Above, Boris Karloff as the Monster in a publicity still. Photo by Universal Pictures.
For tonight's New Year's Eve dinner movie, I watched the 1931 Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan. It had been a while since I last viewed it.
Since tomorrow will be 2023, it occurred to me that the movie will be 92 years old as well as Dracula with Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, Edward Van Sloan, David Manners and Dwight Frye.
Above, Edward Van Sloan and Bela Lugosi in a publicity still. Photo by Universal Pictures.
Eight years from next year, both films will be celebrating their centennials. Will Universal Pictures have any whoop-de-doos to celebrate? I'd imagine they will (well, there's money to be made).
I guess I'll have to hang on for eight more years to find out.
Above, circulated Morgan silver dollars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Right now, it appears that silver will have a year-ending spot price of $24 or higher. That's good news. That will have it over 3% higher than when 2022 begain.
What's in store for 2023?
KITCO News has an article of survey results that has investors thinking that silver will go to $38/ounce in 2023.
They begin with:
(Kitco News) - The silver market is preparing to end 2022 on a strong note and bullish sentiment among retail investors indicates the rally is just getting started.
This past year has been fairly volatile for the silver market as rising inflation forced the Federal Reserve to aggressively raise interest rates, driving bond yields to a 10-year high and the U.S. dollar to a 20-year high.
During a lackluster summer, silver prices fell to a multi-year low below $18 an ounce; however, shifting expectations surrounding the Federal Reserve's monetary policy stance propelled the grey metal higher in the fourth quarter.
Silver has rallied nearly 38% from its August lows as it looks to end the year just below $24 an ounce. According to Kitco News' latest 2023 Outlook Survey, retail investors see even higher prices through 2023.
This past week 1,482 people participated in Kitco News' online survey, asking investors where they see silver prices by the end of the year. On average retail investors see silver prices rising to $38 an ounce.
Sentiment among retail investors is also significantly more bullish than indicated by the headline number. Only 85 participants, roughly 5% of the vote, said they saw silver prices ending 2023 below $23 an ounce.
Meanwhile, nearly 48% of participants expected silver prices to end the year higher than $38 an ounce.
Above, at the HHS 50ish Multi-Class Reunion with Debbie and Karen.
As a year, 2022 wasn't too bad of a year for me.
The main problem with the year was the high gasoline prices that swept the nation. This forced me to skip the spring clampout of the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus. It would have cost me over $500 in fuel costs for the round trip.
Above, at the fall clampout of the Lost Dutchman Chapter, ECV.
However, prices did moderate enough for me to go to the fall clampout near Williams, Arizona. The prices moderated enough for more trips, albeit nearer to home.
My ex-roommate, Jessica, came over for a visit and we took a camping trip up to Durango, Colorado to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train to Silverton and Bar D Chuckwagon show & dinner and do some boating at Navajo Lake State Park.
Above, Jessica and I at the Bar D Chuckwagon dinner and show in Durango.
I then took another trip to Colorado to attend the John Wayne Cancer Foundation's half marathon near Ridgway, where scenes of True Grit (1969) were filmed. There, I met Patrick and Ethan Wayne, the two living sons of John Wayne.
Above, yours truly with Patrick Wayne near Ridgway, Colorado.
After that, I headed up to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park for a few days and took the Goulding's Lodge morning tour of Monument Valley. The route of the tour was different than the afternoon tour I took in 2016, which made the trip more enjoyable as I was able to see the park's features from different perspectives.
Above, yours truly at Artist's Point in Monument Valley.
In September, I made the first trip to L.A. since I moved to New Mexico for the Hawthorne High School 50ish Multi-Class Reunion in El Segundo. I had a nice time and during the trip I visited with Dawn Brown in the San Fernando Valley for a bit after arriving.
Above, at Pancho's with Mark Holloway, Mitch Geriminsky and Dwight Kuntz.
I was able to go to Manhattan Beach for dinner at Pancho's and King Harbor in Redondo Beach. It still looked the same and the food was good. Mark Holloway joined Mitch, Dwight and I there. Mark was another Hawthorne High classmate.
It was sad to see how deteriorated California had become under Democrat and Gov. Gavin Newsom's rule. I really couldn't wait to get back home to New Mexico. Gas prices were over $5.00/gallon. Some stations charged over $6.00/gallon. Pitiful.
At home, I attended all of the rodeos during the summer, including the Wild Thing Bullriding at Red Rock Park. They were all entertaining.
Above, Mitch and I at King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Photo by Dwight Kuntz.
The vehicles (Mustang, Jeep and Minnie Winnie) behaved themselves for most of the year with the only mechanical need was for fix the Mustang's starting issue earlier this month. It turned out that the problem was the distributor cable to the coil was badly corroded.
Above, with cousin Maria and her husband Fred at the El Rancho Hotel.
Other visitors this year included Larry Bach, Mitch Geriminsky and Dwight Kuntz and my cousin Maria and her husband Fred. It was especially nice to have family members over for the first time since I moved to New Mexico.
Hopefully, next year will be just as good or even better than this year.
My recent episode concerning counterfeit "silver" coins hasn't soured me on coin collecting. Instead, it was a good teachable lesson. Only buy from known and trusted dealers and "if a deal is too good to be true, it usually is." Don't ignore red flags. Criminals are out there just waiting to victimize people.
Today is the last investment trading day of the year. This year has flown by.
Will the spot price of silver close out the year at or over $24/ounce? Currently, it is at $24/ounce.
If it does, it will end 3% higher than when 2022 began. It begs the question, where will prices go in 2023?
Elections have consequences, especially when those elected are idiot Democrats.
The latest, as reported by Piñon Post, is that they want to raise New Mexico's minimum wage to the highest amount in the U.S.
According to the article:
Despite even mainstream news organizations shining a light on the harmful ramifications of the newly increased $12 per hour minimum wage, Democrats in the state legislature are doubling down on their attempts to raise the wage even higher.
State Rep. Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos), who chairs the New Mexico House Taxation and Revenue Committee, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that she is “introducing a bill to raise the minimum wage to $16 per hour by January 2024, which would be the highest statewide minimum wage in the country.”
The outlet further reported, “Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Albuquerque, also plans to introduce minimum or ‘living wage’ legislation raising it above $15 per hour.”
“Fifteen dollars might not be enough for a living wage,” she said. “Right now I’m leaning toward something higher than $15.”
Currently, the highest minimum wage in the country is in California at $15 per hour.
How does $15 for a filet-o-fish, medium fries and a medium Coke sound to you? This is the likely result if the lunatics get their way. Real inflation-fighters, aren't they?
Counterfeit collector coins appears to be on the rise. It looks like much of it originates from China, as mine did.
Numismatic News posted an article on this problem with information on what to do about it.
They begin with:
Looking to buy gold and silver, “Oliver,” an investor in Texas, responded to advertisements on Facebook from two companies that touted exceptionally low “introductory offer” prices for silver and gold bullion coins.
He paid $1,000 and now is trying to get his money back because the “gold coin” and all 50 “silver coins” he received are counterfeits apparently made in China, according to the non-profit Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF).
“I started suspecting they were not genuine when tracking information for my orders was in Chinese,” said Oliver. “That was a red flag. I also saw the same advertisement online with the same format and same pricing but with different company names. When I received the orders, I thought I had gotten taken.”
At the time he placed his order, a 1-ounce United States Mint-produced American gold Eagle would have been priced at about $1,950. He paid $499 but got a counterfeit. Each of the 50 1-ounce American silver Eagle coins he ordered should have sold for about $40 each, a total of about $2,000 for 50 genuine examples. Oliver paid $499.98 for 50 but received only fakes.
He now is working with his credit card companies to reverse the charges on his two purchases and is assisting the ACEF to alert investigators and the public.
It looks like "Oliver" dealt with the same crooks as I did. The circumstances are the same. Fortunately, I only bought two coins. Thanks to this article, I filed a report with ACEF.
Facebook could be liable. "Oliver's" fraud matter took place before July (at least), yet Facebook allowed the ads to continue into December. I am sure they had been notified and but did nothing.
Note: Since possession of counterfeit money is illegal, this forced me to file a police report with the local sheriff. They came over and took a report and took possession of the coins. I'd imagine they would (at least they should) refer this matter to the U.S. Secret Service for further action.
Above, dry camping at Chiriaco Summit, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Will RV prices go up or down in 2023?
That is the question posed by RV Travel in an article posted yesterday. For those thinking about buying a new or used RV, the article may be of importance to one's decision-making process.
They begin with:
It is not possible to predict with certainty what will happen to RV prices in 2023. Many factors can affect the price of RVs, such as supply and demand, economic conditions, consumer confidence, and overall market trends. That said, most RV industry experts expect that prices of new RVs will continue to rise in 2023, in part because of inflation. Resale values of used RVs dropped significantly in late 2022, so now might be a good time to buy “used” rather than “new.”
Sales of recreational vehicles have been growing in recent years, with volume increasing steadily, reaching all-time records of more than a half-million units shipped to dealers in 2021.
Ultimately, the direction of RV prices in 2023 will depend on a wide range of variables that are difficult to predict. It is always a good idea to do your own research and consider all of the factors that may affect RV prices before making a purchasing decision.
Above, a geothermal hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
There's a lot of scammers out there. For the past ten hours, I have been dealing with counterfeit "silver" coins that I purchased.
Scams now come in all shapes and sizes.
There's a story about Yellowstone National Park with misinformation being bandied about the park being closed due to an alleged "imminent eruption" of the park's caldera. It is totally bogus.
Oregon Live posted:
Did you hear that Yellowstone National Park is closed? Well, it’s not.
At this point, any time we start a story with ‘did you hear...’ it’s a pretty safe bet that the thing you heard is online misinformation. That’s definitely the case with this one.
It’s true that Yellowstone did close areas last summer due to historic floods in the park. But the current claim circulating online -- that park officials have “closed down the park” due to a rising “volcanic uplift” -- has nothing to do with the very real floods back in June. Also, it isn’t true on any of the facts -- the park remains open, and there are no current signs of any “uplift.”
Claims about an imminent eruption of Yellowstone’s supervolcano pop up online pretty regularly -- and it’s easy to understand why. The Yellowstone caldera has erupted in the distant past, with global consequences, and modern scientists do monitor it for signs of volcanic activity.
That does not, however, mean an eruption is expected any time soon.
It seems that some people have nothing better to do than to spread misinformation and scam people.
There's an old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!"
Recently, I saw an ad on Facebook for a 2021 Morgan Silver Dollar Centennial and 2022 American Silver Eagle coins for $24.99 each.
Here's the ad:
On the good side, the coins arrived.
On the bad side, they looked different from other Morgan dollars and American Eagle coins I have. I was going through my coins tonight and, on a whim, I Googled on how to spot counterfeit American Silver Eagle coins from this site.
Here's the coins:
I tried the magnet test and, sure enough, both coins stuck to the magnet. They're fakes! For the fun of it, I tested the Niue Godzilla silver coin and it passed the test, it didn't stick.
After I ordered the coins, more ads popped up on Facebook under different names but everything else was the same (graphics, text, etc.).
The return address on the shipping package is 12500 Slauson Ave., Unit B1A, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670. It also indicates "not seller address". Yeah, right.
I looked up the address and found it for JET International Logistics US and sent them a notice:
I notified my friends who also bought these coins and they're checking them. I have also posted a notice on a Fraud Alert Facebook group (subject to admin. approval). I have also notified my bank and filed a claim. According to my bank, the payee was Shopwoon in Nanjing, China.
This appears to be a counterfeit ring originating out of China and JET International Logistics US is their distribution center. Dahliasun looks to be a front website under them for the direct sales of the counterfeit coins. Along with counterfeiting, mail fraud is also involved since they're using the USPS in mailing the merchandise and using the USPS logo in their receipts.
At least this wasn't major, I'm only out $50. From hereon, I am sticking with reputable dealers that I already know.
Before the snow on the walkways and driveway turns to ice, I figured I'd better do some snow shoveling.
The snow was nice and soft, so it made the task at hand much easier. While I was out shoveling, I noticed that the road was still covered with snow. Hopefully, it will thaw out before too long. But it will be a wait as it is around 20° outside.
Now that there's daylight outside, I could see better how much snow got dumped overnight.
It appears to be about an inch or two.
The cats outside left plenty of footprints at their food and water containers, so they're okay.
The sky is blue with the storm clouds over in the east of here. My main concern is that the roads here would thaw out enough to drive down to the Flying J to get my mail. As I was in Gallup all day yesterday, I didn't pick up yesterday's mail.
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan released an apology to stranded travelers as the beleaguered airline continues to grapple with what US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has referred to as a complete "meltdown" of the system. In all, Southwest has canceled more than 15,700 flights since winter weather began disrupting air travel on December 22.
To say that Southwest Airlines has a major public relations problem over flight cancellations would be a gross understatement. Industry reports that the airline's system was antiquated and the airline knew that it was. This was years in the making. They chose to pay dividends to stockholders instead of updating their infrastructure, according to other sources.
I think the only flights I took aboard Southwest Airlines was round-trips to Love Field in Dallas last year.
They really owe customers a lot of money for ruining their Christmas vacations. Winter weather problems are one thing, but having their whole flight system going into "meltdown" is quite another. They need to step up and take care of these people or they can expect a huge class action lawsuit.
I am glad that I didn't fly anywhere during this holiday season.
Above, the Laguna Burger at Exit 140 of Interstate 40. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Since my heart episode of July 2018, I have curtailed the consumption of red meats for the most part.
However, I have enjoyed a burger or two since then.
NewsBreak Original posted an article on 4 amazing burger places in New Mexico. Of the four, I have tried burgers from Albuquerque's Laguna Burger. I highly recommend it! They have opened a restaurant at the Route 66 Casino Hotel during the past year or so.
The article begins with:
If you live in New Mexico and you want to try new restaurants, here is a list of four amazing burger places in New Mexico that are well-known for serving absolutely delicious food made with fresh and high-quality ingredients only.
Above, the deck furniture this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
The snow continued overnight here in Jamestown, New Mexico.
The Four Corners region got snow of varying amounts. Looking at the yard, it looks like we got about 1-2 inches of it. But further north of here (166 miles) is Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The park got so much that it had to close.
From The Journal:
Southwest Colorado saw heavy snow overnight and caused the closure of Mesa Verde National Park.
The park closed for the day because of impassable roads, said the park’s deputy superintendent, Bill Nelligan. The Visitor and Research Center, lodges and restaurants are closed for the day.
Morefield Campground got 10 inches of snow overnight, Nelligan said.
One of the park’s two heavy-duty snowplows is broken down, making it more challenging to get ahead of the snow as it piles up, Nelligan said.
Above, the front porch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
The snows will continue over the New Year's weekend and into next week.
Above, the mesas following a storm in February 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Today was spent in Gallup where I took Larry Lucier to his CAT Scan and physical therapy appointments.
It rained in town with some scattered snow showers. It was too warm for the snow to stick and it melted as soon as it hit the ground.
I got home about 20 minutes ago, which was just in time as it started snow showering. We're now under a Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service.
Winter Weather Advisory
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
1044 AM MST Wed Dec 28 2022
NMZ204>206-290300-
/O.CON.KABQ.WW.Y.0026.000000T0000Z-221229T1600Z/
Northwest Highlands-West Central Plateau-West Central Mountains-
1044 AM MST Wed Dec 28 2022
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM MST
THURSDAY...
* WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations up to 3 inches. Winds
gusting as high as 35 mph. Snow may mix with rain at times today
before changing to all snow this evening.
* WHERE...Northwest Highlands, West Central Mountains, and West
Central Plateau.
* WHEN...Until 9 AM MST Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Plan on snow packed or icy road conditions. This
includes portions of I-40 and Highway 550. The hazardous
conditions could impact this evening`s and Thursday morning
commutes.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Slow down and use caution while traveling. For the latest road
conditions, dial 511 or 1.800.432.4269, or visit http://nmroads.com.
If you have been reading my blog posts on gold and silver (mainly silver), you'll note that the term "spot price" has been used.
What is exactly is spot price?
From Investopedia:
The spot price is the current price in the marketplace at which a given asset—such as a security, commodity, or currency—can be bought or sold for immediate delivery.
For example, silver has a spot price around $24/ounce. I recently purchased two coins at $24.99 each (see ad above for one of them that I found on Facebook). That is roughly a dollar above silver's spot price. This made the purchase such a great deal. I try to buy silver coins as close to the current spot price of silver as possible.
One collects coins and bullion as an investment. They are held indefinitely or until the market spot prices makes it desirable (i.e., profitable) to sell. With that aside, I collect coins that I like.
Last week, while heading to Lake Havasu, Arizona to spend Christmas with friends, I stopped at a McDonalds restaurant in Kingman for a bite.
I ordered a filet-o-fish, medium French fries and a small Coke. The total cost was over $11.00. We can thank liberals and other radical do-gooders for this. Why do I lay the blame on them? It is due to the ridiculous $12.80/hour minimum wage they've imposed on businesses in Arizona. This is definitely adding to our current inflation problems.
In New Mexico, the minimum wage is set to rise again this coming Sunday.
Having a so-called "living wage" may sound delightful, but it comes at a big cost. That cost is high prices and it comes right out of your wallet. Besides that, it forces businesses to find ways to cut costs and that is hurting workers.
From the Piñon Post:
This Sunday, New Mexico’s minimum wage is set to increase to $12.00 per hour or 50 cents more than the current wage. The new wage will be mandated beginning the first day of the New Year. Despite leftists using increases in the minimum wage to claim it is for social justice reasons, the increase will harm businesses and workers.
Mainstream TV station KOAT 7 even admits it, writing that the increase will result in “cut hours, automate tasks and demand more.”
For those of us holding gold and silver (along with other precious metals) saw today that China's lifting of COVID restrictions gave precious metals futures a boost in value.
From MSN:
METALS STOCKS
Gold and silver futures settled sharply higher on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar slipped. Copper also jumped on hopes that China lifting COVID-19 restrictions to reopen its economy will boost demand of industrial metals and support the country’s real-estate sector.
Price action
Gold for February delivery rose $18.90, or 1.1%, to settle at $1,823.10 per ounce on Comex. It had traded as high as $1,841.90 in early dealings, the highest intraday level for a most-active contract since June 27, according to FactSet data.
March silver rose 30 cents, or 1.2%, to end at $24.22 per ounce.
Above, the 2021 Morgan Centennial Silver Dollar and 2022 American Silver Eagle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
NOTICE: These coins are counterfeits! I checked them tonight (12/29/22) with a magnet and they stuck. I also compared them to other Morgans and American Eagles and there are differences. Go here.
The 2021 Morgan Silver Dollar 100th anniversary coin and the 2022 American Silver Eagle coin have arrived.
The 2021 Morgan was issued to honor the 100th anniversary of the original Morgan dollar series, which ran from 1878-1904 and 1921.
I was able to get both for $24.99 each, which is a bargain as the current spot price for silver is $24.24/ounce.
I noticed one difference between the 2021 Morgan silver dollar the old ones. There is a pronounced line at the jawline. The old Morgans did not have this. See the photo below.
Above, the jawline is smooth on this 1921 Morgan in AU* grade. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Above, a 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar, a key date coin. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Earlier this month, I ordered a 2021 Morgan Silver dollar and an American Silver Eagle.
The 2021 Morgan silver dollar is a centennial commemorate coin. I just checked and my coins are en route from Gallup.
Numismatic News has an article on this and the old Morgan and Peace dollars. Regular readers of this blog know that I have a big fondness for the Morgan silver dollar.
They begin it with:
In the year 2021, the United States Mint got just about every collector to sit up and take notice when they unveiled the 2021 Morgan and Peace dollars as centennial versions of the two classic series. The ever-present interest in the Morgan and Peace dollars went up a further notch and stayed there as the new versions were unveiled. To the chagrin of many in the collector community, the very next year the official word was that silver from suppliers to the Mint had been disrupted by the COVID pandemic, and there would be no Morgan and Peace dollars dated 2022. That announcement got many of us thinking that the 2021’s were going to be a one-hit wonder or the proverbial flash in the pan, and thus the dust settled a bit. But right now, the Mint is planning to release a set of 2023 Morgan and Peace dollars – probably with the same wealth of mint marks or privy marks as before – and this means we might be at the beginning of a new series. Whether this will grow over time to something as established and respected as the silver Eagles is still a mystery. But the time may indeed be ripe to look at collecting the classic Morgan and Peace dollars, or if we have already done so, at examining just what might still qualify as a good deal.
It is hard to believe that it was 49 years ago yesterday that William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist opened for general release. The release date was December 26, 1973.
A friend and I went about a week or two later to see it at the Mann National Theater in Westwood near UCLA. The lines for the movie wrapped around the block the theater was on (more like an island). The National opened on March 27,1970 and was demolished in January 2008.
While we stood in line, we met two girls (a blonde and brunette) and we ended up at the Woodland Hills home of one of them after the movie. The brunette was named Sharon. We were in line for about three hours before we saw the movie. The Mann National Theater only had one screen.
I later bought the book version of The Exorcist (I still have it). It was one scary movie and it still holds up well.
Above, the Mann National Theater in Westwood showing The Exorcist.
Back around 1985, my then-girlfriend (and later spouse) and I rode an elevator at work and in the elevator car was Linda Blair.
Then, in 2016, music from The Exorcist (specifically "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield) was played in the helicopter as we toured Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. I made mention of this and the pilot laughed.
Above, the street in front of my Tokyo hotel in 2014. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
The United States wasn't the only country to be hit by powerful winter snowstorms this past weekend.
Many parts of Japan has also been hard hit by snowstorms that killed 17 people and injured over 90.
The U.S. storm(s) have left holiday travelers stranded and flights were either cancelled or delayed. Many flights in Japan were also cancelled or delayed.
When I hear about heavy snows in Japan, they remind me of my February 2014 trip to Japan that had me stranded for nearly 24 hours on a commuter train between Narita Airport and Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture. Two big storms hit Japan during my trip, the first one arriving at the same time my flight did,
According to The Japan Times:
Heavy snow blanketed many parts of Japan on Friday, with some western cities renewing records and the weather agency warning of traffic disruptions, blizzard conditions and high waves.
The Meteorological Agency said it expected the rough weather to continue through Monday, moving from the country’s north and east to the west.
Record snowfall was observed in Shikoku, with Kochi registering 14 centimeters and Tokushima 8 cm in the six hours to 10 a.m.
It seems we usually get snow on or about New Year's Day. Here's some snow shots taken from the past four years. It appears that we're going to get some again this coming New Year's.
%20front.jpg)
%20front.jpg)
