$60 silver

Disclaimer:  Nothing in this blog post, or in any other post on this site, should be considered personal investment advice.  It's all just for my own entertainment.  And your entertainment, too, if you happen to be entertained by it.  If you want financial advice, hire a financial advisor.

 

An ounce of silver will now set you back just over sixty bucks.  New all-time high for the precious metal.

A barrel of oil, meanwhile, is currently around $58.  You can buy a whole barrel of crude with just a single silver coin.

This ratio is, historically speaking, completely out of whack.  The silver-to-oil ratio has only been more than one twice in recent decades.  The last time was in the 1970s.

 

 

https://www.macrotrends.net/2612/silver-to-oil-ratio-historical-chart

 

My own portfolio is already a bit overweight in oil stocks, but I picked up some shares of Exxon this week anyway.  I figured I might as well collect that dividend while I'm waiting to see if any capital gains happen as a result of this pricing imbalance.

Also of note on that chart is the thin gray line next to the 1970s spike.  This silver/oil imbalance was the prelude to a brief recession.  Just something to keep in mind for the coming months.  Furthermore, it seems like a spike up is a prelude to a recession whereas a spike down looks like it might be a broader stock market "oversold" signal.  I'd have to do a little more digging into the charts to be sure, though; this is just "at first glance" analysis.

Got through November

I had a bunch of things going on in November.  It's not stuff I want to share publicly, so I won't go into detail, but it was kind of a hectic month.  I got through it, though, and everything turned out okay.  I love it when a plan comes together.

For those of y'all who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a good one.  Christmas is coming up sooner than you think, so make sure you take some time to look at other people's decorations while you can, because it's always good to stop every now and then to smell the roses, and looking at Christmas decorations is the December equivalent of that.

I haven't done a stock market post in a while.  I should probably do one soon.  Spoiler alert: Everything's overpriced.

Written Word Media sent out a couple of emails recently warning about scammers targeting authors.  Nice of them to do that.  As book promotion companies go, they do lots of things right, and I like them a lot.

That's all for now.  Hope you're all making it through the holiday season without losing any hit points, and if you're in America, this is your reminder to make sure you're prepared for next weekend's big freeze. 

The Zoomers are not happy

After seeing some video of the protest at the National Palace in Mexico, and being instantly reminded of the recent similar uprising in Nepal, I decided to ask Grok the following question:

 

Which countries have experienced Gen Z revolutions/uprisings so far?

 

Grok's response:

 

### Gen Z-Led Revolutions and Uprisings (2019–2025)

Generation Z (born roughly 1997–2012) has increasingly driven protests and uprisings worldwide, often fueled by social media, economic inequality, corruption, unemployment, and governance failures. These movements have been particularly prominent in the Global South since 2019, with many leading to government resignations, policy shifts, or institutional overhauls. Below is a table summarizing key countries where Gen Z has been central to such events, based on reported large-scale actions. I've focused on those with significant youth leadership and impact, ordered chronologically.

| Country      | Year(s)     | Key Details |
|--------------|-------------|-------------|
| Chile       | 2019       | "Estallido social" uprising sparked by a metro fare hike but rooted in neoliberal austerity, inequality, and education cuts; led primarily by high school students (born 2001–2005), drawing millions and forcing constitutional reforms. |
| Colombia    | 2021       | National strike against tax reforms, poverty, and police violence; Gen Z mobilized via social media, leading to widespread blockades and policy concessions from the government. |
| Sri Lanka   | 2022       | "Aragalaya" (struggle) protests amid economic collapse, fuel shortages, and corruption; youth occupied key sites like the presidential palace, culminating in the president's resignation and family exile. |
| Nigeria     | 2024       | "#EndBadGovernance" protests against inflation, unemployment, and corruption; initiated on Twitter/TikTok by Gen Z, escalating to nationwide shutdown calls and violent clashes with security forces. |
| Bangladesh  | 2024       | Anti-quota protests against job reservation systems favoring elites; Gen Z-led marches turned deadly (over 1,000 deaths), forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee. |
| Kenya       | 2024       | Anti-tax bill protests against price hikes, youth unemployment, and corruption; Gen Z organized via social media, storming parliament and prompting the president's partial bill withdrawal. |
| Serbia      | 2024–2025  | Student-led anti-corruption protests following a deadly train station collapse; Gen Z demanded accountability and education funding, drawing record crowds (up to 355,000 in Belgrade) and exposing regime cracks. |
| Indonesia   | 2025       | Protests targeting government perks for politicians and economic mismanagement; youth clashed with police near official buildings, highlighting job scarcity and corruption. |
| Philippines | 2025       | Demonstrations over misallocated flood relief funds (estimated $1.85B lost); Gen Z marched in Manila, leading to arrests and investigations amid frequent typhoons. |
| Nepal       | 2025       | Uprising against social media bans, corruption, and elite "nepo kids"; protesters burned parliament, causing 72+ deaths and ousting the prime minister in September. |
| Peru        | 2025       | Youth rallies in Lima against crime waves, extortion, and pension reforms; Gen Z joined drivers in demanding President Boluarte's resignation, building on 2022 unrest. |
| Morocco     | 2025       | "Gen Z 212" movement protesting World Cup 2030 funding over public services like education and healthcare; social media-fueled marches in Rabat and Casablanca resulted in deaths and mass arrests. |
| Madagascar  | 2025       | Protests over water/electricity blackouts and poverty; Gen Z-led actions caused 22+ deaths, forcing President Rajoelina to dissolve the government and enter exile talks. |

These events share common threads: digital mobilization (e.g., TikTok, Twitter), demands for economic justice, and frustration with entrenched elites. Not all escalated to full "revolutions," but many achieved tangible changes. Earlier actions like the 2018 US March for Our Lives or Sweden's Fridays for Future were influential but more campaign-oriented than uprisings. India, despite Gen Z discontent, has seen mostly localized protests without national-scale revolts. For real-time updates beyond November 2025, ongoing monitoring is key as these movements evolve.

My conclusion: Gen Z feels seriously disaffected, and the sentiment isn't limited to just one nation, region, continent, or ethnic/cultural group.  So far, the rough stuff seems confined to poorer nations, but I suspect a hard recession/depression in a wealthier nation--like my own--might be enough to push the Zoomers of that country over the edge.

Happy Halloween!

Y'all have fun and stay safe out there.

$4000 gold

Well, they finally did it.  Those crazy guys in the trading pits finally pushed gold to $4000 an ounce.

And the Fed is still murmuring about cutting rates.  Unbelievable.

Back in 2003, some gold bugs were predicting gold would hit somewhere in the $3000-$5000 range by 2020.  They weren't off by much, just five years.  I bought a little gold back then, but it was just a pittance, and I wish I'd had the funds to buy more.

Inflation is obviously back on the table, but will there be any real growth to support it?  Is all the "growth" we've seen so far just an AI bubble inflating itself, or is there some real tangible productivity there somewhere?  Enough to justify current valuations, I mean.  I guess we'll see when the music stops and everyone's scrambling for a chair.

I actually bought a couple of stocks today.  No, I'm not saying what.  And I didn't spend much, because I want to have enough cash available when the inevitable correction happens and everything's on sale again.  I don't know when that'll happen, but the market has been too quiet for too long, and I'm starting to get the willies about it.

FREE books!

I'm participating in a couple of group promotions this month.  Tons of FREE books.  Please take a moment and browse the links below.

From My Book Cave:

 

https://mybookcave.com/g/escape-into-realms-and-galaxies/?bcsrc=kecikg

From StoryOrigin:

 

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/4itRPYT

On behalf of all the authors involved, thanks for taking a look at our books.  :)

Thanks!

Just wanted to say thanks to whoever promoted my book a few days ago.  I saw a nice little bump in downloads of Clouds of Venus, and I really appreciate it.  :)