The Market, Energy, And Political Page, Part 2, T+68 -- October 25, 2018

Jobs. Link here.

• forecast: 212K
• actual: 215K

Silver coins. A few weeks ago I was looking for a couple of silver coins. The two that I wanted were "sold out" or otherwise unavailable (or very, very expensive) at the "big sites." We have one of the biggest coin shows in Grapevine, Texas, every other month or so, and the coins I was looking for, were unavailable there, also. So, I ordered, over the internet, from an independent dealer, as they say, and got the coins for less than half price of the going rate. I received the package two weeks ago (?) but I didn't open it until a couple of days ago (I actually forgot all about them). I looked at the return address. It came from "M____ Plumbing, Inc." I won't disclose the address but suffice it to say it came from the far west United States, but not the west coast. And not Montana or Idaho.

Technology is wonderful. Using google maps, I checked out the address. This is the screenshot of the map where "M____ Plumbing, Inc." is located and a screenshot from street level. What a great country. Nothing ceases to amaze me any more.

By the way, "M_____ Plumbing, Inc." does not show up on any google searches. 

Internet of Things. Nothing ceases to amaze me any more. Yesterday morning, I had an appointment at an undisclosed location for undisclosed reasons about which I may write at a later date. I arrived at 5:35 a.m. For a 6:00 a.m. "appointment." Very austere ante-room.  A very long service counter. A few faux leather-covered chairs. A flat-screen television on a side wall.  I thought I had walked into 2001: Space Odyssey  -- not the movie set, but the real thing, except now, 2021: Twenty Years Later. It's here: the internet of internets and daily life. At least it's here in north Texas. 

The concierge was incredibly efficient. Maybe ten words (I exaggerate) but that's all that were needed.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by my first name (or maybe she said "Mr ...." -- I forget; it doesn't matter). I walked up to the counter -- pristine -- the counter was so white, the touchscreen monitor (monitor only; no keyboard, no mouse, no separate CPU) so white; the floor, so white; the walls so white, everything just blended into one huge white space -- she asked for three plastic cards that I carry in my billfold. One at a time, both sides, the cards were slipped into a credit-card-size slot and the monitor responded, "Scanning ... Scanning .... Scanned."

After those three cards were scanned, front and back, then several screens followed that displayed my entire life, or at least that part of my life that mattered to the concierge at that point in time. [Anyone who thinks the government doesn't know everything about you...]

One of the cards was my Texas driver's license. I remarked to the concierge that it was amazing that so much information was on my driver's license. She said, "No, very little is on your driver's license, but once we have your name, the [internet of things] scans the universe for any data that is relevant for our purposes."

I was led to another room by May Belle. The door closed, and all I thought was, "Hal, open the door." 

Blackchain, to the best of my knowledge, is not yet being used for much/most/all of the internet of internets but it's coming. And it's going to be wonderful. 

Two hours later, "Hal" opened the door. The only thing lacking: a gift shop that sold silver coins or hand guns. This is north Texas.

Quick: speaking of north Texas, in what city did the wedding in Rocky Horror Picture Show take place?


Time Warp, Rocky Horror Picture Show Answer: Denton, Texas

This weekend our oldest granddaughter has a water polo tournament in .... Denton, TX.