From the news:
On President Trump’s first day in office he took action against the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, as promised. He signed an executive order to “minimize the economic burden of the Affordable Care Act pending repeal.” The two-page order did not repeal the law, but it could weaken it.
There are three big things that will affect you: your coverage, subsidies and that fine if you’re not enrolled. As of now you are still going to be covered, and you will still have subsidies to make health care more affordable. But the fine if you don’t have insurance could go away.
President Trump wants Health and Human Resources (HHR) to “waive, defer, grant exemptions from or delay parts of the law that puts a financial burden on the states, individuals or healthcare providers.” Parts of the law like the individual mandate that says every person must have insurance or face a tax penalty.
Wasting no time, on the heels of his very huge inauguration speech in front of the very bigly (1+ million sized crowd seen through Trump’s 20/20 x-ray vision) and ginormous (largest ever) TV audience, our Trump.45 instantly got down to brass tacks, all guns blazing.
First action out of the box was the opening salvo to ditch the crappy national healthcare insurance system everybody hates (including the 20 million who were insurance bare 6 years ago). Magister Trump signed his very own historic first EO (that’s Executive Order for newbies). Note Trump..45’s command of the signing process on his very first day.
First, the shot the Trumpites wanted you to see and focus on. Solemn, presidential, guiding the nation to prosperity and freedom under his protective wing by sheer force of will. Impressive and photo worthy.
Now look at the immediate preliminary snap where General Factotum Reince helps Trump with the advanced query, “Now, where exactly do I sign this mess?”
That picture escaped the Media Bug Zapper Screen Cage and flew free, Oh, well.
On to the meat of the proclamation.
Here reproduced for your edification and enjoyment is the first official government document signed by Pres-45, to wit:
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release January 20, 2017
EXECUTIVE ORDER
– – – – – – –
MINIMIZING THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PENDING REPEAL
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. It is the policy of my Administration to seek the prompt repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended (the “Act”). In the meantime, pending such repeal, it is imperative for the executive branch to ensure that the law is being efficiently implemented, take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act, and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.
Sec. 2. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.
Sec. 3. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies with authorities and responsibilities under the Act, shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to provide greater flexibility to States and cooperate with them in implementing healthcare programs.
Sec. 4. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the head of each department or agency with responsibilities relating to healthcare or health insurance shall encourage the development of a free and open market in interstate commerce for the offering of healthcare services and health insurance, with the goal of achieving and preserving maximum options for patients and consumers.
Sec. 5. To the extent that carrying out the directives in this order would require revision of regulations issued through notice-and-comment rulemaking, the heads of agencies shall comply with the Administrative Procedure Act and other
applicable statutes in considering or promulgating such regulatory revisions.
Sec. 6. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2017.
Now, I may be in the minority here, but having read this opus several times all the way through, I’m still left scratching my head as to what it means, portends, or augurs. I understand that personally I suffer from a substantial overdose of pointy headed advanced academic training and fol de rol (about 12-years worth), so sometimes I don’t get the simple stuff right off.
In this case, however, I don’t seem to be standing by the side of the road all alone and left out.
From the Financial folks at Marketwatch:
President Donald Trump’s first executive order after his Friday inauguration reinforced his administration’s intent to repeal the Affordable Care Act and told federal agencies to reduce the law’s regulatory and economic impact.
But reading the tea leaves has been a tall order. Experts differ wildly on whether the directive has any implications and where those effects may lie.
Some insisted that the act is symbolic, a nod to campaign promises rather than an indication of near-term changes.
“There is not likely to be much immediate initial change,” said Evercore ISI policy analyst Terry Haines, calling the executive order a “tone setter.”
“In essence, this is pure Trump: more sound and fury than substantive impact,” said Height Securities analysts Spencer Perlman and Sumesh Sood.
By contrast, Mizuho’s Sheryl Skolnick called it “the first death warrant for the ACA” and a “poison pen;” adding, “so much for a slow and smooth transition.”
The mixed messages, along with the fact that negative effects on certain sectors have been predicted for months, may well explain the lack of health care stock volatility in the executive order’s aftermath.
The Friday order could be both political gesture and have practical intent, said RBC Capital Markets analyst Frank Morgan.
“As we are in uncharted territory, it is difficult to assess what will happen practically as a result of the order; at a minimum, it is President Trump’s first symbolic gesture to repeal the ACA,” Morgan said.
Weakening the individual mandate could harm the ACA’s marketplaces, but the executive order could also make the market more attractive to consumers by relaxing federal regulations there, he said.
Or those despicable enemy-type press trolls at the dreadfully evil New York Times:
What Does Trump’s Executive Order Against ObamaCare Actually Do?
Margot Sanger-Katz Jan. 21, 2017
Mr. Trump has sent a strong signal that he intends to fight the health law, but he sent signals that were strong on the campaign trail, too, just in less legalistic language. And the order, crucially, notes that agencies can act only “to the maximum extent permitted by law.” (How the Trump administration interprets those permissions, of course, is yet untested.)
The order spells out the various ways that a Trump administration might fight the parts of the health law until new legislation comes: by writing new regulations and exercising discretion where allowed. Regulations can be changed, but, as the order notes, only through a legal process of “notice and comment” that can take months or years.
On matters of discretion, the administration can move faster, but there are limited places where current law gives the administration much power to quickly change course.
How much of the order is bluster and how much it signals a set of significant policy changes in the pipeline is unclear. The order was not specific and did not direct any particular actions.
“Right off the bat, what do they do — something incredibly cryptic that nobody understands,” said Rodney Whitlock, a vice president of M.L. Strategies, a Washington consulting firm. Mr. Whitlock was a longtime health policy aide to Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa.
I had to dive deep inside my analytical engine and explore very carefully. And then it struck me. Another stroke of Trumpian genius. That was exactly the point.
Trump doesn’t know what he wants to do. Furthermore, he doesn’t really care about the details, either. The Republicans in Congress certainly have no coherent plan or strategy beyond complete demolition, after 6 years of intense debate and mental canoodling with themselves, not to mention about 60 worthless votes to abolish. But something must be done that is seen as resolute, and very fast to boot in order to keep the momentum going.
Now the whole world can wonder at its leisure. No one knows. But the hour of action is here. The talk is over. See, there’s an official Presidential EO. All dolled up, in that pretty legal mumbo jumbo that makes it all good.
Speaking of which…
There is another component of Trumpian genius at work in the Anti-ObamaCare EO.
We have struggled before with the obvious cognitive dissonance of someone at the pinnacle of power in America who routinely communicates in the words and language of a 6th grader, with the intellectual and logical skills to match. Collar and cuffs, so to speak.
So, back to our trusty linguistic analytical tool Readability .com to test out the written content and grade level of Trump.45’s first action as our sworn-in Leader-in-Chief.
Here are the results. What do you know?
The actual executive order is what one would expect from actual government proclamations, legislation, regulations, Treaties, Federal Court Decisions, etc. That is to say, it reflects a mid-college (14th grade) level of sophistication and language. O.K., so far.
Here’s the rub.
This work level is 8 grades higher than Trump’s level. That difference is found in a school across town by bus, man.
And yet, this is the inherent genius of Trump’s rap. The Upscaling Gap. (UG). Get used to this concept.
Trump talks 6th grade, and laws must college level to be clearly written for enforcement and implementation. So the gap is wide enough to drive several Mac trucks, not to say Sherman and Abrams tanks though without scratching the linguistic paint, if you will.
Trump set it (whatever it turns out to be) in motion, but can deny responsibility for any of all of the results, since what he says can’t actually be accomplished in practice. A golden forever Get Out of Whatever Card (Platinum Edition).
Trump has outwitted even a fox like good ole Harry Trump. With Trump, The Buck Never Stops Here. Keep on Truckin’.
And then the analytical key to understanding Trump.45 struck me hard.
The Magic 8 Ball Analogy
Trump really does believe in MAGA. Time travel back to the gloriously settled 1950’s of our youth. Trump is channeling the baddest, most addictive gadget a kid could have in the mid 1950’s- that’s right, a genuine personal Mattel Magic 8 Ball.*
Don’t get me wrong. I loved my own Magic 8 Ball, and played with it until the outer plastic shell separated from the inner glass core. I think I got mine about 1956 or 1957 at Christmas, when I was about 7 years old. Like millions of other kids, when I opened that box and turned the ball over for the first time, the other toys under the tress just dropped out of sight and mind, pronto.
I don’t know that Trump has ever said whether he had a Magic 8 Ball as a kid, but I’d bet he did, like almost everybody else our age.
I’m even more sure about it now, watching his actual early governing styles.
For those who have forgotten (there must be at leas tone or two) or missed out on the fun in the first place:
The Magic 8-Ball is a hollow plastic sphere resembling an oversized, black-and-white 8-ball. Inside a cylindrical reservoir contains a white, plastic, icosahedral die floating in alcohol dyed dark blue. Each of the die’s 20 faces has an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement printed in raised letters. These messages are read through a window on the ball’s bottom.
To use the ball, it must be held with the window initially facing down. After “asking the ball” a yes-no question, the user then turns the ball so that the window faces up, setting in motion the liquid and die inside. When the die floats to the top and one face presses against the window, the raised letters displace the blue liquid to reveal the message as white letters on a blue background. Although many users shake the ball before turning it upright, the instructions warn against doing so to avoid white bubbles, which interfere with the performance of the ball itself.
There are 20 stock answers of three types, positive (10), neutral (5) and negative (5).
The 20 answers inside a standard Magic 8-Ball are:
It is certain
It is decidedly so
Without a doubt
Yes, definitely
You may rely on it
As I see it, yes
Most likely
Outlook good
Yes
Signs point to yes
Reply hazy try again
Ask again later
Better not tell you now
Cannot predict now
Concentrate and ask again
Don’t count on it
My reply is no
My sources say no
Outlook not so good
Very doubtful
This being America the Advanced in 2017, and since we are talking about Donald Trump, his modern government by divination model has a few precious add-ons. There are two additional special 20-sided die faces that can be quickly swapped out by the authorized user (with two-factor authentications protocols or a retinal scan), depending on how Trump.45 feels that day when he gets up in the morning. A huge “I love you day” merits a device with14 positives and 6 negatives, while a down day to be spent interacting with the press and other assorted losers gets the Nugatory Answer Wheel, which sports 17 negatives of various degrees of distaste, and just 3 positives.
A wheel a day keeps the doctor away. And everybody else, guessing.
Anyway, when applied to official President decision making scenarios, use of this semi-automated tool permits flawless output, confuses the devil out of opponents, and keeps the decks clear, so that Trump.45 can pursue the object of the day, without snags of doubt and reflection impeding his progress.
Trump’s Decision Making Black Box, if you will. Any complicated government conundrum can be sufficiently addressed by the combination of 3 tiles of 20 sides, in an essentially infinite constellation of sequential decision patterns, with modest resampling.
Always unique, but fundamentally depending on the same limited set of canned short answers.
Genius, no?
And a side benefit is that it leaves plenty of time for golf, and tweeting, and pursuit of the critical brand name profits legacy for the family.
A Presidential innovation for the ages. Unlike George Bush, who said historians won’t know what to make of his time in office for 50 years, Trump will triumph in just a few short annual cycles courtesy of his crisp authoritative imprimatur.
A Diverting Addendum
As with so much Trumpiana, what you see is just on the surface. There is so much more to plumb in the depths.
To the innocent, a Magic 8 Ball might appear to be just a child’s toy. Au contraire. It has its primal origins in the ancient spiritual traditions of the Celtic Druids, Trump’s ancestors on his mother’s side.
So, there is a family connection and the gene thing to consider in all this.
On the sciency side, the Druid’s original balls were made of the gemstone mineral beryl.** On the geological front, Beryl is technically:
Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(Si O3)6. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine.
Beryl has had an honored place in our national Smithsonian Museum’s world famous collection in the “Hall of Gems”.
The mineral beryl has many beautiful gem varieties: intense green emerald, blue to blue-green aquamarine, golden yellow heliodor, rare red beryl, and pink morganite. Beryl, in its pure form, is colorless. The rich hues of its gems are caused by a variety of impurity atoms that were incorporated in the crystals as they grew. When beryl is green, but not intense enough in color to be called emerald, it is simply called green beryl. The various shades of green beryl can range from light green to yellowish or bluish green and are due to impurities of iron. Aquamarine, as the name suggests, exhibits the variable color of the sea. Its color depends on the relative amounts of impurities of iron in two different chemical states (Fe+2 and Fe+3). Aquamarine ranges in color from light blue to a pure blue and to shades of greenish-blue. The yellow glow of heliodor is due to impurities of iron. Heliodor gets its name from two Greek words meaning sun and gift. Morganite, or pink beryl, gets it delicate hue from trace quantities of manganese. Morganite ranges in color from pink or rose to peach to light violet. It was named by the renowned gemologist George F. Kunz after his patron, financier J. P. Morgan. The National Museum of Natural History has an extensive collection of beryl gems and minerals on exhibit.
And here we have a prior connection to Trump found in a national shrine. Golden Heliodor Is proudly represented in our national gem collection by several magnificent specimens, including the current Big Daddy, a 2,054 carat flawless whopper from Brazil. And geologically, the beautiful golden color is due to trace impurities of iron contained in the gem crystal. What could be more characteristic of the Trump strength and beauty formula?
Don’t get the entirely false idea that I am dismissive or disrespectful of the use of crystal technology for future gazing and informing the perspectives of powerful political leaders. Only a fool would mock 2,000 years of history. It was good enough for the Druids, and Pliny the Elder, and powerful Queen Elizabeth II, and Nancy Reagan.
Then, by Jove, it’s good enough for me.
*Magic 8 Ball
The Magic 8 Ball by Mattel (#30188) is still for sale on Amazon.com (in stock) for the freakishly modest price of only $9.97 (with Free Shipping for Prime Members)
The Magic 8 Ball looks almost exactly like the 8-ball in a billiard game, only larger; about five inches in diameter, slightly flattened on one side, which allows it to sit on a flat surface without rolling off, and constructed of very hard black plastic. The flattened side is a round window, in which you can see an icosahedron (a 20-sided geometric figure) floating in water. On each face of the icosahedron is a phrase written in white: Yes, Without A Doubt, My Sources Say No, Concentrate And Ask Again, Yes Definitely, Outlook Not So Good, You May Rely On It, Ask Again Later, etc. The positive, negative and vague phrases are distributed about 10-5-5, so you get a 50% chance of a positive response, a 25% chance of a negative response, and a 25% chance of a vague response.
WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD — This toy is a small ball. Not for children under 3 yrs.
CHOKING HAZARD — Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.
Being the responsible consumer products company that they are, Mattel also includes the prominent hazard warning above directly on the Amazon product display page.
Child Hazard Protective Warnings are exactly the 75% type of unnecessary regulations that Trump.45 has promised to deep six from the pulpit of the Oval Office again today. Although, to be honest, this particular summary warning without further detail is somewhat puzzling. The Magic 8 Ball is very hard plastic, but at 5” in diameter, about 1” larger than a standard youth softball. it is not clear how the choking hazard was determined to be a threat to kiddies. Is there a chance that hard plastic fragments will break off if the ball is dropped on the floor; is the internal ink-like fluid (alcohol and blue dye) toxic if swallowed; is the internal 20-sided die small enough to be a choking hazard if it comes loose?.
So, we potentially have an apparently silly and nonsensical regulation, that may in fact not be quite so silly after all. Shall we toss out 75% of existing regulations willy nilly, and trust in the Lord for consumer protection? Wouldn’t a sounder plan be to target specific regulations that are known impediments, rather than employing the ‘Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” broad brush approach so beloved of dedicated Tort Reformers, lo these many years..
After all, Trump has made his own living exploiting legal loopholes and technical niceties for 40 years. Wiping out thousands of such comforting havens at a single blow might hinder his own financial progress, and the ability of sons Twiddle-Dum and Twiddle-Dee to make their own way in the world and protect the Family Piles.
On reflection, I feel compelled to mention that the issuing of a Child Hazard Warning for children 3 and under, applied to a toy that requires basic reading literacy in order to enjoy, doesn’t seem like a terribly major sacrifice of market share for the manufacturer. In point of fact, it might be better to issue instead a Hazard Warning to Careless Adults and Older Children not to leave the toy laying about in the open on toddler accessible surfaces. Just a thought. Still something a little off is better than nothing.
From the Wikipedia entry on the Magic 8 Ball:
The Magic 8-Ball is a toy used for fortune-telling or seeking advice, developed in the 1950s and manufactured by Mattel. It is often used in fiction, often for humor related to its giving very accurate, very inaccurate, or otherwise statistically improbable answers.
An 8-ball was used as a fortune-telling device in the 1940 Three Stooges short, You Nazty Spy, and called a “magic ball”. While Magic 8-Ball did not exist in its current form until 1950, the functional component was invented by Albert C. Carter, inspired by a spirit writing device used by his mother, Mary, a Cincinnati clairvoyant. When Carter approached store owner Max Levinson about stocking the device, Levinson called in his brother-in-law Abe Bookman, a graduate of Ohio Mechanics Institute. In 1944, Carter filed for a patent for the cylindrical device, assigning it in 1946 to Bookman, Levinson, and another partner in what came to be Alabe Crafts, Inc. (Albert and Abe). Alabe marketed and sold the cylinder as The Syco-Seer. Carter died sometime before the patent was granted in 1948. Bookman made improvements to The Syco-Seer, and in 1948, it was encased in an iridescent crystal ball. Though unsuccessful, the revamped product caught the attention of Chicago’s Brunswick Billiards. In 1950 they commissioned Alabe Crafts to make a version in the form of a traditional black-and-white 8-ball.
- Type Novelty toy
- Inventor Albert Carter/Abe Bookman
- Company Alabe Crafts Company
- Availability 1950–present
- Materials Plastic
- Alcohol
- Blue dye
So, the modern American story begins with a Three Stooges cameo appearance in 1940. The functional commercial version had been hanging around as a commercial flop since the mid 1940s, and it took the marketing flair of billiard company Brunswick to rocket it to stardom and Permanent Toy Heaven
Sounds like a story custom-fit for Trump.
This is America, so where there is a blockbuster original out there, copyists are sure to follow. There are free on-line Magic 8 Ball rip offs. I doubt they are officially sanctioned by Mattel.
In this modern era, there is an licensed iPhone version, quite reasonably priced at $0.99 to $1.99 each. Children of all ages now can have an essential decision making aid, immediately to hand 24/7, as long as the battery charge holds out. Actually there are at least four different skinned versions on iPhone: regular, Batman, multicolored, and Silver. Of course, there is also the preferred Gold Tone option.
There is a strong historical basis for Magic 8 Ballism. From the Wikipedia entry for Crystal Ball.
A crystal ball, also known as an orbuculum, is a crystal or glass ball and common fortune telling object. It is generally associated with the performance of clairvoyance and scrying in particular.
The earliest use of a crystal ball can be first attributed to the Celtic Druids who divined the future and omens with beryl balls.
In the 1st century AD, Pliny the Elder describes use of crystal balls by soothsayers (“crystallum orbis”, later written in Medieval Latin by scribes as orbuculum). By the 5th century AD, scrying was widespread within the Roman Empire and was condemned by the early medieval Christian Church as heretical.
Dr. John Dee was a noted British mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He devoted much of his life to alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy, of which the use of crystal balls was often included.
Crystal gazing was a popular pastime in the Victorian era, and was claimed to work best when the Sun is at its northernmost declination. Immediately before the appearance of a vision, the ball was said to mist up from within.
The art or process of “seeing” is known as “scrying”, whereby images are claimed to be seen in crystals, or other media such as water, and are interpreted as meaningful information. The “information” gleaned then is used to make important decisions in one’s life (i.e. love, marriage, finances, travel, business, etc.).
When the technique of scrying is used with crystals, or any transparent body, it is known as crystallomancy or crystal gazing.
Crystal balls are popular props used in mentalism acts by stage magicians. Such routines, in which the performer answers audience questions by means of various ruses, are known as crystal gazing acts. One of the most famous performers of the 20th century, Claude Alexander, was often billed as “Alexander the Crystal Seer”.
A transparent sphere of any material with refractive index greater than one brings parallel rays of light to a rough focus (that is, a focus with significant coma). For typical values of the refractive index, this focus is usually very near the surface of the sphere, on the side diametrically opposite to where the rays entered. If the refractive index is greater than 2, the focus is inside the sphere, so the brightest accessible point is on its surface directly opposite the source of light. However, few materials have that property. For most materials, the focus is slightly outside the sphere. The closer the refractive index is to 2, the closer the focus is to the surface of the sphere, and hence the brighter the spot formed on an object touching the sphere.
This effect is used in the Campbell–Stokes recorder to record the brightness of sunlight by burning the surface of a piece of cardboard placed near the sphere. The same effect can occur with a crystal ball that is brought into full sunlight; it may either burn a hand that is holding it, or even start a fire if it is resting on or very near dark-coloured flammable material.
A crystal ball lies in the Royal Scepter of Scotland that is said to have been originally possessed by pagan druids.
Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology displays the third largest crystal ball as the central object in its Chinese Rotunda. Weighing 55 pounds, the sphere is made of quartz crystal from Burma and was shaped through years of constant rotation in a semi-cylindrical container filled with emery, garnet powder, and water. The ornamental treasure was purportedly made for the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) during the Qing dynasty in the 19th century, but no evidence as to its actual origins exists. In 1988, the crystal ball and an ancient Egyptian statuette, which depicted the god Osiris were stolen from the Penn Museum, but were recovered three years later with no damage done to either object.
There are super strong Trumpian threads entwined here as well. The Royal Scepter of Trump’s ancient maternal homeland, Scotland, contains a crystal ball originally possessed by Druids. Trump’s college alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, holds the world’s 3rd largest crystal ball in its Chinese Rotunda (stolen in 1988, but returned undamaged).
A delicious Trumpian irony (or not): Crystal Balls, Scotland, China, Object Thievery, 3rd Biggest Anything.
Of course, nothing important escapes the occasional critic. Crystal balls are no exception. Here is one impassioned plea (2012) from a Woman of Grace, with a warning:
Crystal Balls are Never Just Harmless Fun
Posted on October 19, 2012 by SBrinkmann
No you should not. Scrying is a form of divination which has been expressly forbidden of Christians in Scripture (see Deuteronomy 18 and No. 2116 in the Catechism). Dabbling in the occult is never something one should do “just for fun” unless you think risking demonic infestation or oppression is something you might like to experience.
My bible tells me so, so there, you heathens and witches. Trump just has to overcome the doubters, who don’t have all the facts that he does, ot can’t see the big picture clearly enough. Besides, the Evangelicals all love him, so Trump has some protective coloration and breathing space in matters spirituo-political.
Another take on the history of crystals:
The history of the crystal ball can be traced as far back as to the Medieval Period in central Europe (between 500 –1500 AD) and in Scandinavia (1050 –1500 AD). There have always been fortunetellers throughout history as well. Religious sciences tell us, for example, about Apollo’s (the Greek God of prophesy) oracle priestess, Pythia who had powers (1500 B.C.). Used by Seers, Fortunetellers, Psychics, and Sorcerers, the Crystal Ball seems to be one of the most well-known and popular forms of scrying, as well as a divination tool. Scrying is the name given to the ancient technique of gazing into an object such as a crystal ball or a bowl of water. It is usually physically, ritually or spiritually, cleansed before each use for purification purposes. When a crystal is used, scrying is known as crystallomancy. Using crystals in the divination of one’s past, present, and future traditionally played a key role in the decision-making process of many powerful leaders throughout history. One of the most notable was King Arthur, who sought out the advice and prophecies of Merlin the Magician. In more recent history, Nancy Reagan, the first lady of then President Ronald Reagan, avidly used psychics to help plan her husband’s domestic & foreign affairs. One of the earliest uses of crystals in scrying comes from the Druids, who used Beryllium Aluminum Silicate (Beryl), a natural gemstone whose characteristics range from transparent to translucent. Scottish Highlanders termed these objects “stones of power”. Early crystal balls were made from Beryl, later replaced by spheres made of rock crystal. The reason crystals in particular became important tools for scrying and other metaphysical aspects is because of their inherent characteristics of transparency and regularity of their patterns, called symmetry. Additionally, the energetic fields of crystals influence what the scryer “sees” on a very subtle and often esoteric level.
And one more:
The origin of the crystal ball takes place in britain, 2000 BC. At that time, Celtic tribes were unified by Druids. Druids were polytheist and revered nature. They had a very important role in these ancient Celtic societies, as they were both priests, philosophers, scientists, teachers, judges and counsellors to the kings. Druids may have been the first people to use crystals in divination.
In the middle ages, many diviners and fortune tellers (seers, wizards, gypsies, sorcerers…) started to use crystals to see in the past and predict future, especially in Central Europe. At first, crystal balls were made of beryl, a naturally transparent gemstone. According to ancient beliefs, this gemstone was supposed to have specific powers. Later, beryl was replaced by rock crystal which is even more reflective and translucent.
A long time after druids, crystal balls were still used by royal councellors. Dr john Dee (1527-1608), Queen Elisabeth I consultant, was known for his use of the crystal ball in his works. Dr John Dee was a scientist, astronomer, mathematician, geographer, but was also involved in hermetic philosophy and alchemy studies. Dee believed crystal would act as a communication device between him and angels.
To sum up, others may scoff at Trump’s intended use of crystallomancy as a decision aid. For myself, I say that scrying with an orbuculum makes absolute sense in this crazy world we face right now. Especially if the orbuculum is as lustrous as the Smithsonian’s lovely Big Daddy Golden Heliodor gem (all 2,054 carats). My, oh my!
**A little more about the Beryl family of minerals and related gems.
Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(Si O3)6. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring, hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several meters in size, but terminated crystals[clarification needed] are relatively rare. Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by impurities; possible colors are green, blue, yellow, red, and white.
The name “beryl” is derived (via Latin: beryllus, Old French: beryl, and Middle English: beril) from Greek: βήρυλλος beryllos which referred to a “precious blue-green color-of-sea-water stone”. The term was later adopted for the mineral beryl more exclusively.
When the first eyeglasses were constructed in 13th century Italy, the lenses were made of beryl (or of rock crystal) as glass could not be made clear enough. Consequently glasses were named Brillen in German (bril in Dutch and Briller in Danish).
Beryl of various colors is found most commonly in granitic pegmatites, but also occurs in mica schists in the Ural Mountains, and limestone in Colombia. Beryl is often associated with tin and tungsten ore bodies. Beryl is found in Europe in Norway, Austria, Germany, Sweden (especially morganite), Ireland and Russia, as well as Brazil, Colombia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, South Africa, the United States, and Zambia. US beryl locations are in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.
New England’s pegmatites have produced some of the largest beryls found, including one massive crystal from the Bumpus Quarry in Albany, Maine with dimensions 5.5 by 1.2 m (18.0 by 3.9 ft) with a mass of around 18 metric tons; it is New Hampshire’s state mineral. As of 1999, the world’s largest known naturally occurring crystal of any mineral is a crystal of beryl from Malakialina, Madagascar, 18 m (59 ft) long and 3.5 m (11 ft) in diameter, and weighing 380,000 kg (840,000 lb).
Now that’s a gemstone rock pile you can get behind, even in Trump’s universe: 60 feet long, weighing 3/4 of a million pounds. I wonder how many carats that would work out to?
Emerald, one of the most valuable gemstones, a beautiful green color.
Aquamarine, light blue gemstone.
Morganite, pink to light purple, was named after J.P. Morgan. Hmm…
Heliodor, yellow to greenish yellow, also some light green and brown.
Goshenite, white to colorless
Golden Beryl, golden yellow to orange yellow
Red Beryl, very rare, also known as Bixbite, deep red
In the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. located in the “Hall of Gems” is one of the largest cut beryl stones in the world. It is a 2,054 carat flawless, golden colored beryl, also known as Heliodor.
Laboratory analysis shows that manganese and small amounts of iron, chromium, and calcium create the raspberry-red color of red beryl.
Red Beryl or Bixbite is very interesting as it is found in only three places in the world. The Thomas mountain range and the Wah Wah mountain range in Utah, USA, as well as the Black Range in Mexico. The Wah Wah mountains Ruby-Violet claims are the only known place where large, gem quality red beryl can be found. They are private and closed to outsiders.
This very rare gemstone is estimated to be worth 1000 times more than gold. The claim is that for every 150,000 diamonds found there is only one red beryl crystal found. A faceted red beryl crystal from the Wah Wah location sells for an average of $2000.
(For the last few years the Ruby Violet Claims have been inactive. The price tag on the property is so enormous that no one has stepped forward to buy the mine. Dwindling supplies, already quite limited, have pushed prices to even higher levels. Rumors about a new prospect being opened elsewhere in the Wah Wahs have been circulating since Tucson 2010, but have yet to be confirmed, and no new material surfaced. )
So we have a gemstone rarer than diamonds, more valuable than gold. Wow!
Another source on Beryl:
Beryl is a single mineral with many varieties that are distinguished by their color. Few other minerals have so many known varieties specifically identified by their color. Many of the Beryl varieties are very important gemstones. In fact, all the transparent varieties of Beryl have been used as gemstones, although Emerald and Aquamarine are by far the most important and well-known varieties.
- Chemical Formula: Be3Al2Si6O18
- Color: White, Colorless, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple
- Hardness:7.5 – 8.0
- Crystal System: Hexagonal
- Refractive Index:1.57 – 1.58
- SG:2.6 – 2.8
- Transparency: Transparent to opaque
- Double Refraction:.006
- Luster: Vitreous
- Cleavage:3,1 – basal
- Mineral Class: Beryl
Beryl at the Smithsonian Institution:
Impurities of iron in different chemical states are responsible for the colors in these aquamarines and green beryls from Brazil, ranging in weight from 911 to 2,054 carats. When beryl is a rich blue to blue-green color, the gem is called aquamarine. If the beryl is green, but not an intense rich green to be called emerald, the gem is simply called green beryl. The 1,000 carat emerald cut aquamarine (pictured upper left), known as the Most Precious, was a gift of Evyan Perfumes in 1963. The 2,054 carat yellowish-green rectangular step cut beryl and the 914 carat modified round brilliant cut green beryl were cut by John Sinkankas. The other two beryls in the photograph are a deep blue step cut aquamarine weighing 911 carats and a yellowish-green square step cut beryl weighing 1,363 carats.
Specimen Catalog Number Locality Weight Exhibit Case
Beryl NMNH G3889-00 Minas Gerais, Brazil 1,000. ct GG-008
Beryl NMNH G3916-00 Minas Gerais, Brazil 1,363.3 ct MC-007
Beryl NMNH G3919-00 Minas Gerais, Brazil 914.4 ct MC-007
Beryl NMNH G4348-00 Minas Gerais, Brazil 911. ct MC-007
Beryl NMNH G3725-00 Minas Gerais, Brazil 2,054. ct MC-007
Gift of Evyan Perfumes, Inc. in 1963.
And yet another sequence of Trump associated material:
I was newly sensitized to the cultural significance of QVC bases on the peek a boo, now I’M here, now I’m gone flash of Melania Trump’s official national White House website biography, which briefly told us she was a successful jewelry entrepreneur on QVC, starting in 201.
Imagine my shock and awe at seeing the following web link when Goggled Beryl and Smithsonian as a research aid for this piece.
From QVC (current):
Item: J282566
Smithsonian 1.50ct Heliodor & 1/5 ct tw Diamond Ring 14K Gold
Richly radiant, this slide pendant is inspired by the collection at the National Gem Gallery at the Smithsonian National Museum of National History. A cushion-cut heliodor is prong set in 14K yellow gold for a look that emanates beauty and good taste.
- 14K yellow gold
- Total heliodor weight is approximately 2.65 carats
- Prong-set, cushion-cut heliodor; highly polished openwork gallery
- Slide-style bail
- Measures approximately 1/2″L x 3/8″W
Sadly, I immediately assumed this was some sort of Chinese merchandise knock-off scam perpetrated on America’s gullible consumers, and I was determined to track down the culprits.
And what should I spy, much to my surprise, then chagrin, and disgust. Nope. Completely legitimate, licensed, sanctioned, and authorized, Baby, by none other than our top-quality Smithsonian Institution. I don’t know if this is a make up response to arts funding shortfalls from the troglodyte Republican majorities in Congress the last few years, or a heartfelt populist reach our to the people and educated them about quality gemstones and geochemistry, but I digress.
Jewelry Inspired by Smithsonian Collections Offered on QVC
September 9, 2010
Jewelry based on the gems and minerals in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History’s National Gem Collection is scheduled to premiere on QVC Tuesday, Sept. 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. (EDT). This is the first time the Smithsonian has offered licensed products through a multimedia retailer.
Gemologist Christine Webb (a 13-year veteran of the gems and minerals department in the museum) is scheduled to appear during the broadcast to present a range of jewelry designed exclusively for QVC. The museum’s collection of 10,000 gems and 350,000 minerals served as the inspiration for the Smithsonian jewelry line. The distinct pieces, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and pendants, which were created from carefully selected gemstones, sterling silver and 14-karat gold, will be priced from $65 to $950.
The jewelry line features a ring made with Smithsonite, a mineral named after the Institution’s founder James Smithson (1754-1829); a sterling, turquoise and white topaz ring and earrings inspired by jewelry given to Empress Marie-Louise from Napoleon; and a turquoise pendant with a stone mined from Bisbee, Ariz. One of the special pieces offered that night is a limited-edition heart-shaped sterling blue topaz ring by jewelry designer Judith Ripka as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the cutting of the Blue Heart diamond.
The two-hour program, Smithsonian Institution: National Gem Gallery, will feature behind-the-scenes footage of the museum’s gem and mineral halls, interviews with Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem and Mineral Collection, and rarely seen shots from inside the vault, which houses many of the rare gems not on display.
“For our inaugural program with QVC, we wanted to introduce the audience to the range of gems found in the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection as well as offer a rare glimpse of some of the interesting pieces housed in our vault,” said Carol LeBlanc, director, consumer products, Smithsonian Enterprises.
“Every piece was inspired by something in the collection,” LeBlanc added, “whether it was the design, style, gemstone or color. The goal is to use the treasures in the Institution as design inspiration for a modern jewelry line.”
“Wearable jewelry inspired by the National Gem and Mineral Collection is now available for those who would like to celebrate America’s treasures,” said Diane Paccione, vice president of merchandising for QVC. “We are thrilled to share these exceptional pieces and the stories behind them with our customers.”
The next Smithsonian program on QVC is scheduled for early December and will focus on some of the more iconic pieces of jewelry found in the collection, such as Marie Antoinette’s earrings, the Napoleon necklace and the Hope diamond. This two-hour show is scheduled to be broadcast live from the Smithsonian Castle.
“The Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection is one of the largest and finest in the world,” said Post. “It is because of the generosity of our donors that we have been able to build such an extraordinary collection that continually gives us new scientific insights through our research and that we take pride in putting on display to share with the American public.”
Additional information regarding the history of the original objects, the Smithsonian’s National Gem Gallery and the gemstones themselves will be available online at www.QVC.com.
National Gem Collection
The Smithsonian’s gem and mineral collection, with 10,000 gems and 350,000 mineral specimens, is one of the largest of its kind in the world. The collection is for exhibitions and scientific research. It traces its origins to the minerals that were bequeathed by James Smithson along with the money he designated to the United States to establish the Smithsonian Institution. The National Museum of Natural History received a donation of 1,316 gems in 1894, and in 1958, New York jewel expert and jeweler Harry Winston gave the Hope diamond, which triggered more donations, resulting in the now-famous National Gem Collection—a must-see exhibition for Smithsonian visitors.
Smithsonian Enterprises
The Smithsonian’s business division, Smithsonian Enterprises, and QVC announced the licensing agreement in May. The Institution has 45 licensees offering a broad assortment of products such as books, furniture and home decor, plants and live floral, collectible coins, toys and games; however, through this deal, QVC is the only TV retail outlet for Smithsonian licensed products. As with all licensing deals, the Smithsonian has approval over every product and revenue from the sales goes to the participating museum and to the Smithsonian’s central funds. Smithsonian Enterprises also includes a media division with Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Media Digital Network and Smithsonian Networks.
QVC
QVC Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Interactive Group, is one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world. QVC is committed to providing its customers with thousands of the most innovative and contemporary beauty, fashion, jewelry and home products. Its programming is distributed to more than 180 million homes worldwide. The company’s website, QVC.com, is ranked among the top general merchant Internet sites. QVC is based in West Chester, Pa., with operations in the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, and launching in Italy later this year. QVC, Q and the Q Ribbon Logo are registered service marks of ER Marks Inc.
I have let the PR spinners have their full 100% shot at explanation, justification, and rationalization here. I haven’t had the heart to try and figure out how much gelt this little gem TV deal is bringing into the vaunted Smithsonian accounts, or whether somebody is diverting the funds into the U.S. General Treasury for partisan, immoral purposes, but the program is now 7 years old (just 6 months younger than ObamaCare) and has legs.
Anyway at this early juncture, as a patriotic American, I’m not buying this move. There is just some stuff that should never have a corporate logo slapped on it for sale. Imagine the Safeco Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Or he McDonald’s Battleship Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. How about the Exxon-Mobil Grand Canyon?
Woe is me. A slippery slope to selling out our shared national cultural heritage and pride for a few greenback dollars to cover for pusillanimous Congress mice who don’t have the stones to do their own elected jobs and fund the good stuff with tax dollars before their earmark giveaways drain our financial substance.
You know, I’m actually pretty pissed at this.
And then I thought some more. Wait a minute. What would Trump.45 do? What he has already tried to do, and backed off because a few malcontents and losers kicked up a fuss just over the weekend.
I think the problem is the Trumpkins lost heart, and didn’t speak to the Big Dog before caving to a little bad PR flash bang about Melania’s bio.
They should have rolled out the Kellyanne dreadnought and blasted back. Look this is America, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Our world renowned research museum and collections at the Smithsonian (the jewel of American cultrure) have quietly and profitably been gathering small commercial sums in cooperative partnership with one of the world’s great shopping resources. All is good.
First Lady Melania Trump is simply trying to do her own level best to contribute to America’s best bright new future, in her own entrepreneurial way. Why doesn’t the Press grow up and report on important stuff, like why are our truly missive Trump crowd totals (the largest ever, bar none) being accurately cited? Why doe the Press constantly dog us? Give Melania and give us a chance, America! It’s only fair.
Now that’s what Trump.45 would have advised, and the munchkins should have done.
Never give up, never give in, never apologize, and Never Back Down, y’all.
That’s a Motto to Live By.
There is one more strand of Beryl and Trump intersection. A closely related mineral gemstone (beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate family) is the rare gem: Alexandrite.
This beautiful color changing gem was discovered in the Ural mountains in Imperial Russia in 1834, on the very day Czar Alexander II reached his majority. The master jewelers at Tiffany & Co were fascinated by its beauty and rarity.
The history of Alexandrite is an interesting one. This very rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881). The very first crystals were said to have been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. Legend is that the discovery was made on the day the future tsar came of age. Since it shows both red and green, the principal colors of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia. Although alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it certainly has a noble upbringing.
Although Russian alexandrites have the most historical value, fine stones are available from several other deposits. Brazil, India, and Tanzania produce the bulk of today’s production but alexandrites are also found in Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Top stones are extremely rare but all of these deposits occasionally produce exceptional stones. Brazilian stones typically show the best reds under incandescent light but Indian stones are well known for their superior bluish green daylight colors. Tanzania and Madagascar seem to produce the largest stones and some of the stones are exceptional. There is currently hardly any production of Russian stones.
Mythology
Alexandrite is a very rare gemstone and a fairly modern one as well. Thus it does not share the ancient history and lore of most other gems.
The story of the stone’s discovery goes like this: Miners were working alone in the mountains one day, collecting emeralds. One miner gathered some stones, which looked like emeralds and took them back to the camp at the end of the day. But in the light of the campfire, the stones shone a brilliant shade of red! The miners were perplexed. When morning came and they saw that the stones were green again in the light, they realized that they had found a new and mysterious gem.
In 1839, the stones were identified and named “alexandrites.” Because the stones appeared green or red, the same colors as Old Imperial Russia’s military colors, the stone became the national stone of tsarist Russia. In time, alexandrite would become one of the most prized gemstones amongst Russian Aristocracy. However, the abundance of alexandrites in Russia did not last forever. Practically all of Russia’s alexandrite was mined during the 19th Century. However, just when the gems were thought to be headed to extinction, even larger deposits were found in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, the island North of India. Later on, Brazil became another contributor to the world supply of the stone.
While Alexandrites found favor in the jewelry salons of St. Petersburg, Russia and Paris, France, it was America’s Tiffany Company that seems to have done the most to popularize the gem. George Kunz, Tiffany’s master gem buyer, fell absolutely in love with the gem and traveled to Russia in search of it. No one knows exactly how much of the gemstone he bought, but Tiffany had reserves so large, that it cornered the market on the stone for decades.
Since the discovery of alexandrite, the gemstone has been thought to bring luck, good fortune and love.
In Russia, it is considered to be a stone of very good omen. It is believed to bring balance in the interaction between the physical manifest world and the unmanifest spiritual, or astral world. It opens the crown chakra, bringing one access to the warm, healing energy and love of the universe. It is also said to strengthen intuition, creativity, and imagination.
Alexandrite encourages romance. It is also said that through the stone, joy enters the lives of people with too much self-discipline. The stone reminds us of our purpose in life and our origin. It gives hope to those who are in despair about their lives. It brings strength and constantly reminds them of the light.
With its changing color, it is a reminder that life is not only what it seems to be.
Alexandrite is the birthstone for the month of June and the Anniversary stone for the 55th year of marriage.
So with Alexandrite we have in one bundle: Trump, valuable Russian gems, chameleon color changes overnight, Trump’s June birth stone for luck, Tiffany & Co favorites, and the impossible dream of a monogamous, durable 55-year long marriage in his future (At age 70 Trump just celebrated marriage anniversary 12 with Melania).
And one added personal touch: woman to woman (First Lady to First Lady), as Melania gave Michelle a parting Tiffany’s Blue Box gift on her way out the WH door. Contents unknown, though the New York Times’ intrepid sleuths are on it. Inquiring minds want to know. Yeah, I can admit it, I do too.