Again, Blogspot cannot leave well enough alone. They’ve again changed the system and now my photos will not upload. When will people making software changes learn to leave the systems running parallel until the new code proves its worth? Probably never, because since 1980, they hire programmers on the cheap, too. There’s nothing in the world quite as bad as the steam-driven dorks who like C++.
Here’s a picture, a shot as it were, of WalMart’s men’s magazine section. Guns, ammo, fishing, and a token Mad Magazine in the corner. I missed the hot rods, muscle-building, and sports. Knowing WalMart, somebody must be buying this shit.Trivia. Apparently unacquainted with how currency is manipulated by Ottawa, the nation of Iceland is considering the Canadian dollar as currency by June of this year. I said “considering”. The “stability” of the loonie is accomplished by comparing it to the US dollar, overlooking that the buck fluctuates all the time. Be aware that while Canada rarely exercises currency control, it is a socialist system where all pricing, permits, sales and construction are irrevocably controlled by a faceless bureaucracy. Canadian money is made of plastic. This plastic, a polymer, is made in Australia. It can be recycled, so be sure to throw all your old used money in the correct bin. The Internet is the largest untaxed organization ever created. It would not have survived had it been conceived in Canada. The Canucks check if new ideas are allowed where Yankees check if they are prevented. New business models are not allowed in Canada unless it can be “awarded an appropriate share of taxation”. Revenue Canada is fond of portraying itself as another public service, like say, the post office. In fact, it operates much like a bank where you deposit and whoever is the biggest crybaby east of Winnipeg makes the withdrawals.
My “practice retirement” passes the seven year mark around now. If you just got here, I’ll explain. In 2005 I began to suffer my bad decision to not carry disability insurance, but I did decide to see about living on a chopped budget. I’d noticed others who retired at 65-ish often made near-lunatic miscalculations per their retirement money and lifestyles. I decided on a one year dress rehearsal. Things went well enough that here I am. The experiment was a success because I see that nobody, after a lifetime of work, is ever ready for the changes. This afternoon, I went shopping. Bought a new shirt, some buttons, spend all of $14.00. Compare this to my heydays when any shopping trip was $200.00 minimum. That’s changed, and for me $40 is a big shop. Yes, I know, meet the right woman and that will change pronto. How did I change my buying habits? Easy, instead of buying anything for what it will do, I ask what will I do with it? I still picked up and looked at wall clocks, drill bits, cutoffs, cameras, bicycle tires, light bulbs, coffee mugs, pen sets, and things I’d normally buy without thinking. But now I think, and put them back. I like those 32” TVs, but what for? To watch Benny Hill reruns (the only thing left on cable with any real content)?
We haven’t heard from silver in a while. The price has been stumbling along around the $33 per ounce area. That baffles me, as it should historically be closer to $100. Make no mistake about it, we are amidst the largest financial bubble in history. Except for a few bit players, all world governments are insolvent. Something like 80% of the “wealth” held in paper certificates is based on unrealistic real estate assessments. It only takes one creditor government to demand specie (payment in real money) for the house of cards to come crashing down. (Having said that, gold is also misbehaving. Something is holding down prices for both metals. It’s interesting to note that while gold isn’t climbing, if you watch gold certificates, there are billions trading hands every week at what looks like stable prices. Somebody is dumping, somebody is buying. That spells manipulation.) Later. I guessed right, not about prices, but that something funny is going on. Just before market closing this afternoon, $1.6 billion in silver bullion, not paper certificates, was sold. That’s almost the total weight of the silver that will be mined out of the ground this year. Yet, no increase in spot price. Hmmmm.
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