I worked in a fish processing plant in Seward, Alaska.

 

Last year I worked in Seward, Alaska in a fish processing plant, processing Halibut, Black Cod and other fish.

The company I worked for paid for my flight their and back. After my contract was finished they flew me back to where I came from, no issues.

The first day their was interesting. I arrived in Anchorage, Alaska and arrived one hour late and missed my shuttle to the bunk house. I was lucky and made arrangements to leave the airport three or four hours latter and arrived in Seward, at midnight or latter.

Their was no one to meet me or anyone to call. I was afraid of the shuttle leaving me their with no accommodation so banged on a door until someone let me me in. I was lucky they let me sleep on the couch and make arrangements the next day for somewhere else to sleep.

The actual work in the plant was not difficult or hard. Most days we worked less than eight hours a day which left me with low pay, and they take out deductions for room and board, whish left me with not much.

Luckily over the month things sped up and we got to work everyday twelve to sixteen hours a day, and little sleep and no days off, which in a two week pay period after tax deductions and room and board equaled a check of over 2,000.00 but in six months of working their I only received two checks like that, so wasn't able to save much.

One of the bad things that happened was I got hurt on the job and wasn't able to get all my medical bills paid through work mans comp. I got a few paid but the last bill was not and it was substantial.

Just for the record my bosses and office bosses were very nice and no issue their. I had a few problems with other workers but it was mostly cultural misunderstandings that I could not do much about.

One of the bosses even came downstairs into the plant to cut fish and work with us tell things were done, you don't see leadership like that much anymore.

The actual living conditions weren't as bad as people say but they weren't great either. If you cant live with other people who's culture can be different than yours you may not like it.

I forgot to mention I did this in my fifties so even at that age I could work the long hours.

If I were younger I might do it again but for now probably wont. As for Seward Alaska its really a beautiful place, not to mention you can buy weed anywhere if that's your thing. I don't smoke or drink so I had an easy time of it. On our time off I went hiking in the mountains and saw pretty big salmon in the rivers, I didn't see any black bears or Bigfoot but was always on the lookout for them.

Alaska is a beautiful place at least Seward was. I could live their despite it being a small town. Its pretty busy in the summer with all the tourists. Lots of tourists jobs with room and board at hotels, brewerys ect. 

If you can get a chance to do it I would. 

The war in Iran.

 

I have been thinking about Iran and the war their and what it means for North Americans. So far I haven't decided accept to say the price of goods will keep rising and keep going up for the next year or so.

generally speaking its difficult to get unbiased information on what's really happening their and what the ultimate war means.

Some say the U.S. is losing the empire and China and Russia are rising and maybe Turkey too. I dont know but it does seem the U.S. isn't winning like the U.S Government keeps saying.

I'm not sure what to think anymore accept to keep investing in commodities and gold and other assets that are trending. I also think it would be wise to have a plan B somewhere else, for me it might be the territory of the US, Saipan or someplace in Asia although South America maybe better. As I have relative's in Japan and Philippines I am partial to those places.

This is meant to be a small post to get me back to posting online.

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A really fascinating interview on Michael Farris channel on YouTube. I believe he was interviewed on Hedgeye  , a very interesting interview.

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SPECIAL: The coming Great Financial Crisis | Atilla Yesilada

Buy gold coins and beat the last minute rush.

Happy tariff day/ bloodbath in world stock markets.

 Tariffs and plunging stock markets. 

The Donald Trump tariffs have caused a lot of pain and suffering in the stock markets the last few day. We have seen almost all sectors of stocks down 5% to 10% and individual stocks down 20% or more some down even 50%. The bloodbath in shares overseas has been pretty bad to although initially not as bad but now Friday 4/4/2025 is pretty bad everywhere.

The few sectors not getting creamed are consumer staples and some medical companies. If you have been shorting in size you arent doing to bad or if you were loaded up on bullion and bonds, they have done ok as has Tobacco shares and telephone shares at least in the States and Canada and the UK.

Is this the beginning of the end?  

I don't think so but who knows. So far oil is down 12% or more copper down and corn and the other commodities.

This maybe the beginning's of some kind of new economy and only time will tell but I suspect most Governments will incentivize corporations to bring their capital back home and this maybe the beginnings of a weak dollar and booming stock markets in other parts of the world. all we can do is wait and watch then execute and take advantages of the new opportunities as they become available.

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A good video on why men arent working and why they should. Men not working and the truth of why they are not working will hurt a lot of people but the sooner we can admit the truth the sooner we can get men back to work.

Steve Baker on Why Government is Failing you - Debt & Inflation | Peter ...

How to save the world but this is unlikely to happen. If you live in America go to Saipan, and buy some gold coins/BTC

Is the gold price signal in the noice?

 

Last Friday markets sold off hard, many indicies down 2% to 4%,  and many shares down 10% in one trading day 

For the most part gold, utilities, bonds, have held up pretty well signalling a upcoming recession maybe in the cards for the US and a slowdown in the world economy.  

Japan indices sold off 4% or at least some of the ETFs I follow did.

Many emerging markets too.

Im not sure if this is the beginning of a big market sell off but if the Fed doesnt lower interest rates as much as markets participants anticipate and expect I expect more market turbulence and higher bind prices, most market participants dont seem to expect bond prices and Utes, or gold to keep going up despite there confusion on watching the prices edge up higher over time.

Time will tell what happens and I still believe large cap biotechnology, Utes, Gold,and Healthcare to continue racing higher over time and most small caps to sell off 

Doug Casey's Take [ep.#297] Destabilization of America

Is Siem Reap a good choice for an expat in 2023?

 Is Siem Reap a good choice for an expat in 2023?

I have been here six months in Siem Reap for six months now and have decided Siem Reap is a good choice for expating, retiring ect in 2023.

I arrived in Thailand six months ago and after visiting Thailand decided to check out Siem Reap Cambodia. I have heard its less developed and dangerous, which is not the case or at least in my experience Siem Reap Cambodia seems safe to me and extremely safe compared to most places in Latin America.

I haven't experienced and violent crime or petty theft at all in my time here in Siem Reap or Phnom Penn.

They use dollars here so its nice withdrawing US Dollars for a small fee of 4 bucks, and most ATMs let you withdraw up to 1,000 per time if you want.

For the expat or retiree or anyone looking to spend a lot of time in Cambodia, they have the retiree visa which all you do to qualify if prove your 55 and above and sign a document promising not to work here and that's it you are in.

If your not 55 and above you can apply for the E visa which lets you live and work here, I applied for the 1 year visa through an agency for 500 bucks and can renew in one year, and with the visa you can easily open a bank account and have a US Dollar account to send money if you so desire to get a portion of your wealth offshore, ABA Bank is the easiest just show up with a passport and a local phone number and maybe your rental contract. There are numerous banks to choose from if you can get it Philipps Bank the Singapore bank can give you access to shares in Singapore.

Depending on your needs theres a lot of banks to choose from just make sure you use one of the high street banks if you are going to deposit a lot of money here.

As far as renting here theres a lot of choices for all budgets, in low season you can rent as low as 60 bucks a month, for something nicer 250 and above will do the trick and all you need is the deposit and first months rent and maybe a contract all places are different.

You can rent motor bike and bicycle's  easily and cheaply.

Getting around in Siem reap is cheap and easy, just use PassApp or walk, most PassApp trips cost me .75 or a buck. 

It doesn't cost much to fly here or take a bus to the Capital. 20 bucks or less for a bus to the Capital, 60 or less to fly. Theres a nice airport here in Siem Reap where you can fly to Bangkok or Phnom Penn cheaply 60 to 80 bucks sometimes less if you buy in advance.

Food at stalls is 1.25 to 3.00 bucks, 5 bucks and up at restaurants. You can also cook here a gas canister is 5 bucks and last me about three months. Eating out is so cheap that's what I do most of the time.

Beer at the bars is .50 to .75 for draft beer, or a buck for bottled beer they have craft beer fo 4 bucks and up. These are July 2023 prices. Theres all kinds of places the eat here but most places that are nice will not be more than 20 bucks a plate at the nicer ones 7.50 for the stuff I get or if I get local food 5 or less unless it s  a stall the 2 to 3 bucks.

Its nice here peaceful safe not much crime the only thing I have experienced is getting short changed, it takes a while to get used to the use of Riles and dollars.