Thursday, April 27
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
Canadian and British-based company First Hydrogen has unveiled a new concept for a zero-emission recreational vehicle (RV) that uses fuel cell technology. Developed in partnership with German engineering services provider EDAG Group, the RV concept illustrates how First Hydrogen explores how fuel cell electric technology could be applied to larger vehicles.
One of the primary benefits of using fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for RVs is their ability to cover larger ranges and manage heavier payloads than equivalent battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
RVs often travel long distances, often into wilderness areas far from refueling or charging infrastructure. Therefore, the long-range capability is especially appealing, and refueling an FCEV takes mere minutes, approximately the same amount of time as refueling a petrol or diesel vehicle.
In contrast, recharging electric vehicles can take hours, restricting the freedom that van life demands. FCEVs are also well-suited for running auxiliary loads such as cookers and water boilers, often required in recreational vehicles.
Using a fuel cell powertrain would positively affect the environment by reducing harmful emissions and noise compared to a traditional ICE. Additionally, an FCEV could travel longer distances, carry heavier payloads, and refuel in a matter of minutes, much like a gas or diesel vehicle.
First Hydrogen has not disclosed the estimated range for its Gen 2 vehicle, but the first-generation van is designed to cover between 249 and 373 miles (400 and 600 km) on a single refueling, which takes only five minutes.
First Hydrogen recently unveiled images of its Gen 2 LCV concept, which features off-road lighting, a front winch, and what appears to be a solar panel on the roof. Although no roof rack is visible in the images, the spacious interior could accommodate large gear such as a kayak, and the vehicle could be quickly converted into a comfortable camping site. READ MORE...
Wednesday, April 26
FBI Gets Involved With Disney
![](https://www.disneydining.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-21T141344.425-620x330.png)
FBI Gets Involved in Disney’s “Plans” to Move to a New State, Federal Charges Filed
Federal charges were filed after the FBI was forced to get involved in Disney’s “plans” to move to another state.
This week, evening news programs and websites are teeming with stories and posts about the Walt Disney World Resort packing up and moving to another state in response to the escalating feud between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida lawmakers, and The Walt Disney Company.
Millions of online users are searching terms associated with Disney World moving away from Florida–and for good reason.
On Wednesday, North Carolina State Senator Michael Garrett filed a bill called “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act,” seeking $750,000 for the creation of a committee to determine how to attract The Walt Disney Company and its Central Florida theme Park Resort to the state of North Carolina.
Some say North Carolina is the perfect place for Disney World to relocate. Others say the best place for Disney World to move to is the state of Virginia. And some say there’s no way the Disney World Resort would/could be moved to another state.
But this isn’t the first time other states have invited Disney to relocate. In April 2022, similar sentiments in favor of Disney and opposed to Gov. Ron DeSantis were expressed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who tweeted an offer of asylum to Mickey and Minnie in the early weeks of the Disney vs. DeSantis war, extending an invitation for Disney to pack its bags and head to the Centennial State.
On Wednesday, North Carolina State Senator Michael Garrett filed a bill called “Mickey’s Freedom Restoration Act,” seeking $750,000 for the creation of a committee to determine how to attract The Walt Disney Company and its Central Florida theme Park Resort to the state of North Carolina.
Some say North Carolina is the perfect place for Disney World to relocate. Others say the best place for Disney World to move to is the state of Virginia. And some say there’s no way the Disney World Resort would/could be moved to another state.
But this isn’t the first time other states have invited Disney to relocate. In April 2022, similar sentiments in favor of Disney and opposed to Gov. Ron DeSantis were expressed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who tweeted an offer of asylum to Mickey and Minnie in the early weeks of the Disney vs. DeSantis war, extending an invitation for Disney to pack its bags and head to the Centennial State.
Only days later, a judge in South Texas extended a warm and welcoming “howdy, y’all” to The Walt Disney Company, inviting the company to pack up, head west, and plant Disney roots deep in the heart of Texas. READ MORE...
President Biden's Tax Plan
President Biden's Tax Plan would involve the following:
- tax increases for corporations
- tax increases for high income earners
Outcomes:
- 335,000 jobs would be lost due to these tax increases
- there would be a 7% reduction in economic output
- there would be an unknown % increase in prices
KNOWN FACT:
Wealthy Individuals and Wealthy Corporations create jobs... jobs ARE NOT created by the middle class or the poor class in the USA
AVERAGE WAGE IN USA : $60, 575
There are 5,300,000 millionaires in USA
There are 770 billionaires in USA
2% of the population are millionaires/billionaires
300,000,000 people in the USA
Corporations in USA
Employees # of Businesses
100 or less 153,318
101 - 249 89,578
250 - 499 33, 537
500 or moe 19, 218
Biden's tax plan is to tax the 2% of the US population in order to give more benefits to the 98% of the US population.
Question: Do you think this will piss off the 2%?
Question: If they are pissed off what do you think that they will do?
OPINION:
First -- It it my belief that the most (but not all) of the millionaires and billionaires will be pissed off and if their money is not in offshore bank accounts it soon will be so that this does not happen again...
Second -- Most (but no all) companies will invest in AI/Robots as quickly as possible, so that they can reduce their workforce as quickly and as dramatically as they can...
Third -- Companies will reduce their production, and raise their prices to pay for the increase in prices so that their BOTTOM LINES are not impacted and their EPS and dividends to stock holders remain the same...
FOURTH -- There will be supply chain problems that when coupled with the reduced production will cause prices in increase substantially...
FIFTH -- There will be a global impact of this on the global community causing more countries to stop trading in US dollars...
SIXTH -- The stock market will not like any of this and will begin a gradual decline as the marketplace spins out of control...
SEVENTH -- Some of Biden's Revenues will increase the movement toward Green Energy but that industry will not be hiring any of the unemployed workers for two reasons:
1. they are not trained properly
2. it will be cheaper to use robots
Saudi Arabia Will No Longer Use the US Dollar
The first lesson you learn in economics is there are always tradeoffs.
For instance, if your country announces it’s banning gas by 2035 it will force oil-producing countries to scramble in search of new alternative revenue streams.
Enter Saudi Arabia: they are breaking ties with the U.S. dollar and joining the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a massive trade bloc that trades in yuan.
Here’s the score if you aren’t keeping track:
- Crafting connections with China, a superpower rival to the U.S. ✅
- Creating a new financial system away from the dollar ✅
As their Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman recently told associates last year, “[we] are no longer interested in pleasing the United States.”
This is the biggest story of the year.
Was losing U.S. hegemony part of his plan?
![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:600/1*2IofqVw1CuqGJoErhjyBKQ.jpeg)
Image from Wikimedia Commons
The free ride of the dollar is over. The world can’t sustain it.
Since 1933, the U.S. dollar has lost 92% of its domestic purchasing power. It doesn’t help that almost half of global trade is based on this volatile gumshoes system.
It’s led to events like the British pound flash crashing against the dollar and now fucking the UK economy beyond repair:
- Rampant inflation (10.4%), which the central bank is not controlling
- Daily strikes in the UK as people aren’t getting paid enough
- Real estate is overpriced for mostly everyone forcing them to rent for the rest of their lives
Lost access to the EU economy through Brexit
But it wasn’t just Biden; the entire U.S. financial system — that led to the crashes of 2008, 2020, and 2023 — was ignored by both parties.
Americans think in quarter-long windows and take military and economic supremacy for granted. Countries like Saudi Arabia, India, China, and Russia are looking at the long-term picture, figuring out ways to reduce their reliance on U.S. dollars.
Was it self-sabotage or hubris that got America to its current state?
I don’t know, mate. But we’ve squandered our advantage, and now?
Tuesday, April 25
Stunning Collapse of US Dollar
(Kitco News) Markets need to pay closer attention to the de-dollarization trend since the greenback is losing its power as a reserve currency faster than many analysts are noticing, according to Stephen Jen, CEO and co-CIO of Eurizon SLJ Capital.
The dollar's loss of its reserve currency status accelerated last year when the greenback was used against Moscow as part of the sanction package after Russia invaded Ukraine. In 2022, the USD's share as a global reserve currency fell at ten times the average pace of the past 20 years, Jen said in a report.
"The dollar suffered a stunning collapse in 2022 in its market share as a reserve currency, presumably due to its muscular use of sanctions," Jen wrote. "Exceptional actions taken by the U.S. and its allies against Russia have startled large reserve-holding countries, most of which are from the Global South."
According to Jen's calculations, the greenback's share of official global reserve currencies dropped from 73% in 2001 to about 55% in 2021. And in 2022, it tumbled to 47% of total global reserves.
Coordinated sanctions against Russia alerted many countries, pushing them to seek currency alternatives — for trade settlements and reserve build-up.
"It seems reasonable to speculate that the main driver of the collapse in USD's reserve status in 2022 may have reflected a panicked reaction to property rights being jeopardised. What we witnessed in 2022 was sort of a 'defund-the-global-police' moment, whereby many reserve managers in the world disagreed with the conduct of both Russia and the U.S.," the note said. READ MORE...
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