If you’re up for another long read, this is part 2 of my original DD on WSB. Link here for those interested. WSB has been removing my DDs so here I am.
TLDR; there is no tldr. If you are invested in this topic then read the whole thing and make up your mind about what it means to you as you see fit.

My goals from this DD post -

There are a couple of important relevant points about short interest that I don’t see other recent GME DD’s talking about that I would like to bring to the table for discussion. I prefix their titles with “forgotten point”.
I would like to be objective and only present data while avoiding confirmation bias. If you see me biased, feel free to point it out.
Share what I personally think and plan to do moving forward. This is not advice but only my personal opinion.

Short interest data analysis

Preface -

This analysis was written before the SI official report expected on Feb 9; and is based on data from Ortex.
The reason for the above is because whether official numbers turn up equal or lower to estimates, they don’t really affect the points I bring up here.
For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that current short interest data is accurate and that the report reflects real short interest.

Alright, let’s start by looking at a couple metrics available from Ortex, utilization and on loan.

https://preview.redd.it/q5dn66bs7rg61.png?width=3475&format=png&auto=webp&s=67a1a43fc24392f9cdd70de79da13700284dc4fe
Here are definitions provided by Ortex for the data in the chart:
UTILIZATION:
The ratio between the number of shares on loan across all outstanding loans in the wholesale market and the number of shares available for lending at lending programs. 0% means that no shares have been borrowed or lent at these lending programs; 100% means that all shares available to borrow or lend at a lending program have, in fact, been lent. This does not represent the number of shares listed on the exchange that have been lent, because not all listed shares our available for lending; it indicates how much of the supply actually available for lending has been lent. Unless otherwise specified, this is given in decimal format.
SHARES ON LOAN
The current number of shares out on loan
Note that “shares on loan” is less than short interest estimate. This is likely due to naked shorting (regardless whether by MM or otherwise). The difference between those values is ~5M shares, suggesting 5M naked shorted shares but that’s a tangent.

Forgotten point 1: Float shrinks as shorts cover

According to the above definitions, we can deduce the total number of loanable shares by taking the “On Loan” value and dividing it by utilization. This value represents the total number of shares available to loan + loaned out shares, which is the total borrowable float. Aka true float shares minus unavailable to short (e.g cash accounts). We can then come up with the following values.
January 25th -> 48.6M shares January 26th -> 44.7M shares January 27th -> 40M shares January 28th -> 30.2M shares January 29th -> 28M share Feb 8th -> 26M shares

Observations

Utilization remained at 100% until January 28th. It started dropping on the 29th, suggesting shorts covering. This means all the borrowable float was borrowed up until January 28th.
The values above are suggesting that the size of the borrowable float has decreased significantly.

Point (2) above means one of two things. Either:

My original hypothesis that the float shrinks as shorts cover is correct. Some covering has occurred, as a result many synthetic longs disappeared.
OR, a significant number of shares suddenly became unavailable to lend (e.g, people moving their accounts from margin to cash).

I think the latter is unlikely because that would mean retail controls ~1.1B dollars (by current price). Therefore I think the former is what happened thus confirming my hypothesis that the float has shrunk.
This is important because of what I mention in the next section. If you remember my previous DD, I hypothesized that the squeeze should become way more violent as more covering occurs.

Forgotten point 2: Absolute short interest vs (short interest / float) ratio as influencer on squeeze

I’m seeing a lot of posts talking about the absolute value of the current short interest (aka total number of shares sold short). What is surprising me is I don’t see anybody talking about the short/float ratio.
See, whenever a VW comparison was brought up, the smart apes would tend to point out that the reason VW squeeze was very powerful was _not_ because of high short interest, in fact short interest was not high for VW like GME, but specifically because of the ratio of (shares sold short / available float to buy).
See, this is basically supply and demand. The higher this ratio is, the higher demand is and the higher a price would rise during a squeeze.
In case of VW, I’ve seen references of that ratio being ~12. To put this into perspective, for each 12 buyers there is 1 seller (assuming both parties are buying and selling 1 stock each for simplicity). Now let’s compare to GME.

Before recent events

If you read my original post, you’ll see the data was suggesting that the short / float ratio was around 2:1 at best, 1.4:1 at worst.
- Although this value was not very high, I speculated that this ratio would increase as shorts start covering because theoretically synthetic longs should start to disappear from the float as they cover in turn reducing the total “real float”.
I calculated the real float as ~30M shares. See my previous post for what I mean by real float.

After recent events

Now let’s take a second look at what the float looks like now after updated short interest estimates. I’ve updated blackrock and fidelity holdings with the values from their latest filings. Note that these values don’t account for retail holdings; and they only account for top 10 institutional holders so in reality the float should be smaller than this by at least a few million shares.

https://preview.redd.it/qhb2dioe8rg61.png?width=1441&format=png&auto=webp&s=afee02e1a4e2d000d21d0738e64af4137e6f0fb4

Observations

According to the data, the current short/true_float ratio is at worst case 2.4:1. This is significantly increased from before squeeze; the worst case was 1:4:1. Realistically this value is probably much higher as indicated by the negative buyable float.
In other words, supply is much more scarce now than before. If shorts cover, demand will become extremely higher than it was before recent events. If a squeeze were to happen, theoretically it may be able to reach higher highs than recent squeeze.
Even if the squeeze were to continue, it would not end until a share offering or a large institution selling a large position because shares are more scarce now.

Speculations from above data

The share price is currently extremely volatile; I speculate this is due to lack of shares to buy. Any interested large buyers can influence share price substantially very quickly.
Due to the lack of share availability, I’m speculating that this was the primary reason trading was halted. Deposit requirements increased to 100% because clearing houses saw the squeeze happening and didn’t feel confident that enough real shares would be delivered and wanted money upfront so they don’t become left bagholding when short positions default.

What I think happened

I don’t know what happened, the data is simply not enough. Anybody who claims to know with certainty are lying. All we have is bits and pieces of data we can use to deduce high probability outcomes.
Regardless whether what happened recently was a squeeze or wasn’t, many of the underlying conditions and hypotheses that can cause a potential stock rise/squeeze still exist; just with a smaller short interest.
The primary factor that changed is short interest. But even if that did truly decrease, it is still very high even if it’s not >100% of float; and it also increased the demand/supply ratio with it substantially. The only difference now is if another squeeze happens, it will likely last a shorter time frame.

Speculations about what happened

Organic demand initially skyrocketed the price. A partial squeeze happened.
Dumb investors/funds that were not prepared got margin called and/or took losses. There were likely new shorts added along the way (e.g at 100 and 200) that got margin called when the price continued rising > 400
Smart investors/funds decide to let others get massacred and instead the squeeze with dated calls. I mean, If I’m a shorter and I’m smart, greedy, and I feel confident that the price would go down why would I cover at a huge loss? I’d rather limit my max losses by buying OTM calls at my maximum loss threshold at a few months out; let the other shorts get massacred in the squeeze then cover later after it cools down. If I’m smart, I would have done this as soon as price passed the $20-$30 price.
Since there are literally no shares I would wait for price to drop substantially before trying to work out a deal with Gamestop or one of the large institutional holders to buy out their shares at a set price. Maybe that’s why Fidelity sold their position? (Perhaps at higher than market price behind closed doors)

What this means going forward

The other shorts eventually need to get out. They can’t get out now due to lack of supply and they’re betting on the company failure.
If the company fails and share price drops, current shorts will wait for share availability, or work out a deal with Gamestop and/or large institutional investors to buy out their shares at a reasonable price.
If the company succeeds and the share price continues rising, the remaining shorts will eventually get squeezed. Since the available shares aren’t enough to cover, I expect either another halt or behind closed door deals to buy out at certain prices.
The time limit for the above is unknown and highly depends on how much the borrow rate is costing the shorters, how the company does in earnings and how the share price behaves from buying demand. If demand keeps growing.
If a squeeze happens in the future, it will likely be shorter in duration due to the decreased short interest. It could happen over 1 day. However price could go up higher due to scarcer supply.

My personal stance and departing thoughts

I entered this position from the start because I like gamestop and I can see them naturally growing into a price >$200 over the next few years. This remains unchanged.
Can another squeeze happen? Absolutely. There are still 20M shares that need to be bought to cover which simply currently aren't available on the market. That's even assuming there are no new shorts.
Are the odds of it happening the same as before? Maybe; however the timeline definitely changed. It may take longer time to happen. If it happens, it will also be shorter lived. If the company succeeds and the share price slowly climbs shorts will eventually cover it's just a question of when.
In other words, this turned into a long term play that could happen over months or 1-2 years.
The above may sound frustrating; especially since it’s no longer inevitable within weeks like it was before when short interest was mind boggling. With that said, I’m still bullish. One underrated aspect not talked about often enough is that there are still large institutional holders that have their positions mostly unchanged even though they are now sitting on >10X profits. These guys are smart and greedy. If they’re not selling now then they see more potential and this is bullish.
I entered this position earlier than many so I’m biased in holding. I didn’t sell a single share on the climb. The recent drop cost me multiple $M. The bright side is if this takes a year then at least I’ll pay significantly less taxes on my gains.
I'm not touching this position anytime soon. GME can make $200 with no squeeze.
I hope this helps.

OBLIGATORY FILLER MATERIAL – Giving thanks edition: Kickin’ around Caracas, Pt. 5

Continuing… (It's Part 6 in the saga, I fucked up. Sorry.)
So, after a few re-fueling and impromptu cigar-purchasing stops in South and Central America, we wheel up to the deserted jetway at LAX.
“Thought we were going to Elmendorf?” I asked.
“This isn’t it?” the pilot replied, feigning worry.
“No.”, I replied, “Looks like California. Fruits and nuts. All around. What’s going on? One minute we’re off to Texas, then Cali, then Texas again, now we end up here at the California airport of the iconic tower.”
“Yeah, it’s confusing enough haulin’ civilians around. But when we get a call from Virginia, we tend to comply without any questions,” the pilot explains.
“Aw, shit!”, I sort of exclaim, “Rack and Ruin called?”
“Yeah”, the pilot replies, “Figures you’d know these guys. They said they were closer to LAX rather than Texas and had us divert here. In fact, you look over there, see that dark blue Chevy? That’s them; and evidently, your ride.”
I tipped the airman from earlier a couple of cigars as he helped me with my gear off the plane and into the trunk of Rack and Ruin’s plain-Jane blue late modeled Chevy. Had to move the Sidewinder Missiles off to one side, though.
“Most honorable Agents Lack and Luin!” I quipped in my faux-racist greeting. “What the hell, guys? I’ve got to get to Japan and get some newly rigidified digits.”
“Let’s see your hand”, Agent Rack asks. “Nasty.”
“Yeah”, I sigh “And with the medicos in South America and their penchant for plaster, I don’t so much have a left hand as more of an ankylosaur tail.”
“Or Thagomizer”, Agent Ruin tittered. “Anyone gives you grief, and one upside the head should set them right. Or dead.”
“You’re a riot, Ruin.” I replied, “But not entirely incorrect.”
We all agreed that I really didn’t need any extra accouterments to make myself look more dangerous. I mean with my severe haircut, stern beard clip, and perpetual ‘Go fuck yourself’ scowl.
“Yeah”, I replied, stroking the aforementioned beard, “I just can’t get that. I’m such a people person.”
After Agents Rack and Ruin finished drying their eyes from laughing what I thought was en extremis, we finally got down to business.
“So, what’s the skinny, guys”, I asked. “New marching orders?”
“No. Not as such”, Agent Ruin said, still sniggering over my ‘people person’ comment.
I see we’re moving. Agent Rack is just driving casually, like Chewbacca when they were waiting to see if the Empire went for that expensive Bothan code.
“Then, what?” I asked, getting a slight bit piqued.
“Well”, Agent Ruin noted, “When you went to South America, you took some of your artillery collection with, correct?”
“You know I did. You even made some snide comments about my personal choice of sidearms and their ‘excessive’ calibers, if memory serves”, I reiterated.
“And if you are proceeding normally, as you always do, they’re all nestled in the trunk of this very car. All cleaned, quiet, unloaded, and smelling sweetly of Hoppe’s Number 9 and WD 40, correct?” Rack inquired.
“Yes?” I cautiously venture.
“Well, ya’ big dummy, do you think they’re going to let you saunter into Tokyo armed like the Third Fleet?” Agent Ruin chuckled.
“Um…well…I do have a Diplomatic Passport.” I ventured.
“That’s not going to work this time.”, Agent Ruin said, shaking his head. “They’re tighter than Dick’s Hatband about sidearms. Want to bring in your Rigby SXS .500 Nitro Express double rifle? Not a problem. Sidearms, especially in your alien hunting calibers, nope.”
Well, that’s just….*dandy!”, I reply, semi-put out. “Now what the hell am I going to do?”
“Ever think that’s why Ruin and I are here, now?”, Rack asks.
“And here I thought it was just so you could bask in the warm glow of my fucking wonderful personality. Or that you actually cared about me as a real goddamn human”, I joshed.
“Ummm…yeah”, Rack replies, “There’s no way we can answer that without going on some Deadpool list. “
I agreed.
“OK, here’s the deal: you get your sidearms, ammunition, speed loaders, brass knuckles, Asp, laser range finders, Sap, Zeiss scopes, Kukri, Wisconsin Cheese Whittler, Buck folding skinner, Marine K-Bar, those two ultra-illegal Cheburkov Cobra titanium switchblades...”
“Three. Olga the KGB lady sent me one for Geologist’s Day.”
“Ahem. Those three ultra-illegal Cheburkov switchblades, that Wyoming Speedholer, your MASER Time-Distance Computer, garrote, pocket rail gun and whatever else lethal you carry and deposit it in the iron box in the trunk. We’ll ensure that it’s delivered to Esme post-haste. And by post-haste I mean one of our guys will deliver it personally.”
“Well…I suppose”, I conceded, “But best send someone who’s been to the house recently. I don’t know how much bigger Khan has grown since I left on this little fantasy trip. Wouldn’t want a star on the wall in Langley for someone eaten by a mastiff. Want to see a picture….Oh, bother. That’s right. My phone’s at the bottom of fucking Lake Maracaibo.”
“Good point”, Ruin interjects, “Guess we’ll do a little road trip and deliver it ourselves. Best call Esme and let her know what’s going on.”
“I have no objections to your proposals. Please give Esme this when you see her. I had some luck in the Calaveras Casino and if I don’t send her some mad money. Ouch. She’ll never forgive me for not taking her along to Japan.” I asked.
“But I thought Esme hated Japan? Too crowded and too ‘fussy’, I believe was her estimation.” Ruin asked.
“Yes, but once she saw the Ginza, all bets were off. Shopping the likes of which even Allah himself hasn’t seen.” I replied, slowly shaking my head.
“I see”, Ruin said, “Well, since you’re off to Sapporo, perhaps you can do a recon for Esme on the shopping there.”
“Not bad. Not bad at all.”, I smiled, “Now I know why I let you guys hang around with me.”
So, as advertised, I am now standing on the tarmac at LAX, basically feeling naked.
“Can’t I keep just one switchblade?” I moaned to Agent Rack.
“Go ahead, if you’re really keen on donating it to Japanese customs”, he replied.
“Fuckbuckets.” I groused.
“There, there now. That’s the usual Dr. Rocknocker of which we’re all so fond.” Agent Ruin chuckled.
“Remember, you do have that wallet-sized credit card gizmo from the Company. So you’re not entirely ‘naked’. Think of it as an emergency breechcloth.” He smiled.
“I’d like a larger model if you don’t mind. It’s chilly out here.” I joshed.
After Agents Rack and Ruin stripped me metaphorically naked as they de-weaponized me, they handed me a Business Class ticket to Tokyo, and a pass to the Japan Airlines Hospitality Suite and Lounge.
“So sorry you guys can’t hang around and have a few farewell snorts”, I chided, “But you’ve got a bit of a drive, so best be off before the weather turns to shit.”
“Who says we’re driving?” Agent Rack asked as he hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the ready and waiting C-130 cargo plane currently taxiing slowly in our direction.
“Well, in that case”, I smiled even more broadly, “Let’s invite the flight crew to join us. That’ll make the flight home all that much more interesting.”
After near tear-jerking farewell sentimentalities, i.e., “Piss on you”, “Get stuffed” and “Take a fuckin’ hike”; Agents Rack and Ruin, my weapons and the Agency’s plain-Jane Blue Chevy were all nestled snugger than buggers in ruggers in the belly of the thundering C-130.
Now truly on my own, I trudge the hundred thousand or so centisteps to my departure terminal, make a quick recon that my flight’s still slated to go in a generally westward direction, and hightail it to the nearest courtesy desk to ask for a motorized cart to take me and my remaining luggage to the JAL Hospitality Suite.
Hey. I’m old, infirm, and currently among the walking wounded.
Anyone that disagrees risks an Ankylosaur tail club swat or Thagomizer to the skull.
Finally ensconced in the JAL Hospitality Suite, Polo Lounge of course; I was drinking Tokyo Teas (3 oz. vodka, 2 oz. gin, 2 oz. rum, 1 oz. triple sec, 1 oz. Midori, good splash of lime juice, a slight splash of 7-Up (diet, of course), over ice with a lime wheel) with Pabst Blue Ribbon Extra 1844 chasers and Hangar One’s “Fog Point” vodka on the side, hiding from the brutish realities of this foul year of two thousand and twenty-something, Common Era…
I’ve already called Esme and we’ve had a good, long chat. She still managed to give me her shopping list for whenever I find myself bored on the Ginza.
She’ll be shocked when she learns that I’m not going to be in Tokyo long, but have 1st class tickets on the Bullet Train to Sapporo. Still, I’ll probably find myself in Pole Town or the Stellar Place there, trading piles of US greenbacks for locally produced Japanese curios and clothing.
I can hardly wait.
I order another round of drinks, as the wonderful attendants in the Hospitality Suite were bored out of their skulls because of the COVID-induced drop-in customers flying anywhere that requires a hospitality room stay, and I was virtually the only one around. They tried their level best to outdo each other when it comes to Japanese efficiency and friendliness.
After a couple of hours, they ask if I would like something from the grill, as the day chef had “the COVID” and the night chef just arrived. A quick perusal of the menu and I chose a 28-ounce dry-aged Porterhouse and another round of drinks.
I usually don’t like to eat too much before I fly, but JAL tells me the flight is going to be virtually empty, something like <121 pax, all told, so restroom availability shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Plus, who am I to say no to a free, blue 28-ounce dry-aged Porterhouse?
There was a bit of difficulty conveying to the chef through the intermediaries of the hospitality just how I wanted my steak.
“Blue,” I said.
“Brue?” was the reply.
“Rare. Very, very rare.” I continued.
Look of total bewilderment.
I drag out my Personal Language Pro, speak “Steak, very, very rate” into the infernal gizmo, and hand the contraption to the attendant.
“珍しい、非常に珍しいステーキ?”[ Mezurashī, hijō ni mezurashī sutēki?]
“Raw! Nama!” I say, louder than need be.
They toddle off to find the chef.
“How is it sir, that you would like your steak cooked?” he asks.
“Very rare. Just a minute or two per side. Inside still cold.” I instructed.
All I got for the trouble was a puzzled smile.
“Give me the language gizmo…” I type in a few words…
“お尻を洗い、角をノックオフして、ここから出してください”
[O shiri o arai,-kaku o nokkuofu shite, koko kara dashite kudasai.]
“Wash its ass, knock its horns off, and walk it out here.”
“OH!” as the lightbulb pops. “Rare. Got it! Excellent!” the chef laughs and zips back to the kitchen.
Like I always say, I’m nothing if not the international ambassador of amity and goodwill.
“Crack tubes!”
Dinner was fantastic. I do wish I could have somehow mailed the Porterhouse bone back home for Khan. After that hambone incident, he might even taste it.
Finally on the plane, in an almost empty Business Class, the flight captain informs us that we’re headed to Haneda Airport Tokyo and anyone not headed in that direction better ‘haul ass off’ the flight or forever hold their peace.
Late-night international flights tend to be a bit more wooly than your average Chicago to Omaha gig.
Especially when the flight’s damn near empty and we have the next 12 hours or so to be best friends.
We taxi, turn and head into the wind. I’m doctoring up a couple of dossiers and keeping my personal cabin attendant, Luna since there were two of us in Business and two business flight attendants, busy with her trying to play ‘Stump the Geologist’.
“I’ll bet you never had this before.” She beamed and handed me a tumbler of very dangerous-looking brown liquor.
I cautiously sniff, take a modest gulp, swirl and glug the rest down.
“Ohishi Single Sherry Cask”, I say with a muffled belch. “Light. Fruity. An Englishman’s drink.”
“Oh. You knew. Let me try again.” She smiles beatifically.
“I have no objections to your proposal.” I smile as nicely as this crotchety old Komodo Dragon could.
She returns with another flagon of spirits; it smells of obsidian, leather, and earth.
I just had some of this back in LAX. I take a snort, smile, and shotgun the rest.
“Hibiki Japanese Harmony…lovely stuff.” I smile. “A little light for my jaded palate, but I’d never turn it down if it were free.”
“Oh, you win again. Wait. One more.” She smiles and skitters off to the galley.
She returns with another soupçon of some more dangerous brown liquor.
“Here, try this. It will make you very popular at social gatherings”. She smiles.
Sniff. “Splendid.” Snort. Swirl. Smile. Shotgun.
“Kanosuke New Born, if I’m not mistaken.” I smile back. “Very nice. I really do like this one.”
“You too good at this. One more!” she stands and stomps off defiantly. She returns in a trice and hands me the glass.
“Hmm…brown. Light notes of earth, leather, dating your daughter, and Kentucky…
“Beam Suntory, right?”
“You know them all!” she says, feigning irritation.
“And I thank you. Those were all excellent. Now, anything in the dangerous clear liquor category? I asked.
Luna smiled as I palmed off a 20k yen tip.
“Oh, no sir. Wait until we land.” She demurred, referring to the gratuity; which is know is not de rigueur in the Orient, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“Just in case we never make it to Tokyo”, I laughed, unknowingly presciently.
We both chuckled about that last line as she tried out various sakes and shōchūs and an actual Japanese ‘White Liquor’ (ホワイトリカー), which were all excellent as was the company.
I tell her that I need to get some work done and could she bring me a tall Rocknocker. After explain the origins and construction of the eponymous drink, she brings me one that must tip the scales at 1 or so liters.
She settles down to an empty seat and I get after the work that I need to finish before we land. I’m about ½ way through my drink when it felt as if the plane hit a brick wall. She quivered and quaked and clutched at herself while I made some comments about the pilot’s mental health.
We dropped like a paralyzed falcon, then just as suddenly, felt like it was an express elevator to Angel’s 11. The plane bucked and shimmied, wickedly. Then we slam-danced right and fell a few more stories. It was like we were in a Mixmaster and the owner was trying out every speed.
The emergency lights in the 777-300ER popped on, and the fasten seat belt sign barked loudly so even sleeping travelers could enjoy the show.
Rinse. Spin. Shudder. Repeat.
Finally, the ride smooths out and we hear the captain on the blower.
“This is your captain speaking…ah, we seem to have hit some uncharted turbulence back there.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious”, I muttered.
“Everything’s A-OK. “ he reports.
“That’s good”, I note.
“But…”
“There’s always the but…” I groan.
“…we have a couple of warning lights for which we can’t quite account. So to just be safe and certain, we’re going to divert to Hawaii, get a clean bill of health and resume this flight once we make sure everything here is hunky-dory.”
There were scattered groans and applause. Add them together and divide by two and the average response on the flight was “Meh. Whatever.”
Except for the other guy in Business, with whom I hadn’t shared two words. He began to absolutely lose his shit.
“Oh, man! We’re so screwed! Mechanical malfunction? What does that mean?” he positively fizzed with fear.
The flight attendants tried to calm him down, to no avail. They basically gave up and said they’d report his misgivings to the Captain.
I motioned over to my personal flight attendant, Luna, and asked if I could be of service.
“Oh, Doctor Rock”, she smiled at me, “If you could speak with him. You are so calm, and he is…”
“Losing his bloody mind”, I chuckled as I finished her sentence for her. “Of course, I’ll take a stab at it.”
So, I grab my drink and ease over to my Business Class partner and introduce myself.
“Hey, pal. How’s it going? I’m Dr. Rock, gentleman, scholar, and connoisseur of cigars and things alcoholic. You doing OK?”
He looks at me with an ashen face and his eyes the size of bloodshot dinner plates.
“Yeah. I’m Todd Schotts. I’m flying to Japan for business.” He mumbles
“No surprise there,” I reply calmly and take a slug of my drink.
“But now we’re all going to die. The plane is busted and we’ll crash…” he started off again.
“So, Todd is it? Good. You drink?” I asked.
“Yeah?”, he stammered back.
I asked Luna to make us a fresh batch of my eponymous cocktails.
“OK, Todd, listen up”, I began after the drinks were served, “I have flown literally millions of miles over the last 4 decades. On Aeroflot when it was still the USSR. On TACA (Take A Chance Airways), on Chalk’s in the Caribbean, on Bob’s Verrifast Plane Company in Rhodesia, on regional carriers that don’t even exist anymore. All over the world. Had some bad experiences flying, and me ol’ mugger, this ain’t one of them. This is nothing more than the glitch for this mission.”
I chuckled lightly and complimented Luna on a fantastic drink.
“Yeah…yeah…yeah…but we have to land and check out some lights…” Todd squealed.
“Well now, Todd. It would be rather difficult to do any external assessment while in flight, don’t you agree?” I asked.
“But we’re diverting. We have to land and that adds more risk. We’re going to crash and die!” he was coming more and more unglued.
“I will bet you every cent you have on your person and home bank accounts that that will not happen”, I chuckled.
That took him by surprise. At least it shut him up for a while.
“Look, Todd. This is Boeing’s latest model. They have the most incredible safety record. And if a little clear air turbulence were to be knocking planes out of the sky, don’t you think we’d hear about it as the press went berserk?” I asked.
“But they don’t know what the lights mean! What if one of the engines’s out? How far can we fly on one engine?” Todd stuttered.
Having my fill of a supposedly grown man with inane childlike fears, I calmly replied,
“All the way to the crash site.”
He went white.
“...hope we hit something hard. I don’t want to limp away from this.”
He went limp.
Then I went to my seat and motioned for Luna to prepare a reload.
Of course, 45 minutes later, we land without incident at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Honolulu Hawaii.
We were told to just wait around until they figure out what the problem if any, was.
They had officials waiting at the end of the jetway to check our COVID status and passports before they let us loose in the terminal.
I asked Luna if she knew this airport. She noted that she did.
“Is there a JAL hospitality room here at this airport? I asked.
“Yes, Doctor. It’s the Sakura Lounge. It is located on the third level above The Local, Terminal 2.” She replied.
“Please notify whoever needs to know that that’s where I’ll be for the duration”, I smiled and handed her my business card. “See you soon, I hope.”
“Oh, Dr. Rock”, she replied, “I am sure it is nothing much. We’ll be back in the air within mere hours.”
“Well then”, I smiled, “Guess I’d better get ready to hoof it to the lounge.”
“Oh, Doctor Rock”, she smiled, “No rush. I will call for you a courtesy cart. You are injured, you are Business, you are priority.”
“I love that Asian efficiency.” I smiled back and toddled down the jetway.
At the terminus of the jetway, I show my COVID-clear papers, dates and times of my Anti-Virus vaccine administrations, the letter from Virginia clearing me of all detention, and my red Russian diplomatic passport.
While in the cart, whizzing our way to the JAL lounge, the driver said “Man! You must be some kind of VIP. You were through that welcoming committee in less than two minutes!”
“Me? Nah!”, I chuckled, “Just an old phart of a geologist that they didn’t want to mess with. Not on such a bright, sunny day as this.”
“I see you’re not wearing a mask.” The driver quipped.
“Very observant. There are reasons for that.” I replied.
He careens around a corner and if this were a normal pre-Covid day, I’m certain we’d have killed hundreds. However, the airport, as I’ve come to grow accustomed to, was virtually deserted.
“Yeah? Like what?” he asks.
“Well, Scooter, 1. I have an active and hardworking immune system that I let off the chain every once in a while for exercise. Got to let it know what it’s up against, right? 2. I’ve had all my shots and some that were experimental. They seem to have worked. And 3. I find it difficult to drink and smoke cigars while wearing a mask. However, if you’d prefer, I will mask up. No problem, though it still is optional.”
“Nah, man”, he said, “I was just wondering if you were one of those religious idiots or conspiracy nuts.”
Nope”, I smiled back, “Just another geologist out in the world plying his trade for cash. Y’know, whorin’ around for money.”
He laughs aloud as we skid to a stop right in front of Lounge.
I slip the guy a $20 and ask if he’d listen for the JAL flight I was just on. If we’re going on ahead today, I’d need him to scoot by and putt-putt me back to the plane.
He laughs and pockets the $20 as quick as a mink ruts.
“No worries. I’ll just hang around this area. I hear anything about the flight, I’ll come and let you know.” He grins.
“Good man”, I say, as I hand him my card. “I’m Dr. Rocknocker. Call me Rock”.
“And I’m Kapula Mano, call me Kap” he replies.
“Good man”, I say again, “Hope to see you in a while.”
He grins, floors his electric cart, and peels out at speeds approaching 4.5 MPH.
I wander into the lounge, show my credentials, and am escorted to a post up on Mahogany Ridge.
The bar is very quiet. Besides the bartender, I can’t see anyone else in the darkened and Smooth Jazz-infused drinking emporium.
I order a local drink, a Mai Tai, just for the experience and something a bit different.
It’s served in a goldfish bowl on a stem, bedecked with a slice of lime, a sprig of mint, a stick of sugar cane, a polychromatic orchid, and the obligate paper umbrella.
“Ah. Mai Tai. I will enjoy it.” I said to no one in particular.
One was enough, and I decided to go back to the old standard. Once I explained to the bartender what that was, he made them heroic and enthusiastically.
I’m reading up on a random dossier, making notes in a new file, and puffing away on a Fuentes Onyx double Maduro Churchill cigar.
I hear a slight cough coming from my right, and this here lovely lady, she sat to my immediate starboard and looked at me semi-quizzically.
Not in the mood for shenanigans of any stripe, I give her the obligate Baja Canada nod and tilt of the drink. I return to my dossiers and continue to read and take notes.
“Excuse me!” I hear.
Fearing the worst, either the woman is Karen-oid anti-smoking or a religious fruit-and-nutburger, I slowly turn to face her and reply, somewhat glacially, I have to admit.
“What?”
“That cigar…”
“Here we go…” I mutter, eyes rolling northward.
“Smells exquisite. Could you tell me the brand? My husband would enjoy some like that.” She notes.
Instantly my demeanor switches 180^0.
“Yes, ma’am. It’s an Arturo Fuentes Onyx. Churchill size, or 60 ring x 7” length, double Maduro. Here, take one for your husband. I have an ample supply.” I smile.
“Oh, no. I couldn’t. Could I?” she asks.
“Please. I insist.” I smile the best I could given the circumstances.
“Thank you. You’re too kind…umm…Mr….?”
“Doctor. Doctor Rocknocker. World traveler, oilman, and international ambassador of amity, good drinks, and fine cigars. Call me Rock” I said.
“Oh! A Doctor?” she brightens.
“Yes, of Petroleum Geology and Engineering. Not medicine.” I chuckle.
She chuckles back.
“And I am Hella Aaberg”, as she offers her hand for a quick shake.
“Interesting name, Hella. Scandinavian or Old German heritage?” I ask.
“On my father’s side. He’s Finnish.” She replies.
“But I’ll wager your mother is not Scandinavian, correct?” I ask.
“She was from Truk, an island…”
“In the South Pacific, Micronesia. Was she from Weno city?” I asked.
“Why yes. How could you possibly know that?” she asked.
“Oh, I’ve been there. Great diving amongst the WWII wrecks. I think it’s actually called ‘Chuuk Lagoon’ or something like that now.” I said.
“That’s right! Amazing. Where else have you been?” she asked.
“Anywhere there’s oil, strife, booze, cigars, heavy explosives and typically long distances from whatever most normal people call civilization,” I replied with a chuckle.
Suddenly, I hear a voice booming out behind me.
“Why don’t you save that rapier-like wit for those musky-fuckers back home, Rocko?”
My expression changes. My eyes pop fully wide open.
“Hella?” I asked.
“Yes?”
“May I ask you a favor?”
“You can ask…”
“Thank you. Now, looking over my shoulder, is there a hulking goon of a person, thin up top, paunchy halfway down with the most ridiculously tiny sized shoes you’ve ever seen for a so-called grown man?” I ask.
“Yes. Yes, there is.” She replies.
“I thought so. Many thanks.”
I spin and launch off my barstool and grab Toivo by the hand. He hadn’t seen my left-hand Thagomizer yet.
“Toivo! You old sumbitch. What the flying fennec fox fuck are you, of all people, doing in Hawaii?” I laughed.
“Just keeping an eye on you, Rock!” he laughed equally as loud.
“No, fucking-A, seriously. What the actual fuck? What are you doing in this actual nice place?” I asked.
“Just headed to Tokyo to conduct a bit of service company business. I walked into the lounge and smelled a foul cigar. I figured it can’t be the venerable Dr. Rocknocker. He’s back at some school up north terrorizing geology and engineering grads and undergrads.” Toivo laughed.
“But there I was. Surprise!”, I laughed and pumped his hand.
“What the fuck, Rock. Now what did you do?” he asks, referring to my Ankylosaur tail club left hand.
“Ah, fuck. Long story. Oh, pardon me. Toivo, this is Hella. We were just talking about the South Seas Islands.” I said.
“Planning on running off together?” Toivo laughs, to the amusement of neither party.
“Oh, and this idiot is Toivo, a man with a congenital foot-in-mouth disorder. He’s mostly harmless.” I noted to Hella.
Greetings were shared all around. Hella made some small excuses and said she needed to depart. I gave her another cigar for her husband, shook her hand, and wished her well.
“Here’s my business card. If your husband has any questions, have him drop me a line.” I noted.
Hella smiled beautifully. She said she would. Then she thanked me shook our hands, and like that, there she was, gone.
“Well Toivo, you old bastard. Don't just stand there in the doorway like some lonesome goddamn mouse shit sheepherder, get your ass over here and have a drink.” I motioned over to my perch on Mahogany Ridge.
“Don’t mind if I do”, he says as he deftly winds his way to a seat to my left, snagging a cigar out of my pocket on the way over.
“You might want these”, I say in an exasperated tone, and hand him my gold Dunhill Hobnail lighter and V-cutter gizmo.
He cuts and fires up his heater.
“What you drinkin’, Rock”, he asks.
“Anything with alcohol, as usual. You know that Toiv.” I reply.
“No. I mean right now.” He clarifies.
“Well, I had a Mai Tai. Very nice if you like fruity, flowery drinks. It’s the locals’ favorite.” I reply.
“Sounds good. I’ll have several. And you?” Toivo asks.
“My usual. The bartender is already apprised of the situation.” I reply.
Toivo smiles the smile of one knowing his sobriety is going to be taken out for a swim. Hell, taken out and tossed into the deep end.
Toivo and I sit there, swapping lies, smoking cigars and sipping at our toddies.
Hell, Toivo was slurping them like a sump-pump during an extra-wet summer.
We chattered about family, work, whether or not Tokyo was going to host the Olympics or if the COVID-boogie man scared everyone off.
Toivo, always one afflicted with TB (“Tiny Bladder”) got up to go to the loo for the third time that hour. He left his pocket organizer on the bar and I swear on a stack of Origins of Species, I didn’t touch it.
I reached over to his vacated seat to retrieve my cigar lighter when I looked down and saw in his organizer a tab that reads “Rack & Ruin”.
“Oh. No. Fucking. Way.” I recoiled as I’d just reached out and petted a 6-foot hungover scorpion.
“One of my best friends? Secretly allied with the Agency? No. Not possible.” I drained my drink and called for another.
“No. No. No. It can’t be. No. No fucking way…” as doubt began to dissolve when I thought back to all those times I had just ‘run into’ Toivo.
“But he’s oil patch as well. That could be chalked up to coincidence.” I ruminated quizzically in my brain.
I quickly reflected back on J.M. Darhower: “Yes, you see, there’s no such thing as coincidence. There are no accidents in life. Everything that happens is the result of a calculated move that leads us to where we are.”
She may be the author of the execrable New Adult Sempre series, which Esme likes and I loathe, but she might just be right on this occasion.
Toivo return, lighter in the bladder and good sense. He never even noticed he’d left his organizer out in broad bar light for all to see.
“So, Toivo, when’s your flight?” I ask.
“Oh, man. Was I lucky. The JAL flight to Tokyo from Los Angeles had mechanical trouble and had to divert here. I got a ticket on the plane for that flight, when it continues.
“You mean ‘if it continues’,” I replied.
“Yeah. Yeah. That’s what I meant. Hey! Was that your flight?” he asks innocently. He’s really innocent of fieldcraft.
I decide to have some fun at my old friend’s expense.
“Yep. Hit some CAT (Clear Air Turbulence) and the JAL pilots reported some lighting problem. No apparent ruin to any of the systems. They relay racked their brains to figure it out, but they couldn’t that’s why I here.” I said, waiting for the words to swim upstream in Toivo’s coconut and make some sort of connection.
“Yeah. Double lucky. No problem with the plane and I get to go to Japan early.” Toivo crookedly grins.
“So, no trouble with the plane? Then why haven’t I heard that the flight’s going to resume?” I asked as I pushed a fresh, seriously strong drink to Toivo.
“Oh, must have heard it in the john.” Toivo countered and tried to cover his tracks by taking a huge gulp of his drink and damn near dying coughing.
I pound on Toivo’s back.
“Heimlich time?” I ask.
Toivo signals ‘no’.
“Jesus Christ, Rock. What was that?” he asks.
“Just my usual”, I innocently replied.
“Holy fuck. No wonder you have the reputation of…” Toivo realizes too late that he’s said too much.
“Yeah. They can rack you out. Really ruin a person if they’re not careful.” I reply icily.
“Why, Rock. Whatever do you mean?” Toivo slurred as he realized he’s been caught out.
“The jig is up, you turncoat. You know Agents Rack and Ruin from the agency. Right? You keeping tabs on me for them? You Quisling! You Benedict Arnold!” I almost was on the verge of losing my cool.
“It was nothing. They approached me years ago as I kept being mentioned in your reports. They asked me for some information. One thing leads to another…” Toivo was ready for an Ankylosaur tail club swat to the bean.
“Oh, put your fucking hands down, you asshole.” I smiled and chuckled.
“You’re not mad?” Toivo slurred badly. I had the bartender make him another special drink.
“No, Toivo. Not mad. Just disappointed.” I said, smiling like a Komodo Dragon just finishing up a fortnight-old wildebeest.
Toivo sat there and puzzled and puzzled until his puzzler was sore.
“You’re not going to kill me or anything rude like that?” Toivo asked, half-assedly trying to inject humor into the proceedings.
“Nah. The paperwork’s too ridiculous for me to do another liberation. But, Jesus Fucking Christwagons, Toivo; you could have mentioned it to me. Fuck, I thought we were friends to the end?” I said, dejectedly.
I was really getting through to Toivo. I could tell he was loaded; feeling like shit and massively deplorable.
Great fieldcraft, indeed.
I told him things “are what they are” and that I won’t blow his cover nor his honorarium.
He began to feel better. I often wonder if he was serious about the sanctioning thing.
Then I delivered the strategic missile strike.
“Just remember, Toivo. I wrote your dossier for the Company…”
He swivels to look at me.
“And one for the KGB. Olga says ‘howdy’.” I grin evilly.
Toivo short-circuited at that. Russia is his company’s bread and butter. Now he has the KGB as well as his best buddy looking over his shoulder at every move.
I bought him a few more drinks and continued to needle him about his ’leading a double life’. He was well and truly fuckered when the electric tap-tap driver from before came looking for me to whisk me back to the plane.
Seems it was simply some knocked-out wires on the plane, or slammed bulbs that were generating a false positive, indicating something other than the system that alerts one to something haywire went haywire.
Toivo was pretty much down for the count. I got him sober enough to hand them his ticket and ensure that he was really supposed to be on this flight. Thing was; h e was in Economy, and I was, as always, in Business.
I spoke to Luna, and the plane was going to be even less crowded than previously because some folks could or wouldn’t wait, or didn’t want to go on with the rest of the trip on a ‘damaged’ aircraft, or were just stupid and superstitious.
“Luna, could I pay for the difference between Business and Economy for my less than 100% conscious friend here? He’s had a rough day.” I asked.
“Dr. Rock. Just put him into Business. No one will be the wiser. Luna says so.” As she gave us a grand smile.
“Luna, I owe you. Thanks so much.” I said.
“Now get on board. Your friend looks like he needs all the downtime he can get.”
“Yes, ma’am!” I said and saluted here be best I could which dragging a schnozzled Toivo down the jetway.
I dumped Toivo in a window seat well away from my seat. I know Toivo. He snores like a semi-load of live hogs rocketing downhill locking up the brakes at 88 MPH.
Surprise! There was no one else in Business. Luna looked at me, at Toivo, and gave me a thumbs up.
Whatever I can write to further her career at JAL, she’ll have it before I deplane.
We finally get everyone settled, and with Captain Kangaroo at the helm, we bounced gracelessly off the tarmac, into the warm, tropical Hawaiian air, finally headed for the Land of the Rising Sun.
Toivo was snoring like a chainsaw hitting rusty nails as I worked on the various letters, communiques, and dossiers which needed updating before we reached touchdown. I gave Luna a thick letter with instructions not to open it until we were on the ground and Toivo and I were well off and away into the terminal.
We left Hawaii at 1300 hours, so we should arrive at Tokyo Nareda around 4:00 pm, the previous day. I was so bereft of time and time zones, I couldn’t figure out what time it really was, as judged by my biometric rhythms, so I asked Luna for a stiff drink as I was kicking off my boots and going to attempt to get some kip.
She brought me another liter or so eponymous drink. I was sawing logs by the time I slurped the last swig of that nifty drink.
Suddenly, or later, I have no idea really, some loudmouth drunk asshole from way-the-fuck-back in economy-land toward the ass end of the plane staggered into Business demanding free drinks.
Luna was nothing but civil, and asked him to both shut up and return to his seat. His air cabin hostess, or whatever the fuck they’re calling them these days, will attend to his needs.
“Naw they won’t! They want me to pay for more drinks! I’m broke but I demand more booze! You fucking owe me.” railed the asshole. “I sat at the bar in Hawaii for four hours. Them fuckers charged me an arm and a leg!”
“No, they don’t owe you shit”, I said in a voice that unmistakably loud and clear.
“Fuck you, old man! You stay the fuck out of this!” he bellowed. “Shut up or I’ll do ya’!”
“’Old man’? ‘Do me’? Excuse me. Luna, may I have a word alone with this individual?” I asked sweetly.
Luna shook her head in the affirmative, and I stood up to confront this flagrant asshole.
“Now look, Scooter. You have gone way, way over the fucking line. You are loud. You are abusive. You are obnoxious. And you stink. Plus you insulted a person who is just barely containing his righteous wrath right now. So, I’m giving you one and one only chance to shut up, sit back down before your body spontaneously develops all sort of bruises, contusions, broken bones, and unconsciousness.” I said calmly, evenly, and threateningly.
“What da’ fuck you think you’re going to do…old man?” he screeched, trying to inflate himself into full mammalian threat posture, all 5’ 9” of it.
He didn’t notice Toivo walking up quietly behind him, as Toivo was returning from the head, quiet as a moose.
“Well, Scooter, I am an Air Marshall. Duly appointed, fully trained, and properly pissed off. Right now, I can arrest you, physically detain you, turn this flight around and take you to the Hawaiian police, at your cost for the inconvenience of the entire flight. Or I could arrest you, physically detain you, and turn you over to the Japanese authorities when we land. It’s really your choice. Choose wisely.”
To be continued…⇝

For all the MNS believers...

Came across a recent interivew in one of my subscriptions. Thought it might be of interest to the MNS crowd.
EDIT: Sorry - interview was with Alan Kohler. Probably part of the raising spruiker circuit.
The financing they mention has now happened in case anyone missed it - recent announcement of placement at $0.28.
Not really DD, but was contributed to my decision at $0.35 for 10,000.
Frank Poullas is the Executive Chairman of Magnis Energy Technologies which started off with a deposit in Tanzania and is now building a battery plant in New York and has got the equipment sitting in bubble wrap about three and a half hours north of New York City. They’re just trying to get some money to build the factory and that’s apparently just around the corner, but we’ll see. They’ve just raised $6 million dollars last year and so they’ve still got $5 million in the bank.
Look, it’s close to happening, or not – this is the trouble with something like this. This is a start-up, this company. Potentially they say they’ve got technology for fast charge, like 85 per cent charge in six minutes, so they’re talking up a storm, no doubt about it. They’ve got a battery built, they’ll be in production by the end of this year, they say, but they’ve still got to get the funding. They’re also looking to build a factory in Townsville, which they’ll get money off the Queensland Government and the Commonwealth Government, they say.
It’s an interesting story and here it is, Frank Poullas, the Executive Chairman of Magnis Energy Technologies.
Table of contentsCash situationCompany historyEquipment in New YorkBattery plant projectFuture fundingOfftake agreementsFast charging battery technologyProduction timingGovernment funding
Frank, we always start these interviews by talking about cash, so tell us what your cash burn is at the moment?
Alan, our cash burn currently is roughly $1.3 million dollars per quarter and we have a cash position currently at $5 million dollars.
And you raised a bit over $6 million last year, right?
That’s correct, it was $7.65m and I think it was roughly September that raising took place.
Do you have any prospect of getting some operating cash in before you need to raise some more?
That’s the aim. The project that we have in New York State, which is our flagship project and the number one priority that we have in the company today, the plans are that that is producing revenues by the middle of the year. In saying that, there is the last lot of funding, the last round that’s required to bring this project into production, which we’re in the final stages of completing.
I’ll get to some specifics on that plan in a moment, but I just thought it’d be a good idea to get some history of this company going back, because as I understand it, it used to be called Uranex, it was a uranium business, you offloaded the uranium assets in 2012 and then found graphite in Tanzania and in those days you were just a non-executive director, right?
That’s correct, Alan. I’ve been personally a shareholder in the company – in about two weeks’ time it’ll be 15 years. I’ve never held anything that long and I was pretty much there post the original IPO in 2005.
And you would have bought into it as a uranium play?
That’s correct. It was originally uranium, post Fukushima the board took the position that uranium would take a long time to turnaround and we’re probably starting to see that turn happening now and it’s been pretty much a good decade since that happened. We were believers in and have always been believers in clean energy and we thought uranium was one of those sort of options. We then took the position that lithium-ion batteries would be the way of the future. We were trying to do deals in the graphite space at the time, not knowing that we actually had graphite on one of our tenements in Tanzania.
So that was originally a uranium tenement, was it?
Yeah, the company at one stage had 15,000 square kilometres of tenements throughout the whole of Tanzania, they were the largest land owner in Tanzania. At the time, rents were very cheap – that all changed very quickly and we literally had a position where just the rents were $3 million US Dollars a year. So we went through a position post Fukushima where we were assessing what was on our tenements and that’s north of Tanzania to south, to east and west, but we asked the guys to keep an eye out for graphite. As you have it, the last tenement that they were assessing was our Nachu tenement and they found the large crop and it sort of went from there.
Going forward then, we were doing a lot of work on processing our graphite. Uniquely, with our graphite, we’re able to produce a battery grade graphite…
But you did some offtake agreements with Sinosteel and someone else early on, didn’t you?
Correct – and that was sort of for the lower end market products that we were selling to them. Whereas, we as a company had to somehow differentiate from the graphite players out there. I’ll go to it in a sec where that sort of thinking did work. We knew we had something geologically that was unique and thus, we were trying to produce a battery grade products and batteries are the fastest growing market for the graphite space, where we were able to produce a product that was high performing without any chemical or thermal purification or any acids, heat treatment, whatever you have.
The reason being, because China pretty much controls the battery market when it comes to the anode materials, purely because any natural graphite has to get chemically processed and in order to do so, it’s pretty much China that has the lax enough environmental laws that allows this to happen. But even they’re cracking down on this these days. The perfect example is Syrah’s project in Mozambique, producing this sort of 94 to 96-97 per cent concentrate that still needs purification methods after it. In order to do so, if it’s going in the battery space, most probably it will have to go through China and hence, why they’re looking at purification plants in the US now.
In our case, we can produce this product in Tanzania, without any purification, chemical, thermal… It’s just a pure, clean, crush and grind and float process that gives us a purification or a grade that is above that 99.5-99.6 per cent mark, which then allows us to do the extra steps to value-adds to the product with just mechanical processes only that allows us to produce a product without any purification methods. We were working with a group in the US by the name of C4V. C4V was working with us on this method and we’ve got that method down-pat, there’s no issues there, but they also had some battery technologies that have been granted around the anode, but mostly around the cathode.
Thinking bigger, going back, probably now five to six years, we thought when you look at a lithium-ion battery, the main cost is raw materials. We’ve got the mining background and we’ve got background around processes, they had the technology, the missing piece if government relation and funding, why don’t we look at partnering up with someone who can help us in that aspect and why don’t we look at producing our own batteries ourselves?
But you could have just sold graphite and stuck with that, couldn’t you?
We could have, but we just saw this market was in its infancy and I still think we are still in early stages. But in saying that, we need to get a move on and fast-forwarding where we’re at today, we have a factory in New York, we have the machinery that produce…
Just before you do that, just go back a bit – March 2018, you bought 10 per cent in C4V, which the real name is Charge CCCV?
Yes.
You bought that 10 per cent, but there was a broader deal you did at the same time, right? Tell us about that.
At the time, we had purchased a lithium-ion battery plant off the Bankruptcy Courts in North Carolina. There was a group called Alevo and Alevo was a new entrant in the battery space, they were producing these proprietary batteries that would go into a shipping container that would then sort of be used for energy storage and more grid applications.
What, would be the size of a shipping container?
Yeah, be the size – so lots of little cells in a big shipping container, which could be used to stabilise the grid or could go up against solar panel or what have you. The problem they had is, they licensed a lot of their technology, but one of the pieces of technology they had was the electrolyte. When these batteries were going into these containers, after a little while the electrolyte would start blowing up, so they started having some major issues, which then literally led to their demise and downfall…
Blowing up is definitely a major issue.
Of course, and not being able to sort of fund the repair of it, where the major shareholder decided to pull the pin on this plant. The equipment that we purchased, whether they were making their batteries or we’re making our batteries using different raw materials, or Tesla’s making their batteries, we’re talking about the same machinery would be used for whoever the vendor is or the producer that is making these batteries. We purchased this plant for $5 million dollars US. Alan, 18 months prior, they had spent $210 million dollars just on this equipment.
To take it a step forward, some of the machinery that they had purchased further down the track was so new that it hadn’t even been put on the manufacturing line. The machinery that we’ve purchased, its current models and what we’re out there doing right now – maybe I’ll just take a step back. We then moved this plant to New York State, where the Government had provided us with a facility in a place called Huron Campus. Huron is the birthplace of IBM. IBM originated out of this campus, or what we would probably call a business park. We’ve been provided with one of the buildings in this business park that produced previously semiconductors or circuit boards, high tech manufacturing…
How far from New York City is it?
It’s about three and a half hours north, as in, in a drive, and it’s more in the traditionally what’s a blue collar manufacturing area, which the New York State Government is now trying to reinvigorate…
What, did you get the thing for free or low rent or something, did you?
Very low rent – and the Government also provided us with a funding package which has a couple of milestones and hurdles to hit which we will hopefully be hitting in the near future once we secure our funding.
So you’ve picked up $200 million dollars’ worth of equipment for $5 million bucks and moved it to Upstate New York?
That’s correct. The moving process pretty much costs close to as much as purchasing the whole plant, so that was $2.5 million US to move from North Carolina to New York.
I bet it did. Was that before you bought the stake in C4V?
It was at the same time. C4V obviously were keen to participate and to provide funding towards the plant. We thought, from a Magnis point of view, we were keen to buy into C4V and this was a perfect opportunity where we could buy our stake and the proceeds could help C4V in keeping a large stake in this New York battery plant.
They’ve got a stake in the battery plant as well, right? Do you own half of the plant or what? How does that work?
Four owners at the moment, Alan, and that’s Magnis at just over 53 per cent; C4V is just over 45 per cent; and then there’s two groups, one called C&D Assembly, the make battery management systems, they own roughly 0.7 or 0.8 of a per cent; and a group called Primet Precision Materials, that produces cathode materials and they own 0.7 of a per cent. They had larger stakes initially, but then through funding pieces where Magnis and C4V have been putting funding into this project, they’ve been diluted out. If you look at indirectly, with Magnis’s 10 per cent stake in C4V, that roughly takes us directly and indirectly at 58 per cent of the project.
And so, where is this project at now?
The project – we have the factory, we have the machinery in the factory. We’ve done all the engineering studies, we’ve done everything that’s required to get us to a point where we’ve got fixed prices on putting the equipment back together and so on. But in short, the equipment’s in the plant, bubble wrapped, and we’re trying to complete this last stage of funding which will then allow us to put the plant back together, hire the team that we’ve identified – we’ve brought a few members of that team already onboard – and then pay for the first 12 months of raw materials for our production.
It’s roughly a $40 million US Dollar piece, Alan, and once that is in, we’re roughly nine months away from production. As I sit today talking to you, I believe that within the next four weeks we will have this funding piece completed, which will then allow us to produce these batteries by the end of this year. Alan, this would be the second-largest plant in the US and in the top 10 plants in the world, so we’re talking about a significant plant, it’s not some small plant, it’s at gigawatt scale and you look at other battery peers in this space who are at that level, there’s sort of this rule of thumb currently and we know this market’s hot right now, where for every gigawatt hour of production that you have today, we can’t compare ourselves because we’re not in production today.
For those who are in production, there’s roughly this $5 billion US per gigawatt hour of battery production in valuation. That’s where we plan to be – and we believe we’re on track – to be producing at that level…
At what level?
At gigawatt scale.
A gigawatt hour of production?
A gigawatt hour of production – we will obviously start and work our way up and within nine months we believe we’ll be producing at gigawatt scale, but we plan to start that production by the end of this year. We’re not talking about revenues four years away or three years away like a lot of these lithium producers or medium-term lithium producers who have got billion dollar market caps right now. We will literally be in production by the end of the year and we’re talking at gigawatt scale and have revenues coming through the door.
You’re saying you only need USD$40 million for that?
Correct.
What sort of funding will it be, is it equity or debt or a combination?
I think it’ll be a combination, Alan, and the majority will be in equity. The challenges we’ve faced to date with our funding is purely when you look at – we went down the track of trying to get as much debt as possible and the challenge we face is, we’re not manufacturing these batteries right now at high scale and we don’t have the brand where we’re in a…
No, you’ve just got a factory in bubble wrap.
That’s exactly it, so we’re a start-up and being a start-up, anyone who’s started their business understands the challenges that we face. Obviously, with the market and the actual heat in there and the interest in the market right now, it’s brought in a lot of potential equity investors and we would expect when we announce our funding package the majority will be in equity and as I’m speaking to you, I think there’s going to be at least one marquee name who will be coming in as one of these equity investors, someone who will be using these batteries and will be an off-taker of ours as well.
What sort of batteries are you going to make?
Two main markets that we’re targeting, energy storage and the transportation or auto industry. We already have, Alan, over 10 offtake agreements that are binding to date.
Are they offtake agreements for batteries or for graphite?
The offtake agreements that we have, Alan, are for batteries and we have what we call our R&D facility in Binghamton University in Upstate New York. In that facility, C4V is one of seven private companies that are based out of there and they have a $300 million dollar battery facility that was funded by The Department of Energy. Obviously, the university works with a couple of private entities to try to promote not only business in the area, but also R&D. Out of that facility, one of the Magnis directors in Professor Stanley Whittingham is based out of that university and I’m sure most out there would be familiar with Professor Whittingham – he was the original inventor of the lithium-ion battery and roughly 14 months ago was awarded with the Nobel Prize for the invention of the lithium-ion battery. He sits on the board of Magnis, he’s based out of that university.
To date, our offtakes, getting samples and getting our batteries qualified have mainly come out of the facility at the university. Alan, we’ve also got live battery packs in products to date. There’s a group called Martec which is based out of Florida, they produce products mainly for the US and British Governments and they produce these unmanned boats or submarines and unmanned vehicles mainly for surveillance purposes, and they have our battery packs in their products right now. These boats will go out on missions…
I thought you hadn’t made any batteries yet?
No. To get these offtakes, you’ve got to go through a long qualification process and we’ve gone not only through this qualification process with Martec, we’ve actually got live battery packs in their products. What I’m saying though, we haven’t produced out of our New York battery plant because it’s bubble wrapped, but we’ve been able to use the facilities at the university to make smaller quantities of batteries which are in live products to date.
I see, okay.
The university’s battery plant is sort of at 50-60 megawatt hour scale. We’re talking about, our plant is at gigawatt scale, so more than 20 times the amount that they’re able to produce. It’s mass production, whereas that is smaller scale production, more for R&D and research facilities, but it allows us to get our samples out there, which it then has allowed us to get these offtake agreements. When we mention energy storage and the EV market, typically you will not get contracts from EV providers or from auto manufacturers unless you’re mass-producing. The perfect example of that was the CEO of Volkswagen, about eight months ago at a conference, came out and said, “If you’re at gigawatt scale production and you’re not talking to us, come to us. We need to speak to everyone who’s at gigawatt scale production.”
We’re speaking to a lot of these and all the major auto makers and working on programs with them, but you won’t get offtake agreements, as far as we’re aware, unless you’re actually in production.
Right, fair enough. Aren’t you also saying that your batteries are going to be fast charge, like 10 minutes or something?
We’re working on this fast charging technology, Alan, which gives them 85 per cent charge within six minutes. We’ve gone down the path of cycling this battery and we’re using these unoptimized cells. We’ve then taken it now to the next stage which is using commercial grade optimized cells and we’re going through the cycling now. We’re also working on a program with the New York State Government, where we’re providing the battery packs, BAE Systems – so, BAE, the British company who’s pretty much known more for defence and satellite capabilities, they are also a large bus producer which most people wouldn’t know. They have a facility in Upstate New York, close to where we are and near us in Huron Campus.
They’ll be providing the busses, we’ll be providing the battery packs and Con Edison, which is the largest power producer in New York, will be providing the charging facilities, so we’re working on this demonstration program to prove to the New York State Government that we can use this fast charging technology on transit busses and the aim for the New York State Government is that they go to an all-electric bus fleet. The thing that’s lacking – if they could do it today, they would do it today, but the charging is the main issue. And we believe we’re onto something, Alan, but with all these technologies, as you’d be aware, there’s a long process of commercialising a technology.
To give you an example, if the batteries we use, say, in Martec’s products – in order to go to the point that we’re at right now and putting these battery packs and having the technology commercialised, patented and so on, it’s roughly a 10-year process. When you hear of a lot of these new technologies or such and such, a certain university or certain companies that believe they’ve come up with some kind of invention and so on, to go down the path of getting a patented and commercialised, you’re talking at least five years minimum and we’ve gone down that path where not only have we got commercialised technology with our partners at Charge CCCV or C4V, we’ve actually got the machinery and the equipment to mass produce this. I think that’s something that’s lost in the local market. I’ll give you an example of how tight the market is right now – you may have seen one of our recent announcements where we’re working together with the largest abattoir in the southern hemisphere and the New South Wales State Government where we’re looking at putting a battery on that abattoir and they’re going down the path of looking at solar and other initiatives and they’re trying to get off the grid as much as possible or bring down their power costs because they generated a lot of power in an abattoir.
We will be using someone else’s cells in this process because our New York battery plant won’t be up and running in time for this project. The quickest lead time we can get to purchase cells and when we look at cell manufacturers, there’s six major makers that produce 90 per cent of the world’s lithium-ion battery cells, being Tesla; Panasonic; in Korea, LG and Samsung; and CATL and BYD in China – the quickest lead time we can get is four to five months. That’s the amount of the shortage there is in the marketplace. You’ve had Jaguar, Daimler and – I’m just forgetting the third name…
It doesn’t matter. When are you going to be in production?
By the end of the year – and these major auto manufacturers – sorry, it was Audi, Jaguar and Daimler, have come out saying some of their electric models have been delayed purely because they can’t get their hands on these cells. Even though they’ve got these huge contracts with groups like LG and Samsung and Panasonic, they cannot make these things quick enough and they’re building plants all over the place right now, especially in Europe and in Asia. In our case, we believe the US market is a great market for us purely because they’re focused on manufacturing products in their country, US-made products.
We have a supply chain, as far as we know that will be the only supply chain in the marketplace that has no China influence and we’re looking at bringing that locally to Australia as well, where we’ve completed a feasibility study for our Townsville project and we’re working very closely with the Queensland Government in materialising this project and bringing it…
Tell us about Townsville, you’re going to make batteries in Townsville too, are you?
Yeah, that’s the aim, Alan, and we’re talking about starting off at 6 gigawatt hours and then moving that onto 12 to 18 gigawatt hours. We believe the Australian market is large enough and we believe it’s a great location also to some of the countries in Southeast Asia as well.
Is the Queensland Government going to give you money?
To date, they’ve funded the feasibility study that has been completed. We’re looking and speaking to not only the Queensland State Government, but also the Federal Government of Australia as well. There’s government applications that need batteries and at the moment the majority of the world, not only Australia, is reliant on mainly Chinese battery manufacturers and I think for some of the sensitive applications that are used in Government practices, it would make sense that Australian made batteries are being used with technology that has been co-developed by not only us, but by our partners overseas and our partner in C4V is also in this project, has an interest in this project in Australia as well.
So I presume with the Townsville one, you’d have to pay full freight for the machinery, you can’t pick it up off a receiver or liquidator for $5 million?
No, no, look, that’s a one-off, Alan, and we’ll never get that again. The beauty from our case is, we get the New York battery plant going towards production, we’re demonstrating that we can mass produce these batteries. I don’t think there’d be any bank or any fund in the world who then wouldn’t fund a project locally, just the same as if Tesla was to build something locally here in Australia – I suppose with their market cap they wouldn’t have any trouble at all – but, I’m sure they wouldn’t have any trouble with getting funding out there and we think by getting a New York battery project up and running, that will help us to get funding and exercise the confidence not only to end users, but also to governments and all stake holders that are able to do this at mass scale. That’s the aim and New York being so close to production is sort of that perfect segment into our Townsville project here in Australia as well. They’re the two main markets that we’re focusing on, Australia and the US market.
Yep, but obviously, your Townsville project is a little further away?
Correct, and hence why New York’s that focus, because it brings those revenues in in the short-term as well.
What’s happening with Tanzania and your graphite deposit there, have you been building the mine?
The project is shovel-ready, Alan, so we’ve got all the mining and environmental approvals. We’ve brought out all the land owners, gone through this compensation process. It’s literally ready to go but requires funding for the project. We’ve got a team over there who’s working very hard mainly on the financing side and on the offtake side at the moment, but being so close to revenues with New York, that’s obviously first and foremost for the company as the main priority is New York. But obviously, we’ve got a high quality project in Tanzania and that’s something that we would love to get up and running as soon as possible. With the interest that’s come towards battery material stocks at the moment and looking at non-China supply, we have been getting a lot of interest coming in in the last few months, which we weren’t getting prior to that. It’s something there in the background that we sort of call our sleeping giant, but in saying that, New York is the main focus for us.
Very good, well it’s been fascinating talking to you, Frank, thanks.
Really appreciate your time, Alan.
That was Frank Poullas, who is the Executive Chairman of Magnis Energy Technologies.

TIFU for falling for a guy on Tinder during Covid and got scammed out of life savings

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A short review of each site and some referral links
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Robinhood can be a gambling platform, but it's not and removing it or regulating it will exacerbate the divide between the wealthy and the rest of the U.S.

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1	Coral Casino	TCB	£42	£10	£32
2	Ladbrokes Casino	TCB / Quidco	£42	£10	£32
3	Betfair Casino	Quidco	£40	£10	£30
4	William Hill Casino	TCB / Quidco	£54	£25	£29
5	Pokerstars	TCB / Quidco	£32	£20	£12
6	Paddy Power Games	TCB / Quidco	£20	£10	£10
7	Lottomart	TCB	£18	£10	£8
8	Foxy Bingo	OMD	£12.50	£5	£7.50
9	Gala Bingo	OMD	£12.50	£5	£7.50
9	Buzz Bingo	OMD	£17.50	£10	£7.50
10	Lottoland	TCB	£22	£15.01	£6.99
11	Tombola	TCB / Quidco	£15	£10	£5
12	Cheeky Bingo	OMD	£15	£10	£5
13	BingoPort	TCB	£4	-	£4
14	LottoGo	OMD	£4.50	£2	£2.50
15	Free Slots Genie	OMD	£1.25	-	£1.25
16	Profit Accumulator	TCB	£1.05	-	£1.05
17	The Best Free Spins	OMD	£1	-	£1
18	Free Spins Wizard	OMD	£1	-	£1
19	Pick My Postcode	TCB	£0.90	-	£0.90
20	Search Lotto	TCB	£0.82	-	£0.82
21	Free Spins Loopy	OMD	£0.80	-	£0.80
22	Super Free Slots	OMD	£0.70	-	£0.70
23	FreeBingoGenie	OMD	£0.60	-	£0.60
24	bgo	OMD	£10	£10	-
24	Slingo	OMD	£20	£20	-

Hi everyone,
Lately I've been reading and watching on the news about Robinhood and I just wanted to give my two cents as somebody who actually researches Gambling disorder in the United States. My goal in this post is to hopefully encourage people on WSB to become politically active in preventing the regulations or removal of certain aspects that Robinhood allows on its investing platform. First, let me define some terms from the Gambling disorder field:

Gambling- placing something of value on a random outcome in order to achieve a desired result or profit (this last part is added by me as I think it gives a better explanation of why an individual gambles in the first place);
Gambling disorder: A psychological disorder where an individual is unable to control their gambling to the point that they are experiencing consequences from the behavior. The behavior also has to occur without the presence of Mania, other biological co-morbidity, or under the influence of a psychoactive substance.

In this post I will address a few arguments at Robinhood. The first is regarding the "gambling" nature of investment that Robinhood purportedly encourages. The second is that the average investor needs to be "protected" because they lack the information and knowledge to participate on the app.
When I first downloaded Robinhood, I was skeptical at first and proceeded to uninstall and reinstall it multiple times before I deposited $350 to invest in stock. The app provided me a "scratch-off" with my first deposit that rewarded me with my first stock (some medical company). That was the only time that event occurred. If we look at my prior definition of gambling, technically that is not a form of gambling. I placed nothing of value on this random outcome. If the actual act of investing in stock is gambling this leads to an interesting analogy regarding trading platforms, not just Robinhood.
Stocks are the game (roulette, blackjack, craps), Robinhood and trading platforms are the dealers (giving information on the rules of the game and how much it costs to place a bet), and the liberal market is the casino.
In this analogy everybody is in the Casino, and if you don't play the game you stand to lose regardless as your money loses value to inflation. Even worse, if the casino folds the people that didn't cash out or were fully invested in the casino never collapsing (The Great Depression, the recession of 2008 the coronavirus recession) can stand to lose everything even if they didn't participate (regular person that was laid off) or were placing safe bets (ETF's Blue chip stocks etc).
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, William Galvin, is addressing the wrong issue by suing Robinhood. What should be addressed is the reasons that people even participate in Robinhood or in any trading platform. The average individual doesn't understand the market and the United States does not address this ignorance by providing information on how to properly invest for retirement or provide a welfare structure that protects against poverty as individuals become unable to participate fully in the economy due to injury, developmental disability, age, discrimination or lack of access to the "free" market. To claim that people on Robinhood "gamble" for excitement or risk is reductive. People invest their money on Robinhood for the potential accumulate life changing "tendies" that will protect them from the eventuality that they will be unable to participate in the economy and the government will not insulate them from the fiscal impact an individual will (not if) have to deal with in regards rising medical cost for their healthcare and any other services they would require in order to lead a normal life. If William Galvin is actually concerned about the "gamefying" of investment, he should focus on regulating Wall Street and the Banking sector, because last time I checked investors on Robinhood invest with their own money, not the money of other people.
The argument that the average investor isn't informed also leads to more issues that I guarantee the government doesn't want to address or even ask because it would require an expansion of the welfare state and higher taxes on companies and individuals. If the average American is too dumb to invest using Robinhood that what is the solution? The U.S. government has always fought any sort of government guaranteed income or services to insulate an individual against against insolvency from the free market as can be seen by the desire to privatize almost all forms of government programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Food Stamps and Medicaid. This has already occurred with certain programs at the federal level such as HUD which doesn't do anything to help people get affordable housing and the drastic reduction in funding for colleges and universities especially after boomers were done getting their degrees for essentially free.
So lets examine what the average person has to understand in the American economy,

they have to be able to plan and invest for their retirement,
understand loans (including all the fine print such as interest) to pay for college, and purchasing of necessary items for certain areas such as housing or a car;
Navigate a Byzantine like medical industry that can easily bankrupt the average American even with insurance;

So the average American is suppose to navigate all of the aforementioned areas with little to no government assistance. But Robinhood should be regulated, makes sense. Let's not even talk about that most Americans read at about an 8th grade level and have a tough time understanding that a quarter pounder is less than a one third hamburger...
"Why the third pound hamburger failed: One of the most vivid arithmetic failings displayed by Americans occurred in the early 1980s, when the A&W restaurant chain released a new hamburger to rival the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. With a third-pound of beef, the A&W burger had more meat than the Quarter Pounder; in taste tests, customers preferred A&W’s burger. And it was less expensive. A lavish A&W television and radio marketing campaign cited these benefits. Yet instead of leaping at the great value, customers snubbed it. Only when the company held customer focus groups did it become clear why. The Third Pounder presented the American public with a test in fractions. And we failed. Misunderstanding the value of one-third, customers believed they were being overcharged. Why, they asked the researchers, should they pay the same amount for a third of a pound of meat as they did for a quarter-pound of meat at McDonald’s. The “4” in “¼,” larger than the “3” in “⅓,” led them astray. --Elizabeth Green, NYT Magazine, on losing money by overestimating the American Public Intelligence."
The REAL QUESTION is what responsibility does the government have to insulate the average American from an economy that by its very nature is predatory, especially when the argument set forth by William Galvinson is that the public doesn't understand how to invest on Robinhood. Especially since the government has told the public from day one to take care of themselves as they get older through investing instead of expecting the government to provide assistance. By removing or regulating Robinhood, the fungibility of the average American's dollar will drop in value because they are prevented from another avenue of wealth accumulation, which research shows (at least for those in poverty) they turn to gambling as a means of wealth accumulation because even though the return on a gamble is less it is technically even since their dollar is also worth less.
I think I may have gone on a rant, sorry.
TL; DR,
Please buy me some tendies William Galvin, because I like to be wined and dined before I GET FUCKED!
Robinhood isn't gambling. Robinhood just provides a service to investing on Wall Street, the actual gambling is our devotion to supply side economics which is the original, STONKS ONLY GO UP 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
Also, if we are going to start regulating Robinhood because of the actions of a minority (WSB) then we should start regulating other industries that are WAY more predatory and impact a larger amount of the U.S. such as, payday loans, guns, pharma industry, surprise medical bills from emergency rooms, childcare, prison industry, bail industry etc. I bet you the cost to the U.S. economy from those industries is way more than anything Robinhood has done.
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This is a bit long... Should i split it into parts? Neah... I'm too lazy....
-----------------------------------
Physically, the Saproids are not an impressive race. Skinny little guys. Most races refer to them as "the little grey people". But they are really smart. Proportionally to their bodies, their craniums (and their brains) are the largest among the sentient races. And their are also cunning. And greedy. And ruthless.
You could be at war with them, and not even know it! Because they don't wage wars with ships, and guns, and troops. Oh, no! They wage economics wars. Because they are the trade masters. They are present on any stock market around the universe. They have their greedy little paws in every bank, in every vault. Why? Because nobody can multiply currency like the smart little bastards can.
As a result of their intimate knowledge regarding the economics of the universe, they can crash any economy, of anyone who they deem as a threat to them and to their lifestyle.
When humans finally discovered FTL, they were welcomed to the universe. They met all the other sentient races. Trade deals were made. Technologies were exchanged. Shipping lanes were being established.
Everyone was admiring this race of industrious, peace-loving, hard-working people. Everyone liked them, and the humans seemed to like everyone too. Everyone... except the Saproids.
For some reason, undisclosed by their diplomacy, the humans were rather cold and cautious towards "the little grey men". It's not that they refused contact or trade deals with them, or refused to grant them visiting visas to Earth. It's just that, unlike with the other races, the humans didn't seem to trust them. Like at all! Every Saproid that visited Earth, was accompanied by guards at all time. No access was given to more important human technologies, or real access to the human stock markets. Nobody really knew the reason for this apprehension from the humans part. But soon, all over the universe, when someone was being mad or frustrated at the Saproids, began refering to them as "anal probers" or "cow snatchers". These were terms that started from unofficial human sources.
Of course, this behavior didn't go unnoticed by the Saproids. Nor would it be left unpunished. In great secret, the probers - pardon me - the Saproids, assembled their war council. Their greatest minds in the field of economics met to discuss a strategy to bring these upstarts at the Saproids mercy. Like i said before, the Saproids didn't believe in standard warfare. That was for animals, for mindless brutes, as far as they were concerned. No... Their field of battle was the economy, and their weapon was the currency.
But, their access to human economy was basicly inexistent. So, their usual methods wouldn't be efficient against the humans. In order to find a winning strategy, more data was needed. So, a couple of Saproid generals were sent to Earth, to gather more information. They pretended to be just tourists, willing to visit an exotic planet.
The Human Bureau for Xeno Affairs accepted their tourist visa requests. It recommended them a few popular tourist resorts. Because the Saproids couldn't endure colder climates, the destinations were countries in the warmer climates of Earth. Like Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Haiti, Barbados... India was off limits for some reason - apparently for the safety of the cow snatchers - pardon me - the Saproids. Accomodations were made for them, tickets were bought, guides were booked and, of course, guards had been assigned, for their protection, according to the humans.
After a few days of quarantine, some vaccines, and other such formalities, the generals found themselves on Earth, among the humans, and began their observation, and data gathering. The natural beauties of the land left them unmoving. The exotic fauna mostly scared them. The exotic foods, fruits, vegetables - were of no interest (some of it were borderline poisonous!). Sport activities, (such as diving, climbing, hiking, and so on), were just as irrelevant to them. No... They looked for weaknesses in the economy. They watched how money changed hands. They analized what did the humans spent their currency on. They watched, they asked questions, they gathered data. Spreadsheets were made, Graphs created, Power Point presentations...the works! A month later, the generals returned to their home planet, and the War Council gathered once more.
The first to speak was senior general Skump, from the prestigious "Skump, Skump & Skump" trading company. The general stepped onto the podium with confidence. He looked very imposing with two assistants following him, displaying his very long achievements scroll. The general also looked quite refreshed by his time behind the enemy lines, and one could even see a faint tan on his grey skin.
- "Gentlemen", he began his speech, "on my time on the enemy planet i learned a lot of things about the humans. I studied them carefully. And i think i have found an ingenious method to strip them of their currency. To bleed them dry. Not only to make them poor, but to make them direct their money only into our accounts, and to no other race!"
Every member of the council was on their edge of the seat! Their greedy eyes shone with excitement! Little grabby paws were being rubbed together. Some began to drool uncontrollably. Some of them were even hiding erections behind clipboards placed onto their laps! General Skump smiled at their excitement and began to explain his strategy:
- "After i visited several popular vacation destinations among humans, i observed the following:

The humans work almost all year, gathering currency, like any other normal sapient. BUT instead of using the gathered currency to invest and multiply it, they spend a huge portion of the gathered money in only a single month of "vacation". It is a crazy period in their life, that happens every year, when they just...spend! They prefer to spend it on travelling to new places, as different as possible from their standard place of living. They spend on trying new things, new foods, new experiences, new mating partners...
When the humans reach a certain age, they retire from activity. They stop working and they don't make money anymore. BUT, their government pays them money each month! A fair procent of these old humans, when reaching this stage, prefer to move in wamer climates, where they spend their days taking money from their government and spending them. Usually, spending the money as explained on point 1 of my presentation.
The main source of income for those popular vacation sites i visited was the money spent as shown above. The entire economy in those places depends on the money they extract from the tourists. "

- "Gentlemen", continued the general, "i have seen tourism in the universe, but i have never seen an economy so depended on it, nor have i met a race so ready to spend money on such frivolous things."
- "So, after analyzing all these things, i propose the following course of action:

We build tourist resorts! Terrans will come here because they love new places and experiences! If you build it, they will come! They will come with their money, and leave without them! We will make them pay for these resorts! Not only they will leave their money here, but we will also bankrupt Earth's tourist destinations. After all, they can't offer so much "new" as an alien planet!
I am aware that the humans don't trust us, and don't like us. They call us "anal probers", and "cow snatchers". They won't visit Saproid resorts. So, we build them on other worlds. There are plenty of races that will welcome us investing on their planets. We just make sure that no staff is Saproid, that the humans don't know it is our resorts, and they will happily spend their income in those places.
We establish charter flights between Earth and our newly built resorts. The terrans will PAY us to come here and give us their money! Also, this would mean less tourists and less income for the transport companies on Earth. Again - a serious blow to their local economy!
and at last - we will attract the elderly humans. We sell them houses and land, in warm climates. Like all humans, they crave new experiences. So, they will move to these places. Not temporary, but they will stay there until they expire. All the time sucking money from Earth, and spending it on the planets we attract them to! Again - i am aware they will not come to our planet. Instead, we must attract them on planets that are under our unofficial control. So we can benefit from the steady credit flow that will be coming from Earth towards this elderly."

- "Thank you for your attention gentlemen. I am looking forward to your opinions, and to the plans that my fellow generals devised."
The other generals that visited Earth also presented their plans and observations. But, applying all the plans at once was avoided for three reasons: first, too many plans at once might alert the humans that they are under attack. Second - each of these plans required money, and there were only so many resources the Saproids were willing to risk. And third - they wanted not to push this story teller right here too much right now; to leave some room for a potential follow up.
The council members voted and, with majority of votes, chose general Skump's plan as the starting offensive against the humans. They started going over details, calculated return of investment rates, choosing suitable locations, squabbling over who gets to invest where and on what. But, they were professionals. Slowly, the thing were set into motions and the silent war began, without the humans even realizing they were under attack.
In less than a year, ten huge resorts, with hundreds of hotels, on ten different planets were ready to receive their (mostly human) guests. Transport lines were established between these resorts, Earth, and even Earth's colonies. Clips appeared on the human internet, promoting these resorts. Also, as the same time, amazing offers appeared , dedicated to the elderly humans, for houses and lands on warm, beautiful, exotic planets. For the humans that chose to move to these planets, they even offered free transport!
The plan was in motion, and it was flawlessly executed. Results soon became visible. Humans, after being confined on their own worlds for their entire existence, flocked to the new resorts with great enthusiasm! Old people were happy to get away from the crowded, polluted Earth, and settle on warm, new planets. The number of tourists and elderly surpassed even the most optimistic predictions of the Saproids. Money was starting to flow steadily from the direction of Earth, into the pockets of the anal probers. The council calculated that at this rate, in 10 years, humans would spend enough money outside their system, that they would enter a recession.
-------------------------------
Mike Lawry was one of the guides that had been hired to babysit that delegation of cow snatchers. He had never before met real life aliens, but he was rather disappointed. He tried his best to entertain them. But the boring, cheap, non-tipping, grey little bastards were not interested in anything fun. They just watched, observed, took notes... At some point, Mike thought they were into voyeurism, but neah... They just didn't know how to have fun.
So, when he was assigned to another delegation, from another species, he had very low expectations. He almost refused the job. But... his professional pride won. He vowed to himself that this delegation was gonna have fun like never before!
So, he did everything with them: took them to shows (concerts, magic shows, cabaret, etc); took them on trips, like safari, hiking; took them onto the sea, for swimming, snorkeling, diving; took them skydiving; took them to fancy restaurant to enjoy a wide variety of cuisines - the works!
At first, the new aliens were just as boring as the Saproids. Like they were scared to do any of the activities.
- "Why do you humans do these things? This vacation?" asked the leader of the delagation. "Seems like a waste of resources".
So Mike explained to them that humans need to take time off their usual work, in order to recharge. A human, without relaxation from time to time, becomes much less productive. And, he told them he was willing to bet that the entire delegation would feel much more efficient after a week under his ...supervision.
The aliens agree to follow his lead, and, after only a few hours, they relaxed, and started having the time of their lives. At the end of one full week, the aliens were energized, happy, relaxed, and felt ready to return to their mundane tasks with more vigor! Well...at least until their next vacation!
And so went things with the next delegation. And the next... And the next...
Word spread, and soon, there was a growing stream of alien tourists on Earth.
At some point, resorts dedicated to human tourists opened on other planets. Most humans that could afford a vacation, went to space! That took some pressure off the Earth's overcrowded resorts, and made room for the ever growing mass of alien tourists.
-------------------------------
Josh Brenner was amongst the first people to visit the tourist resorts built for humans, on alien worlds. He enjoyed his vacation immensely! He liked it so much, that he visited three of the mega resorts in less than a year! It was like visiting places from the movies he watched as a little kid. Like entering the universe of Star Wars. So many other races, such wonderful and exotic sceneries, so many strange foods!
However, he did notice a few unexpected things... Apparently, most alien races didn't usually take vacations like the humans did. All the destinations he visited were obviously new , and designed for humans. And even if they were designed for humans, you could easily see the lack of experience in tourism the designers of these places had. Sure - there were hotels, and each hotel had restaurants. But there were was a serious lack of other tourists attractions. Like organized activities, diving in those purple seas, safari excursions to observe the strange fauna, bird watching, sky diving. Nothing like that. Not even souvenir shops. Nothing like that. So, Josh Brenner did what any bussinessman does when he smells an opportunity - he invested! He started rather small - bought a building near one of those resorts. Transformed it into a hotel, but, unlike the resort, he made it suitable for as many species as he could. After that, he convinced his friends and family to invest too. They built a restaurant, opened a souvenir shop, opened an agency that organized all sorts of activities, in order for the visitors to enjoy all the experiences that the alien planet had to offer. And, most important - they promoted this type of tourism to all the other known sentient races! Even if the other sentient races were not used to this type of spending time, it was impossible not to enjoy yourself if humans were organizing your vacation. Soon, it was known throughout the universe that if you wanted to have fun, you turn to the humans!
Josh Brenner and his friends were just the first humans to do this. But they were not alone. Soon, the mega resorts built for the humans were old news. Human built resorts were attracting more tourists, from all over the universe. A brand new market was opened by the Saproids, but, because of their experience in tourism, the humans were the experts on this new market!
------------------------------
Walt Kowalsky was sitting on his porch, sipping his beer, enjoying the warm evening, and view of the spectacular first sunset of the day. The planet Calednia had two suns, that rotated around each other. The sunsets were something else. Like watching two mythological creatures fighting over the rule of the heavens. It wasn't really a sunset. As one sun disappeared under the horizon, the second sun was coming up. This first sunset actually marked the middle of the day.
"Huh... i'm cheating death." snorted Walt to himself. "I'm doubling the number of sunsets i'm going to see before i die". Bitter sweet humour, but that's the humour of an old man.
He had moved to Calednia six months ago, as soon as offers for new homes, on aliens planets began to appear on the internet.
"One last adventure", he had thought to himself when he bought the place. Best decision he ever made! The weather was always perfect, the house was cheap but very spacious and comfortable. The local race was friendly. They looked like ewoks, but less hairy.
"Man, i love this view", he sighed, as the second sun won the battle and climbed up the pink sky.
Just then his communicator beeped.
- "Yeah?" answered Walt, and took another sip of his beer.
- "Mr Kowalsky?" asked a high pitched voice. Sounding suspiciously like one of them anal probers.
- "This is he."
- "My name is Rajesh, from Xerop Utilities. I am calling to ask you when can we schedule a replacement of the utilities in your home?"
- "Huh?" a confused Walt asked
- "Oh, right... I forgot you are new to our planet. You see sir, on Calednia, our company, Xerop Utilities, replaces your water pump, air filter, air conditioner, washing machine and refrigerator every year. We call this preventive maintenance. In this way we make sure your equipment does not break... too often."
- "Woau... You do this for free every year?"
- "What? No sir. You will be billed, of course."
- "Like hell i will! Nothing wrong with my stuff. Nothing broke yet. When something breaks, i'll fix it myself. If i can't, only THEN i'll buy a new one."
- "Mmm... You can't do that..."
Rajesh seemed at loss for words.
- "Listen here kid. Are these equipments my property?"
- "Well... yes sir, of course..."
- "Then, if you want to tell me what i can do and what i can't do with my property, you're gonna have to come here and tell it to me personally, and to my rifle!"
No answer came from the other side of the line. Just a gulp.
- "That's what i thought. Now f**k off, and don't call this number again!"
About a week later, his water pump broke. Walt grabbed his tool box, and opened it. It was only one condenser that burnt itself, but that started the whole contraption. It was rather standard, but cheaply made, flimsy. He replaced it in 2 minutes. But for the pump to break just as that company was trying to sell him a new one, seemed like too big of a coincidence. So he checked all the stuff around his house. Fridge, air filter, washing machine... everything. All of them were decently built, but had some cheap condensers, or cheap fuses, of cables too thin, like they were all meant to only last a few months.
He went online and ordered himself a box of honest, earth built condensers, fuses, and what-not. Just to have some spares. Xenos might replace the entire machine when it stopped working, but to him, that was wastefull.
About a month later, he was at his neighbor's house, at a party. They were a nice clan of ewoks. Happy, cute, and man they were funny after a few beers! Everyone was telling stories, jokes. They were all laughing; Walt was telling them about how he scared Rajesh silly over the phone, to the amusement of the whole party.
- "Wait, wait, wait..." said Blink, the son of his neighbor. "You mean to tell us you fix all these stuff by yourself?"
- "Yeah dude. It's not even that complicated. They are simple machines. Really easy to fix. And if you mess up, so what? They were gonna sell you a new one anyway".
- "Well... i wouldn't mind not buying new stuff every year" said Blink's dad. "It's sucking me dry. If i wouldn't have to replace them, maybe we could afford one of those vacations i keep hearing about. Walt, think you could show Blink here how to fix them?"
- "Sure thing buddy! If he wants too..."
- "I don't know..." said Blink. "My friends will probably laugh at me, saying i'm into old man stuff"
Walt thought for a second then asked:
- "You kids here have a social network right? And the kid with the most interesting posts, the most likes and shares is the most popular right?"
- "Well... yeah"
- "Kid, i'll teach you how to fix them things, and you can post tutorials online for each type of fix. You're going to save your people so much money that your channel is going to be the most popular on this planet! You're going to get so much tail, you're not going to have energy left to fix things!" laughed Walt
- "...Tail? What do you mean?"
- "Nevermind that... It's the beer talking... So? You in?"
- "Yeah.. Ok. Not sure if you're right about the popular part, but i would really like for us to save enough money to go on a vacation."
- "Great! Then it's settled! Man, i'm going to enjoy sticking it to that Xerop Utilities Company. You know, i have a suspicion that company is run by those anal probers assholes... You know that my grand daddy was abducted by those assholes?" And so, the story telling part of the party continued.
In the following months, Radio Shack received thousands of orders from planet Calednia. And the orders kept growing in number and in number of articles. The sales for new water pumps, air filters, boilers, washing machines, refrigerators, and other house hold equipment plummeted. And Blink's channel became the most popular channel on the planet.
The situation on Calednia was not singular. One every planet where old humans moved, at one point or another, similar events developed. The humans refused to replace equipment regularly. If the machines broke down, they just fixed them. Then they showed their neighbors how to fix them. And so on, until spare parts stores from Earth were forced to open branches and deposits on the alien planets, to cope with the demand.
-------------------------------
Four years after the Saproids started their silent war against the humans, their expensive built resorts were now shadowed by the human ones and were barely making any profit. All the planets where old humans had moved, and whereon the Saproids had booming companies like Xerop Utilities, were now reporting massive losses.
The Saproid council held elections and removed the generals responsible for this debacle from the leadership.

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GME DD: Float deep dive + MOASS speculations - Part 2

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My personal stance and departing thoughts

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