Missing Lukester

[aaron]

This site was more interesting when Lukester was here posting. For some reason, his username was changed to Contemptuous ( WTF ). He had a lot to contribute and challenged the consensus, something that is sorely missing now.

Here is where he first started talking about peak oil to the iTulip community.
http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthr...Is-It-Peak-Oil

And some of his posts in early 2009 were quite prescient. Stocks have gone up quite a bit, like he said they would, for example. Or when silver dropped to 12 from 14 bucks, he told me to buy it. There are probably others.

https://www.google.com/search?q=site...m+Contemptuous

His strong dollar call did not/has not panned out yet.

Lukester may have been a pain in the butt, but he was a valuable member of the community. I do not like how he was forced out, and it has bothered me for the past couple of years. Does he post to any other sites on the Web (PM me please)?

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: Missing Lukester

I see your point. Lukester, Metalman, symbols, Sapiens, Chomsky - those guys knew how to hash things out.
Most are still around.

[Chomsky]

Re: Missing Lukester

I see your point. Lukester, Metalman, symbols, Sapiens, Chomsky - those guys knew how to hash things out.
Most are still around.

Why thanks, TABIO - I haven't been posting as often because I really don't have much else to add. I'm frankly in awe of what EJ has put out recently and am grappling with all the content while I await the next missive.

I don't especially miss Lukester but I did enjoy reading him, for the most part.

[*T*]

Re: Missing Lukester

I agree with all your points aaron. He was rambling and awkward but good to have there. Same with Symbols.

[lakedaemonian]

Re: Missing Lukester

On the topic of missing forum members, I haven't seen ASH posting much lately......I felt he always added value to the conversation.

[jiimbergin]

Re: Missing Lukester

On the topic of missing forum members, I haven't seen ASH posting much lately......I felt he always added value to the conversation.

ASH has been posting the last couple days on the thread about mining asteroids.

[metalman]

Re: Missing Lukester

I see your point. Lukester, Metalman, symbols, Sapiens, Chomsky - those guys knew how to hash things out.
Most are still around.

thanks for the shout out t&bio.

like chomsky... not much new to say. if the econ & markets head off in an unexpected direction... deflation... gold falls below ej's forecast... the dow crawls past 13k for more than 10 min... bond yields fly and bonds crash... housing recovers... gdp leaps to 5% annual & the output gap closes... etc. etc. stuff we all learned from ej ain't gonna happen... when things get interesting again i'll be back more often. ej has us all ready for the present, not much to talk about is there? looking forward to his next installment on the future, tho.

as for luke, smart guy but he couldn't keep his pants on... kept insulting folk... could not keep to the respect rule.

also, off his nut at times. said 'i intro'd itulip to peak oil! me, me, me!'

riiiiight.

may 2006
http://www.itulip.com/energyandmoney.htm

luke joined itulip when? 2007?

[flintlock]

Re: Missing Lukester

In my opinion, a lot has changed here since the Lukester days. Threads have become more political vs economic, less healthy debate vs name calling, much more rude, and a general "crackpot" vibe has taken over. I suppose a lot of that is natural, seeing how much of Itulip was a discussion on what was going to happen WHEN the bubble burst. Now that it has, there are less options to discuss and discussions tend to degenerate into gripe sessions by those who feel shafted or whatever. It mirrors the tone of the country/world I suppose.

Some of the ugly stuff that went on with Lukester would be considered tame by today's standards. I visit here very seldom anymore as most of the discussion seems to be a mash up of the same few people, saying the same thing, with too much one upmanship. More like a chat room than an economics forum.

I have also noticed less Ash as well as a lot of others I respect. When these forums become unpleasant to visit, the best will find others things to do, as they should. Shame.

[globaleconomicollaps]

Re: Missing Lukester

In my opinion, a lot has changed here since the Lukester days. Threads have become more political vs economic, less healthy debate vs name calling, much more rude, and a general "crackpot" vibe has taken over. I suppose a lot of that is natural, seeing how much of Itulip was a discussion on what was going to happen WHEN the bubble burst. Now that it has, there are less options to discuss and discussions tend to degenerate into gripe sessions by those who feel shafted or whatever. It mirrors the tone of the country/world I suppose.

Some of the ugly stuff that went on with Lukester would be considered tame by today's standards. I visit here very seldom anymore as most of the discussion seems to be a mash up of the same few people, saying the same thing, with too much one upmanship. More like a chat room than an economics forum.

I have also noticed less Ash as well as a lot of others I respect. When these forums become unpleasant to visit, the best will find others things to do, as they should. Shame.

For myself, I come here to hear Mr. iTulip expound. I like reading Bart, Finster, and GRG55, but it is mostly a sideshow to the main event. Also, on the whole I have tried to avoid injecting my personal views into the discussions. I started a blog where I talk about gold and hyperinflation. It is mostly focused on very limited economic concerns because I don't feel qualified to debate the big ideas presented by EJ.

[flintlock]

Re: Missing Lukester

For myself, I come here to hear Mr. iTulip expound. I like reading Bart, Finster, and GRG55, but it is mostly a sideshow to the main event. Also, on the whole I have tried to avoid injecting my personal views into the discussions. I started a blog where I talk about gold and hyperinflation. It is mostly focused on very limited economic concerns because I don't feel qualified to debate the big ideas presented by EJ.

You are wise. Occasionally I get bored and wade into some of the sideshows just for fun, but I've learned it serves very little purpose and there are always a dozen "devil's advocates" waiting to pounce on almost anything anyone states here, no matter how benign. Like you, I check in to see if any of the people on here who are particularly knowledgeable in a certain field, like GRG55 or Lakedamonian for example, have anything to say. Those types are the real assets to Itulip for me, as EJ rarely posts anything anymore than I can understand.( my fault mostly). Plus not a lot changes in that regard. I would like to see more opposing economic opinions, like Lukester, however. It gets to sound like a cult around here sometimes.

[jpatter666]

Re: Missing Lukester

You are wise. Occasionally I get bored and wade into some of the sideshows just for fun, but I've learned it serves very little purpose and there are always a dozen "devil's advocates" waiting to pounce on almost anything anyone states here, no matter how benign. Like you, I check in to see if any of the people on here who are particularly knowledgeable in a certain field, like GRG55 or Lakedamonian for example, have anything to say. Those types are the real assets to Itulip for me, as EJ rarely posts anything anymore than I can understand.( my fault mostly). Plus not a lot changes in that regard. I would like to see more opposing economic opinions, like Lukester, however. It gets to sound like a cult around here sometimes.

I agree. It's unfortunate, but I've seen most of the contrarians driven off the site. IMO FRED in those days was not handling insult matches well -- it does seem a little better now.

Partially the site is more boring because QE and monetary policy is such a heavy hand on everything that only it matters (for now). Not too much else to discuss.

[bart]

Re: Missing Lukester

...

as for luke, smart guy but he couldn't keep his pants on... kept insulting folk... could not keep to the respect rule.

...

That was the only problem I had with him.


As far as my own participation and even though it's the best forum I'm on, the increase in the amount of "heated discussions" with less manners in evidence (sign of the times) is a significant reason for me posting less.

I'm mostly just staying with chart or data input when I think it may be helpful.

[jk]

Re: Missing Lukester

i usually wouldn't read lukester's long harangues, but we all owe him a debt for hammering on the peak oil issue when many here were ready to discount it.

in general i find the discourse here has become more fragmented, and less theoretical over time. early on, there were long discussions that eventually established a set of shared understandings. i think, in particular, of finster and his incredibly shrinking tape measures, and how what seemed obvious about his inflation harangues eventually penetrated deeper into my thinking than i had realized possible.

now that the credit bubble has burst, at least in the housing securitization market, and incipiently in the sovereign debt market, i think that the area we have yet to explore is the derivatives market. i remember being short jpm for a while, with the thought that its derivatives exposure would lead to a great conflagration triggered by the housing collapse. but it was not to be.

the relationship of interest rate derivatives to the huge flows in the currency market perhaps has some relevance to kapoom theory, but the derivatives world is too opaque to say much about it. perhaps there are members here who can shed some light on that.

i think it will start a separate thread on this, since i don't assume anyone in particular puts a high priority on "missing lukester" as a subject for discussion.

[doom&gloom]

Re: Missing Lukester

iTulip is kind of in "the eye of the hurricane" right now. Nothing much is happening to discuss. Though I fully expect THAT to change in the next few years.

[lektrode]

Re: Missing Lukester

what we really need is another "____ getting KILLED..." topic.

could happen any day now, as methinks mr mega is getting lonely enuf to spring for a subscription....