The re-named: Optimists Anonymous--I need some sunshine thread
InYHWHWeTrust
Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭
Make your case as to why you do not believe there is a future (short or long-term) economic earthquake or day of reckoning the for US/ USD re: to any topic about which you are passionate, interested and knowlegeable.
The PM forum has become a more fast-paced place. Some excellent point-counterpoint discussions are occurring in threads that are dropping off page 1 and more difficult to locate.
I may be wrong, but as more of a lurker than poster here, many of the PM stackers and regular posters are perceived as 'pessimistic' re: our current banking system/Wall Street/gov't and there a lesser number who are not as pessimistic/ more optimistic, and who feel they need to keep it balanced and say the SKY IS NOT FALLING.
So, I hope all the 'regulars' in the optimistic/non-pessimistic or anti-pessimistic camp will go on the OFFENSE here. They should not feel like they need to 'balance out' the posts on threads like the recent one on Bill Gross and Bond Market (I learned a ton today at lunch), or SHTF, or US losing reserve currency status, etc.
Of course, I hope there will be counter-point from the 'regulars' on this thread as well.
But when someone finds a POSITIVE in the US Horizon, or what they feel is a compelling argument not to be stacking PMs (I know people stack for different reasons), that they will post here.
If none of the optimists post here, I'll just have to dig out your posts from another thread during my lunch break(in quotes/context of course), you know who you are
The PM forum has become a more fast-paced place. Some excellent point-counterpoint discussions are occurring in threads that are dropping off page 1 and more difficult to locate.
I may be wrong, but as more of a lurker than poster here, many of the PM stackers and regular posters are perceived as 'pessimistic' re: our current banking system/Wall Street/gov't and there a lesser number who are not as pessimistic/ more optimistic, and who feel they need to keep it balanced and say the SKY IS NOT FALLING.
So, I hope all the 'regulars' in the optimistic/non-pessimistic or anti-pessimistic camp will go on the OFFENSE here. They should not feel like they need to 'balance out' the posts on threads like the recent one on Bill Gross and Bond Market (I learned a ton today at lunch), or SHTF, or US losing reserve currency status, etc.
Of course, I hope there will be counter-point from the 'regulars' on this thread as well.
But when someone finds a POSITIVE in the US Horizon, or what they feel is a compelling argument not to be stacking PMs (I know people stack for different reasons), that they will post here.
If none of the optimists post here, I'll just have to dig out your posts from another thread during my lunch break(in quotes/context of course), you know who you are
Do your best to avoid circular arguments, as it will help you reason better, because better reasoning is often a result of avoiding circular arguments.
0
Comments
It's still an 800# gorilla on one end of the see-saw, and a mouse on steroids sitting on the opposite end. The majority of my posts since coming here relate to this discussion.
I'm about out of fresh stuff....unless that mouse wants to give me some of what its taking.
roadrunner
I'm with RR, I will call them as I see them.
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
--Our problems are almost all "man-made" (mainly economic and fiscal) and they can all be fixed if we get a wiser government into power. We're not dealing with the aftermath of an asteroid strike or nuclear war here.
--The U.S. has excellent demographics (best in the world among advanced countries). High birth rates and a relatively young population plus immigration mean we have built-in growth. I remember in the 1980s it was a milestone when our population passed 225 million for the first time -- and now it's over 300 million. We added the equivalent of an entire Germany in population in just 25 years. Wow.
--Best university system in the world bar none. High levels of innovation in many key industries. Well-established rule of law and property rights. Relatively low income taxes compared to Europe. Pretty easy to start a business. Great cities. Pro-business environment in many places. Lots of ambitious, hard working people. Still a country that smart people from around the world want to live in.
--On the government deficit: our annual deficits can be sharply reduced through a combination of tax increases and spending cuts. If we ended a couple of major wars and trimmed the fat in some places, we'd be back to normal level deficits. Social Security and Medicare can be fixed for the foreseeable future by increasing the retirement age and raising the cap on Social Security taxes (currently only the first $100k of a person's income is taxed for Soc. Sec. purposes).
--On the trade deficit: printing more dollars will continue to lower their value -- causing import prices to rise (making them less competitive) and making our exports more competitive in price. Eventually that should whittle down the deficit.
--Our main competitor for #1, China, has a lot of its own problems. (I don't think those problems will prevent its rise to #1 economy, just given the sheer size of their population, but I point them out to counterbalance all the U.S. decline/China rise stories we always hear). Among their problems -- high levels of price inflation; lots of bad debts on the books of their banks; a huge property bubble which, when it explodes, will make Florida and Arizona look like a joke; horrible environmental pollution and degradation; and most importantly (since money isn't everything) their government's almost total lack of respect for human rights, freedom, and dignity, and in fact their contempt for many of the values that make life worth living.
Groucho Marx
<< <i>There's a lot to be said on the positive side:
--Our problems are almost all "man-made" (mainly economic and fiscal) and they can all be fixed if we get a wiser government into power. We're not dealing with the aftermath of an asteroid strike or nuclear war here.
--The U.S. has excellent demographics (best in the world among advanced countries). High birth rates and a relatively young population plus immigration mean we have built-in growth. I remember in the 1980s it was a milestone when our population passed 225 million for the first time -- and now it's over 300 million. We added the equivalent of an entire Germany in population in just 25 years. Wow.
--Best university system in the world bar none. High levels of innovation in many key industries. Well-established rule of law and property rights. Relatively low income taxes compared to Europe. Pretty easy to start a business. Great cities. Pro-business environment in many places. Lots of ambitious, hard working people. Still a country that smart people from around the world want to live in.
--On the government deficit: our annual deficits can be sharply reduced through a combination of tax increases and spending cuts. If we ended a couple of major wars and trimmed the fat in some places, we'd be back to normal level deficits. Social Security and Medicare can be fixed for the foreseeable future by increasing the retirement age and raising the cap on Social Security taxes (currently only the first $100k of a person's income is taxed for Soc. Sec. purposes).
--On the trade deficit: printing more dollars will continue to lower their value -- causing import prices to rise (making them less competitive) and making our exports more competitive in price. Eventually that should whittle down the deficit.
--Our main competitor for #1, China, has a lot of its own problems. (I don't think those problems will prevent its rise to #1 economy, just given the sheer size of their population, but I point them out to counterbalance all the U.S. decline/China rise stories we always hear). Among their problems -- high levels of price inflation; lots of bad debts on the books of their banks; a huge property bubble which, when it explodes, will make Florida and Arizona look like a joke; horrible environmental pollution and degradation; and most importantly (since money isn't everything) their government's almost total lack of respect for human rights, freedom, and dignity, and in fact their contempt for many of the values that make life worth living. >>
When we see the "can be" become "will be" and the "if" become "when," then I'll join your optimissim. Until then I'll join you in maintaining "hope," but will continue to base my financial decisions on what I see as reality. I applaud your optimissim and agree all "can be" fixed, but at the same time realize it could have and should have already been fixed.
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
The debt will start to go down when people are back to work. Do u truly believe the jobs numbers?
Got Gold?
Now some of the folks who work in there look older than me, and I am almost 60.
Is this what the American dream has become?"
$4 gallon gas & exploding food prices make things brighter too!
Open your eyes, take a reality pill America! Peace, Tim
Disagree with this. We do not have a revenue problem, we have a government spending problem. Increasing taxes is not a good position.
I knew it would happen.
<< <i>There are still more Americans who are smart enough to understand what we have here in this country - than there are those who think everything should be free for themselves at everyone else's expense. >>
But when you reward the freeloaders with more free money for having more children the ratio will eventually turn.
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
Hopefully this will be a beacon of light people can turn to cheer up with all the doom/gloom bias on the PM, but hoping still more will post here.
It's a no risk situation: everything turns out Roses, then the Optimists can say "I told you so." If SHTF really, (not that we could agree on what that meant when Gecko started the thead), worst case scenario, nobody's going to be wasting time on commentary here, or on computer's, etc, so this thread goes away and no pessimist can say "I told you so" to the Pollyanas. I avoided the 'realist' category as both sides prob. feel they are being more 'realistic' and so would be just polemical anyway.
Well, I can't remember who posted this before, but our old KITCO friend Jon Nadler February 2010 Mr. Optimisthad to be presented here.
Tomorrow, I start cutting and pasting
<< <i>It's a no risk situation: everything turns out Roses, then the Optimists can say "I told you so." If SHTF really, (not that we could agree on what that meant when Gecko started the thead), worst case scenario, nobody's going to be wasting time on commentary here, or on computer's, etc, so this thread goes away and no pessimist can say "I told you so" to the Pollyanas. I avoided the 'realist' category as both sides prob. feel they are being more 'realistic' and so would be just polemical anyway. >>
Why does one have to choose sides on the issues. I'm very pessimistic about our near term economic future while optimistic that we will somehow get over it.
Why can't we just each have our own opinion and be respected for it. No need for anything more than healthy discussion and open debate. Some here seem to take a disagreement a bit too personal while others tend to get a bit too personal with their disagreement. Something most of us can improve on.
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
............................................................................................................................^me
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
MJ: you pot-stirrer you
Baley: you're not playing along with this!
Some good interaction buried in page 1 thread you might miss:
Thread with Optimistic Counterpoint re: US Debt as compared to GDP
Friday March 11, 2011 12:38 PM
Better story (i.e. more indicative of the true economic picture):
Steve posts some graphs that I can't get to copy over, so see thread above for good news/'proper' perspective on increasing US Debt levels.
edited to add Baley's positive dollar survival outlook post, and commentary below. (I think some of us do hold gold as catastrophic insurance and hope to merely to pass on to our heirs, not always with a 'midas' mentality though.) Same thread as above for context.
Friday March 11, 2011 1:39 PM (NEW!)
I believe we will all die before the United States Dollar does. S0 will our children, and their children, and so will their children too.
So if that's what you're waiting for to sell any, I predict your hiers will sell your gold, perhaps to a different Midas, and the cycle will repeat
Now, I'm not saying the dollar will not change in value, relative to an ounce of gold or a week of skilled labor or a barrel of oil or a course of of medicine;
those values will undoubtably fluctuate and/or trend.
But business in America will take place denominated in US Dollars as long as people live in North America
"Bank on it!"
<< <i>I've been posting generally on the negative side of the debate since 2003. When I see all those negatives cleared off the table, then I'll consider the other side of the fence.
It's still an 800# gorilla on one end of the see-saw, and a mouse on steroids sitting on the opposite end. The majority of my posts since coming here relate to this discussion.
I'm about out of fresh stuff....unless that mouse wants to give me some of what its taking.
roadrunner >>
For the most part im with you Roadrunner. My contention has always been that any earthquake will be managable. I still think nothing more than a 4.5 on the Richter Scale. Some shaking, some breaking, even a few unfortunate deaths.
You've been right on. Gold has gone from 250 to 1400. Silver from 5 to 35. Those are great returns than anyone should be happy with.
My greatest fear is not of hyperinflation, but the unwinding of 75 years of inflation.
Knowledge is the enemy of fear
<< <i>There are still more Americans who are smart enough to understand what we have here in this country - than there are those who think everything should be free for themselves at everyone else's expense. >>
This is my opinion as well and i've stated as much for the past several years. This is not a country of losers. We will overcome and not only survive, but flourish. The USA is still just a young adult in terms of civilization. Remember how you were in your mid-20s? You think back now and see lots of woulda, coulda, shoulda's. The USA in its collective wisdom also sees this, and will respond.
Knowledge is the enemy of fear
At a higher rate of speed, you really have to look ahead and start reacting before you get there. You can be as optimistic as you want, but if you don't look ahead, take a measure of your speed and see the reality of the situation - you WILL wipe out.
Even a spectacular wipeout can be fun, as long as you don't break something important.
I knew it would happen.
Hard to take Mr. Optimist seriously considering he's been dead wrong on gold and commodities in general for the past 3-1/2 yrs. His track record may go back further than
that but that's as long as I've been watching him put his foot in his mouth. This is supposedly coming from a precious metals analyst. Now if he can't get his professed area
of expertise correct why should we read anything else he puts out? Imagine having a bull market in your chosen speciality and never realizing it? Incredible really.
Being an optimist is one thing. Being eternally wrong is still another.
roadrunner
"How's your wife?"
"Compared to what?"
No one has ever mistaken me for an optimist. It is almost a bizarro world here, that I might be pigeon-holed into that camp. I recently wrote in my blog about the two year anniversary of the stock market lows. Remember what the punters on this forum were predicting at the lows? Does 3000 Dow come to mind? Well, I was right there with them and quote myself making that call in my blog. Good thing I didn't bet the ranch on that call. I would have lost my shirt. I have a very good memory. I remember more than a few players making the serious long term investment mistake of betting heavy on that bearish call. One guy was recommending averaging into SDS (an inverse stock fund) for retirement accounts. When markets turn, guys like that are never heard from again, or at least never bring up their incredibly bad predictions.
Want another example? Anyone remember back in April 2010 or so, when there was a popular thread about TBT and shorting bonds with leverage? That it was a "sure thing," according to the vast majority here. Raise your hand if you want to admit to being part of the crowd for that incredibly bad call, or if you would rather me dig up the names and the posts, because it was just before bonds took off on a decent rally, and those in TBT (leveraged inverse bond fund) took a 33% hit. Even with the recent 20% rally in TBT, it still isn't near the level of when those posts were made. Don't try and rationalize me with long term, a 33% loss is real, as in real bad.
Sure, the U. S. has serious problems, but compared to other countries or other time periods, how do they measure up? The U. S. survived the Civil War, and World War II, and the Great Depression. Surely those times were worse, the problems greater than those being faced today? Would you rather have Europe's problems? Would you rather have Japan's problems? How about even mighty China? They too have serious, serious long term problems. Which set of problems would you prefer? The U. S. is still the #1 economic power, still the #1 military power. Even if it loses that position, and that move is still decades out, it doesn't mean the end of days. England lost its perch as world #1, and they have muddled through without masses of their people starving, or their currency going to zero.
In any case, it doesn't matter if a person is an optimist or a pessimist, or their predictions. As always, it matters what a person does. For certain scenarios, a few simple common sense precautions are plenty when it comes to investments and emergency supplies. At some level, it becomes too much, and stops adding value. If a person spends hours a day reading and writing about conspiracies and end of world scenarios, it has a debilitating effect on a person's spirit. It simply isn't healthy to spend that much time and energy on that stuff. It's like the folks that spend hours a day reading on all the latest health scares, and chemicals in the food, the water, and the like. At some point, it has a terrible cummulative toll on a person, their friends, their families. You become "that guy" that mostly talks endlessly about the latest bad news, or bad chemicals in pesticides or whatever. "That guy" doesn't have a happy life, no matter how much gold he has piled up or in the other case, how much organic food he eats. After a certain point, more gold doesn't bring more peace of mind, it just makes "that guy" go further and further out.
Prepare? Yes, certainly be prepared, as events in Japan show, events can come out of the blue. However, as with the incredibly bad stock market calls, the bond market calls, also prepare to be wrong.
Thank you RedTiger for banging all that out! Agree with just about every word. Sometimes, the rate limiting thing to effective communication is typing speed!
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
<< <i> My greatest fear is not of hyperinflation, but the unwinding of 75 years of inflation. >>
would or could that cause a lack of faith in the USD across the globe?? that is (IMO) the only way we would get to a hyper mode.
"The future of America", our youth and the gov't education systemFunding of programs: SS, Medicare, Medicaid, Fannie, Freddie, USPS, GM, etcGov't can't afford ($) to continue publish economic stats since 2008Employment opportunities and stateside business growth/ outsourcing offshoreNational debt and mathematics of debt repayment, continued debt expansion of US Gov't budgetTrade deficit(Demographics / aging population, low birth rate was addressed by a post above, did not mention Babyboomers retiring and the 'programs' and ratio of working: retired/ status of working illegals)FED watch and monetary policy / exit strategy of QEHousing market"New and evolving" accounting principles in banking vs archaic mark-to-market modelBanks and Glass-SteagallNo prosecuting for breaking black letter law, oops, I forgot big market player Martha Stewart did do some timeDerivatives debatePeak oil debate (recession/depression, use less oil, that's a bright side)
One positive, the 'gov't' saves money on payouts by re-defining the CPI so the COLA are not as high<< <i>
<< <i> My greatest fear is not of hyperinflation, but the unwinding of 75 years of inflation. >>
would or could that cause a lack of faith in the USD across the globe?? that is (IMO) the only way we would get to a hyper mode. >>
The following doesnt portend "hyper mode" to you? Tell me what it does mean. What do you think this chart will look like in 5 years? 10 years? How long will the rest of the world take us seriously at this pace?
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
<< <i>Note in the above chart that Nixon took us off the gold standard in 1971. The very reason for doing so is shown in the chart's subsequent years. >>
Or are the chart's subsequent years actually just a very predictible outcome of Nixon's actions? I find it hard to believe that for the 1st 70% of this nation's history (1776-1945) there was basically zero inflation, and then....all of the sudden....inflation became a neccessity in order to grow. Even from the very 1st pilgrim, before this nation was even a nation.....all the way through the 1940's.....every road, bridge, vehicle, every house on every street, every building, every ship.....all created without the "benefit" of inflation. Now we "need" inflation? Well, if governments want to continue to run multi year trillion dollar defecits, then yes....we do need inflation.
As Baley said, we all make more money than someone in 1911...and he is right. What Baley forgets however, is that the guy in 1911 could actually save his hard earned money without the fear of the 800 pound inflation gorilla in the room. Today, we are FORCED to partake in risky investments just for the chance to beat inflation....unless you want a guaranteed 5%+ haircut on your savings each year. The guy in 1911...who made comparable money to us today based on cost of living.....could put the money in a coffee can if he desired without having to watch its purchasing power erode. Back then, a dollar saved was.....a dollar saved!
I just don't live in the past, don't swim against rip currents, and don't tilt at windmillls
I try to understand current events in a historical context, and take purposeful action to achieve long term goals
And life is good. I'm happy. I've taken reasonable steps to achieve growth and protect assets, including diversification.
I'm grateful for many posters for being reality checks and debbie downers, for being "that guy" as RedTiger puts it
It's no surprise at all that gov't spending (and debt) began spiking in 2001 and accellerated in 2008.
Future generations may not realize it yet, but they'll be thanking us for spending that money now, much as we ought to thank those expenditures that paid for WWII
and now there's (another) big opportunity for people to pick themselves up, learn lessons from Mother Nature, rebuild better and stronger, and live out their lives
ah, hell, im rambling. too much to say, keyboarding skills not the best. I wish you all well
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
<< <i>I like to quote that old Henny Youngman joke,
"How's your wife?"
"Compared to what?"
No one has ever mistaken me for an optimist. It is almost a bizarro world here, that I might be pigeon-holed into that camp. I recently wrote in my blog about the two year anniversary of the stock market lows. Remember what the punters on this forum were predicting at the lows? Does 3000 Dow come to mind? Well, I was right there with them and quote myself making that call in my blog. Good thing I didn't bet the ranch on that call. I would have lost my shirt. I have a very good memory. I remember more than a few players making the serious long term investment mistake of betting heavy on that bearish call. One guy was recommending averaging into SDS (an inverse stock fund) for retirement accounts. When markets turn, guys like that are never heard from again, or at least never bring up their incredibly bad predictions.
Want another example? Anyone remember back in April 2010 or so, when there was a popular thread about TBT and shorting bonds with leverage? That it was a "sure thing," according to the vast majority here. Raise your hand if you want to admit to being part of the crowd for that incredibly bad call, or if you would rather me dig up the names and the posts, because it was just before bonds took off on a decent rally, and those in TBT (leveraged inverse bond fund) took a 33% hit. Even with the recent 20% rally in TBT, it still isn't near the level of when those posts were made. Don't try and rationalize me with long term, a 33% loss is real, as in real bad.
Sure, the U. S. has serious problems, but compared to other countries or other time periods, how do they measure up? The U. S. survived the Civil War, and World War II, and the Great Depression. Surely those times were worse, the problems greater than those being faced today? Would you rather have Europe's problems? Would you rather have Japan's problems? How about even mighty China? They too have serious, serious long term problems. Which set of problems would you prefer? The U. S. is still the #1 economic power, still the #1 military power. Even if it loses that position, and that move is still decades out, it doesn't mean the end of days. England lost its perch as world #1, and they have muddled through without masses of their people starving, or their currency going to zero.
In any case, it doesn't matter if a person is an optimist or a pessimist, or their predictions. As always, it matters what a person does. For certain scenarios, a few simple common sense precautions are plenty when it comes to investments and emergency supplies. At some level, it becomes too much, and stops adding value. If a person spends hours a day reading and writing about conspiracies and end of world scenarios, it has a debilitating effect on a person's spirit. It simply isn't healthy to spend that much time and energy on that stuff. It's like the folks that spend hours a day reading on all the latest health scares, and chemicals in the food, the water, and the like. At some point, it has a terrible cummulative toll on a person, their friends, their families. You become "that guy" that mostly talks endlessly about the latest bad news, or bad chemicals in pesticides or whatever. "That guy" doesn't have a happy life, no matter how much gold he has piled up or in the other case, how much organic food he eats. After a certain point, more gold doesn't bring more peace of mind, it just makes "that guy" go further and further out.
Prepare? Yes, certainly be prepared, as events in Japan show, events can come out of the blue. However, as with the incredibly bad stock market calls, the bond market calls, also prepare to be wrong. >>
RedTiger's posts are always well thought out and much appreciated from this individual.
Thread on QE2, possibly ending in blood
<< For some QE is equivalent to monetizing the debt. In plain English that means printing money to pay off debts.
The new cash can be used by the recipients (or anyone else down the line) to pay their taxes. In effect, the cash is just as much a claim on the government as as a government-issued bond.
Would it matter if instead of buying bonds and notes they started buying stocks and real estate (like they are doing in Japan)?
I'd guess not, as long as the prices paid were in line with the real market. >>
RT replied:
<< <i>How can that be the real market, if it is the government printing money to buy? That makes zero sense. If the government is printing money to prop up prices, by definition those prices aren't real. Imagine if the Fed did it to prop up the prices of 1950 issue baseball cards, or Indian head cents. With that much money flowing in, by definition, it distorts the market.
I can't explain it in simple terms. It is not an easy topic. Intuitively, I know that printing money to buy Treasury bonds is a very dangerous game. It is a complicated game, where the players, don't have a good grasp of what kind of genie they have let loose on the land. I read a New York Times article about the team that does the actual buying and how and when they do it. Would it trouble you to know that the team consists of six 20 somethings? That the oldest person on the desk that does the daily buying of bonds and notes that will eventually total $700 billion is 29 years old? Well, it bothers me.
QE is playing with fire, and there is a chance that the house (the entire financial system) might burn to the ground. Again, one unintended brush fire from the policy is record food and commodity prices as well as recovery highs in the U. S. stock market. Food riots are starting to break out in the poorer countries. Is there cause and effect? Some would say no, but we won't know the history until it is written. If things go badly, historians may look back and blame QE and QE2 as the catalysts to massive starvation of hundreds of millions of poor people all over the world. That's the magnitude of the kind of fire they are playing with. If things go badly, QE might be viewed like the Treaty of Versailles (ending World War I) and the punitive reparations demanded which had a long term cost. When that war ended, very smart people sat down and wrote out the terms. It made logical sense to them.
Humans are capable of incredible financial folly. That you and others don't see a problem doesn't mean there isn't a problem. Quantitative easing is almost certain to have a long term cost. We don't know the price yet. Those in charge don't know the rules of the game. The rules of the game are being made up as we go. I see QE as a genie that has been let loose on the land, and the price wasn't negotiated when he was set free. The genie isn't going back into the bottle until his price is paid, and that price may be high, and there is the chance it may involve blood. >>
Yep and you will always be right as long as we do. The instant that we don't in a SHTF scenario no one will be able to tell you, we told you so
MJ
Baley's Thread
Saturday March 26, 2011 1:04pm
isn't that the beauty of it?
unless the site or the post is deleted for some other reason, I'd bet this thread will outlive all of us!
Baley
our economic house back in order. However, we are a nation rich in resources, land, population,
and by far,we have the ability and resilience to spring back from any period of difficulty. we shall
not only endure, we shall in the end, prevail.
Camelot
"Interest rates, the price of money, are the most important market. And, perversely, they’re the market that’s most manipulated by the Fed." - Doug Casey
<< <i>On ski vacations, I used to really enjoy the Nastar runs. You pay for the priviledge of a real-life racing experience against the clock on a slalom course. What I found to be extremely fun was trying to time my turns at a higher rate of speed than I was used to.
At a higher rate of speed, you really have to look ahead and start reacting before you get there. You can be as optimistic as you want, but if you don't look ahead, take a measure of your speed and see the reality of the situation - you WILL wipe out.
Even a spectacular wipeout can be fun, as long as you don't break something important.
spectacular wipeout by r95
I knew it would happen.
<< <i>Renski, that is a fabulous wipeout! On a snowboard? Great fun!
Yup. I've been a "knuckle-dragger" since 1989. I gotta take it a bit easier these days 'cause crashes take longer to recover from. No more "air" unless I'm in a plane.
Still, there aren't many experiences that compare to the absolute exhilaration you get skiing. I bet you thought I was from old country all this time? (jm-ski, get it?)
I knew it would happen.
<< <i>I'm sure that most blue diamond runs would give me pause anymore.
Still, there aren't many experiences that compare to the absolute exhilaration you get skiing. I bet you thought I was from old country all this time? (jm-ski, get it?)
comrade, you burst my bubble. I have one for you. you thought I was from old country too, hahaha, I m hot Brazilian model and live wit crazy Russian uncle from chernobyl. his name is renmanonoff. '95 is the year i was born.
Is good sunshine for thread, no?
ciao!
Proud recipient of two "You Suck" awards
sky is a beautiful shade of blue and the flowers bloom in all of their glory. So many
things that we all take for granted and yet, are truly G-d's gifts to us.
to us free of charge. If a time should come where we can't eat steak we can eat beans. If we can not
afford cake, then we eat bread even if it is stale. But we endure and we survive.
The value of gold and silver is important, but is trivial compared to love of those most dear to us.
Camelot
I knew it would happen.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
I knew it would happen.
<< <i>Yep.
I periodically see a blue fish---can someone explain the significance? I understand it originated in the now defunct open forum which I never visited.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I don't know the exact answer, Perry - I was just showing a little respect for Bear.
I knew it would happen.
You can talk about PM's, devalued buck, RE, the euro falling off a cliff, swaps, derivitives, ad infinitum.......until you basically go looney. Which some people have.
But there are so many opportunities out there from peoples who didn't plan so well that CASH IS KING. Maybe even a little late for cash as some people are strenghtening the bottom line right now.
This recession may be a long low trough for a lot of people. Just don't participate in it. If your phone number is out there and you have a little dough--your phone should be ringing.