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How the Hunt Brothers Cornered the Silver Market and Then Lost it All

TL:DR: yes its long. Grab a beer.

Until his dying day in 2014, Nelson Bunker Hunt, who had once been the world’s wealthiest man, denied that he and his brother plotted to corner the global silver market.
Sure, back in 1980, Bunker, his younger brother Herbert, and other members of the Hunt clan owned roughly two-thirds of all the privately held silver on earth. But the historic stockpiling of bullion hadn’t been a ploy to manipulate the market, they and their sizable legal team would insist in the following years. Instead, it was a strategy to hedge against the voracious inflation of the 1970s—a monumental bet against the U.S. dollar.
Whatever the motive, it was a bet that went historically sour. The debt-fueled boom and bust of the global silver market not only decimated the Hunt fortune, but threatened to take down the U.S. financial system.
The panic of “Silver Thursday” took place over 35 years ago, but it still raises questions about the nature of financial manipulation. While many view the Hunt brothers as members of a long succession of white collar crooks, from Charles Ponzi to Bernie Madoff, others see the endearingly eccentric Texans as the victims of overstepping regulators and vindictive insiders who couldn’t stand the thought of being played by a couple of southern yokels.
In either case, the story of the Hunt brothers just goes to show how difficult it can be to distinguish illegal market manipulation from the old fashioned wheeling and dealing that make our markets work.
The Real-Life Ewings
Whatever their foibles, the Hunts make for an interesting cast of characters. Evidently CBS thought so; the family is rumored to be the basis for the Ewings, the fictional Texas oil dynasty of Dallas fame.
Sitting at the top of the family tree was H.L. Hunt, a man who allegedly purchased his first oil field with poker winnings and made a fortune drilling in east Texas. H.L. was a well-known oddball to boot, and his sons inherited many of their father’s quirks.
For one, there was the stinginess. Despite being the richest man on earth in the 1960s, Bunker Hunt (who went by his middle name), along with his younger brothers Herbert (first name William) and Lamar, cultivated an image as unpretentious good old boys. They drove old Cadillacs, flew coach, and when they eventually went to trial in New York City in 1988, they took the subway. As one Texas editor was quoted in the New York Times, Bunker Hunt was “the kind of guy who orders chicken-fried steak and Jello-O, spills some on his tie, and then goes out and buys all the silver in the world.”
Cheap suits aside, the Hunts were not without their ostentation. At the end of the 1970s, Bunker boasted a stable of over 500 horses and his little brother Lamar owned the Kansas City Chiefs. All six children of H.L.’s first marriage (the patriarch of the Hunt family had fifteen children by three women before he died in 1974) lived on estates befitting the scions of a Texas billionaire. These lifestyles were financed by trusts, but also risky investments in oil, real estate, and a host of commodities including sugar beets, soybeans, and, before long, silver.
The Hunt brothers also inherited their father’s political inclinations. A zealous anti-Communist, Bunker Hunt bankrolled conservative causes and was a prominent member of the John Birch Society, a group whose founder once speculated that Dwight Eisenhower was a “dedicated, conscious agent” of Soviet conspiracy. In November of 1963, Hunt sponsored a particularly ill-timed political campaign, which distributed pamphlets around Dallas condemning President Kennedy for alleged slights against the Constitution on the day that he was assassinated. JFK conspiracy theorists have been obsessed with Hunt ever since.
In fact, it was the Hunt brand of politics that partially explains what led Bunker and Herbert to start buying silver in 1973.
Hard Money
The 1970s were not kind to the U.S. dollar.
Years of wartime spending and unresponsive monetary policy pushed inflation upward throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then, in October of 1973, war broke out in the Middle East and an oil embargo was declared against the United States. Inflation jumped above 10%. It would stay high throughout the decade, peaking in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution at an annual average of 13.5% in 1980.
Over the same period of time, the global monetary system underwent a historic transformation. Since the first Roosevelt administration, the U.S. dollar had been pegged to the value of gold at a predictable rate of $35 per ounce. But in 1971, President Nixon, responding to inflationary pressures, suspended that relationship. For the first time in modern history, the paper dollar did not represent some fixed amount of tangible, precious metal sitting in a vault somewhere.
For conservative commodity traders like the Hunts, who blamed government spending for inflation and held grave reservations about the viability of fiat currency, the perceived stability of precious metal offered a financial safe harbor. It was illegal to trade gold in the early 1970s, so the Hunts turned to the next best thing.
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Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; chart by Priceonomics

As an investment, there was a lot to like about silver. The Hunts were not alone in fleeing to bullion amid all the inflation and geopolitical turbulence, so the price was ticking up. Plus, light-sensitive silver halide is a key component of photographic film. With the growth of the consumer photography market, new production from mines struggled to keep up with demand.
And so, in 1973, Bunker and Herbert bought over 35 million ounces of silver, most of which they flew to Switzerland in specifically designed airplanes guarded by armed Texas ranch hands. According to one source, the Hunt’s purchases were big enough to move the global market.
But silver was not the Hunts' only speculative venture in the 1970s. Nor was it the only one that got them into trouble with regulators.
Soy Before Silver
In 1977, the price of soybeans was rising fast. Trade restrictions on Brazil and growing demand from China made the legume a hot commodity, and both Bunker and Herbert decided to enter the futures market in April of that year.
A future is an agreement to buy or sell some quantity of a commodity at an agreed upon price at a later date. If someone contracts to buy soybeans in the future (they are said to take the “long” position), they will benefit if the price of soybeans rise, since they have locked in the lower price ahead of time. Likewise, if someone contracts to sell (that’s called the “short” position), they benefit if the price falls, since they have locked in the old, higher price.
While futures contracts can be used by soybean farmers and soy milk producers to guard against price swings, most futures are traded by people who wouldn’t necessarily know tofu from cream cheese. As a de facto insurance contract against market volatility, futures can be used to hedge other investments or simply to gamble on prices going up (by going long) or down (by going short).
When the Hunts decided to go long in the soybean futures market, they went very, very long. Between Bunker, Herbert, and the accounts of five of their children, the Hunts collectively purchased the right to buy one-third of the entire autumn soybean harvest of the United States.
To some, it appeared as if the Hunts were attempting to corner the soybean market.
In its simplest version, a corner occurs when someone buys up all (or at least, most) of the available quantity of a commodity. This creates an artificial shortage, which drives up the price, and allows the market manipulator to sell some of his stockpile at a higher profit.
Futures markets introduce some additional complexity to the cornerer’s scheme. Recall that when a trader takes a short position on a contract, he or she is pledging to sell a certain amount of product to the holder of the long position. But if the holder of the long position just so happens to be sitting on all the readily available supply of the commodity under contract, the short seller faces an unenviable choice: go scrounge up some of the very scarce product in order to “make delivery” or just pay the cornerer a hefty premium and nullify the deal entirely.
In this case, the cornerer is actually counting on the shorts to do the latter, says Craig Pirrong, professor of finance at the University of Houston. If too many short sellers find that it actually costs less to deliver the product, the market manipulator will be stuck with warehouses full of inventory. Finance experts refer to selling the all the excess supply after building a corner as “burying the corpse.”
“That is when the price collapses,” explains Pirrong. “But if the number of deliveries isn’t too high, the loss from selling at the low price after the corner is smaller than the profit from selling contracts at the high price.”
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The Chicago Board of Trade trading floor. Photo credit: Jeremy Kemp

Even so, when the Commodity Futures Trading Commission found that a single family from Texas had contracted to buy a sizable portion of the 1977 soybean crop, they did not accuse the Hunts of outright market manipulation. Instead, noting that the Hunts had exceeded the 3 million bushel aggregate limit on soybean holdings by about 20 million, the CFTC noted that the Hunt’s “excessive holdings threaten disruption of the market and could cause serious injury to the American public.” The CFTC ordered the Hunts to sell and to pay a penalty of $500,000.
Though the Hunts made tens of millions of dollars on paper while soybean prices skyrocketed, it’s unclear whether they were able to cash out before the regulatory intervention. In any case, the Hunts were none too pleased with the decision.
“Apparently the CFTC is trying to repeal the law of supply and demand,” Bunker complained to the press.
Silver Thursday
Despite the run in with regulators, the Hunts were not dissuaded. Bunker and Herbert had eased up on silver after their initial big buy in 1973, but in the fall of 1979, they were back with a vengeance. By the end of the year, Bunker and Herbert owned 21 million ounces of physical silver each. They had even larger positions in the silver futures market: Bunker was long on 45 million ounces, while Herbert held contracts for 20 million. Their little brother Lamar also had a more “modest” position.
By the new year, with every dollar increase in the price of silver, the Hunts were making $100 million on paper. But unlike most investors, when their profitable futures contracts expired, they took delivery. As in 1973, they arranged to have the metal flown to Switzerland. Intentional or not, this helped create a shortage of the metal for industrial supply.
Naturally, the industrialists were unhappy. From a spot price of around $6 per ounce in early 1979, the price of silver shot up to $50.42 in January of 1980. In the same week, silver futures contracts were trading at $46.80. Film companies like Kodak saw costs go through the roof, while the British film producer, Ilford, was forced to lay off workers. Traditional bullion dealers, caught in a squeeze, cried foul to the commodity exchanges, and the New York jewelry house Tiffany & Co. took out a full page ad in the New York Times slamming the “unconscionable” Hunt brothers. They were right to single out the Hunts; in mid-January, they controlled 69% of all the silver futures contracts on the Commodity Exchange (COMEX) in New York.
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Source: New York Times

But as the high prices persisted, new silver began to come out of the woodwork.
“In the U.S., people rifled their dresser drawers and sofa cushions to find dimes and quarters with silver content and had them melted down,” says Pirrong, from the University of Houston. “Silver is a classic part of a bride’s trousseau in India, and when prices got high, women sold silver out of their trousseaus.”
According to a Washington Post article published that March, the D.C. police warned residents of a rash of home burglaries targeting silver.
Unfortunately for the Hunts, all this new supply had a predictable effect. Rather than close out their contracts, short sellers suddenly found it was easier to get their hands on new supplies of silver and deliver.
“The main factor that has caused corners to fail [throughout history] is that the manipulator has underestimated how much will be delivered to him if he succeeds [at] raising the price to artificial levels,” says Pirrong. “Eventually, the Hunts ran out of money to pay for all the silver that was thrown at them.”
In financial terms, the brothers had a large corpse on their hands—and no way to bury it.
This proved to be an especially big problem, because it wasn’t just the Hunt fortune that was on the line. Of the $6.6 billion worth of silver the Hunts held at the top of the market, the brothers had “only” spent a little over $1 billion of their own money. The rest was borrowed from over 20 banks and brokerage houses.
At the same time, COMEX decided to crack down. On January 7, 1980, the exchange’s board of governors announced that it would cap the size of silver futures exposure to 3 million ounces. Those in excess of the cap (say, by the tens of millions) were given until the following month to bring themselves into compliance. But that was too long for the Chicago Board of Trade exchange, which suspended the issue of any new silver futures on January 21. Silver futures traders would only be allowed to square up old contracts.
Predictably, silver prices began to slide. As the various banks and other firms that had backed the Hunt bullion binge began to recognize the tenuousness of their financial position, they issued margin calls, asking the brothers to put up more money as collateral for their debts. The Hunts, unable to sell silver lest they trigger a panic, borrowed even more. By early March, futures contracts had fallen to the mid-$30 range.
Matters finally came to a head on March 25, when one of the Hunts’ largest backers, the Bache Group, asked for $100 million more in collateral. The brothers were out of cash, and Bache was unwilling to accept silver in its place, as it had been doing throughout the month. With the Hunts in default, Bache did the only thing it could to start recouping its losses: it start to unload silver.
On March 27, “Silver Thursday,” the silver futures market dropped by a third to $10.80. Just two months earlier, these contracts had been trading at four times that amount.
The Aftermath
After the oil bust of the early 1980s and a series of lawsuits polished off the remainder of the Hunt brothers’ once historic fortune, the two declared bankruptcy in 1988. Bunker, who had been worth an estimated $16 billion in the 1960s, emerged with under $10 million to his name. That’s not exactly chump change, but it wasn’t enough to maintain his 500-plus stable of horses,.
The Hunts almost dragged their lenders into bankruptcy too—and with them, a sizable chunk of the U.S. financial system. Over twenty financial institutions had extended over a billion dollars in credit to the Hunt brothers. The default and resulting collapse of silver prices blew holes in balance sheets across Wall Street. A privately orchestrated bailout loan from a number of banks allowed the brothers to start paying off their debts and keep their creditors afloat, but the markets and regulators were rattled.
Silver Spot Prices Per Ounce (January, 1979 - June, 1980)
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Source: Trading Economics

In the words of then CFTC chief James Stone, the Hunts’ antics had threatened to punch a hole in the “financial fabric of the United States” like nothing had in decades. Writing about the entire episode a year later, Harper’s Magazine described Silver Thursday as “the first great panic since October 1929.”
The trouble was not over for the Hunts. In the following years, the brothers were dragged before Congressional hearings, got into a legal spat with their lenders, and were sued by a Peruvian mineral marketing company, which had suffered big losses in the crash. In 1988, a New York City jury found for the South American firm, levying a penalty of over $130 million against the Hunts and finding that they had deliberately conspired to corner the silver market.
Surprisingly, there is still some disagreement on that point.
Bunker Hunt attributed the whole affair to the political motives of COMEX insiders and regulators. Referring to himself later as “a favorite whipping boy” of an eastern financial establishment riddled with liberals and socialists, Bunker and his brother, Herbert, are still perceived as martyrs by some on the far-right.
“Political and financial insiders repeatedly changed the rules of the game,” wrote the New American. “There is little evidence to support the ‘corner the market’ narrative.”
Though the Hunt brothers clearly amassed a staggering amount of silver and silver derivatives at the end of the 1970s, it is impossible to prove definitively that market manipulation was in their hearts. Maybe, as the Hunts always claimed, they just really believed in the enduring value of silver.
Or maybe, as others have noted, the Hunt brothers had no idea what they were doing. Call it the stupidity defense.
“They’re terribly unsophisticated,” an anonymous associated was quoted as saying of the Hunts in a Chicago Tribune article from 1989. “They make all the mistakes most other people make,” said another.
p.s. credit to Ben Christopher

[Emulation] Nintendo Vs. LoveROMs: The hundred-million dollar lawsuit, the public apology, the self-proclaimed archivists who made it all happen, and the surprisingly heated legal dispute about playing old videogames.

Context: (you can safely SKIP this section if you know what a ROM is and how it works)
In this context, emulation refers to the process of running a video game on a host system to which it is not native. This is done with the help of an emulator, a special script that translates the game code into something the host computer can understand. Running a ROM (raw game code) in an emulator will produce a playable game. If the emulator does a good job, the code will function identically to how it functions on the hardware in the arcade cabinet.
These ROMs are exact copies of the data found on the computer memory chips in the arcade cabinet or game cartridge. Each game has a unique ROM, and the ROM contains all of the data the machine needs to run the game. It is functionally identical to a modern .exe game file. Owning a ROM is synonymous with owning the game, and pirating a ROM is synonymous with pirating a game.
Seeing the success of the homebrew emulation market and wanting to capitalize on the millenial nostalgia boom, the video game developers themselves took a whack at releasing licensed emulators. These mostly came in the form of (a) porting old games to other consoles, and (b) creating "classic version" re-releases of retro consoles that came pre-loaded with popular games. These attempts would receive mixed reviews, generally skewing negative amongst the enthusiast community. The biggest complaint: the emulation work was laughably horrid. It was good enough for the layman to enjoy a quick nostalgic dip, but those with reasonable baseline knowledge of how the game should look were shocked and offended by the quality of these official, licensed emulators. The PlayStation Classic famously got panned for including the European version of some games instead of the US version, even on consoles sold in the US. Europeans have a different screen refresh rate than "we" do (25 Hz vs 29.97 Hz) and this caused massive gameplay and graphics issues. It was quite clear that these consoles were meant to be quick cash-grabs, not faithful and well-intentioned re-creations of classic and beloved games. The game libraries were too small, and what few games were on the emulator were of very poor quality. These quickly became a running joke in the emulation community, further encouraging the piracy and continued use of the ROMs vis-a-vis the actual IP holder was not treating it with care or respect.
The main takeaway here is that the emulation community places great value on the accuracy and authenticity of their work. Seeing that the commercially available option was not a loving and faithful recreation of these nostalgic games,the emulation community often justified their work by saying that it vastly improved on the low-quality emulated alternatives offered by the actual IP owners.
The dubious legality of obtaining ROMs online (Skip to here!)
Nowadays, the most common way to obtain the ROM for a game is to find it online. This is not a completely legal procedure because that ROM is usually hosted on a website that is not explicitly authorised to distribute it. Some websites which distribute legal ROM games do exist, but they generally do not distribute (nor have they been given permission to distribute) ROMs corresponding to well-known classic arcade games.
Most sources agree that downloading an emulator, in itself, is actually legal. Think: the same way one can legally carry lockpicks in many states as long as the picks are not used to commit a crime. But picks are useless without a lock, and an emulator is useless without ROMs to run. This is actually a fascinating point of contest, too. Some game companies will claim that an emulator contains proprietary information about the game, specifically its BIOS.
Many game developers will maintain the ownership to their old code even if they are not currently offering any way to purchase it. They are within their rights to do this - and well within the understanding of copyright law as it applies to digital media. This means that some classic games may exist, but be literally unplayable - that is, there may be no legal method to obtain code that emulates or runs a certain game. That game is unobtainable. At least to someone following the letter of the law.
So emulation enthusiasts often sail the open internet in search of original copies of game code.
The dubious nature of this task can lead to some sketchy websites. Enterprising hackers are well known to set up fake ROM dumps (viruses disguised as original game code). This attack primarily targets inexperienced emulation enthusiasts who do not know which type of file extension their emulator accepts and tend to be very lax with their downloading habits. When a new site pops up offering ROM downloads - especially if it is a foreign site - it can be very hard to tell whether they are a sincere member of the emulation community offering a selfless service or a hacker looking to gain access to a computer.
Therefore, sites that are known to have safe downloads are spread very quickly around the emulation community.
Enter EmuParadise and LoveROMs
These websites both provided access to ROM downloads - raw copies of game code. Though some would dispute it, these websites had a general reputation for hosting safe downloads. They were both received favourably in the emulation community and their names were thrown around frequently on emulator discussion boards.
Both of these websites hosted ROM downloads for a considerable amount of time. Each of the websites managed to keep their doors open and their downloads working for years. Obviously, both of these websites succeeded in distributing massive amounts of raw game code. If you've been following the story carefully, you know that the legality of such an operation is.... Well...
~~One hundred~~Twelve million dollars. Oh, and a public apology.
Nintendo is not to be swayed by the common emulator community argument that "the IP holder does not present a legal way to purchase the game": a relatively complete library of their old games come with a paid subscription to "whatever they're calling the switch online subscription nowadays". Nintendo also has a reputation of being exceptionally defensive of their IP, perhaps in part because they feel they have done an adequate job making their historical content available for purchase.
Needless to say, Nintendo was not thrilled to see code in their ownership being distributed freely without their permission on the LoveROMs website. Nintendo sued the pants off of Jacob and Cristian Mathias, the owners of LoveROMs. Nintendo cited 140 illegal ROMs and 40 instances of copyright infringement, claiming a hefty $100,000,000 in damages for which they intended to hold Mathias completely liable.
As a matter of fact, the case never even made it to court. Mathias immediately admitted to direct and indirect copyright and trademark infringement, presumably (at least in part) due to the astronomical one-hundred-million-dollar penalty that could come with the outright loss of a lawsuit which would be very heavily stacked against him from the start.
The common main talking points "for" the legality of hosting illegal ROM copies are generally not persuasive in a court of law. Website owners will often cite the desite to "create a community resource" and "share nostalgia", but neither of these would provide a valid excuse for what Mathias was being accused of.
The parties settled out of court for a grand total of just over twelve million dollars. At that time, LoveROMs immediately removed all downloadable content from their website. Gone was the iconic Mario-style background decorating their landing page. In its place, they displayed a public apology to Nintendo which read as follows:

Our website ... acknowledges that it caused harm to Nintendo ... and has agreed to cease all such activities.

The commotion must have spooked the owner of EmuParadise too. Almost immediately after the LoveROMs settlement, EmuParadise published a statement on their website that read as follows:

... It's not worth it for us to risk potentially disastrous consequences. I cannot in good conscience risk the futures of our team members who have contributed to the site through the years.

At that point, two of the biggest names in ROM distribution had been effectively cut off at the source. The closure of both within a short period of time presented a significant challenge to individuals who had grown accustomed to using these websites to obtain ROM files. A few "workaround" and "archive" scripts were floating around, but none are able to reverse the inevitable: EP and LoveROMS were gone for good. Those two websites were no longer an option for downloading ROMs reliably.
Without a reliable name in mind, many users have turned back to once again surfing the sketchy high seas for raw game code. some sites have emerged as replacements, but none have fully taken hold. The distribution of ROMs remains at least somewhat disrupted. Nintendo took aim, and it seems they hit their target quite square-on.
So where does that leave the hobby of video game emulation?
Pretty much right where it was. Most of the ROMs hosted on those websites had been copied hundreds or thousands of times onto various private storage media. Copies of a particular game tend to be more resilient than the heads of hydra: should one download link be taken down, two will come back in its place. However, none will be a wholly adequate replacement for two websites with safe track records of 10+ years. Every new, untested site that somebody chooses to download a ROM from is a tremendous gamble they are taking with the security of their computer.
ROM hosting is a battle being fought tooth-and-nail by many who see it as their way of archiving our culture and sticking it to the man.
The drama between emulator enthusiasts and developers is constantly ongoing and has been for a number of years. While the enthusiasts claim that a developer should not maintain claim to a game they have no further plans to profit from (in the interest of preventing lost files), the developers claim that the game is still their intellectual property regardless and thus copying the game remains an act of piracy.
As for Mathis and his debts to Nintendo - no further news has been released since the news of the settlement broke in 2018. Presumably he is still making good on his payment plan.
I will leave you with a request to please keep discussion civil, as I know this is a polarizing topic.

How is this Hadith so accurate? Some signs have already happened.

Al-Kafi - Volume 8: Hadith 7
7. Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from one of his companions, and Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr altogether, from Muhammad Bin Abu Hamza, from Humran who said: ‘Abu Abdullah (a.s.) said, and those in his (a.s.) presence mention the bad condition of the Shiites in his (a.s.) presence – So he (a.s.) said: ‘I (a.s.) was walking with Abu Ja’far Al-Mansour, and he was in his procession, and he was upon a horse and in front him were horsemen and behind him were horsemen, and I (a.s.) was upon a mule by his side. He said to me, ‘O Abu Abdullah (a.s.), it is befitting for you (a.s.) to be happy with what Allah has Given us from the strength and the victory for us, and the honour, and do not tell your people that you (a.s.) and the People (a.s.) of your (a.s.) Household are more deserving of this Command (Caliphate) than we are, lest you (a.s.) provoke us against you (a.s.) and them. He (a.s.) said, ‘I (a.s.) replied: ‘And the one who has related this to you from me (a.s.) has lied’. He said to me (a.s.), ‘Will you (a.s.) swear an oath on what you (a.s.) are saying?’ I (a.s.) said: ‘The people are magicians, meaning they would love to spoil me (a.s.) (my (a.s.) position) in front of you. So do not listen to them, for people are more in need of you than you are of us’. He said to me (a.s.), ‘Do you (a.s.) remember the day when I asked you (a.s.), ‘Is there a kingdom for us?’, and you (a.s.) said, ‘Yes, very lengthy and vast’, you will not cease to be in the time in your command and the space in your world until you will harm us (a.s.) by shedding sacred blood in a sacred Month, in a sacred city?’ So I (a.s.) understood that he has memorized the Hadeeth. So I (a.s.) said: ‘Perhaps Allah Mighty and Majestic will Suffice for you, for I (a.s.) did not apply this especially for you, but rather this is a Hadeeth which I (a.s.) reported to you. Maybe it is for someone else from the people of your household who will govern that’. He was silent from me (a.s.). When I (a.s.) returned to my (a.s.) home, one of our (a.s.) friends came up. He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you (a.s.). By Allah , I saw you (a.s.) in the procession of Abu Ja’far (Al-Mansour) and you (a.s.) were upon a mule and he was upon a horse, and he was speaking to you like an overseer speaks to an underling. So I said to myself, ‘This is the Proof (a.s.) of Allah upon the creatures and the Master (a.s.) of this command (Caliphate) who should be followed, and this other one is acting by compulsion, and he kills the children of the Prophets (as), and sheds the blood in the earth by what Allah does not Like, and he is in his procession, and you (a.s.) are upon a mule’, so that entered a doubt in me to the extent that I feared for my Religion and myself’. He (a.s.) said: ‘I (a.s.) said: ‘Had you seen those who were around me (a.s.), and in front of me (a.s.), and behind me (a.s.), and on my (a.s.) right, and on my (a.s.) left from the Angels, you would have despised him and despised what he was indulging in’. He said, ‘Now my heart is tranquil’. Then he said, ‘Until when will these be ruling (us), or until when will we get rest from them (their injustices)?’ I (a.s.) said: ‘Do you not know that there is a time allocated for everything?’ He said, ‘Yes’. So I (a.s.) said: ‘Would it benefit you if you come to know that this command (Caliphate), when it goes, it would be quicker than the blink of an eye? If you come to know their condition in the Presence of Allah Mighty and Majestic and how it would be, you would have been intense in your hatred of them. And if you were to struggle, and the people of the earth were to struggle to include them in more severity than what they are already in from the sins, you would not be able to. So do not let Satan (la) excite you. The Honour is for Allah and for His Messenger (saww), and for the Believers, but the hypocrites do not know. Nay! The one who waits for our (a.s.) Command, and observes patient upon what he see from the sufferings and the fear, tomorrow he would be in our (a.s.) group. So if you were to see that the truth has died and its people have gone away, and you will see, that the injustice has encompassed the country, and you will see that for the Quran they are inventing new things which are not in it and giving it a perspective in accordance to their own whims, and you will see that the Religion has receded like the receding of the water, and you will see the people of the falsehood to have achieved high positions above the people of the truth, and you will see the evil having been manifested with no one preventing it and actually finding excuses for its committers, and you will see the mischief having appeared, and the males satisfying themselves with the males, and the women satisfying themselves with the females, and you will see the Believer maintaining silence with no one accepting his words, and you will see the mischievous lying and no one refuting his lies and his falsity, and you will see the young ones belittling the grownups, and you will see the relatives with their relationships being cut-off, and you will see the one who is praised for his mischief and he laughs at it and his words are not being refuted, and you will see the young boy being obedient as the women are, and will see the women getting married to women, and you will see the praises being increased, and you will see the man spending the wealth in ways other than in obedience to Allah with no one preventing him or holding back his hand, and you will see the onlookers seeking Refuge with Allah from what they see the (situation of the) Believers are in from the struggling, and you will see the neighbour hurt his neighbour and there is no one to prevent him, and you will see the infidel rejoicing at what they see in the Believer to be in, becoming happier at what he sees in the earth from the mischief, and you will see the intoxicants being drunk openly and the ones who do not fear Allah Mighty and Majestic gathering for it, and you will see the enjoining of the good being disgraced, and you will see the mischievous one indulging in what Allah does not Like and being magnified and praised for it, and you will see the Masters (a.s.) of the Signs being belittled along with those who love them (a.s.), and you will see the way of the good being cut-off and the way of the evil being travelled upon, and you will see the House of Allah being blocked and orders issued for abandoning it, and you will see the man saying what he does not do, and you will see the men lustfule to the men and the women to the women, and you will see the man earning a living from his behind and the woman from her genitals, and you will see the women taking to the gatherings like the gatherings of the men, and you will see the femininity appearing in the children of Al-Abbas and their usage of dyes and combs like the usage of these by the woman for her husband, and the men giving wealth for their genitals, and the man competing for the man and envying him, and the wealthy would be considered more honourable than the Believer, and the usury becoming publicised and he does not care, and the women being praise for their adultery, and you will see the woman preparing her husband to be married to the men, and you will see most of the people and the best of the households helping the women on their mischief, and you will see the Believer in grief, belittled, humiliated, and you will see the innovations and the adultery becoming apparent, and you will see the people arguing by false testimonies, and you will see the Prohibited being made to be permissible and the Permissible being made to be prohibited, and you will see the Religion being taken by the opinion and the Book and its Regulations being neglected, and you will see the night not being taken as a cover for one to be audacious against Allah , and you will see the Believer not being able to deny except by his heart, and you will see a great amount of wealth being spent in ways which arouse the Anger of Allah Mighty and Majestic, and you will see the rulers going closer to the people of disbelief and distancing themselves from the people of the good, and you will see the rulers accepting bribes for the Judgements, and you will see the rulers welcoming the one who gives more, and you will see the (forbidden) near relatives being married (incest) and being satisfied by it, and you will see the man killing another one based upon false accusation and upon conjecture, and differing with the man who sacrifices his self and his wealth, and you will see the man living upon the gifts of the women, and you will see the man knowingly eating from the immoral earnings of his woman and lives by it, and you will see the woman overpowering her husband and doing what he does not like and spend on her husband, and you will see the man hiring out his woman and his slave girl and is pleased with the lowest of the food and the drink, and you will see a lot of the faith in Allah Mighty and Majestic by the false pretence, and you will see the gambling becoming apparent, and you will see the intoxicating drinks being sold openly and there is no one to prevent it, and you will see the women giving themselves to the people of disbelief, and you will see the amusement clubs having appeared and the passer by does not prevent anyone nor does anyone having the guts to prevent it, and you will see the honourable one being humbled before the one whose authority they fear, and you will see the one who loves us (a.s.) being falsified and his testimony not being accepted, and you will see the false words being competed for, and you will see the Quran has become heavy upon the people to listen to it and the people find it easier to listen to the falsehood, and you will see the neighbour respecting the neighbour out of fear from his tongue, and you will see the Limits (Penalties of the Law) being neglected and being used in accordance with whims, and you will see the Masjids having been decorated, and you will see the most truthful one among the people to be the one who is a fabricator of the lies, and you will see the evil to have appeared and the pursuit of gossip, and you will see the transgression to be widespread, and you will see backbiting to be liked and some people giving glad tidings by it to the others, and you will see the seeking of the Pilgrimage and the Jihaad for other than Allah , and you will see the Sultan humiliating the Believer for the sake of the infidel, you will see the demolition to be more than the construction, and you will see the man making a living out of under-estimation of the weights and measures (cheating by measuring less), and you will see the shedding of the blood being taken lightly, and you will see the man seeking the leadership for coveting the world and to make himself famous by bad mouthing so that he would be feared and the matters would depend upon him, and you will see the Prayer being taken lightly, and you will see the man who has a lot of wealth then not purifying it (Zakaat) since he acquired it, and you will see the dead being exhumed from his grave, hurt and his shroud being sold, and you will see that the anarchy to have increased, and you will see the man jubilant and in the morning intoxicated not caring about what the people think of him, and you will see the animals being married to him, and you will see the animals ride upon each other, and you will see the man come out to his Prayer place and return and there would be no signs of any gains upon him, and you will see the hearts of the people to have become hard and their eyes frozen, and the Remembrance to have become heavy upon them, and you will see the illegal money to be apparent and contested for, and you will see the Praying one who is Praying just to be seen by the people, and you will see the Faqih gaining understanding for other than Religion, to covet the world and the leadership, and you will see the people to be with the one who overcomes, you will see the seeking of the lawful to be condemned and reproached and the seeking of the unlawful to be praised and magnified, and you will see in two Sacred Places (Al-Haramain) acts being committed which Allah does not Like with no hindrance preventing these and no one coming in between these and the ugly acts, and you will see the musical instruments appear in the two Sacred Places (Al-Haramain), And you will see the man speak about something from the truth and enjoin the doing of the good and prohibit from the evil, so the one being advised would stand up to him and say, ‘this is not your subject (responsibility), and you will see the people looking towards each other and follow the people of the evil, and you will see the path of the good and its way to be empty, no one travelling over it, and you will see the dead being mocked at and no one scared of it, and you will see every year new evil things and the innovations more than before, and you will see the people and the gatherings not following anyone except the rich, and you will see the needy been given so that they would be laughed at due to it, and being sympathised for other than the sake of Allah , you will see signs appearing in the sky and no one fearing it, and you will see the people copulating like the copulation of the animals, with no one expressing abhorrence out of fear from the people, and you will see the man spending a great deal in ways other than the obedience to Allah and being prevented easily (to spend) in the obedience to Allah , and you will see the impiousness to have appeared and the belittling of the parents, and be in the most evil of the condition of the people with the children who will be happy with the one who throws accusations at them, and you will see the people, and you will see the women to have overcome upon the kingdom and to have overcome over all the commands brought about only due to the desire for them, and you will see the son of the man accusing against his father and making claims against his parent and being happy at their death, and you will see the man who passes a day in which he did not commit any great sins from the immoralities, or the understating of the weights or the measures, or unlawful acts, or drinking intoxicating drinks, he would become depressed and sad to have wasted that day from his life, and you will see the Sultan hoarding foodstuffs, and you will see the wealth of the near relatives being distributed in the false ways, and to be gambled with, and to be drunk by it the intoxicating drinks, and you will see the intoxication being utilised as medication and being prescribed to the sick to be cured by it. and you will see the people to have equalized regarding the avoidance of the enjoining of the good and the forbidding of the evil and the avoidance of the making of the Religion by it, and you will see the words of the hypocrites and the people of the hypocrisy being maintained and the words of the people of the truth wasted unnoticed, and you will see the Call to Prayer (Azaan) being given for the payment and the Prayer for the payment, and you will see the Masjids being filled from those who do not fear Allah , gathering therein for the backbiting and eating of the flesh of the people of the truth and the intoxicating drinks would be described therein, and you will see the intoxicated ones Praying with (leading) the people having no understanding and will not be stained due to his intoxication, and when he is intoxicated he is respected and feared, and feared to be ignored, not being punished and being excused for his intoxicated state, and you will see the one who eats the wealth of the orphans being praised for his righteousness, and you will see the judges issuing Judgements in opposition to what Allah has Ordered, and you will see the rulers entrusting to the treacherous for the greed, and you will see the rulers to have placed the inheritance to the people of the mischief and those audacious against Allah , taking from them and leaving with them what they desire, and you will see upon the Pulpits preachers preaching the piety but the speaker does not practice what he has preached, and you will see the Prayer to have been taken lightly at its prescribed times, and you will see the charity given by intercession not intending by it the Perspective of Allah and being given for seeking the (good will of) people, and you will see the people to be mainly concerned with their stomachs and their genitals, not caring what they eat and who they have relationship with, and you will see the world welcoming them, and you will see the banners of the truth to be a lesson for the one who is cautious and seeks salvation with Allah Mighty and Majestic, and know that the people are subject to the Wrath of Allah Mighty and Majestic, but rather He has Given them respite of life which He Wants to Give them. So become expectant and spare no effort for Allah Mighty and Majestic to See you to be against what they are indulging in. If the Punishment descends upon them and you were to be among them, you can hasten to the Mercy of Allah . If you were to hesitate you will be involved in it, and you should have come out from what they are indulged in from the audacities against Allah Mighty and Majestic. And know, that Allah does not Waste the Recompense of the good doers, and that the Mercy of Allah is very Near to those who do good’.
https://thaqalayn.net/chapte8/1/7
Grading: Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن (Hasan)

STORY OF THE HUNT BROTHERS AND SILVER SHORT LONG READ

Story Time: Silver short squeeze

How the Hunt Brothers Cornered the Silver Market and Then Lost it All

TL:DR: yes its long. Grab a beer.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; chart by Priceonomics

The Chicago Board of Trade trading floor. Photo credit: Jeremy Kemp

Source: New York Times

Source: Trading Economics

I made a pretty comprehensive voting guide.

It's full of curse words to make it more palatable.
Google Doc Here
President Endorsement: Joe Biden As a nation, we cannot continue to plummet into a fascist regime. The most change happens locally, and so please pay attention to the less sexy details.
US Senate Louisiana Endorsement: Adrian Perkins Close your eyes and imagine a world where Mitch McConnell is not our majority leader. Feels good, right? Well, it is gonna be an uphill battle that starts with Adrian Perkins. To win this election over incumbent, Bill Cassidy, would be a multifaceted victory. Cassidy vehemently opposes climate change, medicare for all, abortion access, mail in ballots and continuing unemployment stimulus amidst Covid-19. Perkins has the exact opposite platforms. Perhaps, most importantly, he wants to overturn Citizens United. Holy shit. Now a girl can really dream. And finally, fun fact- if Perkins wins, he would be the first black senator to represent Louisiana since 1887.
US House Louisiana District 2 Endorsement: Colby James Oh, what a gerrymandering mess the second congressional district is. The Republicans that drew out this district really wanted to pack all the minorities together essentially guaranteeing there is only one Democratic seat up for grabs in the House of Representatives. Since all this gerrymandering has pretty much ensured the incumbent and Democratic darling Cedric Richmond the election, I feel comfortable indulging the third party voter locked deep in my heart for this election -not a game I’m willing to play with the rest of the ballot. We all know that Democrats and Republicans are two wings of the same bird that only serve the interest of the rich. That is why Colby James has caught my eye. James understands that you cannot truly fight corruption in government. He instead has a plan to work around the corruption to actually serve the people. The plan includes implementing new social aid programs, changing the federal tax code, and instituting a racial wealth divide audit. There I go dreaming again.
Associate Justice Supreme Court 7th District Endorsement: Sandra Cabrina Jenkins Whoever wins this election will be the only black female to sit at the Supreme Court bench amongst the six white men. While there are three very capable candidates to fill the seat of the esteemed Chief Justice Johnson, Sandra Cabrina Jenkins is my favorite option. Piper Griffin seemed to rely too much on stock answers in the debate and seldom actually had details or formulated a well-rounded plan. Terri Love is a very compelling candidate, especially as she talks about holding transparency in the courtroom. Love understands the importance of community education and engagement. She wants to utilize social media to inform the public about judicial issues. This community outreach plan even involves “School House Rock like videos” to explain the issues in more palatable ways. Although I would love to see more dancing legal bills, it was not enough to stray my attention from Jenkins. Jenkins speaks in depth about the need to collaborate with legislation in order to obtain the real changes we seek in the justice system. This is particularly important for getting more funding allocated to the courts so that the financial burden of fines and fees can be taken off defendants. Furthermore, Jenkins wants to be present during legislature hearings in order to educate the policy makers on the issues within the judiciary branch. This is how we see real progressive reform.Ultimately I believe Jenkins is the best candidate to fill this seat because Griffin and Love talked of compromise with the other conservative judges, while Jenkins promised to always maintain her position and write powerful dissents that could eventually pave out the future we all deserve. I want a Justice with the balls to stand up to six white men.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Endorsement: Jason Williams New Orleans has the highest incarceration and false conviction rate in the world. This alarming statistic is the fault of the District Attorney. Fuck crooked Leo Cannizzaro. We deserve better. One of the most important names on this ballot is Jason Williams. Something that reiterates throughout the debates is that he will not try a case that does not deserve to be on the desk of the prosecution. He says, ”just because we can win the case doesn’t mean we should try the case.” This means dropping menial cases that relate to mental health issues, drug addiction, nonviolent offenders, and unjust arrests through practices like stop and frisk.Williams goes on to denounce unjust arrests like incarcerating people for material witness – a practice of Leo’s that has been exclusively used against minorities. Furthermore, he is the only candidate who does not want to ever try juveniles as adults. He is also the only candidate to consistently condemn the death penalty. Arthur Hunter is not prepared. Keva Landrum is a vote for the status quo. Jason Williams is the candidate New Orleans deserves.
Judge Civil District Court Division E Endorsement: Omar Mason Omar Mason is the incumbent and the chair of a committee that oversees the Covid procedures in the civil court. He has been endorsed by Forum for Equality, Voters Organized to Educate, Independent Women’s Organization, and Alliance for Good Government. Diane Alexander’s campaign website offers no compelling information that renders her more deserving of the job.
Judge Civil District Court Division F Endorsement: Chris Bruno It ain’t often that an election for civil court gets juicy, but here we are. These two candidates found themselves in court over a heated fight regarding an attack ad. In this ad Jennifer Medley accused incumbent Chris Bruno of being a “deadbeat dad". Their day in court divulged into Bruno’s messy divorce, but did not produce enough evidence for Medley to be allowed to air the ad. But here is where things get good. Bruno’s defense was that Medley was carrying out revenge for fuckface Sidney Torres. Torres lost a case in Bruno’s courtroom last year, and has since been endorsing Medley. Torres called the ad “clear as day.” Anyone endorsed by a man who wants to put our entire city up for sale is not someone I want to vote for.
Judge Civil District Court Division G Endorsement: Schalyece Harrison A neighbor of mine worked in close proximity with Schalyece Harrison at City Hall and fucking loved her. She describes Harrison as always prepared, respectful and competent. Not things you see often in City Hall. As the Administrative Hearing Officer, Harrison currently oversees safety and permits, short term rental violations, historic districts, and code enforcement. Think of all this as bootcamp. If she can stay prepared, respectful and competent with all this one her plate, Harrison can definitely run a courtroom.
Judge Civil District Court Division I Endorsement: Elroy James Man, it is tempting to vote for Lori Jupiter solely because she was a research attorney for Chief Justice Johnson and so you know she has a sharp legal mind, but I would rather vote for a judge that emphasizes compassion. Jupiter has no promise on her campaign page to advocate for the disenfranchised. What she does have is an endorsement from the Sheriff and City Council, and so it is pretty clear that her candidacy is more of the same old status quo. Elroy Judge wants to “restore your faith in justice.” His campaign is centered around compassion and respect which is certainly something our courtrooms need more of.
Judge Civil District Court Domestic Section 1 Endorsement: Bernadette D’Souza Bernadette D’Souza is the president of the National Association of Women Judge. She presented on “Integrated Domestic Violence Courts” at the United Nations Convention. For fucksake, she was invited by Pope Francis to speak on “Equal Access to Justice: The Importance of Civil Legal Aid and Delivery of Justice to Eradicate Poverty” at the First Pan American Judges Summit. Her opponent LaKeisha Jefferson might be good, but not that good.
Judge Criminal District Court Section A Endorsement: Laurie White Dennis Moore is campaigning on “streamlining” and “modernizing” the courtroom. That was not enough to convince me that he is more qualified than the incumbent, Laurie White. White is a progressive judge who applies reasonable bonds, mental health care, and drug rehabilitation over just incarceration. In fact, she is in the midst of a three year, million dollar grant dedicated to drug treatment. While Moore might like to present himself as a more progressive candidate, there are obvious limitations to his plans. For instance, when asked about how he would uphold transparency of prosecutor case files, Moore said that he would allow the defense access to the prosecution's office. But what public defender has time to go to the prosecution's office? White puts the burden on prosecution to deliver this information. Moreover, White is much more realistic about repealing conviction fees. Moore wants to abolish these fees with no alternative plan on how to maintain the courts. White, while not opposing these fees, knows that the state legislature needs to allocate more money to the courts in order to alleviate this directly from the defendants who are often financially struggling. Essentially Moore is making false promises. Still, perhaps my favorite thing about White is that she has been a constant critic of crooked Leo Cannizzaro. Because, once again, fuck that guy.
Judge Criminal District Court Section D Endorsement: Graham Bosworth Since there was no debate for this seat, I am following the endorsement by Nola Defenders for Equal Justice. “Graham has been an advocate for a fair judiciary throughout his career, as a public defender, and a Pro Tem judge in criminal district court. Graham has the legal training to make a knowledgeable judge. He serves as a Chair of the LA Bar’s criminal Justice Committee, and previously served as the Co-Chair of the Subcommittee on Incarceration Reduction. Graham understands how it feels to appear in front of a judge. He vows to treat everyone in his courtroom with respect.”
Judge Criminal District Court Section E Endorsement: Derwyn Bunton Rhonda Goode-Douglas declined to partake in the debate, which gave me a full hour to listen to the soothing voice of Derwyn Bunton. The timbre of his voice aside, Bunton is an amazing candidate for judge. He refuses to accept the common mentality of a judge dismissing injustices in the courtroom as not their responsibility. New Orleans is both the incarceration and false conviction capital of the world. Bunton promises to withhold his signature from material witness arrests, fake subpoenas, illegal warrants, and hold prosecutors withholding evidence in contempt of court. These are all necessary measures to balance the scale currently tipped in the favor of prosecution to achieve true justice. Bunton has also promised to give five dollar bonds in nonviolent cases where the law mandates a bond. That’s freedom for the price of a footlong. So why did Goode-Douglas opt to skip this debate? Well there were still questions asked that were clearly meant for her. I guess she has a history of imposing conviction fees to punish those represented by a public defender.
Judge Criminal District Court Section G Endorsement: Nandi Campbell Nandi Campbell is a career-long criminal defense lawyer. She understands the racial and financial injustices that are prevalent in the courtroom. While some of her plans for reform might seem overly idealistic, I would much rather see her win this seat than her opponent Lionel Burns. Burns has some very dangerous preconceived notions about equity in the courtroom. Most upsettingly, he is of the opinion that defendants requesting public defenders are “taking advantage of the system.” Burns insists that fifty dollars is too nominal of a fee for this service. By ”service” does he mean constitutional right to legal counsel? Burns goes on to say that defendants always have money for bail, and then go on to request a public defender as if it were a hand-out. So this dude is saying that if someone falls into the predatory system of bail bonds for sake of their freedom, they should have the money for private defense. That’s some bullshit. Finally, Burn’s demeanor in the debate is unprofessional. He takes little jabs at Campbell and shakes his head while she speaks. This is not how I want a judge to behave. Please vote for an idealist over an asshole.
Judge Criminal District Court Section K Endorsement: Charles “Gary” Wainwright Yes, Wainwright's mustache might be unnerving, but he is the best candidate for this election. In his thirty years of experience in New Orleans courtrooms, he prides himself in being consistently liberal and tuned in to the intricacies of the system and its racial injustices. His plan to expedite the docket bogged down by Covid is to take all drug cases and “throw ‘em in the garbage.” In the middle of the debate, he holds up a handwritten sign that reads, “NO MORE DRUG WAR.” Meanwhile, the other candidates only provide vague information on plans, stock answers, and very much reflects the status quo of the system. It certainly also helps that Wainwright slams our crooked Leo Cannizzaro, and calls Trump “Criminal in Chief.” He sure is quotable.
Judge Criminal District Court Section L Endorsement: Angel Harris Since there was no debate for this seat, I am following the endorsement by Nola Defenders for Equal Justice. “As a public defender and a civil rights lawyer, Angel has watched those in power disregard people simply because they were given the label ‘criminal.’ As judge, Angel will give every person the opportunity to stand before a judge who is impartial and fair. Angel will work to stop criminalizing poverty through the use of money bail and exorbitant fines and fees. Angel will expand the use of alternatives to incarceration, promoting a system rooted in rehabilitation, not mass incarceration.”
Magistrate Section Criminal District Court Endorsement: Steve Singer Since there was no debate for this seat, I am following the endorsement by Nola Defenders for Equal Justice. “As a public defender and law professor, Steve has dedicated his career to the principle that money should not determine someone’s freedom. As judge, Steve will work to transform the Magistrate court from a system that processes people into incarceration to a court that works to serve our community. Steve will end money bail and incarceration first policies that criminalize poverty.”
Judge Juvenile Court Section A Endorsement: Clint Smith Clint Smith is campaigning on putting the child first. He speaks on “engaging the family as a whole, as well as professionals and community-focused organizations, to collaborate across systems and support our youth before, during and after sentencing occurs.” This is a hell of a lot more than any of the other candidates. Kevin Guillory and Geraldine Baloney do not even have campaign pages. When you look-up Marie Williams all you get is a controversy in which the former Judge of this court, Frank Marullo, and her got caught up in a bribe. So if campaign style is any indicator of the work ethic that these candidates will invest in this job, the only suitable candidate is Clint Smith.
Judge Juvenile Court Section F Endorsement: Tenee Felix Since there was no debate for this seat, I am following the endorsement by Nola Defenders for Equal Justice.”Tenne Felix is a brilliant, caring, competent professional. She thoroughly researches and litigates her cases and works tirelessly for her clients. Tenne is always prepared and organized for court. She forms strong relationships with the children she represents as well as with their families… she truly understands childhood development needs and obstacles.”
Judge Municipal and Traffic Court Section A Endorsement: Meghan Garvey Incumbent Paul Sens does not deserve to even be a judge of a fucking dancing competition. The Inspector General has accused Sens of nepotism and is quoted, "I've never heard of a case where so many relatives of the leader of the organization were working at the organization." Sens shares a close relationship with Sheriff Marlin Gusman whose career goal was to expand the prison system. I have watched his demeanor in court which is aloof, at best. Sens seldom addresses the defendants and never asks for qualifying information from the prosecution or defense. Yet, he still manages to have a huge backlog on his docket. Meghan Garvey deserves the seat at that bench. Garvey wants to implement staggered subpoena times, hold remote courts in less accessible neighborhoods and develop childcare programs for parents attending court. These are three community focused ways in which she can begin to clean the mess of a backlog that Sens has created.
Judge Municipal and Traffic Court Endorsement: Charlene Larche-Mason Since there is absolutely no campaign information available about Alexandre Bonin available online, by default my endorsement goes to Charlene Larche-Mason. It is kinda ironic because Larche-Mason is responsible for digitizing the city attorney’s office. She wants to apply similar technological innovations in this courtroom. With the looming threat of Covid, hurricanes, and government cyber-attacks (remember those?), it is imperative to have virtual courts done right.
Member of School Board District 7 As a disclaimer, I only researched the school board election for my district. Endorsement: Jamar Wilson Nolan Marshall has had his seat on the board for eight years. Let’s knock out the incumbent with someone willing to do the work to actually create positive changes in schools. Jamar Wilson is that candidate. He openly supports that police officers in schools be replaced with social workers. He also wants to include parental and student voices on the accountability framework. I believe this promise, because his campaign has been significantly more engaging than the other two candidates.
Amendment 1: No Right to Abortion Endorsement: No It fucking kills me to see the feminist legacy of the late Justice Ginsburg being thwarted by the nomination of Amy Coney Barret. This bill would essentially be undoing Ginsburg’s lifetime of work as a one-two punch. Denying women access to abortion is denying women equal rights and opportunity. Abortion is healthcare. With the federal threat of overturning Roe v. Wade under Barret, I urge you to protect women in Louisiana and vote no.
Amendment 2: Include Oil and Gas in Tax Assessment Endorsement: Yes The idea behind this bill would be to allow tax assessors the ability to quantify the worth of a well, based on the production of oil and not the cost of building a replacement. Essentially, it is a more accurate way to assess property value. This bill has unanimously passed through our state House of Representatives and Senate without public criticism. Is it too optimistic to think this might elicit higher taxes on this billion dollar industry? Oil money, oil, money, oil money.
Amendment 3: Use of Budget Stabilization Fund Endorsement: Yes Alright, so this bill would allow the legislature to use up to one third of the state’s “Rainy Day” fund, in the event of a federally declared emergency. It would still require a two-thirds majority vote through the House and the Senate to access this fund. Hurricanes are an obvious financial concern. Should this bill be denied, the State would have to continue to find the money needed for reconstruction somewhere else in the budget. And do you know what always gets cut first? Fucking education, social programs, and healthcare. Just let our politicians take the damn money from the “Rainy Day” fund instead.
Amendment 4: Expenditures Limit Growth Endorsement: No Tax and expenditure limits are self-imposed restrictions that state governments create to restrict the amount they can tax or spend. Sounds sexy, right? Long term studies of states with expenditure tax laws in place do not actually have a positive impact on growth because of structural deficits and higher borrowing costs. Furthermore, critics of the bill fear that limiting growth will only hurt education and healthcare. Not so sexy now.
Amendment 5: Payment in Lieu of Property Taxes Endorsement: No I am having trouble reading about this bill and finding any merit. What the politicians deem an “incentive” for manufacturers to conduct business in Louisiana really just seems like more corporate handouts. I mean, are we really proposing another way for businesses to get out of paying their fair share of taxes? And the cherry on top of this fucking bill is that it is supported by the Louisiana Sherriff’s Association.
Amendment 6: Homestead Exemption Special Assessment Income Limit Endorsement: Yes Do you like old people? Do you want old people to be able to retire and not lose their homes? Cool, you’re a human. Special assessments freeze the property value on a home, so that their taxes cannot go up. This bill would expand this benefit to those making less than $100,000 annually. But old people are not the only ones who qualify. So do veterans, surviving spouses of veterans, and the totally disabled. Give these folks stability and peace of mind by voting yes.
Amendment 7: Unclaimed Property Personal Trust Fund Endorsement: No Louisiana very well may owe you money. Every year, millions of dollars that you overpaid in taxes, insurance and bills goes to the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Program. The purpose of this program is to find you and return your money. Perhaps, because of technological innovations, this program worked better than ever in 2019 and now the Treasurer is worried they are going to run out of money. But even with the increase in claims, there was still $12 million bucks left in the program. This bill would lock that $12 million in a trust just in case they run out of money instead of being allocated towards education and healthcare as the system currently allows.
PW Authorize Sports Wagering Activities Endorsement: Yes We eat crawfish and wear cotton-blended shirts without fearing the wrath of god. Maybe it is okay to gamble on sports too.

🦆 How to Quit your Hagwon Job 🦆

40+ Major Sins

What are/is Major sins?
Answer: The Major sins are acts which have been forbidden by Allah (swt) and his messenger (saw), Allah says in the Quran: If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise]. - Quran 4:31, so it is very important for us to learn what these major sins and avoid then, InshAllah
Can these major sins be forgiven?
Answer: Yes, repent is only option I know, it's up to Allah, we are all sinner but Allah loves sinner of repentance. So REPENT, also here are the references on Repent. Ref1 Ref2

Shirk: Associating partners with Allah. "Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with him, But He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And He who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a Tremendous Sin," - Quran 4:48
Committing Murder: Taking Someone's Life. "...And those who do not invoke with Allah another Deity or Kil the Soul which Allah has forbidden [To be Killed], Except by Right, And Do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty." - Quran 25:68
Committing Magic: Practising Black Magic. "...And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew." - Quran 2:102
Not performing the prayers: Intentionally Missing Prayers. "But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desire; so they are going to meet evil." - Quran 19:59
Withholding the Zakah/Charity: Not performing Zakat. "And let not those who [Greedilty] withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the day of resurrection." - Quran 3:180
Not fasting in the day of Ramadan without excuse: Islam is built upon five 5 pillars, Shahadah, Salah (Performing the Prayers), Hajj (Making the Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Kaaba), Fasting (Especially on the month of Ramadan. Zakat (Charity)
Not performing Hajj, while being able to do so: One of the 5 Pillars of Islam is Hajj.
Disobeying and disrespect to parents: Your parents are the ones who brought you to this world, we must show them respect especially to your mother. "And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to Parents, Good treatment. whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," And Do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small" - Quran 17:23
Cutting off the ties of relationship: "So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on Earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision." - Quran 47:22-23
Committing adultery or fornication: "And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way." - Quran 17:32
Committing sodomy: "Allah will not look at a person [with pleassure] who commits sodomy with a man or a woman." - Hadith, Sahih Al Jami # 7678
taking or paying interest (riba): "Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, "Trade is [just] like interest." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past. And his affair rests with Allah, bur whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] - Those are the companions of the Fire; They will abide eternally therein." - Quran 2:275
Devouring the wealth of orphans: "Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming into their bellies fire." - Quran 4:10
Lying about Allah and his messenger (saw): Spreading false about Allah and his messenger (saw). "And on the Day of the resurrection... You will see those who lied about Allah [wtih] their faces blackened. Is there not in hell a residence for the arrogant?" - Quran 39:60
Running away from the battlefield: "And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company, has certainly returned with anger [upon him] from Allah, and his refuge is Hell - and wretched is the destination." - Quran 8:16
The unjust leader: "The cause is only against the ones who wrong people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment" - Quran 42:42
Pride and arrogance: Too Proudness. "Assuredly, Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He does not like the arrogant." - Quran 16:23
Ungratefulness: We have to be grateful for what we have now and on what Allah gives you, food, etc. "So remember Me; I will remember you. And be Grateful to and do not deny me." - Quran 2:152
Intoxicants (alcohol & drugs): "O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah] and diving arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful" - Quran 5:90
Gambling: "...gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah] and diving arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful" - Quran 5:90
Slandering innocent women: "Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the hereafter; and they will have a great punishment" - Quran 24:23
Stealing from exploits of war and from the money of the zakat: "it is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. and whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the day of the resurrection. then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged." Quran 3:161
Consuming forbidden wealth or taking it by any means: "And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you [it is unlawful]." - Quran 2:188
Committing highway robbery: Robbing People's items such as money.
Making a false oath: False swearing/promise on Allah or anyone. "And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity." - Quran 25:72
Committing oppression: "Except those [poets] who believe and do righteous and remember Allah often and defend [the Muslims] after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned." - Quran 26:277
Levying illegal taxes: Prophet (saw) said, "Do you know who the bankrupt is? The bankrupt from my nation is the one who appears on the day of the resurrection having performed the Prayers, fasted and paid the zakah, but had also abused that person, slandered that person, wrongfully taken the wealth of that person and spilled the blood of that person. These people will take from his good deeds. If his good deeds are thereby exhausted, He will be given their sins and then he will be thrown into the hell-fire" - Hadith, Sahih Muslim 2581
Stealing: Secretly getting items without the person knowing. "[As for] the thief, the male, and the female, amputate (cut) their hands in recompense for what they committed as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." - Quran 5:38-39
Suicide: Taking the life of yourself. "...And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful. And whoever does that in aggression and injustice - then We will drive him into a Fire. And that, for Allah, is [always] easy." - Quran 4:29-30
The perpetual liar: "...and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us]." - Quran 3:61
Judging unjustly: Allah does not accept the prayer of a judge who judges against the laws of Allah."...And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers." Quran 5:44
Engaging in bribery: Giving money to zip lips, getting received money (in greed) not knowing what could lead to. "And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]." - Quran 2:188
Women appearing like men and vice-versa: Allah's curse is upon women who appear like men and upon men who appear like women
Being a pimp: Dayyouth: is the one who approves the indecency of his womenfolk and is void of jealousy or the pimp who facilitates indecency between two people.
Marrying for the purpose of making a woman allowable for another: "And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her [or dies], there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know." Quran 2:230
Not keeping clean from the remains of urine: One of the Hadiths, The Prophet (saw) passed by a grave and said, "These two are being punished. And they are not being punished for something hard. But it is a great sin, One of them did not keep himself clean form his urine and the other went around spreading tales." - Hadith, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Book 1, Hadith 132 English reference: Book 31, Hadith 735 ( I don't know if any of you have Al-Adab Al Mufrad so yeah 2 refs) "And your clothing purify. And uncleanliness avoid." - Quran 74:4-5
Showing off: Showing good deeds. "So woe to those who pray. [But] who are heedless of their prayer - Those who make show [of their deeds]" - Quran 107:4-6
Acquiring knowledge only for worldly gain or concealing knowledge: He/She who is asked about the knowledge he/she knows and does not reveal it, will be sewed with fire on the day of judgment "Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse," - Quran 2:159
Breaching trusts: "O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]." - Quran 8:27
Reminding people of one's kindness: "O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." Quran - 2:264
Rebellion & calling people disbelievers: But do not transgress limits, for Allah does not love the transgressors. He who calls his brother a Kafir (disbeliever) one of them will bear it.
Spying and eavesdropping on other's private conversation: "O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." - Quran 49:12
Spreading harmful tale (Namimah): Tale-bearing, (Namimah) is defined as a spreading words among believers with the purpose of stirring up enmity and problems between them this matter is forbidden. "And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer. [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip - A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful," - Quran 68:10-12
Cursing others: when a man curses a thing this curse goes up towards paradise (Jannah), the door of paradise are shut against it, the curse then moves right and left and it finds no way for it, then it goes back down to the cursed one if he deserves it or else to the curser. "Abusing a Muslim is evil and fighting him is disbelief" - Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari 7076
Not fulfilling one's promises: "whoever possess any of these characteristics has the characteristics of hypocrisy until he gives it up whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it up" - Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari 33
Believing in soothsayers and star signs: He who asks a fortune teller or an astrologer something and believes him of what he says is a blasphemer. "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something will not have his prayer accepted for forty nights"
A wife being rebellious to her husband: "If a man invites his wife to bed and she refuses and he becomes angry on her, the angels curse her till morning." - Hadith, Sunan Abi Dawud 2141
Making statues and pictures: The people who will receive the Greatest Punishment on the day of judgment are those who compete with Allah in Creation. (those who make pictures or statues) it's about believing one can give life or compete
Striking one's self, wailing, tearing one's clothing, pulling one's hair, and similar deeds as a form of mourning
Committing injustice: "The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment." - Quran 42:42
Being overbearing or taking advantage of the weak, slaves, wives or animals
Harming neighbors: "A person whose neighbor is not safe from his mischief will not enter Paradise" - Hadith, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 121
Harming and abusing believers: "And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin." - Quran 33:58
Trailing one's garment in pride: i.e. Below the ankles out of pride "What is below the ankles will be in the hellfire" - Hadith, Riyad as-Salihin 793 This is if its do out of pride.
Harming the friend's of Allah: "Whoever shows enmity to a slave of mine [Allah's] I shall be at war with him." - Hadith, Sunan Ibn Majah 3989
Men wearing silk & gold: Prophet (saw) said, "Gold and silk have been permitted for the females of my nation and forbidden for its males" - Hadith, Sunan an-Nasa'i 5148 Men who wear silk in this world will have no portion [of heavens] in the hereafter. He who wears silk on earth will never wear it in the hereafter - Sahih Muslim 2073 However it is true that Prophet (PBUH) permitted silk, but only for those suffer itching within fingers measure, and he permitted using a tooth of gold also.
A slave's running away from his master (without reason): "if the slave escapes his master, his prayer will not be accepted. You who believe fulfill (all) obligations." - Hadith, Sahih Muslim 70
Sacrificing animals for other than Allah: The one who sacrifices for other than Allah is cursed by Allah. "And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience. And indeed do the devils inspire their allies [among men] to dispute with you. And if you were to obey them, indeed, you would be associators [of others with Him]." - Quran 6:121
Claiming that somebody is one's father while the claimant knows it is not true: One who claims that someone is his father and knows that it is not true will be forbidden to Paradise.
Arguing or quarreling for show & not seeking the truth: "Whoever argues in support of something that is wrong and he knows it, Allah will be angry with him until he stops" Hadith, Sunan ibn Majah 260
Not allowing excess water to flow to others: Not giving water to someone when that person wants it. "Say, "Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?" - Quran 67:30 Whoever doesn't allow the access water or pasture for others will not share in the blessings of Allah on the Day of Judgment!
Dealing in fraud: "Woe to those who give less [than due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss." - Quran 83:1-3
Disbelieving fate: "Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah?" - Quran 7:33, "A man asked, what is Faith (Believing)? The Prophet (saw) said to him: Believe in Allah, His Angels, His books, His prophets, and the day of judgment, Resurrection after death and fate (Good or Bad)" - Hadith, Musnad Ahmad 191
Eating carrion, blood or pork meat: "Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure - or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful." - Quran 6:145
Despairing from Allah's help or forgiveness: "Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." - Quran 39:53
Continually not performing the Friday prayers and congregational prayers without any valid excuse: "Prophet (saw) said, "If people don't stop abandoning the Friday prayer, Allah may seal their hearts and they will become headless" Hadith, Riyad as-Salihin 1150 Whoever hears the call to prayer and doesn't come to prayer, There is no prayer for him except for the one who has a valid excuse.
Preaching error or establishing errors: The Prophet (saw) said, "He who preaches for error will bear his sin and of those who follow him, with no decreasing for their sins." The prophet (saw) also said: every newly established thing is an error in Religion.
Being deceiving and plotting evil: "[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way of Allah any alteration." - Quran 35:43
Pointing a weapon at a Muslim brother: He who points the weapon at a Muslim Brother will be cursed by the angels even if he was his brother in kinship.
Abusing or reviling anyone of the companions of the prophet (saw): "Do not revile my companions for, by the one in whose hands is my soul, if you were to spend in charity a mountain of gold similar to mount Uhud. It would not be equal to a handful or a half a handful (Or what they have done)" - Sahih Muslim 2540

IMPORTANT: Repeating Minor sin makes into Major sin!
Edit: it took me 5 days to write/make the list if they're more than be sure to PM and if there are mistakes also PM me! :)

My Opinion on Technical Analysis, AMA!

TL-DR:
I'm a former retail Day Trader with 15 years experience. I've also worked as a Professional Stockbroker. I believe that technical analysis is a scam promoted by brokers in order to generate trading revenue from retail traders who are unable to afford access to the real news and data that moves stocks. I'll be online for the next 8 hours - AMA.
Edit 24 hours later:
I've literally been inundated with messages asking for my website and I just don't see why I shouldn't provide it. I've made the whole thing free - there are no paywalls. It's at news.broker
Post:
This opinion is unpopular amongst those who are somehow convinced that technical analysis does work. These individuals either rely on the scam in order to generate their income off the fees generated by retail traders OR have invested so much time and effort into learning technical analysis and the ability to quickly identify chart patterns that they unable to admit they might be wrong. I present this opinion after more than 15 years of trading experience both as a self-employed Day Trader and as a Professional Stockbroker. I am now a Financial Journalist and offer this insight in the hope that it convinces some people to wake up and see technical analysis for the fraud it is.
Now before I go on I want to first state that charts, by their definition, offer a visual depiction of historical stock price movement and are therefore very useful when it comes to analysing and researching stocks. Determining an entry and exit point using a stock chart and a few lines here and there is an excellent way of assessing previous levels of support and resistance when done properly and according to the timeframe upon which you wish to hold the stock.
Technical analysis is a good tool when used properly to determine the entry and exit price points of a stock that has already been selected to invest or trade using other forms of analysis.
In my first 2 or 3 years of being a Day Trader, I was convinced technical analysis was some kind of secret mystery that if mastered would lead to generating consistent profits. I figured that the short term trading of stocks was different to longer term investing and that a different approach was required to be successful. This false and incorrect belief was supported in the official literature provided by my broker in the guise of educational resources and I found plenty of guru's online and in person with very compelling arguments as to why I should pay them money to buy their books, courses, home study kits or overseas seminars.
I viewed technical analysis as being a new way of trading stocks. A secret that only a few people 'in the know' knew about and definitely something that could be learned and mastered on its own in order to become a successful trader. Who wouldn't want what I have just written? It sucks people in like a cult - people who just want to learn how to trade which I believe wholeheartedly is a noble and smart endeavour that strikes at the heart of entrepreneurship.
I attended seminars, purchased books, downloaded charting software and even stood up in front of a University presentation being conducted by a well known fund manager in an attempt to argue that his proven value investing philosophy was second to technical analysis. I thought it was the most purest form of generating insight into a stock price because it took it 'already took in all of the factors' - whatever the hell that means.
I would spend hours each night going through the stock chart of every single listed equity trading in the ASX/S&P 200 index (I live in Australia) and would apply various studies in order to determine what to trade the next day. I'd search for elusive breakouts, stocks that were about to hit previous support or resistance levels. The fundamentals didn't bother me because as far as I was concerned, technical analysis already included that and by the time a retail trader gets word of the news about a stock, it has already moved (there is unfortunately an element of truth in that - read on). I didn't really consider the fact that for a chart pattern to develop, the price must have also already moved somewhat.
My false belief as I touched on earlier was supported by my broker and again at the seminars my broker sent me to. In my opinion this was solid information/education because the people telling me were market professionals and much more experienced and educated than I was. I didn't consider that my broker only generates money when I generate fees from executing trades - it never entered my mind that this information could be a load of BS.
Thankfully, I had (and still have) a genuine and almost obsessive passion for business and the financial markets. I love reading company annual reports and conducting research and so in between looking at chart patterns and colouring in lines I would also look at the fundamentals of the business out of pure curiosity. As part of this process, I would pick up on certain things that would get me bullish or bearish about a stock - a product launch, a law suit or an industry forecast for example. As I gained experience trading I would slowly place more and more emphasis on the fundamentals until one day I saw the light.
A stock moves either up, down or sideways. Generally up or down - therefore, any type of analysis is going to be correct roughly 50% of the time. I would view all my profitable trades as solid examples of correctly applying technical analysis and I would view all loosing trades as being mistakes. For me, tefhncial analysis was perfect and when it didn't work it was because I hadn't properly applied it.
After about 2 or 3 years of trading using technical analysis exclusively, I began incorporating more and more fundamental analysis and kind of broke even most of the time. I worked as a Security Guard part-time to fund my life, but my full-time job and career was trading. I say this because for the first few years I really didn't make any serious profits, though I didn't lose much either so I kept persisting.
In my 4th or 5th year of trading I did well as I incorporated more fundamental analysis and less technical analysis but during the GFC in 2008 lost a fair bit of money. I returned to doing security work but still kept trading. Then I came into quite a bit of cash, quit my job and became a 'full-time trader' where I subsequently lost around $80,000 in one year.
I was devastated and about to quit everything and go back to being a security guard when I received a telephone call from Bloomberg one day offering me a free trial of their Professional terminal. I had no idea the cost and didn't ask. The operator figured I was loaded since I had spent $80k on the market in a short period of time and had set-up a Pty Ltd / LLC company for taxation reasons.
Within a few hours a courier arrived at the door with a colourful keyboard and a fingerprint authentication device that looked like something out of a 007 movie. I downloaded Bloomberg and switched on the terminal. My life pretty much changed that moment.
I now had access to the exact same financial news, economic data and research enjoyed by Wall Street brokers. As I said before I didnt quite understand what I had, but as I was about to quit everything anyway I genuinely didn't care. I still remember receiving a breaking news alert on the terminal within the first few moments regarding the very first Takarta airbag recall. I decided to short the stock as a test trade and within the next few months that position alone paid for the next 2 years of terminal access.
I couldn't believe the power I now had and I lived it up big time. I travelled to China, Hong Kong and stayed at luxury hotels. I flew business class and everyone who told me to get a real job and stop gambling on the market now looked at me differently. I had made it as a Day Trader and was now in the class of a 'sophisticated investor ' permitting me to various benefits and investment opportunities.
Truth be told, Day Trading even when successful gets a little lonely and boring. I saw a job advertisement for a boutique Stockbroking firm in Sydney and applied using a few years of broker statements and sent my email via Bloomberg's IM directly to the CEO. I had 3x gruelling interviews and got the job. I didnt do too well at being a broker and actually got put in charge of creating a morning news briefing and research reports for clients. It was at this point I realised my real passion in life was writing about financial news and the stockmarket. To cut a long story short I quit my job as Broker and started my own financial news website- which I have never disclosed on Reddit and will never do so in the future - there is no underlying motive for posting this. I just want to say my point if view.
As a Professional Broker, we did not use technical analysis unless the client requested it OR when determining support and resistance. It just doesn't work for anything else and the level of research, news, analytics and data made available to institutions is considerably better than what is made available to retail traders.
So why is technical analysis promoted so heavily? For a few reasons.
Firstly, your broker only makes profit when you trade. It is therefore in their best interest to get you trading and generating fees as much as possible. In order to get you to do this, they must provide you with some kind of motivation or explanation as to why to buy or sell a stock. The financial news industry is quite different to other news and whilst insider trading is illegal- it is far more common than you would think and comes in various shapes and forms.
I consider insider trading to be acting on information not made available to the general public right now. For me, that includes a news story that has only been published to a select few people who can afford a subscription that costs the same as the price or a new car. The law has a different definition that favours the elite.
I believe that retail traders should have access to the very same information, at the same time, as institutional traders. Organisations such as Bloomberg or Reuters should NOT be allowed to withhold their news stories to subscribers for a period of time like they do. $24k per year for a subscription is ridiculous for most people and places this valuable information well out of reach. This is the kind of information that moves the financial markets - NOT chart patterns resembling a human torso (head & shoulders) or the stars in the night sky (gann).
To put it simply: Fundamental Analysis such as news, financial statements, broker recommendations, industry forecasts, product releases, trademark/copyright registrations, dividend announcements, research reports, law suits, fiscal policy, management changes, new regulations, COVID-19, opinion polls, regulatory action, fines and penalties, patent grants, consumer sentiment, predictions for interest rate changes and other economic calendar events - the list is endless. It is these that moves the financial markets - NOT chart patterns!
Anybody who has worked in a professional level finance job knows what I'm saying is 100% true and correct. It is only uneducated, uninformed, inexperienced retail traders who buy into the technical analysis BS. Unfortunately, many of these traders either get a few wins and genuinely believe their own hype OR are just excellent liars and choose to promote their BS strategy using very professional looking and convincing arguments. I'm certain many will respond to this post calling me an idiot.
I've quit trading and I'm not a broker. I'm an independent financial journalist and have ZERO investment holdings in any listed or non-listed company. I invest my money in AUD because it is my local currency and I own Gold - that's it. I'm 100% independent and I charge $1.00 for 12 months of access to my website which as I said is NOT given out on this reddit account. I've written this very lengthy post to provide some insight into the scam that is technical analysis.
I'll be on for the next 8 hours or so, go ahead and AMA if you have questions. Thanks.

40+ Major Sins

What are/is Major sins?
Answer: The Major sins are acts which have been forbidden by Allah (swt) and his messenger (saw), Allah says in the Quran: If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise]. - Quran 4:31, so it is very important for us to learn what these major sins and avoid then, InshAllah
Can these major sins be forgiven?
Answer: Yes, repent is the only option I know, it's up to Allah, we are all sinner but Allah loves sinner of repentance. So REPENT, also here are the references on Repent. Ref1 Ref2

Shirk: Associating partners with Allah. "Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with him, But He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And He who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a Tremendous Sin," - Quran 4:48
Committing Murder: Taking Someone's Life. "...And those who do not invoke with Allah another Deity or Kil the Soul which Allah has forbidden [To be Killed], Except by Right, And Do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty." - Quran 25:68
Committing Magic: Practising Black Magic. "...And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew." - Quran 2:102
Not performing the prayers: Intentionally Missing Prayers. "But there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desire; so they are going to meet evil." - Quran 19:59
Withholding the Zakah/Charity: Not performing Zakat. "And let not those who [Greedilty] withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the day of resurrection." - Quran 3:180
Not fasting in the day of Ramadan without excuse: Islam is built upon five 5 pillars, Shahadah, Salah (Performing the Prayers), Hajj (Making the Pilgrimage to the House of Allah (Kaaba), Fasting (Especially on the month of Ramadan. Zakat (Charity)
Not performing Hajj, while being able to do so: One of the 5 Pillars of Islam is Hajj.
Disobeying and disrespect to parents: Your parents are the ones who brought you to this world, we must show them respect especially to your mother. "And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to Parents, Good treatment. whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," And Do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small" - Quran 17:23
Cutting off the ties of relationship: "So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on Earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision." - Quran 47:22-23
Committing adultery or fornication: "And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way." - Quran 17:32
Committing sodomy: "Allah will not look at a person [with pleassure] who commits sodomy with a man or a woman." - Hadith, Sahih Al Jami # 7678
taking or paying interest (riba): "Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, "Trade is [just] like interest." But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past. And his affair rests with Allah, bur whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] - Those are the companions of the Fire; They will abide eternally therein." - Quran 2:275
Devouring the wealth of orphans: "Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming into their bellies fire." - Quran 4:10
Lying about Allah and his messenger (saw): Spreading false about Allah and his messenger (saw). "And on the Day of the resurrection... You will see those who lied about Allah [wtih] their faces blackened. Is there not in hell a residence for the arrogant?" - Quran 39:60
Running away from the battlefield: "And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company, has certainly returned with anger [upon him] from Allah, and his refuge is Hell - and wretched is the destination." - Quran 8:16
The unjust leader: "The cause is only against the ones who wrong people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment" - Quran 42:42
Pride and arrogance: Too Proudness. "Assuredly, Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He does not like the arrogant." - Quran 16:23
Ungratefulness: We have to be grateful for what we have now and on what Allah gives you, food, etc. "So remember Me; I will remember you. And be Grateful to and do not deny me." - Quran 2:152
Intoxicants (alcohol & drugs): "O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah] and diving arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful" - Quran 5:90
Gambling: "...gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah] and diving arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful" - Quran 5:90
Slandering innocent women: "Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the hereafter; and they will have a great punishment" - Quran 24:23
Stealing from exploits of war and from the money of the zakat: "it is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. and whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the day of the resurrection. then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged." Quran 3:161
Consuming forbidden wealth or taking it by any means: "And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you [it is unlawful]." - Quran 2:188
Committing highway robbery: Robbing People's items such as money.
Making a false oath: False swearing/promise on Allah or anyone. "And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity." - Quran 25:72
Committing oppression: "Except those [poets] who believe and do righteous and remember Allah often and defend [the Muslims] after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned." - Quran 26:277
Levying illegal taxes: Prophet (saw) said, "Do you know who the bankrupt is? The bankrupt from my nation is the one who appears on the day of the resurrection having performed the Prayers, fasted and paid the zakah, but had also abused that person, slandered that person, wrongfully taken the wealth of that person and spilled the blood of that person. These people will take from his good deeds. If his good deeds are thereby exhausted, He will be given their sins and then he will be thrown into the hell-fire" - Hadith, Sahih Muslim 2581
Stealing: Secretly getting items without the person knowing. "[As for] the thief, the male, and the female, amputate (cut) their hands in recompense for what they committed as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." - Quran 5:38-39
Suicide: Taking the life of yourself. "...And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful. And whoever does that in aggression and injustice - then We will drive him into a Fire. And that, for Allah, is [always] easy." - Quran 4:29-30
The perpetual liar: "...and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us]." - Quran 3:61
Judging unjustly: Allah does not accept the prayer of a judge who judges against the laws of Allah."...And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers." Quran 5:44
Engaging in bribery: Giving money to zip lips, getting received money (in greed) not knowing what could lead to. "And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]." - Quran 2:188
Women appearing like men and vice-versa: Allah's curse is upon women who appear like men and upon men who appear like women
Being a pimp: Dayyouth: is the one who approves the indecency of his womenfolk and is void of jealousy or the pimp who facilitates indecency between two people.
Marrying for the purpose of making a woman allowable for another: "And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her [or dies], there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know." Quran 2:230
Not keeping clean from the remains of urine: One of the Hadiths, The Prophet (saw) passed by a grave and said, "These two are being punished. And they are not being punished for something hard. But it is a great sin, One of them did not keep himself clean form his urine and the other went around spreading tales." - Hadith, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Book 1, Hadith 132 English reference: Book 31, Hadith 735 ( I don't know if any of you have Al-Adab Al Mufrad so yeah 2 refs) "And your clothing purify. And uncleanliness avoid." - Quran 74:4-5
Showing off: Showing good deeds. "So woe to those who pray. [But] who are heedless of their prayer - Those who make show [of their deeds]" - Quran 107:4-6
Acquiring knowledge only for worldly gain or concealing knowledge: He/She who is asked about the knowledge he/she knows and does not reveal it, will be sewed with fire on the day of judgment "Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse," - Quran 2:159
Breaching trusts: "O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]." - Quran 8:27
Reminding people of one's kindness: "O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." Quran - 2:264
Rebellion & calling people disbelievers: But do not transgress limits, for Allah does not love the transgressors. He who calls his brother a Kafir (disbeliever) one of them will bear it.
Spying and eavesdropping on other's private conversation: "O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." - Quran 49:12
Spreading harmful tale (Namimah): Tale-bearing, (Namimah) is defined as a spreading words among believers with the purpose of stirring up enmity and problems between them this matter is forbidden. "And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer. [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip - A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful," - Quran 68:10-12
Cursing others: when a man curses a thing this curse goes up towards paradise (Jannah), the door of paradise are shut against it, the curse then moves right and left and it finds no way for it, then it goes back down to the cursed one if he deserves it or else to the curser. "Abusing a Muslim is evil and fighting him is disbelief" - Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari 7076
Not fulfilling one's promises: "whoever possess any of these characteristics has the characteristics of hypocrisy until he gives it up whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it up" - Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari 33
Believing in soothsayers and star signs: He who asks a fortune teller or an astrologer something and believes him of what he says is a blasphemer. "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something will not have his prayer accepted for forty nights"
A wife being rebellious to her husband: "If a man invites his wife to bed and she refuses and he becomes angry on her, the angels curse her till morning." - Hadith, Sunan Abi Dawud 2141
Making statues and pictures: The people who will receive the Greatest Punishment on the day of judgment are those who compete with Allah in Creation. (those who make pictures or statues) it's about believing one can give life or compete
Striking one's self, wailing, tearing one's clothing, pulling one's hair, and similar deeds as a form of mourning
Committing injustice: "The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment." - Quran 42:42
Being overbearing or taking advantage of the weak, slaves, wives or animals
Harming neighbors: "A person whose neighbor is not safe from his mischief will not enter Paradise" - Hadith, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 121
Harming and abusing believers: "And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin." - Quran 33:58
Trailing one's garment in pride: i.e. Below the ankles out of pride "What is below the ankles will be in the hellfire" - Hadith, Riyad as-Salihin 793 This is if its do out of pride.
Harming the friend's of Allah: "Whoever shows enmity to a slave of mine [Allah's] I shall be at war with him." - Hadith, Sunan Ibn Majah 3989
Men wearing silk & gold: Prophet (saw) said, "Gold and silk have been permitted for the females of my nation and forbidden for its males" - Hadith, Sunan an-Nasa'i 5148 Men who wear silk in this world will have no portion [of heavens] in the hereafter. He who wears silk on earth will never wear it in the hereafter - Sahih Muslim 2073 However it is true that Prophet (PBUH) permitted silk, but only for those suffer itching within fingers measure, and he permitted using a tooth of gold also.
A slave's running away from his master (without reason): "if the slave escapes his master, his prayer will not be accepted. You who believe fulfill (all) obligations." - Hadith, Sahih Muslim 70
Sacrificing animals for other than Allah: The one who sacrifices for other than Allah is cursed by Allah. "And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience. And indeed do the devils inspire their allies [among men] to dispute with you. And if you were to obey them, indeed, you would be associators [of others with Him]." - Quran 6:121
Claiming that somebody is one's father while the claimant knows it is not true: One who claims that someone is his father and knows that it is not true will be forbidden to Paradise.
Arguing or quarreling for show & not seeking the truth: "Whoever argues in support of something that is wrong and he knows it, Allah will be angry with him until he stops" Hadith, Sunan ibn Majah 260
Not allowing excess water to flow to others: Not giving water to someone when that person wants it. "Say, "Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?" - Quran 67:30 Whoever doesn't allow the access water or pasture for others will not share in the blessings of Allah on the Day of Judgment!
Dealing in fraud: "Woe to those who give less [than due], Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss." - Quran 83:1-3
Disbelieving fate: "Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah?" - Quran 7:33, "A man asked, what is Faith (Believing)? The Prophet (saw) said to him: Believe in Allah, His Angels, His books, His prophets, and the day of judgment, Resurrection after death and fate (Good or Bad)" - Hadith, Musnad Ahmad 191
Eating carrion, blood or pork meat: "Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure - or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful." - Quran 6:145
Despairing from Allah's help or forgiveness: "Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." - Quran 39:53
Continually not performing the Friday prayers and congregational prayers without any valid excuse: "Prophet (saw) said, "If people don't stop abandoning the Friday prayer, Allah may seal their hearts and they will become headless" Hadith, Riyad as-Salihin 1150 Whoever hears the call to prayer and doesn't come to prayer, There is no prayer for him except for the one who has a valid excuse.
Preaching error or establishing errors: The Prophet (saw) said, "He who preaches for error will bear his sin and of those who follow him, with no decreasing for their sins." The prophet (saw) also said: every newly established thing is an error in Religion.
Being deceiving and plotting evil: "[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way of Allah any alteration." - Quran 35:43
Pointing a weapon at a Muslim brother: He who points the weapon at a Muslim Brother will be cursed by the angels even if he was his brother in kinship.
Abusing or reviling anyone of the companions of the prophet (saw): "Do not revile my companions for, by the one in whose hands is my soul, if you were to spend in charity a mountain of gold similar to mount Uhud. It would not be equal to a handful or a half a handful (Or what they have done)" - Sahih Muslim 2540

IMPORTANT: Repeating Minor sin makes into Major sin!
Edit: it took me 5 days to write/make the list if they're more than be sure to PM and if there are mistakes also PM me! :)

what is the penalty for illegal gambling video

The penalty for illegal gambling now under the Act is a fine of up to RM50,000 or up to six months’ jail, or both, while operators can be fined up to RM50,000 and jailed up to three years, or both. The Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148) stipulates that all gambling activities including soliciting, receiving or settling of bets are illegal except authorised horse racing, football betting and the Mark Six lottery operated by the Club, services provided by those licenced by the Home Affairs Bureau like mahjong parlours, and social gambling exempted under the legislation. The games provided by those websites were illegal since online gaming is prohibited in the Netherlands and thus current law does not allow an application for gaming license. With the Remote Gambling Act, that is expected in 2021, the law will change and the online licenses will Penalty for illegal gambling. Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who illegally gambles or engages in interstate gambling as defined in § 18.2-325 shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. If an association or pool of persons illegally gamble, ... Penalty for illegal gambling. Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who illegally gambles or engages in interstate gambling as defined in § 18.2-325 shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. If an association or pool of persons illegally gamble, each person therein shall be guilty of illegal gambling. Misdemeanor fines for gambling are quite common, and range from a few hundred dollars up to $1,000 or more. Felony gambling fines can be significant, sometimes as much as $20,000 or more. Fines can be separate from, or in addition to, jail or prison sentences.

Consequences and Penalties Responsible Gambling The ...

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Story Time: Silver short squeeze

How the Hunt Brothers Cornered the Silver Market and Then Lost it All

TL:DR: yes its long. Grab a beer.

[Emulation] Nintendo Vs. LoveROMs: The hundred-million dollar lawsuit, the public apology, the self-proclaimed archivists who made it all happen, and the surprisingly heated legal dispute about playing old videogames.

How is this Hadith so accurate? Some signs have already happened.

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How the Hunt Brothers Cornered the Silver Market and Then Lost it All

TL:DR: yes its long. Grab a beer.

I made a pretty comprehensive voting guide.

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40+ Major Sins

My Opinion on Technical Analysis, AMA!

40+ Major Sins

what is the penalty for illegal gambling video

what is the penalty for illegal gambling top