Financial topics

[wvbill]

Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) gives award for Generational Dynamics

On Tuesday, I received word that Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) will award me as one of six winners (out of 160 submissions) of its 2010 Leading Edge Forum Papers program.

Congratulations, John! A well deserved recognition.

Of course, we here very much appreciate all your work.

Bill

I wanted to post in this thread, since i feel it is the most read -- thanks for your work, John.

[John]

On CNBC this morning, Art Cashin said that what's puzzling investors
right now is low volume. He said that the S&P went above 1150, "but
where's the short covering"?

This could be a sign that all the dilettant shorts have finally been
driven out of the market, and that any shorts that are left are people
who are absolutely certain that they're going to make money, and
they're willing to hold out.

John

[aedens]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/worl ... -1.1013151

Compression

[OLD1953]

John, congratulations on the award from CSC, it's always good to be recognized for your efforts.

There are some oddities in the Iranian nuclear program reports that I don't understand, among other things, where are they getting the raw material? If they are burning coal and trapping fly ash, that's one possibility, or processing phosphate rock that's already been concentrated by the processes for removing phosphorus for fertilizer. Both of those are sources that are available in most countries, but require a fair bit of preprocessing to get the uranium out. In the case of fly ash, quite a bit of processing could be done with centrifugal dryers that were set up to skim the heaviest material off as it was dried. Krebs cyclones might be useful for that, if properly adjusted and if the material was wet enough going in for high speed pumping. Does Iran burn coal and exhibit concern about fly ash?

Certainly, any attack on Iran will send oil prices spiraling as Goldman Sachs and their ilk work the commodities markets for profit. I don't believe the SEC has yet cancelled the letters they wrote giving GS and about 20 others permission to speculate in the oil market without restriction, as their large investments make them the equivalent of producers. (Yes, I gagged writing that last.)

I've now done a bit of research on the Iranian possibilities for uranium production inside Iran without using outside sources. Evidence is pretty clear that they can do it and probably are. To start off, they do produce and use coal, and they do trap fly ash in their coal burning plants.

http://paguntaka.org/2009/11/21/product ... h-october/

They produce fly ash and sell a "refined better than standard" product.

http://www.ecplaza.net/tradeleads/selle ... lower.html

It would be very interesting to have an analysis of the uranium in that fly ash they are selling. Typical fly ash has a percentage of uranium of about 100ppm up.

They also produce phosphates and given their watchfulness about Israel, I'd wager they are also attempting the same processes Israel is using on the phosphates from Negev.

http://www.bizearch.com/company/Iran_Ph ... 352516.htm

http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countri ... anium.html

And that's the explanation for the "mystery" uranium processing plant that popped up late last year, and nobody knew where the uranium was going to come from. It was to be local uranium, concentrated from fly ash or phosphate rocks.

None of the above constitutes proof of anything except potential, of course, but given the existence of uranium processing facilities much larger than any known supply of uranium, it's fairly evident they have at least considered the production of uranium from non traditional sources.

[John]

With regard to the current low-volume stock market rally, one pundit
said this: "You have trillions of dollars on the sidelines, and money
managers only have a couple hundred million dollars left, so something
has to break soon."

Could someone tell me what this means?

John

[aedens]

Costly but Viable it appears, Also we speculate the Yellow Cake issue in Iraq was all acounted for that was sold to the Canadians for there sodium based reactors.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/07/iraq.u ... index.html
"A Pentagon official who asked not to be named said that third country was Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean where the United Kingdom and the United States operate a joint military base."
Although Diego Garcia is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, it is used by the US as a military base under an agreement made in 1971. The agreement led to 2,000 native islanders being forcibly evicted to the Seychelles and Mauritius.
Aedens

John, congratulations on the award from CSC, it's always good to be recognized for your efforts.

There are some oddities in the Iranian nuclear program reports that I don't understand, among other things, where are they getting the raw material? If they are burning coal and trapping fly ash, that's one possibility, or processing phosphate rock that's already been concentrated by the processes for removing phosphorus for fertilizer. Both of those are sources that are available in most countries, but require a fair bit of preprocessing to get the uranium out. In the case of fly ash, quite a bit of processing could be done with centrifugal dryers that were set up to skim the heaviest material off as it was dried. Krebs cyclones might be useful for that, if properly adjusted and if the material was wet enough going in for high speed pumping. Does Iran burn coal and exhibit concern about fly ash?

Certainly, any attack on Iran will send oil prices spiraling as Goldman Sachs and their ilk work the commodities markets for profit. I don't believe the SEC has yet cancelled the letters they wrote giving GS and about 20 others permission to speculate in the oil market without restriction, as their large investments make them the equivalent of producers. (Yes, I gagged writing that last.)

I've now done a bit of research on the Iranian possibilities for uranium production inside Iran without using outside sources. Evidence is pretty clear that they can do it and probably are. To start off, they do produce and use coal, and they do trap fly ash in their coal burning plants.

http://paguntaka.org/2009/11/21/product ... h-october/

They produce fly ash and sell a "refined better than standard" product.

http://www.ecplaza.net/tradeleads/selle ... lower.html

It would be very interesting to have an analysis of the uranium in that fly ash they are selling. Typical fly ash has a percentage of uranium of about 100ppm up.

They also produce phosphates and given their watchfulness about Israel, I'd wager they are also attempting the same processes Israel is using on the phosphates from Negev.

http://www.bizearch.com/company/Iran_Ph ... 352516.htm

http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countri ... anium.html

And that's the explanation for the "mystery" uranium processing plant that popped up late last year, and nobody knew where the uranium was going to come from. It was to be local uranium, concentrated from fly ash or phosphate rocks.

None of the above constitutes proof of anything except potential, of course, but given the existence of uranium processing facilities much larger than any known supply of uranium, it's fairly evident they have at least considered the production of uranium from non traditional sources.

[aedens]

With regard to the current low-volume stock market rally, one pundit
said this: "You have trillions of dollars on the sidelines, and money
managers only have a couple hundred million dollars left, so something
has to break soon."

Could someone tell me what this means?

John

In the long run there is no unpopular government . Quote from Ludwig Von Mises
It was also refered to as the shadow army in a beltway report. In my opinion
only the aversion process takes longer then we wish to observe. I have noted
that the republican are non viable and from floor dialog from 2005 in the Senate
I trend to agree. Compression from many sides since Americans voters are pressing
local issues. I have interviewed some local township supervisors who are teaming
up with Men and Women of character who are pressing questions in integrity.
Until this wave washes away the problems I cannot see change of integrity
plagueing this nation since inside is change and all politics are local.
If any time in your life look local to avert further decay to rebuild in this
predicated cycle. I know this may not clarify much to many since as you
have conveyed what ideology does to the brain John. Also, I wish to
convey thanks and best wishes on your dedication to the people of your work
in which you have in humility pursued. Thank you John.... Never give up...

[reviresco]

"...Men and Women of character ... are pressing questions in integrity.
Until this wave washes away the problems I cannot see change of integrity
plagueing this nation since inside is change and all politics are local."
Aedens

I remember someone else writing something similar a couple hundred years ago:

“….neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend to liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.” Samuel Adams

[John]

> There are some oddities in the Iranian nuclear program reports
> that I don't understand, among other things, where are they
> getting the raw material? If they are burning coal and trapping
> fly ash, that's one possibility, or processing phosphate rock
> that's already been concentrated by the processes for removing
> phosphorus for fertilizer. Both of those are sources that are
> available in most countries, but require a fair bit of
> preprocessing to get the uranium out. In the case of fly ash,
> quite a bit of processing could be done with centrifugal dryers
> that were set up to skim the heaviest material off as it was
> dried. Krebs cyclones might be useful for that, if properly
> adjusted and if the material was wet enough going in for high
> speed pumping. Does Iran burn coal and exhibit concern about fly
> ash?

I don't know all the details of individual ingredients, but I do know
that Russia has been supplying Iran with everything that Iran needs
for its Bushehr nuclear power plant.

John

[Higgenbotham]

With regard to the current low-volume stock market rally, one pundit
said this: "You have trillions of dollars on the sidelines, and money
managers only have a couple hundred million dollars left, so something
has to break soon."

Could someone tell me what this means?

John

"You have trillions of dollars on the sidelines," This means there are trillions of dollars in cash such as CDs, money market funds, etc., that are theoretically available to invest in stocks.

"and money managers only have a couple hundred million dollars left," This means mutual fund money managers only have about $200 billion (I think he means, not million) in cash available to put into stocks. This is a very small amount.

"so something has to break soon." This means if the money doesn't start moving off the sidelines and into stocks...

Same thing we've been talking about for 2 weeks here. Wall Street is trying to suck the public back in (Barton Biggs, etc.) so they can dump their stocks off on them, but the public is not in any mood to get screwed for a third time. If the public is smart enough this time to leave Wall Street holding the bag, the thieves will look to the left and look to the right and then they will panic.

And like you said, the shorts that are left aren't budging.