Steve.
I like your BH analysis. But 'cyclic' isn't 'steady state' by any stretch the imagination in the DFM mechanism. It involves expansion and contraction stages prior to a complete renewal and new cycle (of perhaps something over 30 billion years at the cosmic scale).
Your agree with my identification of the comprehensive cyclic dynamics implied by Mersini-Haughton and Pfeiffer (MHP, - not "Mersine and Haughton") which are equivalent or closely analogous to the actual data and analysis I gave. But we must remember that for a theory to be validated it must correspond with observation ('reality') not vice versa! So if MHP did NOT match observations of AGN's it would likely be her theory that was flawed. My initial comments confirmed that her theory is simply a different way of describing exactly what the data and (logically implied) cyclic model predicted, (including 'full' contraction but also a logical next phase) so is fully consistent. If you re-read my paper now the consistencies will all jump right out!
What then confuses me is your linking of 'steady state' and 'cyclic', and suggesting; "Everything that I read indicates that the steady-state or recycling universe is just inconsistent with observation." Lets be clear, my hypothesis is NOTHING like steady state!!
It appears you may have only skimmed the cyclic model paper and not extracted the implications. I agree there's no evidence supporting steady state over alternatives, but if you're also suggesting (despite your MHP comments) that you've found evidence inconsistent with recycling, could you please identify it. I assume however it was just misunderstanding (unless you're seriously concluding 'eternal' contraction, which is no more than poorly considered assumption, but I'd be interested if you've identified any actual evidence.)
PS. Did you see the French 'Cosmic Cartography' video, which I agree may imply we're in the contraction phase. If not I'll look out a link.
Best wishes
Peter