Gold Discussion for Investors and Market Analysts

Kitco Inc. does not exercise any editorial control over the content of this discussion group and therefore does not necessarily endorse any statements that are made or assert the truthfulness or reliability of the information provided.

MiloTrdr
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:01 - ID#350358)
All@Kitco Gulp, Puff, and PepperRush to all,
Well the end of the year is near. I found this place only a few months ago and would like to thank you all for your thoughts and posts.

It's a good bunch here. Even the food fights come mostly from good hearts.

Wishing that the presents you open contain much joy, and the holidays give time for appreciation of what we all have.

Looking forward to '99 with all the anticipation, trepidation, and those other ~~ations.

Merry Christmas wishes.


Milo

Earl
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:04 - ID#227238)
RJ @23:11:
A most excellent Christmas gift. Well thought out and presented. Many thanks. ...... and the best of the season to ya.

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:05 - ID#24135)
13 ways of looking at a sand mole
. among 20 golden sand dunes
the only moving thing
was the eye of the sand mole ..

.. to all
my genetic connection badly wanted a
weekly close on the XAU at 63 or more ..
I hope we get it ..

farfel
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:05 - ID#341227)
@RJ...your "Why Gold Will Zoom in '99" is very interesting....
...very compelling, incisive analysis, I must say.

However, let me ask you one notable question....given the last several years' relentless, SUCCESSFUL war conducted against Gold by the American financial establishment ( via Messrs. Greenspan & Rubin and various central banks friendly to a strong American Dollar ) , then what leads you to believe that the American financial establishment will be unable to keep gold suppressed through '99 as it has done so successfully in '98?

Essentially, what leads you to believe that the thus far successful "War Against Gold" will suddenly fail?

I see no reason why the American financial establishment would desire a notably weaker dollar at this point. Yes, such dollar weakness would help the export industry; however, simultaneously, the strong dollar is the key to maintaining the bond and equities bubble...if the Dollar were to weaken significantly, then foreign capital flight would surely burst the bubble. Moreover, any significant appreciation in the gold price would certainly lure monies out of bonds...at a time when the American government and Big Media continually declare bonds to be the only real safe haven against any financial storm...at a time when the bond market has been in virtual state of verticality for the past year, in other words, a bubble.

Greenspan and Rubin are certainly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Given Rubin's ties to the financial industry, I have no doubt he will favor the stock market's well-being over the manufacturing sector's health.

So, tell me specifically, how do you conceive it is possible for America to lose control over the gold market?

Thanks.

F*




John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:09 - ID#24135)
duuuuh ...
for Farfel ..
I dont understand the question ..
could you repeat it please ..
and merry christmas ..

CC
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:13 - ID#334219)
RJ on silver
RJ...I agree with you ..can't remember a bad call from you on gold. Congrats. Can I ask where you think silver is going next year ?

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:17 - ID#266105)
jd

I do not which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendos,
The sand mole weaseling
Or just after.

Earl
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:18 - ID#227238)
Farfel:
Fed control of the gold market has depended on exogenis events and the favorable dispostion of agents, ie hedge funds and euro banks, to exercise that control. Those conditions, ie marginal interest rates and available gold loans appear to be in process of cbange.

It would appear that the fed's only avenue to effect future control would be to begin to dishoard US gold supplies at rates favorable to its agents. Given the recent experience of LTCM and the possibility of others on the verge of problems, there may be some reluctance to do so. ...... IMO.

farfel
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:21 - ID#341227)
@RJ...corollary questions to my preceding post...
Do you think it is possible for a gold bull to occur at this point WITHOUT causing a simultaneous crash in both bonds and equities?

Would a notable gold bull not be a triggering factor to a general bonds and equities collapse? When equities and bonds markets are in de facto states of verticality, is it not imperative to ensure that no other market suctions capital away from the vertical markets? How can the American government "permit" a gold bull and prevent a simultaneous financial market crash?

Just curious.

Thanks.

F*

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:22 - ID#266105)
snowy on the Oregon beaches

Say Earl, I gather that mature cynicism was not somehow
won overnite but rather gathered over many years of observation.
I respect that.

EJ
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:26 - ID#45173)
RJ
Why anyone wants Plat in a deflation is beyond my understanding. At least gold has a history as an asset during periods of currency turmoil that attend debt liquidation and default during deflations.
-EJ

Goldteck
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:31 - ID#431200)
RANGY (minority shareholders)
As of march -31-1998 1709 individuals shareholders owned 1,234,945 shares or 2.98% of the issued shares.Now I understand why RANGY management did not feel obliged to communicate with ADR shareholders when the reverse split occured a few months ago.

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/5938/report/01analysisofshares.jpg

strat
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:33 - ID#93241)
farfel
farfel, it seems to me that you are operating on the assumption that the 'merican gubmint controls the market for money. As long as the dollar is king, they do. The meltdown in Asia and now Latin America are currency crises first and foremost. What happens the US has a currency crisis? What happens when the rest of the world stops running to the dollar?

BillinOregon
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:37 - ID#262242)
Merry Christmas
Thank you tolerant1 for the phone call, I appreciate the thought and the "Merry Christmas". God bless you and keep you.

Reify, God bless you, Yvette, Nir, and your family and may God be with you in this season of the miracle of the light.

To all my Kitco friends, God Bless you and keep you in this season of good cheer as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Bart, a special Blessing to you for providing this forem for us and putting up with the "food Fights"

Nick, I was only teasing you about moving in with you for the winter ( I would never impose on anyone ) .


Roebear
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:40 - ID#412172)
RJ Merry Christmas and a Bully New Year
Your 12-23 23:11, Best Christmas present you ever gave Kitco, keep it coming! Glad the yellow listens to someone.
Also glad to hear your take on the Euro, you will note I have been an ardent proponent of its beneficial effects on POG for a Long time here ( Go archivists GO ) .
Always good for a student to have an affirmation from a teacher.
Now I just hope student and teacher are right!

FOX-MAN
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:58 - ID#330280)
RJ
I read your post earlier about the good prospects for gold in the first
half of '99. Thanks! That's encouraging, especially for us Gold bugs that
suffered losses during all of gold's decline. Unfortunately, I didn't find this site until the earlier part of this year. I didn't have the
knowledge nor the reasons as to why gold was in a decling mode instead of rising mode. Perhaps, if I had found this site earlier, I would of heeded
your advise. Perhaps, in my stubborness and ignorance, I would have not.
Nonetheless, I'm encouraged by your posts, and hope you continue to give
us your feedback.

Also, would you have any comments on the Comex Warehouse stats that I've
been posting? As you may have noticed, Comex Gold Eligible stocks are
continuing to decrease and we're seeing "adjustments" every once in a while ( ie; Quantities are transerred from eligible to registered ) .
Is this very relevant to gold's move in '99? TIA, Fox-man

HighRise
(Thu Dec 24 1998 00:59 - ID#401460)
"A Time for Reflection"

You might even mention the stock market, which has showered benefits on millions of Americans, helping to create the wealth effect -- the sense of financial well-being that enables them to spend rather than save. 
http://biz.yahoo.com/apf/981224/business_m_1.html

HighRise

HighRise
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:14 - ID#401460)
Suit: Chase, J.P. Morgan joined Nazi plunder


Chase Manhattan ``collaborated with the German authorities and displayed an excessive zeal in its enforcement of anti-Jewish laws,'' the suit alleged. A similar attitude by J.P. Morgan earned it the reputation of an ``international Aryan organization,'' it adds.
http://www.tampabayonline.net/news/news101d.htm

The same people who put Clinton in office, nothing changes.

Who owns the Federal reserve? Same people.

HighRise

James
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:17 - ID#252150)
Erle@I covered my PDG short way too soon. Have'nt gone long yet.
I'm not very pleased with their RSA acquisition. Think they may have overpaid for Getchell & don't like the share dilution. Also read that there may be another Christina suit & with a new President there, who knows what will happen.
I may just stick with ABX this time.
I have been buying some BGR Prec mtls.
Still think POG could make a new low, so may wait for a key reversal rather than try to pick a bottom.

EB
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:24 - ID#187109)
RJ - mi amigo ;-)
You were wrong once ( at least and it is archived;- ) ) ......uh huh. It was the last time you said that gold would hold it's lows...........it did not. I said new lows would be made you said no they would not................remember? The new lows were not extreme lows but lows nonetheless. So, let us be humbled oh great kayak-riding-thong-seeking-ballarama-wearing-boardwalk-skating-gold-demi-dude................... ( EB bowing to the waist ) .......................you have made wrong calls. We ALL have and we ALL will...........uh huh.

And please, I hope that the rest of Kitco will not bash me here.........RJ and I have a good rapport and he can take a little ( or big ) jab now and then. Can't ya wrong-dude?

Now, will someone pass me a chart here before I start Jones'n...........

Daily Feb. Gold - Today the 9day RSI reached 29%. It came off it's lows and formed what looks like a key ( albiet temp ) reversal. It will probably correct itself tomorrow and the next few trading days. BUT, then it will continue it's current course and make new lows. If I am wrong.........then I am wrong. If I am right......then I am right. That is all. go gold.

away......to the charts

alwaystothecharts


EB
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:29 - ID#187109)
this one is for Oleman and all.......since he is such a fan of Big Jake...
He has a seasonal working for Silver............it goes like this...

http://www.trade-futures.com/reports.html

It lasts for a month starting the second week in January.......FWIW.

away.......to sheck it out



James
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:30 - ID#252150)
RJ@You ask: "Why would any Nation give up absolute sovereignty
of their currency". My short answer is-because of Soros. Safety in numbers. They never forgot what happened to Britain & IMO, could happen again. Besides, they don't particularly care for the U.S. & would like to put a dent in U.S. hegemony.

HighRise
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:31 - ID#401460)
President Jiang Calls for Action to Prevent Unstability

Jiang, also general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, said that the economic returns of a number of state-owned enterprises are not good, the army of redundant workers is growing and they have difficulties in their life, and that farmers in certain rural areas have seen their income dwindling and their financial burdens are increasing. And in some parts of the country people
are complaining about the rising crime rate.
http://news.stocksmartpro.com/ss-news/CX1433410.html

HighRise

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:33 - ID#24135)
yeahbo..
for 2bro2b??
you took the words right outa my
mouf .. or was it wallace's

for Farfel ..
I still dont get the picture ..
could you run it by me again please??

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:38 - ID#24135)
all this and crients too ..
.. for kayak-riding-thong-seeking-ballarama-wearing-boardwalk-skating-gold-demi-dude.....

that's some title you got there ..

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:49 - ID#24135)
the gold carry caper ..
to rhody and others ..
if the lease rate on gold in 1.72% and the prime
rate on yen borrowing is 1.5% why not borrow yen
rather than gold ??? ..
and do the same 5 % tbill purchase..

IDT
(Thu Dec 24 1998 01:55 - ID#228136)
John Disney - What is your genetic connection's make on the gold market


Delphi
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:04 - ID#258142)
APH
Thanks

hugo
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:05 - ID#404312)
charts

left early today, depressed, to do some shopping
did not expect silver to act that way. Went over some charts and figured if silver had finished strong it would be very good news. yes indeed.

Silver chart is extremely bullish looking. If today's lows hold for a few days, nobody is going towant to be short. 95% sure the lows fr this move are in. Do not wait for 4.60 or 4.40 ( if we did go lower I doubt we would stop before 4.20 ) parallel charts show a strong move up comingin a few days that will carry over 5.20 ( 5.30? ) hesitate and then shoot sky high. Once again compare the 85 wkly platinum to our current silver wkly. Theaction over the last 3 wks in silver compares nicely to wkly silver dec-feb 87. if the pattern verifies look for amove to the downtrend line andthen through to about 8 bucks before Jake can say buy. 83 wkly beans and meal also show similar appearance before the million dollar move.

Can't say much for gold except that if it holds here, it probably won't begoing anywhere fast. But then, it may follow silver ( which has done very well considering stinking sinking gold ) ...and I so much wanted to short bonds, alas. Must not get sidetracked. All that money and time over the last 18 months must not be wasted for lack of patience.
the big move is about to happen...
the big move is about to happen...
the big move is about to happen...yawn,g'night

mole
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:05 - ID#350145)
gold and dollar and toronto stock mkt (mining only)
Gold is at the bottom and dollar is at the top. Dollar has to fall - Euro and trade deficit, ergo, gold has got to rise. Seems simple to me. However as H L Mencken once said "for every complex problem there is a simple answer - and it is usually wrong." T and V looked real good today. I think you could probably buy any liquid stock next week and sell it the following week for a profit ( expect a burst of buying next few weeks,at end of tax loss selling ) . Thoughts from the demorat. The mole sees all.

Dave in CO
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:28 - ID#229141)
EB aces RJ? Don't think so.
When one predicts gold to make new lows so often, it's kinda like crying wolf:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed Sep 30 1998 16:17
EB ( helpful *H*I*N*T*S*....for all bandwidth-bandits.... ) ID#230216:
-

away...to watch gold top and come down again to make new lows
andwidthCop

go gold...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Away to pick up Dec99 S&P leap puts, uh huh.

PCM
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:31 - ID#169332)
(APH) re 12/23 12:23
APH: Yours of 12:23. 23rd Dec. I think you may be right on. It may become a replay of the correction that took place around Dec 9th ( or 10th?, ) which could last to close to the end of December. Your posts this year have been worth their weight in real ...anyway, I would be interested to learn if you trade LEAPS and have posted about same.
--PCM

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:34 - ID#266105)
jd

Icicles filled the long window
With barbaric glass.
The shadow of the sand mole
Crossed it, to and fro.
The mood
Traced in the shadow
An indecipherable cause.

Aldebaran
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:41 - ID#240155)
John Disney gold carry
Your post suggesting that since the interest rate on yen is less than interest on gold.... perhaps those who do this fear that the yen is more volitile than gold and may cost more when it comes time to pay back. Still, something about rhody's explanation dosn't set right with me. And that is very odd, because his logic appears flawless and more importantly, the actuall changes in the price of gold back up rhody's analysis. your suggestion that there is either free market forces affecting the lease rate or manipulation by CB's struck me so much as truth, and yet rhody easily countered it with reason. I pretend at least to myself to be a man of reason and logic, yet reason and logic should compell me to accept rhody's analysis. I do not, despite the obvious ample evidence that he is right, in my belly, I know that he is wrong. This strikes me as a sign of madness, and that concerns me.

Reify
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:47 - ID#413109)
Farfal F*
Your question to RJ about gold bull- may I just inject a point
and that is in the early '70s, and mid 80's both the markets, and
golds were going up together. This may be a temporary phenomenon
but it does happen. So while the markets may continue to go up
the golds could join them.

neer-do-well
(Thu Dec 24 1998 02:50 - ID#391172)
Soros
Soros on the Charlie Rose interview the other night plainly said the US economy will be alright as long as the stock market keeps pumping along, if it declines, deflation..recession. He also mentioned the Breton Woods agreement and indicated it needed revisiting.

mole
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:05 - ID#350145)
controlling gold ?
If the dollar falls and gold does not rise, then I will become suspicious. But, I'll bet when the dollar falls gold will rise. I think we shall know very soon.

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:06 - ID#24135)
not the Siberian Icehole Mole
for 2bro2b?
... There aint no icicles in the Sahara .. you can
pretty well count on that one ..

for aldebaron ..
.. Im Not questioning rhody's basic theory .. Im
pretty sure it is right .. but I think there are
more inputs and Id like to look at the COMPETING
source of borrowing which must be the yen..
Yen prime rate was 1.63 in early 1997 ( my data gaps
for awhile as I let my Economist subsciption lapse
in disgust ) .. and is now 1.5 % ( renewed sub as they
gave me an offer I couldnt refuse ) .

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:10 - ID#24135)
the past is the past ..
.. reify ..
in the 70s the fed was being run
by fools ..
in the 80s gold went up when interest
rates got very low ( as I recall )

farfel ..
what was that question again??

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:16 - ID#266105)
jd

I was of three minds,
Like a tree
In which there are three sand moles.

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:21 - ID#24135)
infestation
2bro2b??
I think we got a sand mole plague
on out hands ..

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:23 - ID#266105)
let the lamp affix the beam

Let be be finale of seem
The only emperor is the emperor of sand-moles.

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:27 - ID#24135)
moles love ice cream
2bro2b??
and anyway that must be the madagascan jumping jack
flash golden flying mole .. few moles climb trees ..

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:32 - ID#266105)

He rode over Connecticut
In a glass coach.
Once, a fear pierced him,
In that he mistook
The shadow of his equipage
For sand moles.

AUwolf
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:40 - ID#254130)
did someone cry wolf?
cheers!

ohmmmmm

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:42 - ID#24135)
anybody ..
2bro2b??
.. can make that mistake .. but
they must have been white plains
moles

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:47 - ID#266105)
jd

One of the Pope's encyclicals--

A perfect judge will read each word of wit with
the same spirit that its author writ.

Merci & adieu, 'tis late.

Nick@C
(Thu Dec 24 1998 03:53 - ID#386245)
Six kangaroos...
...on the golf course tonight...walking the two rottweilers...roos thumbed their noses at us...didn't budge...useless mutts...couldn't even get to a trot...reminds me of gold...and the roos the sheeple...no danger here...mind you...I wouldn't want to be wearing a fur coat...in this sweltering summer heat...must be a truce...dogs and roos...don't anyone be aggressive...and we'll both save face...thinking of my Canamerkin mates...as I sit here in a t-shirt and shorts...sipping a stubbie of Victoria Bitter...you Kitcoers are the salt of the earth...and whether you are Christian or not...may you have a Merry One...aaaand...slowly...quietly...start accumulating...start accumulating...you won't be sorry...Merry Christmas to one and all...Nick@C and family.

Dabchick
(Thu Dec 24 1998 04:04 - ID#258195)
Wednesday's Gold and Silver Lease Rates
For Wednesday 23rd Dec calculated from data published in Today's FT.
Period------------1- month--------3-month--------6- month---------12- month
$LIBOR-------------5.62--------------5.25-------------5.09-----------------5.06

Mean GoldLR------4.26---------------4.14-------------3.77-----------------3.49
Gold Lease Rate---1.36---------------1.11-------------1.32-----------------1.57
( Change ) ------ ( - 0.36 ) ------- ( - 0.25 ) ------- ( - 0.09 ) ----------- ( - 0.08 )

Silver Lend Rate----4.10--------------3.35-------------2.50-----------------2.20
Silver Lease Rate---1.52--------------1.90--------------2.59-----------------2.86
( Change ) --------- ( - 0.10 ) -------- ( - 0.10 ) --------- ( - 0.15 ) ------------ ( - 0.20 )
$LIBOR = BBA London rate fixed at 11am
Mean Gold Lending Rates and Silver Lending Rates are supplied to the FT by NM Rothschild
Lease Rate = $LIBOR minus Lending Rate .
( Change ) = change in lease rates since previous day

For comparison with $LIBOR, the FT rates for US Dollar CD's ( mid rates ) are as follows:
Period------------1- month--------3-month--------6- month---------12- month
US$ CD's-----------4.90-------------4.77---------------4.76---------------4.72
( Change ) ----- ( 0.00 ) -------- ( 0.00 ) --------- ( 0.00 ) ------------ ( 0.00 )
Happy Christmas............Dabchick

goldy88
(Thu Dec 24 1998 04:38 - ID#389171)
MERRY CHRISTMAS
To all Kitco participants.

Nick@C
(Thu Dec 24 1998 05:09 - ID#386245)
JSE Gold
Two parallel lines... connecting JSE gold lows...gives you a bottom channel...and a good stop loss point ( bottom line ) . Low risk, high reward.

Today bouncing off top line.

http://quote.yahoo.com/q?s=^jgai&d=b

Crystal Ball
(Thu Dec 24 1998 05:59 - ID#287408)
Bought PDG 10 calls one day too early, coulda saved $250
Turnaround time for XAU...mid-high 70s highly likely soon with PDG running up to 14-15. Wall Street running out of steam. Internets went parabolic, but momentum is dwindling fast. Bonds and $US look sh*tty. As SJK and Tol1 said, it could be a nasty 1/99 for the general equity crowd.

Ersel
(Thu Dec 24 1998 06:17 - ID#230376)
HAPPY HOLIDAY !

To all, from the chilly MIdwest ! May all of you and yours have a healthy and prosperous, golden new year, too.........

Love you guys !

eddie

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 06:46 - ID#26793)
London morning gold news
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/981224/dm.html

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 06:53 - ID#26793)
S&P cuts the credit ratings of the seven largest Japanese banks.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/981224/c0.html

rube
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:01 - ID#333127)
gold stks
I bought back in FSAGX yesterday,got close price. IMHO selling has dried up,Put my money where my mouth is.

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:02 - ID#26793)
Retail sales fall 2.7% in Mexico
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/981223/bcc.html

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:04 - ID#26793)
Retail sales fall 2.0% in Japan
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/981224/bg.html

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:06 - ID#24135)
jse-gold line through bottoms
for Nick ..
Agree your comment

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:07 - ID#254321)
History of Previous Attempts to form a European Monetary Union
All: Interesting summary. What is different about the EURO that will make it more likely to succeed?
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/Reuters19981223_2242.html

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:08 - ID#26793)
Retail sales fall 9.4% in Chile
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/981222/jq.html

John Disney
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:09 - ID#24135)
something else
for nick ..
maybe that chart doesnt show but an
island reversal is a possibility if
gold okay NY tonight ..

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:36 - ID#254321)
Gold Thoughts -- the devil's advocate
RJ: Thanks for the thoughtful post -- Gold to rally in 1999, US dollar to remain strong. My question to you is this -- the biggest threat to the price of gold is deflation -- perhaps South America, or Europe ( later? ) .

We know all too well what happened to gold when SEAsia collapsed.

How does this affect your prediction? Could we be in for a wild ride? Typhoon/quake conditions for the Gold bug Tsunami Surfer?

How about some comments about this -- to relieve my anxieties. If the US dollar is to remain strong ( no inflation risk in the US ) , that may mean that when deflation hits South America ( for example ) we may have a virtual carbon copy of the SEAsia fiasco. As I see it, a strong US dollar is likely to be an impediment to a $350 or so gold price. Unless the EURO collapses outright in Europe, or Russia threatens Europe with war.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't believe gold will go below 280/oz either because the CB's don't want this -- given what that implies about the strength of the US dollar. But -- if things get bad enough, it might.

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:46 - ID#254321)
Good Morning Donald!
Hope your holidays are going well. My daughter made it all the way from North Carolina yesterday, and bogged down about 40miles east of our abode. Sne made it through Tennessee before they closed parts of the Interstate.

As soon as it warms a bit, I will take my blazer and two sets of cable chains and do a little retreival so that we can all fly to Canada together tomorrow ( I hope ) . Spouse always grumbles about out unwieldy and often unreliable Blazer, but at times like this I only get support.

I can drive on 1 inch thick ice, as long as I remember to drive down the top of the crown -- right down the middle of the road. Usually no problem with traffic when this happens, as everyone else is in the ditches anyway.

Any thoughts about S. America? Are there any countries with enough gold left to sell that they could trash the gold markets? I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop -- have some Mexican puts. It is interesting that the Mexican markets have not been able to keep up with our Christmas rally, and look even worse than the Brazil markets. An accident waiting to happen, IMHO.

Gold is looking better and better, but lots of ice patches ahead.


PMF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 07:53 - ID#224363)
@RJ - Thanks and Happy Holidays
Appreciate you taking the time to summarize your views on the POG during 1999. Should be an interesting 12 months.

Cyclist
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:10 - ID#339274)
Drillers and Gold
HAL's head an shoulder formation,will make a clear thrust
to 40,XAU went positive,NEM resistance 18.We'll see

Aldebaran
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:14 - ID#256365)
JTF you were talking about South American Collapse and the price of gold
I think Argentina's CB sold all of their gold several years ago. I remember reading that aside from some military medals that had already been minted they were had sold all of it and were holding other nations currencies. I wonder how much gold these countries have. Is there a way to find out?

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:17 - ID#254321)
Well -- I may not be RJ, but I was right about one thing!
All: Looks like WJC will get a trial in the Senate after all.

xttp://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=101945?_review_text_id=81952

Please replace the x in xttp with and h.

When the WJC trial begins, if alot of dirt comes out, which it might, gold may very well go through the roof. Seat belts, everyone? Oh, I forgot -- no seat belts for the Gold bug Tsunami surfer. RJ -- do those surfers carry any new gear we should know about? I already know about the Santa Suit. Not as interesting as thongs.

By the way, I am still in positive territory with my gold equity investments ( 50%FidSelGold,50% FedSelPrecMetals ) . I was afraid to look until this AM. Currently 50% cash, 50% gold mutual funds. Debating buying more.

Happy Holidays everyone!

colleen
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:22 - ID#33164)
Happy Holidays!!
Good Wishes to ALL the Kitco Family - Merry Christmas & may the happiest days of 1999 be Yours!!

JohnD@CT-Did you hear the report of Mbeki's message to RSA on the radio?
He said:- !! ( :- ) )
" Don't drink & drive- We want you to arrive safely. Wear a Condom. "

Bart@Kitco- Thank You for the Golden vehicle to much awareness, many chuckles, & special moments.

SDRer
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:22 - ID#286249)
Before the family confiscates the laptop
and drags me back to the ski slopes,

I want to wish the extraordinary Kitco Crew a very Merry Christmas and a Golden New Year. Thank you for your wonderful insights and for your sharing ways.

A little business.
See that John Disney ( he of laser Wit and precious knowledge ) posted the 3P hamburger index the other day. Now, isn't it strange that the price of a hamburger is so varied between currencies, but the price of gold and the price of platinum isn't?

In January of 1997, there was not a 3P relationship between POG in SDR ( 212.400 ) and pog USD ( 305.941 in SDR ) 367 in 'reality'---or the 3p POG in euro ( 244.005 in 3P SDR ) and 293.222 in 'reality'.

By January 1998 they were beginning to get it together SDR POG 212.400, 3P SDR USD POG 288.007, 'real' was 289.100; 3P SDR euro gold was 262.721 and 'real' was 263.057. And since that time gold ( and platinum ) has had a tight 3P tracking. Coincidence?

Difficult to believe "Coincidence" when the precious metal tracking in the monitored currencies has maintained an astounding tracking over the months ( PM relationship index ) . When a tracking is accurate and aligned to five places behind the decimal, it is difficult to ascribe it to "coincidence".

Happy Holidays!



IDT
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:24 - ID#228136)
To All
May God bless and keep you in the coming year. Its been great having you as cyber companions. Have a great holiday.

Mike Sheller
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:28 - ID#348257)
To all the great folks at Kitco...
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

NOTE: Merry is to be defined as being in a state of enjoyment and felicity, but not to exclude other emotions and/or pleasurable feelings. Christmas ( TM ) is now a proprietary holiday brand name of the Catholic Church ( Wordlwide, Inc ) and must be displayed with the proper colors ( Red and Green ) and 50% drop shadow-logo as proscribed in the corporate graphics guidebook. Any unauthorized use of this holiday brand name, whether by commercial interests, corporations, or other religions of Christian denomination purporting to represent scriptural authority will be subject to prosecution by the fullest extent of the law. All rights reserved. "Christmas" is to be construed ONLY as the holiday celebrated at December 25, and NOT the Winter Solstice several days prior, which is an wholly UNAUTHORIZED holiday ( or holy day ) by the Catholic Church ( Worldwide, Inc ) . Any celebration of such astronomical or astrological phenomena shall carry the severest strictures of Church Law, including, and not restricted solely to, excommunication. Happy is to be construed as a state of enjoyment and felicity ( see "Merry" above ) , but not to exclude other emotions and/or pleasurable feelings. "Happy" is a generic state of being which does not specifically fall under jurisdiction of religion and/or the Catholic Church ( Worldwide, Inc ) . Those experiency such state of being are free to do so without prejudice of legal judgement from any such institution, however certain moral implications may apply. New Year is to be construed as the date of January 1, and the succeeding 365 calendar days. While it is recognized that there are other measures of the "New Year," notably such in the Jewish religion, and the Zero degree Aries point in the astronomical or astrological paradigm, "New Year" is herein to refer only to the commencement of the period so described as the 365 days attendant to and following the date of January 1. All other "New Years," and/or dates, do not apply. Holiday celebration is void where prohibited by government or competing religious faction.

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:38 - ID#26793)
@JTF
Happy Holiday to you also. Last night we had the first snow in two years that looks like it might last for a few days before it melts. Two inches on the ground this morning. Latin America seems to be slipping into deflation, hard to believe, but the figures from Chile were astounding. Mexico, where there is still price inflation, shows a 2.7% decline in sales at the inflated prices. Makes it kind of hard to do the math in a situation like that unless you have enough data to convert to prices in ounces. Greenspan was right when he said there is no oasis.

Bill El Zebub
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:40 - ID#261352)
FLASH...FLASH...Just heard CNN FN talking head say to A.G. Edwards
talking head..."The new whisper in New York is GOLD." My own comment is,
"gentlemen you may now start your engines!"

Luv ya,
Bill!

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:42 - ID#254321)
Happy Holidays Colleen, SDRer!
Colleen: I thought you'd like a little return on your investment! Did you know that the orbital periods of Jupiter and Saturn ( the biggest and neighboring planets ) have a ratio of 5/2 to within about 2% error? In other words, 5 orbits of Jupiter are spatially identical to 2 orbits of Saturn. What this means is that the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn are 'quantized' -- relative to each other. I also have a copy of the original article by that RCA fellow who was able to correlate short wave radio reception with conjuctions/oppositions/squares of the planets, with the big slow ones setting the 'stage' and the fast ones acting as the 'trigger'. Sound familiar?

I think that kind of information would make Mike Sheller go into an 'I told you so' monologue for about 15 minutes!

SDRer: My 2% precision is beat out by your multi-significant figure observations on the EURO. Sure looks like the EURO crew is nearly in 'lock-step'. George Soros and the like will be sitting on the sidelines, waiting to pick off the stragglers, IMHO.

All: I still can't get over that CalTech ( and Swiss? ) news about making the first transporter beam -- with serious talk about superluminal information transfer. And we first saw that on Star Trek.

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:45 - ID#254321)
Politically Correct XMas?
Mike Sheller: Glad you are here -- must signoff to get missing ice-bound daughter. Please see my post to Collen below. I expect at least one paragraph of 'I told you so's!'

Happy holidays to my favorite Astrologer -- even if I only understand a little bit more than last year! You have to be patient with this very slow-witted Physicist!

tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 08:45 - ID#20359)
Either it has snowed or our Commander in Chief
sneezed...

Donald
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:00 - ID#26793)
@JTF: Mexico inflation rate about 30% but sales are down 2.7% shows deflation gaining.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/981223/4a.html

ddb3
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:07 - ID#8763)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Thank you to all for another great year. With the extreme volume in the physical markets, it looks like 99 is going to be big. I have enjoyed the many different views expressed here, and wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season. ddb3

Frustrated
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:11 - ID#298259)
Happy Holidays...
Just wanted to wish all Kitcoites Happy Holidays and to thank each and every one of you for sharing your wisdom, insights, predictions and ideas. You have all made this frustrating year much less frustrating than it would have been otherwise. May you all prosper in every way in the year to come.

I hope RJ is right about his gold prediction for 1999 because I sure hate being....FRUSTRATED.

colleen
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:21 - ID#33164)
JTF@Orbits
Thanks JTF!!-

Intriguing, isn't it? Perhaps you & Mike could now work together on a few things -such as the EXACT timing for the rise of POG? ( ;- ) )

J Nelson's fascinating booklet..yes, most familiar! How does that one tie up with the Tides? & with Crook's correlation between his [new] neutron flux & the DOW charts?



Enjoy your trip & have a happy time. It's so hot here today, & I have to go & prepare that poor dead turkey for tonight.



Kind regards to you & your family.

Gollum
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:22 - ID#43349)
The turning of the tide
Half way twixt new moon and full
the tide doth turn from as before

What was a bear becomes a bull
fast of foot with a mind to gore

the tides of both sea and nation
continue their eternal cycle

Those appointed with adulation
soon find that fortune is fickle

The trends of decades cease and turn
as the planets move in phase

New stars are born and castles burn
clearly seen or lost in haze

The tides move in appointed round
One year begins as another doth end

Eternal waves of rolling sound
Weave out the great legend




tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:35 - ID#20359)
Happy Holidays...Enjoy...Namaste'...
A gulp and a puff to ALL from the Island that is Long...

esotericist
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:42 - ID#224230)
Happy Christmas from Thailand
Happy Christmas.

I raise my glass in respectful greetings to you all !

Kitco is a mentally invigorating family hearth to gather around. Don't tell Bart, but I'd pay for your intelligent free-thinking company if I had to !

Can't help thinking that 1999 will be OUR YEAR.

TYoung
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:43 - ID#317193)
Gollum...best wishes...
I assume the train is not running yet, correct? Thank you for the humor...fun...enjoyment...cyberbond...etc.

Tom

Crystal Ball
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:43 - ID#306416)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!
To all, Enjoy the Winter Solstice !! To our friends with seasonal affective disorder, put down your gold and silver coins for the moment, get out of the counting house, go outside and enjoy the sunshine!!! Peace and love !! Crystal Ball

Dabchick
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:49 - ID#258195)
Valuing Gold independent of fiat currencies
The Dabchick Gold Index closed at 66.41 in London yesterday. This is its lowest level since the index was started in 1982, and is below the previous low of 66.54 on 3rd Nov ( 7 weeks ago ) .
If the index can rebound from this level within the next few working days, it can generate a Buy signal which will re-inforce and extend the earlier Buy signals which are still indicating higher gold prices into 1999 and beyond. A fall in the index to 62.00 could negate these buy signals.
Merry Christmas .......Dabchick

Cage Rattler
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:50 - ID#33184)
Personal income surges in November, savings rate turns positive
Americans' personal income surged 0.5 percent in November. The most important component of income - wages and salaries - rose 0.6 percent in November. The combination of a large income increase and a small spending gain meant Americans' personal savings rate - savings as a percentage of after-tax income - was 0.1 percent last month.

tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 09:52 - ID#20359)
Crystal Ball...Namaste' gulp and a puff...Now...gold will rise...gold will rise...gold will
rise...gold will rise...The "January Effect" will become a term that will live in infamy for those that do not hold the metals...gold will rise...gold will rise...gold will rise...except for the sovereigns I will toss in the snow today for the children...heh...heh...heh...

Gollum
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:00 - ID#43349)
@TYoung
No, the train lies at the foot of dead man's curve. We await the reports of survivors. There is rumor of a falcon....

Cage Rattler
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:00 - ID#33184)
If stocks were athletes, internet issues would be tested for steroids !


Cage Rattler
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:02 - ID#33184)
Approach to Trading
'It is true that very often market conditions put traders under stress, even more so when certain key technical levels are threatened. During each cycle ( the period between two directional changes ) , some trades look good and others not so good, although a trade finally proves good or bad only when squaring time comes. The basic point I am making is that nervousness and fear are a trader's worst enemies. At this point comes the psychological question about the nature of any trade. Some people prefer riding a position until the underlying trend changes direction, others choose the in-out tactic taking interim profits between two basic directional changes. It is a matter of personal choice what suits each one best. Riding a position until the next major break or exiting, opening contras and re-entering? In the second case it is obvious that re-entries are usually effected at less attractive levels than the original break level. No problem here provided one really understands the mechanism. Exiting and re-entering implies that on the way some profits are booked. The human nature tends to regard such profits as own money, hence any subsequent outflow on a re-entry is considered as a loss, causing unnecessary discomfort. This is a classic mistake. Trading is like a game of poker. The pile of chips in front of us is not our money until the game is over. Until then they are only chips on the table, increasing and decreasing in volume. This poker game is over only when a cycle is over. Therefore, during the course of a game-cycle any profits and losses should be taken on an evaluation and not on a book basis. In effect, the net result is booked at the end of the given cycle. And at that point one can really evaluate his/her performance, it is at that point only where one understands that interim "good" and "bad' trades were neither a "brilliant success" nor a "the end of the world".'

Source: anon

MoReGoLd
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:05 - ID#348129)
@GOLD
I heard a rumor that Quantum fund is short 1000 to 2000 tonnes. The word was they were hoping for ECB selling to cover, but they have been unable to cover up to now. Just a rumor from a source in europe, anyone else heard anything about this?

RJ
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:05 - ID#411259)
..... Now I know how to get people to say nice things about you .....


Just say something nice about gold, yes?

Tis a fine and clear Christmas eve morn. The sun has forged the predawn sky into an abbreviated spectrum from pumpkin orange to the pale blue chasing the night sky across the horizon.

Since my week in Jamaica in November, I have found it nearly impossible to get into the Christmas spirit. Hot sunny days on the water and balmy nights are just to incongruous to piece together with Santa and the whole Ho Ho Ho thingy. This feeling of seasonal malaise lasted until this last Saturday when I did a pretty bizarre thing.

In Newport Beach, California, home to Newport Bay, the annual Christmas Boat Parade occurs in the week leading to Christmas. For seven nights, the rich and pretentious deck their bows with boughs and lights and all kinds of shiny things. They then motor their boats through the harbor in a grand parade of excessive consumption in their serious efforts to take home the yearly trophy for best boat. It is a local tradition, much loved by those whose roots run deep hereabouts. I remember Parades in the Seventies with John Wayne ( a prominent local resident until his death ) leading the Parade in his 60 foot trawler.

I have watched the parade over the years from homes along the harbor, on some years maybe from a comfy restaurant whilst sipping hot buttered rum and congratulating myself on how warn and cozy I was while the folks on the water are probably freezing their buns off. I have never ridden a boat in the parade. I have been toying with the idea of getting a sailboat, but I have no sailboat yet. All I have is my little yellow ocean kayak which propels me about the bay during the lessor inclement days of summer. This is the only boat I have. At 11  feet long, it falls quite a bit short of the 80 - 100 footers plying the waters of the bay, but the bay is as much mine as theirs. Perhaps even more so. These folks sit three stories above the water as they pilot their expensive crafts from the flying bridge. While looking quite regal in their lofty perches, these pilots are far removed from the water they ply. Much intimacy is lost as the living pulse of the water is buffered through layers of fiberglass, seat cushions, and decking, until the experience is more like driving a train than piloting a boat.

The view from the kayak is vastly different. There, at water level, every small eddy and ripple affects the boat. The very wake from one of the 100 footers can turn into a semi formidable obstacle in my kayak when it sneaks up on me and hits me broadside. Larger ocean swells are easier to negotiate than these choppy wake waves, whose troughs are too short to ride over. More than not, if the wake is coming at me head on, or from the stern, the consequence is no more than burying the bow in the next wave before popping out the other end and the wake subsides. But when these nasty, choppy waves surprise me from the beam, I am likely to take water over the side and be condemned to sitting in chilly bay water until that magical moment when the water stops cooling my butt and my butt starts warming the water. I try not to think of the microscopic plants and animals now residing near my most neither regions as, I am sure, they try not to think about me.

When I can see the wake coming beam to, I have enough time to do the "butt push" maneuver - which, I am sure, is my own name for a somewhat more sensitive, but no more apt name for this movement. It involves pushing your hips towards the oncoming wave while simultaneously pushing your upper body and shoulders in the same direction. The middle of the body is arched away from the wave. This rocks the boat up a bit on the side of the incoming wave while keeping the center of gravity low and, with some intuitive butt wiggling, the choppy waves pass underneath and leaves one's butt as dry as when one entered the water. This is what makes kayaking fun.

All this to say that I took my little boat out, this Saturday last, and joined the Boat Parade. I got some of those glow sticks - you know, you break the glass vial inside, shake up, and you now have a glowing stick in red or blue or green which lasts for hours. I attached these sticks to the bow and stern, as well as a few along each side. I attached a couple to my neon blue Gore-Tex ski shell ( a holdover from the Gaudy Eighties on the ski slopes ) .

Lit up, like the tiny yellow dart I was, I paddled out into the nighttime waters of Newport Bay. To increase visibility, I attached a couple of glow sticks to each end of the paddle so my movements caused beautiful glowing arcs as I paddled. This was a foolish enterprise, some would say suicidal. An 80 footer behind me, a 120 footer in front of me, and there I am paddling my tiny little boat right in the middle of it all.

Best I could tell, the majority of boaters in the parade had been imbibing for hours and were now properly lubed to drive their boats in any direction they pleased. In some of the narrower portions of the bay, they lined up nicely, and proceeded in a parade like fashion. But in the several wider portions of the bay, all semblance of order broke down. Drunk and confused boaters would turn on a dime right in front of three oncoming boats from three directions. The Harbor Patrol sat in their various boats and watched this melee with grim but resigned faces. As I passed on Harbor Patrol Boat, the deputies inside gave me a shout of approval for being the tiniest boat in the parade.

This was soon to become the norm. Folks lined up along the shore, or on docks, or on the decks of boats in their slips to watch the parade, gave standard oooos and awwwwwws to accompany the passage of the intricately decorated behemoths. These muted sounds of approval swelled in applause and shouts of, "Right On!" and "Best Boat" and "Alright Dude" as I paddled my glowing boat by. The multi-million dollar boats were pretty, but the crowd liked the plucky little bastard in the kayak. Beers were tossed and girls offered phone numbers. Captains of giant boats, upon seeing the approval with which my boat was met, waved down from their towering bridges and, for a moment, the captain of one vessel acknowledged the caption of another. A strange equality ensued and I was accepted into the fold. From tiny interloper to star of the parade in an hour and a half. I have felt the season in my heart since then.

Merry Christmas to all. Happy Chanukah too. A very real Ramadan to all. And a bitchin' Boxing Day for my British brothers. I feel good.

Thanks for the kind words, and letting me fill up these pages on occasion with completely unrelated blather. I still like you guys and girls.

As for the metals questions, I'll get to them later yes?

Ho Ho Ho

Ho


Gollum
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:08 - ID#43349)
Another page from the legend
Toward the end of the year of darkness it became apparent that a new star had been born.

The nation had been divided by a schism not seen since the civil war that had arisen from the fall of the southern knight. Angry fists had been shaken and the gloom that had passed upon the land was deep. The people had lost faith and wandered in despair. The seats of government had become like an enclave of seperate warring factions.

It became apparent though, that a man of great charisma had moved into the arena. A man soon to become a man of legend although no one knew it yet. He drew together opposing sides and soothed the harsh words of foreign nations. Only months before no had even known his name, but now it was in the news everywhere.

People began to regain their hope, and there were even whisperings of a new Camelot...

TYoung
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:14 - ID#317193)
Gollum...
I have heard that reports confirm a rainbow was sited streching from the wheelhouse to far over the horizon. Perhaps the falcon lives and will soar henceforth in search of a certain "pot" which rumor states resides at the other end of rainbow.

Have any very small Irish folk come in search of tickets?

Tom

JEW
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:20 - ID#25295)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
to all from northern michigan. thanks Bart for this site, and to the rest of you for posting. Jim Wray

Cage Rattler
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:21 - ID#33184)
Great market breadth ...
On CNBC - The S&P rise to new record highs has been fueled by 10 stocks, which have accounted for 46% of this year's gains. Unlike the DOW, the S&P is a weighted average.

Gollum
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:21 - ID#43349)
I am called away for pre-Christmas chores
Have a Merry Christmas.

Cage Rattler
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:26 - ID#33184)
Surprises on Christmas Day ?
"News that FSA will be reporting the results of its bank inspections at midnight today EST ( 05:00 Christmas Day GMT ) underscores the propensity for surprises on this day when all other markets are closed.

Japan always seems to release a lot of data on Xmas -- tomorrow brings cpi, labor data, housing starts, and industrial production, plus the final budget compilation. There is a recent history of wide swings in the Nikkei. Last year saw stock prices up 805 points intra-day and a +375 point close, followed by a 498 point drop on December 26th, and on Christmas 1996 the Nikkei went up 388 pts, trimming a 529 pt drop on December 24th. Talk about being whipsawed! Then there was Christmas 1989, when the Bank of Japan sprung a surprise discount rate hike on the markets. The biggest surprise in current markets would be some kind of announcement regarding the sales tax, but that almost assuredly is not going to happen. The yen has been less volatile than Japanese securities over December 25th, but prudence suggests that one going into this day with minimum exposure and to guard against violent market reversals afterward, should markets in Japan move strongly tomorrow."

Source: Proprietary Analysis

TYoung
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:26 - ID#317193)
T-Bonds....
Somebody throw the T-Bond market a life preserver...made of gold.

We watch this new bond market together. Yes?

Tom

Selby
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:27 - ID#286230)
All that's Golden doesn't glitter.
Have they all gone bananas?

By ERIC MARGOLIS
Contributing Foreign Editor
The rubble in Iraq had barely stopped bouncing when the Clinton administration
launched a new war this week against a far bigger and nastier adversary than
Saddam Hussein.
On Tuesday the U.S. unleashed a devastating, Pearl Harbour-style,
pre-Christmas surprise attack on Europe.
Washington imposed 100% tariffs on European luxury goods, effective in February, as a result
of Europe's refusal to drop import barriers on Central American bananas. A senior U.S. trade
official predicted the American offensive against Europe would "hit them where it hurts."
And how. Uncle Sam's wrath was aimed at sensitive targets as Hermes scarves, Pecorino
cheese, Louis Vuitton purses, bed linens, cashmere sweaters, skirts and pullovers and Mont
Blanc pens. Their retail prices will double if the punitive tariffs take effect.
Europe, sounding remarkably like Saddam Hussein, quickly announced it would retaliate
against "American aggression and bullying."
The two sides have been slipping relentlessly toward a banana war for years. Europe gives
preference to bananas imported from former British and French Caribbean and African
colonies. The U.S. does not grow bananas. No U.S. jobs depend on bananas.
However, two politically powerful American multi-nationals, Dole and Chiquita, were outraged
that bananas from their vast plantations in Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and
Nicaragua were being excluded from banana-loving Europe. It's not polite any more to call
these nations "banana republics," but bananas remain a huge business - and primary employer.
Carl Lindner, Chiquita's chairman, is a big contributor to both Republican and Democratic
parties, and a close friend of Bill Clinton. Banana and sugar rank among America's most
politically influential agricultural interests. Chiquita and Dole run the world's largest, most
efficient banana plantations that undersell and outproduce Caribbean or African banana
growers.
Hence the banana war, a conflict reminiscent of the spice wars of the 17th and 18th centuries
between Britain, France and Holland. A coffee war over designer beans is probably next.
Bananas are, as I remember, very tricky fruits. Three decades ago, as harbour master in
Montego Bay, I used to routinely supervise loading of bananas into British steamers. Burly
stevedores would first dunk big stalks of green bananas into a drum of water to wash off the
extremely large and hairy wolf spiders that nested on the fruit. Then, shades of Harry Belafonte,
a tallyman would make the count as the bananas were hoisted into the holds of white-painted
steamers.
The ships then headed off across the Spanish Main at top speed for England. Bananas, though
they look friendly, are dangerous cargo.
Bananas ripen quickly. As they do, their sugars give off volatile gases and a thick, malodorous
sludge - which, incidentally, counterfeiters would use in the 1980s as a base for fake red wine.
Unless properly vented, banana gases can explode. Numerous banana boats have been lost in
this fashion.
Europeans adopted a favourite form of Japanese trade sabotage to impede imports of Central
American bananas by discovering "irregularities" in shipping documents. A day's delay in
delivery could ruin a shipload of the fruit. This infuriated Chiquita and Dole, so they called in
favours at the White House.
Dastardly Europeans were not the sole object of America's commercial ire. Brimming with
righteousness and jingoism over the "victory" against miserable, defenceless Iraq, Washington is
shaking its big stick at other malefactors, such as Canadian wheat exporters, and Japan, which
just slapped a 1,000% tariff on imported rice to placate its highly inefficient but politically mighty
small farmers.
So, just as we head into Christmas, the world is locked in an international trade war.
Personally, I've decided to aid the war effort by not buying cashmere sweaters or Italian
handbags for any of my female friends. Instead, they'll each get a case of Chiquita bananas.
Eric can be reached by e-mail at margolis@foreigncorrespondent.com.
Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@sunpub.com.

Cobra
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:37 - ID#34459)
The Conductor of
the Train is starting to wave his lantern and is signaling the engineer.DJAV is generating a sell signal,March Bonds--us99h are in a free fall and may gap lower next week.. Patience is the watchword on the AU and the AU stocks, we may wake up after X-Mas and find a Golden Rainbow is shining outside.
CoBra

tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:45 - ID#20359)
RJ, Namaste' gulp and a puff to ya...Merry Christmas...kayaks huh...I know at one time or
another that you have worn one of my brother's lifejackets...yup...and you didn't even know it...heh...heh...heh...



Pu'ukani
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:48 - ID#22584)
Christmas Eve morning here on the island of Kauai
It is 62F, the mountains are covered with clouds but it is mostly clear out over the ocean and the sky is sparkling with stars. Soon I shall walk the 30 yards or so to sit on the beach, to meditate and then watch the sunrise over the ocean. A good way to rest from watching my computer screen.

At this time I would like to wish all Kitcoites a very happy holiday and a prosperous new year. Thank you for being part of my life. It is very comforting to be privy to the opinions of such fine minds, no matter what the political and cultural viewpoint may be.

Mele Kalikimaka and Aloha nui from Hawaii.


lady_bug
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:52 - ID#320202)
its been reported Santa left the north pole and is travelling
on a golden arch towards all you patient gold bugs

From Todays Gold Mining Outlook Comments:

UP, UP AND AWAY: The P/E ratio on the S&P 500 closed at 32.25 on
Wednesday, December 23, 1998, by
far a new all-time record. By many measures, the last time any equity
market was so overvalued was in London in 1720. Future generations will
look back in amazement ( or anger, if they're stuck with the paper ) .

HO HO HO
l_b from snowy montreal

EB
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:54 - ID#187109)
Happy Holidays even to DaveInCO...........(barkin at the moon).....
Dave - NEVER in these pages of Kitco have I seen you contribute ANYTHING to this forum other than to take the piss out of someone.........and RJ has been one of your biggest targets in the past........and you have NEVER said a kind word to me either. What in the hell have I done to you DAVE........EVER??!??!!???!? Tell me please. I have never met you and NEVER pissed in your cheerios. .....I await your excellent....... ( or at least something ) synopsis of this gold market. Please tell me what's gonna happen other than buying S&P puts that will mosy likely EXPIRE - WORTHLESS! C'mon Dave. I know things are cold out there in CO but it shouldn't make you bitter all the time.........cheer up Dave, have a HAPPY holiday.....not a sad one :- ( ( (

btw......thank you for posting ANOTHER of my better calls........

-------------------------------

Date: Thu Dec 24 1998 02:28

Dave in CO ( EB aces RJ? Don't think so. ) ID#229141:

When one predicts gold to make new lows so often, it's kinda like crying wolf:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed Sep 30 1998 16:17

EB ( helpful *H*I*N*T*S*....for all bandwidth-bandits.... ) ID#230216:

-

away...to watch gold top and come down again to make new lows

andwidthCop

go gold...

----------------------------------

If you had gone short on the 30th Sept. you would be MORE wealthy ( aprox 14basis pts=$1400/contract ) instead of LESS wealthy ( I missed the top by a few days ) ...........c'mon Dave, your supposed to print one of my BAD ones............you're making me look good here...thanks and G&P to ya and HH to you and yours....... ( smile ) ....AND had you gone SHORT the S&P 30th Sep............well, those PUTS would be worth HOW MUCH?????? Hmmmmmmmmm.........you calculate it......it's UGGERLY at best :- (

away......to fly to CO to spread cheer and good will.............

hohoho

NO FOOD FIGHTS FOR ME THIS HOLIDAY......I'M A HAP HAP HAPPY FELLOW............CHEERS TO ALL!!!

tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 10:59 - ID#20359)
and I know I speak for all in Wishing Bart a Hearty...Healthy and Happy Holiday...
Gulp and a puff to ya...thanks for creating this place...yup...uh huh...

TYoung
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:04 - ID#317193)
Does anybody have PM prices...
No longer able to have them load when signing on. Anyone else able to load and if so, what URL?

TIA

Tom

Smithy
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:17 - ID#288353)
Part Two of Dr. North's Dec. article
Last Sunday someone posted the first part of Dr Gary North's article on real money, Y2K and the banking system from his Remnant Review December issue ( with his permission ) . It was terrific reading. Can anyone post the second part or email it to me at simon@vom.com.

Thank you and Merry Xmas...

Sovereign
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:24 - ID#275201)
PUFF AND A GULP...
Off to inflate the balloons..Here's to inflation...and gold.

bridge
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:33 - ID#262351)
Closing time?
What time does the NYSE close today? Thanks

fergie
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:39 - ID#284228)
Joining the chorus of thanks

Just want to add my thanks to all those who contribute so much to this site, and to Bart for offering it. I truly have been blessed to have found you all at this site!

Thanks!

Fergie

Goldteck
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:53 - ID#431200)
The legacy of a nickel rushg
he legacy of a nickel rush Some struck it rich on Voisey's Bay, others learned painful, unwanted lessons playing the juniors http://www.canoe.ca/FPNP/dec24_voiseysbay.html


Cyclist
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:56 - ID#339274)
NEM
Short 17 9/16,looks toppy

TYoung
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:57 - ID#317193)
NYSE...close 1:00 EST
T

vronsky
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:57 - ID#427357)
golden-eagle'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO ALL KITCO
All the Christmas Songs ever written about this hallowed time. We sincerely hope your particular computer systems have sound so you may fill your homes with these many beautiful melodies during the holidays.

Please be aware that while the Christmas carols are
playing, you can be surfing the net or working in any
other program on your computer.

Merry Christmas and A Prosperous New Year to All - Westerman & vronsky

http://members.xoom.com/maverick72/christmas.html

AUwolf
(Thu Dec 24 1998 11:58 - ID#254130)
ohmm
Stock
Markets

Dow
9240.65
+38.62

S&P 500
1229.35
+0.81

Russell
2000
405.36
+0.57

NASDAQ
2170.46
-2.08

NYSE
589.79
+0.84

AMEX
665.53
+0.75
Commodities
& Futures

Gold
2885
+5

Silver
4935
+32

Oil
1081
-14

Gas
1905
-1

Corn
2202
+10

Soy
5456
+22
Bonds
& Forex

30-Yr
T-Bond
5.218 %
+0.026

10-Yr
T-Note
4.862 %
+0.073

Yen
116.18
+0.40

Mark
1.6820
+0.0088

Pound1
1.6713
-0.0064

Swiss
Franc
1.3752
+0.0130

1 Value in $US.
Last Updated Thursday, December 24, 1998 at 11:57:14 ET
http://cbs.marketwatch.com/data/dbcfiles/market_monitor.htx?source=htx/http2_mw

( sorry for the format... )

wert
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:00 - ID#234182)
A very Merry Christmas to all
For all Kitco contributers, Bart et al and lurkers may happiness brighten your Holidays and remain with you throught the New Year....Donald, Dabchick, Stu,stu suudio all the best keep up the great posts ............ best personal regards William Emmerson Ryan Willson.

Allen(USA)
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:12 - ID#246224)
Thanks Bart!
Thanks all! A very merry one for all who gather here. Until we meet again. See ya'll in the new year.

RB
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:14 - ID#410128)
To All
Merry Christmas from the "Carolinas."
May everyone have a safe and peaceful holiday!
"On Kitco".

EJ
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:17 - ID#45173)
Happy Holidays!
A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHRISTMAS

This has been rumored to have been written for and sung at a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel, Christmas party several years ago.

Sung to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is tapping,
Your phone.

He's buggin your room,
He's reading your mail,
He's keeping a file
And runnin a tail
Santa Claus is tapping
Your phone

He hears you in the bedroom
Surveils you out of doors
And if that doesn't get the goods
Then he'll use provocateurs.

So you mustn't assume
That you are secure
On Christmas Eve
He'll kick in your door
Santa Claus is tapping
Your phone...

longj
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:17 - ID#30345)
cambior looks on the bottom ready to revers to 5.75 or 5.5 in jan
http://www.iqc.com/chart/default.asp?period=120&chart=candle&chart1=bb&time=day&i0=4&i1=0&i2=0&i3=0&db=&s=linear&symbol=cbj

This is more of a question than a statement. I am a fool, not an analyst. Just a virtual trade on this one.

Speed
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:36 - ID#9337)
TYoung
Futures: Silver ( SIH9 ) is up to 4.93 Gold ( GCG ) is up to 288.30 with a 10 minute delay. The XAU is above 63.

Merry Christmas to All.

Thanks Bart!!!



Delphi
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:40 - ID#258142)
Kitco
Happy holidays everyone!

kapex
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:43 - ID#275194)
Bart; Thankyou for this wonderful site!
Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you.

longj
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:43 - ID#30345)
cameo looks better
http://www.iqc.com/chart/default.asp?period=120&chart=candle&chart1=bb&i0=4&i1=0&i2=0&i3=0&db=&s=linear&symbol=ccj&time=30m

this ones looking like a reversal is forming too.

that last one, cambior is not formed completely, and really looks like feb or march. JOPO.

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:55 - ID#266105)
lies, dang lies

Cage Rattler ( Great market breadth ... ) ID#33184:
On CNBC - The S&P rise to new record highs has been fueled by 10 stocks, which have accounted for 46% of this year's gains. Unlike the DOW, the S&P is a weighted average.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caught my eye the other day that while the S&P 500 index
was up 24% y-t-d the median stock comprising the index was
up 2%. I guess that's unweighted? In other words, an equal
amount allocated to the five hundred stocks comprising the
index underperformed a money market account.

Aragorn III
(Thu Dec 24 1998 12:58 - ID#212323)
All friends...
Fare thee well!

Cyclist
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:00 - ID#339274)
To all
A merry Christmas and a thanks to Bart.

Realistic
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:02 - ID#410194)
A year ago today (Educational reality check)
Date: Wed Dec 24 1997 18:24
farfel ( GOLD PRODUERS...DO NOT COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY ARE HATCHED! ) ID#28585:
If at the same time, the world is aware of significant reduction in gold exploration and development along with gold producer consolidation, then I feel certain $500 gold will prove a significant undervaluation of gold's ultimate destiny in '98.

Date: Wed Dec 24 1997 13:04
OLD GOLD ( Season's Greetings ) ID#238295:
Hope all Kitcoites have a happy and prosperous 1998. I do have doubts about the current rally, but am still very confident that the precious metals will be among the best performing investments of 1998.

Date: Wed Dec 24 1997 16:29
Puetz ( bpuetz@holli.com ) ID#222167:
Merry Crash-mas to all.

Crmblr
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:04 - ID#329313)
London Losses Break Chicago Derivatives Firm
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/bs/story.html?s=v/nm/19981224/bs/defaults_1.html

Realistic
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:04 - ID#410194)
Christmas again
Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Merry Christmas to all and thanks to Bart for a great site!

Lou_Jan
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:07 - ID#320136)
To Bart and Kitco Family Posters
Wishing One And All The Very Best This Holday Season. May
We All Realize Our Golden Dreams In The Coming Year!!

Lou and Jan

Skeptic
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:09 - ID#280110)
Y2k . Tortfeasor and other attorneys! Is it prudent to withhold Y2k noncomplianc e information
It would appear that there is a duty to warn if a company is not compliant and computer problems will cause problems and losses to another company. If a railroad said a bridge is safe, and it collapses, the railroad is still liable. If the railroad knows that there is erosion around the piers and does not fix it, the liability is even higher. If it can be shown that the railroad knew about the erosion and told everyone that it was working on the problem without telling that the

FOX-MAN
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:15 - ID#288186)
Merry Christmas everyone!
: ) )

Algae
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:21 - ID#252182)
quiet Saddam
The absence of response from Saddam and the Arab world following the bombings that extended into Ramadam has me wondering if retaliation will be forthcoming during the Christmas holidays. What do Kitconians ( Kitcoites ) foresee regarding terrorism and its effects on the price of oil and gold?

Why hasn't Saddam lobbed a missile at a ship or Israel or somebody? Doesn't he want to keep this stirred up, or is he really hurting, or is he a wimp?

Chrisophilos
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:23 - ID#277302)
A Merry Christmas to all Kitcoites
and a Happy and Prosperous new year, I know it will be happier and more prosperous for us poor goldbugs than 1998 was. Many thanks to Bart for this wonderful site that is Kitco. Hope Santa leaves a Golden nugget in all your stockings, he has a lump of coal for all the central bankers and hedge funds this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL

PMF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:26 - ID#224363)
Best Wishes and Merry Christmas
From the top and bottom of my heart...

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes to All !!!

Although we all have very different opinions, lifestyles, etc., we all benefit from the generosity of Bart and Kitco. Thank you Kitco.

I look forward to much more continued debate as we approach the millenium together.


Skeptic
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:27 - ID#280110)
Y2k Tortfeasor and other attorneys! Is it prudent for a company to withhold Y2k
noncompliance information when the company knows the problem will cause problems and losses in other companies? We keep hearing that the company attorney will not allow meaningful information to be released. It would be better to tell the truth so that other companies could prepare. The statements released are so general that they do not provide a realistic warning. A railroad bridge with erosion around the pilings may be a good example. If the railroad does not know about the problem it could be liable and be accused of failure to use due dilligence. If it knows about the problem and does not warn the users, it is more liable. Gary Norths post Corporations Are Scared into Silence by their Lawyers at http://detnews.com/1998/technology/9812/24/12240167htm explains the problem. With a warning, companies could make better contingency plans to minimize the problems. It would seem that a failure to warn would incurr a higher liability than withholding information but I am not an attorney. Pardon previous post where wrong key hit before completion.

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:28 - ID#266105)
the fourth estate gets its due

What sank Asia, lifted from SI Gold Monitor.

http://www.feer.com/Restricted/index_business.html

BigFisherman
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:47 - ID#258273)
Merry Christmas
Best of wishes to you all, and for your wonderful advice over the past year. 98 was a much better year than 97 for Kitcoites. May the trend continue into 99 and help you all realize your dreams.

May God Bless.

MidasWell
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:54 - ID#293421)
To all
Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the coming year. Thanks to all for the great education.Best present I could have received. Bart Thanks to you for providing this forum where we can discuss and learn about the intricacies of the metals.Peace be unto you all and your families.

2BR02B?
(Thu Dec 24 1998 13:59 - ID#266105)
an opinion on the impeachment media event

http://www.ditco.co.uk/altex/sport/trepan.htm

Denton,Tx
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:00 - ID#271215)
Merry Christmas Bill
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE IMPEACHMENT

December 17, 1998

'Twas The Night Before Impeachment, when all through the House,

All the Congress was stirring, even Conyers, the louse.

The Articles were hung by the Capitol with care,

In hopes that Saint Bubba would be trapped in the lair.

The Republicans were nestled, all smug with The Feds,

While visions of perjury danced in their heads.

And Barr with his rhetoric and Hyde with his trap,

Had just settled in for a long evening's nap.

When out in The Gulf, there arose such a clatter

They clicked on CNN to see what was the matter.

When what to their wondering eyes should appear

But Tomahawk cruise missiles flying like reindeer.

With a Presidential address, so lively and quick,

They knew in a moment, it must be Saint Slick!

More rapid than eagles, his supporters they came,

And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:

"Now Conyers, now Gephardt, let's forget about The Vixen!

On Barney! On Maxine! I'm no Richard Nixon!!!"

"From Capitol Hill to the Washington Mall,

Now dash away, dash away, dash away all !!!"

And then the Republicans heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As they scratched their heads and were turning around

The resilient Saint Willie scored another rebound.

No longer was he eating from his humble pie,

While assaulting Saddam with his bombs from the sky.

A bundle of weapons he had flung at Iraq,

It looked once again like Slick Willie was back.

His eyes, how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the hair on his head was as white as the snow.

The stump of a stogie, he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump - a right jolly old elf,

And the Republicans wept, in spite of themselves.

And a wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave them to know they had something to dread.

He spoke the right words and went straight to his work

Hard to believe that an Intern once called him "The Jerk."

And shaking his finger and thumbing his nose,

By "Wagging The Dog," up the polls he rose.

He turned to his spinmeisters and gave them a whistle,

Then they cheered-on Slick Willie as he launched another missile.

They all heard him exclaim, with Impeachment out of sight,

"Happy Ramadan to all, and to all a good night."


Snowball
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:06 - ID#290213)
To All
Thanks to all who have contributed to my golden education. Thanks to Bart for providing this forum to those who exchange ideas and visions. And for allowing those like myself to witness and learn from them.

The warmest of Christmas wishes to all! May you all be truly blessed with health, happiness, friends, family and dreams fulfilled. I would ask that all give a special thought,and prayer for those whos Christmas may not be as hopeful.

Happiness and prosperity to all,

DBog
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:14 - ID#267298)
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL


Selby
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:14 - ID#286230)
Algae
Saddam is treating the US with complete contempt. Just like leaving the lights on during the missile attacks. He has won the propaganda war this time.

Retearivs
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:20 - ID#413175)
Ave, cives reticvlis!

* * *

Have a fine holiday, fellow gold investors, and all the best in 1999!

A special and very large "thank you" to Bart who has put up with us for yet another year. He is the founder of the feast.

* * *


Mike Sheller
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:22 - ID#348257)
Knee deep in well wishes
I can see that there is not going to be much talk about gold here on this wonderful Christmas Eve, so at the risk of sounding like Tortfeasor, perhaps a joke a filmmaker & TV
commercial producer told me the other day is in order ( I will paraphrase in
my own words ) :

It seems that God has become sorely pissed with humanity and decides to
end human life on the planet. He calls the three most important humans into
His presence to pass along the word. They are Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin,
and Bill Gates.

He tells them all how disappointed he is in humanity and that he is only
giving the world one more month in which everyone can continue their
mortal shenanigans, and then He will vaporize the planet.

Clinton returns to the White House and calls an emergency meeting with his
staff. "There's good news and bad news," he says. "The Good News is that
there IS a God!" "The bad news," he continues, "is that HE is going to
destroy the world.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Yeltsin is saying just about the same thing to his
own people: "There is good news and bad," he begins. "The good news is
that I have seen the Creator and he is all-powerful. The bad news is that He
has decided to eradicate humanity from the face of Creation."

Naturally, Bill Gates, returning to his headquarters, calls a meeting of all his
corporate Directors and technicians. "I've got good news and MORE good
news," he relates. The good news is that I'm one of the three most important
people in the world. The other good news is that we don't have to worry
about Y2k anymore."



Envy
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:26 - ID#219363)
Wanderings
Left my office in Virginia on Monday evening, got in the car, and drove away. I didn't have any idea where I was going, so I went east until I got to the beautiful city of Richmond, then thought about where I wanted to go from there. North there is cold, New York and points beyond, south there is warmth, and so south I went. On my way south I had a nice conversation with the guy who was selling fireworks at South of the Border at the border of North and South Carolina, anyone who has been that way knows what I'm talking about. By 5:30 in the AM I'm having a wonderful conversation with a woman who works the desk at the Days Inn in South Point over breakfast, about 40 miles north of Savannah Georgia. Very nice folks down in Savannah, had fun when I got up late in the afternoon on Tuesday, did a little Christmas shopping on River Street, really neat candle shop down there and I picked up some Georgia wine. On Wednesday I got in the car and started driving home, when I hit Virginia things had started to get a little ugly on the roads and I had to drive at 40mph most of the way back to Richmond. I ended up safe at home early this morning and just got up an hour or so ago. I had the most fun on my trip to Savannah, but I didn't really do anything while I was down there. There was no point to my trip to Georgia and there's no point to this story, but then isn't that the beauty of the whole thing ? It isn't getting what you want in this life that's important, it's the journey, the trip through the blackness on this swirling rock, it's the walk down the road, the morning bowl of cereal, the kiss of a woman. My Christmas wish to Kitco is that your destination is bigger than Savannah Georgia, and that your trip is more interesting. I do not hope that you get what you want in 1999, but that you want what you get, that you enjoy your trip. Someday this is all going to end, that's the funny thing about life, from an early age, we know how it's going to end. May we all find peace and contentment in the holidays, and may we all find happiness, the happiness of the journey, the journey to our dreams, the dreams of our heart. My wish is that we all follow our heart where it takes us each and every day until our last. When you follow your dreams your heart is free, you find liberty and joy, you feel the greatest of emotions, you feel enthusiasm, "en" - "theos", "in God". It's through our dreams and our heart that God speaks to us, and it's through our journey that he works his magic. Be free, feel the strength inside yourself, release your heart, climb a mountain and scream into the wind.

Year2000
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:46 - ID#222107)
Skeptic - Y2K Issues
Most companies dont yet realize that they have major Y2K problems  or just dont want to hear about them. CIO's and managers in larger companies just establish a "deadline" for testing and resolving all of the problems, and then rely on lower-level managers to make it happen. A year ago, the deadline was usually 12/31/98, now it's usually 6/30/99.

IMHO, withholding information would mean that a company had a list of 2,127 things that must be fixed for Y2K, and would know that only 1,813 would be fixed in time.

Today, most companies havent yet prepared a list of problems, and therefore don't know that they have 2,127 problems.

Merry Christmas to all!!!

TYoung
(Thu Dec 24 1998 14:47 - ID#317193)
Bah Humbug....
Just joshing...good tidings to all. ANOTHER year is soon upon us...I echo the THOUGHTS of Envy...enjoy the journey. PMSP

Tom or Tommy or...

w/out permission : )

Gold Dancer
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:14 - ID#377196)
A Holiday thanks to all
who have made this site possible. Especially to Bart who has put
up with a lot over the past year and always come back with improvements.
I have learned a great deal during these past months from many of you and wish you all a very happy and properous New Year.

I have learned most of all that opinions, especially mine, have no
actual affect on what really happens in the markets. So it seems appropriate to just add my hardy thanks to all of yours for this wonderful site.

Thanks and best wishes, Gold Dancer

Gold Dancer
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:15 - ID#377196)
A Holiday thanks to all
who have made this site possible. Especially to Bart who has put
up with a lot over the past year and always come back with improvements.
I have learned a great deal during these past months from many of you and wish you all a very happy and properous New Year.

I have learned most of all that opinions, especially mine, have no
actual affect on what really happens in the markets. So it seems appropriate to just add my hardy thanks to all of yours for this wonderful site.

Thanks and best wishes, Gold Dancer

Bingo
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:19 - ID#263254)
Oh boy, it just keeps getting better and better.
AP: House Majority Whip Tom DeLay Urges Senators Not To Rush Into Censure Deal in Impeachment Trial.

He says they should all visit the Ford building to read the REAMS and REAMS of evidence against Clinton that has not been made available for public scrutiny. He says that the necessary number of votes will appear out of nowhere after that visit...

This must be the rest of the information uncovered in that $40+ million dollar investigation, of which less than $4 million was used to investigate the Lewinsky matter ( also the only part that was made public ) .

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:24 - ID#254321)
Christmas Spirit -- Daughter safely retrieved from ice storm
Happy Holidays, everyone!

Envy: I especially enjoyed your post. Adding a bit to your Holiday wish, I wish everyone the best -- as Envy was saying, and I paraphrase a bit -- what is really important in our lives is not our goals, but the travels in our lives as we reach our various goals. And -- what kind of spirit we have instilled in our friends and our loved ones. I am proud to say that our children know very well the difference between telling the truth and a lie, and neither of them were surprised that our Commander-in-Chief was impeached. I am very proud of our House of Representatives doing what was right, even though some received threats -- even threats on their lives.

My hope is that during my journey in life I can instill in others the desire to tell the truth at all times, to live a life of honesty, to do the very best at whatever one does, and never to give up, no matter how dark things get.

Incedentally, we thanked the rural motel operator who unlocked a room she was not planning to rent, so that daughter could stay there last night. There were over 30 people at that motel without a place to stay -- but somehow she got the place when it became apparent that she had no choice -- I honestly was not able to drive the 40 miles last night in the storm until late at night. Had an emergency at work -- 1500 people where I work -- and each of us depend on each other doing their jobs, especially during storms. One demanding individual was insistent on my immediate service, even when I told him that I was trying to reach my daughter who was stranded in a storm. His reply was, what storm? I was able to get my boss to cover for me, and then learned that daughter could wait till morning. It was very nice of the motel operator to realize what I had to do, and let her stay.

This is what we all need to do in our little way, person by person. It is those seemingly little things that we do that matter the most.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year -- see you all after Jan 4!

Rumpled
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:26 - ID#402236)
Merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous new year to you and yours.
99 WILL BE OUR YEAR!!

gagnrad
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:30 - ID#43460)
Japanese social breakdown news
I have no way of confirming the veracity of this post, having pulled it from an internet newsgroup. But if it is true it says a great deal about changes of the Japanese culture which make their future economic course unpredictable.

TOKYO ( AP ) -- The number of serious crimes, including murder, committed by
Japanese youths surged during the first 11 months of this year, according to a
police report published Tuesday.
A total of 144,228 young people between the ages of 14 and 19 were arrested or
taken into protective custody for alleged criminal offenses through November,
the report said, up 3.1 percent from the same period last year.
The report also said 257 were arrested for serious crimes, including murder and
attempted murder.
That figure was the highest since police began compiling such statistics in
1972.
Rising juvenile delinquency has led to a new round of soul-searching about
Japan's education system and the way children are raised.
Previous discussions have cited the tremendous pressure on Japanese children to
conform, and to do well in highly competitive school examinations.
In one of the most prominent cases this year, a 13-year-old junior high school
student in Tochigi prefecture, or state, north of Tokyo, stabbed his teacher to
death in January after being scolded for tardiness.

EB
(Thu Dec 24 1998 15:34 - ID#230216)
*Envy*
Now you're talkin baby.........

***********************************

Date: Thu Dec 24 1998 14:26

Envy ( Wanderings ) ID#219363:

***********************************

cheers.....live life.......love life.................ohmy!

away......to wrap up this work thingy



go golf ( ing ) ......

Pete
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:00 - ID#222231)
Happy Holidays to all Kitcoites from every corner of planet Earth.
As I said before, just unloaded all PM equities which will turn out to be a big plus for all. If I just used common sense and traded opposite of what I believed would happen, I would be correct 99.9999999999% of the time. Ergo, my friends, expect gold to soar shortly.{;- ) )

Peace,

Pete

Gazebo
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:09 - ID#432298)
Pete......
Your in good company. I too am unloading my positions in gold mining stocks. I see NO potential in them nor do I see gold moving any further to the upside in '99 then it did in '98 Merry Christmas to all and to all a very Happy New Year.

TheMissingLink
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:10 - ID#371380)
LGB: Loral
NEW YORK TIMES: CIA IGNORED REPORT OF PAYMENTS TO CHINESE FOR CONTRACTS

WED DEC 23, 1998 23:11:09 UTC -- CIA officers in China told headquarters in March 1996 -- by secret cable -- that a consultant for an American
aerospace company had made payments to Chinese officials in hopes of
getting lucrative contracts, the NEW YORK TIMES is set to report in
Christmas Eve editions, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

But for reasons that remain unclear, the cable languished in CIA files for years, reveals TIMES reporter Jeff Gerth.

A federal grand jury is examining whether HUGHES SPACE and LORAL illegally shared American expertise with China, helping it improve the reliability of their launchings of satellites and ballistic missiles.

Gerth reports that the failure to pass the cable on to the Justice
Department had been "an oversight that was now being reviewed by the CIA's inspector general."

The consultant is Bansang Lee, a Chinese-American who worked for HUGHES
SPACE and LORAL.

"It is not clear whether the cable specifies on whose behalf Lee would have been making any payments to Chinese officials, or what kind of officials these were. Nor is it clear whose money the CIA believed it was, or how much money passed hands."

Hmmmmm, lets see how clean Loral is. Bernie Scwartz, Loral CEO is DNC's largest contributor in 1996. Chinese military gives money to Clinton and DNC by the sack full. Clinton transfers control of technology export to the commerce department from state department over DoD objections. Loral writes white paper on improvements to Chinese rocket launchers/ICBM at the urging of their insurance company after explosion. CIA warns off Hughes about impending congressional probes. CIA overlooks Hughes/Loral bribes to Chinese officials. Loral/Hughes are true blue American patriots.

neer-do-well
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:18 - ID#391172)
Envy
" Gotta make the morning last" eh Envy. Heartwarming account, thank you.

Whatsmore I did take your advice " Never Listen to Envy for investment advice" DAMM.

Being non-everything I would still like to wish everyone a brotherly feeling from the niether sure as I am there is a spirit which unites us all.

Oh, mustn't forget...Bah-Humbug!

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:29 - ID#254321)
Tides and Planets
Colleen: A brief note so as not to bore our fellow goldmeisters. It is not just Jupiter and Saturn that have 'quantized' orbits, but some of the other planets as well. Complicated, though -- hope to unravel more of that during the peaceful time during the holidays.

The tidal cycle is closely connected with the Nodal cycle of the moon -- about 18.7 years, given the solar contribution is far steadier. That and the sunspot cycle of 22 years has a pronounced effect on our weather. The actual weather effect consists of a number of harmonics of these two cycles -- the ElNino cycles are connected to some degree.

The moon also clearly has a potent direct effect on the Earth as it slices between us and the Solar wind which bathes us in electrons and photons and protons and heaven knows what else! We as electrical beings are profoundly affected in ways I am just beginning to understand -- either ultralow frequency electric fields, or oscillating magnetic fields. Our bodies are such good electrical conductors that most stray electrical fields have little effect on us until they reach at least microwave type frequencies.

I have been hotly discussing the function of the brain with a Neurophysiologist friend of mine, but neither of us have come up with anything, except for the fact that our personal electrical signals seem to be highly distributed like a hologram in the brain. Our memories are probably stored as a transform of visual images -- as repeditive electrical signals that repeat again and again with little change except when the image is accessed, and the transform reversed. No connection with the motions of the planets as yet.

I still don't know how the motions of the planets affect our world, but they undoubtedly do. Perhaps by modulating the sun's sunpot activity. Roy Tomes work seems to be the closest to the truth here, with his relativistic analysis of the motions of the big planets, and the sunspot cycle. But -- this still does not explain the significance of squares, oppositions and conjuctions. My best guess is that the connection between astrophysics and the Mike Sheller type of astrology is that that Solar wind is actually more accurately called the 'neutral sheet' which extends in a spiral throughout the solar system -- bathing all of the planets in the products of the sun -- not just the earth. It could be that the planets them selves act like little anchors in this incredibly low density neutral sheet, and modulate it. The modulation of the neutral sheet then acts back on the earth-moon system, giving us the astrological events which we know.

One thing I still have great difficulty in dealing with is deciphering the mystery of astrology -- so I always go back to the stock market as my reference -- as that can be quantified.

As per making predictions about the price of gold regarding the motions of the planets -- I am far away from this. So far all I have been able to discern is that the lunar tidal cycles indicate broad turning points in the markets, and rising sunspot activity correlates roughly with bullish activity in the markets -- like right now! In about six months or so, the bullish effect of sunspot activity is going to wear off -- just about time for the Y2k crisis as well. But a prediction of market direction does not allow reliable prediction of the direction of precious metals.

Currently -- in the US -- I think the most critical predictor of the direction of precious metals will be whether more WJC dirt comes out and whether he is tried in the Senate. Perhaps Mike Sheller can peer into WJC's horoscope and tell us his critical turning points.

Did you know that Bill Meridian predicted several years ago that WJC would not complete his full term of office? Would be nice to know what he ( as a financial Astrologer ) was thinking about.


James
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:42 - ID#252150)
Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays to all.
I was feeling a little down this morn because of my recent mkt setbacks & also because the Mounties that I ordered from Bart last week had'nt arrived. They arrived a little before noon & were well worth the wait. They are splendid & my wife will cerainly appreciate them.
I'm glad to be able to show my appreciation to Bart, in a small way, by purchasing these Mounties from him.

No doubt about it. There is no metal that even comes close to gold for sheer beauty.

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:50 - ID#254321)
ChinaMissleSatGate
TheMissingLink: What puzzles me is that the trail of evidence is as clear as day -- but the government investigators ( investigating themselves ) have been unable to notice anything fishy.

Sadly, I must conclude that the only way any of this stuff is going to see the light of day is for enough people to demand the truth. I do know one thing about the politics of those in power -- regardles of party origin. You tend to do what you think you can get away with. And -- right now the public are far too forgiving ( and ignorant ) . It is ok, since most people don't get caught anyway. And -- doesn't every one do it? Now what what's that? -- Indiscriminant sex, selling secrets for votes, or perjury? Who tells the truth these days, anyway?

I wonder -- have any of the loyal supporters of the President thought about what the world would be like in the United States if everyone was allowed to do what the president does? Who needs the Constitution, or the amendments anyway? Why bother with impeachment when with a few words you can do anything you want?

After a time you can convince youself that you do not need a legislative system, a judicial system, or any laws of the land. Truth no longer matters. Just do whatever you want. I wonder, just how long would living a lie like this last before all our rights are lost?

Did you see the apology one congressional Democrat wrote to Henry Hyde, apologizing for Maxine Waters et al accusing him of trying to overthrow the government? I was impressed.


panda
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:51 - ID#50148)
Pete
FWIW, if you seek excitment in trading, then the NasDuck is the place to be. There are some NYSE stock that are Internet related that are going, going, .... As to the NasDuck, well I'm sure that you are familiar with some of the more REPUTABLE names. :- ) ) Next week???? The NasDaq has made a huge move up in the last few months! Any trades that you contemplate should be carefully monitored and kept on a tight 'leash'. This is a market that is very strong, but has run out of spinach. Trading is thin over the holidays. Not for the weak of nerves...

As to gold equities, I did some 'tax loss' selling of my own. The only trades worth contemplating in the AU sector stocks are the Blue Chips, and I emphasize the word trade...... Perhaps this Titanic will turn, but like the ship...

Merry Christmas all!

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:52 - ID#254321)
Better prepare for trip to Canada.
All: Got to run. Happy Holidays, with special thanks to Bart Kitner -- who has created this little virtual world for us -- and puts up with having hundreds of ( sometimes unruly ) guests every day.

STUDIO.R
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:53 - ID#119358)
@the blissful, peaceful echos of KitcO dance in my head......
while delicious aromas of roasting turkey and baked pies bring proof to my senses that all is is very well with this wonderful gift of my life. And those menial, missing pieces of what I often consider to be essential for my happiness, are safely kept from my sight tonight....a few wants buried 'neath a profoud treasury of blessings that I already hold in my hand and in my heart.

You are one my dearest blessings. Thank you KitcO....thank you Bart....and may your God deliver to each of you that for which you have dreamed and prayed. Merry Christmas to you all!

panda
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:59 - ID#50148)
One more thing....(Isn't there always?)
Look to oil for direction. The CRB is a disaster. When oil turns for real, the our lot in the metals will improve for real also. Commodities of a feather..... :- )

If the CRB keeps on going in the direction that it is presently headed, we will have interesting times indeed!

But for now, Tis Christmas Eve....

Greenstone Gold
(Thu Dec 24 1998 16:59 - ID#428218)
Merry Christmas to one and all..................

Aye,

Haggis

panda
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:01 - ID#50148)
Hmmmmm...
I'm checking my list...

Cueball
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:03 - ID#351148)
Holiday greetings
Certainly want to chime in here with a huge Happiest of Holidays

to all. May your futures be filled with good health and dreams come true.

jec

Goldteck
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:04 - ID#431200)
Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays to all and a thanks to Bart


panda
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:05 - ID#50148)
And to all

Hedgehog
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:08 - ID#39857)
kiddies just demolished the lounge room
for the people I care about........
"I'm so afraid for my country,
There's an ill wind blowing no good,
So many lies in the name of history,
They want to improve my neighbourhood,
I'm so worried about my brother,
He just gets sadder ever day.
We gotta take care of each other,
Or else we're gonna have to pay."

Paul Kelly

panda
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:12 - ID#50148)
Not quite a panda bear, but a close relative..:-)

Jack
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:29 - ID#254288)
Seasons Greetings to all the Contributors and Lurkers....and Bart who makes this site possible

Remember.......never bite off more than you can chew. At the dinner table or in the market.

Skeptic
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:30 - ID#288260)
Holiday Greetings Fellow Gold Bugs

We often learn the most from our children.
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter
for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became
infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?"
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he
begged for her forgiveness. It is told that the man kept that gold box by
his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an
imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us as parents has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
You now have the choice, you can:
1 ) =09Pass this on to your friends
2 ) =09Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart

As you can see, I took choice number 1.....

Happy Holidays


ERLE
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:40 - ID#190411)
panda, I should have acted on some of your
great charts and advice. I have learned a great deal from the concentrated IQ's in Bart's bullpen.
Panda's following of Agnico-Eagle as a proxy for the unhedged golds is a classic.
James; contrary to you, I like PDG's SA mine adventure. They probably paid too much for Getchell, but, what do they know? I surely hope that it isn't empire building.
The stuff about Las Cristinas in your 1:17 is news to me. Thanks for your commentary of the past, and I wish you crashing shorts and internet longs in your new year.

ERLE
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:46 - ID#190411)
Sceptic,
That is a warming thought. Merry Christmas.
Go toolmakers.

BillD
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:48 - ID#263456)
Squeezing in...

My wish for all to have a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperious New Year...and for us goldbugs ... a better 1999..

Happy Holidays all...

bd

ERLE
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:49 - ID#190411)
Merry times to the dopes that misspell, too
Sorry, Skeptic.

Isure
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:50 - ID#368244)
Seasons Greetings
Happy Holidays to one and all. Thanks Bart for a great site.

James
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:50 - ID#252150)
Bart@Happy Holidays & thanks for the site. Would also like to put a little plug in
for Richard, who was very considerate in trying to trace my Mounties, which I received today.

MOREX
(Thu Dec 24 1998 17:54 - ID#347172)
FBI report on blue dress
All: A publication recently received detailed that the reason the FBI report on the blue dress has not been made public, is that there was more than bodily fluids present when the dress was analyzed. Cocaine was found. Clinton's medical records have never been made public for what seems to be good reason. A drug addict and womanizing traitor is just what we need running our country.

Year2000
(Thu Dec 24 1998 18:05 - ID#222107)
WJC News from Matt Drudge
REPORT: WHITE HOUSE FIGHT; SECRET SERVICE PULLS FURIOUS FIRST LADY OFF PRESIDENT

Hillary Clinton has finally snapped! The First Lady has physically attacked the President, hitting him so hard she left a visible mark on his face -- and Secret Service agents had to separate them.

Details: http://www.drudgereport.com/

Bob M
(Thu Dec 24 1998 18:09 - ID#258283)
From a Lurker
Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year to all!!

Squirrel
(Thu Dec 24 1998 18:46 - ID#287186)
Christmas "Reality Check"
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good 99.

This Christmas may we take time to reflect on how much we have
and take for granted and how much we may stand to lose.

This Christmas it's buying Furbies and video games with credit cards.
Next Christmas it may be cutting firewood in return for a warm meal.

I too have been struggling with what late 1999 & 2000+ will bring.
Sometimes I hope it will be a "bump in the road" and we can look
forward to wonderful new accomplishments like nanotechnology,
more medical advancements, interplanetary missions, etc.
But along with these comes increasingly invasive tracking of our
activities and perhaps even thoughts & personalities ( by inference ) ,
ever more restrictions on our freedoms and more burdensome taxes
by our various governments. Y2K could help derail these efforts.

A "reality check" definitely is needed by "modern" humanity with
a re-ordering of priorities to emphasize the basics: individual liberty,
family, community and meeting simple needs of food, water, shelter,
warmth, clothing, health, and defense of self, loved ones & property.
For many this may mean a can of beans over a campfire by a lean-to
while wearing many layers of worn but warm clothing. For the lucky
and prepared in 2000 both Thanksgiving and Christmas may mean
sharing precious rations with a small circle of close friends & relatives
in celebration of having survived in reasonably good health.

May We Each Live Long And Prosper After Y2K,
Wishing You and Yours the Best,
Joe

Selby
(Thu Dec 24 1998 19:18 - ID#286230)
A Royal Oak Greeting
EPORT: WHITE HOUSE FIGHT; SECRET SERVICE PULLS FURIOUS FIRST LADY OFF
PRESIDENT

Hillary Clinton has finally snapped! The NATIONAL ENQUIRER is set to
report in its January 5, 1999 edition: The First Lady has physically
attacked the President, hitting him so hard she left a visible mark on his
face -- and Secret Service agents had to separate them.

The DRUDGE REPORT trusts the account to be accurate and non-libelous
because the NATIONAL ENQUIRER and President Bill Clinton use the same law
firm, Williams & Connolly! In fact, Clinton's private lawyer, David
Kendall, has directly done work for the tabloid through the years.

"Keep that bitch away from me!" Bill Clinton told one Secret Service
agent.

One inside source tells the ENQUIRER that the White House became a
battleground since the impeachment controversy moved into overdrive.

"The verbal fights between Bill and Hillary have been escalating and now
the President has been physically assaulted."

"Hillary just snapped. She lost it and smacked the President upside the
head. He was stunned. The hit was so hard it left a visible bruise, and he
put on makeup for several days to cover the red spot."

The DRUDGE REPORT has learned that the ENQUIRER is planning to run the
account in a Cover Page Screamer.

"Secret Service agents had to physically separate them to keep the apart.
Hillary went off to another room. At one point the President old an agent,
'Keep that bitch away from me. I don't want to do anything that'll get me
in more trouble."

The ENQUIRER reveals that just hours before the couple walked out of the
White House holding hands after the impeachment vote on December 19, there
was an explosion in the Presidential quarters -- the First Lady was doing
most of the screaming.

The tabloid also claims that Bill Clinton is back on the fast food train!

"The President is a mess. He's been gorging on fast foods again," an
insider tells the ENQUIRER in the special report.

Impacting on newsstands next monday.

GIBBOUS
(Thu Dec 24 1998 19:45 - ID#432395)
Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas, and happy New Year.
Watching the tube awhile ago, on one channel they were showing
starving children in Africa. Switched channels, and they had a 300
pound woman on an operating table, sucking the fat out of her. Some-
times I ask God why? I only hope that one day I know the answer.

plaintalker
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:05 - ID#225147)
Gold stocking stuffer:
Merry Xmas to all. A possibility for all gold bugs who otherwise would buy gold or gold calls- FCX Pr B is now selling @ 15 that equates to a price of 150$ an ounce for gold in 2003 with a dividend yield of approximately 6% in the interum, that assumes of course that FCX is still around in 2003.

Aldebaran
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:06 - ID#256365)
if your gonna strangle dec gold, go all out!
Well, Look at that! Someone purchased 1700 dec99 350 calls, 1700 dec 320 calls, 1700 dec 280 puts and 1700 dec 270 puts. Thats 6800 contracts. Thats a bit more than 3 million dollars. The position limit is 7500 contracts which means this fella already has 1700 that I didn't see or he can buy 1700 more. Wonder what this guys favorite number is?
http://www.nymex.com/futures/intnetco as of 12-24-98

rhody
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:09 - ID#411440)
@ Bart and all at Kitco: Merry Christmas and best wishes
for a happy new year. There, I have been trying to get on line
all day with server problems, and I am relieved that I have finally
been able to extend season greetings to all.

Rhody

ptwoskool
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:12 - ID#225369)
Speaking of journeys,
I have almost recovered from the trip I had ,yesterday,from Dallas to my home in S.E. Okla.A trip that usually is no longer than two and one-half hours,took nine.The roads were iced over and traffic was bumper to bumper for 100 miles.I have been cranky and tired all day long.

It is refreshing to see all the posts of good tidings and cheer.I,too,feel a familial connection to the good people who share their thoughts and emotions on this thread.I want to encourage all of you to keep trying your best and to remember the better part of you that remains when you fail.Good luck and may God bless each one of you.

Greenstone Gold
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:13 - ID#428218)
An opinion.....

"Most significant is the fact that that China has announced it is going to move some of its reserve currency assets into gold. Remember the 21st
century belongs to China, the world's next great power. This means gold
will return in the 21st century as the basis of a monetary system. It is
already being established in Islam. Islam and China are the world's two
foremost forces to reckoned with next century. European Central Bank
Gold Reserves could be larger than originally expected, too. Overall gold
has bottomed against stocks and bonds. The soaring U.S. money supply
( MZM at a 25% annual rate ) should benefit gold. The U.S. money
supply is growing at the fastest rate in over a decade. The trade deficit is ballooning. When the dollar weakens, gold should strengthen."

--- R.E. McMaster, The Reaper

mole
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:15 - ID#350145)
I want to wish everyone at Kitco a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
even Gunga Din er Disney. Unfortunately for the planet Disney, there is no infestation of sand moles; and remember, you buy when the enemy is at the gates and sell when the bugels of victory are sounding. Thought you might need that reminder. The demorat-stole that from Disney and I'm keeping it. Thanks to you as well Bart.

Greenstone Gold
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:26 - ID#428218)
There is a hole in the bucket at Fort Knox.............

http://www.usagold.com/cpmforum/

gunrunner
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:28 - ID#429121)
Merry Christmas to all....
.... and to all a very Happy and PROFITABLE New Year!

( even you RJ .... )

Gunzy : )

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:31 - ID#254321)
An opinion - Christmas is also a time of peace and contemplation.
Greenstone Gold: I also think China is about to reach for the ring -- all the more important that we encourage human rights in China now while we still can be effective. I am ashamed of our ( American ) leader for not understanding the need for this -- it shows he does not care for the Chinese people, and the future of the world that our children will inherit.

On the good side, one of my close friends has spent many years developing contacts with the Chinese in Taiwan. His patient, persistent efforts have paid off big rewards bridging the cultural gap. Also, where I work, we commonly have Chinese from Mainland China, and I think we have gained their respect in an academic type of setting -- truth and honesty still matter here. Unfortunately, I cannot speak proudly of our American political leaders when I communicate with our guests. But they do ( I think ) understand the difference between politics and the friendship of human beings.

Come to think of it, I am far more worried about the Russians I have met over the years, than I am of the Chinese. Recently the Russians I have interacted with are very hostile - as if we were the cause of their problems. The Chinese at least -- do not show this -- and are far more understanding of different ways of life. Even if their government is not.

So we should do more to encourage human rights in China -- but the biggest danger to world peace will be from Russia. And -- that is a much harder problem to address.

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:45 - ID#254321)
Fort Knox
Greenstone Gold: There is no way we can verify the allegations at the USAGold site, though they are interesting -- the most interesting being that the FED does not include gold as an asset in their finances, even if it is included for 'official' purposes. That could be for another reason -- namely that the gold is not to be bought or sold -- or that it is valued at that archaic price of $34/oz.

If I were AG and I found out that someone had pulled a 'fast one' with the supplies at Fort Knox, I would be carefully accumulating the precious stuff before someone found out.

I suspect that we will not learn the truth until the deflationary financial collapses come home to roost. Then -- there may be a close equivalent of a 'witch burning' in effigy of a number of financial types all over the world -- and all CB's will probably be required to open their doors, and show the gold that they claim they have. Then the shell game will be over -- for a few generations at least.

yellowcab
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:50 - ID#18355)
Merry Christmas and Thanks to Kitco
Merry Christmas to all posters and lurkers and thanks to Kitco for being here and providing a forum for all of us who believe in real value and in truth.

At some point this site will be overrun with greenhorns, the curious, and the new-gold opportunists. the gold bull will be out for all to see. this board will never be the same. lets enjoy the dying bear while we can. all right, thats enough...bring on da bull.

haulpak
(Thu Dec 24 1998 20:57 - ID#402183)
Merry Christmas to all, even the prez.
I'm now into the second glass of a fine Spanish red given us by a fellow goldbug and geologist. In a few moments I will go downstairs to partake of a plate of Poppa's spaghetti ( it ain't what goes in the sauce, it's the whiskey that goes into the chef! ) . Tomorrow morning #1 son will unwrap his first firearm ( single shot .22 cal. rifle ) . Yes, life does provide some very sweet moments.

Best wishes to all Kitcoites.

Carpe aurum,

Haulpak

JTF
(Thu Dec 24 1998 21:05 - ID#254321)
One last post for 1998 -- for me anyway!
All: I have the perfect indicator for gold - the Hillary index.

It is called the 'Hillary index', say 0 to +/-10. All you need to do is figure out what Hillary's mood is -- if it is bad, WJC is in deep trouble -- both domestically and as President. Looks like it is real bad now. If the makeup can't cover Bill's bruises, than that is probably a minus 10.

Why? Hillary has no reason to stick with him if he fails politically. She wants to be president so badly she can taste it. But -- it looks like it is slipping through her fingers -- all because WJC couldn't keep his fingers off the ladies, and then lied about it. You can imagine what she is probably yelling about.

Now -- the only problem is determining the temporal relation between the Hillary index and WJC's popularity. I would guess a month or to before whatever it is starts affecting his popularity -- after a really bad dip in the indicator.

Think there is an insider leaking all of this out -- how about codename 'deep throat'? Sorry, couldn't resist. Wait till Bill Marr or Jay Leno picks up on Hillaries latest tantrum -- probably by tomorrow.

I'll bet that Bill and Hillary don't even understand what marriage is really all about. It is not about political expediency -- it is not a contractual agreement. It is far more than that -- and it should last even when your spouse is in trouble - even if it is his or her own doing.


Greenstone Gold
(Thu Dec 24 1998 21:38 - ID#428218)
JTF........if I may...........

...add onto your new index.......lets call it the Hillary Root Index...

100%.......Bill is a happy man......
0%.........Bill is a very unhappy man, perhaps the cause of all his wonderings !!

Merry Christmas

Haggis

AUwolf
(Thu Dec 24 1998 21:39 - ID#254130)
ohmmm
O God,
bless our family
and all its members and friends;
bind us together by your love.
Give us kindness and patience
to support each other;
and wisdom in all we do.
Let the gift of your peace
come into our hearts
and remain with us.
May we rejoice in your blessings
for all our days.

Thank you all!
Peace,
Ohm!

Bingo
(Thu Dec 24 1998 21:47 - ID#263254)
Skeptic...your 17:30 was priceless and was forwarded on
to several loved ones. Thank you.

And, thank you BART for the home you have made for us. We appreciate your
efforts.

Go Bart
Go Gold
Go Truth

Happiness and prosperity to all in '99!

Crystal Ball
(Thu Dec 24 1998 22:10 - ID#287377)
@ Bart
Thanks for the wonderful site. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 22:20 - ID#20359)
Merry Christmas COLLEEN, you who have represented KINDNESS.. and with each
pressed key...exhibited warmth...Lady...yup...Me..Him...THE Island that is Long.........Salutes..............YOU AND YOURS.........yup...uh huh...


tolerant1
(Thu Dec 24 1998 22:30 - ID#20359)
Crystal Ball, namaste'
Namaste'.....................GULP...and a PUFF...the ALL that is me could never be...without YOU...

Love you and Lady M...

DBog
(Thu Dec 24 1998 22:42 - ID#267298)
Tolerant1: Namaste and a G & P
Tol1: Just out of interest:

What's the whether doing in your location on the Island
that is long ?



TPher
(Thu Dec 24 1998 23:24 - ID#372235)
Merry Christmas
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.