SCROLL DOWN for earlier dates, this is reverse chronological order

12-25-19
Season's Greetings, y'all!

It's Christmas, 2019 and I forgot to save various links I've been putting up for this submission. Because it's Christmas, most of it isn't significant in concern anyhow. This entire submission was worked on Christmas day itself. I'm not the least bit angry losing what I put together as sometimes He has a better plan. Short and sweet, here goes!

Not terribly much is going on in crypto, except continued FUDding pressure against crypto itself. TPTB have been putting significant pressure on Alphabet's YouTube that crypto videos are disappearing at an alarming rate. One tweet I came across last night stated the influencers of this space don't have "Section 3 licenses" (or some similar shit) so YouTube is essentially required to pull these videos. To this, I shout "HORSESHIT!" as YouTube hasn't FIRST asked the influencers to provide such licensure or other documentation in the first place. There's favoritism and arm-twisting going on, with damn little you can tell me at this point to believe otherwise. They're trying the easier solutions to monkeyhammer the space and can already read the writing on the wall. As with the impeachment fiasco, it ain't gonna work, so it's wasted time.

Some jurisdictions are going far deeper! Merry Christmas, Uzbekistan!! No more easy trades for you. Now, America can you understand why the hell I'm bellyaching about Congress taking action to work for the people, cryptocurrency regulation which is reasonable, as included?

I'm working for a temporary job firm doing work I won't presently disclose. The crew is great. The money? Not so much, yet! I'm fitting in well, learning and dealing with the basic work and chores. I continue to search for more work to replace this, although there are several whom silently want me to continue doing and making additional progress. That's ALL I can say here for now. Nobody said this wouldn't be a struggle, but the signficant bleed of money is being halted for now. A New Year is coming next week! It gives potential to new job starts as BUDGETS are often opened in calendar years.

One of the most beautiful gifts one can receive for Christmas is getting a huge monkey off their back. Watch as their son gives them economic freedom, having paid off their mortgage. Did he violate the Gift Tax doing this? We'll just keep this the secret it DESERVES to remain, and that Congress should never have passed such wretched garbage in the first place!

Hallee's story is NOT to be missed! Her video and the story on it is proof you CAN come home and proof that Christmas is very much alive and well.

I hope and pray each of you have enjoyed Christmas. I have things to be thankful, even with the struggles. I believe it'll all work out for the better, given time. We have a new, clean slate called 2020 to look forward to! Until next submission:

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12-18-19
Greetings, y'all

My job hunt continues and it's more apparent that it won't start here in Casper, where I can be home each evening. I did shadow a prospective job which requires some travel and they're not developed enough yet for me to agree, although I hope they'll keep me in mind for the future. Family pressure to obtain health insurance and other benefits is a huge part of my decision. Oil City has slowed down on hiring due to the cheap oil and the temporary jobs as of late reflect that strongly for now. Other parts of the state has hiring in progress for wind "repower" projects, but I'm told some won't REALLY crank up until April, maybe May! It's wintertime and generally more struggle for some, here. Although extended travel is not so fun, it's clearly something I'll need to accept in light of too few prospects and not having been hired since my move in late August. Even the Job Fairs I attended in Rawlins and Casper during August had few if any solid leads for Casper itself. Pssst... Read on for an update later in this submission. It's interesting how one's luck suddenly changes.

How's Bitcoin? It truly SUCKED over the last several days, until this very day of publication, Wednesday 12/18! It broke out early in the day and continues rocketing past 7.3k from 6.6k, an 11% gain within 12 hours! Could my prediction of a Santa Claus RALLY be coming true? It's really too early to pin it down, but I was tweeting about this back around Halloween that Thanksgiving would be a bunch of turkey, yet Santa could deliver! If this rally is becoming true, expect the smaller .alt boats to float in beautiful sympathy!

Denver area readers, NukeManDan (Shields) is a very informative and pro-blockchain guy with an impressive resume' of accomplishments in this space. I was part of his awards-winning SovereignKeep project, which we won two competitions back in September. He's been working hard and has a blockchain course to begin late January at University of Denver! Want to know more? This link can get you started. I make nothing of referrals or otherwise for endorsing this, but I know Dan well enough that it's gonna ROCK! He puts in awesome effort in whatever he does. It should not disappoint. I'm also looking forward in doing my part, getting Sovereign Keep going in the not-too-distant future. The team continues occasional talks in the background for now.

Bix Weir discusses his belief this new pump in BTC is related to exchange manipulation, something he repeatedly mentions. If you're holding the actual keys to your coins, you're already in the Driver's Seat! That does NOT mean having your coins on Binance, etcetera!! Wake the hell up and do as Trace Mayer and friends do by Keeping Your Keys. That's happening around a fortnight away. For you TL;DR'ers, I'll later mention this again! It's really THAT important.

Frankly, I'm surprised ETH hasn't rebounded yet, but these are new additions to their code. Give it time! HEX is certainly getting attention from the ETH being transformed to it, then quite a number of participants are staking. Reviewing the latest release of the stake chart, there's a boatload of 10-year claims and those in just for the Big Pay Day after their 353+ days are done. The project is barely over a fortnight in release. Give HEX time as well for a market price to eventually stabilize.

Richard Heart continues to emphasize in regards to HEX, that users are the people which affect how HEX may help them. On Telegram, he noted Wednesday evening,"Have no expectations. Be the change you wish to see in the world. You make it happen!" and many have already claimed their HEX from BTC, snapshotted late afternoon, December 1st in America. The FOMO was extreme the following afternoon into late afternoon 12/3 with over 21,000 ETH having been transformed into HEX. Collections have slowed, but not enough to allow anyone 1MM HEX for an entire ETH. Day 9 allowed a then-record 587k HEX for that ETH, assuming the user didn't use a referral link. Opportunities for better bargains from interested participants should continue a while through the token's Adoption Amplifier that lasts through day 351 (11/15 or 11/16/2020, depending on your time zone. New days begin at midnight UTC) As of late 12/16, nearly 149k BTC or >1.5% of eligible BTC had been claimed for HEX. This project continues to dominate happenings in the space and has many "maximalists" in attack mode.

Wait too late and I'll wager people may again FOMO, not wanting to miss out on the bonuses, especially if being used toward compounding gains in advance of Big Pay Day on day 353. The longer one waits to use the AA, the fewer compounded shares by interest are given. Bear in mind, if you transform ETH into HEX and stake it, your ETH was indeed transformed and burned because you chose this action through the network itself, IOW you didn't purchase your HEX through AA. You can purchase HEX through ten exchanges as of this submission, but beware that two presently have KYC withdrawal requirements! Regardless if you transform or purchase HEX as outlined, you'll burn the HEX if staking, with newly minted HEX and associated bonuses comes out when you close your stake, hopefully at the time you chose when it becomes due! Waiting past that time will likely result in penalties being given to other stakers, per the FAQ in the HEX website. BTW, do you need a website to determine the days from when you begin your stake to when you want to claim? This website should help. Before you choose HEX or any other project, absolutely do your due diligence! Be prepared to live with your decision(s) made and most importantly, if transforming ETH for HEX to stake or otherwise use, do not expect anything of any value to be the result.

MWC (MimbleWimbleCoin) definitely has a building fanbase. Bitcoin is becoming their own worst enemy with few if any improvements. Maximalists, I think will suffer going forth if they fail to consider all the chainanalysists and so much more lagging the coin's progress. Yes, Bitcoin has the name recognition going for it and remains capable to pump, but too few outside the space realize the MWC technology and scarcity of their coins.

It's time for Fair Warning regarding those with pending MWC coin airdrops via their BTC claiming back in July; January 2nd, 2020 is your deadline! Don't say this humble blogger didn't hint it to ya, here! Furthermore, those who only claimed to later dump have been doing so via Hotbit.io and the coins remain terribly undervalued for now. Do any due diligence first, be prepared with Google Authenticator, a working Email you can quickly utilize and SMS (texting) service to withdraw, the willingness to either use Bitcoin (or another crypto you convert to BTC) if planning to purchase MWC there, then realize you must have as ON (light green light) on MWC wallet's MWC MQS lower right-hand screen, indicating your wallet is listening, before you transfer coins to you from the exchange. Although Hotbit seems to utilize good security, it's still a STUPID practice to treat your exchange as if it were a bank! They have your keys, after all. Trace Mayer will soon enough remind us of the Keep Your Keys event as that's barely over a fortnight away, 1/3/2020 to be exact.

There are many nativity scenes, yet few truly endure as the folks in Dougherty, IA continue doing for well over a century! If you're in north-central IA and can save the date, their 118th S.T.P.A.T.S. will be held again just after Christmas on the 29th, from 1:30p - 3:30p CST in the church at Dougherty. You may join for hot cider, cookies and fellowship. Info or questions? Call Denny at 641-425-4398 and have a Merry Christmas! They're doing fantastic testimony in their Worship.

James Todaro tweets that Bitcoin remains viable and relevant going forward. This logarithmic chart speaks volumes, although the Chinese remain dominant on mining it, their government remaining undecided what direction it goes, affecting these miners.

VeChain, a project which I don't HODL, yet see significant promise in as I tweeted earlier last week, has suffered a token theft in their Foundation, they say is likely due to loose protocols somewhere in their organization. Other exchanges handing the token have been advised to track and block as possible.

dark.fail @darkdotfail on Twitter gives sage advice to everyone; "Never use the same password or PIN on two sites. Many people who think they have been phished by a phisher might have been phished by a nosey/greedy small site admin who does not hash passwords."

That's the latest I have. The weather here is behaving for now in Oil Town. I've landed temporary work that could go on for a month with the City. Hopefully, it gets my foot in the door for future opportunities as the City of Casper has a decent number from time to time. There's not much hiring at all going on, outside of Christmas stuff, but at least this will nearly stop the horrible bleed of $$. I'll try and jump in with more developments I see between now and the next update, likely Sunday.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12-11-19
As of this submission, we're a fortnight away from Christmas. Are each of you preparing for it, now?

Jacob Kostecki has a thread worthy of passing along. Massive Adoption is in late February, in Memphis.

MorganTBennett has your Bitcoin Minimalist thread, courtesy of Twitter:

Richard Heart gives HEX a very good report after its' first week. Many call it scammish. I'm participating with the BTC I already HODLed. One guy argued that signing a message with a BTC wallet gives away the PrivKey. I strongly disagree, even though the message does hash through the affected address, proving to the recipient that the address belongs as claimed. ETH is the main focus of his critics, yet I remind all participants of what he has stated repeatedly. Expect NOTHING at all if you transform any ETH for HEX. Although designed to pump, it will take time to get there and bear in mind the Big Pay Day is still nearly a year away. Already, HEX is leading the apps on Ethereum's blockchain after this first week. With week two in progress, 2% of the total stack for Big Pay Day is off the table. I'm after the free $$ and may put some ETH to amplify. I took big chances when DOGE came out at this time six years ago. Richard reminds us of the nearly quarter-billion dollar market cap that the joke coin (which BTW can still pump and functions wonderfully!) affords it's users. CoinRadarATM notes 64 BTM's around the globe handle DOGE. Add mine to that group if I get one, license it, and get an exchange operating on the other side. The latter point I've already discussed with one well-known US operation with a solid history. Stay Tuned.

MWC (MimbleWimble Coin) has been doling out coins, although today was the official day of Airdrop claims. Hotbit has been between 35 cents to 1.50 for each MWC. Give this time for the cheap coins to run out and you'll see more fiat value come into it. The technology that Chris G. & Company has put into it is SWEET! It's already outdoing Grin as of earlier this week.

Andy Hoffman notes the latest news from MimbleWimble.

Catherine Austin Fitts of Solari Report on 11/26 did an interview on USAWatchdog dot com regarding a subject I've tweeted numerous times about. How the dollar is being weakened by workarounds by China and Russia. Both nations have backchannels to trade around SWIFT, the international money settlement network.

This woman is woefully clueless on so many levels. Violated Federal law, put herself in significant danger, she likely stunk for almost the whole evening. I agree, the bags should've been RED. (facepalm!)

Quite the mouthful! B-u-u-u-u-u-rp!

OBITS:
Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought beloved "Sesame Street" characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life, died on Sunday. He was 85. Spinney was there at the very start a half-century ago. At age five, your humble blogger watched the premier, episode 001 back in November '69 on KETS channel 2, unique due to the mammoth service area it enjoyed, positioned at 1,800' on the KATV tower, once being the loftiest-positioned of educational TV antennas in the world, easily capable of 85 miles in all directions! Television sure has changed since then but the innovations in presenting the messages have gotten better with the basics. RIP Caroll as you join Jim and the other greats! You will be missed.

René Auberjonois, the prolific actor best known for his roles on the television shows Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and his part in the 1970 film M*A*S*H playing Father Mulcahy, has died. He was 79. He had an incredible career.

The Ice Bucket Challenge guy has passed of the disease his challenge is aimed at eradicating. Pete Frates was 34 and passed of ALS in Boston. His leadership and drive will always be remembered. I would hope his family will extend his foundation. The linked story tells more.

Many of you from the 80's & part of the 90's remember her magnificent vocals with many stations still airing her timeless works. Sadly, her battle with cancer at age 61 ended recently but she didn't easily fade like a flower as she fought it to the bitter end! Marie Fredriksson of Sweden made the airwaves and stages around the globe. You knew her as the vocalist of Roxette. RIP

Quote of the Week: "Having kids doesn't make you a good person, it just shows your genitals work." - Richard Heart

It's that time again! The 12 days of Christmas, courtesy of Parker Cattle and Ag Twitter friends.

It's going SLOW for now, so hang in there! I'm hanging in there, too.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12-1-19
Greetings, y'all,

Welcome to December! How was Thanksgiving? It was very silent but very awesome and filling here in Oil Town. I certainly hope yours worked out well! My roommate is busy in NE Colorado and needs to come back to town for important business soon. FINALLY, the weather here is calming down, Casper with around 7 inches of powdery snow. I was ready for this mess if you kept up with my tweets and the job hunt for me continues. Sadly, one job I was highly qualified for didn't consider me to begin with and chose from their first candidates. Sometimes, this is the way it goes here. God has seen me through all sorts of oddities. His plan for me hasn't fully manifested and I'm keeping my share of the bills paid just fine, in no danger of running out of $$, so I won't likely hold the lack of attention against that employer. Besides, being here has forced me to cull out unnecessary nonsense that I never addressed while in Guymon. I'm happy, but could be happier by going back to work! I have an appointment this week with Workforce. It's magical how my phone rings SOON after any visit there. Some calls are absolute wastes of my time and some hold promise. I've even refused work as one employer insists whom they hire must be long-term oriented due to their training costs. That's a promise I can't make when their rate of starting pay is pathetically low to begin, but I'm a person once hired tends to remain highly loyal, as proven in Guymon just after Seaboard hired me. Furthermore, there are opportunities opening up in two neighboring counties which for at least one would require my moving away, but the work will likely remain steady until certain factors come to fruition. If I can remain here, cool! If not, it IS what it IS!! This cowboy has roughed it out before and I intend to survive here in White Buffalo Land.

Ready and all "Hexcited?" Richard Heart and Co. are finally ready for Bitcoin's snapshot at 00z UTC 12/2. (That's 7pm EST, 6pm CST, 5pm MST [corrected from previous post, y'all], and 4pm PST, Sunday 12/1, commencing creation of the subsequent block from that point in time. Any BTC you are to add for that snapshot must be in place by that time to be included in your capability to directly claim BTC for a HEX reward. Furthermore, the Adoption Amplifier (AA) commences 24 hours later, Monday afternoon/evening for America. The BTC free claims commence Tuesday afternoon/evening at the aforementioned times. HEX.win chat is filled with various questions, some very good. Richard has answered many questions, even from Yours Truly including if any of the ETH addresses from a recent Korean heist will be excluded. He answered "No" and I figure because of the attention the addresses are receiving from exchanges around the globe, they probably won't utilize the AA anyhow. I do remind participants to keep some ETH available and at the ready to pay that small GWei or gas fee as it indeed becomes part of the HEX smart contract on Ethereum's blockchain. I believe ETH will be helped in part due to HEX and wouldn't be surprised to see a volume spike in this first three-day rollout! I also keenly remind you to ensure your 20% referral of yourself to visit the website beforehand and create the link. Just as last time, I have no intention of putting any referral links here, including myself. This Blog has always been free of such to keep your visits as friendly as possible. However, I have created one and if any of you are simply too lazy to create your own (which you utilize to initially access HEX.win when ready to either use AA or Free Claim via BTC you own in your own wallet which is capable of signing, then you can request of me by email to provide my own and you'll still get a 10% bonus for having been referred (I'll get 20% bonus) yet you won't be shorted of any bonuses for having used mine. Transparency is something I value and I'll treat all of you no differently because you've spent time here, even if you don't tell another soul of this simple place. If using Telegram, t.me/HEXcrypto is one of several rooms to remain active over the next several days. I may well have an update Wednesday with all this.

 Things got extremely nasty for a U.S. citizen who reportedly ignored his government's warning not to visit North Korea, sneaking into China to facilitate a visit to a conference in Pyongyang in April, teaching them about how money laundering could be facilitated by using a cryptocurrency (since the government's complaint gives but a single blockchain as being cited.) Can I blame Virgil Griffith for wanting to ditch The Empire? If he were really smart, perhaps he should've stayed away for good. The bigger question is if Trump feels these "beautiful letters" he receives from the Hermit Kingdom are doing any good, that his underlings are being rather aggressive about apprehending the guy. Hey! Virgil didn't have "clearance" from the proper agency's export control, although likely the Norks are involved in various schemes, ransomware in particular, to rake in crypto under the radar and may well understand how to trade covertly, with or without China, but most importantly, he failed to heed their warnings!

 "It's time to make an example of Griffith, 'cause da law iz da law!" thinks the alphabet agency and prosecution. He shows up soon in Federal Court in Los Angeles, where he was arrested, arriving back on American soil. A tweet soon came from Udi Wertheimer, well known in the space, it becoming a decent thread. I strongly agree with him! Proper legal help for someone so learned should be an employee perk! Bottom Line for me if I were in Virgil's shoes, I would have heeded the warning given, even if someone else less capable of dishing out the information could have done so in my place, unless I had decided to simply not return to America or any nation under treaty to extradite back over to prosecute me. Snowden wants badly to return to the USA, yet understands the minutiae of this, him receiving a FAIR trial as our Constitution purports, to ensure each and every statement he gives in a Court is afforded consideration when he raises his hand to affirm "The whole truth and nothing but the truth!" which your humble bloggers sees this and wholeheartedly agrees. If Americans were willing to protest selective inclusion of their testimony and willing to FILL THE JAILS in contempt of the Court's cherry-picking to either simplify procedure or speed it up (which rarely facilitates justice dispensed IMAO.) then our Judiciary would be forced to expand to accommodate such change, yet justice would likely be enhanced. This can ultimately carry over from the Will of The People by the votes we cast and holding those we send to The Swamp as accountable, per the Ballot Box! Because of the time involved, I'm surprised lawyers reading this wouldn't QUICKLY embrace it. You think I'm not serious?? I did see a tweet from the Ethereum's founder on Sunday 12/1 and he says he won't let Virgil get run over by the bus. Stay Tuned as this should get interesting!

Germany will soon allow their banks to hold and sell cryptocurrencies! This will be a HUGE game changer in the EU as presently, they are prohibited doing so under EU anti-money laundering regs.

My native Arkansas has an opioid crisis as many other states, except there remains a need for these medications to ensure at least some quality of life. Medical experts claim they're responsible if a patient dies overnight, never again awakening. They claim there's no easy answer, yet "guidelines" have been given. Arkansas voters have already struck down marijuana prohibition to allow medical weed. For those utilizing opioid meds responsibly, it would make sense to strike a balance, allowing doctors to DO THEIR JOBS instead of hogtying them with one-size-fits-all nonsense! To strike a comparison, why has the IRS given "guidelines" to cryptocurrency taxation, without direct Congressional regulation and input? Even the Agency realizes they may have been a bit quick at the trigger, when they are rewarding taxpayers who are claiming their taxes in regard to crypto, as I've mentioned recently in this humble Blog. As many of you already realize, excessive government regulation is rarely the answer, more so when a kneejerk reaction affects the quality of life (and pursuit of happiness) of people in needless suffering! David, you're not forgotten in all this if you're reading this. Take care, my friend!

In regard to the London Bridge tragedy, many have taken to Twitter to ask what a narwhal tusk is. @dgwbirch gives us an excellent answer when the law is reviewed. I think we can all agree this is NOT one world, as Paul Harvey used to say!

Want to know about podcasting, considering making one?? This is a HUGE thread Peter McCormack gives with lessons he's learned, some are opinions.

A 104-year old lady bagged her first buck in the deer woods of Wisconsin. If that ain't special, I don't know what is! Deer.. It's what's for dinner! A public service of People Eating Tasty Animals.

"Dads feeding their babies" four generations, no less! Now, I've seen everything!

This dog could become their town's secondary tornado siren. You see, bad dog Blue doesn't like getting scolded by Mommy!

Quote of the Day: "Guess what sports fans, bread isn't getting more expensive. Your dollar is just becoming worth less." - Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame)

Quote of the Week: "Bullish and bearish people are both always right. Only the timeframe matters." - Richard Heart

Finally, a brief reminder of MWC (MimbleWimbleCoin) airdrop claims are to come out December 11th. Exchange for it is presently on Hotbit dot io. There's some price traction taking place, yet I expect some stupid DUMPING of coins and am keeping dry powder available. Their wallet is 1.0.8 although Christopher (lead Dev) tells me 1.0.7 will work fine. There's a learning curve to MW technology, some which you'll love if you're into privacy.

That's it for now. Again, an update coming Wednesday as I expect more news, at least some Hex-related. I'll include other relevant news including BTC, LTC, ETH & MWC.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11-25-19
Greetings, y'all,

&This is a HUGE submission since it's been a while, it being Midnight Mountain Time on 11/25 (0600 UTC) when submitted. Some news is old while some is recent. Pop that corn and enjoy, won't ya? There will NOT be a Thankgiving edition, short of Breaking News so you're encouraged to read through this whole thing, but don't forget that turkey! I did tweet early Sunday of an Arkansas tradition no longer done. The Turkey Drop was done for several years in Yellville, AR (Marion County near the MO line) and discontinued, I think during the 80's. A turkey sign is shown at the city limits to remind locals to give that story to visitors. This native Arkie never heard of it until my first year in radio broadcasting, back in 1982. Where did all that time go?

 There's significant drama in Asia to begin this Blog entry and this is a LONG paragraph, developing story with plenty of links, so be patient here..
Could several BTC price dumps from Wednesday through Friday be related to China? Binance's Shanghai Office is reportedly closed after a police raid, according to sources who reported to TheBlock. However, there was a later update given by Binance through their official Twitter account. I'm assuming this was someone in the company, not an outside official! I've invited them to give additional details on this if anything. A subsequent story in Cryptoslate reportedly from the Binance CEO, indicates rival crypto exchanges there are paying for disinformation and that Binance has no office there. TheBlock stands by their sources in a brief news release, noting for transparency, they've removed the paywall from that article. Furthermore, late Friday, Frank Chaparro (@Fintechfrank on Twitter, News Director at @TheBlock__ ) states in this thread they have pictures of Binances' Shanghai office. Earlier in the day in related news, The Block reported the People's Bank of China's Shanghai unit is investigating crypto exchanges there. Richard Heart notes that China is wagging Bitcoin's tail this year. If matters continue to escalate there in regard to cryptocurrency, I too believe we'll see more short-term dumping of BTC, affecting most other crypto and the space, for now. Around Halloween, I predicted on Twitter a bearish move of at best, a sideways pattern lasting through Thanksgiving. I see no reason to change that at all! I'm also more bullish during December, that Santa could deliver a Christmas Surprise. I disagree with Bloomberg's take on Bitcoin because they're not considering Richard Heart's take on China, which I find as credible, yet Oliver will likely be proven incorrect with time as he didn't consider the measures both Russia and China implementing to reduce dependence on the USD and the obvious reduction in demand for energy with such a low Oil Price, well below 60 USD a barrel. Of course, you must do your own research as I'm not giving financial advice of any sort.

Ethereum is getting a MAJOR upgrade, sometime by December 6th! There's a significant article on what can be expected and the hopeful outcomes as a result of this. Exchanges will be making changes to utilize at least some of these features pertinent to them.

Some out there will speculate on ETH, but doing so may prove premature if the BTC price itself doesn't show much inclination to move upwards in the short to medium term. More on that in the next story..

Although the rollout of Hex (formerly Bitcoin Hex) is FINALLY coming soon with 2-day snapshot to begin 12/2 @ midnight UTC (6PM MST, 12/1 in America), it's yet to be determined how this new cryptocurrency will affect Ethereum's price. For those without Bitcoin, Hex rolls out the Adoption Amplifier or AA, giving a pathway for those without any bitcoin a means to participate. Especially that very first day with such a huge pot, the FOMO could produce a decent spike if handled at the last minute. Many questions persist as to what happens with the collected ETH and I can't answer that. The Bottom Line Under Hex is the Howey Rule where anyone participating cannot expect any benefit or gain whatsoever. This was carefully considered to avoid any classification as a security, per Howey. With Hex and the AA, a participant can mine or transform ETH into Hex, based on the overall pool of available Hex for that day (1billion, day one - 500MM day two - perhaps as low as 300MM by close of AA, somewhere during week 50 or 51) and the amount of received ETH is calculated with the pool for a ratio that's given, intended to be staked. There are powerful features with this crypto which encourage continued increases in value. Richard calls them "pumpamentals" and he's made a decent case of that as far as I'm concerned. Consider me a participant immediately after the 2-day snapshot has concluded. (First Day users get an early bird bonus) As I've mentioned here before, one's Bitcoin in a single address under the user's DIRECT control (IOW, NO exchanges, NO multisigs, NO whale addresses as outlined in the FAQ) which can be signed by a wallet supporting such function and hosting said address, can participate receiving Hex via the claim tool. Let me further warn all participants that they must keep ample GWei (gas charge to transact on the Smart Contract using Ethereum's blockchain) to finalize transactions! Richard has a video of around two minutes showing you the basics in regard to claiming Bitcoin for Hex. Since I have a personal policy of not using this blog for my self-enrichment, I'm NOT posting a referral link on this blog. My understanding is that any participant can create their own referral link to claim 20% additional Hex bonus, that being covered under the site's FAQ. If you're just too lazy or clueless on how to fulfill this, I can still provide information on where to find my referral link and you'll still receive 10% bonus with me getting 20% bonus of the amount you claim (you'll still receive the full 100% what you should receive) but you'll have to reach out to me on Twitter. I've given you only a basic rundown as this is a VERY COMPLEX cryptocurrency, designed for maximum value if you follow the instructions. Definitely bonused for your attention to details, including claiming your stake when it expires! Finally, do NOT lose your password or seed words depending on the wallet you utilize for your Hex as you must again use it when your stake has concluded. Got it?

MWC (Mimble Wimble Coin) is getting ready for their release of coins on 12/11. I'm very excited about receiving what I've claimed back in July, but am more excited on an excess of coins from dumpers onto exchanges. For now, hotbit.io is the only one I'm aware of carrying it. Watch for additional exchanges! There's already a huge squabble in MWC chat over one user having mistakenly received a bunch of MWC which was reportedly a developer's bounty. He reportedly has traded it for another coin (likely BTC) and claims to have neither, offering only a pathetic "Sorry!" in his message. I won't yet disclose the Telegram username here, yet (good luck on him reporting me to getting it removed as he can go POUND SAND - this ain't Facebook nor a democracy, punk!) but I've saved the entire conversation to teach my future crypto classes how ANYONE operating in this space must absolutely ensure they're transmitting their coins where they're supposed to go! It goes back to my mistake years earlier, as outlined in my 5-25-2017 Blog entry you can view by going to the very top of this webpage, click the 2017 blog link, then scroll down to NEAR the beginning. Click the associated link in that story and you'll still see the .27 BTC I transmitted and how safely cold-stored into eternity that it is! Be extremely careful never to allow confusion to rule YOUR roost, taking it from someone who has experienced it first-hand. It's value we're talking here, no matter what FUDder you're against! 'Nuff said.

Didn't I recently opine on the Dollar being further shunned? Russia is gradually culling its' usage in their National Wealth Fund and mulling other currencies. It's already happening, so prepare accordingly as that final straw gets placed on the camel's back.

On the national news front, marijuana may well have a chance to be removed from Schedule I, after all. When this is done, watch the weed stocks pump BIG as banking can finally be safely implemented. Yours Truly doesn't find any need to use any THC-containing products, although a quality CBD oil is under consideration and may help some pain issues creeping up on me. Still, I'm quite lucky to be on no regular meds for a man my age!

On Monday 11/18, Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was live with Chris Matthews when (very likely, Eric) ripped a BIG ONE on MSNBC. It was the fart which shook up a lot of Twitter and it reportedly trended that evening. It's definitely the best "Bronx Cheer" the network has enjoyed in quite a while! #FartGate is the popular hashtag.

Syria's Assad agrees with the majority on Twitter that Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself, despite Attorney General Barr coming out days later, having reportedly reviewed the closed-circuit footage, revealing a whole littany of "screwups" on the part of New York prison employees and officials. Reportedly, there are criminal inquiries and/or indictments coming up. Someone has to pay, being the patsy. Remember JFK? Barely 56 years ago, the globe was shaken and little more is known to this day.

UPDATE: Because your blogger enjoys fairness, NYC Mayor DeBlasio got booed at a public event he attended for NYC Veterans.

Wyoming's economy isn't hurting solely due to reduction in coal demand (it's proving more expensive than abundant natural gas) but consider what ZeroHedge posted early Sunday morning. An 80% reduction in chemicals from Wyoming being shipped to China is significant! This also affects a few Casper businesses whom serve the needs of the Sinclair refinery and related services. This could pose additional pressure from Wyoming lawmakers in late Winter when the legislature again meets in Cheyenne.

Bank of America, one of the USA's least-favorite Too Big To Epic-Fail's, proves convincingly to the Class of why they SUCK! A three-year old's account was cancelled because she apparently understood what crypto is, becoming a threat to the institution. Even their solid customers with long-term standing are targeted who have bought Bitcoin or another crypto. If you love this space and insist on doing business through BofA, then you're the sucker you're meant to be. Good luck on remaining under their radar.

It's being reported that the IRS has rewarded taxpayers who correctly reported their crypto with refunds. This has NOT happened with your humble blogger and I will cite this news release when I reach out to my Congressional representative. Furthermore, this will directly affect how Oklahoma would have to refund me accordingly, too - because they insist with very few exceptions that their return reflect how the Federal one shows.

Wierd Mountain Man on Twitter gives us some not-so-wierd insights of his Chinese experiences. Most telling is thread point #7. Put that in your grey matter! Well said, Sir!!

Here's your "Buffet of Thought", an exceptionally powerful quote I'll occasionally stumble across that sometimes brings tears to my eyes. Twitter is still capable of this, 'ya know! Governor Abbott of Texas I think nailed this one beautifully. Suicide is not the answer. He has done incredible things for the Lone Star State, even with a handicap that hasn't affected his mind negatively.

There are scalability upgrades being discussed in regard to Grin. Privacy issues have also been addressed recently! They're getting some love but I'm lovin' MWC.

Can one say they saw and heard a masterpiece and say it was both funny and exceptional? Folks, I've seen it all and appreciate the guy's cleverness. It also proves the Classics will remain the Classics!

Fool me once, you get the laugh. Fool me twice, it ain't happenin'!

Marco Santori gives us a huge thread of thoughts this week on stablecoins. His final tweet to it has a fantastic conclusion, rather obvious to me and many others; "There is *a lot* of work to do on crypto policy, particularly now that Libra has amplified scrutiny over our space."

Now for some quality family time together!

A thanksgiving message from cigarette lighters? Dunno who dreamt it, but it's quite timeless! Be Thankful for those you know, please!

Your Quote of Thanksgiving:
"Hillary Clinton still isn't taking her loss very well.
So I said to her, Cheer up!
At least you won't have to work at the same desk that Monica spent so much time under."
- Reality Check (@ourspacetweets) on Twitter

That's it for now, Sparing Breaking News, May The Almighty shower His blessings on each and every one of you! The WYDOT highway workers will need them as portions of I-25 and much of I-80 here in the Cowboy State are gonna soon be a GIANT mess, if not already.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11-10-19
Greetings, y'all!,
It's snowing again in Oil Town. 14 degrees outside (-10C) and my roommate is on the way back. Roads here are likely very slick with about an inch or two of the white stuff. It's even worse the further south you drive as some ice is expected. Hopefully, I'll hear back on one recent interview and I continue to fill out various applications for work around the area. It's a bit slow depending on one's specialties with the very low oil price. Nat Gas is a different story with the arctic blasts, yet Winter is still six weeks out, we're halfway into Autumn.

Talk about a NEAR-HEARTATTACK Friday night. A death hoax regarding Betty White was being passed around. When I saw the tweet from one of my dearest followers, my heart sunk sooooo deep. I'm grateful I read on and realized the hoax that it is. I don't want Betty to go anytime soon. Let's try and gang up on the Grim Reaper if we must!

The Boo-fest should've ended a few days back, but on 11/2 - Trump got Boooed loudly as he entered UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden. A bunch of unwashed, ungratefuls who have the gall to call conservatives "The Deplorables", as they support the stupidity that keeps them even more stupid. It's a vicious whack-a-mole and I think Trump sends a powerful message by switching his residency down the coast. RedNationRising on Twitter gave some food for thought: "We are paying 535 members of Congress millions to do nothing. We are paying President Donald J. Trump nothing to do everything."

It's not totally hopeless. Linzerd on CoinSpice dot IO wrote earlier last Saturday: * US Congressman Tom Emmer Announces Crypto-Friendly Bill * "While the sentiment of the US Congress is eminently anti-cryptocurrency, or at least anti-Libra, as was evidenced during the last hearing with Mark Zuckerberg, Tom Emmer thinks otherwise. Emmer announced he will introduce a bill to maintain currencies outside SEC procedures when distributed if they fulfill all traditional securities requirements. He explained, “Companies that have followed our current rules… deserve the certainty that they can offer their digital asset to the public.”

Jerod McDaniel of AgUncensored fame recorded an interview with Dr. Temple Grandin. It was released the day of this submission.

GATA, the Gold Anti-Trust Action committee, has released their Gold Market manipulation update for November where they bring up numerous and powerful points to warn investors that all ain't so rosy. Furthermore, they even refer to what Bix Weir reported regarding the CFTC popping Bitcoin's bubble nearly two years back. This is how desperate the government was getting to control the view of the Dollar as Bitcoin was broadcasting the USD's inherent weakness, just as Gold does when not manipulated. Now do you understand why I've repeatedly tweeted that GATA is vindicated? Your humble blogger still reads their dispatches through gata.org and encourages anyone involved in Precious Metals exposure to regularly do the same. Bobby Lee is quite the guy! Longtime Bitcoiner and can converse with the best of 'em! The tweet tells it all.

This is a powerful Max Keiser report. Very much worth the half-hour you spend watching!

It's AWESOME how crypto is solving significant problems with patience and cooperation. Some say there's no use case for cryptos and utility tokens? They only need to open their minds and see what's happening in Venezuela, not with the Petro, but with Obyte!

Your humble blogger got the very first view of this video Saturday evening. Popeye's chicken sandwiches being passed out to his neighbors. I'm pleased to pass on that LOVE here in time for Veteran's Day. Definitely two thumbs up regardless!

From a warehouse unknown.. This week's "Oh Shit Moment" is presented in the public service that any forklift truck driver in reverse (the boom's position indicates this) must pay attention to BOTH SIDES of their lane. You can tell how unstable these shelves became with a simple tap by the truck, they being fully loaded! I don't wish to speculate if the load limits of these shelves had been exceeded, presenting an unwarranted safety hazard to all in the warehouse. That's something for safety officers and other officials to determine, as appropriate. I fully realize there are locations around the globe with no such safety oversight and shake my head sideways as to WHY!

Remember, experimentation is what kicks off the next grooves of the universal language of MUSIC! I would sometimes sit through "Beaker Street", a program aired on various Little Rock radio stations over the years which featured various experimental music. Originally on iconic KAAY (now a 50k around-the-clock religious station) you could experience quite a number of styles. This thinking and viral reach today is but the next step on that continuing staircase to sound bliss.

Cosmo the Cougar is very much in the BYU DNA. He turns 66 this coming Friday and with precision timing of the Cougarettes, proves he got 'da moves!

NSFW Crypto Quote of the Year: "Your reputation is everything in this space. Don't fuck it up. - Bagsy That's it for now, be careful out there and I should return next weekend when yet more snow may return to the Oil City.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-31-19
Greetings, y'all!

 Happy Halloween! The Job Front here in Oil Town appears more promising. I've been spending more time filling specific online paperwork so I realize this Blog is starting to lag and even suck a bit. Remember, I don't make a damn cent-dime on this, nor are you being cookied to death. This is a bit therapeudic to realize the hundreds of hits around the globe I receive weekly and my Twitter follower counts continue going up several at a time. Please be patient with me as I have at least an important interview coming up. Besides that, I'm not at liberty to leak things out.

I also want to take this time to remind a few of you with whatever pitches to make to me that I'm very slow if at all willing to jump in the pool. Don't jerk on this cowboy's hat or other clothing to receive free mentions of any referral links as I don't easily play along unless I've researched it, even if it initially looks good! Please understand, I don't easily endorse products or services as you're not already witnessing me pump additional tokens I already HODL, nor am I readily in any MLM as I am primarily here to encourage Mass Adoption, so stop it already from your side of the aisle! If you're too persistent too quickly and failed to heed my warnings, you're subject to getting blocked and I 1) make those permanent and 2) will search Twitter for similar names which are parked accounts, ready for use if I suspect a scam. Let me further explain here;

I've gotten two scam attempts this month, one an obvious African one which instead of invoking God's Holy name as they often do, they instead use Allah. I have Muslim friends who would be deeply offended and BOILING PISSED by any scammer creating such heresy due to willing misuse - but it's all about money, isn't it? They truly don't give a flying fuck about anything else, so get over any illusions to the contrary! The scammer got canned but have too many accounts using the same (or very similar name, often using titles) already created to occupy what they lost, so be aware the scum are lurking and want your money! Simple twitter searches often reveal this pattern as I have seen from both I encountered and the scammer having posted their title as a "Doctor" by mistake on another scam a few days later tipped me off to this troublesome pattern. Jack Dorsey, I've tweeted you more than once that your portal is being PLAYED like a stratocaster. Get your high-tech worker bees on creating an algorithm to alert them, already!

It's more than ironic, actually a severe wake-up call, to realize just how horrific the Deep State and Swamp Critters are in the District of Criminals. There have been rather obvious signs of this when one sees the depth of Democratic voting there, in excess of 90 percent from the last poll I reviewed on that around a year back. A viral video shows Deep Staters honking their car horns, booing and flipping off the group Cowboys for Trump as they ride their horses in the District. Most striking was the introduction of the POTUS/FLOTUS at game five of the World Series as most of the stands contained Critters with very loud booing. They can argue all they wish of how they too pay taxes, but most benefit only when excess spending is ongoing, which of course benefits them and whom they're connected.

Of course they celebrated as their Nationals won the game, allowing more of their true, dour colors to bleed through our TV's and phones, directly into our brains. THIS behavior and arrogance is why Trump fights these critters. They're entirely butthurt despite the victory and won't go down easily. Ultimate case in point was last night's National's victory and first World Series Pennant. Of course Swamp Creatures drink too much at these celebrations and Fox 5 was stupid for getting reactions from fans without a digital delay! The NSFW viral video explains what Trump deals with in the District. I need say no more!

Sorry, 4chan! You lost the "16k by Halloween" Bitcoin prediction. I hate to bust your bubble further as I predict it won't happen through Thanksgiving! More likely, Santa will give us a Christmas Present as he did in '17 before the Fed decided to burst the bubble? Hopium persists. Much like Love, it's jealous and sometimes right.

Light up the candles on the cake, y'all! Bitcoin is celebrating its' 11th birthday of the White Paper release. Satochi, you're loved around the world, hated by many and still cause mass-confusion of the other 99%. Your day will come, but first the Mansions are being built.

It's funny when some pundits try to outdo us on Twitter. Your humble blogger is among Catturd's (@catturd2) nearly 112k followers. He's a smart fucker, occasionally smartassed, therefore, when he talks shit, he usually nails it! Catturd pwn3d Ann Coulter because she insisted Hawaii's Tulsi Gabbard is a Senator. NOT! The Washington Examiner correctly states whom represents our 50th State in the associated article. Ann, you're a great American and conservatives love you, but you're human as the rest of us. Admit it when you're wrong and you'll clearly get more respect and cred.

Of course the PPT and the ESF can NEVER, NEVER allow America to suffer another economic cra$h. ZeroHedge reports at 5.6x national GDP, we'd all be screwed 7 ways to next Sunday if the card deck finally collapses. Woefully, too few can't put down the TV 'mote to crawl out the moat of socialism surrounding their very existence.

The EU is a damn scary place to be today. Wasn't it the deadline for the UK to dump it? Enjoy this video of the Monster Cra$h, then RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

China is adopting a pro-blockchain stance, so notes William Suberg in an article on Cointelegraph. Does this mean Bitcoin is ready to pump more and more, with the mining and amount of coins there?

TheBlockDaily with an exclusive by Aislinn Keely happens to be griping about the same things your humble blogger has been for a while now! Crypto doesn't need your blessing, however, if you dodo birds in The Swamp expect crypto users as a whole to be compliant with taxation and regulation, then congress must finally haggle and tackle with it. Make it reasonable while you're at it, please! Give me reason to be happy with you, otherwise I'm encouraging the entire American space to start casting votes against the FUDders and laggards. Now for the short links:

Video of the Week: An Owl on a Segway. You'd thought I'd left Halloween behind, right?

Spiffy video of the week: Don't watch this if you're trippin' on A! Instead, groove to the nicely-arranged engineering which went into this. Very #spiffy!

Laughable of the Week (likely NSFW, but it's FUNNY!) Duckling bites puppy on it's ... I'd be stunned and a bit unhappy, too!

Quote of the Week: "Both crypto & marijuana are being hurt by government inability to act in accordance with the peoples will. Both industries could be boom sectors in our economy yet the government drags its heels and only creates more difficulties." - CryptoDood

That's it! Have a great time this Halloween and I'll be back next month. THANK YOU ALL for your continued good wishes and prayers toward my job situation. Don't worry as my bills remain paid and the Wolf is not at the door. I just need the opportunity to prove I indeed belong as my psychic predicted 29 years ago.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-27-19
Greetings, y'all!
 Still, nothing solid brewing on my jobs front. I continue to apply at various spots around the Oil City, for now mainly online. I'm able to get additional chores done and got to enjoy a bit of nervous slip-and-slide on small portions of Casper Mountain Road south of town on Thursday. It's painfully apparent I'm going to need some sandbags to weigh down the back for basic traction in some areas this Winter! Two significant snow events have already taken place here in Oil Town with another likely in progress when this is released Sunday afternoon. As of this afternoon, it appears 4" has fallen here with perhaps a bit more by the time the really cold snap arrives. More snow can be expected here late Monday into early Wednesday. Highs in the teens to low 20's are expected. Furthermore, some sub-zero temps may be realized by mid-week. Halloween is closing in! I'm already warning the Upper Midwest from St. Joseph, MO into Michigan to be very attentive for a possible blizzard that very evening. Iowa, do you recall that nasty Halloween blizzard of, was it 93'? The GFS (global weather) model is teasing this repeat possibility several days out so prepare and see what changes may happen.

Thank You Representative Davidson of Ohio! https://cointelegraph.com/news/rep-warren-davidson-you-have-to-defend-money-to-defend-freedom. I watched him ask during Wednesday's Committee on Financial Services hearing for Mark Zuckerberg's insight in regard to expansion of innovation outside of Facebook. Davidson, however is incorrect to consider Libra a cryptocurrency. It's more a ledger according to the Libra's Whitepaper. He was correct in stating the issues of regulatory innovation.

Other congressmen added their comments to Zuck.. Stivers and Hill (from my native Arkansas where Gov. Hutchinson desires to allow innovation of cryptocurrencies) wants a stablecoin, more so a coin the Fed itself can create (remember, your government wants to control the whole game. This is why the Ballot Box next November is CRITICAL!) but Mark fired back that for true global acceptance to be realized, it would essentially have to garner trust. I agree strongly with his conclusion as he essentially understands how Bitcoin works and would silently agree with me that global trust of the USA has worn woefully thin outside our shores. A few congressmen including Vargas, noted CoLibra would be sited in Switzerland, one even wanted to convince Zuck that the financial capitols are here. True for NY State, but he conveniently forgot to mention the NY State Bitlicense, already exerting a stifling effect there, bringing a number of companies here to Wyoming. My sources tell me of literally hundreds of inquiries from throughout the nation and abroad. Wyoming is breaking through!

Hat tips go to NC's McHenry and to Congressman Budd. You guys "get" this! Add Ohio's Davidson and that begins a trio that can begin to change this HOT MESS America is in regarding cryptocurrency regulation. Gentlemen, you're already part of the solution and may not realize it, yet. Expect more in Congress to be added to this list as crypto and utility tokens again emerge and flex their muscles.

Now for those awaiting in the Peanut Gallery, get those boooos all ready to launch.. I watched Congressman Sherman take additional license on his birthday to again trash Bitcoin, FUDding it up to a new floor of sub 7.5k USD that day. He's such a dollar hawk and I look forward to slamming his name when these Washington notes and other dead president script above it are flailing for any remaining economic oxygen. It's well on it's way, no matter what he or Trump says! In light of his nonsense, Bitcoin rebounded briefly above 10k USD late Friday evening. I hope he reads the following: Congressman Sherman, congratulations on remaining for another successful, completed rotation around the Sun and may you and yours enjoy many more! However, your lovely dollar has been extremely ABUSED and other nations understand it and are getting sick of the short end of the stick. Furthermore, you're delusional when you state that the dollar is a poor choice for criminals. If that's the case Sir, why aren't you and your colleagues fighting to remove the extremely burdensome AML/KYC regs? Please spare me any patriotic spin or begin to stumble as I observed a colleague of yours in that very same hearing admitting Congress worked hard to pass this kneejerk, reactionary garbage!

Let me expand on this; AML/KYC is gradually ruining banking trust and relationships! Has this crap gone too far? Why not make it an election issue?? Congress can raise their collective middle fingers and begin getting the USA out of this failure. They can't even put the criminal bankers in prison when AML/KYC conveniently fails, so it's failing We The People! I usually get several likes on this subject whenever brought up on Twitter.

To rub salt in the wounds, I get to report via Zero Hedge that the largest Russian oil company has now officially shunned the Yankee Dollar for the financially-questionable Euro. That's how fed up that other nations are becoming with the Dollar. Folks, I've been warning of this for MONTHS now, if not over a year that the Emperor has lost all his clothes except for his Top Hat and is streaking around with a horribly-overdrawn credit card. Less and less demand for dollars globally will end the Dollar's ability as a foreign policy tool. The MSM knows it, yet refuses to point out the obvious. Government instead wants to pop the bubbles of Bitcoin as Bix Weir reports whilst paying TBTF banks tremendous amounts of money to bail them out. QE4 without an official name is what this crap is!

In unrelated news from Congress, Katie Hill of California's 25th district reportedly announced her resignation from Congress, Sunday The primary reason being a nude photograph of her combing the hair of a congressional staffer. No doubt the potential legal fallout from this could be powerful going forth in future situations of this nature.

Probably the BIGGEST news of all, likely the cause of the breakthrough rally resulting in a 40+% day for Friday 10/25 was China's news to encourage blockchain adoption. Many have speculated on which existing cryptos that Xi and The Party would support if applicable. China has excellent potential to contribute to the space on a technical basis, not just Bitcoin mining! Nevertheless, this news from The East is huge and truly triggered many losses for the shorts, expecting yet another dump as TA was indicating a soon-to-close descending triangle. Still, some of my followers correctly predicted a breakout. One thing was for certain, when 8.5k was attained, the underlying chart still remained very bullish, the move not petering out. I pointed in one tweet of 10k being regained as possible and going into early Saturday, there's some bullishness, yet it failed short of 9.8k and seemingly wishes to trade above 9k. We'll see if 10k eventually becomes the new floor (crossing fingers and toes) but several in the space are truly hoping for 13.7k in the near term.

Now for the Litecoin & MimbleWimble update. Good so far?? "Not so fast!" says MWC and they state a decent case as to why Litecoin should work further on their proposed improvements. Since we're talking Litecoin here, The number of BTM's supporting it have crossed the 4k mark! Gradually, LTC is proving it's not the shitcoin that too many still believe it is. I'll be vindicated on this point in due course.

Let me thank Zero Shorts LLC on Twitter for updating me on the status of M-Pesa. They used to accept Bitcoin as a payment means in several African nations. As far as Kenya is concerned, Bitcoin is not recognized by their Central Bank, but I can't say the status of the other nations.. It was an excellent experiment being realized as The Real Deal in the eastern African nation, until it wasn't. Others watching our conversation included @KenyaCoin, who tweeted "There are no mobile money networks that 'accept' or 'use' $BTC or any cryptocurrency whatsoever. They use only the local (fiat) currency of the country in which they operate." which tells me Mass Adoption is still some time away, no matter what flavor of maximalist you happen to be. Be patient, as others along with myself expect a global change-of-mind.

@Lopp nails it again regarding a security concern that I keep in the back of my mind. Not everyone with a cellphone will utilize password protection of some sort to prevent theft via second-factor authorization, or 2FA. so if you use any service such as Yahoo, possibly your bank or credit card issuer, ANY number of institutions who think 2FA always is THE solution to one's security - well, that may not be workin', especially if you cross the border and your phone happens to be confiscated by authorities, just as an example. Losing or having your phone stolen by someone who knows you have significant HODLings makes having some means of securing your phone as paramount! Let me reference Lopp's story to what I read in CoinSpice, Friday; Michael Terpin, a cryptocurrency investor who suffered a $24 million SIM swap attack, issued an open letter to the FCC, urging for effective rules to prevent such thievery from happening in the future. Terpin asked for opt-in high-security plans to be issued by all carriers with a no-port option so the SIM card cannot be changed without going through an anti-fraud review. SIM swapping is becoming more common with even Jack Dorsey, Twitter's CEO having suffering a SIM swap attack this year, that delivered control of his Twitter account to the attackers.

Here's one of the better articles of why Bitcoin = $$ !!! Of course the IRS and Congress won't heed this today, but they'll eventually be forced to concede this simple truth.

Furthermore, a Bitcoin Baby has been born in Venezuela! According to an article in SpiceCoin; Jose Peña, a LongHash Venezuelan journalist, told the story of how he used his savings in cryptocurrency to pay for the birth of his son. The tale of how he exchanged his savings in bitcoin for bolivares, the country’s fiat currency, to pay for the medical procedure is nothing short of astounding. “I often see people on social media saying that Bitcoin has no real use … But countries like Venezuela, where the economy is dysfunctional, showcase Bitcoin’s greatest potential."

Video of the Weekend: It's really sad when it's your last ride for a season, especially on a working ranch. Mountain grazing has to come to an end in most spots, so the cows have to be driven to lower elevations. I sure miss my horse rides! God willing, that'll again happen sometime next year. As mentioned at the start, I'm still job hunting.

Quote of the Weekend: "Remember kids... You can vote your way into socialism, but you gotta shoot your way out. - "Labor Conservatives" on Twitter

That's it for now, Breaking News or a Wednesday update are certainly possible. Watch Twitter for tweets of any upcoming updates.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-21-19
Greetings, y'all!,

UPDATE: My former Guymon bank has some real winners working for it. They were in such a rush, they forgot to sign the cashier's check which allows me to transfer the funds I had there to here! I'm not at all pleased they asked me to mail back the check so they could personally affix a signature to it. I included a note stating if they indeed charged me for the check, they refund me the money! Almost everyone I spoke with, family and friends suggested I was being far too lenient and I insist they overnight me a new check! Although I don't need it right away, their delays have caused me significant problems causing me to sell some assets so I can remain liquid in anticipation of landing another job. Furthermore, I'm not at all pleased about the service this new bank gave me. The previous bank gave me almost no issues during the first 7 years I lived there. It was after the acquisition the problems began. Nevertheless, I'm about to rid my life of it. You know my absolute negativity toward Big Bankers. This one is close to making that publicly-shamed list if they once again screw up this check, ending my relationship with them. The only problem I've had with the Credit Union I use here in Wyoming are their entry of records. They had my phone number incorrect and this caused my checks to display that, too. I strongly recommend if you have errors with checks on information that you ensure your bank or CU has it correct in the first place! We're all human. I want stuff correct and am usually arrogant about that. You should too!

 Mother Nature let loose a nice mid-October snow on Casper earlier today, the second decent snowfall this year for the Oil City. Outside, around 4 inches as Riverton forecasted, so that means Casper Mountain has even more! It being an east-west oriented mountain, there's a sizeable north slope getting little sunlight to melt what's there. Before this second storm arriving earlier today, there were still some patches of snow from the first (on the tenth) still in view. At this rate, I wonder what Thanksgiving promises for the snow trails? I'm happy I decided to drive on back last night after watching the Pokes defeat the New Mexico Lobos, 23-10.

As a result of that win, getting to take advantage of WyoLotto's unique offer to double my chances in Cowboy Draw were truly tested to the limit! Let me explain how this works.. Wyoming has a pick-5 unique to lotto players here. Either choose your numbers or let the computer do it for you. (1 through 45) and you do it twice per $5 play. with decent chances of 1:6 to at least win back your money on one play. My favorite gas station had their terminal shut down because the satellite feed was being interfered by the falling snow. A nearby store had the same issue. I was wondering if I was capable of getting these tickets during the three-hour window (11a - 2p Sunday, ONLY on weeks that the Wyoming Cowboys football team wins at home this season) and the time was ticking away! I made an executive decision in the heavy snow to drive Wyoming Boulevard to the town's west side and find a WyoLotto outlet. Wal-Mart on CY doesn't participate, so hunting down a gas station, I go! Portions of that route had not much traffic on it and due to elevation, it was getting a bit slick! My pickup fishtailed a few times but I kept my cool and made it to CY! Finally, one with the necessary signage. YES! Their terminal was operational. It was a bit tricky for their equipment to make out my choices, but I got my basic numbers. What sucks is that the bonus ones are ALL quick-picks! I don't get that choice and was disgusted about it as it appears their computer grabbed all numbers I used, then mixed them around for different combinations. I admit though, it's still an extra set of chances so will see how this goes. I'm sorry for the east side stores that couldn't participate, but that gave me more chances with this narrow window of time. (crossing fingers & toes!) I will suggest to WyoLotto or our legislators that somebody must do something to ensure a consistent playing field for it, especially high-speed data or fiber optics, which I realize the state continues to work on with the FCC. A satellite link subject to weather disruptions with an important promotion is NOT good practice, especially in remote areas where there may be but one terminal for many a mile. After all, there are still more Laramie games the Pokes will play with additional chances of wins, specifically this coming Saturday 10/26 with University of Nevada and 11/22 hosting Colorado State University.

Time again for the latest FUD? Leave it to certain editors and their hit pieces! I call it for the shit piece it is. Perhaps a favor was called in? I remind Bloomberg and each and every reader of this humble Blog that Bitcoin doesn't require your approval. This becomes no more than a desperate response from government which no longer responds to The People. Furthermore, Congress needs to get off their collective asses to pass reasonable regulations and taxation on crypto assets, NOT the abject ignorance in written form the IRS recently released!

Speaking of that guidance, Naomi Brockwell gave a great live stream with Sasha Hodder on Thursday 10/17 regarding the new IRS Guidance. It goes on for over a half-hour and worthy of the watch.

India thinks the banks are worthy of trustlessness! So says this tweet that notes the Asian superpower has banned cryptocurrency. Their nation has yet to understand the true nature of digital gold, yet understands well about physical gold. I remain confused about these two subjects, obvious intertwined in certain ways but they don't "get it" and I pray they don't suffer the upcoming economic swan dive, which could happen globally at any time! It's ridiculous to spend so much time in a line for not much money, as they collectively dealt with in the last dip a few years ago. Americans would not tolerate that abject inefficiency, I assure you that!

An overall look at Bitcoin proves promising if you take advantage what you can, NOW! This tweet explains why getting more of it will be much harder after the next two halvenings. Don't say this humble blog didn't warn 'ya while the price was che-e-eap, cheap, CHEAP!

Justin Trudeau gets to be trolled by protestors wearing blackface, according to TownHall dot com! He should feel at home with this!! But it's been a huge pox on him since first discovered earlier in the year. Difficulties continue with his campaign.

Our latest entrant to the 2019 Darwin Awards basically wrecked his entire backyard lawn. There's that saying in baseball, three strikes and "YOU'RE OUT!" as that's what I observed. Lucky for him and his two dogs (all three are in the video) they cheated Darwin this time!

So some of you still think any of the MSM (Main Stream Media) cares about REAL news? Look at all these people! This is the demonstration against Haiti's president in the capitol city of Port Au Prince. Reportedly, there's no interest in American media of this story, happening nearby in the Carribean. If Haitians are still pissed at the Clintons, then I'd expect little MSM backlash if daughter Chelsea decides on presidential aspirations later on, if present, chosen ignorance is of any indication!

Hell, Michigan is a spot on the map I've heard about repeatedly through the decades, but I've never seen such a well-written article on this spot. Even the history of it is nicely stitched in this story. It's now on the Mullins' Bucket List, my next trip there.

In the magnificent world of Sports: I have some truly awesome followers and their kids are truly awesome as well! When your kid makes an incredible catch and it shows up on Sports Center (nearly 36MM followers!!) you know greatness is in your prescence! THAT'S the American Way, Jerod and way to go, Texhoma! Jerod mentioned to Max Armstrong, a major voice on many top Agri programs whose work is superb; (I used to record and air years ago, working in TV) "Such an exciting thing for those kids, they ended up winning the game by one touchdown, that one that the video is taken ended up deciding the game." Let me mention Oklahoma has two Tex-o-mas, both CLOSE to Texas of course! The way-more-famous one is along the Red River with a nearby lake, made of the River and of the same name, spelled as Texoma. This one in SW Texas County, OK / N Sherman County, TX is spelled Texhoma, having part of the town in each state and is unique between the two in regard to college attendance. Students from either side of the line can choose any college in either OK or TX and pay regular state tuition, although the majority choose nearby Panhandle State, 10 miles up at Goodwell. Also, their officers are likely certified in both states, although I've yet to ask. Jerod, might you ask for me sometime? There are only a few city streets which the state line crosses, it crosses at least one of the grain elevators, literally through the middle of a single car wash stall and the associated tire business which carries the State Line name (some of you have seen this picture before here as it may well be the only place you can wash your ride in two states) also, the line crosses one tornado siren in an otherwise-empty lot.

That's it for now. Enjoy your workweek. Maybe an update is due Wednesday, but will update in case of Breaking News with yet another tweet, so follow @windmechanic if you don't already. I continue to add more and more new followers, 15 new since my last update! Welcome aboard and I hope I don't cause you to go crazy as I apparently have to another former follower. His loss!!

 Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-17-19
Greetings, y'all,
 It's been a nice and dry week so far in Forever West Wyoming. The Oil City continues to be my job focus and I'm having to watch my money while applying for numerous jobs which I reasonably qualify for. I'm comfortable that ALL my bills are fully paid for the remainder of the month with my share of rent paid through November and appreciate your prayers that something promising turns up soon. The job fair I attended had one position to come open around this point in time, so I'm following up there as well. It's disappointing to say the least when I'm promised a followup on a job interview I attended (I won't disclose whom or the day of the interview) and this didn't happen as I see the position again advertised yesterday. The postman received 8 pieces of mail from me, yesterday morning. My former bank in Guymon still hasn't gotten me my damn money! I'm about to ratchet my griping up a few notches if this doesn't resolve soon. Let me take the time to thank all of you following me on Twitter! I've reached over 900 followers since the last entry and learn so much from each of you, no matter if AgTwitter, CryptoTwitter, Wind Energy, Meteorology, the many friends who I provoke thoughts ranging from guns to horseback riding, the depth of politics I deal with as many on both sides of the US political spectrum follow me and likewise (I lean slightly-conservative and claim Libertarian) you're ALL valued!

The weather may be in focus by this weekend. Snow showers are again forecast for this area of The Rectangle, but it likely won't cause problems. The snow on nearby Casper Mountain has disappered, but I have some pictures yet to be processed for the presently-ignored Pic of the Week (I'll tweet when these are finally updated with captions) On the evening of the 15th, I pigged out at IHop until I almost popped. I did a water fast yesterday and still felt somewhat full over 24 hours later. Getting my last chance to use a free pancakes stack was a good excuse to add an omelet and their excellent coffee. I felt guilty to leave any of the pancakes behind, less than one-third the stack remained. That's a rarity for me, so I'm gonna make the fast actually count. The truck got decently cleaned out, too!

The Internal Revenue Service released a HOT MESS of guidance regarding cryptocurrency. Lopp already chimes in on this beautifully and he's not alone. I'm openly slamming it for the incomplete, often-vague nature this release is! Furthermore, Congress as a WHOLE should be directly involved with the community if fair taxation and regulation through multiple agencies are ever to come from it. Foremost, the IRS is wrong to continue taxing cryptocurrency as property! A few in the District have tried in vain to have a fair tax and regulation implemented. My biggest concern comes from Lopp's point #6 "Ain't got time for that!" and allowing poorly-informed IRS bureaucrats with incomplete understanding of the multiple scenarios they don't even cover which impedes voluntary compliance as the Tax Code intends, does not at all help the space toward greater Mass Adoption! Why are coinholders presently expected to determine basis when a coin is spent in order to be compliant? Congress chose to ignore a bill allowing a mere $600 per transaction exemption due to the property taxation aspect under present guidance, and I'm barely getting started! At least such allowance would be a decent start for now, encouraging greater adoption, but that's beyond the political attention span of the people we entrusted with our votes. THIS is why we must start griping incessantly!

To conclude, it's a NIGHTMARE under present regulations and this must change or the level of apathy I'm hearing about on social media will blossom out of control. This new mess is already bad enough that I think it valid to question the Inner Beltway if this was planned by design! Government rarely solves problems as THEY themselves are usually exempt from the mess they created and they're rarely if ever, held accountable! If yes on the "by design so we discourage crypto" question I pose, they will have a FIGHT on their hands on several levels and people in the space can expect it to carry over into actual votes of the laggards we sent to The Swamp! Most other nations don't tax crypto until final gains or losses are realized and the USA is lagging with our Swamp laggards as a result.

Yes, Chainalysis is watching if you HODL Bitcoin. After all, they're bragging of how they broke a child pornography ring. Note too, another writer couldn't release details at the time the ring was infiltrated, but after two years of investigation and tracking, Zack can finally write the story he had to sit on. In the news biz, this does happen! Of course I forgive him as I had to hold a story or two along the way for the same reasons. I'm looking forward to hearing when they help bust some of the ransomware assholes. You Bitcoin maximalists can't decide any changes are in store for YOUR coin? It's simply pseudoanonymous and can be tracked. QC remains a threat and I suspect it's a matter of time before the algorithm gets changed to combat it, but miners will likely have to dispose of plenty of rigs! Keep in mind, I remain a HODLer of Bitcoin.

The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) has been very busy! They've invoked an emergency action against Telegram and TON Issuer Inc in regard to digital token offerings in the USA and overseas. Furthermore, they with the CFTC and FinCEN have issued joint statments regarding digital assets. I strongly agree with Caitlin Long of the likely unconstitutional nature of the Bank Secrecy Act as presently implemented under law. This is something we as HODLers should address to Congress in strong terms.

As heard during the final hour of Mike Galliger's daily talk show for Wednesday morning 10/16, dateline Fort Worth, TX: It's learned from investigators looking into the death of 28-year old Atitiana Jefferson at the hands of former officer Aaron Dean. Jefferson's 8-year old nephew, in the room at the time of this tragedy, reportedly told them she had a handgun in hand and aiming it at the officer! Mind you, this aspect of the story was not released at first by anybody. If proven as fact, indeed this changes the entire view of the whole investigation! Yes, this remains a difficult call as she was correct to have a gun in her home, she was likely worried about the realities of nighttime in an area where crime does occur. but I would temper this with the officer's training to react if such a direct threat is determined. This was reported initially as an welfare check which became an open-structure call..

These being different by definition, are handled two different ways. Consider the latter reported and the officer(s) keeping in mind a burgular could be inside. BOTH PARTIES considered it important to be judged by twelve than carried by six, so I'd hate to be either Judge or Jury working through an associated trial. THIS is why the circumstances are so difficult to resolve. The race card gets thrown in, some believing the white officer who received this call would clearly have motive to murder the black woman in her home. I disagree strongly as I must consider the officer's training. The investigation continues so I'm not ready to draw any solid conclusions and ask each of you to do the same. This goes very deep for so many reasons and perhaps somehow, lessons can be gained on both sides, no matter how it may be ruled in a Court. In light of it all, I would fail each of you if I didn't express concerns that Officer Dean was quick to resign from the force over this incident, yet another factor to bear in mind going forth as we don't have any statements from him.

Let's talk about weed, pot, marijuana for a moment.. No, I haven't used it in a long, long while, nor do I care for it as I really don't need it at this stage in my life. Others and myself continue to offer prayers for a friend some 700 miles ESE of me in severe pain who used to reside in a pot-friendly state. Why he bought a home in his native state and suffers today, I don't know. He has various maladies and could be offered relief through a few tokes. Being denied modern medications is no way to live when he has no violent tendencies or record of addiction. Mexico is very close to joining Canada as allowing legal nationwide recreational usage of marijuana. This is very powerful and puts additional pressure on the Federal Government in regards to nullification. At least 30 states allow medical marijuana. Wyoming remains illegal for both medicinal and recreational pot. Neighbors Colorado has both medicinal and recreational marijuana (cities can ban recreational sales as seen in The Springs) while Montana has medicinal weed for now. My native Arkansas has medicinal while Oklahoma (where I hung the hat for nearly 8 years) also allows medicinal sales. Those familiar with this blog already know I unapologetically voted for the measure. I have to laugh whenever I witnessed anyone parking across US 54 from Guymon's dispensary, running across the 5 lanes. Why the paranoia, bro?

Buying a new Ford at a South Carolina dealership gets you a Bible, AR-15 and US Flag! What's more American than that??

Photobomb of the Month: Just wait when you bring up the video. It's cute if nothing else.

It's becoming Winter when the dog and cat begin to argue over room temperature.

With the heat of college football season underway, it's one thing when one costumed mascot attacks another, yet another when two animals are at the center of it. Cattlemen know longhorn cattle are NOT cow dog friendly and they do know how to use their horns if given the opportunity. The Georgia bulldog mascot almost found this out!

Obit: Congressman Elijah Cummings of Baltimore has passed at 68 due to health issues. He was in quite a bit of pain in the days before he died. Can his constituents replace him with someone who can return some sanity? Due to his tenure, that won't be an easy power vacuum to satisfy anytime soon!

Finally, a funeral is usually a very sad and solemn affair for all involved. But, thanks to technology, unimaginable some 150 years ago and further in humanitys' past, a person can plan something quite hilarious for their earthly sendoff, since dead people can speak at least one..last.....time! Let me warn this video has NSFW language, but I wish I had known this guy as his comic wit spoke volumes, giving all who attended a skit which may never be forgotten.

That's it for now. By next blog update, some snow showers should be returning to The Rectangle that I call home. I have to run and job hunt some more.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-9-19
Greetings, y'all,
I may as well be shaking Jingle Bells as the weather outside is indeed frightening! An early-season snowstorm is bearing down with several inches expected here in Oil Town. Overnight, temps will fall into the teens and I'll be using more natural gas to keep this place somewhat warm, although truth be told, I don't require much heat and the downstairs tenants help to heat up with what they already use! Potentially, 10 inches of snow could pile up here before it ends after midday tomorrow, while nearby Casper Mountain could get over a foot to 14 inches. Yesterday afternoon, I took several photos of the at-peak color aspen trees on the mountain so I could put them on the Pic of the Week, available from this website on its' front page. Expect an update of this link on my website shortly. Although moved to the Mountain Time zone, things are still coded for Central Time (GMT -5) when a pic might change or be added.

The job hunt continues, but it's now hunting season in Wyoming! Elk in particular is being sought and so many businesses here are on skeleton crews as most executive decisions are being delayed while The Hunt is underway. I'm curious if the "Elkaphant" ever appears here. This massive trophy bull I so named was the damn close encounter that roomie T.O. and I had on US 285 close to Kenosha Summit in Colorado as we headed toward Buena Vista for the Arkansas River Headwaters hike. It was probably 1AM or so that last Saturday morning in August and just before the summit, we passed this mammoth specimen, almost as tall as his heavy duty Ford pickup with a rack that would've had most hunters truly green with envy. I was closest to this beast as we passed mere inches from it and grateful it didn't step out in the lane. An 18-wheeler close behind got an even-better view of the Elkaphant. I'm surprised that driver didn't have to ditch his undies. How did the hike itself go? It was just as good as the previous in '17, no weather issues to cause us to scramble away, we did witness climbers at the summit of nearby 14'er Mount Democrat. Now to await Bitcoin to skyrocket past the previous 13.7k peak. Many in the space have agreed to climb a Colorado 14'er after the price does this, with weather delaying the climb as applicable. That'll be nice! CO BTC HODLers, I plan to join that group climb so stay tuned for details and HODL on!

UPDATE: I got word that the Mass Adoption event in Memphis has been moved to February 27th & 28th due to requests of some event sponsors. Consider too, this will help out many parties gather greater momentum and likely ensure greater success. As was, I couldn't travel there in November due to my move here in the Cowboy State. When late February rolls around, that MIGHT give me enough time and opportunity to show up if I decide to come down and visit my Central Arkansas family and extended family. We'll see. Jacob has put in a lot of work into Mass Adoption and I think it'll be one that many talk about with some real good memories of the River City to take from it. Memphis is already special as I passed my ham radio Extra Class ticket there in early November, 85' within a week of the time I got on my first bronc. That was a crazy month I'll never forget.

 Do you own or use a Trezor? For those new enough to crypto, it's a hardware USB-type device designed to secure private keys, a wallet separate from your computer without all the paper slips, essentially the same as a cold storage solution.Lopp warns through this tweet to be extremely careful what URL you use if intending to use your device! Personally, bookmarks may not be enough in the future if malware is developed that seeks and changes one's bookmarks in their device.

The Block gives us more food for thought from the SEC (Securites and Exchange Commission) which essentially ruled that Bitcoin is NOT a security! The staff's collective reasoning refers to SEC vs Howey (328 U.S. 293 [1946]) As The Block's Stephen Palley noted at the end "it shows the SEC is relying upon the framework document that it issued earlier this year for guidance and which digital assets are and are not securities."

IRS has released their guidance on airdropped coins and forked coins. As can be expected from a bunch of misinformed bureaucrats, it's terribly inadequate and will cause the agency a LOT of confusion. For that matter, I've still got no reliable response on my 2017 taxes, so I warn readers not to bitch and gripe at me for why I complain about this! Getting it resolved reliably would likely result in refunds of several thousand dollars the IRS likely did not need to collect at that time. Marco Santori gives you a long thread stream on this.

So how is Bitcoin doing? The alts, such as Litecoin, et al, are awaiting a pump and they may soon get that! LTC remains tightly range-bound. For Bitcoin itself, I've been vindicated of my 8.5k swan dive I've been expecting since late June (scroll down to view my 7-24 entry) as I saw where Richard Heart was coming from and it made perfect sense in regard to repeated failures against 11k resistance. I remain of the belief we're looking downside at 7.8k, 7.2k, 6.6k or worst-case 6k floors in this as it consolidates from a rather quick 13.7k peak earlier on. If you're looking to deploy some dry powder in getting ready for the next leg up, NOW is a great time! You may not nail the bottom, but your risk is very minimal. Furthermore, don't waste your time giving a rat's ass about the QC or quantum computing threats against crypto. At present, there's nowhere near the required power to crack SHA-256 or even RSA. We have time to overcome these limitations with QC-resistant chains such as offered by QRL, an open-source project. More to come on this in future blog entries.

Speaking of Richard Heart, the HEX project is getting ready for snapshot. At the present time, they're implementing a few minor corrections the audit team has recommended and after DEVCOM V, will submit for final reconciliation. For now, expect sometime in November to be when snapshot takes place and claiming/staking to take place with HEX. The HEX team emphasizes that the project is not an true airdrop since one has to register for it. This also means the MWC coin would be defined the same, due to the same reason. Stay Tuned for more on Hex and MWC.

This may well make many of you SICK just reading this. From naturalnews dot com, Human vaccines routinely made from aborted human fetal cells, yet states have the audacity and arrogance to require immunizations which could well have exposed countless children to cancerous material? I've commented about the Vaccines Court on this humble Blog before. How will they function if they're overloaded with cases they may well refuse, then get stormed by those countless numbers of victims and parents thereof. I'm not encouraging any lawlessness, but if this proves true and finally catches hold with We the People - it ain't gonna turn out so pretty!

Obit: Diahann Carroll passed due to cancer at age 84. Talented, passionate, very hip and ahead of her time - she was truly a pioneer. When you hear Prince singing "Kiss", listen for his lyric "You don't have to watch Dynasty, to have an attitude!" just think of the occasional, sharp banter as I keenly recall between Diahann, who played Dominique and Joan Collins who played the incomparable Alexis! She "wanted to be the first black bitch on television" and awesomely carried that attitude the Purple One sung about. RIP Diahann, you'll be remembered and there won't be another! You broke through in a way that history will reflect kindly!

Wiz shows us where the future is gradually going! States may well have to give up their money transmission license schemes if peer-to-peer becomes vogue and the tracks left behind in transfer of coins become either too cumbersome or altogether disappear where tax enforcement of crypto AS A PROPERTY by the IRS becomes unenforceable.

Here's a poll, deserving of a tie-breaker! Mike posed the question "Would you advise a close friend to leave a traditional job (tech, finance, legal, consulting, etc) for a job in digital assets (cryptocurrency, blockchain) heading into 2020?" Results? 50/50 as voted. Then you look at Goldman Sachs where they can't find a quantum computing specialist right now! Can you say "Future trend?" Sure you can!

This video shows why NOT to corner a squirrel! WARNING: have your volume down fairly low for this one, pay attention and be prepared to bust out laughing!

Want your head messed with? Let Wet Paint do the talking!

Finally, a SERIOUS poll! It's in effect until 10/15 so don't hesitate: Do you want Donald Trump impeached? If I can get the results tweeted or emailed to me, I'll gladly pass that on to humble Blog readers.

That's it for now! Bitcoin having jumped to 8.6 is nice, but it ain't over. If it establishes a strong floor, that's a nice starting point, but I think we need to range along 10 or 11k and build strength to conquer 13.7 again, then onward and upward!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-4-19
Greetings, y'all!,
 Kiwis are making it happen! New Zealand becomes the first nation to allow salaries to be paid in Bitcoin, so says RedditBTC in this tweet. Note though, GEO in Japan allows salaries in Bitcoin, have been I think several months now? It's awesome to see this.

Teklordz tweeted that Norweigan Air now accepts Bitcoin! I agree this may be a huge step for Mass Adoption. Jacob, did you read this, buddy? :) Folks, don't forget Mass Adoption is coming up in Memphis!

It's also a breath of fresh air when Pelosi has a challenger with a fantastic mind on her shoulders! You see, 27-year old Agatha Bacelar is a known HODLer of several coins and The Block has this great story on her. She ain't no n00biE in the space and could truly become a huge force in Congress enacting meaningful regulations, FINALLY! If you're in Pelosi's district, please boot out that clueless heifer and vote in Agatha! Fellow Californians and HODLers in particular will forever be grateful!

On The Other Hand, banks fight back, especially the Big Fish where Jamie Dimon gets to laugh, even if his daughter proves Bitcoin to be quite viable to those willing to understand how to utilize it. If you're involved in crypto, especially using their services to trade or purchase crypto with your LEGAL MONEY, most will fight you!

US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin holds strong to his FUDdy stance on Bitcoin, thinking it'll have a raw future at the least and that he's not going to load up on it. GOOD! Because if he's lying, loads up, then fails to disclose anything over that magical 1k (which I think that rule may apply to him in addition to many or most in Congress) then it would come back to haunt him. Of course, his refusal to embrace the future of money means M0@R for the HODLing public, domestic and abroad! I would hate to be in his shoes when few allies remain for the dollar, that many vassals overseas are overtly thumbing their noses at sanctions in certain nations considered unfriendly to the USA, that Russia, China, now Iran have a means of trading outside SWIFT they've developed.

Caitlin Long today gives us a new chart -> a powerful one which proves QE is back in motion. Think of it as our economy being caressed, a band-aid on a huge, open wound. Expect this nonsense to continue!

The dollar remains in high demand for now. It remains the cleanest of the dirty shirts fiat systems. More and more, I think Jim Rickards will be proven prophetic and vindicated for his The Road to Ruin book. It's taken some time to dig a deep enough hole, but Congress has less and less they can dig from the People without a serious backlash. Furthermore, many of the freebies given to those who had no "skin in the game" is making congressional incumbents even more unpopular. Some hardline Democrats are shutting up, moving, yet taking their ridiculous politics with them. Their problems, until that sick root is removed and ground to dust, will only remain without a sea change of fundamental thinking.

Twitter has been very unkind to my time this week. Wednesday, a strange weather phenomenon of thundergraupel occurred here in Casper. Layers of the atmosphere were just right to render the mix of sleet and snow with a tiny hail-like core. As of this submission, I've gotten over 7,100 views on this and continue to receive retweets. I've also granted permission to 5 major media, including noteable distribution outlets, to freely broadcast or utilize this, provided they give credit to my full name of Mark James Mullins. If you happened to have viewed this video, please let me know if you saw the required credit and requirement I made for its' distribution.

Then Thursday, I get into a heated gun discussion where I had but one question to present.. A widely-distributed video of a Corpus Christi, TX officer being put into a situation requiring deadly force to control a threat. A person can be seen wielding a large bat and the officer attempts to either decelerate or command compliance of the perp. That person swings the bat at the officer, clearly justifying a response. No issues so far except when I posed a question regarding the response of force given: Essentially, is the number of shots deemed necessary to again gain control of this situation, particularly in such a short sequence where the time to judge if compliance were even possible? As of this submission, I have no knowledge if the subject had any mental illness as I assume this was indeed fatal. The responses continue to rain in even now. I know I've "made it" when Twitter notifies me of huge numbers of responses and offers me filtering!

Some in law enforcement, especially from major metropolitan areas judge me arrogantly by it without even benefitting me of their education in this regard, other than major drug issues that most of America already suffer from for a variety of reasons. Drug abuse, both illicit and legal, continue to cause America plenty of issues and costing millions, even billions of dollars! At least to consider, does a death sentence, the "MESSAGE" that I emphasized not to antagonize the cops, always warranted? Some call this "Suicide by cop" and in some instances, there's really no good solution I can imagine. Hey, I told one guy he had the chance to school me on this, but his time with his occupation and experience is what works for him. Fine. It IS what it IS! Many would've been blocked by such answers, but he remains free to again engage me in further discussion later as we're basically on the same page, otherwise. Not only am I a former news director from 1990 at an Arkansas radio station, I am indeed a former NRA member as one tweet stated. Clinton was one of the best reasons to join them in the early 2000s. I didn't tell him of my recent participation in a Oklahoma NRA fundraiser where I lived, so trust that my Second Amendment libertarian stand hasn't faded at all, even after all this time. One guy mentions policy as two shots, be watching carefully for anything else that may prevent getting control. All of this is fantastic to learn as both sides deserve to be heard out. I've also received a number of supporters of this question as well. I strongly believe in light of social resistance toward law enforcement, especially in video content such as this, combined with incidents from Columbus, OH and elsewhere where LEOs have interfered with the public filming of their duties, in the Columbus incident, a person on their own private property having violated no law (sorry, it's not illegal to record LEO's and you can inquire of PINAC.ORG if you dispute me) I have also brought up quite a number of counterpoints in the tweets I presented.

My only regret is that I had both the citations and more time to present, even if it ultimately makes little difference or additional discussion. The discussion overall was fantastic and I hold no ill feelings toward anyone. In fact, I expected some backlash since this becomes a very polarizing subject, and I've brought it up before on this humble blog. My thanks to anybody who participated, for reading through this for a feel of the thoughts I had during this lengthy set of exchanges. Each of you have the capability of changing my point of view on limited things, although I'm mostly on the same page! My bottom line is to attempt to take down a threat by injury with a single shot, so that person has to face a judge. If the state intended for execution squads to rid of the problem people, at least make it a known law instead of burying mental illness under the rug, as most states have been complicit to do for decades now! Having witnessed mental illness and the issues it causes second-hand, there are people in need of consistent supervision to ensure they take any and all required medication for their protection and of others they come into contact. Mental Illness could well have been the case in Corpus Christi as I still don't have the full set of facts. Training that law enforcement receives today should always be up to public scrutiny, especially when someone is arrested and may well have to shell out significant money for a defense before Court! Consider too, the number of databases which store public records of arrests which can be queried. A charge is one thing, a conviction is another! There are apartment complexes in Arkansas in the past that inquire to applicants if anyone planning to stay has been "charged" with any misdemeanor or felony. With these unregulated databases and the fact that a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty, is this even a fair question to give to a potential lessor or tenant? If I got you thinking deeply, that's GOOD! :-) Stay Tuned for more likely to come.

Watching Bitcoin and Litecoin, I'm watching Litecoin gain a little bit. Both are great buys right now! I'm having my doubts of any more dives below 7.8k and am watching 8.1k being a decent floor for now. I'm still loving ETH and DOGE as well. All four will very likely be part of a future BTM. That's it for now! I'll jump back in depending on Breaking News, have a great weekend!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-1-19
Greetings, y'all!,

 Today started a new month and Wyoming is getting a taste of Winter. Earlier this morning here in Oil City, Casper, it was 34 and topped out at 40. Areas in NW Wyoming we're getting some mountain and some valley snows, although the lower you go, it's likely not sticking long. Fall arrived just a week ago and Guymon was still in the upper 80's yesterday! My mother who lives near Little Rock reports mid 90's for highs and the State Fair there will be delayed a week or two due to the heat. The Southern heatwave headed up the East Coast is unreal! I'm enjoying blessed relief here in the Rockies, but the fog hid nearby Casper Mountain all day. The leaves are already changing on some tree species and it's noticeable in patches on the mountain. Watch the Pic of the Week for pics from time to time. To my Oklahoma friends, I'm trying to get you some cooler weather ushered your direction. Y'all deserve this and I'm thankful for the rains that much of the state is getting now. I also got my truck tags. Wyoming insists on Odometer readings when getting a new title, yet the application doesn't really point any attention to this. My new rep will get a kind request from me in this regard to add something to the VIN ID paperwork. Then from room 19 to room 32 to pick up basic plates and get the new truck registration and title. To their credit, the system is fairly streamlined EXCEPT for the Odometer requirement. In place of requesting the whole state to deal with it, I might instead request a policy change to Casper Police who handle the VIN check requirement for the state, to notify all motorists seeking new tags to bear this in mind, for productivity's sake!

Latest on Bitcoin? It's appearing far more promising as I'm witnessing more support and the upward trend, not anywhere as weak and wimpy as before. I think the worst is way overwith. My tweet, earlier in the morning, pretty much says it all. Furthermore, Litecoin is ONE HELL OF A BARGAIN at 56 bucks and change! I need to land a job soon and the temptation of BTFD with more LTC is almost too much to resist! Take advantage of what I can't at the present time. I'm also encouraging people with no need to trade cryptos to get their coins OUT of the exchanges, while this remains possible in case the economy crashes hard. Bix Weir gives a decent case toward this, considering how the price has been recently caressed by the Big Fish.

I'm adding additional material to the previous warning, regarding quantum computing that many may have missed. My mind was focused so much on the WyoHackathon thoughts, yet I included it AFTER all those paragraphs. Already, a very informative website, www.faqq.info gives both the threat and offers solutions at this very early stage. I've been assured there's no immediate threat to Bitcoin and other related crypto technologies utilizing hashing. Apparently, RSA and ECDSA PUBLIC (not private) keys are at risk, which by itself could cause significant problems if a wallet requires that perfect match to function properly. My biggest concern is that the issue gets ignored, giving too little time for all associated communities to react and adapt. Communities already react to level the playing field to specific mining protocols by changing methods of hashing. I suggest they bear this threat in mind! Naomi Brockwell had a special guest, a quantum computing expert on this very subject. Andy Hoffman suggests QC is presently a FUDdy subject, but I'd keep my eye on the ball.

UPDATE: Patrick Byrne, the former Overstock CEO is reportedly in Indonesia. He's talking and this is rather juicy as it rightfully deserves it's own Ring in this extended Circus of reported Russian this and Russian that. He's after to start his own crypto, and if there's a person capable of pulling it off with success, Patrick is THE MAN! However, he has a bunch of deeply pissed shareholders for now, so Stay Tuned y'all!

It's no secret how I despise the general manner in which today's law enforcement officers are being trained, too many having extremely short reaction times and too often not decelerating a situation, spare any understanding about those with mental health issues that most states conveniently sweep under the rug, having cut such funding in the first place. Considering the situation nearby at Riverton, Wyoming; one of their police officers had to shoot an intoxicated Wal-Mart shopper on 9/21 for reportedly attacking him with a knife, I would guess (once the facts of the investigation are concluded) that the officer indeed was fully justified with deadly force. Too often, alcohol does the talking and that's my present understanding of the matter. Fortunately for the officer, he had on body armor which prevented serious injury. Now, let's take a look at today's guilty verdict given to Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who made way too many mistakes, gunning down an innocent man in his own apartment because she absolutely screwed up, making the wrong decisions. The one thing I fault the victim was him leaving his door unlocked, which that alone could've prevented the whole nightmare! I also fault that the situation had any racial motivations whatsoever and dismiss most allegations of race being a factor! I actually feel for Amber. Unlike the prosecutor who lambasted her, I believe she was actually sorry, regretting her actions in hindsight. I fault her police union far more than her, if you want my arrogant-yet-honest opinion of this unfortunate circumstance. They may stand by their own, but they know damn well she screwed up, hoping on even a tiny thread that the Jury would acquit! I'd had far more respect overall for this matter if her union had simply kept neutral in the first place, allowing the Court to proceed. Their stance has only solidified my opinion that police don't deserve unions any more than TSA officers do. Most TSA officials dispose of their duties property, and there's a few absolute scum among their ranks as evidenced by recent news reports. It's people being people!

In summary, I don't believe the officer should have been charged with a full murder charge. What motive was there for such an act? Yes, there's a severe penalty she should pay, but not for "full baggage." The prosecution in that regard is far too zealous, too dangerous in my opinion to be holding such office and authority. The irony of this? This would be the same prosecutor that others in the department actually depend on. Now, ain't that a big weenie to bite?

If nothing else, perhaps officers will be a bit more under restraint to exercise deadly force, knowing precedent is fully in place that they may well be next. I'd like a far greater discussion as to the type, degree, especially the ORIGINATION of the training they receive for certification, especially any and all vendors receiving taxpayer money so a public, transparent examination may be made as to the efficacies and morals of such training, even the necessities thereof can be analyzed. If public servants are to receive authority, the public itself should have the opportunity to have a VOICE in such certification, even if they don't fully understand the specific hazards of the occupation. After all, don't We The People already vote for others who aren't certified for the role(s) they exercise in Congress, yet they get to generate and vote on bills which affect most if not all of us? THINK ABOUT THAT!!

Climate Change: Do you want to see what the MSM doesn't readily show you? They ignore the cards not serving their benefit! It's a gigantic SCAM and this video shows you the skinny. I know it's true because 1) A carbon credits trading bourse exists today in Germany to my understanding and 2) I even had an electric bill (not here in Wyoming, but elsewhere) where Carbon Tax is a line item shown. Bear in mind, there's presently no tax being collected, but it's already being anticipated. It's worth the several minutes of presentation.

Furthermore, you can learn all about history through previous history. This remains too much how the District of Criminals does things nowdays. This is a multi-tweet presentation from Bill Holohan which is very much worth your attention to the subjects at hand.

Obits include one of American music's innovators, albeit this was reported three weeks earlier.. Jimmy Johnson was a guitarist who had worked for FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, AL - he and his fellow Swampers (the studio band) broke away back in '69 and formed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio nearby. To appreciate what Motown and a decent chunk of the history of Rock and Roll is about, you can't ignore the influence of these iconic studios in Muscle Shoals, especially Muscle Shoals Sound. Johnson remained humble throughout his life, even though his accomplishments will later be heralded as history looks favorably on those who did others right. Jimmy was 76 and now playing for the angels in his next life!

That's it for now. Traders, watch your charts! You and yours have a fantastic rest of the week, for those in the South, give it more time as the temps will finally fall. Watch out for autumn tornadoes as the air masses have strong boundaries.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9-24-19
Greetings, y'all!,
 Welcome to this edition of the Blog, the still-somewhat-fresh-in-the-experience mindset what was recently WyoHackathon 2019. What at an experience it was!

 Briefly on Bitcoin: It's Tuesday morning in the Rockies and I'm watching Bitcoin take a necessary BUUUUURRRPP!! Down below 9.4k now, I'm sincerely praying it gets hammered to 8.5k or lower for a period of time. This should FINALLY shake things up enough to bring more and start up the next leg. It's also a kick-ass time to get quality alts! My sole disappointment at WyoHackathon was the lack of mentions regarding Litecoin. I had people come up to me, recalling my desire to have the first BTM in Wyoming. At that point I'd recite the first three coins I'd handle: BTC, LTC & ETH. Doge will likely be added as the machine I'm looking at can handle many and I will take feedback from customers into consideration. Traders, be glued to your screens as this could well be The Dump I've discussed here several times. Have dry powder ready if you're acquiring. I simply didn't see the narrow 10k-11k as viable. We've been there too long. I bid everyone the best of LUCK in what I've forecasted. When 13.7k gets bested, the Moon will be so much closer!

The Brief Summary: Our project, named SovereignKeep, was a runner-up in the ConsenSys Challenge with a cash prize to be split, then we won the Best for Wyoming competition! Not only is there significant cash from both competitions for the team to split, we receive a year free rent of office space to pursue this corporation. Included is a registered agent - representation we'll need to discuss the fine points this business pursues under the new laws and proposed portions thereof, then a professionally-produced video to be made after we've opened up the doors to showcase to potential clients is there. Because I'm the only Wyomingite on the team, I will likely make the final decision where the office goes. Before any decision is made to this, I will discuss in detail with the team in the days and weeks to come as their input is valued. Among the considerations is broadband availability in the proposed locations. All three likely meet the qualifications at the startup and medium-term.

Originally, I had thought to take the same approach as last year. Then, I was an Okie who took the often-chaotic Trip Across Denver on I-25 to take in my first Hackathon. I was accepted as any other participant, my badge saying no less and have proudly retained! It was very fruitful, having met important people from the Taskforce and several Wyoming legislators, including a few additional people of significant importance due to their specialties, most notably Banking Commissioner Al Forkner. My primary questions were regarding the necessities of licensure and requirements before final planning to install perhaps the first Bitcoin ATM in Wyoming. His information to me last year put me far more at ease, proving I was still too early to the party. I sensed greater protections would soon come to the Cowboy State. I wasn't disappointed! I think there remains even more opportunity for those with outstanding foresight to anchor their dreams into reality here in The Rectangle.

For several months now, all thirteen laws regarding cryptocurrency which were passed by the legislature over the past two sessions, then signed either by former Governor Mead or Governor Gordon earlier this year in their engrossed or final forms are all linked through this website's front page or directly through here. Hopefully, the exact link structure from the legislature website remains intact going forward as my links go directly to them. These links proved instrumental to my role in assisting the team I joined for this year's Hackathon. Yes, scroll down to the previous entry and you'll see where I was willing to join a team, first come - first served! I received no such invite after arriving Friday, awaiting some opportunity. I knew I had strikes against me as I admitted to all on the Hackathon microphone on the stage that I didn't code (yet!!), but I'd offer whatever assistance, including ideas to whatever team accepted me. Still, this bait reported no bites for a while until I somehow stumbled on Dan Shields, well known in the Denver region, making things happen there, indeed passionate about education in crypto.

I sensed awesomeness with Dan's overall knowledge of the space and ability to compose ideas almost on-the-fly. He appreciated how I had jumped on Bitcoin's odd beginning late in it's first year, but I didn't give up easily and earned my first fraction of a coin late in the spring of 2010. Many consider me amongst the true early birds, but I didn't realize the POWER this first cryptocurrency offered until Mt. Gox appeared from an embryo to dominate BTC trading. The main headache I personally faced was the failure of my telephone! The last image it took was during the final Blockchain Taskforce meeting. The phone's frame, made of plastic, after so many years decided it was time to fracture spectacularly. It busted the display badly enough that I could no longer do anything with the device. It could buzz and tell me a call or message had come in, yet I couldn't read it. I couldn't initiate any phone call or message, either. At least internally, it was solid enough that I could move all the data from its' carcass, which I did late Sunday. It had lived a long life in the Cellphone World and had been through both Lazy LB ranch outings, the 2017 eclipse here, up numerous wind turbines and had been through at least a half-dozen screens. At times I was difficult to get a message to. Interconnectivity is so damned critical for nearly everything. It did reduce my stress a bit not having it, but I needed my phone and was forced without it. I missed so many photo ops, but on the bright side, I still got to use the University's internet for weather forecasts and other really cool things the phone would've been used for anyhow. As a side note, I'm tempted to visit the Meterology program, even though I'll likely never get a degree in it, unless I attend in another decade.
I joined the team and began to review relevant statutes, at least one used in the presentation, another being the draft which will be introduced to Committee for consideration. It was disclosed during presentation, our assumption that the referenced draft regarding protections offered to an author utilizing open source computer code, cannot be prosecuted solely for having used it in a project - the intent of course not to impede or cause resistance to computer coders of their innovations, many which will benefit Wyomingites and others throughout the globe. I believe this draft has a kick-ass chance in Cheyenne of passage in under a half-spin around the Sun.

A few of you have been asking for PICTURES! There's a few lurking out there and Thank You, Angie! Look for the hatted Yours Truly in the background as I hunted for legalese. Dan was whiteboarding his thoughts and it's almost as cool as watching a perfectly-executed magic trick. You see, there's something I usually get or take away from these. There were whiteboards in select areas of the building, the recently-christened College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Hey, my Associates degree from Iowa Lakes CC is in an applied science discipline, so I have little doubt I'm gonna see much more of this building, especially if I move to Laramie to pursue my Bachelors in a state where education is so valued and well-funded, it has among the least-expensive tuition in the NATION! The UW President gave a brief presentation on this very point and I wished now I'd have checked this out years earlier. Of course, I'm looking forward with my thoughts to these possibilities. As a bonus, I can again suspend my student loans, even though they're almost three-fourth's paid off now. The synergies seem to fit and a brief talk I had with Dr. Caldwell seems to confirm this. His experience, tenure and willingness to educate speak well for him and the University as a whole. I think Doug and him are both fantastic!

Dan did the vast majority of shaping up the presentation, which he gave with excellence. I occasionally jumped in as necessary if a specific Wyoming question of residency came into play. We did it twice as two separate competitions were entered. Due to the structuring of the laws, it was apparent to me that being the only Wyomingite on the team would prove pivotal, at least in a "true anchor" sense. When the winners were announced Sunday, I was stunned to realize that both our competitions netted cash, another one with additional support of office space in Wyoming for a year, representation from a quality law firm with cryptocurrency as a specialty (Dan and I strongly agree this will come in handy for any rough spots needing attention now, as formation should be done correctly), then a professionally compiled three-minute video promoting the business will be released as we ready to turn on the motors, those gears moving and providing function. Of course I'd be pleased to provide any and all voiceover work for the video and will discuss that in advance with the team. I won't charge the business anything for providing my voice for it. The passion I believe I can provide it will be more valuable, since my skin will be in the presentation in this instance. Who said my broadcast experience would totally go to waste after 2007? For now, the intended purpose of SovereignKeep is allowing any new startup a means of leasing an LLC from us via a restricted NFT or Non Fungible Token, yet another word added to my ever-growing glossary to be handed out to future students of my cryptocurrency basics class. It will allow a new business entity the capability of "kicking the tires" with an LLC under Wyoming law without the uncertainty of expense in formation of a formal LLC. As long as abuse is not detected or complained about, we can continue renting out the LLC to the entity. If the client wishes to outright purchase it, a permanent NFT will be generated. It's my understanding we can continue to provide support to the client, so repeat customers and their positive impressions about us to others can further enhance what SovereignKeep hopes to build on the ideas which Wyoming's progressive laws on cryptocurrency and business-friendly attitude can prove all the hard work already put into it as realized in incredible results, that few could have the foresight only a few years back.

There will be progress being made. Whatever can be made public, I will likely mention here. For clients, there will be much we'll withhold from the public. Your ability to experience greater privacy protections under Wyoming's LLC law is something SovereignKeep will seek to protect and we'll carefully consider various options from a number of entities to enhance the service we intend on providing. For now, let's see where the Trail goes from here and try to keep the cows away from upstream.

In other news, the NSA is working hard toward quantum computing. This proves one thing! If they and Google are truthful that 256-bit will get cracked, it's time NOW for cryptocurrencies to become a serious mouse, becoming more sneaky around the ever-smartening cat, wanting to eat it. Bitcoin MUST adapt with this development, and damn soon! If the world insists on Bitcoin in its' present form and maximalists aren't willing to adapt, then this NSA disease could prove fatal to Bitcoin worldwide, especially if the Elitists are twisting enough arms now, praying that HODLers aren't paying attention. We must take this threat seriously and ascertain what can be done now to thwart such efforts by these Deep Staters.

Short Links:
Trump is right! Once our Wall is done, with consistent monitoring, it'll help cut down illegal immigration. Hungary is proof of this!

Want to see a portable BTM? Wow! Ridding of certain money transmitter laws would be convenient for this. Just sayin'!

Finally, time to consider, that Thought For LIFE That's it for now. I'm back to the Job Hunt to hold me over for now. I could hear from any number of recent applications I placed. Please hope and pray for me as it's always appreciated. I've also given recent prayers to others who have requested the same. Prayers for good people are good for those who give them, as well as receiving the Grace that the Almighty affords us. From The Rectangle, may He shower you and yours with His Blessings. When Dollars finally fail you, may you be prepared with appropriate HODL protection and or some gold/silver to truly fill in the gaps given through excessive QE is my hope and prayer for each of you. Amen!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9-18-19
Greetings, y'all! What a week this has been so far! Sunday, before I updated the previous blog, I had noticed someone with a reversed ballcap embossed with "FUCK THE WORLD" at a local truck stop where I get my Sunday fish wrap, priced 4 dollars now! Monday, I took care of a lot of chores. I await getting my checks so I can finally count down the days I get to close my Guymon bank accounts. While at Wal-Mart, one guy had a t-shirt printed; "Clintons: They can't suicide all of us!" and that automatically makes my world much better, knowing others share my sentiments.

Things in Casper are beginning to pick up speed! Tuesday had me scheduled for an interview. It worked out way better than I expected! I was sceptical at first but the interview put me at ease. I can handle the demands of the job as there are several advantages to this position and the companys' safety record is quite excellent, their lot is also well-marked and neat. There are other applicants for interviews, so I should know something next week after WyoHackathon is through, which took a burden off me since I am definitely going to Laramie! If you plan on getting tickets for this event, visit their website wyohackathon.io and choose what events you wish to attend. I played it safe and got tickets to ALL the events. I may or may not go Thursday for the Blockchain hearing. If I don't attend, I'll watch it on streaming internet as I did one day of their Sheridan hearing.

I plan to bring up highlights from this year's event, likely Monday. This could get delayed further if additional job applications I submitted are acted on and I'm called in for additional interviews that day. Another Natrona County-sited company appeared very interested in my resume while attending the Job Fair as they expect an opening. I'm not at liberty to say when they plan to reach out to me, yet I've researched them and they're also a quality corporation. There are a number of companies whom take applications solely through the internet. I've worked on two already and have several more to submit. EACH of these I'm keeping a record, so I don't duplicate anything unnecessarily.

Now on to the cryptos.. Bitcoin remains in their range-bound 10k-11k funk. Several tracking it are predicting an upside breakout. I'd entertain the breakout is to the DOWNSIDE so the 40% retracement to 8.5k can be realized and 13.7k and up can be achieved in not-too-short order. BTC Maximalists are also getting some schadenfreude thrown at them as the alts are gaining. ETH, LTC and several others have noticeable gains over the last 48 hours. It being Wednesday night before this blog was published, I noticed some selling of the LTC pump during evening hours in America. We'll see where this goes over the weekend.

Do you want to see the BEST STORY that CNN has aired in a long, long while? I'd argue head to toe with Trump that this story about Bitcoin is totally truthful, there's no fakeness to it at all. Refreshing to get it from a true researcher who sees the forest for the trees! Welcome, sir! Now for the short links;

masterbtcltc gives us powerful figures on Litecoin. It's clearly worth a read. You can mark it if you wish or just revisit this blog for the link. You're Welcome!

Let's do the MATH on this, shall we?

23 Human Emotions which cannot be explained, at least until now that you view them on Twitter.

Cat in the Car? It's enjoying the ride! So it isn't what you thought, right?

Finally, and for the vast majority of us - we're not there.. When you tell your banker "Buh Bye!" due to Bitcoin. Yes, the ending is quite sweet!

That's it for now. WyoHackathon, here I come! I'm looking forward to meeting at least some of my many blog readers. I get hits from several foreign countries and dozens of domestic hits whenever this blog gets posted. I thank each of you for passing on the Word! I should be back Monday or Tuesday with highlights and maybe some pics for the Pic of the Week. Speaking of that, it's reloaded for a few more days as I've had some time lately since the interview to get that caught up.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9-15-19
Greetings, y'all!, I completely HOSED the blog entry I had made for you this evening. Several days of various entries, this time erased by me not paying enough attention! Oh well, I did warn that I'd not have very much material for this time, yet I DID! ((facepalm)) That simply means I won't have links this time. Everything is free-form as I still have the basic points I was going to point out in my grey matter. It was warm today in eastern Wyoming and will be tomorrow. Later in the week, more rain and a cooldown can be expected.

First and foremost, Trump wants to put in place, an executive order allowing unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to decide what cryptos present a threat. He's been under pressure from Mnuchin and others he shouldn't have brought in the first place. He got rid of Mr. War Hawk Mustachio (Bolton), but certain people place a very deep threat on crypto of significance, Bitcoin in particular. If Trump's order happens to result in any ban on Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, or any crypto or utility token not developed by a government, which usage would in absence of such ban would not be considered a breach of Liberty by a reasonable person so educated, then I will carry through a promise I made to begin the process of emigration to another jurisdiction where cryptocurrency will be consistenly respected as a true means of monetary storage and monetary independence from the major criminal banks. Think I'm lying? I kept my promise to move to Wyoming, in part due to the excellent protections that cryptocurrency receives here. I'm already enjoying awesome benefits from being here that aren't crypto-related. I can't trust Pence as he's already broke a Senate tie vote regarding the TBTF banks in the past. Cryptocurrency is a battle between nations and the United States is losing very badly. The IRS considers crypto as property (absolute nonsense) but the Dollar is directly threatened by crypto in the same way that gold and silver does! Understand this and you're already way ahead of the understanding curve. Keeping your eye on the ball will remind you that the gold and silver markets are already badly manipulated! Bitcoin has several recent achievements, yet the price is stuck in a 10k-11k trading range. I remain bearish that the price will likely NOT exceed the 13.4k peak until it retraces downward to at least 8.5k for a period of time, allowing some bloodshed to shake loose some coins. I believe Richard Heart was correct on his first gut instinct of this and remain so!

Speaking of Richard, his HEX project has finished auditing. One significant flaw was expressed and his team is working on the fix for it. The remainder is getting ready to announce when the snapshot of the blockchain takes place. If you're interested in HEX, you can view most of what you need to know via HEX.win and if you use Telegram, definitely join the HEX chat (it's referenced in the HEX.win website with a bunch of other logos) I strongly suggest you create a referral link as mentioned in the site, AFTER you've gotten either MetaMask installed in Chrome browser (so you have the address it gives you at the ready) Furthermore, absolutely save the seed phrase in exact order to somewhere OUTSIDE your computer so if it gets hosed, you won't lose any HEX you've claimed or otherwise staked! October 19th is his latest target date.

Finally, WyoHackathon is next weekend in Laramie! Check out the website http://www.wyohackathon.io and claim your tickets if you care to come up. I'll have on most of what I had last year, either or both black or grey cowboy hats, both set up with stampede strings. They're not just for show as both have been used horseback. It's not a question of IF but WHEN I'll settle down at my own small ranch to enjoy what this technology can bring, answering the demand others give because of scarcity. I'm also continuing to develop my non-credit course for the general public to encourage mass adoption of crypto technology, yet are either overwhelmed by what the internet offers or needs additional support to understand what it is and how they may either use or benefit by using crypto. I believe I can present enough information for anyone new to learn significantly by taking the time after each class to review and take questions, then have a general crypto discussion. I'll also have an email address just for students to correspond between sessions. I truly want to make a difference and believe Casper could be my start. I've also been invited to at least two podcasts and will provide information as possible so you can view or listen to them.

Thanks as always. Depending on how crazy the oil markets become due to the Saudi situation, I may have another update Wednesday. I've already filled up my truck as ZeroHedge hints an $80/bbl spike is possible Monday. Otherwise, I'm still hunting for work and will likely update next Monday, after WyoHackathon has concluded.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9-11-19
Greetings, y'all,
It's Nine Eleven of Twenty Nineteen. Scrolling down a bit to my thoughts on this will be mainly for those old enough to remember that wicked, chaotic, yet solemn day in America. I had my doubts I'd experience anything quite as insane as my grandparents did during the Dust Bowl depression and WW II (which I talked about in detail with them) but eighteen years ago, that all changed and I sensed the nation would change going forward. Later in this submission, I'll recall the details and encourage you to do the same if you're old enough.

For now, Howdy! From the Forever Wild and Fantastic Rectangle that's become my new home, Wyoming! To both people I came across at Laramie a year ago (who I still won't identify) that discouraged me from moving here; "KISS MY GRITS, DAMMIT! I'M HERE AND LIKELY TO STAY."
Want to know what positivity I've experienced in the fortnight (two weeks) I've been here? 1) I've literally saved 50% on my auto insurance and it ain't through GEICO! That's hundreds of bucks right there as it's the same full-coverage I had back in Oklahoma. Furthermore, I can continue buying it on an annual basis. 2) I save 50% on sales tax. 3) There's no state income tax here. 4) Because I moved to a town four times the population of Guymon, nearly every national chain restaurant is here. With that said, I have to watch my temptations as I will again pack on the pounds if I go to these places too often. 5) As regular readers of this humble blog already understand, Wyoming has the most comprehensive protections for cryptocurrency and utility token holders in the nation, likely in the world today! 6) Opportunities for work in numerous fields are definitely better here. The secrets for job seekers are simple: Don't do drugs, don't be a sloven alcoholic, don't lie or steal and don't cheat others. If you have a criminal record, don't try to conceal it. Don't be some type of gaslighting asshole as the favor can be quickly returned in these parts! Of course there are exceptions to the latter, but even then, don't carry anything too far that you might later regret. The Do's are numerous, too; Do show you're responsible (proving a good track record is a plus here), be punctual (that means being on-time and doing as you promised!), showing you have multiple skillsets, as experience usually trumps most college education, be coachable (as Mr. Patrick taught me five years ago) and be reasonable and kind to others. After all, this is in the heart of conservative society.

You'll find liberals scattered about, but this is an open-carry state. CCW has heavy participation, and Wyoming has the greatest percentage of personal arms per capita in the nation. There's enough wildlife and too damn many prairie dogs to justify this, alone! Many ranchers appreciate shooters using .223 rounds and rifles to cull down these pests. Guymon has a few as a prairie dog town was getting established almost on US 54 near Seaboard. Borger, TX has a well-established town in the middle of their huge traffic circle not far from the Conoco facility. Wyoming has 'em beat in population, big time! With my roommate and myself, we've increased the ham radio population tally in the state probably a decent portion of a percentage point, over a percent here in Casper. I'm available on 2m/70cm for QSO if you reach out either by Twitter or email and have a sched set up. There's a decent likelihood I could land a job soon and may have to travel, depending on what I accept. To others interested in a move here, if you're from the West Coast, Chicagoland area of Illinois, Maryland, DC, most of New York State, or other liberal hangouts - you're welcome here as long as you leave any and all liberal politics behind at the state line. Thank You kindly in advance for your understanding of this humble request on behalf of the vast majority of Wyomingites.

What cons are there in all this? Wintertime is clearly a challenge for those swearing on wearing sandals. Of course there's a season here, but when it gets well below zero in February, you'll have long ago put those away in the closet and have on warm footwear with the shorts long gone and in favor of long pants, often with thermal underwear. It's fashionable enough (and for safety's sake) to wear long sleeves throughout the year if you cowboy around or work the oil fields. Humidity is nowhere near what it is back South or even at times in the Upper Midwest. Don't forget sunscreen and a hat if you go outside a whole lot. I live essentially at the same elevation as Denver, now. If you're an "eagle" (baldy as myself) then bear in mind that you'll burn quicker with less air to filter out harmful UV rays. You'll also drink more water as the lower air pressure and associated density causes greater evaporation. Be prepared for Winter and get your vehicle(s) ready with antifreeze rated for this region. I waited until I had moved to Iowa before doing that in the Winter of '09/'10 and it paid off BIG as the temps got down to -31F. It's also hell on your vehicle's battery, so have that checked, too! I'll have to get sandbags to weigh down the rear of the truck and I'll likely get snow chains to use as necessary. There are times of the year when the snow chain law goes into effect.

Bitcoin remains in a range-bound funk between 10k-11k. I emphasized again yesterday in a tweet that I remain bearish until a 40% retracement (back to 8.5k=BTC) is realized for even a short time period before the Bulls conquer the strong resistance above 13k. This was something Richard Heart mentioned weeks ago and I suspect his gut instinct was spot-on.

Litecoin bulls and those striving to be; Don't lose hope! The LTC Avengers will be recording a video together and jointly released on their respective channels this Thursday. They include Bitcoin Ben (congrats on the recent Service Mark!), RoadToRoota's Bix Weir, RealistNews and John Kim, your Chief LTC Evangelist. Not all parties featured have agreed in unison regarding Litecoin in the past as evidenced by the comments, but maybe this is the Sea Change we're seeking to experience.. Reportedly, some NEWS may be forthcoming with this joint interview release!

One of the more insane videos from the Middle East I've seen. I warn there are two dogs fighting at the start. Just as instructed, watch and wait. I won't spoil it! Here's the Thought of the Month from the Daily Cowman. He's a cowboy who speaks his mind. A breed of American in danger of oblivion if these damn meatless burgers truly get traction. Note though, another cowman tried out the impossible burger at BK and wasn't at all impressed. I've still not gotten myself stoked up enough to try one, but reading the ingredients - I'm not sure I'd like it either! Best Friend CD tells me there's some meatless burgers of certain bean combinations that aren't at all bad. Maybe there's room for a less-meaty compromise? Not impossible, but Meh!!

Now to spill my guts on Nine Eleven..

 My original experience with this date was TWENTY YEARS BEFORE the NYC tragedy. I was starting my senior year at my high school and the rodeo bug bit me that very day in 1981. I began researching books on ranching and the sport of rodeo itself to get myself educated somewhat. My immediate family didn't have any connections to the sport and I had seen it only a handful of times in my childhood. I didn't get on my first bronc until November 13, 1985 at Roy Lee's farm, not far from Mount Vernon, barely in White County. Roy's son Jim may well be continuing his father's tradition of Christian ministry with the basic rodeo events. In Arkansas, the bull riders make the $$ but bronc riders have a better shot of earning throughout the season because we're way fewer in those parts and the better bucking horses you'll find elsewhere, with a few interesting exceptions. I miss Roy and made his funeral. The dinner he and his family served me as a guest was an evening I'll never forget. Jim, if you ever read this, I'm damn jealous of how good your family truly was. I imagine you reflect on those times, even as trying as they often were.

Nine Eleven that most of us remember started out for me at my Little Rock home on Foxboro Circle in the city's Southwest side of the Wakefield neighborhood, getting a call around 7:35 from Larry James. Larry and I used to get agitated at one another. He taught an electronics nighttime class which I attended and we often disagreed on things, but I admit he meant well. Years later, we made up, apologized and became good friends. Both of us being accomplished ham radio operators certainly helped! We also had computers in common, too. I had moved back to Little Rock to take computer classes which I won a scholarship from StaffMark, an employment firm that offered these and moved back there from a steady Fort Smith TV job. After a year and a half of classes, economically, I was almost on the skids and back working TV master control at Clear Channel for UPN 38 as my Traffic Reporter job had been eliminated after the station group sold operations to Westwood One out of Houston.

The call wasn't too hurried or laid back. That's how Larry usually rolls! "Mark, turn on the TV as the World Trade Center got hit!" and I got it on to watch all the insanity. I immediately grabbed whatever VCR tape I could to record the raw footage. It was among the few times TV stations could get away with broadcasting profanities and I wanted the PURITY of the event. Of course, YouTube has many of these without bleeps as the expressions were priceless and too real for many. I suddenly noticed many jet planes coming in for landings at Little Rock National (Now I call it the Hill-Billy Airport since it's named after Bubba & Hill) and it was eerily SILENT with no contrails or flights after that. I truly sensed America would never be the same after that Tuesday, the sky just as Blue as NYC with a true feeling of uncertainty.

As the morning progressed and more news came out, it occurred to me I'd best get my pickup filled! Others in the City began thinking the same. I waited almost an hour in a block-long line of vehicles awaiting to fill. Fortunately, the State Attorney General warned gas station operators not to gouge drivers and most complied! The price at the pump was 1.53 that day and I was relieved to have that done. Momma did the same later in the day. The stock markets would be closed for around a week or so, but that didn't stop me from opening up an account with Scottrade later that month! That relationship stood steadfast until last year when they sold out to TD Ameritrade. I also began this website, MarkJamesMullins.COM that month, so it's now 18 and has always been hosted by Webhero/Catalog in OKC. September, 2001 had several milestones besides Nine Eleven, at least for me.

Some 18 years later, America is still a damned nervous wreck. We've spend an obscene amount of money on seemingly endless wars with almost nothing to show for it, except further enrichment of those in the Inner Beltway. At least I'm satisfied I'm free of any Facebook or related censorship as you're already aware I've been buying this hosting throughout all this time. Has it been worth it? Your appreciation and speading word of this site is all I need as I DO NOT ACCEPT MONETARY DONATIONS here. I want my America again! I've written a song, still not released, with Nine Eleven mentioned. At some point, either under copyright or not, I'll release the full lyrics. It's questionable if I'll have it recorded, but that remains to be seen. Thanks again and I hope you'll reflect for the sake of your children what happened that Tuesday.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8-25-19
Greetings, y'all!
 I turn another year older today and my move continues later this week. Because my main computer will be disassembled, you likely won't get another Blog update until after Labor Day. I have a lot of things to do and definitely not enough time for this Blog in the interim. In fact, you'll see me very little on Twitter for maybe a week or so. E-Mail will be checked through my gmail account, but you should call me if possible. My phone number remains the same but I've added a new local number where I'm moving, available to my Inner Circle and those on a need-to-know basis. I'm expecting either September 4th or September 7th to get this back together. My Pic of the Day is completely stocked through 9/5/19 and should work reliably.

 To each and every one of you, have an enjoyable and memorable Labor Day weekend! I hope to meet some of you at the University of Wyoming for WyoHackathon 2019 which is 9/19 (task force only) through 9/22. If you plan to attend but haven't registered, the website is wyohackathon.io.. I will be available for any open team who could use any ideas I may lend to your project, first come first served! I can't code as I've not learned how, however, I can still help a team with ideas on a variety of subjects or even proofread, depending on the challenge. Last year, I declined one such offer as I couldn't stay for the Sunday Awards as I had to be back in Guymon for the next days' early start, but the people I met were incredible! I will very likely attend the business talks and I should be able to stick around for the awards, since I'll be in-state. What a difference this year has already made! Pray for me as I could use good work, but it's easier to find it here. I'm on no medications, don't care for drugs so I'll turn up clean on tests, have a track record of reliability and do well with people who don't "gaslight" me. I'll be following up on leads after Labor Day and will attend Casper's job fair the following week. I'm not concerned about money as it's holding out fine, but getting another job soon is nevertheless important on so many levels. Because energy jobs are numerous, I'm not limiting myself solely to Wind Energy. I've even read of a Warehouse position open in town that I'll ask and maybe shadow to see if it's a fit. My recent warehouse work got me in very good shape for this enduring move.

Last year at WyoHackathon, I met Overstock's CEO Patrick Byrne and shook his hand in genuine appreciation for being among the first major corporations to accept Bitcoin as a payment medium. He's had a LOT going on earlier in the year with getting a cryptocurrency startup of his own to focus on the space. With all the recent revelations of many things lately, he's left his CEO position behind. With the pressure of it all, I don't blame him. I pray for him and his wonderful family nothing but the best, going forward. I'm sure we'll meet again. For certain, Patrick looks for opportunities and he understands the POWER that crypto has going forward.

Wyoming news? There's some regarding wind. Arkansas News? After brief consideration about running for Governor (Trump really wanted her to run!) as her father was, Sarah Huckabee Sanders has instead decided to take a job with Fox Network, who her father has worked there and Mike still makes occasional appearances. Down the line, she would fit well but Asa Hutchinson I think does a great job, just as I expected he'd do! If she (or Asa for that matter) will crack the whip on the Department of Workforce Services on certain aspects of their inept operation, I'd be honored to give her my input of firsthand experiences over a decade back with that group of morons.

According to CryptoPotato, Binance will start up "Venus", a stablecoin crypto with a close resemblance to Facebook's Libra. I've not viewed the White Paper yet (if even available) so I can't comment on it's proposed or actual internal workings, or if it's an actual crypto using blockchain. Stay Tuned!

Another CryptoPotato story released Wednesday is in remarks from Mike Pompeo, our US Secretary of State who thinks Bitcoin should be regulated, like other electronic financial services. I remind readers of this humble blog that US Dollars handle the vast majority of illegal transactions, and when banks who handle illegal transactions are caught obviously laundering and lying about it in most cases, their minions NEVER get deserved jail time! It's always a fine, from recently-printed Federal fiat, a cost of doing business! Its' competitor, Bitcoin, is so little used as it's more often being HODLed! Personally, I suspect Pompeo is echoing Bitcoin FUD points to discourage additional investment in the space in defense of the Doomed Dollar. Too late, Mike! Your boss isn't making matters any easier, too!! I remind both of you and several in Congress that elections are coming up next year. Double down on this and the voters in this space will likely do the same, voting for your despicable competitors across the aisle. The Republican Party does itself no favors for those registered as independents in Oklahoma, where I'm putting together this update and preparing for the final push of my move.

There are many Litecoin haters who despise the myth that Litecoin is not developing the coin further. Read the tweet and discover the lies the haters spread. As many have noted. MimbleWimble is a strong possibility in the pipeline for Litecoin.
Lo and Behold, surprise, surprise, SURPRISE!! SatochiLite (Charlie Lee, Litecoin's founder) gives Litecoin lovers some news we can use. I love being vindicated, even for the small news yet to be made BIG.

Now for an VERI update from Bix Weir. He gives you the meat and gravy on why Reggie can't speak out about it. What the SEC has done is criminal! With peer-to-peer software of this type, one can completely bypass London's crooked market. Can't have that, can we??

Matt Corva warns of phishing scams regarding ConsenSys and recruiting. Don't fall for it! ConsenSys will never ask for money.

The Storm Area 51 internet drive, expected September 20th is causing several Nevada counties to pool together their resources. This story gives greater insight on this new implementation of, I don't know... Woodstock & Burning Man into one? Stay Tuned in case stupidity reigns supreme!

Nashville steps up again to prove they're unquestionably the Music City! Just watch this video, shot at an area Chik-Fil-A of this Bill Withers classic to feel this!

The tiger puffer fish or torafugu is an expensive, yet popular Japanese delicacy requiring special preparation by an expert chef who is government certified, as the poison it contains is more deadly than cyanide! Do not view this video if you're squeamish, strongly emphatic toward animals or have just eaten, as it contains footage of a live torafugu being freshly killed, skinned, definned and otherwise prepared!! You'll learn which parts of this creature contain toxic content. For me, I have fished and hunted so this video didn't faze me in the least!

Now for the Short Links: A guy and his two dogs, surfing!
Dr. Kline tweeted In 99.5% of people opiates work fine without addiction potential.
What did the dead duck do? Click here to find out!
There's NO substitute for Momma! Rob is totally correct.

Finally, food for thought! "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." ~ Marilyn Monroe

See you in September!
Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8-18-19
Greetings, y'all,
 It's been a while, but I was true to form after my warning that this Blog would be very slow to update. There's some older and newer news with this update, but not all of you viewing this keep up with trends in the manner I do! My move is half-done with more to get accomplished in the meantime. I may not be back to full speed in Wyoming until I get satisfactory broadband speed, but I'll remain active on Twitter, checking the emails, and the Pic of the Week is back in operation, being updated for now every third day. You'll find the link from my main site or just click here.

Quick Wyoming News: Roommate told me of numerous Riverfest events in Casper yesterday. Because of my move, I missed them. There's some other neat things coming up though, not all limited to Natrona County or even Wyoming for that matter. More details to come up after Labor Day on a future blog or Pic of the Week entry from this website. It is the sesquecentennial (150th) anniversary of Wyoming's recognition of women's rights. Here's a decent article on this from OXY, so pop some corn and enjoy this history lesson.

Tyson Cross, a tax attorney, comments on the recent sendout from the IRS regarding their letter 6174-A, likely to Coinbase members as part of the agency's little fishing expedition. He notes in the article that several clients whom have properly reported and filed their crypto-earned taxes have received this general notice, too. He adds if you're already in compliance, not to worry.

I want Congress to finally get off their asses and bring about reasonable, FAIR taxation of cryptocurrencies instead of this absolute nonsense from a bunch of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats at the IRS! Put your necks on the line and prove you're doing work for your constituents in matters other than (obviously tainted and failing) Social Insecurity and to our Veterans going to VA hospitals which too many push pills and apparently do little else, that some have taken their lives, even in the parking lots of these facilities! With that rant done, there's some try and some hope from Congress! A crypto bill has been reintroduced and I pray it gets some traction. Actually, two bills are being introduced, according to the article from CryptocurrencyNews dot com.

Our POTUS on the other hand, thinks Bitcoin is so criminal, yet gives little thought to what he says next. Example? "I've always liked American wines better than French wines. Even though I don't drink wine. I just like they way they look. Ok? But the American wines are great." then he reportedly threatens France with tariffs. ((banging head on keyboard))

Congratulations, New Zealand! NZ is among the first nation states to allow Bitcoin becoming a legal form of payment. The article cautions there are some restrictions, yet this is a first, GIANT step in encouraging adoption.

Bitcoin has unconfiscatability going for it yet Bitcoin also has checks and balances! Even with this, the external regulatory headaches of KYC data is kept CRAPPY, at least with a few. Could this have been an inside job with the unnamed contractor handling KYC confirmations? We've seen it all, yet we've barely scratched the surface when there's $$ involved!

Bakkt is finally cleared for takeoff! It happens during September. An update is due on HEX.. They're in audit process of their code very shortly. The latest tweet from HEX indicates that goes on for three weeks with an expected launch date in late September to mid-October. Keep that Bitcoin in a single address and if you have ETH, that can spell additional bonuses for you! Keep enough for GWei transaction as necessary. MetaMask browser for the desktop will work. Be prepared after BTC snapshot with a wallet that can sign a transaction, just as many of you did with MWC last month.

Veritaseum (VERI) took a gigantic dump earlier this week! It was down almost 80% to under 4 dollars and has rebounded to around 6 as of this submission. I predict the SEC complaint against it has no concrete merit and Reggie will prevail. His token (that's right! VERI is NOT a token, y'all) but indeed, a prepaid software purchase as I learned in Blanco back in March. He's been transparent on that point and VERI has been available on but a handful of exchanges, mostly DEXs, because of the power in his peer-to-peer project and the threat it presents against dependencies that others in the space would be bypassed. Mercatox and ForkDelta are the biggest exchanges I see on VERI and this one I've never HODLed. Because of the litigation and likely freeze on assets the Court is imposing, I'm standing neutral, reserving all judgement and awaiting later news on it. Reggie has responded that there's really nothing he can say for now. He doesn't want to stir up the pot away from the Court and remains very wise over this.

Speaking of the SEC (NOT the SouthEastern Conference, although American football is closing in quickly!) This could weigh HEAVY on XRP (Ripple) as it could be labeled as an unregistered security! Because the SEC is finally busy, trying to crack the whip, Stay Tuned!!

Caitlin Long mentions in this tweet of Governor Gordon's proclamation toward this year's WyoHackathon, September 19th-22nd in Laramie. She belives it's the first such proclamation regarding cryptocurrency or utility tokens, both which Wyoming has advanced protections thereof, including personal property! Registration is open through at least mid-September, so set that weekend and visit wyohackathon.io to get it in. It's no secret to any regular reader of this humble blog that I attended the premier event last year and wasn't disappointed at all. My tickets are ready and so will I, God Willing!

Want an explanation of the inverted yield curve. Heidi's got this! It's a long, long thread but worthy to read through as she presents it in her trademark, plain-language style.

Thomas Schulz gives us this Bitcoin reflection:
Bitcoin at $1 was a godsend

Bitcoin at $10 was gorgeous

Bitcoin at $100 was damn nice

Bitcoin at $1K was a gift

Bitcoin at $10K will be a gift

Bitcoin at $100K will start a standard

Bitcoin at $1M will be the standard

Bitcoin at $10M is a new world order

 An article in decrypt dot co notes Tobiasz Niemiro, co-owner of Poland's shuttered Bitmarket, was found dead in the woods not far from his town. He had been shot in the head. This was perhaps two weeks back. Both possibilities of suicide and murder are being investigated. An update may be warranted here.

After that, I learned while on the road east of Casper that Jerry Epstein was found dead. My roommate was correct on his prediction and should've sealed a bet with me, as I'd now owe him something, maybe a pound of ground bison? I may come through for him in admiration. Conspiracy theories are all over the place and I think merited when one considers how many powerful people are likely to be named. It puts the Harper Valley PTA as a Sunday walk in the park. Give this time, save the popcorn and get ready to RUMBLE-E-E-E!!! Next question: Where's the BODY for public viewing or did Jerry disappear into some sort of witness protection? At least I saw the bloody mess the Vegas shooter left behind. Considering what happened with former SCOTUS Justice Scalia and his untimely death in Texas with no real followup, of course the Epstein mess STINKS! Everyone's bullshit meter is pegged fully red.

There's more... Nathaniel Hebert from Quebec had posted on Medium with a powerful story and other stories gleaned to back it up; did Jerry Epstein win the Powerball here in Oklahoma? There's no longer a link as Medium took down the story. It's either very powerful, could interfere in public perception with any ongoing investigation, or may well have been a really slick fake in the first place and got PULLED from Medium. I'm back at the old house in Guymon and am still an Okie as of this submission. I can confirm Oklahoma is one of those states which allows a Trust to be created in order not to disrupt a winner's life. Getting a ton of unsolicited marriage proposals, calls for donations to each and every charity and from beggars in general gets old pretty damn quick! This is obviously a circumstance where I believe the State may break protocol, in light of this possible revealation.

Now for the Short Links: This is one of the strangest videos I've seen, yet there's an explanation. Nature sure has strange bedfellows when it comes down to survival on this big blue orb.
Farmers can and DO make a difference in so many ways, sometimes unexpectedly to others! This message, on a Wisconsin field, remains timely and relevant.
It's been damn hot throughout much of the East Coast and South for the past month or so. Of course this video would be going viral!
What would YOU do if some stranger's car was connected to your electricity without your knowledge? This happened in Florida recently.
Mike Dudas gives us a STRONG case to HODL Bitcoin.
If you're going to grow old with someone, make sure they have what works with you! This is absolutely the case with this couple. Watch this video and see what I mean, y'all!

 To wrap up this submission, there's still hope in America! The Judiciary? Most judges do get it right, especially in cases as this. It didn't take long to review the records and present two primary questions which told him what his heart already KNEW! This is yet another reason why those getting a bad traffic ticket should do as this 96 year old did and fight it, instead of cowing down with no belief of justice. The defendant's demeanor and humility spoke volumes. It made my Monday morning!! I hope it makes your weekend grand.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
  Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7-24-19
Greetings, y'all!

It's been a week & a half, but a busy and summer sizzler it's been! I'm grateful for Mother Nature ridding us of the 105+ heat that invaded this region for close to a week. The overnight temperatures at 70+ degrees is very unusual for this region, but humidity has been way over the scale for the Panhandles. The days are finally getting short enough that the Sun is rising as I arrive at work. I have so much yet to do and my updates may become this infrequent until after my move is completed.

I'm also getting followers, many whom are either bots or catfishers, who are asking questions of me that truly don't know me, even though they likely have a feel of me through all my frequent tweeting. They have a motive and I believe for most, it's very monetary in root! Can I blame them? I've been scammed before and don't appreciate those who scheme in such a manner. New followers should understand by now that I don't take well to most sales pitches and relationship pitches in particular. I'm not a typical online dater, preferring to meet that special gal through those I entrust over any blind pitch on social media, as past experience has been positive with such an intermediary approach. With that said, she's OUT THERE! I'll be particular as to who I'd want to choose. She should understand from the start that if she insists on concrete jungle living, that I'm likely going to be OUT of the picture. There will be some exceptions to this, yet a more simple life is among my goals. My cowboy boots and hat remain, for reasons too numerous for most TL;DR'ers to fathom. To even think of being an trusted intermediary, you must get to know me over time. I've yet to publish a book on my extensive broadcast experiences and those times trying my hand at rodeo, those experiences working in wind, in television, you know - the Good, Bad & Ugly! Stuff that many sexy millennial gals following me, hoping for the perfect provider and easy lunch ticket, will likely never receive. Besides, catfishers can go fuck themselves!

The MimbleWimbleCoin or MWC airdrop was computed after the snapshot done at 2pm eastern time, 2000 UTC on Friday 7/19. As tweeted "MWCoin (Mimblewimble) Snapshot has been taken at block #586081. 6,000,000 MWC being airdropped to 148,474.77331775 BTC registered." Congratulations to all who registered! I've confirmed I have some coins to claim and you can as well by entering the Bitcoin address and password you registered with. Keep in mind to watch the website or your email you registered. You'll get to claim them in the fourth quarter this year. The two major advances I preach on MWC is the offline, cold storage possible on it AND the scarcity of just 20MM total, 10MM to be mined over a century. I expect MimbleWimble to gain traction in crypto circles, especially due to an approved BIP. It won't be overnight, but it could be quite epic and a trend-setter for the future in Bitcoin's evolution and likely that of Litecoin for that matter!

Bitcoin has been fortunately, correcting strong, but NOT ENOUGH! Bottom line? The bulls haven't been able to take BTC and the alts to new heights lately. We've been at the stage where a strong retracement is necessary for a while, but time wastes away with this minor rise, minor loss, wash, soak, rinse, repeat rollercoaster! Richard Heart views 8.5k as an excellent point to BTFD and I agree with his thinking, as his 40% retracement advice is his observance from earlier crypto cycles. Earlier this evening here in America, I'm watching BTC rocket above 10k but am predicting another rejection at even an lower overhead resistance. What would make me happy for the bulls? A strong enough retracement, not too strong where 6k and lower becomes revisited (which some of you pray honestly for, yet too damn few have the SPLEEN to BTFD there!!) shedding off excess hopium, giving the bulls the rest they need. At least for the short-term, I see the bears back in the picture, no matter how hard the bulls want them out of there, until a decently-strong retracement is apparent, even very short-term!

Two tweets which really say a whole LOT regarding Bitcoin and at least some of the alts. Another excellent contribution, Jacob! I wish I could make Memphis in November but am honored to have helped through this Blog any way I can. Readers can visit massiveadoption.com on the Web for the full skinny on this event in the Heart of the Mid-South! If you're considering the event, watch for possibilities of landing tickets from holders who for whatever reasons have to opt out. Some of them have really impressive accomodations. Just Sayin'! Now for the short links..

International News: Bitcoin is legally protected in.... China!

Bitfinex to be investigated in NYC and Bitmex to be investigated by the CFTC? Keep that popcorn handy and be ready for market moves in a Still-Sensitive Summertime Scenario.

Coastal hay for sale? This ranch is so coastal, they even include an alligator! The video shows you what I mean.

This is truly interesting! I'm already telling others about it and hope it becomes a success story! A bitcoin mining product that harvests gas and converts it into energy for mining Bitcoin and other coins. This also helps the environment way more than CO2 as methane is much more efficient to trap heat. This gas, now being used to make money through mining, would've otherwise been vented.

Work smarter, not harder. The video gives an interesting example!

UPDATE: The FBI reportedly has intervened in the murder investigation of former Arkansas Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, who was probing child trafficking cases & Jeffrey Epstein at the time of her death. As I learn more, expect more updates, here.

In my opinion, the ECB does this at their own peril. That's all that need be said.

Food for Thought! Perhaps the Tweet of the Week

More food for thought.. Sheep

Finally, Food for Thought BEFORE SEX. Stefan tweeted in response to one's query about casual, protected sex versus a committed relationship. He gives timeless advice:
"YOU NEED TO CAREFULLY VET PEOPLE BEFORE GETTING NAKED AND ALONE WITH THEM.
ONE false accusation
ONE pregnancy
ONE angry boyfriend
ONE bad STD
And your life as you know it
is OVER."

Next update should contain my opinionated Thought of the Month and even a Thought for LIFE!
That's it for now, sparing more Bitcoin FUDding and insanity. Give this a rest, y'all. Keep some powder dry for that anticipated retracement. Experiencing this will bring out the crybabies of the n00bz and likely the necessary puking of hopium to allow bulls to advance BTC and the alts to new, awe-inspiring heights in terms of ever-cheapening fiat. The FUDders can munch on that.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7-14-19
Greetings, y'all, The FUDding that I warned you about on my 5-27 Memorial Day entry has reached a new height of stupidity, as the POTUS has tweeted his FUD on Bitcoin. Don't get me wrong.. I'm not mad at The Orange Wonder. Many believe this advances the space closer to the M00N$H0T we've been waiting, but I think that's still a ways off when we're watching Bitcoin diving into the 10k psychological level which it may NOT hold into Monday. Instead, I'm rather disappointed he is clueless that the US Dollar facilitates far more illegal activity than Bitcoin can ever muster! Why are banks operating here often hit with massive fines for money laundering, yet none of these jackals GO TO JAIL?? Until MimbleWimble comes to make Bitcoin and Litecoin far more private, both coins can be tracked through regular transactions through their respective blockchains and Chainalysis already keeps a watch. Just Sayin' to HODL on and it too shall pass. Tax evasion, you ask? Indeed, the blockchains which are capable of revealing and being tracked, ARE! Nevertheless, Forbes reports that Bitcoin is now a true election issue for 2020! True to form, Caitlin Long gave an awesome tweet stream of the simple truth regarding cryptocurrencies. It goes without saying that I will be fully supportive of Wyoming's standing as the most business and individual-progressive of the States in regard to cryptocurrency law. My upcoming move couldn't be better-timed!

Of course the IRS plans to clamp down on cryptocurrency tax evaders! What most whom support this mess won't tell you is that Congress doesn't want to tackle the issue, since most of them receive money from powerful banking interests. These Congressmen should be the FIRST to tell the IRS and Treasury how to handle this new and disruptive form of value holding, earning and transfer. The IRS itself should NOT be creating these regulations in absence of our Representatives and Senators' willingness to create crypto-friendly regulations and reasonable taxation, instead of the absolute mess those in America's crypto community routinely deal with to remain honest and outspoken. Traders, you KNOW exactly what I mean!! After all, it's taxation without representation if we allow Congress to get away with doing nothing in regard to fair and reasonable regulation and taxation. They already LIE out of their pieholes each and every election, so call them and call them OUT on their chosen ignorance. Furthermore, the cryptocurrency community continues to plan greater privacy measures that will encompass all major cryptocurrencies in due course.

Erik Voorhees goes for the jugular on this tweet! "Unlike children, Mr. President, you can’t put Bitcoin in a cage." W0W!! You as a reader of this humble blog already understand the sheer wisdom Erik consistently shares with this community. Now you know he's onto the FUDder's game, too!

Another news subject that spells opportunity continues to hammer (and get hammered) around Congress. Since marijuana remains on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, banks have to shun legal business. At least the Senate plans hearings on this matter. Mark my words, the biggest boosts in marijuana stocks will come as soon as Mary Jane is removed from this (and SAME, as referenced in the link) as stability, instead of cash-only, can finally appear in this multi-billion dollar business effective in a huge number of states, either medicinally and/or recreational adult users.

John McAfee continues to tweet from exile in Cuba. This time, it's a Bitcoin tweet and he even mentions the alts!

Sometimes, even in Northern Hemisphere Summer, the temperature of Hades actually drops to or goes below zero Celsius, briefly! Our Ninth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Trump Administration regarding the sanctuary city situation. Although a split decision, it's a start and a rare moment.

Pop that popcorn and let's eventually suss out whom are the two John/Jane Doe's who seek to keep Epstein's records sealed up! This could bring out the degree of drama not seen since the OJ Simpson case. OJ occasionally tweets out what's on his mind and Yours Truly, a follower, applies a certain shitstick approach to it as to what sticks and what doesn't. Not a perfect science, but what is?

Do cat paws look like bears? Using one's artist-mind, the perspective is all that's needed!

That's it for now. 100+ temps are forecast this week as High Pressure in a ridge builds strong over the High Plains. I'm looking forward to one workday off this week with important business and maybe I can get some early work done here as I pack up more stuff to move. Sparing Breaking News, the next update should be Wednesday evening or Sunday night.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7-7-19
Greetings, y'all,

Is banning Bitcoin possible in the United States? Very likely, NOT! Regulators should be careful not to consider a ban as the backlash won't be limited to their lack of consideration. Furthermore, other nations will simply continue using cryptocurrency with much money leaving the United States. Finally, expect plenty of finger-pointing at the CFTC for their lack of action regarding gold, especially silver manipulation! As far as this humble blogger is concerned, the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee remains vindicated on so many points they've brought up over their 20 years of collecting information and informing those involved in different aspects of precious metals investing. We need not be concerned for the estimated half of Americans who own no stocks, but they'll likely remain in a living check-to-check situation with nothing to spare. They'll be truly trapped and screwed if opportunities should arise and they can't take advantage of something which could change their lives for the better. They'll also be those wanting more and more free government stuff that we can ill-afford and will likely go to illegal aliens whom vote for more free stuff while Rome burns.

You see, the regulators see ALL this stuff too and some pray something can be snuck in somehow to remove the equalizing threat that cryptocurrencies EXPOSE to their happy little system. Didn't this already happen with gold? Look at the chart earlier today at the smackdown! This takes place usually with "notional gold" (naked shorts likely from the PPT or ESF) to give the addicted Uncle Sam his economic meth fix. He's naked except for his credit card and top hat, starting to lose his teeth from all this addiction, is gradually losing his mind, and is either losing or has lost many of his friends around the globe.

Meanwhile, We The People continue to suffer from Uncle Sam's kneejerk reaction to the opiod crisis through threats to their doctors! People who are 1) managing their pain wisely by taking only what's prescribed. 2) are not either giving away or selling their meds on the street, and 3) genuinely are in need of continued medication to keep their pain in a MANAGEABLE status - are being denied or severely inconvenienced what they truly need to retain any quality of life. Why is this not a primary focus of any presidential campaign, I simply shake my bald head in disbelief! This is America and we can do a hell of a lot better!!

How will bitcoin fare in regard to the European Central Bank? Christine Lagarde heads the ECB come November and is pro-crypto, yet where will she stand in regard to decentralized or centralized? Most think she's going for a centralized approach and likely favor stablecoins. Even with such opinions, she could be helpful in encouraging adoption! Bitcoin Ben warns of the differences between centralized entities as Facebook's Libra versus the more-established and decentralized Bitcoin and Litecoin. He also gives opinion that banks may be replaced with a new digital economy. His video is informative and takes under a half-hour.

UPDATE: Megan and Team are repeat women's soccer champs! Didn't I tell you last entry that GREATNESS was being made from Americans? These women didn't disappoint! Let's see if any of the team accept an White House Invitation.

CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) in Arizona gives us a video rebuttal of reported abuses, including toilet drinking, at their facilities. To be fair, AOC (Occasional Cortex) has rebutted recently that the facility she and others in Congress visited was in Texas, not the Arizona one shown in the agency's rebuttal. Furthermore, she stated the Texas facility she and others in Congress visited had numerous issues not seen in the Arizona facilities. Stay Tuned as this drama ain't over!

Here's example #2 of why the Second Amendment is still as pertinent as it was over two centuries ago! The family, in their first night at their new home, was invaded by a naked woman claiming to be the Devil and she displayed superhuman strength, according to the homeowner who fired nearly 40 rounds. I'm suspecting drugs to be a huge part of this story and looking foward to an update from Virginia.

While we're at it, Washington State has put into effect a new set of laws regarding gun ownership based on age. It's already pissing off many Washingtonians and is clearly worth a read. As you'll quickly notice, many sheriffs have vowed not to enforce it! GOOD for them!! Arguments in the story are also valid IMAO. (In My Arrogant Opinion)

Leading pediatric neurologist, pro-vax federal medical expert Dr. Zimmerman states under oath vaccines can cause autism in susceptible kids. He's specific to note this is due to a mitochondria reaction. These are the fueled areas in your individual cells. It's an invaluable read to those affected by required childhood vaccines as damages in America are handled through the Vaccines Court.

What's with this opening cola and ice cream, taking some of the product, then putting it back on the shelf, bullshit?? So damned third-world of anyone doing so and they should be ashamed and deserve to be prosecuted! Apparently, the latter will soon happen to an east-Texas woman whose single-name handle (or perhaps the handle of the cameraperson) I won't repeat here, I called out as nasty and gross on Twitter a few days earlier. I definitely wasn't alone as the video quickly went viral, yet she's NOT the first! Days before her, I had noticed a video of a muslim woman picking up a cola from a convenience store shelf, opening, taking a drink, recapping it and putting it back. There was a person in an Adidas top and striped pants with black boots who took ice cream, opened it, shared some with the camera shooter, threw it back without replacing the top, with both hightailing it to the exit. You can clearly see a camera from the ceiling toward the last, so we may hear more about that jive turkey soon 'nuff! On the Fourth of July, I came across the newest of the wannabee stars in a Wal-Mart partaking a large gargle of mouthwash, spitting it back in the container, then replacing it on the shelf. ALWAYS check your product's seal if provided and start demanding one if this behavior continues to spread. A funny thing is they're bold enough to be on-camera with someone they know, they willingly post it and it gets investigated. Folks, with some, there's no fixin' stupid!

As a long-time Wal-Mart shareholder, I'm rather vocal toward Bentonville on many things. This was clearly out of their element and I want the chain to start situating security cams both inside and outside the ice cream freezer right away, to discourage any copycats. They should continue to monitor their EGGS (I've repeatedly noticed in the past, egg cartons having been opened with a single egg cracked wide-open from the strongly-oval end which requires much more force to breach) and continue watching the over-the-counter meds. Because they cost the store and me as an investor, plus putting the public either at inconvenience or serious risk, I want action against these perps!

Huge advances for Litecoin's adoption, thanks to Flexa! Give it time for Litecoin to appreciate showing the value. This doesn't mean for you to "buy the dip" now, unless you're clearly watching it correct. It's been static around $120 as of this posting.

To our readers with feline companions, you'll "get" this right away! Also, here's some excellent advice to consider.

Obituaries: Lee Iacocca passed Tuesday at 94. The Iacocca I remember is the chairman who saved Chrysler during the 80's and paid back the millions borrowed. I didn't know he dreamed up and introduced the Mustang to Ford, so take some time and send a prayer of thanks to Lee for all those fast ponies. A marketing genius and class act who'll be missed!!

That's it for now. The waiting game continues for a breakout in both Bitcoin and Litecoin. I'm expecting Bitcoin to move first with Litecoin in strong sympathy. I wish I could better predict where it goes, although I'm edging with the bulls due to a favorable MACD with room to run. Sparing Breaking News, I may be back Wednesday but for sure next Sunday!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6-30-19
Greetings, y'all!

The Fourth of July holiday for America is coming up Thursday. It'll be a very busy time for Yours Truly as many others on the warehouse staff will be away. A few of us will be working all but Thursday this week. At least the temperatures will be a bit cooler to help me get more stuff packed for when I move and I'll definitely take advantage of this! I've given thought of what furniture goes and stays and have checked the UHaul specifications to discover their largest trailer works with my truck, just fine. I'm pleased I had chosen the towing package after all!

Those in my Inner Orbit who have asked, already have an idea of when the move should be completed. I will give additional details here and there's some people and places I'll visit while doing this, with pics to post later on the Pic of the Week, even a daily series if warranted. July will be a busy month both at the house and workplace. This afternoon, I took some time to walk in one of the parks here and grabbed more crypto from the air via Aircoins app. This being a Samsung S4, the device is older and tends to heat up quickly when I locate coins in this heat. At least it's 10 degrees cooler than yesterday, but the new month arrives at midnight. I expect it will remain hot for much of the month. At least I got in my rent check today and don't have to worry with that in the early morning. Even my credit card is nearly caught up!

Crypto has been volatile this weekend. Bitcoin is correcting below 11k and I think it could bounce again at 10.5k or a bit lower. Litecoin revived in the 130's but has shed some value into the low 120's as of this posting. I'm pleased with this hopefully-brief correction as it's healthy and gives it a chance to recover. Patience, Grasshopper!

His funeral was this past Tuesday. This Arkansan wanted to serve his nation, but cancer claimed his life well before he had the opportunity to pursue his dream. River “Oakley” Nimmo was just five years old! No matter what you think about the generally wasteful ways of those in the District of Criminals and the overbloated Military Industrial Complex, you still had Beetle Bailey comics going on for decades. Mort Walker, who drew the comic, passed last January. Because I came across this story after Oakley's funeral, I have no idea of how well-attended it was or what media covered it. Oakley suffered in ways that no military member should ever encounter. Certainly this humble blogger prays, just as we do for the Unknowns and others who paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country, that none of them will be forgotten! Better yet, there will be future heroes to come and Oakley's spirit in that sense, lives on in American Pride! RIP.

I continue to gripe against carbon taxes. Here's yet another article supporting my reasoning to have that stupidity committed to File 13. (the TRASH CAN) I continue to question where the proceeds from these ill-gotten gains go to. Yet another level of bureaucracy or some World Government nonsense is the only sensible answers I can wrap my head around.

If it's grown in a lab from stem cells, it can't be advertised as meat in South Carolina! I'm clueless if this new law faces a Federal Court under First Amendment arguments, but I'm grateful SC is addressing the issue of truth, nevertheless.

OUCH!! Another exchange either bit the dust or exit-scammed as it appears with the Irish-based Bitsane. Nearly a quarter-million users' cryptos have apparently disappeared. If I get updates on this development, I'll pass those along. Yet ANOTHER reason of the many I've noted here not to entrust an exchange as if it were a bank. Furthermore, if you're a trader, don't keep ALL your coins in one bucket if you choose to trust exchanges. Be extremely wary that few if any exchanges have the coins they purportedly claim! They're very likely betting with at least some of their depositor's coins. Of course, crypto critics claim crypto has no "value", but if this were so, why are crypto heists becoming far more common? We're no longer at the bottom and the Moon is the goal shot.

Caitlin Long gives us a superb article in Forbes of Price Stability versus System Stability and why these are almost impossible to equally balance. As usual, I've learned more from reading this and how to better articulate why HODLers often come out ahead.

Megan Rapinoe has lately been the biggest thorn in the side of the POTUS. As most of you know, the soccer dynamo was the first woman athlete to join Colin in the National Anthem knee protests sometime back. She's hell-bent on NOT going to the White House, but wait! Occasional Cortex has invited her to the Other House, the House of Representatives, which she accepted! With a Democratic majority there, Rapinoe will be more at home with her politics. There are many to the right of center who think she's quite the turncoat. Bottom Line? I'm staying the hell out of this one as she's putting on an incredible show of sheer American greatness, many think she's proving a point every point (goal) she scores. If the Women's Team brings home the Victory, she could run for office and immediately garner the coastal votes. Hey, you gotta strike the iron while it's HOT!

Indeed, how you see art can be the perspective. Whoever crafted this monument has such understanding of this. Read this only from the left half, then again through both sides. THIS is the essence of The Arts. A message which can be interpreted in many ways and gets people talking, or even with a musical rendition, changed enough or presented in a manner that gives you a different impression. The Arts remain valuable for many reasons and I understand why to many, such passion is given to the various media of which they're expressed.

Speaking of expressions, notice the left side of the video when you view this: Her expression as he's doing something utterly silly on Twitter is way more hilarious than his. Is she thinking he needs to be institutionalized?

That's it, unless Breaking News forces an update. You and yours have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6-23-19
Greetings, y'all!

I heard it was a good meetup in New Jersey for Litecoin and Bitcoin fans. I'm too busy here in preparations for August.

Jacob K. updated this Blog that ONLY ONE REMAINS of the first, early bird 150 tickets to Massive Adoption in Memphis in November and that price includes hotel accomodations. His website is massiveadoption dot com, @jacobkostecki on Twitter or jacob at massiveadoption dot com.

Lopp gives us his breakdown of Facebook's crypto "Libra." What it is and what it ain't! To me, it has some good, a lot of bad and a boatload of UGLY in it. In fact, Australia doesn't like it, nor does Russia! Pop some corn and Stay Tuned!

UPDATE: Craig Wright hasn’t complied with the court’s order to list his bitcoin as of 12/31/13. He remains under an order to show cause why J. Reinhart shouldn’t issue sanctions under R.37 & order him to appear before J. Bloom to explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt. At least Bogota, Columbia recognizes Wright as Satochi, so he scores a goal trying to stay in this credibility game. Stay Tuned as the CryptoDrama continues!

Doctors are becoming far more concerned about the opioid crisis and the ill-advised cutbacks in drug dosages to patients who NEED these medications to keep some quality of life and mental sanity. I'd bet my right testicle right now that these same lawmakers with their knee-jerk concerns, using their quality medical plans paid by We The Taxpayer, likely have no problems for pain issues with THEIR physicians!

A Norweigan island wants to be the first time-free zone in the world! They have a very good case for this and seem to have decent agreement or consensus for this. Don't throw away that watch on their bridge just yet. We'll see!

Bitcoin? It cracked 11.2k but couldn't hold on. It's bounced around 10.5 and building strength for the next catapult. An even-bigger one is defintely due for Litecoin. Many expect a quick 160 USD uptick this week. That's it for now, short of Breaking News, an update during next weekend.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6-16-19
Bitcoin and the alts took a Saturday run toward 9k. It crashed through Saturday night in America and kissed 9.4k before retracing to a Texas bounce off 9k, then back upward to 9.2 where it's settling in for now. Litecoin remains in a narrow 133-139 USD range. Ethereum continues a sweet uptrend to 275, BCH (BCHABC) sits at 430 while BSV is barely under half that at 214.

MWCoin airdrop is barely over a month away. I've already stated here on the blog how I registered. I'll let Andy Hoffman give you the full scoop on how to git 'er dun. Sparing any difficulties with the upcoming snapshot or otherwise, this may be your final tutoral from Yours Truly. I've already done this and it's not that hard, once you understand WHY you must do things this way for this airdrop. Note too, Hex airdrop will have essentially the same requirements. Some in the channel are eyeing late August to get Hex going, but for now it's very much in testing and the auditors will be in the picture soon. Stay Tuned in regard to Hex. BOTH coins stand to make HODLers a sweet return for your time and trouble in receiving something FREE. THIS is why you visit this Blog!

Dash is available globally, likely in your neighborhood! Download the Aircoins app for your mobile device and start hunting. Already, over a dozen coins are represented. I did this in Blanco, TX and had a ball. Since then, I've gotten coins even here in Guymon and near a cemetary close to the TX/OK line not long ago. Earlier this afternoon, I collected 21 coins of 9 different types from two parking lots and from my front yard! So far, no Dashcoin seen but there's always tomorrow! Tomorrow night is a different matter as severe thunderstorms again threaten the Panhandles. Summer will return as a Lion on Friday at 10:54AM Central (1554 UTC Friday) with 90's as highs.

ZuckBucks! Lopp (Jameson Lopp) nails it again!! What a perfect name for the FBcoin or Libra coin that Facebook wants to introduce to the masses. If we compare their past record of "privacy" and other infractions against users as pressured by the Left, can one even TRUST it? I sense centralization, information sharing to authorities, obvious stablecoin, security issues to crop up, a blockchain that has little or no public interaction for maintenance (as Bitcoin and Litecoin does, peer to peer) which further ruins trust, yet if it does, I can already sense 51% attacks if any mining is allowed. Should I go on? For now, I'll shut up and see what Mark offers. Some in the media have labeled this as a Bitcoin Killer, which I shout "BULLSHIT!" A few of you are wildly positive of the effects it could give cryptocurrency, especially in advancing adoption. I'm wary that a bad experience(s) for N00bZ could weigh against those already well-entrenched in the space, security of one's coins in particular! As Caitlin would be the first to preach; "Not your keys, not your coins!" Granted, this could give my future classes on this space an additional, needed boost, but I gotta move first!

Going in opposite directions, The Winklevii put on a good interview with CBS earlier today. Check out the video here to see what Tyler and Cameron are up to. I'm thinking their plans are bearing fruit and the harvest? Oh boy, BIG smiles! :-D

Craig Wright has until Monday (tomorrow from the day of this submission) to declare his Bitcoin holdings to a Florida federal judge. It's the Put Up or Shut Up moment that the crypto world has been awaiting! According to the story in this link, he must appear before a judge later in the month or becoming subject to being held in contempt.

He's Ba-a-a-a-a-ck!!! O J Simpson has some opinions and some "gettin' even to do!" He's planning to comment on a lot of things. He quickly gained a six-digit number of followers in the first 24 hours. Like a bad train wreck you can't turn away from, I clicked his Follow button! Save some popcorn if so inclined.

Thanks to this tweet from David Stockman, we have a new moniker for our POTUS; The Orange Swan! I nearly pissed my pants when I first seen this phrase. What an epiphany!
I still love a lot of things The Donald is doing. He has brass huevos which clang together to get shit done in the District and Nation. He's keeping the Deep State at the knifes-edge of sanity, which is good with some ugly to spare. He'd be extremely helpful if he got more facts shored up and straight before engaging either his mouth or the Twitterverse. Sorry, but wind turbines DO NOT cause cancer!
I'm also strongly against 5G in it's planned implementation because of the frequencies being utilized. If you understand my past broadcasting career and the 40 years of being licensed as a ham radio op, I should be completely covered with cancerous bubbles and lesions from all the stations where I worked in the past and the transmissions across the globe in one of my favorite hobbies. Now for some short links:

Doctor Visits? No co-pays? How about a monthly bill, such as if you were paying for cell phone service?? This could well be the future of primary care medicine!

Don't even think of tripping on acid (LSD) or 'shrooms and watching this tweeted video. Quite the mind-blower!

Now for the Quote of the Month.

Sparing Breaking News, I should have another update by the weekend. Have a great week to come!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6-13-19
Jacob Kostecki of Massive Adoption dot com fame gives this Blog an update: He's down to ONLY 67 of the first 150 tickets being sold for the Memphis Massive Adoption Conference held November 7-8 and expects them to be sold out over the weekend. You can visit Massive Adoption on the web or email him via jacob at massiveadoption dot com if you're ready to buy tickets - first come first served. THESE first 150 have special privileges so be sure to review the website or ask Jacob for details. There's some juicy developments underway that Yours Truly can't disclose yet, not even by DM! I'm still not certain if I can make it, but I will if possible.

Cryptos are being a bit volatile. LINK in particular had a gigantic pump to 2 bucks! Bitcoin is still holding in the 8k range, although a few are hoping for 9.6k soon. A retracement into the 7k's would be healthy going forth. Same with Litecoin's recent flirt with $140. I could see it come down to $120 to form a strong support base. Sorry to be a bit bearish, but certain trends indicate caution for the short-term at least.

Many of you have seen my criticism of carbon credits in the past. I've changed not one iota on this. Finally, an article through a tweet of why carbon credits are ripe for abuse!

Grace retweeted a funny one the other night; A seagull photobombs when a woman photographs her lobster roll; "Don't mind if I do!" Tasty, huh?

Wondering about the meatless burger buzz? Doctor Mike reviews 6 burgers, 5 being vegan! It's 10 minutes well-invested to watch this and he scores decently well in identifying them!

To become more decadent, here's a recipe from Food52 dot com. The five-ingredient lime posset. Think of it as a custard, that isn't! It's easy to make.

This humble blog congratulates Professor Tonya M. Evans who tweeted her recent appointment, especially as it concerns blockchain. I personally wish her and the program at UNH Law continued growth and success.

Dan Hedl shows us the Bitcoin Yearly Lows. so this may be among the better reasons to continue HODLing. Bear in mind I'm watching MWCoin which plans to snapshot the Bitcoin blockchain next month 7/19 (get registered via mwc.mw) and Hex, now planning on a late August rollout, both for free coins via airdrops, so get whatever BTC into a SINGLE address in anticipation of claiming these. A reminder, you MUST have a wallet which can sign a transaction and you will NOT have to send any coins to do this! Personally, I've done this already in regard to registering for MWCoin. Regarding Hex, I have no firm information on when the snapshot for it takes place yet, so stay tuned! Their website is hex.win ..

West Coast? You can buy a Lexus with your Litecoins! Adoption is a beautiful thing and not just for people or animals any longer.

Laugh of the Year: No, I need not comment on this one, I'm still giggling even now!

Depending on Breaking News, I may have another short update Sunday or a regular one by next Wednesday.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6-9-19
Greetings, y'all!,
As promised, there's a lot on my mind I want to unload at the git-go. Before I jump in the crypto of things, there's more and more validity coming to light of child trafficking with a number of the very powerful in this country. According to Creative Destruction Media, they're verifying a lot of information with a very complex set of connections that could bring the bright light on a whole bunch of roaches that won't be able to run far and very few will escape. First off, it's truly sad to me that both my native Arkansas and now Oklahoma where I reside apparently have ties to recent murders of former state Senators, respectively. If this developing news proves correct, heads will ****ing roll, y'all! It wouldn't surprise me at all if the FBI jumps in very soon for several reasons. When you have people that high on the ladder doing desperate things such as murder-for-hire, it's been proven time after time again that they have a mess they want to keep covered under the rug, but it's still a ****ing mess! Either we won't hear any more about it, or the cans of whoop-ass in the case are pulled out and opened. I also strongly sense it won't be limited to this region, that the District of Criminals and international people (and rather sordid details) come into play, further affecting international relationships already under significant strain. This alone could CLOSE our Southern Border with armed military and orders to shoot. Many have already stated how Trump is ready to lower the "BA-BOOM!" on many powerful folk involved elsewhere in trafficking of children. I pray he knows enough already and times this out for maximum effect, the sooner the better! Bottom Line? I want JUSTICE for former Senators Linda and Jonathan! Both were very bold people trying to do the right thing and were cut down!! We all want and deserve the TRUTH!!!
 p.s., There's a crypto donation link at the bottom of the story. Let's say they deserve some digital love and anticipate more fireworks to come. Hollywood can't make up anything as nauseous as this story might explode into.

The latest from overseas: It appears the Modi government in India could well BAN cryptocurrencies! The current draft of a particular bill proposes a ten year prison term, including HODLers! Also of note in the story, this likely drowns out the possibility of Facebook utilizing their proposed cryptocurrency there. Note though, the Indian government itself wants to float a Digital Rupee. I fully predict this would be a stablecoin and extremely centralized! You don't even have to gue$$ this one. I agree with the Wild West Crypto Show folks that interest will only increase in the Asian nation from such a ban and as I tweeted recently, I predict it ultimately won't stick, even if the Indian population must wait it out with their HODLings!

Mike Dudas tweeted yesterday "I have been instructed by my fellow tweeters not to label any digital assets 'shitcoins'”...
"What, then, shall we call the thousands of outright frauds, scams and useless projects in the space that we work hard to help folks avoid so they can invest in and work on the good stuff?"
Of course I quickly agreed with Mike. True shit projects deserve to be exposed. There's been noteable scams in the space, both cryptos and tokens. Some were ideas that were horribly underfunded in their ICO with no chance of redemption. To be fair, there remain a decent number of projects with viable usage cases that simply haven't matured enough and the recent Bear gave quality time for continued development that some projects are bearing fruit. One of which I've never named but HODL faithfully is still shoring up their security, web interfaces, wallet interfaces and a portable hardware wallet capable of HODLing any crypto out there. The tokens shot up 50% over the weekend due to positive news with much more on the way.

I'll temper my statement that one's opinion on coins and tokens should be carefully made and based on enough observation and research. Finding that balance, even by one with experience in the space, I realize is very challenging! With that said, I include shit exchanges in that grouping, even if what they did was entirely "legal" in the Fine Print.

You see, Cointelegraph gave horrible news that a Polish exchange has shut down and disappeared with customer's funds! Coinroom gave only a day's notice before shutting down. Although legal, some customers whom complied have complained only partial or no refunds of their holdings at all! I expect some legalities to show from this and plan to update this story. Poloniex had severe issues with a collapse in CLAM crypto value. It was a perfect storm and I give due warning to those with other crypto in margin to read through the terms CAREFULLY! Circle bought out Poloniex and few if any read the new terms imposed. Nevertheless, the exchange has stated that lenders will be made whole again. Please, unless you're a trader with a risk of appetite to handle these losses, be wary of HODLing any crypto in any exchange. Doing so can "keep you whole" a whole lot easier!

Will his lunch date with Buffett make any difference in opening the mind of the Oracle of Omaha? Justin Sun shells out over 4.6 million bucks, a new record for this 20th anniversary event. He should bear in mind of Buffett's holdings of Wells Fargo, a bank in the TBTF group. Warren will be a tough nut to crack! If Justin can bend Warren's hardened armor at all and open some potential opportunities going forward between financial institutions and cryptocurrencies, even utility token blockchains, it'll be hugely EPIC! In the meantime, Jacob Canfield explains why Buffett hates Bitcoin so much. His explanation is even more profound than I outlined!

Coindesk notes an Israeli startup launches the first non-custodial wallet without private keys. I'm looking into it to pose questions which should concern users IF private keys are altogether eliminated or obfuscated as part of the functionality of this application.

Stop being so damned gullible! The Earth isn't flat and there's NO such thing as a Free BTC Generator! Apparently, many n00bz have fallen for yet another bullshit sandwich. With crypto back on the rise, the scams and shit are back on the increase as well, so don't say you weren't warned as I've been doing so recently here on this Blog and occasionally on Twitter! I can strongly state such link-clickers are n00bz as Bitcoins are generated solely through the Bitcoin network and put into it's blockchain as a reward to miners who "solve" (actually coming across a hash with a small-enough signature of numerous starting Zeros to be accepted as valid by the Network, but I digress) these hashes. As you can imagine, with such powerful trojans being released, it could cause you to lose your coins. This also coincides with another security concern I hope to teach the public in my classes: If you copy and paste an address to transmit, ALWAYS double and triple-check it before entering the Send button! This becomes even more tricky if the vendor insists solely on QR scans that have no alphanumerical reference to double-check your entry with! Once transmitted, it cannot be undone. With that said, I fully expect these virus writers to get even more crafty on when a repaste of their address overrides the one a user intends to send coins with. It may come down to another software layer which can force a match and can intercept at both application and network layers to protect one's coin security, further secured with a database of known addresses used by these scum to collect their ill-gotten gains!! It's an idea I hope a dev may read about here and perhaps spark some interest. I can already envision this problem becoming worse and hope to be part of the solution, somehow! Now to the short links:

THE Bathroom Sign of the Times! Folks, there's no unseeing this, especially in a bathroom witnessing an alien washing their green or grey hands. After all, where in the Universe have they been? You won't see that in the tweet, but still...

Ladies, THIS is how you handle online sexting harassment. Just go to this link, view the whole thread to see what Ashley did, enjoy the laughs, then WASH, SOAK, RINSE, SPIN finally, watch the sexters give up and block you.

This is when you take your transporation needs OUTSIDE the box! I nearly sprayed the computer screen with milk, watching this.

Jason A. Williams on Twitter gives us a really cool set of crypto factiods. The first I'll mention: "Owning one Bitcoin is as scarce as owning 9 and a half kilograms of gold." Can you say HODL?

This is one of the strangest threads regarding a true story I've come across on Twitter and I've been here a decade! It's too true for Hollywood, London or Paris to make up. "sixthformpoet" pours out his heart and soul on this one of how True Love is a truly unexpected occurrance!

Obituaries: Dr. John (Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack) passed this week. If you're a Boomer as myself, you'd likely recall his Atco Records hit "Right Place, Wrong Time" from 1973, which is catchy, I loved it then and still do today! He was an oddity, but damn, he could play the living shit out of a piano (and a guitar before he shot off a finger) and remained true and steadfast to his beloved Big Easy to the end. What a talent! If you click the link, you can scroll down to the video, then watch his handiwork as he plays one of the finest renditions of the classic "When the Saints go marching in." New Orleans has lost one of their finest, but he's now in that number, y'all!

Quote of the Week goes to Jake Chervinsky, who opines to those with open minds:

"We're living history."
"We have a rare chance to witness the rise of a new monetary system. This happens maybe once every fifteen generations. Centuries from now, economists and financiers will read about these days in awe."
"Take a deep breath and enjoy it. Have a great weekend!"

And I couldn't agree more. May you and yours have an enjoyable one! I'm planning to remain busy throughout the Fourth of July as Summer finally arrives later this month. I'm also savoring these cooler days which continue here in the Panhandles. Below normal temps are back in the forecast with more rain chances. Sparing Breaking News, another update could come mid-week, yet most likely next Sunday.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6-2-19
Greetings, y'all!

 I want to thank many new followers who learned about this humble Blog via Twitter. If you like or even fall in love with it, please pass on the word! You won't get bugged, burdened or even tracked by ads as this is MY paid hosting, MY freakin' oyster. It's free to any visitor and the only tracking I do is from what nation the web hit comes from and if it's an original or unique visitor. You can continue scrolling downward to find earlier blog entries in this calendar year as well. Updates usually happen Sundays but can be delayed up to two weeks if warranted. The language I use is usually clean, but there are occasional NSFW statements and links I may post. Bear that in mind as my bluntness to get an important point across usually trumps being consistently polite and discreet.

Did Google or someone way up on the Food Chain test out the Kill Switch today? Throughout the internet, users complained of no Gmail, Snapchat, YouTube or Nest in at least portions of the USA. I'm among those thinking it might be a test of the Kill Switch and Sunday was chosen because most are off today. Where I live, it's the only day when the Seaboard Foods plant is closed for maintenance, so Wal-Mart is extra busy when Domingo hits the calendar. I had no problem logging into Gmail in the 5pm central hour. Since Twitter didn't suffer a mega-FailWhaleTM it was filled to the hilt with people's inability to use one of the many Alphabet Google services.

I'm still enjoying these occasional thunderstorms and other weather drama in this region, the Panhandles. Severe weather is again in the forecast for Sunday evening as I post this with even more rain forecast this coming week! I doubt western Oklahoma eastward wants another drop of rain or tornado scare for a while! The Arkansas River is giving its' namesake state quite a bit of misery and cursing, Lake Dardanelle in particular. I resided in that general area for a decade as my voice was well-known on the airwaves. Bear in mind Little Rock and Pine Bluff are further downstream, so the River rages on! It'll add to the deluge already on the Mississippi as the Atchafalaya will be induced to carry even more flow to the Gulf from that spillway I mentioned last week, here. June has arrived and I'm seeing more June bugs and large beetles showing up. Brand New Birds (an somewhat inside joke between me and best friend CD regarding something he said in '05) have been hatching with nests becoming empty. Later this month, Summer begins but the temperatures are creeping upward and I'm taking advantage of this cooler period to get some pre-moving and cleaning up done. Let's jump to our favorite subject - Crypto!

Remember the promise of Bitcointopia? This was purported to be several things and land was being sold in Nevada to begin building infrastructure and buyers to build homes toward this new city where Bitcoin would be utilized as Legal Tender. This isn't fake news as I distinctly recall reading about it through several sources, although it's never been mentioned here in the Blog until now. Morgan Rockwell, the CEO of Bitcoin Inc. was sentenced to prison for 21 months and assessed forfeiture of $80,600 in illicit profits, according to the latest press release which the story cites. Nowhere in the story does it give any clarity as to those who bought land there, or if it was part of the forfeiture.

Binance DEX, starting July 1st will block IP's from thirty nations, USA included! How this affects the BNB Binance Cash coin is MY question, since that exchange can utilize it! I noticed earlier in the week a few people around the internet pumping this token and it's done fairly well. Of note in the linked story, if you use VPN or a specialized wallet, you can still get around the IP restrictions.

Fake News is problematic in China, but it benefitted BSV holders! I want to say it peaked around $240, nearly doubling in a day. Since then, it's found a floor around $190. Bitcoin itself peaked over 9k but quickly swan dived to 8.2k and has since regained ground to 8.7k as of this submission. Litecoin sits pretty solid at $114. Many expect a pump and this could happen by mid-week. I just don't see it happening very short-term as I post this. Now for the Short Links:

A Crypto Broker Client reportedly aims to acquire a quarter of all BTC supply, from Cointelegraph's Ana Alexandre reporting Could this be the unexpected moonshot that helps McAfee keep his penis intact? Time will tell! HODL on, y'all!

Steven Nerayoff is clearly a utility token BULL. I agree with his thinking that many projects will experience success as use cases and projects mature with time. I HODL various utility tokens now, especially if they're limited issue and not focused on stablecoin utilization or something too centralized.

Those outside the USA who wish to travel here on a travel visa: Breaking News from Bloomberg's TicToc: The State Department will now require all applicants for U.S. visas whose countries are not part of a particular program, to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers for (I think) the past five years. Really? Yep! I can't say if this is immediate or if there's an effective date on this news.

Gradually, one's need for weed is getting more and more national! Can the ignorant Fed get rid of it from Schedule One? Illinois is doing their part to show the Feds and the 'Just Say No' crowd that they're at least partially wrong, all along! My understanding is it gets signed by Governor Pritzker in Springfield very soon. Can you say "nullification?" Now to focus on getting it removed from 21 USC 823. (The Controlled Substances Act, which marijuana retains a Schedule I listing) When this finally occurs, you'll witness weed stocks on Wall St. take their biggest moonshot, IMAO.

Kansas City Media on Twitter is correct that this video of a lightning strike is among the most insane you'll ever witness, but I add in how ENERGETIC it was. This was likely slowed down. For it to fan out so magnificently means it's truly trying to find the least resistance and when found, was it ever so truly bright? You bet!

This baseball team never trusts the forecast and you must admit they do entertain! The Savannah Bananas had a pitching change. Just like Elvis, "I did it MY WAY!" on a segway, no less!

Luca Stricagnoli plays MJ's Thriller on two acoustic guitars. What a talent! It's time to savor each note as you watch him work. SimbionicSeagull, in the comments section stated "I don't even understand how people can dislike this and be happy with themselves. The amount of work gone into this is insane." You may even check the web for tour dates.

It's Facepalm time, again! Tweeted 5/28: "My brother in KC, a KSU grad, just sent us this message: 'Tornado hit Lawrence. I went by the football stadium and I can confirm there were no touchdowns there.'” Even so, our prayers are with Lawrence, KS families on the south end of town where the twister hit.

Laugh Time! Well, the label is truthful. This smoke detector WAS installed on the ceiling!

That's all I have for now as I've been washing, cleaning, doing lots of stuff while it's still cool enough in the mornings. There's also a lot of work to do at the warehouse, but I'll take more time off in the weeks to come to get things in order. Those in my Inner Orbit get more specific details on these developments. Sparing Breaking News, an update should come next weekend.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5-27-19
Greetings and Happy Memorial Day to America, y'all! This is a LONG, LONG Blog, so pop some corn.
Weatherwise, it's been a very busy one here in the Panhandles. The grass is very green and I need to mow it again. Finally, a day without rain to git 'er dun and I still couldn't do it! Tuesday at the earliest, and this is true of most of my neighbors who went away for the Holiday. More about the close calls from weather coming up.

Bitcoin gave us a beauty of a launch! It reached over 8900 with some bulls wanting the psychological number of 10k to show. They may still be right, but I tweeted that at least a brief retracement would be in order. It happened quickly, diving and stabilizing around 8.4k. It's since chosen a trading range of 8.7 to 8.9k which I find quite kick-ass on a holiday! Alts, especially Litecoin have done swell! LTC briefly spiked $120 but has settled in the 117 range, around 15% gain in the last 36 hours or so. A woman asked on Twitter about where $300 would do her good. I mentioned both Litecoin and Bitcoin. Litecoin alone was 88.11 when I replied on 5/23. If she acted right then and invested the whole shebang, she would be sitting on a freakin' sweet 37.1% gain, sitting roughly at $395.29 as of this submission, considering LTC is 116.1 for this calculation. Not bad for four days!

Folks, even though this isn't financial advice, we're barely getting started. Do expect a pullback, especially if 10k is reached, so don't freak out! Furthermore, expect greater FUDding to again appear. I've heard so much shit before and of course am getting better at figuring out this cycle, including the SCAMMERS and SCUM who magically reappear and want you to participate in incredible riches! Just get ready for it is what I'm sayin' and use that sixth sense, your very own Bullshit Indicator to help you steer clear as necessary. Notice the hidden pun between the bulls and steers? I predict some of you may even bank profits at or close to 10k, which is fine. I don't want to see hopium grow too quickly at this point. Give these bulls a chance to grow and thrive in this new pasture. They'll have the Lambos and the ladies will be swooned.

This is your chance to finally meet... The Bitcoin Pizza Guy! In case you missed it, here's a 60 Minutes show segment.

A crypto cafe? Absolutely! It's very much about educating the public, says the owners in downtown West Palm Beach.

Meet the latest of McAfee's tweets! He remains in self-imposed exile somewhere in the Caribbean or South America. He stated "People keep asking what I am worth. The answer: My net worth has been zero for almost 8 years. It has not fluctuated. I may temporatily have cash or assets in my possession but they are loans or the equivalent of escrow deposits. I own nothing but my clothes, eyeglasses, etc." So we'll see what happens with time and the upcoming Elections. Keep that popcorn ready to pop!

Crypto Sarah tweets the Inspirational of the Month here on this humble blog: "Most girls used to mock me for not going out every weekend and not being interested in getting the hottest guy in class. Years ago, they called me the crypto loser. Now I'm slayin' and they're broke af. (editor notes "af" means "as f**k") Do not let society define you. You are whatever you want to be (if u try)." CS, it matters not if you're female or of any nationality or color. I replied "Crypto doesn't care and doesn't carry any of the inherent biases that people lending money would have! You're making this world YOUR oyster and this hatted crypto cowboy cheers you on with the best Rebel Yell he can muster!"

Tornado Season has really gotten a huge start, but the Gulf of Mexico opened up with copious moisture and the Sun has done a great job of adding energy. Combine that with very dry air to the west, coming in on cold fronts and that pesky Dryline in the Plains, then you have a volatile mix! Joplin got a damn close shave, 8 years to the day of their devistating 5/22/11 tornado. Bear in mind, I had planned to visit Little Rock that very weekend! I had graduated from Iowa Lakes CC the week before and wanted to travel to Little Rock to visit family. The preferred route takes me through Joplin!

This recent close shave was followed by Laverne, OK just east of the Panhandle. It's just close enough that the town is a LOCAL phone call for me, but is nearly 100 miles eastward! Their town was spared, likely by Divine Intervention, from a half-mile wide buzzsaw of a funnel. It destroyed a farm to the town's southwest, but lifted over. I heard the warning since the local NOAA transmitter is powerful enough to have a few Harper County listeners and they had very little time to react. The EF-3 rated storm was actually over 4/5th a mile wide (4000'!!) when crossing the Beaver/Ellis County line.

Then a horrible and very rare EF-3 QLCS (Quasi Linear Convective System) tornado struck El Reno, west of OKC in Canadian County. Two died in the partial collapse of a hotel with 25, maybe 30 injured overall. These particular tornadoes 1) form from a storm line, NOT from a discrete cell, 2) often form at night and 3) form very rapidly, allowing for very little time to warn and public to react! I wish to remind Blog readers that days before this event, there were critics hammering meteorologists in several TV markets for their repeated interruption of programming of tornado coverage. The El Reno twister was so rapid a development that at best, three maybe four minutes were available to warn the public. We're talking about the best-equipped research facility of this type in the USA, likely the world, and this almost escaped them! This wasn't NOAA's fault when you understand the full set of factors involved. This is the second time in six years that El Reno has been ravaged by twisters and hopefully this incident can give researchers nearby at Norman some data to perhaps develop additional tools for QLCS detection, going forward. I've not even covered the storms which somehow spared the lives of "Jeff City" Jefferson City, MO residents and many in Iowa and southern Minnesota, too! I didn't have to leave town to get a tornado scare last night. At 9:20pm, I was perched at the overlook at Sunset Park looking westward. I have video from this but the file for 10 minutes worth is 1.5Gb! A storm with strong rotation barely skipped Guymon and Optima. Straight line winds were very strong with small tree branches with green leaves being the primary victims.

Now I get to mention the serious flooding. Many of you are aware of the Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas Rivers with incredible flow. The Mississippi Floodway, not far from Baton Rouge, is likely to be opened soon. As this week progresses, flood stage will be reached further down the Arkansas from Pine Bluff eastward. Lake Dardanelle and the area below the dam are already a mess. There's even a few idiots trying out for the Darwin Awards by swimming in the Arkansas River at Little Rock. The water is already really nasty from this, even if the current isn't considered. Sheesh!! Upstream near Fort Smith at Barling (when I lived in Sebastian County, it was definitely the biggest little speed trap in the state) two dam operators had to be rescued by helicopter!

Better yet, it's not Facebook and their coin which will gain the most IMAO, but @Jack of Twitter fame with his Bitcoin push!

On the EXPENSIVE side of this are the apparent increase in Bitcoin fees being noticed by Yours Truly. I came across a tweet from YoBits where some Sats were on a phone. The fee to transmit it was too high! I hinted about LN and as you should be able to see on the thread, even that was too much! Does Bitcoin need more passthrough or other improvements to cheapen the transaction fees? Sadly SegWit didn't make it. I'm sorry to say that Roger Ver is making a stronger case for BCH on the fees! My message to Bitcoin from a HODLer: Make it too damned expensive to move as it was at the last ATH and it will NEVER become the ubiquitous payment method that most envision. There's always Litecoin and other capable alts which are being recognized more and more!

On the good side, Here's an example of Bitcoin and Litecoin gaining more and more traction with retailers, even on an equal basis. Fresh from New Jersey, they accept both popular cryptos.

Simon Dixon gives HODLers and those not doing so a decent case that you should consider doing so! Simon is presently at the Malta conference and is associated with BNK TO THE FUTURE.

The final paragraphs of this story for Americans is bringing at least some hope to the crypto space.

This is a good article from CleanTech regarding AV's or those self-driving cars and trucks out there. DISCLAIMER: I'm a former member of the NMA or National Motorists Association out of Wisconsin, mentioned in the article. A really good, transparent organization, I will likely renew my membership before my Wyoming move.

Interesting speech that Vice President Pence gave at West Point to graduates; “It is a virtual certainty that you will fight on a battlefield for America at some point in your life,” he added "“You will lead soldiers in combat. It will happen.” So what is he hiding or hinting at? There are many possibilities to trigger this prediction. Let's hope he's wrong!

It's with many tears this blog reports the passing of a true football legend. Bart Starr was 85. He had suffered a stroke in 2014 but a recent illness was too much for this man who received much admiration on and off the field. An overall class act having lived a life most would've envied! RIP..

Yes, meteorologists notice these things! Wind damage reported in the vicinity of the intersection of Calmwind and Stillwind Drives. I wish I could make up this stuff!

These are the kind of tasteless commercials that TV needs to have! Not all these chilled-out druggy ones. Too funny when you think about it.

The Reason for the Season applies to Christmas. The Reason for Memorial Day is very different. Thank You, America for taking time to reflect and appreciate the ultimate sacrifices these men and women made for America through their service. This deeply-moving image taken by Frank Glick shows an eagle, perched atop the gravestone of Maurice Ruch, a marksman stationed in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. He earned a bronze star and served four years.

Quote of the Week: "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Steven King -

Stay safe out there and I hope each of you enjoyed the Holiday and the shorter workweek to come. Sparing Breaking News, I may have an update mid-week if warranted.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5-19-19
Greetings, y'all,

Bitcoin is trading in a semi-volatile 7.9k support with upswings to 8.4k as it wants to run, but there's not quite enough pump I'm seeing to get past 9k, at least yet! Litecoin went to 106+ and has recessed to 92 and change on most exchanges. Bitcoin Cash is sporting a 400 dollar support with a recent 425 dollar peak. Ethereum is gathering steam as well, eyeing 250 as a short-term support.

For those in the Panhandles, watch the weather Monday, especially Monday afternoon/evening. There will be a first wave to occur overnight (early Monday morning) with predicted elevated storms, some as supercells. If these storms can form lower ceilings, the risk of tornado spinups early on are NOT out of the question, especially in light of the expected influx of uplift from the system to our west. SPC (Storm Prediction Center in Norman) expects a recovery from this working of the atmosphere and a lot of eyes will be glued to portions of the SE Texas Panhandle, the Caprock region and much of western OK. If you're in this region, get your duckies lined up in regard to severe weather! It should be a long day for AMA & OUN offices in particular with LUB & ICT getting in on the action. Don't forget the flood watches now posted over western OK into portions of the Red River Valley. Be careful.

Muchas Gracias to Christopher Allen for this Public Service he gives us! If you're going to utilize encryption on a file containing your Private Keys or seed phrases, DON'T use a single dictionary password with numbers or even special characters. Instead, utilize a really stupid phrase you heard someone in a Wal-Mart store utter while waiting in line, that you can never possibly unlearn! Never repeat that phrase in public and put that phrase on indelible paper with permanent ink, securing it. Reveal its' location only to those you can truly trust. It's YOUR VALUE, YOUR $$!

Bitcoin has a history of violence! Want to read the list? There's some interesting history to be gleaned from these entries. Lopp does so much for this space and gets my continued admiration.

John Paul Stevens continues to jabberjaw as to why citizens aren't entitled to responsible firearms ownership under the Second Amendment. Did he watch the video later in this paragraph? Four armed robbers break into a home, QUICKLY chased away by an armed homeowner who had their weapon at The Ready, not in some stupid, time-wasting trigger-guard or gun safe, when you need it IMMEDIATELY! Increasingly, this is how today's robbers operate, by surprise as our SWAT cops do! Why do you think the cops are increasingly trigger-happy in a no-knock warrant raid? Now, the bad guys act more rapidly as the police training they're up against has accelerated. You can already see how this Arms Race is reaching the breaking point where my native Little Rock now reaches out to the public, seeking input for policies regarding these raids! With all that said, ask yourself, if you're a reasonable person with a functional cranium; "If I were a cop, would I need a trigger-guard or gun safe if I suspect thugs will rob my home?" and of course the answer is a resounding "NO!" Videos as this are stark-naked reminders that the Second Amendment remains just as valid today as it was when our Founders saw the necessity of it. They broke in so fast that most wouldn't have been able to dial 911. Worse yet, in certain jurisdictions, the homeowner would've been charged with some infraction for defending him/herself and property, even endangerment! I shit you not!! One reply I gave this tweet netted an unusually high number of likes, closing in on 75 as of this submission, as the Twitterverse "gets" where I'm coming from. Moral of this story? The cops are minutes away while a gun in the proper hands can handle it in seconds, when it truly made a difference as in this situation. This of course isn't something the former Justice need be concerned about on a personal level as he can easily invoke security. Many pro-gun advocates believe he's gone hopelessly senile, yet I counter he's been rather consistent in his thinking of this subject for scores of time. Maryland, California, New York State and Chicagoland are entirely too stupid to understand the sound logic of this simply PRICELESS video. It's your property and survival at stake, so definitely support the Second!

In South Africa, black supremacy seems to have reached a new, sickening level. Arnold Schwarzenegger was blindsided and dropkicked in the back during a sporting event there. The 71 year old is likely sore today but appeared fine after the incident where the perp was carried off by security personnel. Knowing the general ethic of the former California Governor, He'll Be Back! Back and all.

BWAHAHAHAHA!! Quite priceless if you think about it.. Craig Wright got Pwn3d by Roger Ver. You see, you can indeed PROVE ownership of an Bitcoin address by signing a transaction with it. It MUST be done with the address in question, via a wallet that allows signing, such as Electrum. I've done this myself. Signing is recommended if you're dealing with a huge value transfer in something formal.

Not at all surprising, Perversion Training begins in public school for our kids, especially in California! Don't laugh!! What begins there usually spreads like locust invasions, eastward.

There's a how-to on avoiding the airport facial recognition being rolled out nationwide. It'll cost you and you MUST prepare in advance if you don't already travel. The story gives you the basics.

Heartwarming? You betcha! This couple has been together for 85 years and they share their secrets to longevity. What's not to love?

Too much time on their hands? Well, considering that Kansas usually celebrates rain around much of the Sunflower State, you don't get these opportunities that often!

There are a few rarities and minor miracles out there. A settlement from the Vaccines Court, no less! Note the town of Mankato in Minnesota is pronounced as Man-Kay'-Toe. Now, when are the children, injured from the dangerous vaccines, especially the MMR being mixed and forced in a single injection, going to get THEIR settlements? Furthermore, when will the government finally force unvaccinated children from Central America and northward to get theirs??

It's sad to mull over time and time again. A community on the Welsh coast at significant risk due to ocean levels rising. Such a beautiful place and the story brings up so many questions, some as very societal in that specific region.

With all that said, David Icke gives his case (all you need to know) about why "global warming" is a SCAM, designed to drain functional nations of their sovereignity through brainwashing people, then taxing them GLOBALLY over it. It's a powerful interview, well-conducted and informative! I kindly remind those wanting such a New World Order that Paul Harvey reminded us almost daily, indeed the world wasn't united, and I echo his observation that until Jesus returns, this won't occur.

Sad, but less grumpy. Our beloved Grumpy Cat has lived out her 9 lives and passes at 7. Her owners reported a urinary tract infection was too much for her to overcome. RIP! A personal note: You know you're interconnected TOO MUCH when you learn of a celeb's passing via Twitter.

Some really cool tech has come out for Bitcoin! How this manifests itself is yet to be seen, but it's a start. It's also proof to knock holes in the argument of many critics that a consistent internet connection is necessary. That of course is dependent on one's status of HODLing, a subject too long for this update of this humble blog. Finally, talk about a talented bird! Are you a Star Wars fan? Bluey speaks R2D2 natively. Close your eyes and just listen to this budgie sound 'em out! Unfreakin' Real!

Sparing Breaking News, that's it for now!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5-10-19

We're in a Bitcoin rally, well into the 6700 range in most exchanges as of this submission, however, I see signs of a correction very, very soon as it's getting parabolically overextended IMHO. No big deal for me as I HODL on and await other developing projects for FREE COINS, such as MWCoin and HEX. The latter is still 50+ days out so it could well be late June or sometime in July before Richard and his crew take the snapshot of the BTC blockchain. MWCoin is scheduled to snapshot it on 7/19. You still have time to put your coins in ONE address, one pile to lay a claim for either or both. A reminder though... You must have a wallet which can sign a transaction, such as Electrum (use version 3.3.4 or later as the earlier versions are being PHISHED!) You will not be required to pay any amount of coin for signing a transaction. In the case of HEX, two things: If you don't already HODL Ethereum, you can download MetaMask for your browser (don't lose that seed phrase!!) or an ERC20 Wallet as My Ethernet Wallet (MEW to most of you) A tiny amount of GWei or "gas" transaction from Ethereum you HODL might be required to process after you claim your share, so you won't need it now. Stay tuned for more developments or visit their respective websites; mwc.mw or hex.win ..

Congressman Bradley Sherman (D)wants cryptocurrencies banned! Think of the motives behind his stance toward the space. Aren't most of our Swamp Critters we send to the District of Criminals endowed with plenty of money for their campaigns from many donors who want their status quo enhanced or at least kept as such? He reportedly has accepted money from Allied Wallet and others in their space. Bradley seems to forget WE THE PEOPLE ultimately have the power to decide what he's threatening to take away, but he's aligned with the Free Shit Army. Check over the election disclosures for our representatives and you'll see what I mean in regard to the money that members of Congre$$ on both sides of the aisle get as he's definitely NOT ALONE! Sherman didn't get elected without a lot of money - few of them do! The question I wish to present to this informed readership is how damn much did he accept to get where he is and that gives him the authority to usurp the Will of The People he claims to represent. Being from California, he likely has a decent number of tech-savvy constituents not at all pleased with his grandstanding. Already, the backlash from the crypto community toward him is significant on Twitter, a #DropBradleySherman hashtag has developed, with his office undoubtably receiving plenty of hateful comments from HODLers and those working hard to advance cryptos and utility tokens. Yet another reason that many from the Golden State are moving to more-friendly tax jurisdictions, such as Wyoming. (wink, WINK, WINK!!) Consider too, the Bears are showing hibernation signs with BTC well over $6500 USD as of this submission. This environment is getting less friendly toward them with the Bulls returning from pasture. Not to say there can't be pullbacks as these are healthy, but we're closing in on the long-awaited Bull run and it's likely scaring most, if not all of our most significant critics, so expect the FUD to increase. Dig in your heels as we're in the fighting stage!

If that isn't enough to kick us in a higher gear, now, the US House has passed a resolution to form a Task Force on Financial Technology. If this will do anything to encourage Congress to FINALLY get off their asses and invoke reasonable regulations and taxation in regard to Americans involved in crypto, then this is likely a welcomed step. Be forwarned that potential privacy protections being considered for some crypto will make taxation more difficult. Furthermore, the argument that a blockchain and the internet must ALWAYS be operational for crypto to be held and transferred is very likely becoming a moot point with mimblewimble implementation joining other recognized privacy cryptos. HODLers WILL WIN OUT! Additional FUDding has also been recently observed from Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize economist. Joseph apparently doesn't realize there's this thing called stablecoins, cryptocurrency which is designed to be pegged to a specific fiat currency. Now, unlike Warren Buffett who digs in his heels against anything crypto, Mr. Stiglitz at least sees value in an electronic digital transfer, yet he wants full tracking and regulation. Without Congress collectively putting reasonable ideas on the table, I simply can't agree even with a less-than-lukewarm opinion he spouts out to the table! Let's see if this carries any traction. Keep your eye on the ball, y'all!

Thank You Grace, for the retweet of what's been going on in the Ocean State! The Warwick School District in Rhode Island was about to implement a policy regarding students who had outstanding school lunch debt would be served only sunflower seed butter and jelly sanwiches for lunch. I love sunflowers, their seeds, and the seed butter produced from the roasted kernels, but the kids would get tired of that in a hurry! Chobani Yogurt announced their company would be paying off and covering the expenses for these students. I regularly buy two different flavors as they're delicious, but the respect they get from me has gone up. They deserve kudos and bonus points for giving back in this way!

Facebook can't buy a break! They would up briefly banning CNN a few days ago. Screwed up algorithms? I bet Trump was giddy and vindicated as to how much truth it actually revealed regarding "fake news" that this filtering is purported to remove. What happened to the TV promises Facebook paid for of greater accountability and interaction? Sure, they can buy up all their competition and "Suckerberg" can put on his best face, but his college roommate who co-founded the portal even admits that Facebook needs to be split up! I agree with the masses that this would be a Herculean effort to pull off. Considering that Trump has been tweeting this subject regularly, I figure it'll get some action before long.

Obituaries? This is a SAD one, y'all! If you're a Baby Boomer (show of hands, COME ON!) you may well remember having three or four channels on TV, no remote control, and maybe a few of your friends had a color TV, but many kept their Black & White sets until they no longer functioned. Oddly enough, I still have a working B/W set from 1976 that was given to me after my grandmother's passing and it works really well as long as a digital to analog converter is used. Back in those days, Steve Irwin was a kid, too! Well before his claim to fame in Australia, America had the original! Jim Fowler, a zoologist and right-hand man co-host to Marlin Perkins on the half-hour show "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" did much of the dirty work for Marlin. That's exactly how I remember the show and listening to others' observations of the same, even though Fowler explained that misconception, later in his life. Now, Perkins was no slouch as he shared the sheer enjoyment and adventure (both traveled the globe for this series) but was quite good with his narration and a great pitch guy. Jim was quite good at his craft, with his love for animals continuing long after the program had discontinued. As you can read in Fowler's NYTimes obit, there was a great synergy between the two, nevertheless. Fowler died Wednesday at 89. Perkins had passed in 1986 at 81 years of age. This is a BUSY weekend here in the Panhandles. This Blog was prepared early as the bikers are in town for the annual Five States Poker Run. Guymon, in Oklahoma's Panhandle, is reasonably close to four other states: Texas, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. Participating bikers will travel a 300 mile route, making a stop in all five to receive a hole punch on their respective tickets, each one representing a "card" in a hand of poker. I volunteered much of a Saturday with this excellent charity sometime back on their Colorado stop, not far north of the Black Mesa trailhead. There's great people throughout, and so was the meal served when I returned home! Various scholarships and other specific financial aid is granted through it, held through the Iron Thunder MC. How will the weather fare? So far, a slight chance of showers with mostly cloudy to cloudy skies expected. Because it's not as dry and cooler than usual, the dust and bugs should be way lower. Sparing Breaking News, I'll update as necessary. Have an awesome weekend, whatever you're doing. Be nice to your Mother this Mother's Day. Mine is my top advocate. Hugs to you! I wish I were there now.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5-9-19
We're on the cusp, the verge, the possibility that the Bear is finally ready to hibernate! For the first time in several painful months, Bitcoin in USD has crossed over 6k. If this upward trend continues AND corrects back to 6k or higher, I'll be prepared to declare the Bulls back in control of the crypto space, especially in regard to non-stablecoins, those typical cryptos as Litecoin and Dogecoin we love! I'll be watching this develop and will report Breaking News if it occurs.

Speaking of Bitcoin, it may have a soft-fork coming very soon. Called Taproot, it implements Schnorr signature capability which adds additional privacy and scalability improvements to it. This is worth watching. With soft-forks, this means no significant changes to one's operability via their wallet should be apparent, yet any and all BTC users whom are not HODLing via cold storage or hardware (as a Trezor) are advised to remain informed of how Bitcoin changes. We're within six weeks of the MWC snapshot! This is covered in a previous post, so scroll down to that portion. I won't directly hot-link that here for this submission.

Jacob Kostecki of massiveadoption fame tweets "Our 2000+ person crypto speaking & launch event in Memphis, offers no 'VIP tickets', 'invite-only happy hours', 'green rooms', 'VIP rooms', 'speaker dinners' or other forms of dividing ppl. Same swag for everybody. We're all on the same team." Right on, Jacob! He later said to me on Twitter "If anyone wants early bird tickets or to speak/sponsor/partner have them reach out here or on email." which you should find somewhere on massiveadoption dot com.

Caitlin Long tweets that she's being impersonated on two separate social mediums. She's NOT endorsing anyone's mining equipment or anything else for that matter. If she does in the future, she will note this on her website, caitlin-long.com. I don't even have to show her tweet as I fully explained it, here on this humble blog.

Fidelity will soon offer cryptocurrency trading for institutional investors, according to Bloomberg Crypto on Twitter. FWIW, if it's not a Wyoming custodian, you could well be putting your coins up for hypothecation and/or rehypothecation! Choose carefully as you should want the chances to be as much in your favor as possible!

Michael Armstrong with KOCO 5 in OKC never ceases to amaze me with some of the quotes he drops in from time to time, even when the weather outside is truly frightful. A classic mark of a weather afficianado!

Watch the main apron at Hutchinson Regional Airport take a direct lightning hit in this video. Look at the right-center of your screen. You can see debris and smoke in this! OUCH!!

Country House, with 65:1 odds, becomes this year's Kentucky Derby winner after Maximum Security was disqualified, following a video review after the race. Fortunately, a huge disaster didn't happen due to it. There was some consideration given to fight the ruling in Federal Court, but Yours Truly stands with the stewards who unanimously ruled of the foul after that lengthy review.

So much for Freedom of Speech and The Truth being delivered. Yes, this goes directly to immunizations. This scientist deserves to be vindicated, reinstated and compensated for her research. Read and decide for yourself.

Worse yet, Facebook removes more and more conservatives from its' increasingly socialist, marxist platform, whilst allowing such videos as this, which MEMRI TV viewed and translated, later uploading to YouTube with english subtitles. So tell me, which is truly the more hateful? Alex Jones doing incredible public service for America on InfoWars, or these children being filled with utter hatred? Yes PA, these kids are your future in Philly, no less! We no longer need the patented grope when boarding planes, busses or trains with these American-raised children being gradually radicalized. NOW each of you can finally grasp why I never entrusted Suckerberg to any of my web materials. Jack is treading on thin ice with his Twitter, allowing greater scrutiny and banning some conservative accounts, usually for a period of time. Please tell us this is an error created by an algorithm. Even The Donald is tweeting about this, @Jack! I already have an alternate account on Gab if ever cancelled by our Blue Bird, so far steadfast for over a decade with Yours Truly. I'm not afraid of voicing my mind, as it remains my own, particularly in matters of either wind energy and crypto, both which are proving significant for the future. If suddenly silenced there, simply visit either my website's Front Page or this blog for the latest, including where I can be found. It's far easier for me to post a tweet than update this page, requiring several additional steps and usually my physical presence.

Riley was clearly a HERO for saving additional lives. The ROTC cadet from UNC who attacked a gunman that shot several will receive full military honors when buried, according to the Fox affiliate in Charolette. His sacrifice will long be appreciated, hopefully never forgotten!

A new Colorado Law is in effect to prevent those convicted of felony animal cruelty from owning pets up to five years. Courts will have authority to require abusers to undergo either mental health treatment or anger management classes. If there's no specifics of a database or policing, how will it be enforced? I don't think the story tells us enough.

Joel Comm on twitter gives us the Moral of the Story of the Month.

This week's not-so-PC humorous outburst goes to QTAnon1 on Twitter.

To summarize, 6k has been broken upward and I'm watching 6.1 approaching on Bitstamp. The Binance hack where 7k BTC was stolen, did affect the price, but only briefly. 2% from the largest exchange remains a huge take for most exchange users, yet the take is getting ever smaller - many exchanges before them having learned extremely painful lessons. Apparently, only the hot-wallet was accessed. Binance officials explain further that this becomes another area where they can harden defenses. Still, the Bad Guys remain offensive in means of exploit, they generally smell worse than a pig farm, and particularly in their collective abilities to inflict pain. With all that said, I shall again repeat; DO NOT entrust your $ta$h of coins to any exchange as if it were a bank, unless you are a trader with knowledge of these risks and the capability of suffering either significant delays or total loss of whatever you willingly entrust to it! Bitcoin will continue to gain value over the long run, so will several other viable cryptos and utility tokens. Ethereum is experiencing a bull run and so is Bitcoin Ca$h, still a mere fraction of its' former glory. I HODL these aforementioned except Ethereum for now.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5-2-19
Welcome to the delayed, yet timely Pioneer Days Edition of this humble blog! With the richest rodeo in Oklahoma going on 5/3 - 5/5 at Hitch Arena on 11th and Sunset here in Guymon, it's bound to be awesome! It's definitely a treat for bronc riding fans as these horses buck hard and high. As usual, four go-rounds or performances. If you have binoculars, bring 'em and don't leave or lose them. You can read more via GuymonRodeo dot com although box seats are likely gone or hard to get. If available, the Chamber can advise of availabilities as I've done this before myself. Advance tickets $15, $20 at the gate, cheaper for kids. Saturday morning, free breakfast starts EARLY around 5:30am and goes at least until 9:30 at the Activities Center at Fifth and Sunset, a few blocks from the arena. At 10AM sharp will be the Rodeo Parade, going south on Main St. from near Wal-Mart toward downtown, then going west toward the Activities Center. You'll know when it starts by the firing up of the city's tornado sirens, a tradition here! Parents, bring your kids and be sure they each have a bag to store all that candy and swag which gets thrown on the road. This is Spring Halloween. Raincoats COULD come in handy as rain chances are in the forecast! You can get the forecast for Guymon several different ways. Locally, NOAA Weather KJY-96 broadcasts on 162.5 Mhz. You can get a not-so-detailed forecast through time & temp; 580-338-5212, or visit http://www.weather.gov/ama then enter zip code 73942 in the box for the detailed skinny and radar below it.

Bitfinex and Tether a few days ago were the BIGGEST topics in the crypto space. It's worthy of keeping an eye open, but so far it appears tether has weathered this so far, even with the NY Attorney General's investigation. For now, crypto is a POTATO, awaiting some sort of move.

This is an Excellent Poll Question! "Besides holding your own keys, if you had one choice, would you hold your #Bitcoin and #crypto holdings in an ETF with a secure custody solution or on a crypto exchange?" Polling continues until very early Sunday in America, 7am EST specifically.

It's NOT limited to the USA with our Border Protection agency.. Even the UK is guilty as sin of downloading data from people's wireless devices without a warrant. Worse yet, Brits have way fewer protections, practically none at all in this regard.

Schnorr Signatures and how they will improve Bitcoin. It's really no longer a matter of IF, but WHEN they're implemented. I think they're already appearing more and more in the space, thanks to mimblewimble implementations.

Sadly, another of the Star Wars originals has passed. Peter Mayhew who played Chewbacca so masterfully died 5/2. He was 74. Here's an image from 1980 of Peter and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia.) Both of you will be sorely missed, but God will allow that awesome reunion in a Galaxy Far, Far Away at a future time. After all, He created all of it.

Digitex Futures, creator of the DGTX token and a fee-free futures exchange under construction, had their founder, Adam Todd explain to backers about the delay in their exchange's launch. He's not at all happy and neither are many of the backers of this project who share the founder's vision by voting their own money. Gauging the comments, one can see the numerous missteps experienced. The best Mea Culpa? Most think greater transparency with consistent updates will help, yet many are either dumping tokens or are grabbing them on the >60% swan dive, depending on what they believe this project can pull off.

With all this news, I still await The Drop before the rocket gets loaded.. I'd like to see hard support on Bitcoin's 50 DMA myself, then a bounce above 6k so the chance of support at or close to 6k proves itself. So far, I've been vindicated that the latter must happen before I can declare the Bear has returned to hibernation. I see it as another opportunity to buy the dip, especially Litecoin! Stay Tuned and consider joining in if realized and so inclined.

Is this a bug repeating itself over and over again? Apparently, a new Coinbase user in Wyoming can't create a new account. Before Wyoming's makeover of crypto-friendliness last year, the state had one of the most restrictive money transmitter laws in the nation and Coinbase restricted Wyomingites from using their exchange. This of course has become a moot point since then. It could well be past policies having been coded into Coinbase which are being accidentally restored in portions of their system, but their repetition of such disasterous occurances could be costing them business, even trust, if repeated! UPDATE: Tyler tweeted on this matter the next day and it was handled perfectly by Coinbase! Nice work by their customer service.

Iran can easily call America's bluff. That little, narrow waterway called the Strait of Hormuz isn't all that straight or wide. It's quite literally the choke point which if blocked would "rekt" the global economy. The world OUTSIDE the Empire has understood this for a long time. If the Fed truly wants inflation, there's your quick and easy solution as oil can easily escalate into the hundreds of dollars a barrel, putting Americans over the barrel! If The Donald wants to lose 2020, he needs only to follow ill-dispensed advice of certain war hawks. Bear in mind, under a Democratic presidency or majority, we'd probably be at a HOT War already - one to bankrupt except those in the MIC and closely connected. Perhaps someday, we'll come to realize that we can't be the world's police! The positive side, at least for me, would be the capability of joining in the resulting energy B00M after moving to Wyoming. I possess a pulse and can keep a working schedule. I can pass drug and physical tests. I have no physical arrest or mug shots to share in background checks with a prospective employer. I can handle the bitter Winter cold and don't require flip-flops, shorts, balmy weather, even those roach-infested palm trees as too many I know seemingly insist on, even though I came damn close to becoming a Conch (a Key West resident) in late '07. Also, I can handle pressure-cooker situations through my cryptocurrency experiences, having HODLed through plenty of tense corrections, even when the Top was in! I was watching the future unfold and all this will be very, very powerful this coming Bull Run. I'm looking forward to how it turns out.

Trent Loos in Nebraska gives us the Civics Lesson in two minutes that today's teachers in the cities can't even grasp! It's cowboy logic from a true cowboy, moved to the next level. Fences can be useful if allowed to function. He explains the rest.

UPDATE: BeefChain continues to achieve more milestones! After all, when the USDA and Wyoming both give their blessings, you're doing something right. Way to go, Rob & Company! :)

Now for the short links: Baseball has something for everyone. Players sometimes make errors which play on and on through the internet. Oops!! Yogi Berra is proven correct over and over that "It ain't over 'til it's over!"
Sometimes it just goes the best tunes have THAT beat, even if you're the one getting it!

Finally, food for thought? Here's a poem about Silicon Valley, arranged from questions

I hope to see a few of 'ya at Sunday afternoon's short-go of the Pioneer Days Rodeo. I'll be in regular seating and will wear the hat you see in my avatar (as I did last Saturday afternoon at Doc Gardner Memorial.) I'm easy to pick out among nearly all the cowboys in that my hat is set up with a stampede string, likely the most useful way to wear one in this region due to the high winds, but I'd never recommend using one if a rough stock rider. That hat needs to come loose if need be!

Unless Breaking News warrants,
Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-24-19
Greetings, y'all!

The rodeos are about ready to kick off. That time of year is closing in quickly. First off, The Doc Gardner Memorial Rodeo comes to town 4/25 through 4/27 which is the homecoming of the Panhandle State Rodeo Team, consistent in their placing and winning past CNFR competitions, held in my very-likely temporary future home of Casper. In the past, there was admission to this Guymon event, held at Henry C. Hitch Arena on 11th and Sunset. None of the publicity I've heard gives any confirmation as to if that remains the case as I've heard from more than one person that the upcoming Golden Mesa Casino bought the admissions out, but I cannot confirm this!! Nevertheless, I won't get to see it on 4-25 as I have an important event to attend that evening but will have additional go-rounds I could attend as the weekend closes in. So far, Amarillo weather service office shows promise of good weather, except Friday night. I may dig in and find out if an admission is required for this collegiate rodeo. With excellent coaching and support, they continue to do really well!

After the students have their nights at the toughest playground around, the Big $$ comes to town! Frontier Rodeo will bring superb bucking stock as this rodeo is the richest in all of Oklahoma. May 3rd-5th will be their primary performances, although I should note the PRCA Slack starts early mornings from 4/29 until 5/3, those being free attendance. Also, parents should bring their kids to the Pioneer Days Rodeo Parade, Saturday 5/4 with the parade starting at 10AM sharp. You should be in place on the parade route, which is much of Main Street south of Wal-Mart and just north of downtown, with a few minutes to spare. You'll hear the traditional sounding of the tornado sirens when the parade kicks off, the official kickoff, so to speak. Furthermore, parents would be extremely wise to supply their kids with bags to collect the virtual river of candy and other swag that parade participants will toss along the road. BEFORE the parade, if you're an early bird, you'll enjoy the free breakfast at the Texas County Events Center at the corner of Fifth & Sunset, a few blocks south of the rodeo. Breakfast starts EARLY, way before sunrise. Parking is much better that early and I usually attend around 5:30AM. Seaboard employees generally staff this well-run breakfast. You'll enjoy choices as pancakes, the finest bacon to be enjoyed on the planet, the best-tasting sausage and they'll have milk and orange juice as well. Usually, some form of entertainment shows up for this event. In the past, I've shown many images from past parades I've attended. I'll be looking for something unique to feature, or at least another angle I've not pursued in the photos I've taken of this annual event. These I'll feature on the Pic of the Week. I also must apologize for not having images recently available on that link. I've been far too busy and can barely keep up with the minimums I do right now. For now, I may reprise a few oldies I've shown before. There's really little going on at the present time, except preparations for these big events.

While I'm at it, another big event happens after the Pioneer Days Rodeo. The Five States Poker Run has participants on motorcycles and motorized trikes head out on a route which visits all five states in this immediate region. I participated as a volunteer at the Colorado stop, north of Kenton at least 3 years back, these photos were shown on Pic of the Week and the people were fantastic! I also got a really good meal from it when returning home to Guymon and was pleased how money collected is gifted to special scholarships and other quality grants. These are teasers so I'm not putting out links to any of these sites, at least for now.

Regarding my proposed cryptocurrency course, that continues slowly but surely. Why am I so adamant regarding the security of mantaining one's crypto in my course? With this technology being embraced by so many young people, it's very alarming that only one of four can answer all four basic economic questions in this article correctly! I had no problem answering all correctly and nearing my mid-50's! This information is germane to the discussion of securing one's crypto as some exchanges may impose rules and fees which a user must understand. Still, it's inherently dangerous to entrust your coins as if any exchange were your bank!! Mt. Gox should be lesson enough, but too many newcomers to this space haven't learned about getting Goxxed or having that experience...YET! Please, don't be that poor guy/gal!

Be careful out there! Although North Korea shows signs of dovishness, their Lazarus hacker group has been putting on a different face. Maybe the Russians and Trump should consider bringing that up when visiting with the DPRK Leader?

I pray you're already acquiring unwanted Bitcoin while it's cheap, cheap, CHEAP!! Want some airdrops? This, among other reasons are why you already visit and should be passing on the WORD about "this here blog" to your loved ones and buddies whom are deemed worthy. Read through this and the following two paragraphs entirely and carefully! There's no TL;DR bullshit allowed this time as it's YOUR $$ we're talkin' here. Furthermore, Both projects require you to have your coins in an address which YOU control, IOW, your own wallet or cold storage where you have full access to the Private Key, not in an exchange. Got it? There are two coming up for BTC holders, one which is OPEN NOW on registration! I disclaim I have no internal affiliation with either of these entities, that I am not setting up (or will set up) any affiliate links to profit from and am NOT responsible if you should screw up and your coin's security becomes affected, however, I may decide to participate in these so my neck would be on the chopping block as well. If you're careful, your security should be preserved. The most important things in common is that 1) you should research and follow instructions carefully in regard to both these projects and 2) both of these entities can accept entries from a Electrum wallet, as both projects require you to sign a transaction to claim these. Furthermore, your Private Key will not be required to be disclosed, so ignore any phishing which may appear that insists on such or you'll get phuck'd. Finally, a warning is in order that if you already have Electrum for Bitcoin installed, ensure it's not 3.3.3 or earlier!! There's an ongoing loss of Bitcoins due to specific malware and message popups from hostile, external servers using a flaw in earlier versions of Electrum, which warn you to upgrade on THEIR link they readily provide you. IGNORE THEM, DAMMIT! Instead, do not use any search engine to find the upgrade link as that proves risky, too. Go only to electrum.org and download the official and safe software, upgrade it, then you can be safely ready for these freebies.

The projects involved are Richard Heart's HEX project (originally BitcoinHEX), available through hex.win and Mimblewimble airdrop for Bitcoin, available through mwc.mw .. Richard hasn't finished up with important pieces of his work and continues to solicit input from stakeholders, especially via his Telegram channel, @HEXcrypto . It's at least 50 days away, but at least you have time to bunch up your Bitcoins into one address to claim BEFORE the HEX snapshot of the Bitcoin blockchain takes place. Ensure you don't have too much BTC in a single address where you might become subject to the Silly Whale Penalty. Most HODLers reading this won't worry. Still, to get the most bang from it, moving whatever BTC you have to an collective address will ensure you get the maximum claim of HEX, especially during the early bird stage. First Day registrants stand to gain the most, although as I remind you, these rules remain in flux. Ongoing discussions in their Telegram channel, listed further down, are very engaging and could change minor portions of HEX staking rules before the snapshot. What do you receive from your claiming? Hex coins. How are they stored? Any ERC20 compatible wallet should be able to hold these and you must have at least one Ethereum address on it to store your Hex. You can use the LATEST MetaMask download for certain browsers (I use Chrome) to store your Hex as well. I find Heart's project facinating as game theory is being utilized to encourage value enhancement of Hex going forward. It's being touted as the first Certificate of Deposit in crypto! Even if everyone lays claim to their share of Hex, the interest earned in additional Hex is a minimum of 3.69% annually according to the site. More than likely, a mere fraction of coins will be claimed, which means greater interest for those claiming and staking! There are additional details likely in flux, so regularly review the FAQ of the site. For the absolute latest info on Hex, if you use Telegram - join channel @HEXcrypto. You can thank me later. Note there is no limit on HEX generation, although it's expected to be in the hundreds of millions. This I think would be due to the interest given to HEX stakers. This subject is covered in both the aforementioned Telegram channel and the hex.win FAQ.

The Mimblewimble airdrop for Bitcoin holders started Saturday 4/20 and continues through 7/19 (the latter being the SNAPSHOT DATE.) You must register your public Bitcoin addresses between these dates to receive your airdropped MWC coins. Bitcoin HODLers missing the snapshot WILL be left out! There's one instance or circumstance where a Bitcoin HODLer would enter his private key. Even if applicable to you, the article instructs how to do this with minimum risk to your coin's security. You may recall a mimblewimble article I had here. Grin and Beam are the primary coins implementing this technology whose advantages include 1) having no addresses publicly available, only needed between the two or more parties in a transaction, 2) transaction amounts are encrypted and 3) transactions are combined, so the entire blockchain isn't required to validate the entire chain. The properties verified in a MimbleWimble transaction are 1) No new money is created and 2) The parties sending money must prove ownership of their keys. This new MWCoin purports to give exceptional value over both the aforementioned and the website states their case. Expect further details on the mwc.mw website as available. The supply has a cap of 20 MM with 6MM via the airdrop.

Want another reason to HODL, especially with Bitcoin? (I'm willing to wager that Litecoin will have even BETTER gains going forth) Just look at this chart of how the dollar is flailing against Bitcoin. It's been gaining some ground, yet notice how it's showing a top and ready to dive again.

Remember when I showed you the Trump impersonator through this Blog recently? AOC (Occasional Cortex) has a mini-AOC impersonator who pretty much nails this, too!

Finally, TD Ameritrade apparently is testing the waters on trading cryptocurrencies on paper. The jury is out. DISCLAIMER: I have an TD Ameritrade account as Scottrade sold to them around two years ago. I am not yet participating in this test, yet reserve the option of doing so in the future if it passes the "smell test."

That's it for now. No bulls, no bears, just a BIG POTATO is what I'm noticing here at midweek. Breaking News will warrant another update. But for the time being..

Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-20-19
Greetings, y'all!,

Today, I reflect on 4/20/1999. It was twenty years ago, an entire Score that I was working in the tape room and master control of KHBS/KHOG in Fort Smith, AR. I'll never forget that day when I was struggling to keep up with moving so many satellite dishes, switching routing paths from receivers to tape machines, and airing special reports on this tragedy from the Denver area. Columbine had occurred and all hell broke loose there. Thankfully, most angles of the story were noted but it swallowed almost all the newscast. Just as 9-11 would prove over two years later, the American way of life would quickly change. To many Colorado residents born close to or after this incident, it tends to get buried under Four Twenty celebrations. The b0Ng gets lit and passed around for many to partake. Please, if you're in this category, be careful of whom you partake with, if they have blood-borne diseases which could get transmitted. Also, don't drive if you're stoned out of your gourd! Cops will be watching throughout the afternoon celebrations. Personally, it doesn't affect me. I presently work for a Fortune 500 company which tests employees randomly and for GOOD reason, considering the hazardous nature of many of their occupations. I've worked some dangerous stuff over the years and this is more basic, yet I stand with the company on their thinking, especially when the danger of the occupation is considered. Watch out for the st0NeD pE0pLe and be safe!

Good Friday was a good one! Lots of work, but we got 'er dun. Monday will be very busy as well. Some of my co-workers will be off for several days to get ready for Guymon's Pioneer Days Rodeo, happening on May 3-5. The richest rodeo in the state is consistently ranked among the best of PRCA outdoor rodeos and Frontier will provide the rough stock. It's exceptional for the bucking horses, so regardless if you're a saddle bronc or bareback fan, you'll see horses buck high and hard - a TREAT for the true fan. Arkansas is more a bull riding state and that made matters easier for cowboys like me who rode the broncs, back then. There was more than one rodeo I competed in where there were 3 competitors, including myself. I'm cooling down the house with outside air in the upper 40's so when the upper 80's happen as forecast, it won't be such a blast furnace near the computer.

What a firenado! Some call it a firewhirl, but it's a swirling mass of nasty with fire. This occurred in Ellis County, OK (western part of the state, a bit ESE of the Panhandle) on Saturday 4/14. Earlier in the week, a tornado occurred not far from Shattuck. Western Oklahoma so far has been the beneficiary of tornadoes, but the season is VERY YOUNG, so don't even think of letting your guard down anywhere in the Sooner State, even here in the Panhandle!!

Speaking of firewhirls, there's a HUGE legal one soon to take place, even after many exchanges are SICK of the drama regarding BSV, having removed exchanging the crypto, yet many will continue allowing withdrawals for a period of time. It's on a fast-track to go to trial, so I hope to have more here on this humble blog, y'all! UPDATE: Peter shows a tweet which is very powerful to his case! Pop some corn and let's see where this storm strikes next. Bonus Points if you have a few minutes to view his pinned tweet on Twitter as it gives some insight. One's experience might vary. Because of his time in this space, he's quite capable of Rinse, Spin, Repeat on the upcoming Bull Run. I'm liking this guy!

I should have the Wyoming Cryptocurrency Laws portion of my website completed over the weekend. I reached out asking both Tyler and Caitlin for help on it and they pointed me to a story which answered it all. It became a puzzle as I had to compare links, but it came out good in the wash and I think this worked out well. When someone asks me about this subject, I'll direct them to my front page and have them click the link. You should, too! :)

Now for the PUN of the MONTH. Darren and I follow each other on Twitter. Many of his tweets are about the Roughriders and Sask, Canada. This one though shows his technohumour (don't gripe, as I spelled it correctly for my Canadian readers!) and I nearly sprayed the monitor reading it, being the former computer tech I've been. Quote of the week: from @altsQ on Twitter: "You can be full of kindness and love, but you cannot sleep next to a rabid dog.”

Here's hoping you and yours a Happy Easter weekend! For those so inclined, take some time and reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus gave for all mankind. It wasn't in vain as He lives today and will reappear on this world in a future time that ONLY our Heavenly Father knows.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-14-19
Greetings, y'all!,

I've gotten a boatload of twitter responses for this teaser, so here goes! Looking at the Mid-South for something really Cool and Crypto to enjoy after a HOT, muggy Southern Summer? Jacob Kostecki is putting on an event in Memphis, not to be ignored! November 7th and 8th are the scheduled days in the River City. Behind the scenes, he's already gathering several speakers and will roll out additional announcements later in the month and throughout May! You can check out his website as he'll update with developments via massiveadoption.com and I plan to update several of you who gathered the first intel of this event from Yours Truly in Blanco, TX last weekend that it should be HERE on this humble Blog, too! Will I make it? That depends on job developments from Wyoming as I should be moved up there a month or two by then. If I can manage to visit Little Rock family, I'll plan the visit around this event.

I didn't think he'd pull it off again, but keep in mind - we're talking Tiger here! Tiger Woods won his 15th major championship and his 5th Masters, the first since 2005. To see the comeback and triumph, I know his father is SMILING HUGE after all Tiger's trials and tribulations, which would've killed off countless others. This was fantastic to witness and they celebrated like it was '05 all over again! Some already are calling this one of the brightest moments in the history of Golf. That's very difficult to argue when you're mesmorized time and time again by the video of this celebration. Clearly a timeless CLASSIC!

Cryptocurrencies in the United States have been under a huge F0G, thanks to Congress and their lack of overall armtwisting of their Internal Revenue Service, who has woefully been lacking guidance since 2014. This time, I'm not poking blame at the IRS who ultimately relies on Congress! When will our representatives get off their collective asses and demand clarity? A few are trying, but it's too little and may be out of the news limelight after the Tax Deadline passes Monday, 4/15. Personally, I'm in Richard Heart's camp (and a few others, truth be told!!) that Bitcoin will very likely retest the colder waters of 3k territory before a jump goes past 6k and beyond. When I see the 6k as support, I'll declare the Bulls have returned from pasture.

Let's find out why Moldova is such a shithole. You'll start in the nation's capitol of Chișinău. (keesh-en-nyauv') This video not only gives someone the information they need before considering a tour of this small, landlocked European nation, but my takeaway from having viewed it is even greater! This is what happens when a POWER VACUUM arrives and nothing but crooks pilfer and steal what isn't hammered down solid. Old timers had an easier time under the Soviets and struggle to get by. Think of our Dollar right now as the Soviets whom occupied it. When our POWER Dollar goes to total waste, a power vacuum then exists. This is where crypto, being international as it is, can indeed FILL the void!

A lot of short links for this update: For those eyeing the Lambo after the next Bull Run, check out this video of one changing colors by remote. Is that actually REAL? There's more than one video out there, different settings, and I still don't know. What a time to be alive!
The BEST Trump impersonator has been found! Don't forget to turn up the audio. I agree with Grace and several others on Twitter that he's fabulous and deserving of Big Fame. Yes, he's good enough to write his own script!
Now, we've seen it all! How to say Hi in Mandarin. Simply done, right? Where's the speech part, Genius??
Saturday, there were tornadoes galore from Texas into Mississippi. Star Hail? Hail, yah!! I agree our Creator has mysterious ways of doing things to remind us of the beauty we often tune out. This from the Lone Star State, no less!
After having saved rack after rack of obsolete telephone switching equipment for historical purposes, this video truly goes to my heart and funny bone at the same time, watching this dog try and figure out a rotary-dial phone. I've showed some of my saved equipment on my Pic of the Week before! For now, I'm taking a brief break from that and should have a new image for it by midnight, going into Monday.

Short of Breaking News, expect another update next weekend.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-10-19
Greetings, y'all,

 The weather outside might prove frightful, but this is April! Here in the Panhandles, a High Wind Warning goes into effect when this was posted and goes on a whole day. Snow is also forecast late Friday into much of Saturday. The track of the system will determine how much we get. I'll check more into the model data after I've returned from Amarillo and I may snap a few pics to show later on when the weather REALLY warms up! Guymon made it well into the mid 80's yesterday, but going back into the 30's and 40's for highs is not unusual this month. Remember the April 30th blizzard nearly two years ago?

 This blog submission will be mostly reflections of my recent crypto meetup. There will be NO links or much other news this time as the space is taking a breather with Bitcoin working a range near 5,200 and Litecoin just under 90 USD. It was a good time had by all who visited Blanco, Texas over the weekend. For me, the distance was the same as if I had hit the road to visit my mother and brothers in Little Rock! It's Amarillo, then Lubbock, down 84 to Snyder to Sweetwater (Blattner Energy has a BIG highway billboard hunting down turbine help) then through Abilene to Cisco and down 183 toward Brownwood where I got a disappointment for my trip. Why the HATE toward wind turbines, y'all?

 I admit I don't understand the situation, but there weren't a whole lot of folks out and about in Brown County during my two transits for me to gather info. Lampasas came up and gradually, the gas price got better and better the closer toward Austin and San Antone I got. Austin hotels seem awful pricey so I settled with a small and decent room with free Wi-Fi at Goldthwaite. The price was right as it was a mere fourth of what Austin wanted at LQ, plus I got excellent sleep both nights I stayed. The truck did just fine throughout the trip. The attitude and people are really no different than here in Guymon. You'll see guys walk in to stores with their spurs on, some wearing ballcaps doing that! I won't be caught wearing spurs again into a store until I buy and keep up another horse or two. God WIlling, those days are coming.

 In that regard, Wyoming should vindicate my faith in her. I've been to The Rectangle too many times to ignore her call. I fully intend on either leasing or buying a ranch, small enough I can do most, if not all the regular maintenance and keep whatever horses I get as happy. It's a lot to think about, but out there, life is a bit slower so there's usually more time to invest in that thinking. There, I can be relieved that my crypto assets are afforded protection under its' laws. This is a point that too many attending Blanco was utterly clueless about! I encouraged many whom I spoke with to follow Caitlin Long and read up on what Wyoming has already accomplished.

 Blanco came into view and there was the Wild West Town. I knew to be prepared because of the rain. I parked away from the venue and was asked by two locals what was going on.. I explained this in basic terms, although these elderly women didn't attend after all. I felt a bit lost at first and had to be patient to blend in. My savior was downloading the AirCoins app for my cellphone! Rapids and Apollo were on-hand and dropped some coins for those adventurous enough to grab them, which I grabbed around six types. Think of the app as the Pokemon one where you're walking around, the GPS function fully active and you're grabbing all the characters, but these are crypto! Damn clever if I say so!! The only bad thing about the app is that it can overheat my poor Samsung, way past it's prime. While there, I received stories of what Apollo is working to accomplish with their payments system and plan on covering their developments here. Steve, you weren't there, but we have some things to share in due course as I "dig" where you're coming from. Your team is kick-ass and I sincerely wish y'all the best.

 Bix Weir also showed up and played his guitar several times. These mini-concerts help us to better connect as each song he wrote has a story to it. He knows I wrote several tunes myself but haven't heard any of 'em yet. Recently, I cleaned out part of my truck and found two separate notebooks which should contain more song notes I made from two to five years ago. Two of the guys caught that one of my followers wants to put together a Memphis cryptogathering in November. I haven't found this information to pass along, but please stay tuned as I'll update everyone here for those wanting to take a Mid-South trip. If practicable, I'll go there myself as I can visit my Little Rock family and friends as it's on the way, a two-hour difference. I finally found Litecoin Lisa! As earlier promised on Twitter, quite a bit of her family made it to Blanco. I had hoped she would record my interview there, but keep in mind it was raining, sometimes heavily, so almost everyone was under the Big Top Tent to catch the events, entirely too noisy this time around. She will follow up on this in the near future, so expect Yours Truly to get interviewed in Jimmy Song fashion for one of her podcasts. For those not familiar with my story, it may prove quite the earful! Where was Jimmy? Was he away elsewhere?? I would've gladly traveled to Amarillo when he visited there. Austin isn't that far from Blanco. Can't win 'em all, so I figure we'll eventually meet.

 My big takeaways were the additional people I met. Bix was awesome and so was Bitcoin Ben and the Wild West Crypto Show folks in addition to others mentioned. I also thank the locals who brought out the "gun fight" early on. A wet, messy event, but the afternoon proved better with that having moved on eastward. I got a few additional followers and was glad to inform even more about what Wyoming has accomplished in such a short time - Thirteen new laws in two years of sessions at Cheyenne which are positive toward cryptocurrency. Again, I'm still striving to gain enough information to update my webpage, the first year is of course complete, but the second, most recent session? Still a work in progress! As this develops, I'll keep you posted.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-5-19
Welcome to my pre-Blanco entry, y'all!

As they say, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Colorado is the latest to join their northern neighbor in crypto protections! Although not as deeply protective as Wyoming's collective laws, Colorado is proving they're paying attention to the obvious and they're going to be very competitive for crypto business going forth. Watch other states, especially Nevada. Even my native Arkansas is trying to get into the act. If there's a governor capable of pulling this through, Asa can get 'er dun! I've tweeted he's one of the best since Pryor and White.

NWS Austin/San Antonio gave an interesting tweet. You can see a bat swarm on radar! There will be PLENTY of thunderstorms on that radar, too! The huge crypto meetup in Blanco, TX has quite a bit of rain and thunder for Saturday. Expect pics from this event on my Pic of the Day portion of this website, God Willing.

For now, crypto seems to have stabilized with Bitcoin around 5k, Litecoin in the mid to upper 80's (WOW!!) and Bitcoin Cash in the upper 200's. Not too shabby! At least for now, the Bulls haven't let down their guard, but I'm still not overly bullish for the moment.

Finally, NEVER underestimate the women of ranching. They're quite tenacious and historically carry significant roles in this work. A cowboy's work is never done, but that applies to the cowgirls, too!

That's it from the Panhandles. I'm packed up and hittin' the road with watchful neighbors helping while I'm away. It's a LOT of driving and people to meet. Please don't be hesitant to speak with me if so inclined. Although cowboy-hatted as many who attend, I may well be the ONLY one outfitted with a stampede string. In a real ranch setting, this proves invaluable as one's hat is an investment to it's own. This bald eagle is grateful for all the prevented sunburns. Until I return..

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-2-19
BREAKING NEWS: I noticed Bitcoin spiking and starting tweeting this before midnight central time, USA. Apparently, the Korean market had some developments with Binance reportedly becoming near impossible to access around the peak. We shot past 5k USD and I was sensing a bear trap, encouraging short-term traders to cash in, as this was an 18% uplift just before posting. Litecoin has responded positively, but not near as great. News takes time to digest and I expect the 5k to be strong resistance. The bears still rule in my opinion, although this is exciting, watching the bulls start to play. A few think we'll soon retest 5k and it showing as a support. This is possible, although I still opine that until 6k USD is challenged and conquered, we're in an unpredictable funk.

Still, to get this adrenalin rush around midnight brings back wonderful memories of the insanity of Mt. Gox nearly six years ago and the more-recent latter hopium of late '17. With greater international interaction and awareness of Bitcoin and viable, proven alts as Litecoin, the future is very promising! I stand by that FOMO shall return for those after the Benjamins, in due course. If not trading, just watch and HODL on. Keep some powder dry if I'm proven correct of another pullback to come in the short to medium term before the rocket is loaded.

April Fools, 2019 wasn't uneventful. Likely among the best ads, er spoofs, was this one for SodaStream. Some of the YouTube comments were hilarious!

Your humble blogger is watching these interesting developments and so should you! I may well have a Wednesday or Thursday pre-Blanco update.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4-1-19
Greetings, y'all,
No, no April Foolin' with this submission of the Blog.

HACK ALERT! Bithumb has reportedly been hacked with 3 million + EOS having been transferred out. Check your favorite crypto media outlets for further details on this development! From what I'm reading in this, the storage was certainly NOT pure cold storage. That's all I'm willing to speculate as a private key to a cold storage should not be kept electronically, internally where a hacker could find it. I'm predicting with a strong degree of confidence that this could've been prevented.
UPDATE: Bithumb believes this was an inside job! There were announced layoffs made in advance of this occurance. KISA is investigating as they had cleared Bithumb and several others, giving them good marks for security. In Other Words, insiders may well have accessed the pure cold wallets and thrown these coins to other exchanges, where they can be frozen and recovered, especially if not decentralized. I have to give KISA credit where due for having encouraged exchanges to harden their defenses and Bithumb realizing going forth that they need greater restrictions on insiders they entrust with such duties. Stay tuned and be ready to pop some corn. The Wild West continues in the space!

UPDATE: More is coming in regarding the Ethopian Airlines ET302 crash investigation. ZeroHedge gives us the details and it paints a greater bullseye on the automated MCAS anti-stall system as THE root cause. Again, this is not conclusive, but I figure we're close to nailing the final one in this coffin, so to speak. Such a tragedy that must be fixed where this never occurs again.

Finally, THE video which describes the present CryptoWinter Bear Market! After all the final bloodletting, the green shoots will come. If you're strictly wanting The Benjamins, here's the thinking most of you must possess going into this game: You gotta HODL *AND* if possible, acquire m0Ar so people will have something which you own to chase after as the price goes apeshit! The trick is if you plan to unload the whole enchalada for fiat or other property, that you must plan your exit strategy in advance. Wait too late and huge gains will have evaporated. For December, 2017 any selling was clearly NOT on my radar, although all the signs were flashing beet-red to sell. Instead, I did two changes which have diversified my holdings as I predicted then that even-better gains would come from the next grouping of FOMOs yet to come. Litecoin has been the first to begin the recovery process, although we're not completely out of the woods, yet! For this posting, it's been a near flat-line with Litecoin. Bitcoin is teasing 4,100-4,200 but I don't see it holding. Some believe a breakout to sub 5k is close at hand. I remain on the Bear's Side for the short term as the volume ain't there.

Although not completely out of the woods yet, either - marijuana stands a chance of finally, FINALLY being removed from consistent enforcement of controlled substances, in jurisdictions where voters have approved legalization. As Yogi often said, it ain't over 'til it's over! We'll see how this plays out. Personally, it doesn't affect me since I'm not using weed, but I absolutely despise civil asset forfeiture. This is no secret to anyone that I think this way. Former Oklahoma State Senator Kyle Loveless was RIGHT and is STILL SPOT-ON that CAF is UNAMERICAN!! I want it put in the same Hall Of Shame trash bin as other abusive laws which The People finally woke up and declared they had enough. It's TIME, y'all! While we're at it, I want the Feds to abolish it, too - Detroit agencies and prosecutors in particular have abused CAF far too long!

I've notified my neighbors and friends around my neck of the woods to keep an eye on the house while I'm away to Blanco, Texas this coming weekend, 4/6. My truck underwent an oil change and more and is ready! This may be the only significant crypto event I'll attend for year 2019, short of anything I may attend once moved to Wyoming. I hope to meet at least a few of y'all while there. My trademark cowboy hat with stampede string attached will be proudly worn, although my arm can't handle the severe jerk of the mechanical bull they'll host. You'll probably NOT see me that Friday night as it's gonna be an all-day drive and I'll be ready for bedtime. Texas is huge, even though I live just 13 miles from its' extreme north cap. It'll be short by an hour of the mileage required for me to reach my family in Little Rock. Hotels are numerous, so the challenge of finding one I want for two nights shouldn't be overwhelming. I got the technology! :-)

Sparing Breaking News, I might have an update Wednesday. Due to Blanco this weekend, I'll likely have no update until early next week. I'll tweet out the details.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3-24-19
 Greetings, y'all!
Those March showers are already bringing out some April grasses. It won't be long before I'm out with the mower on at least part of the yard. This rain has been a blessing here. On the other hand, I feel so sorry and prayers are going out for so many in Nebraska and Iowa, likely Missouri in short order, whom collectively have felt Nature's wrath over the past two or so weeks. Flooding continues and the cleanup won't be easy. Furthermore, with so much rebuilding to be done, some are questioning if they should even consider replanting. It may well be too early for considering such with more rain on tap in the short term. Tornadoes in this El Nino year have also appeared in the Texas Panhandle, near Cactus (Moore County) just days ago. Thankfully, the town itself was spared. That was one ugly supercell, and for this region, we're just getting started with the season.

What's Bitcoin and the alts up to? I fear the Bear is about to dig into the Bull's dumpster any day. If you're a loyal reader of my Blog, you already know my thinking on this. Forflies and a few other analysts think very much the same. My difference versus their thinking? They believe the first dip won't go as deep. Frankly, it'd be nice to see Bitcoin dive at or sub 3k to get this pain overwith and bring in the bottom feeders who saved powder for acquisition. If you are among those, be watching the Market as that final opportunity could present itself soon. If you believe Bitcoin will continue to remain relevant (and why not?) then you're safe in buying at least some coin from time to time inside this acquisition phase and cost-averaging it. I do not believe we'll see dips below 2.7k USD=BTC to bottom out this cycle. How will the alts be affected? Litecoin still shows muscle, so the jury may be out on this one, but ETH Ethereum shows significant weakness in the short to mid-term. I'm surprised LTC hasn't gone below 55 USD already in the last week, yet it could! If BTC breaks down soon, it should give Litecoin HODLers another chance in adding coins to their stash before the rocket is fueled. It's going to get ugly before it gets better, but the downside toward ugly isn't near as awful as where we are today in regard to this long-in-the-tooth Bear. The worst is already overwith and the Bears want to be fed again before they depart. An update that Forflies posted not long ago; he's expecting the possibility that an ascending (rising) flag formation is apparent and that a breakout to the UPSIDE could happen anytime before May. Even if this does, he's cautious in warning that another downtrend should be expected to test the low I mentioned earlier. Don't FOMO the upper boost YET! I don't see bullishness, yet.

An interesting article showed up in Forbes, today.Andrea gives us Part Two of her article regarding the Uniform Law Commission and gives us HODLers their point of view, which I strongly side with her as she stands behind her reporting. Considering the explanations given by the ULC and the pressure some states sense in consideration of these proposals, I personally continue to encourage states to discard any portion which would allow 1) enabling of fractional-reserve banking for virtual currencies, since many that exist have hard-set caps or limits to be issued in terms of units, and 2) discard any requirements requiring any third-party system for storage of securities and settlement thereof through such. The latter is particularly troubling if the third-party is in a jurisdiction which allows hypothecation or rehypothecation of these assets, wheras risks are increased that involve the owner(s), likely without their knowledge or implicit authority to act. Furthermore, I'm unaware if these parties are sufficiently insured in regard to proper compensation of owners if such actions resulted in loss of value or failure to perform services when called upon by the owner(s) in a manner that satisfies legal muster.

UPDATE on QuadrigaCX exchange: The mystery deepens, but more crumbs are being found. Cold Wallets reportedly controlled by Cotten were found, drained last year. Furthermore, his co-founder Michael Patryn is reportedly convicted criminal Omar Dhanani. It's something not even Hollywood would've dreamt, but this is cryptocurrency! Again, NEVER entrust your exchange with your coins as if it were a BANK!! Get those coins outta there unless there's a damn good reason for them to remain, such as trading and you're satisfied with the risks therein.

Some people seriously benefit from getting paid in crypto! Don't believe me? Consider the laws and this tweet and come to your own conclusions. For me, it was a no-brainer, even without such occurances!

Now for the Short Links: So you thought you've seen enough of Winter? All you need add to this wonderful slo-mo deserves for someone to add the bionic jump sound effect from the Six-Million Dollar Man. Yeah, I know that gives away my age. I came from the still-magic-era of Eye Candy we were sold in those days of four channels and no remote control. We're now looking at the brand new app for bankers! I think this is a beta version and a work in progress. You see, it's still missing the helicopter to rain these new bills down on the unwashed masses. It'd make Occasional Cortex'es eyeballs finally pop out of their sockets! Tired of waiting on trains? Meet the cyclo-knitter! Pedal away those calories and knit a scarf in five minutes.

From the "I didn't really need to see THAT!" department, you can get your laugh for the day, but don't look if you're eating. Some reporters take their looks far too seriously where they're not focusing on the fact that a multiple satellite hop is inducing a serious delay between what they just did, versus what the viewer is watching (the reporter was in eastern Syria.) Take it from a TV veteran that I'm only imagining what he was doing after what you saw. There was a reason the director didn't continue airing this spit show. What if he was picking out a huge booger? Gross!

Finally, to wash out American's brains, No TL;DR'ing this time!! Spend just a minute watching this video of an artist putting many touches on a painting as the Star Spangled Banner is sung in the background. You gotta watch the whole thing to "get" it and I think you'll be pleased. The crowd loved it and so did I. God Bless the USA!

Until next time, or if Breaking News warrants, take it easy and continue to HODL.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3-21-19
Greetings, y'all. Spring has sprung! The Vernal Equinox arrived here in the Panhandles under plenty of sunshine and 60's for highs yesterday afternoon. Those Spring showers will first spark some April blooms and green grass shoots are starting to pop up with a few tiny purple wildflowers showing up. It's still way too early to consider planting a garden in this region and I've not forgotten the April 30th blizzard of nearly two years ago. Still, this weekend will kick ass! My telescope may get some use, but I can tell the DEC or declination motor needs both adjustment and lubrication, it slipping, making quick clicking noises when SLOWLY going nose-up and this is affecting the tracking along the arc. The scope's visual portion is doing fine. Because of the decent magnification it gives, these guidance motors are so necessary. Fortunately, I have all the sizes of allen wrenches it requires. That's a tool I never lend my personal collection to anyone!

Pomp gives us some serious encouragement with one of his tweets sometime last week. Keep on HODLing, Bitcoiners!! Not much at all happened last week except Litecoin gave a Golden Cross and advanced to 62 bucks, then went down below 60 on Monday. That trend has remained sideways and I predict we'll see a gradual increase, but that does NOT make me at all bullish. I predicted in one recent tweet that a visit to sub-3k USD/BTC was not out of the question. Yesterday, Fortflies, a well-followed trader, sees that himself on his 3/20 video and justifies such that the downtrend support must be met to convince people come aboard. Litecoin could continue to decouple from Bitcoin during this acquisition phase, which at least another trader in the space predicts will continue for several more months. There are some excellent opportunities to come, but this remains a great time to load up on unwanted coins. I'd keep some powder dry for the strong likelihood my Bear pays a visit to the Bull's dumpster.

Elsewhere in Blockchain.. Sometimes, those who simply HODL for the next Bull Market aren't catching on to how Blockchain is gradually making a difference to consumers! Yours Truly has in the past introduced Rob Jennings and his groundbreaking Beefchain blockchain provenance business. This article is proof positive that it's catching on in Wyoming and spreading rapidly to other states as I've predicted and am pleased of it's development.

The story regarding the potential cause of the Boeing Max 8 737's recent crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia is already becoming more and more apparent, even compelling - although I caution all humble Blog readers that an investigation of the Ethiopian Airlines crash is ongoing, therefore, don't yet take this as Gospel, even though it appears quite damning now. My basic understanding of this mess (and I'm not including all the related links this time to simplify it somewhat) is a feature of the aircraft which forces it into a nosedive to keep the craft from stalling. The MAX planes are outfitted with larger engines that are more fuel-efficient, an answer to the Airbus A320 series. Engineers had to restructure the plane which made the front lighter. Pilots report they have a serious lack of information about this feature, including supporting paperwork and very likely a serious lack of training on it! The Indonesian crash reportedly had an off-duty pilot who was able to shut off the anti-stall measure when the plane attempted to continue erroneously nose-diving the day before the crash. It required a shutdown of the motor applying downward "trim" where the plane's elevators (attached to the horizontal portion of the tail, controlling the forward/back pitch angle) could not be forced down as it was under the feature. It's also come to light that there are two separate computers aboard the craft for fault tolerance, each connected to a SINGLE sensor. Why in the hell would this be allowed is likely the 64-thousand buck question to be dispensed. A dumb and faulty sensor fighting against humans trying in vain not to let it crash. If all this proves true, Boeing has something rather serious on it's hands which won't instill much faith in the flying public for some time until it's fixed and people simply forget about it. Will Boeing be allowed to again fly it? Yes, much as the "Death Cruiser" McDonald-Douglas DC-10 after all its' issues. (Boeing bought out MD sometime back) and the DC-10 remains flying primarily outside conventional airline service today. This fiasco also indicates a likely-cushy connection between the POTUS, the FAA, and Boeing itself. Trump didn't want the markets to tank over the latest crash, therefore it was possible the FAA felt pressure to keep the MAX 737's in the air, although throughout the EU and most of the rest of the globe had already grounded them. It's strictly my opinion, I believe for at least the medium-term, the FAA will need to reassess themselves internally for the independent agency they purport to be as Congress may hold a lit torch under their balls. There's plenty of shared pain over this and it won't get solved overnight with a "software upgrade" as a single sensor handling such a critical function of sensing airspeed is not acceptable! With enough public awareness over this entire story, expect change and demand more accountability! It's bad enough when TSA has to perform the undesirable parts of their job against We The Taxpayers as they actually have good people. WIth that said, don't accept any bullshit excuses your Congressman gives you. Many of 'em get military flights anyhow.

Radio Amateurs: The Sigma GT3 purports to be wonderfully stealthy on 10, 12 and 15m with autotuner. Strong enough to hang non-conductive flower pots from, can the strong RF make the plants happy? This would be the case with VLF, but the antenna size would be prohibitive and power requirements to get any degree of efficiency? Massive! I'll stick with HF and upwards, Thank You very much!

Julius Franklin Howell in 1947 gave an interview to the Library of Congress. He was 101 at the time and not many veterans of the Civil War or War Between the States remained living. Personally, I think this video and audio interview should be shown in each and every American History class when this, the most deadly of American conflicts, is brought up - especially the reason for the War in the first place. It was very much about States' Rights! Furthermore, slavery had been falling out of favor with so many slave owners and their families - something which Howell mentions in the interview. It'd been priceless if they had actually filmed him as the technology was available, but the audio itself was compelling.

Finally, some short links: I strongly agree! This kid is going places. Just watch! There IS HOPE for at least some of our youth after all!! I also agree, NYC is different! (I've not been there, but have seen enough) so hopefully you won't be on the subway when these guys want to haul a long, LONG girder on-board! Is this even real??

If you got a laugh from that, get ready to really crack up on this one!

That's it for now. Sparing Breaking News, I may have a weekend update. Civic Duty calls again during next week which may affect my updates through at least mid-April, although I still have Texas in early April on my mind, y'all.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3-10-19
Welcome to Daylight Savings Time. Fortunately, I have fewer clocks which require me to tweak them as most are now computerized. The later sunsets are nice but I appreciate the darkness when I head to work in the mornings.

WARNING: Do you use WinRAR? Specifically, it's similar to .ZIP, an archiver application very popular throughout the internet. This article on Reddit explains why each of you should update any .RAR software you run on Windows to v5.7 or later. You could lose coins and it's explained more in this link.

Cointelegraph and ZeroHedge both noted that California is considering allowing cannabis businesses to pay state, county and city taxes in stablecoin crypto. This would be a boost to stablecoins, although in my opinion, the Golden State need not be specific to stablecoins as many payment processors are available to convert these tax payments from crypto to fiat in a very short period of time. Most businesses already opt to do this to assist in the complex bookkeeping they've been subject to with a lack of guidance from authorities in general, the IRS in particular. However, if this ultimately assists in further adoption, I'm clearly for it.

While I continue to harp against Congress for not giving the IRS proper guidance, I can once again salute my future home, Wyoming. Thanks to their legislature and Governor Gordon's passage of HB0074, a New Mexican company plans on moving north, past the 41st parallel! FreeRange is now capable of becoming the first digital-assets bank in the nation, yet this will take time to accomplish as noted further in the story. By Q2/2020, FreeRange should be fully relocated in the Cowboy State. UPDATE: All eight basic crypto bills submitted to the Legislature have been signed into law by Governor Gordon! I've requested a list of these and if I can't receive such, I'll research the official legislature website and update my site accordingly. Finding time has been difficult lately as I'm still at work during the week and recovering over the weekends. I'll use some more time off for additional events which I'll report here, later on.

Litecoin is gaining more and MORE! It knocked close to 60 bucks and I continue to preach how freakin' undervalued this incredible crypto is. I'm grateful for the compliments from an unnamed handful who saw the opportunity earlier on while still below 40 USD. Personally, I should've taken advantage below $30, but my lower-low prediction didn't pan out. Hey, it's all extremely peachy in hindsight as I actually took action, acquired well under 40 USD to add to my $ta$h, and HODL today! With that said, I now predict a small pullback to allow it to cool a bit, around or just under 50 bucks LTC over the next several days. Billy Barnbrough gives a decent article on LTC and my only disagreement is regarding his apparent assessment of many pricing the upcoming "halvening" now, which occurs in early August as I believe strongly that consideration of the Halvening so early is premature, if not outright foolish in the short-term. As of this submission, we're shy of 61MM of the 84MM LTC which will ever be mined. I further contend that the upside in LTC is barely getting started and for many reasons I've stated here in past blog submissions. For those who bought near the bottom, my congratulations! My caveat is that a sudden swan dive in BTC will continue to affect LTC, at least on a short-term basis. Finally, how many of you have moved off your coins from an exchange to either your own wallet (with sufficient backup(s)) or to cold storage? I've done that with nearly all my Litecoin and all my BTC has been in cold storage for years. Don't entrust your exchange blindly! My having followed that simple rule in '13 kept me from getting Goxxed. You'd be wise beyond your years to do the same, NOW!

Privacy in Bitcoin and the alts.. Yes, there's some basics regarding privacy that one can easily learn and use. Eric Wall gives the unwashed an excellent start to enhancing yours! Some of the language used is heavy for those new to the space. My public course will break down much of this. Furthermore, this is part of a series he plans to publish. If you use Medium already, note this! Meanwhile, Bitcoin clearly has fans and pressure to move out of it's 4k funk. Alec on Twitter gives us several reasons

First, it was New Mexican Sheriffs who said "Hell No! I won't do this!!" and Marylander Sheriffs are today echoing the same. This story should be ringing with strong resonance in any Blue (Democratic voter majority) State with rural residents whom refuse to give up their weapons because metropolitan areas in the same cannot get a handle on their thugs and crime, penalizing law-abiding citizens with a TRUE need! Here in Oklahoma, a State Senator from Durant years ago drafted a bill to make wearing hoodies, those sweatshirt tops with hoods, as illegal in many businesses. Why? OKC and Tulsa had too many robberies where the perps wore this clothing article in order to evade detection by cameras. Trust me, that waste of paper and time hasn't been forgotten by Yours Truly and if that ill-thought bill had been passed into law and enforced, it would've clearly cut down tourism statewide. These Sheriffs, elected by the People, understand that law enforcement isn't ubiquitous. The rural residents in particular must be able to utilize a means of protection for their property, families and themselves. Liberals want to believe what works overseas will magically manifest into unicorns and rainbows. Many of the same would want an end to hunting, which the results would prove disasterous in short-order. Another takeaway I sense in this story is how vague the bill is written. That means more business for their lawyer buddies in and outside Annapolis.

Medicine is getting far less personal and it's causing their Trial Balloons to seriously backfire. Is THIS where American medicine is going? A 79-year old man died this past Tuesday and his family received advance news of his failing lungs via his doctor's video appearance on a R0B0T! His family had to repeat this horrible news (with no doctor physically present in the room) to him due to his hearing. Questions I have for Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont, CA regarding this device: 1) As with any wireless device being fed sensitive data, how SECURE is it in the first place, especially if directly connected to the operational internet as would be required if dealing with distant telemedicine? 2) Regarding the first question, can the device be externally hacked? 3) Also, can this device's communications, either to or from it, be readily intercepted? Too many treat hospitals as a sign of Bad Luck, but consumers of these services had best keep on top of these trends, lest they deal with the plastic, serious lack of social interaction that medicine is trending toward, as that family experienced. Oh, I bet the lovely Occasional Cortex with her sweet Congressional hospital plan has the answer for us degenerates, right??

((Shaking head sideways)) I've seen it all... Vogue for Horses. Just strike the pose, snap that picture and make Madonna proud! I'll be watching trends and another update could come as early as Wednesday, but expecting next weekend to be the next Blog I post. Have a great remainder of your weekend!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3-2-19
Greetings Y'all,

 SCAM ALERT: Exodus dot io tweeted last Sunday "There is a fraudulent Exodus mobile app on Google Play Store! Do not download this app! Exodus doesn’t have a mobile app yet. We’re taking all measures to have this app removed as soon as possible." UPDATE: It's been taken down, so if you've already downloaded it, DO NOT PUT YOUR SEED PHRASE IN IT! Delete it now. Exodus will begin notifying when their mobile app, presently in Beta, is ready for release.

 For now, it's pretty much sideways action in Bitcoin. The alts, including Litecoin are still rebounding from a recent BTC swan dive. I continue to HODL on. It's boring when you're driving through the tunnel. I don't yet see the light at the end. How's the weather? Wetter for February, and that's a GOOD thing for this region. Now we're into early March and severe weather season has begun throughout the Mid-South region eastward. For here, it can go extreme in a New York Secondtm and Amarillo's Weather Forecast Office is already training weather spotters. The schedule can be found via NOAA's Amarillo site and the links are available from their front page.

 This is one of the BEST Caitlin Long interviews I've seen! Pop some corn and spare over a half-hour for a YouTube video which for those newer in the crypto space will be rather informative and very deep to some. Austrian economics and Mises (pronounced as Mee'-sis) Institute for many are a means of understanding how to remove the nonsense skimming of value from Mom & Pop businesses whom worked their collective asses off to make life better for them and their heirs. The biggest takeaway I think many of you will realize is how the blockchain keeps entities honest and learning about the DTC, the primary clearinghouse of greater than 99% of stocks. JSMineset's Jim Sinclair years ago encouraged people to request their own stock certificates. I did so during the mid-2000's when this was still possible and each cost $50 to process, but there was no chance the share could be hypothecated or rehypothecated, since my online broker didn't have the shares on their books to monkeyhammer with. Get it?? Now you can understand why I see a much larger picture. So many in the crypto space see crypto and blockchain as means to speculate. There are times for this! I've made decent amounts of money and paid taxes on such. Still, I see where blockchain brings back honesty and there's definitely a place and usage case for smart contracts in most commerce.

 Topics discussed among my co-workers this past week include the transgender athletes setting new records. I'm hearing additional chatter from CD in 'Bama that some parents are encouraging their male children to go transgender in sports so they can succeed. Unless that child is already transgender and has identified in such a manner for a while, doesn't this smack of sheer selfishness and a lack of WORK ETHIC for the child to be fair in competition? South Dakota tried to do something about it, but the bill failed. This nation is becoming the laughing stock of the world for being so extremely Politically Correct.

 Want to drink toxic weed killer at the bar or your barbeque? Monsato's Roundup (most call them MonSatan) has been found in so many beer and wine brands. This eye-opening article echoed on ZeroHedge gives more specifics on just how pervasive this problem has become. They give a stark warning to avoid these and WHY to avoid, although I'm concerned of water supplies in the Upper Midwest likely containing multiples of these amounts, if truth be told. In fact, I strongly encourage such testing for the sake of Iowans and others in that region which have been heavily using (and utterly dependent) on this product. Bayer was beyond stupid to acquire them. I'm also willing to wager they'll have to use their aspirin stocks amongst themselves to deal with the cooresponding headaches to go on likely for decades.

 Now, a federal judge opines that women should face a compulsory military draft! Remember the Equal Rights Amendment? It was short a state or two from being ratified. If this is allowed to stand, expect a lot of societal changes to come. It may well become THE factor which breaks the back of the MIC. After all, America is NOT Israel. The IDF has had women in their ranks for years and years now, but they have a different situation and circumstances. What works there will not necessarily work here. The same applies to socialism as we see in Europe.

 Wow! Emmetsburg, IA in the Iowa Great Lakes Region, close to where I lived for two years of college, got drifted in! Estherville had impressive snow drifts while I lived there, but this is really significant! That difficult first winter I spent, I didn't see the ground until St. Patrick's Day. This I figure will take many days longer on the Spring melt. Even the Tuscon Police have gotten in on this! Snow is indeed a rarity in southern Arizona, but I got to see it rain in Vegas a day before it snowed 2" on the strip during my "Use it or lose it" trip in December of 2008, watching all the weather warnings over CW Vegas on TV. The storm caught up to us by Gallup, NM and I had to spend an additional day in Amarillo since I-40 was essentially iced up through Oklahoma and much of the route back to Little Rock. It's laughable to see such amounts of snow on the cacti! I've seen it before here in Guymon at Sunset Park's hillside.

 LIMITED TIME GIVEAWAY: Do you still enjoy the chickens eating up feed dispensed for BCH? redpepper261 changed his channel to "ourchickenlife" and now has ducklings receiving feed when the chickens do. They also accept LTC & Twitch Bits (after all, it's TwitchTV, right?) and the chickens (for now) get fed when RavenCoin (RVN) is accepted. They also are giving back!! "Next Sunday (March 3rd) at 3:00 PM MST the chickens will be doing their next bitcoin cash giveaway. There will be one lucky winner of $25USD in bitcoin cash(BCH). Anyone can enter. Everyone can get $1USD in bitcoin cash. Details will be given in the live stream during the giveaway." Again, the basic information and the livestream (somewhere in the Rockies) can be found via the link in this paragraph. Good Luck!

 The Quote of the Week: "A horse stable is the only stable thing about a horse person." - Faber (@dfaber84 on Twitter)

 That's it for now. Sparing Breaking News, I should return either Wednesday or Saturday. Drive careful, y'all!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2-24-19
 This weekend has a rude Sunday awakening. Bitcoin does a minor Swan Dive and it's carrying throughout the crypto world! Chris M on YouTube sussed this dive regarding Litecoin, but most of it applied cleanly to Bitcoin as well as both are still connected at the hip on PRICE! I'm seeing a decent possibility that we'll go under the 200 DMA and bounce hard, perhaps 40 bucks or under. Volatility has returned and the MACD was showing heavy, so some technical damage will take time to correct. I'm gonna HODL through it without a second thought. A kind reminder: Save your powder (fiat) for these corrections and do not FOMO! You'll very likely gain more especially in the long run, doing it this way.

 Stacy Herbert of Keiser Report fame tweeted how she's being asked for a face pic verification from Binance. As of Saturday evening, she's gotten no response from Binance. I think it's prudent to ask "Are they hypothecating and rehypothecating her Bitcoin with all the other accounts they hold?" or are they very scared of the continuing AML/KYC rules, which for Stacy's case wouldn't really apply, it likely being very small. A reminder from Caitlin Long that rehypothecation in Wyoming is a FELONY! That, among other very positive reasons are why the Cowboy State is a freakin' no-brainer for me.

 The weather sucked here yesterday, but it could've been much worse. The roads were a mixed bag, especially in the extreme northern portion of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Kansas got decently walloped with blizzard conditions. I was predicting the low pressure system responsible would slow down a bit. It didn't! It's a beautiful Sunday with 50 the expected high. Does that mean our overweight ground hog is correct? I'd say he's flat wrong and expect more Winter for several more weeks.

 You've read how trashy the Pacific and many other oceans have become with plastic waste. I proudly introduce the Flipflopi! Made from tons of tossed flip flops, may she sail proudly. My sole concern (did ya catch that pun?) is the continued microshedding of plastic into the waters, but considering the overall situation being faced, I really won't give it a second thought.

 Basketball fans, if you watch Charles & Shaq on TNT, you got a ROTFLMAOfest. This was really noticeable with Smollett's ongoing issues as Chuck roasted Jussie's ass throughout with Shaq losing it. These guys together are quite the LOLteam. Watch the video and try to keep a straight face. If you have any funny bones in you, ain't no way you can do it!!

 Moral of the Month (with minor grammar Twitterese corrections) from @johnkim77 on Twitter: "Money is a great follower but a horrible leader. Those that follow money will compromise their value & ethics because making money is their ultimate goal. Trust on the other hand, is the greatest asset, because although it takes longer to attain when you do, money will follow!"
 Giggle of the Week comes from the still-infamous Ruth Buzzi: "Sometimes I wrestle with my demons. Other times, we just snuggle." Ruth, you're so spot-on with the majority! Big digital hugs are deserved.
 The Horse Quote of the Month: "We had a horse that neighed its' voice out during an earthquake. Had to bolster the barn roof with extra joists after. Then we had a hoarse horse in a stable stable." - Husband-Bot (@TomLynn7 on Twitter)

 I'll monitor this insanity, another rough goose step in the eventual bottoming of this market. Don't assume the bottom has been reached, even if it dives to 3,600 this downturn. I'm still bearish mid-term as the bulls still don't have the stamina to keep these numbers higher. RSI is also showing lower lows, so seeing this was no surprise to me. I'll continue to HODL and give it more time to work out, which it shall. Sparing Breaking News, I should return mid-week. Due to a civic duty, I'll have a bit more morning time to tweet here.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2-22-19
Greetings y'all,

It's been a while, but a lot has been going on behind the scenes. There are a few things I can't publicly discuss for now and it will affect my working schedule to an extent. I may have a bit more time to compile and publish this Blog and keep the photos on the Pic of the Week a bit more consistent. My Wyoming move is still planned and I finally have the tax information for last tax year ready to submit for filing. Unlike year 2017, this is simple enough to go through and promptly process. Hopefully, my life can flow more readily along these lines as there's some impressive opportunities out there.

 UPDATE: Bitcoin Electrum users, If you scroll down to my 1-2 entry from six weeks ago, unfortunately the Electrum rich text phishing continues! Quite a bit of BTC has continued to be stolen from users. at_echeveria on Reddit stated; "From the public records available it appears that the author has a prior history of running other Ethereum based scams and theft operations, based on similar domain names that I was able to find using Security Trails, a service which maintains a history of most domain names and hosting information." With all that said, you should IMMEDIATELY upgrade your wallet for Bitcoin Electrum if using earlier than 3.3.3 and do it only through the electrum dot org website. Part of the reason many are still getting lured is their trust of the wallet and having not read this story! There's a White Hat message which Electrum is generating to help spread the word through these wallets subject to exploit, but it's only somewhat effective. Please spread the word to other BTC HODLers you know. I use Electrum myself and have already upgraded the wallet, although at present, all my BTC is in cold storage.

 While we remain on this sore subject, have you recently downloaded any MetaMask from Google Play for your phone or tablet, using Android? A version of malware Clipper got past Google's vetting. Sadly, the story has no mention of any "version" numbers or other specific information, other than when you use it, Clipper will replace your address with one belonging to the attacker, hoping you'll not notice this until after you've hit the Send button. This is apparently true of either ETH or BTC. I also bring this up for those interested in staking BTC for BHX (Bitcoin Hex, to be released a month from now) which requires a MetaMask browser extension. I've heard of no such issue there. Stay Tuned and I'll update if applicable. How is Bitcoin trending recently? This analysis on YouTube makes a lot of sense, especially where the bullishness via the RSI wanes as the price is rising. This is a form of DIVERGENCE. Fortflies opines (and I agree with him) that the worst of Bitcoin's cryptowinter is overwith, yet he expects another retest of 3,100 USD. My opinion is for the Medium Term, BEARISH - that it could briefly go sub-3k USD=BTC before stability comes again. After that, it's clearly time the bulls inflict damage to the bears.

 Among the topics that co-workers and myself at the warehouse have been discussing? David Berry Jr. gets a year in jail in the Show Me State for felony poaching of wildlife, primarily for trophies there and several other jurisdictions, leaving the animal's body out to rot. In the 19th Century, nobody would've batted an eyelash toward such a thing! SImply read up on buffalo hunters who trekked just south of me in much of the Texas Panhandle grasslands, shooting buffalo for the hides, allowing the meat to sit out and rot with buzzards filling themselves. Times have changed due to conservation practices and in kind regard to taxpayer money that's added to these efforts to manage these wildlife populations. Because Canadian authorities were interested in metting out punishment if Berry were convicted on Canadian soil for alleged poaching in Saskatchewan, the Missouri judge considered these concerns in sentencing David to a monthly viewing of Bambi as part of his year-long sentence in a jail deemed "difficult" to deal with.

 Eric Alper gives metal fans and zombies some fun stuff: Oltedal, Norway-based vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Leo Moracchioli from Frog Leap Studios shows more of what he’s truly capable of as he gives a metal makeover to Michael Jackson’s classic 1982 hit, “Thriller.” I didn't know fish could drive. They DO and you can see it for yourself in this robot cart which carries the fish tank, outfitted with camera to track its' movements.

 Anyone following my Twitter feed already knows I'm a staunch Dolly fan! So few people can truly carry star status throughout the decades and still dominate shows with such multiple talents, including her Grammy appearance a couple of Sundays ago with several guests. Her Imagination Library is a behind-the-scenes look at additional inspirations she's taken on over the years, proving her star shines just as bright if not more so, today. This touching NPR story from Maureen Pao of how Parton continues to make differences in so many lives is worthy of a read, I'd say! Yes Dolly, considering your incredible drive and how the program continues to expand, I absolutely predict you'll experience the Billion Books Milestone and I look forward to updating this humble blog in unbridled celebration at that time. You have my admiration and "Standing O"!

Oh my! Rhode Island, you disappoint and break our hearts so badly. Say your proposal isn't so! But your lawmakers are clueless and Wyoming will benefit from it. Cowboys are smiling in significant schadenfreude as we're Breakin' Through! Are you wondering about AML/KYC compliance? This very website could put some issues into online compliance for such, provided one is crafty and clever enough in utilizing these features. I need not give anyone any ideas. I predict no less!!

This guy is having too much fun inside this cylinder. Of course he has to wear a helmet. Would you want your head smacked really hard at the speeds he's traveling? It's far more fun than a regular trampoline and I consider it the PERFECT training device for any wannabe skydivers.

 Indeed, it's a sad day for America. Earlier this week, our country lost WWll Veteran George Mendonsa famously known as 'The Kissing Sailor'and the tweet where this links has a YouTube link explaining his story of this iconic, timeless photo. This nation was SPECIAL back then. It can be again, you know!

Shortwave DX'ers, an excellent question for year 2019 going forward: "Does shortwave have a future?" and I wish I could've directly commented on the article, however, this is what this humble Blog is for! It introduces DRM or Digital Radio Mondiale, a glorified implementation of the super-efficient AAC digital compression algorithm on the airwaves. Computer geeks messing with audio as Yours Truly already understand how much better it is to MP3 files! It allows AM and SW broadcasters to remain relevant, delivering very listenable sound, taking advantage of far less output power over the same spectrum! It's catching on in Asia and slowly in Africa. In North America, it's barely known, although one FCC licensed station in Guam already uses the DRM format to serve a huge chunk of Asia and the Pacific. There are a handful of YouTube videos demonstrating the superiority of these transmissions. Now comes the question, "Where in the hell are these receivers??" and "Are these available in a general coverage 1.7Mhz-30Mhz receiver???" I once put my special, restricted email on a DRM promotional website, they touting the technology and promising to update with developments. I've not received even internet bits from them! Many shortwave broadcasters are taking serious consideration to upgrade from analog, yet this format has so few receivers and will take some time to get new receivers in listeners' hands. I still deal with the usual cracking and occasional dropouts inherent in the analog transmission and remind you, my humble reader that digital isn't perfect. You'll instead experience occasional digital issues. Overall, this crosses third base and scores a home run for most as long as the promised DRM receivers come to pass. Many domestically-focused shortwave broadcasters (legally, they must beam to a foreign location under Section 318 of the Communications Act) should change out at least one transmitter to DRM. More to come, so as they say - Stay Tuned!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2-9-19
Greetings, y'all!

 The recent State of the Union address: My take? I can't pick up the Amarillo CBS station via their translator here in town. I have no idea if it's even on-the-air but can't find anyplace in the house where the antenna can capture the signal. Instead, CBSN streamed it and that was my saving grace. For that matter, I had to use CBS streaming to get the Super Bowl as the radio version is too irritating for me at home. Most of the commercials were a C to C- at best. If you're gonna shell out 5 million for 30 seconds, freakin' make it COUNT!! My choice of commercial was Harrison Ford and the dog, pitching Amazon. PERFECTLY CAST! Kudos to the director and staff as well. I also recorded the entire AUDIO speech on Audacity, (including nearly all of the rebuttal) and will make it available for mp3 download, solely by request, to windmechanic )at( gmail *(dot)* com with "SOTU request for download" in the Subject Line. Got it? I shall respond with a link for the download and it will remain available throughout February.

 The speech was way better than I expected! Trump even got the straightjackets (the Dem women in white) to celebrate two or three specific points of his speech, except for Occasional Cortex. AOC remained sour pretty much throughout. Schumer looked like he was on some type of mushroom that Colorado may soon vote on to legalize.

 The Real Award went to our new Speaker of the House who didn't disappoint, now forever enshrined with the "Pelosi Clap!" This has become the latest intenet meme, y'all! It was the longest SOTU speech in history but disappointing to several. Critics note of no mention given regarding "climate change" (which what we're experiencing is essentially the effects from our present solar minimum. Give it enough time for change to again occur.) which I can't support due to the existence of Carbon Credits - traded on the Markets via Liepzig, there's $$ and the license to POLLUTE! Need I say more, or am I full of shit on this point?

 Haven't I told you oh, so many freakin' times how badly undervalued Litecoin is??? Let Friday's breakout be witness of some fantastic things to come as The Chikun flappened past BCH, EOS, is closing in on ETH and has damn near everyone's attention in this crappy Bear Market as it assumes Third Place. 30% gain in a day? Not too shabby and over 47 late Friday, here! Gains for me weren't limited to Litecoin.. My stock portfolio, heavily invested in gold, went up nearly 9% Friday and has effectively doubled from it's recent bottom a few months back. I'm barely below water now but seeing the surface, FINALLY! Update: Saturday morning had LTC stable, below 44 bucks. I'm doubting we'll see below $30 again. Congratulations to whomever paid attention to my Litecoin predictions and acquired near the bottom. The rocket is still being loaded and the Chikun hasn't begun to lay golden eggs, yet.

 Watch out if you're doing biz with Wells Fargo! Pomp tells us what he's noticing and he ain't alone! Some customers have already emptied out ATM's at certain locations with the bank's tellers limiting what fiat they have available to one grand USD. For crypto HODLers, this takes on an additional dimension.. Of course I'm puttin' in the /sarc or "Seriously? Sarcasm" tag with Kenn Bosak's comment of Hells Fraudgo's apparent switch to crypto, being the issue here, which of course makes no sense. The Twitterverse's response is quite good and I might have to take the time and check out his podcast. Speaking of which, I've been invited to interview for a podcast yet unnamed if I make the Texas Crypto Meetup in Blanco on April 6th. Those on my Twitter feed, you're already in the loop on this possibility. The rest of you, I'll keep informed here on the Blog if I go and am recorded for that podcast and provide a link as possible.

 Hackernoon has an article "Why blockchain differs from traditional technology life cycles" that's suggested for popcorn reading by Caitlin Long in a recent tweet. After review of Daniel Heyman's article, I'm sorry to inform those who want Bitcoin to raise up and achieve a Plateau of Prosperity (as Jim Sinclair calls it) that again won't happen this upcoming cycle if history is at all a guide, as I agree with his opinion that another wild ride cycle is coming. Bitcoin is truly an international, universal money! Digital Gold is quite appropriate a name for it.

Certainly a subject my students in my future cryptocurrency course will be well-versed in, as I give security of their coins as my top priority. Cold Storage can be cursed by a few who simply don't understand or appreciate what it's about. Armory for Private Key storage is excellent, as long as you understand WHAT it does, and perhaps more importantly, WHO ELSE in your immediate family's inner circle or inner orbit understands what Armory does. You need to consider a Plan B in case your Plan A fails!

 Now you get to catch my mind drifting into several subjects, and usually this is how I roll. I don't know if I should laugh or wonder, but it makes for a pretty damn good meme, right? Seattle meterologists all bunched together at the large windows to watch the snow fall and there's another potential government shutdown looming if not resolved by the fifteenth. Recently, they were affected by the partial government shutdown for over a month since NOAA is part of the Department of Commerce. That affected many other government agencies as well, including the FCC. I waited to request renewal of my ham radio license and it got processed fairly quick after they returned to work in Gettysburg over a week ago. My ham radio hobby turns 40 in late June, I think. I got on the air 8/20/79 with a CW contact in Oregon on 40 meters. Not too shabby for an old HT-40 Hallicrafters with no working VFO, although that old Heathkit receiver was doing the trick. Thanks to Mr. Allsup replacing old dried-out electrolytic capacitors, that rig took on a new life. I had borrowed a coax switch to go between rigs to the antenna and eventually got it back to it's rightful owner who had forgotten about it! Who said Hamfests aren't convenient, after all?

 The switching back and forth of the antenna was good practice to get me ready for the mechanics of radio broadcasting which I started study nearby at Metropolitan Vo-Tech the following year. My high school got pissed that I didn't regularly take the bus back to them from the Vo-Tech just to catch another stupid bus home, yet it was often easier to walk the mile or so to home. It did pay off as I landed a part-time job two weeks after graduation which became full time by that fall, at KBBA in Benton. The station has different managment and callsign now and I'm clueless if they still air the infamous Tradio show I hosted a while before moving on. If I write an autobiography, expect much expansion on this very topic. The names may be changed though.

 Now for the short links, and these I design to unapologetically mash close together: Math majors would be entertained by these timeless formulae, tweeted for a Wisdom Wednesday, I think! This is an interesting time to be alive. Men, makeup is reportedly beginning to make it's way mainstream for us. Why?? I'm satisfied with using sunscreen, Silver Magic lotion (from Biorays in Vegas, I highly recommend) being smoke-free and my trademark cowboy hat to keep my looks going. I'm trying to trim the rest of me and it's slowly coming along! This guy has an interesting facial story to give. I won't undergo one unless that special woman out there may be ready to accept a marriage proposal. Fashion IS War! I suspect Lawal is giving fair warning. This is a bizarre video you shouldn't watch if you're on any form of phychodelics as this requires precise timing all around to execute.

 Finally, the Tweet of the Month, from Twitter's Founder @Jack, no less! Tweeted 2/5: "Bitcoin is resilient. Bitcoin is principled. Bitcoin is native to internet ideals. And it’s a great brand."

Sparing Breaking News, expect an update by mid-week. Enjoy your weekend and keep acquiring or HODL on.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2-3-19
Greetings y'all on this Super Bowl Sunday in America,
 How did our Groundhog buddy in Pennsylvania do? That chubby rodent predicted an early Spring by not seeing his shadow! Now, in the 133 years of Phil's forecasting, he's correct only about 40% of the time. Punxsutawney locals encourage the rest of us to buy swimsuits. Some horses have noticed us humans dying our hair throughout the color spectrum and want a different color, you think? The Super Bowl LIII forecast for the Panhandles? We're racking up low to mid 70's yet breezy, so Phil the Groundhog is on to something! Fire up the grills or enjoy what you will as you take in the game. My pick? Reluctantly, I choose the Pats as I see enough fire in the belly of Brady to pull it off one more freakin' time. (I wish Predictious had betting on it) Their coach is a huge part of their success as Brady got his chance and has done superbly under their program. Sorry, Cowboys.. You'll get another shot later this year. The Polar Vortex, vexing the Upper Midwest and portions of the East Coast is finally moving out. A miniature horse, some 35 years young, has been spending quality time in his owner's basement. This is a nice read for an animal which has been given such excellent care. Most horses are lucky to make it past age 35. I pray Stoney makes it past 40! Rock and Roll fans of the Old but Good School recall 60 years ago today when the Music Died. Buddy Holly is still cool, although it took his hometown of Lubbock, TX a while to realize it. He's not the only famous musician or singer from that West Texas city. Waylon Jennings continued his career as one of country music's finest after that horrible tragedy. No doubt there was plenty on his mind after a joke he made with Buddy turned out haunting him for decades! Mac Davis, also in country music during the 70's and 80's, was from Lubbock. One of the Dixie Chicks hails from Lubbock as well. Remember too, I've been to the Buddy Holly museum and have been to the crash location just NW of Clear Lake, Iowa. I'll visit again sometime to that silent, solemn site.

 What's going on in Cheyenne? Some really good things! Their Senate is working through a lot of things and it's so far going well for cryptocurrency! It tells only a part of the story as Caitlin fills us in on this tweet she posted. Awesome! For additional perspective, set aside 18 minutes and watch the first portion of this excellent presentation from WyomingPBS as Rep. Tyler (Lindholm) & Sen. "Og" (Ogden Driskill) are working on what should become a political masterpiece, thanks in part to BeefChain which they both participate in and I openly endorse as I see strong benefits not only to Wyoming, but throughout the nation and even the globe in due course, considering both cowboys recently wrapped up a visit to China. Shouts out to Rob Jennings of BeefChain & SheepChain in Cheyenne! I'm glad to have talked with you by phone, then meeting you at Hackathon in Laramie. Keep up this great work in progress.

QuadrigaCX apparently has Litecoin wallets being accessed, despite Cotten having died recently. I've spouted off on Twitter that this exchange and assets are an uncompleted or incomplete story thus far. Cotten, who was supposed to be solely responsible for all the exchange's cold wallets, reportedly had a laptop which all contents are encrypted with a third party trying to gain greater access. There MIGHT have been a "Plan B" in place with other management and this might be some of the Litecoin being harvested to give back to rightful owners. Stay Tuned as this develops. Charlie Lee occasionally speaks out regarding his baby, Litecoin. It ain't no baby no more! Litecoin isn't much younger than big brother Bitcoin and has earned its' stripes in security and is easy to use. It's a kid demanding some attention! SatochiLite's latest tweet is something Litecoin fans I believe will embrace, although I don't think fungibility is all that bad with either BTC or LTC. Privacy being enhanced going forth should help the coin further thrive, as it remains terribly undervalued. There's no freakin' reason LTC should be valued any lower than one-fourth that of Bitcoin! Finally, if you want to confuse yourself and other cryptofans for a short while, read up on this Coindesk article about confusing jargon. Enjoy and thanks as always for visiting my Blog. Comments via Twitter @windmechanic always welcome.
 Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-27-19
Greetings, y'all,  Of course the Democrats want to brag they caused The Donald to cave in. He sees the obvious pain in Atlanta where Super Bowl LIII airs next weekend, their airport being the busiest on the globe will be overwhelmed without relief. Furthermore, major east coast departures were being cancelled due to inadequate air traffic controller attendance to keep our skies safe. Twitter is abuzz with commentary, but one which caught my attention is the fact that many nations use non-government air traffic controllers, such as Germany, UK and several others. I've already mentioned Wednesday that San Francisco uses private screeners and didn't experience the severe delays the east coast did. I'll also mention this political Kabuki theater cost more than the estimated price of The Wall. Furthermore, I've tweeted that I fully predict and expect that Trump will exercise his National Emergency, as I seriously doubt the Dems give him any wiggle room. They KNOW what they're doing and truly want extra voters who receive Free Stuff, which we as Americans ultimately pay for! It's "just debt" for now, but Uncle Sam running naked with only his top hat and credit card is a damned ugly sight, especially when combined with the Rights we as American citizens continue to lose, while the line-breakers get better treatment with no "skin in the game." It makes no sense at all until you realize the gamble the Lefties are taking. "Occasional Cortex" (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and other socialists want severe taxation of the big money bag$. They have a point that indeed the Rich keeping getting Richer, much of it also politically connected, and she's gaining traction. If she can eliminate corporate welfare and become the Robinette Hood, you'll see The Donald lose in 2020 with America as a nation following down the shitter shortly thereafter. What works against her is that's she's clearly not a sharp knife, even if the media and her Dem sweethearts give her such standing. Furthermore, she's yet to give The Class information on how such changes will remain sustainable, without significant taxation. Too much and the economy will fall flat! Add to the fact we're a Global economy primarily based on services in this nation and the fall will be that much faster with a harder landing. For now, we again get to cover our ears as the gears begin their screeching, moving to gain momentum and resuming life to the Inner Beltway and beyond. The Donald has proved we don't need such a Big Ass Government (BAG) through this stoppage and he'll get Bonus Points if more rules and regulations are eliminated which require a BAG to enforce, with all the Dead Weight from D.C. that goes with it! To summarize, expect SIGNIFICANT DRAMA by Mid-February, if not before then. I have popcorn awaiting the popper in the cabinet and delicious Kerrygold butter in the 'fridge, y'all. Sorry, Wisconsin.. You can't have mine! There will be four lucky souls whom get to live free in Italy for three months, courtesy of Airbnb. Yep, you get to volunteer, eat, learn and generally decompress in this beautiful community of 300 while getting paid 900 euros a month. I don't have the details of a deadline to enter for that opportunity. Because of the close interaction, your gardening skills and Italian language will both improve significantly.

 Bitcoin is generally sideways with the algos testing both directions. Bottomwise, they continue to get quickly bought out as some Bulls have returned. In fact, after midnight Central Time USA, I noticed a brief breakout spike to 3650 that has gradually crept downward. It's nice to see at least some movement, so please don't get impatient. This remains an excellent time to acquire unwanted coins. UPDATE: GRIN went parabolic, but the move played out as the shape was too obvious. The coin began the move late on Thursday just over 4 dollars and rested over 5.60 USD, then another huge rally came and it's sitting under 12 bucks Sunday when posted. Can it sustain and go even higher? Doubtfully, yet it's recovering with the other alts. Litecoin languished under 31 for a while but went north of 33.25 USD and has settled a bit lower for now. BEAM peaked around 1.25 and sits under a buck as of Thursday, yet has rallied forward to 1.75! Ethereum, since 1/20, remains sideways around 114 for now with 120 seemingly the upper resistance. UPDATE #2: In regard to Coinstar's marketing of Bitcoin via their kiosks with Coinme, it's presently available only in CA, WA & TX. They intend to add more markets as they gauge how successful this becomes. There's still room for BTC and alt coin ATMs for now, but don't get too damn greedy with fees.

 LocalBitcoins has been compromised, via their forums. Around 8 BTC has been stolen. Thanks to excessive regulations, the company had to begin ID'ing users in case an investigation were sprung. Of course, numerous stings have already been done in Michigan. How many times must I say that the Feds there have too much time on their hands? If Trump had only exempted them from the Government Restart... For now, the forums at LocalBitcoins have been disabled as we await statement(s) from them. Oh, the days of Casascius Coins are long gone, thanks to AML/KYC throughout the world. We're still being fought hard by TPTB. Still, these made wonderful collectibles. Casascius was the first physical representation of a Bitcoin and it's simple how it works; You can open it up and if it's "fully loaded", contains a slip of paper which has the Private Key of a Bitcoin address that can be imported to a wallet, then after it's hashed into the Public Key it associates with, you have that value of BTC, ready to spend!

That's it for now, sparing Breaking News, watch for the next update either Wednesday evening or next weekend.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-23-19
Greetings y'all!
 The last significant "wick" on the charts as seen in Bitcoin at least two days ago was bought up very quickly! That's bullish as this hasn't been happening lately. At best, I see this bullishness lasting the short term, sparing some catalyst to spark up something exciting. I remain bearish for the most part at least for the short term, to be honest. Still, some bulls being awakened is nice. CryptoWinter remains in force for now, so I'll HODL and see what happens. Litecoin has stabilized and so have most other alts.

 MrSotko on YouTube gives us some 20+ minute insight on two coins that I presently have a wait and see attitude toward, especially if neither are yet available on major exchanges, although at least three are handling GRIN now, according to MrSotko's analysis. Mining is possible with both, but one has been overhyped where only fractions have been mined individually to my understanding. GRIN and BEAM are among the latest-released cryptos. BEAM debuted on Bitcoin's 10th anniversary and had suffered a technical glitch regarding it's previously-released wallet. GRIN had a tremendous amount of pump and FOMO, especially at the start. Can you imagine paying $261 to watch it shrink over 97% to a mere 4.20? It's actually closing in on 4.01 after bottoming under 2 and a half bucks on Monday. Both coins are touted for privacy. I presently do not HODL either. Again, I'm learning more about both and hold no recommendations, but am watching these, allowing the Market to shake things out. I'm sincerely sorry for those who bought GRIN at the highest price for a genesis coin in crypto's short history, but there may be a bright future to come. Let's see if our good Professor I mentioned late last year can come through on mapping out all of privacy coins he's reportedly tracking. He has until the end of this year and I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt due to his extensive credentials. You thought I'd forget all that... Right? Stay Tuned in that regard. Millions have been thrown at both, so there's some possibilities with either if gotten cheaply, then HODL. I'm willing to take a chance with a small amount Charlie Lee shows support for GRIN and even gave claim to Bitcoin 2.0? Maybe in the long term, Charlie! I just want Litecoin to continue rebounding, which it's doing at the present time. May the Chickun wake up and flap it's wings! Bitcoin itself awaits Bakkt, although there's still much Whale Dumping taking place when it goes back up. Much like gold or silver, there's a degree of manipulation (you dumbasses who didn't HODL and freaked out, selling out too early, letting the banker$ buy too much with freshly-printed fiat, how do you like me now?) affecting the space. Sadly, there's still not enough Bulls to pull us collectively out of this funk for a while. BTC domination remains above 50% as the alts don't yet have enough steam to break free from Bitcoin's hip, on pricing. That's the present reality.

 John McAfee is on the run, AGAIN! Apparently, Uncle Sam is pissed and wants his taxes from John. McAfee with a few others are reportedly aboard a yacht, heading to Venezuela, and wanting to conduct his campaign from the South American nation. My thinking is that the Coast Guard or other military may not be so keen to go after him with the government remaining in shutdown for over a month now, but there's always that possibility of a "rogue missile" which magically locks in on his ship before he arrives. After all, the Deep State still remains and they won't go down without a fight! I'm enjoying the shutdown with certain government agencies as Trump is essentially proving to the masses through it that we don't need all this Dead Weight to function. In fact, we remain way too damned bloated for our own good and especially that of future generations! Furthermore, the TSA situation doesn't seem to affect SFO (San Francisco) because their screeners are private and thus continue getting a paycheck. Think about that! No federal union necessary for that matter. The more politics removed from the equation, the easier it will be to actually drain this damned Swamp! Did you get the excellent news from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that their Money Transmitter Act or MTA doesn't subject cryptocurrency exchanges under their control, due to specific definitions noted in the Act which doesn't apply to crypto? It seems the one state where the Feds have too much time on their hands (maybe less, thanks to the shutdown) is Michigan. Don't even think of trying to sell Bitcoins on LocalBitcoins there as the Feds and the State have run numerous stings using Michigan's money transmission laws. That state has many issues ongoing. I've stated here on the Blog that they have great people with a crappy set of laws. Some laws are actually reasonable, a few way ahead of their time, but many are very punitive, too! For now, the only state without money transmitter laws is Montana, but Pennsylvania's clarification is hugely positive. Neighboring Ohio allows payment of taxes in crypto, so perhaps the Keystone State will follow suit, preferably after Wyoming considers and passes several more crypto-friendly ones of their own, which of course I support these efforts fully. It's no secret I'm moving there this year - it's a matter of WHEN it occurs. Preparations continue in advance and I'm hoping the government shutdown doesn't delay my tax return and subsequent refund not too long.

 The NFC Championship Game in New Orleans on Sunday! Watching social media, who's paying any attention to the game after Jimmy Buffett sung the anthem? Buffett kept it simple, no high notes to speak of. He trended on Twitter with all sorts of comments of how horrible it was, of how good a guy he is for keeping it simple and real, but the biggest B0MB from this was his mic drop after concluding. He effectively joined the ranks of other horrific anthem singers in the overall opinion polls. Hell, he might even go out on his boat and party with McAfee for a time! Well, the game ended with a 57-yard field goal in overtime to give the Rams a trip to the Super Bowl! The Saints had a really good run of it, but many commenters feel they got the shaft on one particular play, costing them the Big Show. Another meme showing up? The Rams may well wear throwbacks at the Super Bowl. Interesting chatter, so let's see what becomes fact vs. fiction. Now to the AFC game.. Tony Romo became The Star as CBS shines to near-supernova status with Romo's stellar performance on their broadcast team. What's not to love? Romo is becoming quite the legend and some twitter commenters want him to Head Coach a team. Going over the numerous plays between the Pats & Chiefs, Romo read the outcome better than any rendition of Shakespeare as the Chiefs were utterly clueless in comparison. So it's the Pats & Rams for the East Coast/West Coast bragging rights in Super Bowl LIII in under two weeks.

That's it for midweek insanity. As things change, they won't remain the same and time changes EVERYTHING! Sparing Breaking News, another update should come out over the weekend.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-20-19
Greetings, y'all,
 Bitcoin, as I fully expected, is not being effectively backed by either the Bulls or Bears. It quickly dipped earlier this morning just hours ago in America and could finally test sub-3k USD. Notice the lightning-fast dips and gains in the price at times? I'm more in agreement that it's algos in the background running the show for now. Most participants are simply sitting at the sidelines, except those whom are acquiring and accumulating unwanted coin for the next run. You may not nail the bottom of this Bear, but we're close! A sub-3k move might be that Magic Point, y'all. I'm pleased with where I'm at. Litecoin is on-sale at under $31 as of this submission. Considering recent volume, I'm a bit surprised it's gone back this low. LTC fans, you're effectively in the Driver's Seat at this point.

 Caitlin Long, true to form, has delivered excellent information regarding current developments regarding cryptocurrency and utility token legislation being considered in the Wyoming Legislature. It's a 40-section tweetstorm which takes some time to read through, but it's definitely worth your time if you're among cryptos' deeper students. If you love crypto and don't already follow her on Twitter, ( @CaitlinLong_ ) what are you waiting for?? I'll say this again.. Not many in the space have the Wall Street cred she does, spare the passion of advancing cryptocurrency and tokens in ways that few can muster! I've heard her away from the stage give comparisons between crypto and Wall St. and have walked away more enlightened. Read through her tweets and experience the same. At this point, I'm not aware of any new bills (2019 session) which have become law. I have the information from 2018 which I'm planning to create a simple website to cite the five which were passed, (from meticulous notes I took at Laramie) most being significant icebreakers in this still-cold world of crypto and utility tokens and will add the others as they are acted on. Wyoming is going places and history will likely reflect in favor of the State's leadership in this space as she's Breakin' Through. Opportunities for learned cryptoenthusiasts there will increase, perhaps moonrocket as a result. Remember, I quickly noticed this during Hackathon in Laramie during September. Those two young people (way younger than this 50-something) who tried to steer me away from the state and college didn't succeed. I know who they are, yet they'll remain unidentified here. In fact, it's NOT out of the question that Laramie or vicinity might be my first new home in the Cowboy State and I may resume college studies, emphasizing on crypto and blockchain. I met the instructor and think he's awesome, with computer science and how all this functions being necessary to gain the entire picture. It'd be a challenge and treat to be a crypto computer science student, much as it was in Iowa learning about wind turbine technology. My credits should transfer flawlessly as I already hold an associates in applied science from the latter and I can delay what little remains of my college loan repayment while attending. What's not to love? Stay Tuned for this and a boatload more to come. What's going on with Coinstar?? They're likely the latest entrant to offer Bitcoin sales at various kiosks around the nation. There's a coinstar kiosk at my local Wal-Mart so I'll monitor and see if up to $2,500 at a time in BTC can be bought there. If it appears only Bitcoin will be offered for sale, then having a cryptocurrency ATM with the capability of alt coins remains viable for many interested in such a business, especially those who believe that . It'll be Poetic Justice if I see workers begin using it to send back remittances to their families, bypassing the high fees at the Customer Service counter which include the ridiculous but enriching Oklahoma Money Laundering Tax imposed. DISCLOSURES: I am a former shareholder of the company operating Coinstar and remain a Wal-Mart shareholder.

 Now for the short links; The Blog, via Decrypt, lights up candles on the birthday cake to Dash cryptocurrency, turning five on Friday 1/18. As you can read, it's truly been a fruitful journey, especially in the last year or so. Dammit!, I still want the Dash I was promised, Max! I still have the wallet but HODL none so far. Dolly Parton celebrates birthday #73 on Saturday. As I tweeted earlier, few make the list at her age of being true Star Status and remaining relevant today. She later tweeted her appreciation at all the well-wishers. Way to go, Senator Paul! Read this tweet and realize there may be a Senate workaround yet in regard to the President's State of the Union Address. Realize too, Trump has fired back. You don't diss the Donald of his duties and not expect a response, even if he can't state "You're Fired!" Also, police in the UK have spoken to Prince Philip after he was apparently photographed without a seatbelt, two days after having been involved in a crash. Let me guess the 97-years young Prince didn't receive a citation. He's a royal and I suspect that seals it there. So far, no word on who was at fault for the crash, although Philip passed his vision test as part of the investigation, according to AP News.

That's it for now. Sparing Breaking News, my next update should be next weekend and I'll tweet when this gets updated.
Gracias & Alles Liebe,

Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-17-19
Greetings, y'all!
 Cryptopia has been hacked, becoming the first exchange to experience being hacked this year. I'm NOT buying their "unscheduled maintenance" and glad they're finally fessing up. Again, NEVER entrust your coins to any exchange as if it were a bank! If you have the balls to ignore this, don't say I didn't warn 'ya! There's a possibility that the Marshall Islands may still launch their SOV or Soverign crypto this year, despite all the issues this Blog noted during Fall, 2018. Stay Tuned as this develops. Justin Moon (@_JustinMoon_ on Twitter) gives additional insight why Bitcoin is beneficial, especially to a business! There's exciting developments in Cheyenne as Wyoming's Legislature is in session. As cryptocurrency-related bills are being considered and hopefully passed, I'll outline what I learn right here on the Blog. For now, I'll continue HODLing during this cryptowinter and remain patient as I still believe we've not reached that elusive bottom where the Bear is too tired and finally has to hibernate a while.

 Obituaries: Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard Group has passed at 89. The man who put the "mutual" in "mutual funds" and one of the last remaining straight-shooters was a LEGEND! He didn't brag about doing God's Work as some bank$ters have, instead, he walked the walk and ran an honest biz, making an honest living. My hat tip and continued admiration goes to Mr. Bogle and may his legacy be an encouragement , a catalyst to doing what's right! May you rest in peace and be showered in His blessings, Jack! Bradley Bolke, who voiced Chumley the Walrus on the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoons from the 60's has passed at 93. I proudly follow various voice artists and Bolke did magnificent work. As some of you may remember, Rankin/Bass was among the cartoon creators of that time. It's always really sad to read of any rodeo competitor who died due to injuries suffered doing what he loved to do in this unique and extreme of sports. Mason Lowe at age 25 was already married and had numerous rides under his belt in the PBR. Apparently, something happened before his ride at Denver's Western Stock Show which caused severe injuries that he later succumbed to. As a former bronc rider, there are many thoughts and decisions which I faced in the small state associations and the practice pen as each ride can potentially be your last. The idiotic comments from several in the story's comments forum prove how ignorant many people truly are about the rodeo sport. They consider us the fools, yet many of them do extremely foolish things in their lives which if were placed under the microscope would yield quite a number of colorful responses, particularly from the witty bullfighters who jump in to free a cowboy who got hung up on his rope. I've even wrote a song, not yet published, about rodeo clowns or bullfighters and I pray it receives the love I gave into writing it, showcasing many pieces making their unique life puzzles they live and love. It's my goal to get this song copyright after my upcoming move with another goal of getting it demo'ed in Nashville - easy peasy because it won't require many elements to piece together. Rodeo cowboys are contestants who realize way more than many give them credit for, and as Garth sung about, their closest relationships are often strained to the breaking point. I've seen some drugs in the sport, especially for pain. I've met those who are truly helpful and straight-shooters and way too many who are more full of shit than a Christmas turkey. In fact, getting mud, dirt and shit (more often, a decent mix of these) in your nose and ears from being bucked off is an expected reality that makes it not so romantic, yet it adds to the reality. I've repeatedly witnessed the personal intensity they give for that eight seconds they lend and hopefully benefit from and I appreciated the same respect I received when I did the same during that short part of my life, lucky that the injuries I received didn't prevent me from going forward with other careers. As mentioned elsewhere, I've gained more than I've lost from my experiences and don't regret having given it the opportunity it presented, no matter the outcome. If these utter buffoons can't realize the tragedy that Lowe's loved ones are going through, there's really little if any hope these critics will realize when their own lives go upside-down. In the Cowboy Way, it's essentially something realized early on and we adapt to! For now, my hat is off to Mason, his family at this time of loss and what he and others in their journeys are about. They're people, too!

That's it for this Blog submission. Comments are welcomed and encouraged via @windmechanic on Twitter. I also wish to welcome additional followers and have some really cool people on that growing list. It's my favorite way of notification whenever something new changes here. Sparing breaking news, my next submission should be this coming weekend when it again turns bone-chilling cold and snowy.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-13-19
Greetings, y'all,
 I "get it." Bitcoin again breaks hearts throughout the Cryptosphere! News? The Bears ain't dead yet!! Furthermore, if TA is a guide, we may well be looking at a sub-3k move within the next week or so, yet it could rally toward the previous 4.1k total. I stand by the observation that the Bears are weaker than before and NOW remains a fantastic time to back up the truck for unwanted coins. Even the litecoin I bought recently has decreased by a few dollars and shouldn't remain there even into medium-term. I'm basing all this on my past experiences in this space and looking forward to long-term happiness when the Bulls return. For now, CryptoWinter remains in place for now. Moon Overlord on Twitter tweets: "$ETH is hard forking to reduce the block reward size from 3 -> 2 in a week or less and everyone is asleep at the wheel" which I totally agree, but the Market is dictating the current pulse. I don't HODL ETH but believe they'll rebound in due course with the others. I'm also noting this particular tweet thread on @QWQiao and many have valid questions regarding AML/KYC in regard to crypto exchanges and conventional financial institutions per-transaction. Indeed, there are blockchain visionaries eyeing this exact thing in the not-so-distant future to allow a token proving compliance and compatible with exchanges and institutions around the globe. My question would be how often the token would need be updated past initial approval. Wyoming news? My move there could be even happier, although I wish I could spend more on unwanted crypto.. Another bill clears the Committee! As Caitlin Long mentions in this tweet, the Wyoming bank bill is delayed until this coming Friday. Stay tuned for developments from Cheyenne.

 This is an interesting area I'd love to visit and have noticed this on the map, long ago! Angle Inlet, although remote, even has it's own airport. You can get there by boat in the Summer, ice road on the Lake in the Winter, and by road through Manitoba, Canada as the story correctly notes. Mind you, I've been to Minnesota a bunch of times since I lived four miles from its' southern border, even got a seat belt ticket in Minneapolis from their socialist "seat belt specialist" trooper, fresh from either the military or the academy years ago, they wasting resources putting local cops on bridges to aid in these spoils so there's more money to pay the "gimmes." Now you understand why I went out of my way to cast my vote for Ron Paul in Iowa's 2011 Straw Poll, denying a vote for Pawlenty, who I think is spending time in the Inner Beltway in a different role than Governor. You see, Tim voted for the seat belt law which at the time I believed should've been a personal choice, regardless of the circumstances. Today, I'm not so concerned about these laws, but I don't embrace them, either! Even with my work safety background, I grudgingly follow them away from the workplace and always despise radio and television annoucements of crackdowns on seat belt violators. It's not a Darwin Awards wish I want granted as there are instances where those who were belted properly were still killed in accidents, including one child in my former Russellville, AR who over a decade ago was ejected from his seat, despite evidence of having been buckled! You think us former News Directors smile and simply forget these tragedies?? Furthermore, it's not even the seat belt I protest, but the damned shoulder strap which until recently would cause pain on my left clavicle or collarbone. I broke that twice rodeoing during '88. Understand, I have NO, repeating, NO regrets whatsoever on trying my hand in that rough-ass sport of bronc riding. It was challenging in the utmost sense and I swore to savor those moments, both good and bad. Hells Bells! One of the rodeo songs I wrote has a line or two in it where a contestant is on the phone at the Vegas NFR with his mother on the other end, The final Round 10 with the Eliminator Pen with the Best of the Best awaiting, she almost cusses him as she doesn't want her boy to be ridin' that "crazy hoss!" and he lies to her "I wears a safety belt, of course!" Yes, I plan on placing a copyright on the strongly-blues-themed tune after my move. I have so much to do right now! Rather than ca$hing them out, I even chose to move four entire days of paid-time-off to later this year so I'll have extra time to do some things while still employed here in the Panhandle. Only those in my Inner Orbit will know in advance when my move is to happen. It will very likely not be advertised here on the Blog. That's it for now, sparing Breaking News, I should have an update next weekend.

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

-----------------------------------------------------------

1-10-19
Greetings, y'all,

The BEAR is still there! Overnight, Bitcoin corrected and erased recent gains, down nearly 6% to 3775. The good news is that the frequency which this occurs is way less than before. The bears are losing their panache, so give this more time to play out. I remain bullish into the mid and long term.

The Wyoming Blockchain Coalition has a special invitation to cryptoenthusiasts around and close to Cheyenne. They'll host a Cocktail Party on Thursday, January 10, 2019 5:30PM – 7:00PM at the Cheyenne Depot Museum, 121 West 15th Street. No RSVP needed. Hear from CEOs of blockchain companies that have already created jobs in Wyoming and those considering making the move! I wish I could make it, but it's work, work, WORK for now. Stablecoins may be considered a form of money transmission under Texas law contends Charles Cooper, Texas Banking Commissioner in a memo published Wednesday. This development could be interesting for some in the Lone Star State, a place in danger of being left out of cryptocurrency progression. To their credit, Texas continues to have lawmakers attempting to have civil asset forfeiture addressed strongly, as they should have done since the Tenaha incidents. For now, it still costs too damn much for the racket of hiring attorneys to defend one's property, improperly STOLEN by the state or their county and local underlings in the first place. When these agencies are forced to pay for their mistakes, including any and all attorney's fees, then we'll quickly see an end to this mess! Cryptocurrency exchange Kracken tweeted out their annual compliance graph which gives decent insight as to an overbearing government when Congre$$ fails to do their work toward addressing regulation and acceptance of cryptos, instead of accepting more dinosaur banker money to their campaigns! As noted in the thread's comments, Binance has moved to the Mediterranean island (and very crypto-friendly) of Malta. Earlier today, I finally added some litecoin to my holdings. They're there for the future and as of this posting, has risen over 5% in 4 hours. I predicted in a tweet to Max Keiser of BTC cracking 4k, which it did under an hour afterward. It's remained over 4k and I think 4.4k may be next in the cards. Finally, Gab portal has its' Coinbase access revoked for the second time since December, this includes the personal account of founder Andrew Torba. Apparently, some powerful people are doing some arm-twisting, giving greater arguments to decentralized exchanges, since politics have clearly entered the space through the on-ramps and off-ramps of conventional exchanges, under greater scrutiny in part due to the regulation which may well try to kill it. When the bankers screw things up, they pay a huge fine and it remains business as usual. With these exchanges, I'm willing to wager their people go to prison. It's apparently the $$ trail and I'm predicting we'll pay greater fees for these exchanges to remain operational, due to these increasing compliance requirements. It's high time Americans in this space begin to demand Congre$$ get with it and start doing their jobs, instead of all the ongoing vicious drama elsewhere that threatens to further divide this nation. That's it for now, so thanks for visiting! Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

-----------------------------------------------------------

1-2-19
Greetings, y'all and welcome to 2019!
 All 2018 posts can be found on the linked 2018 above in the page's introduction, the same for 2017. You're welcomed to pop some corn and read through for predictions I made which did and didn't come true. I've had my share.

 Bitcoin Electrum wallet users, read this post right away! Phishers want to install malware that may trick YOU the user into downloading their crap, disguised as updated versions of Electrum. It's being done via an richtext error message, sent by the server. It appears very legit, but IGNORE IT until a fix is made. Unfortunately, there have reportedly been dozens of hostile servers put up, increasing chances of a user getting royally screwed. ZeroHedge had this article on the Dark Wallet Puzzle, the first known cryptopuzzle. Expect more of this emerging art form to appear, and think of the $$ one can make! That's why some of you visit my humble Blog, so think of those New Year's Resolutions that you gain from. An interesting read, indeed! Finally, the THIRD of January is Proof Of Keys Day! It will prove if you're a true HODLer or not. How is this? You entrust your exchange too much with YOUR coins. I've preached about this issue throughout the course of this Blog, including it's first year. If you possess your private key(s) for the coin(s) you own, then you indeed OWN them! Otherwise, if you depend on your exchange to be your bank, then you're begging to suffer the fate of many others before you, some who are damned bitter and even hostile toward this space. It's so needless and learning how to secure your coins makes you way the hell more powerful going forth, especially if the exchanges you're involved with happen to be gambling through hypothecation or the futures market. As Caitlin Long mentioned recently on the Keiser Report, one having their keys effectively insulates them from such harm. Stop being a light bulb, ready to get screwed! Read up on this matter on the above link. Until the weekend or breaking news, HODL on and stay tuned!

Gracias & Alles Liebe,
Mark

-----------------------------------------------------------