Philman's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/245404/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/176631-understanding-the-dollar-s-reversal-who-will-feel-the-pain?source=feed#comment-792283 792283
The motive is that lot of Senators and commentators have intensely critiqued Bernanke for instituting "dollar destructive" policies. The banksters want Bernanke in office so that they can continue their parasitic activity against the American taxpayer.

His friends at the international banking cartel are orchestrating an artificial dollar rally which will last only until he gets reappointed. Then, it will all end, and we will be stuck with 5 more years of the incompetent Bernanke. He and the boys at the Fed will create more funny-money dollars, give them away to their friends in the banking cartel, create hyperinflation, destroy the dollar, and save the casino-operators who are disguising themselves as banks, by doing so.

In other words, the dollar rally that may now be starting, is nothing but another fraud brought to us by the international bankers who wish to control the world.]]> Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:43:41 -0500
The motive is that lot of Senators and commentators have intensely critiqued Bernanke for instituting "dollar destructive" policies. The banksters want Bernanke in office so that they can continue their parasitic activity against the American taxpayer.

His friends at the international banking cartel are orchestrating an artificial dollar rally which will last only until he gets reappointed. Then, it will all end, and we will be stuck with 5 more years of the incompetent Bernanke. He and the boys at the Fed will create more funny-money dollars, give them away to their friends in the banking cartel, create hyperinflation, destroy the dollar, and save the casino-operators who are disguising themselves as banks, by doing so.

In other words, the dollar rally that may now be starting, is nothing but another fraud brought to us by the international bankers who wish to control the world.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/176558-why-bernanke-should-be-fired?source=feed#comment-790690 790690
Soon after this article was written, and as Senator Bunning and others were blasting on similar grounds, including an emphasis on the fast falling dollar, we suddenly are seeing a dollar rally. Hmmm...sounds a bit like artificial manipulation to me.

It is astounding that these banksters have gained almost total control over the world economy. They can move the value of currencies up and down at will, at least in the short run, and they can also do the same to gold and silver. Back in September, 2008, they blackmailed Congress with a collapsing stock market, in order to frighten them into passing TARP.

Now, they are trying to erase the valid arguments against Bernanke, by temporarily pumping up the value of the U.S. dollar, and causing the price of gold to fall deeply. Congress needs to keep a "stiff upper lip", ignore the antics of the international banking cartel, and reject Bernanke's bid for a second term!!

I am sure that, once he is confirmed for another 5 years, the collapsing dollar will return. These guys are complete thieves who belong in jail (at minimum). In the long run, there is no doubt in my mind that the international bank cartel wants heavy or hyperinflation, in order to bail them out of all the bad debt they are holding. Bernanke is their tool, and, in order to keep him in power (to preserve their own power), they are willing to do anything, including messing up their fake stock rally, with a temporary dollar rally!]]> Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:09:07 -0500
Soon after this article was written, and as Senator Bunning and others were blasting on similar grounds, including an emphasis on the fast falling dollar, we suddenly are seeing a dollar rally. Hmmm...sounds a bit like artificial manipulation to me.

It is astounding that these banksters have gained almost total control over the world economy. They can move the value of currencies up and down at will, at least in the short run, and they can also do the same to gold and silver. Back in September, 2008, they blackmailed Congress with a collapsing stock market, in order to frighten them into passing TARP.

Now, they are trying to erase the valid arguments against Bernanke, by temporarily pumping up the value of the U.S. dollar, and causing the price of gold to fall deeply. Congress needs to keep a "stiff upper lip", ignore the antics of the international banking cartel, and reject Bernanke's bid for a second term!!

I am sure that, once he is confirmed for another 5 years, the collapsing dollar will return. These guys are complete thieves who belong in jail (at minimum). In the long run, there is no doubt in my mind that the international bank cartel wants heavy or hyperinflation, in order to bail them out of all the bad debt they are holding. Bernanke is their tool, and, in order to keep him in power (to preserve their own power), they are willing to do anything, including messing up their fake stock rally, with a temporary dollar rally!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/173062-marc-faber-is-conflicted-about-the-price-of-gold?source=feed#comment-759823 759823
However, current price has been artificially and prematurely elevated by an upward manipulation on the part of PPT banks, who are also the most influential clearing members of COMEX. That's right...gold is not only manipulated on the downside. The recent upward manipulation is a break with the recent past, but it is by no means an isolated incident. Whenever it creates higher profits for the PPT banks, they forget about the needs of the Federal Reserve, and gold is manipulated upwards also. Remember, volatility is the mother of profit on Wall Street.

This most recent upward manipulation was done 1) to sell the Barrick gold mining public offering shares quickly, 2) to help the IMF get a better price on its gold from India/China, and, most importantly, 3) to draw in new leveraged long players, in order to harvest their cash deposits (margin) in the near future.

The upward manipulation has been applied to both gold and silver. I suspect that they wanted to make sure that silver moved in tandem with gold. Silver charts look ominous right now, with a narrowing wedge and head and shoulders top having formed in classical fashion. It is ripe for a huge fall according to all understanding of classical technical analysis. The only thing that might save it is a massive change in sentiment arising out of a war, or big terrorist attack. But, I think the silver chart probably applies to gold, also, although we are not seeing it because of the current enthusiasm over central bank buying. As soon as that changes, however, the gold chart will revert to the same ominous patterns as we see in silver.

At any rate, current CB interest in gold, and Barrick's ongoing buying back of its hedges, is bolstering the gold chart. Once the dollar starts rising, however, Asian CBs are going to temporarily lose interest in gold, and the gold chart will probably start looking just as ominous as the silver chart and the chart of the DJIA/S&P500. All asset classes, including precious metals, are currently overpriced, because the Fed has been injecting so much cash into the financial system.

All assets, but especially silver, are going to experience a DEEP collapse within the next 3-6 months. Gold could go as low as $800, again, and silver to about $8 per troy ounce in the short run. This will happen as PPT artificially props up the dollar to, perhaps, 93 on the DX. They are sure to do this in order to stop Asian CBs from abandoning the U.S. currency, prior to the time that the U.S. is finished selling its worthless bonds.

Manipulations are quite effective in the short to medium term. However, in the longer run, the dollar is doomed, and this will support gold, causing it to rise, eventually, to $6,000 +. It won't be a "real" rise, because all that will really be happening is that the dollar and other paper currencies will be collapsing, but it will seem quite real, for those who have rid themselves of the paper. I'll be waiting and watching, and when the time is right, I'll buy more of both!]]> Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:47:23 -0500
However, current price has been artificially and prematurely elevated by an upward manipulation on the part of PPT banks, who are also the most influential clearing members of COMEX. That's right...gold is not only manipulated on the downside. The recent upward manipulation is a break with the recent past, but it is by no means an isolated incident. Whenever it creates higher profits for the PPT banks, they forget about the needs of the Federal Reserve, and gold is manipulated upwards also. Remember, volatility is the mother of profit on Wall Street.

This most recent upward manipulation was done 1) to sell the Barrick gold mining public offering shares quickly, 2) to help the IMF get a better price on its gold from India/China, and, most importantly, 3) to draw in new leveraged long players, in order to harvest their cash deposits (margin) in the near future.

The upward manipulation has been applied to both gold and silver. I suspect that they wanted to make sure that silver moved in tandem with gold. Silver charts look ominous right now, with a narrowing wedge and head and shoulders top having formed in classical fashion. It is ripe for a huge fall according to all understanding of classical technical analysis. The only thing that might save it is a massive change in sentiment arising out of a war, or big terrorist attack. But, I think the silver chart probably applies to gold, also, although we are not seeing it because of the current enthusiasm over central bank buying. As soon as that changes, however, the gold chart will revert to the same ominous patterns as we see in silver.

At any rate, current CB interest in gold, and Barrick's ongoing buying back of its hedges, is bolstering the gold chart. Once the dollar starts rising, however, Asian CBs are going to temporarily lose interest in gold, and the gold chart will probably start looking just as ominous as the silver chart and the chart of the DJIA/S&P500. All asset classes, including precious metals, are currently overpriced, because the Fed has been injecting so much cash into the financial system.

All assets, but especially silver, are going to experience a DEEP collapse within the next 3-6 months. Gold could go as low as $800, again, and silver to about $8 per troy ounce in the short run. This will happen as PPT artificially props up the dollar to, perhaps, 93 on the DX. They are sure to do this in order to stop Asian CBs from abandoning the U.S. currency, prior to the time that the U.S. is finished selling its worthless bonds.

Manipulations are quite effective in the short to medium term. However, in the longer run, the dollar is doomed, and this will support gold, causing it to rise, eventually, to $6,000 +. It won't be a "real" rise, because all that will really be happening is that the dollar and other paper currencies will be collapsing, but it will seem quite real, for those who have rid themselves of the paper. I'll be waiting and watching, and when the time is right, I'll buy more of both!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/162375-first-time-homebuyer-credit-may-cost-government-up-to-96-000-per-home?source=feed#comment-684555 684555
The real question posed by this article is the efficient vs. inefficient spending of money by the government. Obviously, the people's taxes, past, present and future, should not be spend in the interest of helping particular lobbies, like that of banks, real estate brokers, and home builders. The People's money ought not to find its way, preferentially, into their greedy pockets, and out of the pockets of the rest of us, just because they have managed to hoodwink or control our politicians.

This nation has a crumbling infrastructure - roads, bridges, tunnels, etc., that all need to be fixed. The education system is very poor quality compared to other countries also. We should be spending our money on things like that, if on anything, to help everyone, not just the selfish interests of narrow minded people like you, Paul, and others who I strongly suspect work in either the banking, brokerage, or home building industries.

Why didn't the realtors and home builders save up money for bad times, while they were making money hand over fist, during the boom? Why didn't the banks do the same? They didn't, because the economically incompetent people in those industries didn't think about tomorrow, only about today, and, now, with their lobbyists hard at work, in Washington, stealing money from the rest of us, they are going to transfer the suffering that comes from such incompetence away from themselves, and onto the rest of us.

Let those who deserve to go bankrupt, go bankrupt, and be done with it! That is the best way to recover, according to Jim Rogers. These bad debts need to be written off, not as a result of the bankruptcy of the United States of America, as a nation, 3 years from now, but by the bankruptcy of all the incompetents who caused this Crisis, and the banks, brokerage houses, real estate firms, and home builders that they work for. Don't steal from good people and give the money to bad people. That is what this article is really all about!]]> Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:42:28 -0400
The real question posed by this article is the efficient vs. inefficient spending of money by the government. Obviously, the people's taxes, past, present and future, should not be spend in the interest of helping particular lobbies, like that of banks, real estate brokers, and home builders. The People's money ought not to find its way, preferentially, into their greedy pockets, and out of the pockets of the rest of us, just because they have managed to hoodwink or control our politicians.

This nation has a crumbling infrastructure - roads, bridges, tunnels, etc., that all need to be fixed. The education system is very poor quality compared to other countries also. We should be spending our money on things like that, if on anything, to help everyone, not just the selfish interests of narrow minded people like you, Paul, and others who I strongly suspect work in either the banking, brokerage, or home building industries.

Why didn't the realtors and home builders save up money for bad times, while they were making money hand over fist, during the boom? Why didn't the banks do the same? They didn't, because the economically incompetent people in those industries didn't think about tomorrow, only about today, and, now, with their lobbyists hard at work, in Washington, stealing money from the rest of us, they are going to transfer the suffering that comes from such incompetence away from themselves, and onto the rest of us.

Let those who deserve to go bankrupt, go bankrupt, and be done with it! That is the best way to recover, according to Jim Rogers. These bad debts need to be written off, not as a result of the bankruptcy of the United States of America, as a nation, 3 years from now, but by the bankruptcy of all the incompetents who caused this Crisis, and the banks, brokerage houses, real estate firms, and home builders that they work for. Don't steal from good people and give the money to bad people. That is what this article is really all about!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/160744-hong-kong-s-gold-move-means-nothing?source=feed#comment-669948 669948 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:06:38 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/160744-hong-kong-s-gold-move-means-nothing?source=feed#comment-669941 669941
That was back when gold was in the low $700s, and he was telling people that in a few months, it would soar. He was right and you were wrong. Doesn't that say something to you? Perhaps, that you either have blinders on, or are in denial...

That being said, I think that you are right about gold not going substantially over $1,000 per ounce, quite yet.]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:57:54 -0400
That was back when gold was in the low $700s, and he was telling people that in a few months, it would soar. He was right and you were wrong. Doesn't that say something to you? Perhaps, that you either have blinders on, or are in denial...

That being said, I think that you are right about gold not going substantially over $1,000 per ounce, quite yet.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/157655-is-it-a-stock-market-rally-or-a-dollar-devaluation?source=feed#comment-642823 642823
The scheme being carried out is very sophisticated. Right now, strangely enough, because we are still very much inside a depression, the "dash for cash" that started last summer, around mid-July, and got really severe after the Lehman Brothers collapse, is still ongoing. There is still an intense, though temporary, demand for dollars, in world markets. The demand exists because dollar based real estate oriented asset prices are collapsing, and European banks have a lot of dollar denominated assets, which they obtained using leverage, or borrowed dollars. An example is RBS, which has some $40 billion in structured notes.

The Fed and the corrupt cabal of banksters who control it used this dollar demand to create an artificial rally. The Fed provides money to the PPT banks to buy stock index futures, which are purchased, in all probability, using programs similar to the manipulative Goldman Sachs proprietary trading software that the U.S. attorney's office warned "could be used to unfairly manipulate markets if it gets in the wrong hands." The program buys the index futures timed in a way that jibes with the technicals of the market, persistently pumping prices up in the futures markets. Meanwhile, arbitragers in the real cash market will even out the difference between the cash value of the market and the futures. In this way, the Fed can pump up the market using the least capital, since futures can be purchased at high leverage.

The main problem is that the newly printed cash (or cash from sequestered reserves printed in September, 2008) is eventually released into the money markets after the futures are purchased. That means more dollar supply for the same demand. Because they have pumped tens of billions of dollars into this program, over the course of this rally, they have overwhelmed the increased dollar demand in Europe, and the dollar has fallen substantially. If they had done the same thing, at almost any other time in history, the U.S. dollar would have utterly collapsed, and we would already be suffering from hyperinflation. However, they are getting away with a relatively small fall in the dollar, because of the temporary conditions that now prevail.

Now, you know the rest of the story about why the dollar has gone down only 18% while the markets are up by 52%.]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:16:46 -0400
The scheme being carried out is very sophisticated. Right now, strangely enough, because we are still very much inside a depression, the "dash for cash" that started last summer, around mid-July, and got really severe after the Lehman Brothers collapse, is still ongoing. There is still an intense, though temporary, demand for dollars, in world markets. The demand exists because dollar based real estate oriented asset prices are collapsing, and European banks have a lot of dollar denominated assets, which they obtained using leverage, or borrowed dollars. An example is RBS, which has some $40 billion in structured notes.

The Fed and the corrupt cabal of banksters who control it used this dollar demand to create an artificial rally. The Fed provides money to the PPT banks to buy stock index futures, which are purchased, in all probability, using programs similar to the manipulative Goldman Sachs proprietary trading software that the U.S. attorney's office warned "could be used to unfairly manipulate markets if it gets in the wrong hands." The program buys the index futures timed in a way that jibes with the technicals of the market, persistently pumping prices up in the futures markets. Meanwhile, arbitragers in the real cash market will even out the difference between the cash value of the market and the futures. In this way, the Fed can pump up the market using the least capital, since futures can be purchased at high leverage.

The main problem is that the newly printed cash (or cash from sequestered reserves printed in September, 2008) is eventually released into the money markets after the futures are purchased. That means more dollar supply for the same demand. Because they have pumped tens of billions of dollars into this program, over the course of this rally, they have overwhelmed the increased dollar demand in Europe, and the dollar has fallen substantially. If they had done the same thing, at almost any other time in history, the U.S. dollar would have utterly collapsed, and we would already be suffering from hyperinflation. However, they are getting away with a relatively small fall in the dollar, because of the temporary conditions that now prevail.

Now, you know the rest of the story about why the dollar has gone down only 18% while the markets are up by 52%.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/157624-proposal-for-fed-to-become-the-next-aig?source=feed#comment-640948 640948
"The Treasury International Capital (TIC) reporting system collects data for the United States on cross-border portfolio investment flows and positions between U.S. residents (including U.S.-based branches of firms headquartered in other countries) and foreign residents (including offshore branches of U.S. firms)."

How does that convert to the Federal Reserve creating derivatives? If I am not seeing something here, please advise.]]> Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:04:01 -0400
"The Treasury International Capital (TIC) reporting system collects data for the United States on cross-border portfolio investment flows and positions between U.S. residents (including U.S.-based branches of firms headquartered in other countries) and foreign residents (including offshore branches of U.S. firms)."

How does that convert to the Federal Reserve creating derivatives? If I am not seeing something here, please advise.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/157050-taylor-rule-estimate-fed-fund-rate-differential-at-a-whopping-6-8?source=feed#comment-638060 638060 shadowstats.com calculates the current inflation rate to be a little less than 6%, down from over 12% last year. That is reality.

Oh, but you're not including housing, you might claim. So what? Housing wasn't included on the upside, either. If we did include housing, we would have had a 20%+ inflation rate for the last 9 years. It was the Fed's policy not to mess with bubbles. Now, it is their policy to reflate them?

Taking rates down below zero by quantitative easing is punishment for the careful honest savers, and a free gift to the prolifigate spenders and wasters, who caused the worldwide economic Crisis. It shouldn't be done. It MUST NOT BE DONE! If it continues to be done, a point of no return will come, like in Weimar Germany 1919-23. I'm sure that if you run your ridiculous "Taylor formula" you would have claimed that the Germans, back in that era needed to print money, also. Well, they did, and, a few years later, people had lost so much faith in the German mark had devalued to 1 trillion to 1 compared to the pre-WW I value of the paper mark.]]> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:12:50 -0400 shadowstats.com calculates the current inflation rate to be a little less than 6%, down from over 12% last year. That is reality.

Oh, but you're not including housing, you might claim. So what? Housing wasn't included on the upside, either. If we did include housing, we would have had a 20%+ inflation rate for the last 9 years. It was the Fed's policy not to mess with bubbles. Now, it is their policy to reflate them?

Taking rates down below zero by quantitative easing is punishment for the careful honest savers, and a free gift to the prolifigate spenders and wasters, who caused the worldwide economic Crisis. It shouldn't be done. It MUST NOT BE DONE! If it continues to be done, a point of no return will come, like in Weimar Germany 1919-23. I'm sure that if you run your ridiculous "Taylor formula" you would have claimed that the Germans, back in that era needed to print money, also. Well, they did, and, a few years later, people had lost so much faith in the German mark had devalued to 1 trillion to 1 compared to the pre-WW I value of the paper mark.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/156417-will-the-market-crash?source=feed#comment-635094 635094 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:25:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/156417-will-the-market-crash?source=feed#comment-635089 635089
On Aug 18 01:08 AM Mad Hedge Fund Trader wrote:

> rtyu. Wow! One triple digit move down in the Dow, and all of a sudden, everyone is bearish. ]]> Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:21:22 -0400
On Aug 18 01:08 AM Mad Hedge Fund Trader wrote:

> rtyu. Wow! One triple digit move down in the Dow, and all of a sudden, everyone is bearish. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/156417-will-the-market-crash?source=feed#comment-632994 632994 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:41:38 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/152909-cash-for-clunkers-may-cost-up-to-45-354-per-vehicle?source=feed#comment-611945 611945
Where the heck do you think this money is coming from? The sky? Every dollar that your father was given by Cash for Clunkers, and Chrysler, was stolen from the pockets of our children and children's children. We are irresponsibly building up a national debt that cannot be paid back. That will result in complete dollar collapse and economic collapse eventually.

The first $4,500 came from the "Cash for Clunkers" program, the second $4,500 came from the Chrysler bailout money. You people are so selfish and self interested, it disgusts me! Obviously, you are okay with stealing from other taxpayers. I'm not!


On Aug 02 01:36 PM Laughing wrote:

> who cares its called helping out the poor people by giving them a
> little extra cash, what a lame article. I talked my father into
> buying a new car, he traded in his 1981 station wagon, rust and all,
> got $4500 plus $4500 more for buying a Crystler, wound up paying
> 18k. I gave him the money to do it, I didn't need a second car either
> but was worried ever since he told me about how the brakes went out
> while he was driving it and he had to downshift and use parking brake
> just to stop!!! You tell me where else anyone could have got 9k
> for a car worth $400 (and who would have even bought it, trust me!)?
> Its a great program, he would never have bought a car otherwise and
> now I have a ride next time I'm in town visiting.]]> Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:50:14 -0400
Where the heck do you think this money is coming from? The sky? Every dollar that your father was given by Cash for Clunkers, and Chrysler, was stolen from the pockets of our children and children's children. We are irresponsibly building up a national debt that cannot be paid back. That will result in complete dollar collapse and economic collapse eventually.

The first $4,500 came from the "Cash for Clunkers" program, the second $4,500 came from the Chrysler bailout money. You people are so selfish and self interested, it disgusts me! Obviously, you are okay with stealing from other taxpayers. I'm not!


On Aug 02 01:36 PM Laughing wrote:

> who cares its called helping out the poor people by giving them a
> little extra cash, what a lame article. I talked my father into
> buying a new car, he traded in his 1981 station wagon, rust and all,
> got $4500 plus $4500 more for buying a Crystler, wound up paying
> 18k. I gave him the money to do it, I didn't need a second car either
> but was worried ever since he told me about how the brakes went out
> while he was driving it and he had to downshift and use parking brake
> just to stop!!! You tell me where else anyone could have got 9k
> for a car worth $400 (and who would have even bought it, trust me!)?
> Its a great program, he would never have bought a car otherwise and
> now I have a ride next time I'm in town visiting.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/152909-cash-for-clunkers-may-cost-up-to-45-354-per-vehicle?source=feed#comment-611266 611266
The "Cash for Clunkers" program is yet more welfare for the well-to-do. People who aren't rich enough to qualify for the hefty loans needed to buy a brand new car (and the cost of a new car is hefty, even with government giveaway money) are sh-t of of luck! They pay taxes, and their money gets given away to richer folks who just need a little incentive to buy new cars.

Meanwhile, a lot of quality used cars are going to be junked, driving up the price of used cars for the rest of us! Fat cats, like Machiavelli, obviously don't give a damn about anyone less fortunate than you. So, just like his namesake, he does whatever is good for him, without concern over the consequences for others. This article is excellent in bringing out, at least in part, some the consequences of government waste and overspending.

Cash for Clunkers is bad economics and bad for America!


On Aug 02 12:25 AM Machiavelli999 wrote:

> This guy, like most people on this site, has no clue about how economies
> work.
>
> I won't even go into the details. HORRIBLE ARTICLE!]]> Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:07:02 -0400
The "Cash for Clunkers" program is yet more welfare for the well-to-do. People who aren't rich enough to qualify for the hefty loans needed to buy a brand new car (and the cost of a new car is hefty, even with government giveaway money) are sh-t of of luck! They pay taxes, and their money gets given away to richer folks who just need a little incentive to buy new cars.

Meanwhile, a lot of quality used cars are going to be junked, driving up the price of used cars for the rest of us! Fat cats, like Machiavelli, obviously don't give a damn about anyone less fortunate than you. So, just like his namesake, he does whatever is good for him, without concern over the consequences for others. This article is excellent in bringing out, at least in part, some the consequences of government waste and overspending.

Cash for Clunkers is bad economics and bad for America!


On Aug 02 12:25 AM Machiavelli999 wrote:

> This guy, like most people on this site, has no clue about how economies
> work.
>
> I won't even go into the details. HORRIBLE ARTICLE!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/152909-cash-for-clunkers-may-cost-up-to-45-354-per-vehicle?source=feed#comment-610016 610016
"Edmunds.com's research shows that typically 200,000 vehicles worth less than $4,500 are traded in for new vehicles every three months."

Accordingly, Edmunds is talking about ONLY the type of vehicles which would qualify for cash for clunkers. Anyone who has even a passing knowledge of the car market knows that far more than 200,000 used car trade-ins happen every month, let alone every quarter. The used car market is far larger than the new car market, and, even now, the car makers will sell about 10 million vehicles in this depression year.

You should read things before you launch your claims of authors throwing BS. Because if you don't, you will be throwing BS yourself, which it what you've done here.]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:08:20 -0400
"Edmunds.com's research shows that typically 200,000 vehicles worth less than $4,500 are traded in for new vehicles every three months."

Accordingly, Edmunds is talking about ONLY the type of vehicles which would qualify for cash for clunkers. Anyone who has even a passing knowledge of the car market knows that far more than 200,000 used car trade-ins happen every month, let alone every quarter. The used car market is far larger than the new car market, and, even now, the car makers will sell about 10 million vehicles in this depression year.

You should read things before you launch your claims of authors throwing BS. Because if you don't, you will be throwing BS yourself, which it what you've done here.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/152909-cash-for-clunkers-may-cost-up-to-45-354-per-vehicle?source=feed#comment-609986 609986
Also, the article states that the 200,000 car figure data comes from Edmunds.com, which, apparently, has indicated (and they are about the most expert source of such data that exists) that this is the normal number of "low mileage" (or "low miles per gallon" old cars) that are traded in for new "high mileage" (or "high miles per gallon" new cars) every 3 months.


On Jul 31 01:43 PM dancingdad wrote:

> Avery must be a republican because he does math like one. His arguments
> are like the ones Bush made going into Iraq. First note he said
> 200,000 low mileage cars are traded in a normal 3 month period. (
> I'm willing to bet a large percentage of the clunkers coming in are
> high mileage ones.) He then assumes that all the clunker cars replace
> all the normal trades (bad assumption). His faulty logic leads him
> to conclude that 222,000 clunkers - 200,000 normal trades so we get
> 22,000 additional trade activity for $1B. All wrong, all worst case
> assumptions, typical republican BS.]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:52:10 -0400
Also, the article states that the 200,000 car figure data comes from Edmunds.com, which, apparently, has indicated (and they are about the most expert source of such data that exists) that this is the normal number of "low mileage" (or "low miles per gallon" old cars) that are traded in for new "high mileage" (or "high miles per gallon" new cars) every 3 months.


On Jul 31 01:43 PM dancingdad wrote:

> Avery must be a republican because he does math like one. His arguments
> are like the ones Bush made going into Iraq. First note he said
> 200,000 low mileage cars are traded in a normal 3 month period. (
> I'm willing to bet a large percentage of the clunkers coming in are
> high mileage ones.) He then assumes that all the clunker cars replace
> all the normal trades (bad assumption). His faulty logic leads him
> to conclude that 222,000 clunkers - 200,000 normal trades so we get
> 22,000 additional trade activity for $1B. All wrong, all worst case
> assumptions, typical republican BS.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/152909-cash-for-clunkers-may-cost-up-to-45-354-per-vehicle?source=feed#comment-609958 609958
The math is absolutely correct. The idea is that a certain number of cars/trucks would have been sold anyway - Edmunds says 200,000 clunkers are traded in for fuel efficient vehicles EVEN WITHOUT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES!

The cost to the government of a "stimulus" is NOT $3,500 - $4,500 per car, because many buyers are getting the money even though they WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ANYWAY, without the program.

At $4,500 per extra car, the program costs the government $45,354 for each extra sale, above those that are normally sold anyway, exactly as the article states.]]> Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:34:09 -0400
The math is absolutely correct. The idea is that a certain number of cars/trucks would have been sold anyway - Edmunds says 200,000 clunkers are traded in for fuel efficient vehicles EVEN WITHOUT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES!

The cost to the government of a "stimulus" is NOT $3,500 - $4,500 per car, because many buyers are getting the money even though they WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ANYWAY, without the program.

At $4,500 per extra car, the program costs the government $45,354 for each extra sale, above those that are normally sold anyway, exactly as the article states.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/151547-forget-the-1930s-we-re-reliving-1975-part-ii?source=feed#comment-605497 605497 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:37:43 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/151612-was-the-aig-bailout-a-goldman-bailout-by-proxy?source=feed#comment-605389 605389
It seems to me that, now that we have finally gotten to the truth -- that the Goldman Sachs and all the others that got the backdoor bailouts from AIG to allegedly "save the financial system", they and the others should now be required to pay it ALL back, before distributing obscene bonuses and salary to their executives.

But, then, being a banker at, I suspect, Goldman Sachs, steeped in the idea that you are a privileged person to whom the world owe a living, you probably disagree, and think bonuses paid, essentially, with government bailout funds, are just fine and dandy. That is the real truth, isn't it?]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:38:34 -0400
It seems to me that, now that we have finally gotten to the truth -- that the Goldman Sachs and all the others that got the backdoor bailouts from AIG to allegedly "save the financial system", they and the others should now be required to pay it ALL back, before distributing obscene bonuses and salary to their executives.

But, then, being a banker at, I suspect, Goldman Sachs, steeped in the idea that you are a privileged person to whom the world owe a living, you probably disagree, and think bonuses paid, essentially, with government bailout funds, are just fine and dandy. That is the real truth, isn't it?]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/150750-michelle-caruso-cabrera-charlie-gasparino-bash-finance-blogs?source=feed#comment-602526 602526

On Jul 23 07:25 AM richjoy403 wrote:

> I was watching CNBC since it was the previous network. Investments
> are serious business to me. There is a balance between information
> and entertainment, and CNBC often favors entertainment (especially
> before the market opens)...also I have no interest in whether Bartromo
> or Burnett is their #1 babe.
>
> CNBC is after all intended to produce a profit, and not a small one.
> So, complaining about their stupid antics (e.g.; the seals blowing
> horns) isn't going to produce an on-air change unless the bosses
> decide it is reducing profits.
>
> The #1 thing that bothers me all day long (and I do watch all day
> and through Fast Money, as I can't accept Cramer's antics), is that
> they permit/encourage what should be a useful discussion by persons
> with opposing views to degenerate into a useless and wasted opportunity
> wherein those persons talk over each other before a coherent view
> can be expressed.]]> Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:45:50 -0400

On Jul 23 07:25 AM richjoy403 wrote:

> I was watching CNBC since it was the previous network. Investments
> are serious business to me. There is a balance between information
> and entertainment, and CNBC often favors entertainment (especially
> before the market opens)...also I have no interest in whether Bartromo
> or Burnett is their #1 babe.
>
> CNBC is after all intended to produce a profit, and not a small one.
> So, complaining about their stupid antics (e.g.; the seals blowing
> horns) isn't going to produce an on-air change unless the bosses
> decide it is reducing profits.
>
> The #1 thing that bothers me all day long (and I do watch all day
> and through Fast Money, as I can't accept Cramer's antics), is that
> they permit/encourage what should be a useful discussion by persons
> with opposing views to degenerate into a useless and wasted opportunity
> wherein those persons talk over each other before a coherent view
> can be expressed.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/149617-as-equities-rise-the-dollar-will-fall?source=feed#comment-593786 593786
This rally, however, is artificially created, by the PPT banks, on behalf of their Federal Reserve slush fund. They print dollars, hand them over to derivatives dealers to buy long on index futures, the arbitragers go into action equalizing the cash market to the futures, and the stock market goes up...and the dollar goes down. It will continue as long as the Fed keeps printing cash, and will stop as soon as the Fed stops. But, then, probably, the market will crash, because real investors don't want to buy this market.]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:29:28 -0400
This rally, however, is artificially created, by the PPT banks, on behalf of their Federal Reserve slush fund. They print dollars, hand them over to derivatives dealers to buy long on index futures, the arbitragers go into action equalizing the cash market to the futures, and the stock market goes up...and the dollar goes down. It will continue as long as the Fed keeps printing cash, and will stop as soon as the Fed stops. But, then, probably, the market will crash, because real investors don't want to buy this market.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/149567-options-trader-weekend-update-charts-art-and-market-manipulation?source=feed#comment-593715 593715
Don't be naive. Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are manipulating this market with the use of the Federal Reserve slush fund. The GE owned CNBC is simply a mouthpiece for the same crowd. All of this market bullish action will, inevitably, crash and burn into either a Greater Depression, or, even worse, a worldwide Great Hyperinflation.

We have a narrow minded academic, in the form of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who was put into office because the PPT players know his mind is focused entirely upon the Great Depression. Add to that the corruption and nepotism of Henry Paulson and Timothy Geithner, and their pawns and underlings. That is what is now causing the fall of America.

In every civilization, there comes a time when it is time for a massive, often negative, transformation. That time is unfotuantely now, for the United States. History does not repeat exactly, and the American Republic looks like it will be converted into a corrupt oligarchical state, rather than an Empire, as the Roman Republic once was. We can stop this now, if we all act together, but what is the likelihood of that, given that the powers-that-be are so expert at gaming the system?]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:29:38 -0400
Don't be naive. Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are manipulating this market with the use of the Federal Reserve slush fund. The GE owned CNBC is simply a mouthpiece for the same crowd. All of this market bullish action will, inevitably, crash and burn into either a Greater Depression, or, even worse, a worldwide Great Hyperinflation.

We have a narrow minded academic, in the form of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who was put into office because the PPT players know his mind is focused entirely upon the Great Depression. Add to that the corruption and nepotism of Henry Paulson and Timothy Geithner, and their pawns and underlings. That is what is now causing the fall of America.

In every civilization, there comes a time when it is time for a massive, often negative, transformation. That time is unfotuantely now, for the United States. History does not repeat exactly, and the American Republic looks like it will be converted into a corrupt oligarchical state, rather than an Empire, as the Roman Republic once was. We can stop this now, if we all act together, but what is the likelihood of that, given that the powers-that-be are so expert at gaming the system?]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/141851-the-coming-economic-collapse-part-2?source=feed#comment-538351 538351

On Jun 08 06:52 AM Marco Hickey wrote:

Nice article. Can you tell me where you found the information about
taxes rising only 40% versus government spending rising 2600%? Thanks.]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:06:24 -0400

On Jun 08 06:52 AM Marco Hickey wrote:

Nice article. Can you tell me where you found the information about
taxes rising only 40% versus government spending rising 2600%? Thanks.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/141863-why-ford-is-a-goner?source=feed#comment-538272 538272 FORD) vehicles, and both have been utter crap! Both spent more time in the repair shop than on the road. On top of it all, the customer service people were snarly. I bought the first one in the 1980s and the second in the 1990s, so a lot of time has passed, but I can assure that they lost me, PERMANENTLY, as a customer. I would NEVER buy a Ford product again.

When I switched to Toyota (mine were made in America, by the way!) I had nothing but good service, and few problems. I will always buy Toyota vehicles, as long as they continue their excellent quality and service. So, as far as I am concerned, you can take all the Detroit based manufacturers of vehicles, and, also, the UAW, and flush them all down the toilet. I am angry that my tax dollars are being used to support such second rate products. That is frankly wrong. Let these companies disappear from the face of the earth. They STINK!]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:36:26 -0400 FORD) vehicles, and both have been utter crap! Both spent more time in the repair shop than on the road. On top of it all, the customer service people were snarly. I bought the first one in the 1980s and the second in the 1990s, so a lot of time has passed, but I can assure that they lost me, PERMANENTLY, as a customer. I would NEVER buy a Ford product again.

When I switched to Toyota (mine were made in America, by the way!) I had nothing but good service, and few problems. I will always buy Toyota vehicles, as long as they continue their excellent quality and service. So, as far as I am concerned, you can take all the Detroit based manufacturers of vehicles, and, also, the UAW, and flush them all down the toilet. I am angry that my tax dollars are being used to support such second rate products. That is frankly wrong. Let these companies disappear from the face of the earth. They STINK!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/111852-will-comex-default-on-gold-and-silver?source=feed#comment-457242 457242
The article is talking about delivery on NYSE-Liffe mini-gold, NOT COMEX miNY gold. The two are different exchanges! They just happen to share the same warehouses, because NYSE-Liffe is smaller than COMEX but many of the same derivatives dealers use it. The NYSE-Liffe mini contracts WERE AND ARE supposed to be deliverable.

The difference now is that they won't give you delivery on 1 contract. Before, you could get 1 kg. worth of a gold bar. Now, you must share a gold bar of 100 ounce size with 2 other people, or you need to buy 3 minis.

Get your facts straight!]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:19:31 -0400
The article is talking about delivery on NYSE-Liffe mini-gold, NOT COMEX miNY gold. The two are different exchanges! They just happen to share the same warehouses, because NYSE-Liffe is smaller than COMEX but many of the same derivatives dealers use it. The NYSE-Liffe mini contracts WERE AND ARE supposed to be deliverable.

The difference now is that they won't give you delivery on 1 contract. Before, you could get 1 kg. worth of a gold bar. Now, you must share a gold bar of 100 ounce size with 2 other people, or you need to buy 3 minis.

Get your facts straight!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/128150-nyse-runs-out-of-gold-bars-what-happens-next?source=feed#comment-442538 442538
Tim Iaconno just wrote an article in which he relays a conversation he had with the folks over at the Streettracks ETF, GLD. It can be found here:

seekingalpha.com/artic...?

The GLD people answered the burning questions so many people have been having about how the fund can increase by so many alleged tons of gold without any evidence that any gold is actually being moved in or out. Iaconno didn't realize the revelations he was passing along are the basis of an illegal Ponzi scheme.

GLD basically admitted that they aren't really buying any gold, and are just moving it from "unallocated" to allocated storage. Which means, of course, that they are cheating some poor slob, who innocently purchased unallocated gold from people like the Perth Mint, or Kitco, and who doesn't know about the PPT banks and how they are scamming gold buyers.

For example, Kitco, which has a close relationship with one of the most commonly accused banks, alleged to be manipulating gold prices, HSBC, solicits people to invest in the Kitco unallocated gold "pool". I'm not exactly sure what the specifics are, or what investors are being told, but many will probably assume their gold is sitting in an "undivided" condition, somewhere in the HSBC vault, because that is where Kitco gets most of its gold (when it has gold). The truth, however, is that such gold is not safely in storage for the buyers. Rather, it is subject to being gobbled up by the GLD ETF.

Such gold, gobbled up to take care of subsequent purchasers of GLD, won't be there when the gold pool owners want and need it. If they want to convert to physical, they may be out of luck! If that ain't a Ponzi scheme, I don't know what is!

Hopefully, when people begin to realize that a severe shortage of real gold is developing, they will buy it like crazy, and bankrupt the PPT controlled bullion banks!]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:30:22 -0400
Tim Iaconno just wrote an article in which he relays a conversation he had with the folks over at the Streettracks ETF, GLD. It can be found here:

seekingalpha.com/artic...?

The GLD people answered the burning questions so many people have been having about how the fund can increase by so many alleged tons of gold without any evidence that any gold is actually being moved in or out. Iaconno didn't realize the revelations he was passing along are the basis of an illegal Ponzi scheme.

GLD basically admitted that they aren't really buying any gold, and are just moving it from "unallocated" to allocated storage. Which means, of course, that they are cheating some poor slob, who innocently purchased unallocated gold from people like the Perth Mint, or Kitco, and who doesn't know about the PPT banks and how they are scamming gold buyers.

For example, Kitco, which has a close relationship with one of the most commonly accused banks, alleged to be manipulating gold prices, HSBC, solicits people to invest in the Kitco unallocated gold "pool". I'm not exactly sure what the specifics are, or what investors are being told, but many will probably assume their gold is sitting in an "undivided" condition, somewhere in the HSBC vault, because that is where Kitco gets most of its gold (when it has gold). The truth, however, is that such gold is not safely in storage for the buyers. Rather, it is subject to being gobbled up by the GLD ETF.

Such gold, gobbled up to take care of subsequent purchasers of GLD, won't be there when the gold pool owners want and need it. If they want to convert to physical, they may be out of luck! If that ain't a Ponzi scheme, I don't know what is!

Hopefully, when people begin to realize that a severe shortage of real gold is developing, they will buy it like crazy, and bankrupt the PPT controlled bullion banks!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/128092-where-does-the-gold-etf-get-its-gold?source=feed#comment-441971 441971
Kitco, for example, runs an unallocated gold sales scheme, and uses the ostensible HSBC warehouses to store the alleged unallocated gold. It sells shares in what is, apparently, another Ponzi scheme (according to the results of your phone call) to innocent investors who believe they are investing in gold bars which, although not assigned specifically to them, at least exist. When, however, HSBC transfers the gold from Kitco's unallocated account into the ETF, it and Kitco (if the latter is aware of the transfer) defraud the investors in the unallocated accounts, and, potentially, to the investors in GLD.

A bankruptcy judge would certainly order a return of this gold to the Kitco account for the benefit of creditors, if Kitco went bankrupt, and could impose a constructive trust upon it, requiring a return of the fraudulent transfer, in the event an investor sued Kitco or HSBC or both.

In short, if the information that Tim Iaconno is reporting is correct, then the Kitco gold "pool" as well as the HSBC stored GLD ETF are both Ponzi schemes in which one investor is being paid off by using the investment in gold that belongs to other investors now or in the future. This should be immediately reported to state prosecutors in both New York and Canada, so further investigation can be pursued, and the culprits who are behind the scheme are brought to justice.]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:35:49 -0400
Kitco, for example, runs an unallocated gold sales scheme, and uses the ostensible HSBC warehouses to store the alleged unallocated gold. It sells shares in what is, apparently, another Ponzi scheme (according to the results of your phone call) to innocent investors who believe they are investing in gold bars which, although not assigned specifically to them, at least exist. When, however, HSBC transfers the gold from Kitco's unallocated account into the ETF, it and Kitco (if the latter is aware of the transfer) defraud the investors in the unallocated accounts, and, potentially, to the investors in GLD.

A bankruptcy judge would certainly order a return of this gold to the Kitco account for the benefit of creditors, if Kitco went bankrupt, and could impose a constructive trust upon it, requiring a return of the fraudulent transfer, in the event an investor sued Kitco or HSBC or both.

In short, if the information that Tim Iaconno is reporting is correct, then the Kitco gold "pool" as well as the HSBC stored GLD ETF are both Ponzi schemes in which one investor is being paid off by using the investment in gold that belongs to other investors now or in the future. This should be immediately reported to state prosecutors in both New York and Canada, so further investigation can be pursued, and the culprits who are behind the scheme are brought to justice.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/127098-fed-intervention-market-response-confirm-we-re-on-the-path-to-hyperinflation?source=feed#comment-435884 435884
The Fed has no choice. The momentum building in gold and silver will soon be unstoppable. They will probably crash it a few more times, but, in the long run, the manipulation is doomed. A critical point will come in their dollar manipulation, when the production of dollars gets to the critical point that a chain reaction will come about, imploding the dollar, and breaking gold and silver free from the constraints the fed would like to impose.


On Mar 22 12:54 AM Homer II wrote:

> Simit, you said "...as the Fed's interventionist behavior will make
> rational analysis difficult and perhaps fruitless." and yet you
> recommend holding precious metals? What do you call the drop in
> metals prices last August if not "interventionist behavior" by the
> Fed? The government well know if precious metals are allowed to
> seek their true level, that the Dollar will fall inexorably as PMs
> rise. So, they "meddled" to suppress the natural tendency for Gold
> to rise beyond $1000/oz and forced it down into the $700s to crush
> the appetite of the wise investors... and prop up the Dollar to buy
> some more time.
>
> So, do you think now, the government will allow metals prices to
> float up freely, speaking metaphorically?]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:24:40 -0400
The Fed has no choice. The momentum building in gold and silver will soon be unstoppable. They will probably crash it a few more times, but, in the long run, the manipulation is doomed. A critical point will come in their dollar manipulation, when the production of dollars gets to the critical point that a chain reaction will come about, imploding the dollar, and breaking gold and silver free from the constraints the fed would like to impose.


On Mar 22 12:54 AM Homer II wrote:

> Simit, you said "...as the Fed's interventionist behavior will make
> rational analysis difficult and perhaps fruitless." and yet you
> recommend holding precious metals? What do you call the drop in
> metals prices last August if not "interventionist behavior" by the
> Fed? The government well know if precious metals are allowed to
> seek their true level, that the Dollar will fall inexorably as PMs
> rise. So, they "meddled" to suppress the natural tendency for Gold
> to rise beyond $1000/oz and forced it down into the $700s to crush
> the appetite of the wise investors... and prop up the Dollar to buy
> some more time.
>
> So, do you think now, the government will allow metals prices to
> float up freely, speaking metaphorically?]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/127098-fed-intervention-market-response-confirm-we-re-on-the-path-to-hyperinflation?source=feed#comment-435880 435880
Can you possibly be so naive? The market was also telling us, in October, 2007, that boom times were ahead, with a DOW of over 14,000. Let's see...where is the DOW now? People like you are cheerleading when it goes above 7,000!

We are not only about to see hyperinflation. More accurately, we are going to see a hyperinflationary depression of the same type and kind that was seen in Weimar Germany from 1919-23. But, it is good that we still have some foolish people, like you, out there. It allows me to load up on gold and silver, without paying $2,000 per ounce, quite yet...

Buy stocks, Ken! I need someone to sell mine to!]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:18:20 -0400
Can you possibly be so naive? The market was also telling us, in October, 2007, that boom times were ahead, with a DOW of over 14,000. Let's see...where is the DOW now? People like you are cheerleading when it goes above 7,000!

We are not only about to see hyperinflation. More accurately, we are going to see a hyperinflationary depression of the same type and kind that was seen in Weimar Germany from 1919-23. But, it is good that we still have some foolish people, like you, out there. It allows me to load up on gold and silver, without paying $2,000 per ounce, quite yet...

Buy stocks, Ken! I need someone to sell mine to!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/127098-fed-intervention-market-response-confirm-we-re-on-the-path-to-hyperinflation?source=feed#comment-435876 435876
No, I'm afraid there is NO deflation on the horizon, and none happening now. What I am seeing, in my everyday life, is INFLATION, with capital letters. I am also seeing stores and restaurants closing. But, the ones still open, are charging me higher prices. I don't know where the government gets its numbers on the CPI. I think they invent them...


On Mar 21 07:35 PM ddtuttle wrote:

> We are currently experiencing deflation on a global level. World
> net worth has dropped something like 50%, an amount that dwarfs the
> amounts actually "created" by central banks. We are in a deflationary
> spiral that show no signs of stopping.
> When prices finally stop going down we'll have assets worth a fraction
> of their former value and many times the corresponding money supply.
> That will be a recipe for inflation, but from massively deflated
> values and prices.
> Until then cash (and gold) are king. Once the inflation starts, then
> you'll want to switch to commodities (and gold).]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2009 19:12:59 -0400
No, I'm afraid there is NO deflation on the horizon, and none happening now. What I am seeing, in my everyday life, is INFLATION, with capital letters. I am also seeing stores and restaurants closing. But, the ones still open, are charging me higher prices. I don't know where the government gets its numbers on the CPI. I think they invent them...


On Mar 21 07:35 PM ddtuttle wrote:

> We are currently experiencing deflation on a global level. World
> net worth has dropped something like 50%, an amount that dwarfs the
> amounts actually "created" by central banks. We are in a deflationary
> spiral that show no signs of stopping.
> When prices finally stop going down we'll have assets worth a fraction
> of their former value and many times the corresponding money supply.
> That will be a recipe for inflation, but from massively deflated
> values and prices.
> Until then cash (and gold) are king. Once the inflation starts, then
> you'll want to switch to commodities (and gold).]]>