Yikes.

Thank you.

Bastards.

Jan

Coin shops in Canada require social security number when making a purchase of any bullion (bars/coins)

Yes, Gold purchases of a certain amount (as in for investment purposes) have to be registered, as in most cases they don't allow you to store it at your home, but force you to keep it in a "safe location" - ie a Federally-insured and monitored facility.

Also, it should be noted that FDR instituted a provision whereby the government can forcibly confiscate all gold after a certain date from individuals' holdings. So if you're going to hoard it for apocalyptic trade, get it from coin shops and such.

the one problem with a Gold standard is, the banks and 1% would hoard it. And money would be scarce. One option could be money based solely on Government income. This would require the reduction of Fed Reserve notes by "real" money over time. Anything is better then the HIT we are going to take shortly!

I went Galt in 2008, and look what happened!

Love the word Piffle!!! -- j

when I was a kid, I took a dollar bill into a bank and
asked for gold in exchange. . they looked at me
like I was from another planet. . it was 1960. -- j

Groovy chart, kids... and calling the last chart the key one is, even for NPR, a nice case for post hoc, ergo propter hoc, ain't it?

ONE key marker on that graph?: Nixon kills the Gold Backing?

Just MAYBE there were other key turning points somewhere along the way? Include total workforce union membership percentage as another line?

Hell, I joined the workforce in 1968 and left it in 2002... and there were some interesting inflection points and crossovers around THOSE two dates, too!

Anyone up to blame ME for the shape of those two lines on that Key Graph?

Piffle!

Thanks for that heads up also.
It's gonna be a toss-up should I approach a seller with a lot of cash.

Agreed but since I have started reloading and collecting old tire weights from a couple tire shops near me. I still use mostly lead.

Gold and silver have been used as mediums of exchange for thousands of years. You can mine a little more of it, but you can't print it.

I tried to buy a used motorhome from a dealer a few years ago with cash. They refused the cash--had to buy a money order.

Thanks for the clarity!
You could have correctly said your business was none of my business.
I appreciate information that may be useful for me later.

Because the Gold Standard cannot, as easily, be manipulated!

Don't you dare try and turn this on me... You're the one who willingly and knowingly SUPPORTs ideas that YOU KNOW are BAD... You are a walking, talking contradiction... and I think you've missed the premise of the gulch altogether.
Again I ask, WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Of course socialism is a bad idea. What's the matter with you?

Yes. The time to think about how they'll pay off that debt is *before* they borrow it.

Our kids are 6 and 4. They will have plenty of money, but I will not let them go to school just b/c it's like grade 13 comes after grade 12. I will pay the penalty to get that money out of the 529 if they have a well-thought-out business plan or if they have a job with an apprenticeship and want to use their college money to pay cash for a house. College is so important, but it's not the panacea it's held out to be.

Cost was $5,000 out the door. They wanted $5700. He went back and talked to the manager behind a window for 5 min and came back saying he'd go down to $5400. I laid the $5k on the table and offered it if it would cover all taxes and fees. They shouted, DONE! Yes! So obviously he was authorized to go that low. They asked if I could give them a check, but I said all I brought was the cash. They worked up all the numbers. It came to $5120. I told them I wouldn't be able to buy it b/c I only brought $5,000. They reworked the figures to come out to $5,000. I watched two employees count it together. I didn't notice them recording serial numbers. Everything about the transaction was above-board and legal.

This wsas six years ago, and amazingly the car runs well and doesn't look like an older car, even though it is.

I guess I was thinking more of the types that choose to major in Social Work or something, get a master's at a prestigious university, go in debt $200,000, then chase a $35,000 / year county job and think they are super-smart for doing that.

I agree wholeheartedly with all of that.
"blame the economy for their woes"
Yes, the economy is us serving one another in exchange for money. It's not some magical thing that's messing with people.

" 'follow their heart' rather than critically looking at the supply and demand for labor and skills "
Yes. People can follow their heart AND look critically at the market. If their heart is in art and industrial design, Apple is showing there's more value in that than in circuit boards and software. Even though US is far from perfect, there is still amazingly opportunity to live a decent life on a low wage while pursuing a dream, if that's what you desire.

Tell me more about buying that car with C-notes. You say they came down on the cost.
Did you pay for the entire car with cash?
Did they report the serial numbers on the bills to anyone before the trade was made?

Are you actually implying you think socialism is a bad idea?? You can't promote it and then say you're against it. Being in favor of bo and of obamacare is being in favor of socialism. You can't have it both ways.

Correct. We see the phenomenon of kids going to college to 'follow their heart' rather than critically looking at the supply and demand for labor and skills, and figuring that if they get a degree, they get a job. or maybe they didn't want the math/physics/chemistry homework.

Nonetheless, there isn't a problem in the economy, many skills are in double-digit vacancy percentages. And I don't think there is a 'skills gap' either. We have a problem where the skills and studies people choose to develop don't line up with the needs of industry and the economy so they wind-up in low paying low-skilled jobs, and blame the economy for their woes and suddenly think it would only be "fair" if others give them what they studied/worked/earned.

"I think that, more than anything else is creating the wealth gap."
Yes. I think creates a grave danger of making people embrace socialism or other bad ideas.

I think you're hinting at increased return on capital with your comments on currency, and then pointing out lower labor costs. It creates great conditions for selling bad ideas (e.g. socialism, isolationism, etc).

+1 for cleverness