The federal government is even worse than this -- I remember a government worker who built the entire frame assembly of a personal car at government expense before he was found out years later. How would he find the time in a private corporation? A relative of mine worked at a national lab for nearly 20 years, and wound up an intellectual vegetable due to the lack of intellectual stimulation. He had to be institutionalized. I don't know of anything more destructive to the human psyche as a guaranteed job with no incentive for improvement.
Fortunately where I work, some of the people that work with me are still productive -- so far.
When private enterprise is forced to go to the insane extremes of employment regulation as the federal government, that will be the end of the American free enterprise system.
I have one chart of gold normalized to factor out fluctuations in the US dollar. This is based on the assumption that the US dollar is not going up forever -- reasonable, I think. What is highly significant is that this normalized price of gold has moved out of its two-year downtrend channel since April 1. Either gold has to drop to $250/oz or less very soon, or the downtrend of this indicator has ended. Very promising, given that others will eventually notice this gold price breakout.
"It" is here to merely poke around in the beehive to see what comes out.
I'm at a loss to find anything of value in his posts. ( Witte excepted )
He only wastes the intellectual talents of the gentlemen that reply.
I wonder at the vituperation directed at farfel, prior to his tantrum.
A few of the "go along-get along" types were ready to ban mozel.
Or, sharefin, who clutters the late evening with prose.
Whether you like the postings of the provocative thinkers of this superior fellowship or not, you'd best consider the consequenses of having them drift away.
shalom to you too corporal.
404's to me.
At K1, You have become a bit too staid.
Do your old thing: The thrust and parry.- Shiv in the ribs.
You've got more to say about "low capital" people than a busfull of ROR's
You're too smart to be associated with them.
It occurred to me that if one were to disappear from this site
Stop posting for a time, or perhaps altogether
We may never know whether it was by choice or design
They will just be gone, down the memory hole
If the rules were enforced, mighty defenses of the type mounted by LGB, James, myself, and others, would never have been engaged because the attacking party would been shown the door in the midst of their initial provocations.
I dont fear Barts judgment, he has time and again give very wide latitude to many of us - perhaps in hopes that we would work it out. I dont think he intends to stifle expression, but to change the tone to a more. for lack of a better word.. professional level.
I spoke with somebody who told me he would be embarrassed to advertise or post on a site that had the kind of crap from the other night. Do some of you think that this is all free? That Bart, through a sense of pure and honest altruism, opened this site only to put up with the endless complaints about charts and prices not updating, fights of one sort or another every week, and a hard to deal with bunch of anarchistic wackos ( myself included ) whose social skills dont quite match their typing skills?
Its not personal, Sonny.. Its strictly business
Now.
Some people dont agree with crocodile shoes. Is this borne of an outraged sense of fashion, or righteous indignation that anybody would wear the skins of these magnificent creatures?
If the former is your woe, tastes differ and they are very subtle..
If your worries are to be found in the latter, I have it on good authority:
That these crocks all died a natural death and each and every one had a skin donor certification on the back of its drivers license. None of those Chinese crocks, being held as political prisoners only to be executed to auction off their livers in Hong Kong for 120K each, retinas: 10K a pair, Heart: Market price.
No. These crocks lived long and healthy and productive lives before finally succumbing to the Crock Reaper. I have been told that it is their honor to donate their useless shell now that they have moved on to a higher plain.
I am mostly surprised I did not raise the ire of white wine drinkers who are, for the most part, pleasant company of good cheer even if their wine is just too. I dont know. Clear.
OK
Re: 404. I think it's a good idea. Not censorship, but to realize that we are guests in someones "cyber-home", and we should be on better behavior. For some reason, we might have thought that this is *our* site. F* went around the bend. Few would disagree I think. In the same way that Bart has a 10 day "cooling off period" before you can post, he can tell someone to "take a break from posting". Send F* outside to cool off, and come back later, say 3 day suspension, first offense, etc. There has to be a balance. I support Bart in wanting to raise the quality. I am new here. My .005
----------------------
I'm scratching my head and wondering how I can intercept the phone conversations and make a few bucks...............man-o-man.........damn.
away......from this manipulation.......and sell ALL silver I own..........it pisses ya off sometimes........not up or on but OFF.
flyingtoJapantostrangglesomestoooopidpoliticians.......idjits.
no brag, just fact. always wanted to say that!
anyway the fact is you made jing, great, you may be able to again, many
made bundles on bre-x. beware, these guys are shysters.
I am sick of it........If'n ya can't beat 'em......JOIN 'EM!
away....to short silver into the dirt like I shoulda-woulda-coulda done at 7 bucks.........aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! onkers
( D.A.get.off.that.ledge.and.close.the.window ) ........... ( take.a.deep.breath ) ....................
AWAY!............... ( $ ) Silver will come outofhtewoodworkbythetonnes........WB is wrong this time......uhhuhuhhuhuhhuh. ( ! ) Buy Wells Fargo and Coke by the wheelbarrow full!!!!!!
how's that for my 'best of' F*?? ;- )
And -- yesterday the FED kept rates the same. One could actually argue that US interest rates are actually too high, given the deflationary winds passing around the globe. How will the Yen compete?
On the other hand, I suspect the FED directors are worried about inflation looming given the strikes or threat of strikes. My guess is that if inflation returns to the US, it will not be due to a wage/price spiral. It will be a commodity price crunch, oil crisis, or a dollar crisis.
Why do I have a sense of foreboding? I wish I knew what to expect -- inflation -- or deflation? Will the US dollar continue to rise into the stratosphere as an island of stability? Will real estate continue to rise for a time due to dropping interest rates?
Perhaps the musical chairs analogy still applies, with the US markets the last to fall -- just like what happened in 1929.
But -- trouble with the dollar/yen ratio might presage big trouble. Japan honeymoon over already?
Also, if silver does not move up in the next week or two, that will be a very bad sign. We should be continuing our silver rally. We do have to consider the possibility that deflation, not inflation is dominant. I will also be watching the commodity price indices like a hawk.
A few years ago I was giving a party, and a first-time guest erupted into loud, insulting and abusive behavior. A Japanese business exec was one of the guests, and while the others sat there rather like deer in the headlights, he immediately confronted the offender. He stated with great authority that such behavior was an insult to her host and hostess, and that he wouldn't tolerate it. It was rather shocking in its intensity, but I was really proud that he respected my efforts on behalf of my guests. The rude one soon found an excuse to leave early, the party was wonderful.
Now that WDEPY has merged with Anglogold, does anyone know what the new symbol is for the shares that will be replacing WDEPY? Will shares of WDEPY be replaced with shares of ANGLY?--or will there be a new company name with a new symbol?
Thanks in advance for any relevant information.
-Tom
Personally, I've come to the conclusion people who come here to flame are just feeding weak egos. No audience at KG&B. None of the flamers ever show up, nor have they given out ICQ numbers!
The American and the European have been reaping the lion's share of the "Peace Divident" since the fall of communism in the former USSR while the russian has had to settle for bits of table scraps, continually tightening his belt, seeing his purchasing power evaporate as products that are made from the raw materials extracted from his own soil are becoming less and less affordable to him while they become less expensive for the american and the european. The russian is reaching his breaking point, he's as mad as hell and he won't take it any more.
The European has the most to loose if upheaval develops in Russia but the American will not escape unscathed either. When the Russian revolution II comes about, the "government" that will emerge out of the chaos will transform Russia to the largest terrorist state in the world that will assert its power through its massive nuclear arsenal. So much for the peace divident. If the above scenario unfolds, the doomsday clock keeper may as well advance his clock to one second before midnight.
In order to prevent the above scenario from becoming reality, the European must take quick and decisive steps to remove the cloud of uncertainty over its plans for its Gold reserves. The ECB must realize and accept the fact that its new-born Euro will have no credibility to compete on an equal footing against the AMB, unless it is backed by at least the same amount of Gold as the American has in his Fort Knox. They should take a lesson from the decimated currencies of the Canadian and the Australian after they unwisely unloaded their Gold and in the process helped to decimate their own resource industries. The American must also play a role in reasserting Gold's credibility and paying a fair price for the world's natural resources.
It is an interesting distinction.
From SAM: BARON in May 6, 1998 article ( HOT MONEY DOES NOT STAY IDLE LONG ) on golden-eagle web site poses question of what happens to EMU currencies when Euro takes over. He strongly suggests 240 Billion of upplanted currencies will end up at the LBMA where 12 Billion in paper gold is traded daily. The arithmetic works out to an explosion in the gold price of US$300/oz ( present day ) to US$6000/oz if this 240 Billion in "hot money" finds its way to the LBMA. US$6000/oz is your figure for the present interbank value for gold. Is the RED BARON on to something ?
Please comment !
Also, For whatever percent backing by gold, will the Euro be convertible to physical gold, and by whom ( i.e. all or limited ) ?
Sam
ANOTHER: Sir, The history of "Hot" paper money does show it to "burn easily" from " much heat"! If you read my Thoughts in today's replies, we see much "fuel" in dollar derivatives trading in foreign markets. Much of this trading represents a "claim" on physical gold that may become "a transaction for physical gold" as dollar reserves are displaced. The 6,000 valuation of gold can only be true if currency deflation destroys enough dollars to bring it down to that range. Without deflation, the dollar will be devalued much lower than this ( higher gold price ) ! Once the Euro is created and begins to effect world trade ( late 1999 perhaps ) , the gold market will begin a transition as never before! I think it will be interesting to follow the politics of this change, yes?
Your question of Euro gold backing? The Euro will not be backed or fixed in gold. It will, as Michael Kosares ( USAGOLD ) notes, be the first "modern currency" to hold true "exchange reserves" in gold. It is important to understand that "exchange reserves" of gold are much more powerful a tool for currency defense than gold backing! In this system, gold must be traded in a "public physical market", in that currency, Euros! As such, the Euro can "devalue gold" ( Euro price of gold falls ) thereby making it strong in gold! In today's world, this will happen as a "strong Euro physical market" displaces and defaults" the old dollar settlement paper gold market"! The dollar will become"weak in gold"!
They're real pretty and come all ready to slip in a gift card, a present that will be appreciated and kept for years.
Perhaps not so on the ground.
http://news.bbc.co.uk:80/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_122000/122561.stm
What would be the effect of a severe harvest disruption?
You do the math.
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/saf/stats/wcsupdis.htm
Frankly, I expect severe price swings to escalate over the next couple of years, both in currencies and products, resulting in trade disruptions. Don't bet the farm on inflation or deflation. The secular inflation is over, we're experiencing the early crash of a great wave of inflation - happens every two hundred years or so. If you visualize the collapse of an ocean wave on a shore, you get the short form.
Part of the anatomy of such a period is that we are much less able than normal to handle the estraordinary stresses which occur in such a period, because of the stresses of the previous inflation.
Got gold?
Just saw your 16:24 reply to my question about WDEPY. Thanks a million for such a clear and informative reply. Thanks also for the URL.
-Tom
Just ran out a quirky little AU chart: Around last Friday or so, the 10 ( trading ) day moving average crossed over the 30 ( trading ) day moving average. Last time this happened was late March '98, just prior to the April spike up from 295 to 310-313. The previous time we had such a crossover was in January '98, when gold shot from 287 up to 305. A couple other times last year too, but not nearly so remarkable.
What happened today, however, was rare. Gold dropped right into the pocket BETWEEN the 10- and 30-day moving averages. Last time this happened was not good: Around mid-May of last year when it hovered around 345 for a few weeks then dived to under 320.
On the other other hand, with the possibility of JY intervention at any time, T.A. goes out the window IMHO.
Captain Bill, the Privateer, said last Friday: "Right now, Gold is poised to go in either direction. The hardest thing of all to predict is the point at which enough individuals decide that the global financial system as it presently stands is simply untenable . . . ."
Steve Kaplan writes today: "The volatility index or VIX, a measure of implied volatilities for U.S. stock index options which demonstrates complacency vs. fear in the market, closed up 0.03 at 18.08. Its intraday high was 18.43 and its intraday low was 17.56, by far its lowest reading since November 25, 1996."
So somebody tell me: Which way is gold going next week? Next month? Next year?
In the book The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham and Warren Buffett wrote that you should never never sell a stock right after a big loss of value, and never buy one right after a big rise in value. Now, that's cause they're value investors, and believe that if a stock was a good buy at the price you bought it at, well, it's a great buy lower. Buy more!
Momentum investors do the opposite, of course. Sometimes they're successful, too. But Graham and Buffett are pretty darned good. Their book is out in at least 4 editions, and I'd bet you could get a copy at a used book store/library sale for a buck or two.
http://biz.yahoo.com/apf/980702/commoditie_1.html
Rand down:
http://biz.yahoo.com/finance/980702/markets_pr_2.html
Dollar mixed:
US mortgage rates nearly stable:
US jobless rate rises:
May factory orders weak:
The Carville connection:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/02nova.html
SINGAPORE ( Reuters ) - Asian markets marked the first anniversary of the start of the
regional financial crisis with strong rallies Thursday as Japan approved a key plan aimed at
cleaning up its debt-ridden banking system.
A senior party official said the plan, which involves setting up a "bridge bank" system to
liquidate failed banks, had been approved at a meeting between ruling party and government
officials.
Before the announcement, made after the close of trade, Tokyo stocks had risen on hopes
the government would bite the bullet of banking sector reform.
Although an early surge of more than 2 percent on Japan's Nikkei index petered out by the
close, other markets held onto their gains.
Hong Kong stocks, battered recently by concerns over Japan's fragile economy, ended
nearly 4 percent higher while stocks in Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan finished with
similar gains. Regional currencies were also firmer, helped by the yen's strength above 140 to
the dollar for most of the Asian day.
The plan approved Thursday aims finally to tackle a severe bad-debt problem in Japan's
banking system, seen as the major factor behind the Japanese economy's nearly decade-long
funk.
Its economy is now in recession and is exacerbating the region's already severe economic
problems.
The plan would put failed banks under public administration before dissolution while public
bridge banks take over their healthy loan businesses.
Dealers said the prospect of firm action to restructure the financial sector had sparked a
genuine turnaround in sentiment.
"There has clearly been a shift from on high in terms of resolve to help Japan deal with
troubled institutions," said Coen Kluyver, a manager at ING-Barings Securities.
Keiko Kondo, strategist at Merrill Lynch Japan Inc., said: "We can't see any negative factors
on the horizon and the Nikkei 225 will likely maintain a firm tone, at least until the July 12
Upper House elections."
The benchmark Nikkei average closed up 108.69 points, or 0.66 percent, at 16,471.58. One
fund manager forecast the Nikkei would rise to 17,500 before the parliamentary elections.
The yen held steady around 138.50 per dollar for most of the day, before falling back past
the 140 level in early Europe.
The volatile Hong Kong market, which missed Asia's Wednesday rally because of a holiday,
raced 5.0 percent higher to 8,970.3 at one point before paring gains to end up 3.78 percent
at 8,866.16.
Sentiment was boosted by a rate cut in China, Beijing's second monetary easing in just over
three months, as well as by positive developments in Japan, traders said.
Gains swept across the smaller Asian markets, most of them savaged since the crisis began
on July 2, 1997, when Thailand gave up defending its baht currency.
"The market is only watching the Tokyo market and the yen," said a dealer in Kuala Lumpur,
where the main share index ended up 1.48 percent.
The prospect of a revived Japanese economy was enough to inspire East Asian stock
markets desperate for exports to their largest customer.
Thai shares burst 3.98 percent higher to 277.98, Manila rose by 4.17 percent to 1,856.19
and Jakarta by 2.15 percent to 466.37. Singapore's key Straits Times Index ended up 2.72
percent at 1,124.87.
New Zealand stocks closed 2.2 percent higher at 2,054.2, reinforcing a big Wednesday gain,
although dealers warned the market seemed to have peaked for the short term.
Good gains in Tokyo, Hong Kong and overnight in New York helped push Australia's All
Ordinaries index 1.60 percent higher.
Taiwan stocks surged 3.55 percent, influenced mostly by Wall Street's nearly 100-point jump
on Wednesday, traders said.
The odd market out Thursday was Seoul. It closed down 1.20 percent at 311.77.
A broker said enthusiasm was limited by large short positions that foreigners took in the
futures market Wednesday.
you better be carefull. I am so much used to "Mirror, mirror on the wall" referring to my name - "Miro" that I can make a trademark issue out of this ;- )
Well, maybe I can make some money on Gold afterall ;- )
Here is another site of interest to those who would calculate grain reserves. It is old but still gives perspective: http://www.windmillbbs.com/tio/ch5019.htm
at the end of each line to force a wrap
to the next line and then I previewed
before posting - what looked single spaced
in the initial window ended up double spaced
in the final post - without changing a thing
in the preview. Lets see if this post does it.
I just returned at the end of group - so there should be no extra line if I will post direct but there will be if I preview then post. Generally I leave the word wrap take care of itself. Putting returns on the ends of lines to manually start a new line just makes the final post harder to read. At least this is the way things work for me in Netscape Communicator 4.0.5.
P.S. Old hands pardon the trials here for the benefit of new hands.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Freemen-Trial.html
also... a repost from sharefin - I am suprised this did not raise more eyebrows:
By the end of the summer, Jordan said, surveillance cameras will be scanning four Potomac River crossings -- the Sousa, Roosevelt, Wilson and 14th Street bridges -- that officials believe are vulnerable to terrorist attack. The images will be monitored by officials in the District's Office of Emergency Preparedness at the Reeves Municipal Center http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/02/124l-070298-idx.html.
1984...1998
- c
I don't think it has anything to do with where markets go.
NO, I am not a Jew!
Of the remaining 56 million ounces ( not a particularly large amount ) , a certain percentage ( maybe a large percentage ) is owned by lots of individual investors, and is not available to the market at anywhere near current prices. These stocks, like GS's stocks, will remain in the COMEX and in full view, but are not remotely available to the market. While the price says otherwise, we may be at zero effective stock in the COMEX. Time will tell.
Find out more about Kitco at info@kitco.com, or call 1-800-363-7053.
Copyright © 1996 Kitco Minerals & Metals Inc.
Tonight Bart informs us that if we are not good boys and girls we will be given 404. Last I knew 404 is a flotation reagent for gold ( guess that tells you where my mind is ) . Anyway, I am very uncomfortable with Bart's new approach, not as much as Mozel though.
Bart, I don't have an answer. I do not like the possibility of censorship, but it is your ship and you are the Captain. For reflection you may recall that it the early days here we had a few who were commenting from mainland China. Where are they now? Obviously censored, not by you but by their government. No, we should be allowed to speak freely, but with civility and respect. If an individual can not conform to you view of that then, as I understand it, he gets the dreaded 404? How ironic, that something given a number of such is used to elevate gold particals in a flotation cell for recovery while the same number is given to suppress ideas about gold in the world's best gold forum.