better comedy skits of the week. Let me sum up the treatise for you:

- Aging and clueless boomer couple catch a whiff of incoming krondretieff winter.-

This quote from the article, about a hapless couple's efforts to enact some cursory semblance of fiducial responsibility is priceless: "To reduce expenses, they cut some of the features from their telephone service package and stopped taking their dogs to a groomer."

There is a WHOLE LOT of FAT needing to be trimmed off the steroid and saltwater-injected sides of beef...

This one bears close watching. Thankfully, Gibbons and Reid are not on the same page. Everything I always wanted from our politicians: gridlock

Arnie is there to convince the Chinese to buy more California debt. Since the peeples voted down his attempts to reign in spending, the mother of all bonds must float.

Or, Instead of assistance on their nu-ku-lar weapons programs as with the previous administration, perhaps more tangible offerings in the war materiel mode - as in copper.

The Chinese copper shorts make further sense of their very recent discussions into purchasing Nevada copper mining concerns.

After paper debt, was else do we have to offer save the ground under out feet...

11.14.05 Someone presented me their dire economic predictions the other day,

While I don’t disagree with either the severity, probability scope or scale – the timing is always an issue. Still a ways off based upon the level that the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip is currently integrated into the financial network. This technology must still be more fully integrated into the human psyche and infrastructure before the chip can be implanted.

Afterall, the scenes of misery you paint will only be for those who refuse to accept the chip.

Of course, there is another scenario: the chip will remain voluntary. This scenario is also quite plausible because the –benefits- of the implant will be of such magnitude that not having it will prevent you from trading in the marketplace or otherwise competing for the legal tender.

the vintage cars have done very well, but seem much more unrelated to currency and metals. their runup has been much more sustained from what i can tell, with a nice bump in the last few years.

not sure really what sets the price of art though i suspect it follows coins somewhat as not new money seeks shelter.

pretty much ignorant on the type of art that will buy and sell, i prefer guerilla installation pieces...

no doubt there is the potential for some type of metal/paper/collectible algorithm. maybe that's my lot in life.

Read some protest against the use of white phosphorous shells as war materiel in Iraq. In the states, the USNavy and Coast Guard use white phosphorous flare markers to track the location of something that goes overboard. WP desiccates in the presence of oxygen, and they follow the trail. At the Golden Gate Bridge, the Coast Guard drops the WP flares after some fool jumps; this aids in the body recovery. WP will adhere to dermal tissue and won't stop causing pain until it either completely desiccates, is picked out of the skin with knife, or is immersed in water.

"By August 2005, the US M3 money supply had risen to $9'873.9 billion, whilst at the same time the Official Gold Holdings of the United States had fallen to just 8'133.5 Tonnes, or about 261 million Troy Ounces. This means that today, in 2005, there are $37'831 in circulation for every ounce of gold held by the United States."

So, if they stop reporting the M3, does that mean that gold is now only worth what they say its worth.

and I have a short attention span, let me point out what I consider a major unjust grievance.

Namely, there is no Miners Day. Sure, there is an Anthracite Coal miner day, and the MSHA even designated a coal miner safety day a couple years ago, but no overall Miners Day. Say, why is it that the coal miners get such better holidays anyway. How in tarnation did they get so organized anyway?

and nobody has even heard about it.
shows that nobody sends a letter anymore.
hey, how come they never made a stamp: End of the Postal Era?
why do I have to come up with all the good ideas...

Why has stamp piracy and profiteering never gotten out of control? Did the founders purposefully set up mail delivery as a constitutional element requiring federal mail operations to ensure that letters and marques could never gain undue influence by the profiteer? Could you imagine a stamp nowadays trading as currency? Not a chance, the unit cost to deliver mail has always been kept artificially low via the socialized monopoly. Only once in our nations history, with the first large scale introduction of fiat to fund the civil war, did the price of mail delivery and hence the corresponding stamp face value climb to such a height that it made sense to use as a currency. For a few years in the mid and late 1860s stamps regularly traded for goods and services. Although there had always been small-scale cases of periodic or regional trade previously, the civil war was the first - and last - time when stamp trade became a widespread occurrence. How come?

The wise man once told me, the only crime that will not spiral out of control are those controlled by the government for the government. They will viciously put down any attempts at competition. Does not emitting of postal marks and the lack of postal piracy fit this maxim to the maximum?

You think Bill Gross is wrong about his paper? He bought the recent inverted Jenny Block for about 3-million and swapped it for another single stamp. He authored a really great essay around the time, just a couple weeks ago, that explained why stamps, and likewise coins, were a good investment. As I look around at undervalued commodities, collectibles and hard assets, I see stamps as one of the few that can claim this *potentially* undervalued status. The average age of a stamp aficionado is even older than the median goldbug. Perhaps only 20% as many people collect stamps as do coins.

Personally, i lean toward scripophily, but gotta be an angle there somewhere amongst the perforated corners...

last few days they:
- announced a dividend,
- were named nevada company of the year,
- announced profit up over 80%

and the lowly mercurial element whispered it in your year about 50% lower than it is now...

do you want fries with that?

Too bad it also has to be the day the government attempts to rewrite finance. The smokescreen is the whitehouse attempt to subtend the news by going on their own offensive, accusing others of rewriting history. Long time military stratagems dictate that you accuse the enemy of doing what you have been doing all along, just a little moreso. The federal reserve's new golden child - Ben 'Helicopter Money' Bernanke decides to discontinue the M3 reporting metric.

Essentially, this M3 reporting standard shows the amount of cash sitting in banks, savings and loans and certificates of deposit and serves as an indicator of financial health of the economy and fiscal policy effectiveness. Obviously, the new hed fed doesn't want transparency of the scorched earth policy he will need to implement once his hand is on the tiller, and the other in the till. Guess they learned a trick from the corporate scientists - when you don't get the data you want, start reporting the data differently.

At the other end of possibility, how about this upcoming shindig: Ron Paul, Justin Raimondo and fellow citizens will gather round for Lew Rockwell next week not too far from my keyboard, in San Mateo. The conference title: Gold, Freedom and War.

In the old days, they fought to obtain the gold. Nowadays, those who can least afford the influence of gold must start the fight.

Should get a chance to buy cheaper. Unless it stays in this rarified air and does something exceedingly cool technically, this area is rife with ghoul demons of past resistance.

They may have gotten a better deal for the Carlota property from Cambior had they waited a while longer, but management has made some smart moves locking in copper deposits now rather than later. This, and their ability to make money (still!) at the Robinson property makes them a takeover target. The only growing industry in white pine county. Though, instability at the Veteran Tripp pit is somewhat troublesome.

(Do believe the troubles with Apollo gold started with an unstable headwall; they pushed employees - somebody got hurt and eventually the mine went quiet. Then they sold both production mines.)

A producer making money in its second year of operation, focusing on copper and moly b. denum - with gold as a bonus: not a bad place to be on this planet.

'Twas talking with someone who was bummed that the chinese bought out his local producer.

mercury sayeth: watch the chicoms go after quadra or their kin.

They currently they ship most the metal by truck, rail, and boat to china. May as well ship the means of production and property title and simplify the operation.

when you have no money better than money will get you through those times you have no drugs.

Remember all the golden triangles of the world.

Don't underestimate illicit labor weapons and the legal side of the ledger: ammo and spices ( especially sugar and salt )

10.24.05 The new Head Fed

Paging ben ‘helicopter money’ bernanke on line one.

Only two gents mentioned in my 2+ year blog on the bonds. The current headfed, and the next one.

Lucky guess?

What will benny baby do for you?
Any ideas?
The bonds won’t like it much.
But, you still have three days to lock in the I-bonds at this level of tastiness…

You may have heard about the Carlin, Battle Mountain, Cortez, and Bullfrog districts. How about a few others that helped build our nation...

The Antimony King Mine in Bernice Canyon, Nevada, was discovered in 1907 in quartz host in association with gold, silver, and tungsten. The ore was fine but shallow, production was not fully ramped until 1957, when it produced over 1100 tons. However, the ore played out the next year and the mine was abandoned.

Silver! Gold ! It's burned like a fever in the hearts of men and women everywhere.

The Tonopah Historic Mining Park is on the site of Belle and Jim Butler's original mining claim which started the rush to Tonopah making it the "Queen of the Silver Camps". This strike in 1900 brought the United States into the 20th century. Many mining and processing techniques developed here are still used in mining today.

In the spring of 1900, Jim Butler was camping around Tonopah springs. As the story goes, his burro wandered off, and while searching for it, Jim picked up some promising looking ore. He continued his journey, showing samples to others, but they showed little interest in them. He returned to his home in Belmont, Nevada and told a young attorney named Tasker Oddie about his discovery. Tasker had a friend who taught chemistry in Austin, who had the samples assayed and the ore proved to be valued at over $200 a ton (1900 dollars). At the behest of Jim's wife, Belle, they traveled again to the site of the original find and filed eight claims, removing several tons of ore. For a on quarter share, Wilse Brougher hauled the ore by horse and wagon to Austin then by rails to Salt Lake City for smelting. That first shipment netted the partners $500.00 which was used to buy equipment needed for further development. As venture capital was difficult to obtain, Jim Belle, and their partners implemented the unusual concept of mine claim leasing ;by the :foot:. These lease, which were sealed by a handshake, gave the lessor %75 of all profits from his claim and greatly speeded the development of the district. Many of the miners got rich under this arrangement. The practice quickly spread to other mining districts. The butlers eventually sold their interest in the properties to a Philadelphia financier, who formed the Tonopah Mining Co., with assets of over one million dollars. Tasker Oddie formed the Tonopah Belmont Development Co. and between these two companies produced over half of the previous metals from this mining district. History tells us that production form the mines form this district produced in excess of five million tons of ore. At today's market, the value of previous metals produced would be in excess of $1,200,000,000 and a few cents (and there were NO TAXES!)

1. NYC baby carriage attack prevented because black ops team alpha-one lost their government laptop which held the subway directions

2. Plague-scale grasshopper attack on Miami canceled in favor of multiprong Hurricane Attack on Gulf Coast. (apparently the HAARP weather modification union has more and better connected members)

3. Anthrax attack, the sequel, on DC canceled due to the sheer numbers of congresspersonage who either failed to show up to work this term, or are under federal indictment and hence holed up elsewhere.

4. BioTerrorism event in Seattle postponed b.c. the interior hit squad mistakenly killed off most of the worlds bioterrorism researchers (who in turn headed up the black ops attack teams)

8. sequel attack, that whole flying-of-imaginary-airplanes-into-building-thingie - part duex - postponed due to bankruptcy of entire north American airline industry.

9. watered down alcohol drink with umbrella/sarin attack on major us cruise ship postponed since FEMA commandeered all cruise ships to house their offices at 800% market rates (non-competitively bid, of course) off the NOLA coast. (note, this plan has subsequently been scaled back partially b.c. the lack of/high cost of fuel necessary to power up the jaccuzzis and air conditioning on most window-cabin berths.

10. apparently this one has also been postponed, but is still scheduled for the future. Reportedly involves suspension of Posse Comitatus and whatever few scraps remain of our former republic to fight another invisible boogie man, perhaps some type of invisible flu, nasty cold, chapped lips, or spore, or maybe one of those really bad hangnails that just seem to last forever.

great performance, i say we scrap the constitution to elect him king a third term.

was actually US Forest Service employees, type II fire teams. They set up supply posts. Since there were actually no supplies to give away, they gave away the food and water they arrived with.

The handlers with the press corps would never film them. Instead the press only began disseminating images of the Army National Guard once they took over the Delivery Posts established by forest service teams.

either the press thought that the forest service yellow and green nomex suits were not pretty enough images of NOLA to beam across the wire, or somebody orchestrated the shot of camouflaged federal troops as being the 'calvary that was sent in' to save the hapless villagers.

and those USFS firefighters weren't much too pleased over the whole affair. Perhaps they won't be so eager to save some godforsaken ranchette subdivision outside phoenix or los angeles next time. who would blame them.

years ago i gave up my red card (wildland firefighting certificate) no more than a couple weeks after finishing the initial training over something much less significant than what I relay here...

apparently they didn't like what i said about the change down in reserve estimates last year

http://www.kitcomm.com/comments/gold/2005q2/2005_05/1050508.141020.mercuryee.htm

http://www.kitcomm.com/comments/gold/2005q2/2005_05/1050508.141440.mercuryee.htm

so they decided to make up something completely new and different this year regarding reserve estimates

err. who was that guy who just started a rant about the co after years of lovey dovey?

The Interior Department head, Gale Norton, explained the platform/rig situation in the gulf. She looked nervous. You might not realize she was once a bigmuck in the libertarian party. Next up, the Montana governor, explaining how coal is the new sustainable energy. Guess his handlers forgot to explain (couldn't figure out themselves) it ain't coming from Mt. (CAU ring a bell?).

Thing is, coal actually can be one of the cleanest fuels out there. Problem is the state of operations at most power plants cannot support the intensive level of operations and maintenance needed to support the scrubber technology.

Somebody told me this, and as an expectant father I have a vested interest in determining the veracity of the statement.

Did find that the refusal by person convicted of a felony to give samples for DNA and forensic data bank requires is a punishable offense and requires a $3,000 bail per section 298.1. Louisiana also requires DNA submittal for persons convicted of a felony sexual offense.

Far as I can tell, only instance where the state can 'release' DNA is via authorization in California Penal Code, Section 299, to law enforcement agencies. Apparently there is no restriction on the use of this DNA by the authorities.

Mortgage applications have been steady throughout the summer, but not as strong as last year and this spring. Days on market for the pricier properties have increased. Prices have peaked. New subdivisions now have homes that have flipped twice in a month sitting vacant whereas last year the buyer waiting list had over 100 names.

Had been one of the strongest markets in the western US, peaking later than san diego, san francisco, sacramento and las vegas. thought the mania would continue longer; perhaps it still will...

Under US regulations provisions to reduce mercury emissions by a 'cap and trade' policy will require mercury pollution credits to trade by 2010. The clean air mercury rule was supposed to reduce hg air emissions by 90% in 2008. Instead the new rules will reportedly reduce emissions by 70% when fully implemented in 2018. The system to trade Hg credits is already in large scale development whereas systems to trade NOx, Sox and Pm are not.

(Even though SOx has trades since the 1990's there are no major efforts to rebalance emission trading balances/allowances or those regulatory systems which govern the trade mechanisms).

The dates could change because the issue is in play at the state level, especially Nevada and Montana. For example, here is a decent take on the issue in Montana as published this weekend:

mercury cleanup is not cheap, regardless of the media. look at some of the numbers bandied about here:

Because the poor miner is poisoned near the Las Cristinas concession (read the word),

Currently anticipates the future futures market for Hg credits, not pm2.5 NOx and SOx.

Watch for the tech cominco case to pave precedent for international pollution flow...

Shows what it is: a speculators market. The market still has a ways to run imo (though California prices have already topped in several markets). Still waiting for the ubiquitous 40-yr, 50yr, and intergenerational mortgages for 'investment in your children's future".

Must have a reasonable strategy to conserve resources, reclaim, protect worker safety, be a good neighbor, and conserve capital.

9.22.05 In any of the dozens of mine reclamation articles I read

has the press EVER mentioned that the majority of common remediation techniques were developed and perfected by the mining industry? Nope, not once.

that proves problematic for coal, it the mercury

it basically comes down to the operation and maintenance schedule for the best available technology scrubbers. course, most people can no longer get a comprehension loan, much less pay attention more than a 30sec tee vee spot, so the press is quite happy presenting stories in the dick and jane style.

2005 Jeep Liberty Biodiesel
yep, finally a car made in that us consumers want. The model is selling well.

anybody drive one yet?

Of course, pretty much all diesels can run on vegetable oil. Gut i find it interesting how long it has taken for one of the majors to finally figure out there is a marketing angle here. the first tank is supposedly on a 5% bio ( B5 ) mix. but, at least it is made from OHIO soybeans.

Though not all diesels run well on bio. older engines aren't that efficient on higher blends. some warranties are voided.

Somebody was facing a county highway project that would go through their font yard and asked about options to avoid eminent domain or at least strengthen their negotiation position. Here were my thoughts:

If I were in your shoes, Id consider building the following files:

Your File
( If you sell )
What are your mineral rights
What are your water rights
Plot value of land and built residential square foot over 50 years at 5 yr intervals
Determine value of natural and cultural resources on your land ( midden layers, BRMs, pestils and mortars etc. )
Find soil survey, ag and timber designations

Find endangered species, wetlands, historic designations
Find animal unit month support for your property via equivalency
Fight for property, rights, and access retention clauses ( i.e. if there is an arrowhead on your land, they better pay you for all possible arrowhead you could find and sell in the future x number and types of other resources. i.e. don't quitclaim anything )
Document real property including all alterations and improvements ( gather previous permits )
Show plans for future improvement ( business plans, architect drawings, blues etc. )
Know your other liabilities ( HOA? Hazmat? )
Ensure no encumbrances or liens etc. on your property or title
Survey Coordinates; ensure NAD and Plane are correct and consistent
Determine centerline
Take pictures of and document condition of EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, before they begin sabotage
Get CLUE file
Document all costs, time and material developing files
Establish all reasonably expected costs to fully document conditions and values
Establish reasonably expected costs incurred by re-locating ( increased taxes, insurance, etc. ) and emotional distress on family ( new school etc. )
Look into sheltering
Look into equity stripping
Negotiate strong indemnify, reimburse, defend, save and hold harmless clauses
Define maintenance and transfer agreements
Retain all rights and claims
Decline all limitation ( affects of approval, etc. )

Their File
( If you fight, or simply want a better price )
What is the county sewer and water offset requirements
What does zoning speak to subdivision and use requirements
Get a copy of the MT Public Utility Commission regs and caselaw ( anything that undermines their standing )
What authorization for right of way/domain do they cite ( i.e. 16 USC? )
Get a copy of all current rights of way agreements for your property and all rights of way and eminent domains previous for your county, city and state
Find previously used rights of refusal and termination in previous ROWs and domain transfers
Shadow their compliance process and documentation
Fight them on suitability analysis ( land classification, soil suitability from Order II soil survey, drainage, etc. )
Find Mt. EIS/R w/ socioeconomic impact analysis of viewshed
Stipulate time and costs for vacate and surrender clauses
Fight them on:

- Congressional conflict of interest
- Third party benefit
- Compliance with equal opportunity, environmental justice and civil rights clauses
- Governing terms
- Survivability provisions and covenants ( termination, revocation, expiration )

- Bond provided to County
- Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
Fight all Joint Powers/Authorities/Contracts/MOAs/MOUs/Swaps/Possessory-exclusive-permanent interest transfers etc ) :
( ie. Non-Continuous waivers. Anti-deficiency, breach, governing wages, severalabiltiy, joint performance, timelines, conditions and waivers, material assumptions and projections, ad nauseum )

Document breaches and establish claims of continuous waiver
Challenge all notaries, stamps, attestments, testaments and witnesses
Challenge all mitigation measures and certifications

( more than one way of getting paid )

Hope that helps get you started. Have fun with it?

funny, thats exactly what happened the last time they did this type of study 20 years ago...

except this time they use Clean Water Act section 303(d), turbidity as the trigger

(NEM determines soil physics and inadequate waste pile design to blame for failure earlier this year)

(materials management and dewatering have never proven that cheap to begin with,

(hey, what are they up to on their advertising board on days without lost-time injuries along the highway.

other than me, nobody is gonna give agt a hard time b.c. they are out of the spotlight.

deflation/inflation/re-inflation/disinflation.

now how about we argue over the definition of 'energy shock'...

Which is the long term play: the balance sheet, the stock chart, or the reserves?

As long as one of the projects (burnstone or ivanhoe) work out, they will make bank.

the other has the uncertainty of an increasingly dim water and power situation in nevada...

Kimberly Feasibility Study was nice (but action immediately following marked the beginning (Feb 05) of a double top in the chart).

[actually the Burnstone ( property ) pre-feasibility study. Of course, it was the drill programme for the Kimberley (geologic formation ) that was published this February; specifically: lookup section 8.1. and see the resource estimates in section 9.]http://www.sedar.com/csfsprod/data52/filings/00730458/00000002/C%3A%5CSEDAR%5CFILINGS%5CGBGTechReportBurnstone.pdf

Their capital spending trails the sector, yet their development projects are much larger than sector average.

IF you are going to own gold still in the ground, may as be a whole bunch of gold in the ground.

I like their molybdenum exposure in the Yukon, though as a general rule am not fond of mining activities north of the 59th. (property written off anyway)

The company has not made a dime, and maybe never will. But somebody will develop those deposits. The Carlin is still a better bet than the Cortez at this junction, mainly due to existing infrastructure. (Though long term, better keep accumulating the players at Cortez - Victoria Resources, etc.)

Ivanhoe property (predicted cash cost of $134/oz) is equidistant between some wonderful names, perhaps these ring a bell:

Their neighbors are Barrick, Meridian, Newmont (note their choice AND timely acquisition of the Franco-Nv properties) and Glamis.

- Nem problems with dewatering and reclamation uses of Humboldt River basin water (and state/fed beneficial waters) has been challenged in the courts. Rulings not unequivocal imho.

- no key employee insurance. (but really - look at the bench they have and the other properties managed by these guys (Dickinson, Cousens, Mason, segsworth et. al.)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050907/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy_13

shows that wages pressures finally exhibit the strongest sustained trend and largest increase in the trajectory of that trend,

all anybody wants to talk about is some two-bit politician and a inconsequential new government giveaway - just like the last thousand giveaways

http://www.kitcomm.com/comments/gold/2005q3/2005_09/1050907.101304.mercuryee.htm

Bring back the AFRO:
Afro-American Face Reserve Organization. These AFRO dollars were used as trade scrip in the 1970's.

The fed has shown their interest in you. Perhaps it is now time to return the favor and regain control over your community.

Private currency has always been a supplement to the state scrip. By the time the civil war was over, the US Treasury was so depleted that it embarked on a campaign to tax everybody and everything possible, including the freely traded private currencies of the day. The state of Louisiana brilliantly upended this tax by instead circulating bonds as currency. Since bonds are not federally taxable, either now nor then the US collected no revenue on the 'Louisianan Baby Bonds'. The bonds traded as currency by face value. Eventually the Congress found out and made the practice illegal.

Namely, issue a state general obligation backed partially by gold.
He thought it would be nice.

The timing of the new bankruptcy laws and calculations for how much minimum payment credit card revolving debt holders must submit every month is nearly divine vis a vis the energy shock and coming budget re-evaluation in most american households.

Some feign true shock about how the situation went down in New Orleans. The abandonment of the state by the feds - both in preparation, defense, and response. The performance of the thief-in-chief as he rubbernecked from his plane burning hundreds of gallons of jet fuel whilst the minions below waited in lines up to a mile long for few gallons of gas. The performance by the worst of the NOLA citizens as they resorted to the most depraved behavior possible when it appeared that nobody was watching, or could raise much of an objection much less a response, and perhaps that indeed nobody cared, frankly.

Some feign true shock that these things could have happen in the works richest country.

Should it still shock you that these things happened in the worlds most indebted country?

Walked myself straight into Cartier (52nd and 5th). Asked to see a palladium watch. They had all kinds of overpriced stuff, most of it ridiculous. Alas, they had nothing in palladium.

Went to Saks, Macy's, Hammacher Schelmmer looking for something - anything - made in palladium. No such luck.

Went a few more blocks until I thought I found the metals and precious Oasis amongst the retail wasteland on the corniest street in the city, the dive known as Tiffanys.

Skipped the overdressed and underwhelming sales ladies and floor reps and guards and middlemen and marched straight into the suspicious eyes of the floor manager and asked to see something in palladium.

She had never heard of the metal. Floor manager for one of the worlds largest retail jewelers was absolutely clueless.

...moving on to the jewish jewel, jewelry and gemstone capital of NYC! Without doubt my quest must be nearing an end as I ambled along W. 47th just south of Rockefeller Plaza...

Western US tourists destinations will see increased visitation compared FL and the gulf coast, though all tourism is deflated as increased transpiration costs eat into disposable income.

Western US also will see increased visitation by scouts looking to disrupt US energy production. transport and transmission.

is quite enlightening. assuredly, it doesn't quite flow the way they promised during the ballot initiatives.

ive visited several of the casinos around NO, biloxi, and gulfport. They were running a solid business. The business model and management there was much more solid than some of the indian casino operations in Washington, New Mexico or the other Harrahs/trump/et. al operations in upper state Miss. or other midwest venues imo.

Some casino money goes into the black market illicit drug manufacture and transport business such as equipment, plants, plots, mules, soldiers, bribes, payola etc. The casino money is more launderable than most other industries. Since many purchased with hot cash are not reported, they in turn feed the black market. This undercuts the state and local government ever-increasing desire to buff out revenue streams. Hence, the state increasingly turns to the casino revenue themselves to support social programs, even as the hot money chases out the good economies.

The cash supports the illicit drug trade so that those who get addicted (those same individuals with a propensity to gamble often have a propensity to drink and drug) will keep turning to the casino as an opportunity to get more money, to buy more drugs.

One of the reasons that methamphetamine has hit your town hard in the last few years is because of the casino proliferation across our country. Takes decades to see the full effects...

The people built a city of 35,000 on a patch of dry lakebed where there had previously only been clay;

People have arrived with thousands of supply trucks full of enough equipment and supplies to last for 5-14 days in some of the most extreme weather conditions on the continent;

The people have brought their own shelters and generators and other temporary means of production;