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Ralph

Proof of physical gold shortages while the price is plunging in the paper markets. http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSN2140103820080821 . What a sham. If Americans start buying gold, as well as canadians. The price is going to soar.

Buffalo Ken

I don't know if it will soar, but the demand will be there, and so the "gold" will find its value!

Personally, I'm a fan of silver. The "common" coin metal.

Peace,
Ken

G.

Paulson and The Beard remind me of the Roadrunner cartoon where Wile E.Coyote
paints a black patch on the mtn wall thinking
he can fool the roadrunner into believing
its a tunnel. Poor Coyote. The Roadrunner
sails right thru his "tunnel" and when
W.E.Coyote tries the same, its he who is
flattened instead.

When The Beard opens his mysterious loan
window, the virtual economy, like neutrinos
sails right thru the rock, but the real
economy becomes road kill.

Soon the "real" will bite back and have lunch with the virtual economy.

Coyote...Its whats for dinner tonite !

Buffalo Ken

G - that is an incredible post. I agree.

I also think platinum is a neat metal and lately I'm coming to really appreciate laminate - even though when you try to put in laminate flooring you often get an unexpected lesson. Just happened that way for me.

Peace,
Ken

Buffalo Ken

In fact, I just split a small piece of the laminate in half - I could make this stuff and put it together in very valuable ways - if you know what I mean.

Laminate kept in a conditioned environment (minimul diurnal temperature chage and relatively constant humidity) will probably last damn near to infinity! Eventually some bug will come around and eat it, but anyhow, this is a product and material I think is worth investing - investing some time to better understand. I'd like to see the energy balance associated with its production. I think I could make it. I did split it up and I've been looking at its individual parts.

Anyhow, sorry for the ramble...

Buffalo Ken

But anyhow, since I've been rambling and since I consider some here friends let me just say I put in approximately 650 square feet of lamainate includign a 35 foot hallway with 8 or 9 doors (I can't remember just now). I pulled out the carpet and the tacking, the padding, and half a zillion mf'ing staples that should never have ever been put there in the first place.

Anyhow, I did all this work. I worked my ass off - and what did I get in the end. Bitching. Let me tell you - it is a good thing I have experience. Because I handled the situation well.

I got paid half my money and I plan on finishing the job (FOR GOOD) tomorrow.

So anyhow, just thought I would share that personal experience that has taught me many things. I am still living and loving life every day of the week!

Peace,
Ken

Buffalo Ken

Oh - I charged $2 per square foot. Plus $250 to take out the carpet.

I think I undercharged, but I knew I was learning. Next time - well, just wait and see! I plan on doing better, and this old farts should be happy because they have a hell of a floor that was installed with loving personal attention. I worked my ass off, but what did i get - bitchin. Sometimes it really makes me wonder!

My prices are going UP. If you know what you are getting, you will be willing to pay.

Buffalo Ken

So far I have put in 44 hours and I figure I have about 6 more to go. I've been paid for 2/3rds of the work. I plan on finishing the job with quality (as best I can), and then I will get the last third of my payment.

You can count on "2 More Hands".

P.S. Check out the "logos" at my site. I declare them public domain - use em if you think they will be helpful. Nobody owns an idea. Ideas are free.

Ken,
2morehands.com

Bear of Little Brain

UK Telegraph:
"China has replaced the US as Japan's biggest customer, underlining the emergence of the country in the global economy."

http://tinyurl.com/56695n

Apologies if this has already been raised and I missed it. This moth-eaten bear ain't what it was!

Buffalo Ken

Hey Elain, I know I'm flippant, but I think I could kick your behind in a typing contest. Are you willing?

Buffalo Ken

This is how it would work - or it is just an idea.

There would be an "assigned" webpage to go to. A comment would be required by a certain time (there would need to be a "starting" time).

Then it would be a simple ratio. keystrokes over time.

Peace,
Ken

P.S. I have lots of love and I think you do too!

Buffalo Ken

Hey Bear,

For what it is worth (perhaps not much), I respect you.

Your name is awesome and it is also a paradox.

Peace,
Ken

Buffalo Ken

Oh wait, I take it back. Elaine with an e, i don't want to go "against" u - i don't even think i could.....i am not of the wood.

But I respect those who are.

Buffalo Ken

i prefer tile and laminate - i'm still figuring the laminate out, but i will get it cause i always do (or at least i always have.......as far as my imagination can sense...

Elaine Meinel Supkis

I type faster than I talk and I talk too fast as it is, Buffalo.


And yes, I mentioned the story about China and Japan being each other's biggest trade partners just last night.

Buffalo Ken

It is true. I am passionate. I have been putting out challenges LEFT and right......one after another....

Nobody took me up on my challenges. I guess I am the champion - at least, in my own imagination.

This post makes six, I was hoping to stick with five. I love five. I love eight. I love the King of Hearts. I sent Nancy Pelosi a message a long time ago - she didn't listen. I just ate a forest-empowered hot pepper that i grew in my own garden today - just like i hear hillary does.

Anyhow, this pepper almost blew me away, but I survived.

6th post and last for the day. Do you believe me?

Buffalo Ken

Elaine - I knew you would show up!

Buffalo Ken

Can you type this fast? I am not scrolling.

I was falsely accused and I am not happy about this. The accusers are about to run headlong into the convictors, and the convictors have a whole bunch more hands.

2 more + 2 more and so many more you wouldn't believe....

The time for justified retribution has arrived.

Peace,
Ken

Buffalo Ken

Hey - check out my stuff if you are interested. It is very inter-linked. I think it is a Good story, but I suppose, what do I know. Although my name is Ken.

Ken of the Buffalo.

Buffalo Ken

I have lots of stories out there. Stories that are no longer publically available, but I'm pretty sure they were saved.

Also, I am willing to sell these stories to the proper organization. One that I feel syntergistic with - if you know what I mean.

Hey, one of my stories was a long one about Tejas and Mejico.

Incidently, what do you think about Fay - she is sure dropping a log of rain. And did you here about the plane? How sad it must have been when the fire was burning so hot. I here now that they say B-7 came down because of fire - i'm not sure i believe this - what do you think.

The fate of the country may rest upon you answer - but of coure, it may not. Obviously.

I love numbers.

Buffalo Ken

Hey - I was saying to my daughter just today an idea I had about how cars could be driven in a way that made them so naturally efficient.

They might even be able to compete with trains, but I guess nobody wants to know. Not even GM.

Buffalo Ken

Just really everyone. Leave me alone and I will do likewise.

Sorry for all of this incredible luminous foolishness - i just couldn't help myself.

Peace from me to you and from my family to your family. Peace is what we need. It is time for Peace. Don't you think.

Buffalo Ken

I call 8. I call infinity. I mean it. I am mean. Real mean.

Buffalo Ken

I'll take 9 too. Pluto is for sure a planet. It was once thought of as so, it always will be at least in the minds of some. Some men and some women. The women are the ones who really matter when it comes to keeping track of time. Don't you know and don't you just love Pluto!

Bear of Little Brain

Thanks for the compliment, Ken.

Missed the China/Japan trade comment yesterday. Must have been staring out the window in class again! Sorry, ma'am. ;-)

Actually, what stopped me half-way was this:
"England was a defacto OPEC country. Protected militarily and economically by the US."
I was going to respond because that's not quite true (there was a popular movement that wanted US bases and nuclear weapons off our soil - me included; but it's not worth opening that old sore, to say nothing of which oil companies shared in the North Sea booty/plunder).
Anyway, I finally decided not to write that essay! ;-)

Hence, I never finished reading your posting. Ho, hum.

All the best

Buffalo Ken

as i said Bear - I respect you. Everyone who knows anything about the wilderness respects bears. Bears demand respect and they get it.

Christian W

England's leaders are every bit as bought as American leaders are. Just look at Blair and Major. That goes for nearly all European leaders actually.

Buffalo Ken

Christian you seem to have much wisdom. What does the W stand for?

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Ordinary Brits were sensible. But they didn't run the Common Wealth. Now, the Commoners get the kit and kaboodle after all the Wealth is gone.

Buffalo Ken

yes as it should be in my humble opinion...

the "commoners" get everything...

Market Watcher

Hi, Elaine.

You point out that "Our entire nation is entirely in debt. We are up against the Great Wall of China. Our creditors are communists!!!! Hey, ever think about what this really means, anyone?"

Well, yes, I have, anyway. People can be such fools. Definately herd animals. Reality has such concreteness and eventually disturbs the dreaming sleepers.

Buffalo Ken

but those of the "little house" know..

Buffalo Ken

the first step is to get rid of Pelosi. Either that or elect Cincy Sheehen.

These are the only options I see left.

Impeachment would have been so much easier.

Don't U think?

A "dumbbbbbbed down populace" will lead to a dumbed down nation...

Richard

Elaine .... Libra came out today and slew the US Dolllar ... yes the Dollar fell lower and gold and oil Rose as currency traders drove the USD/JPY down.

The US Dollar, $USD, fell lower to close at $76.11 and gold rose to close at $837.

You wrote that "This year they are fully involved in weakening the Euro".

The weakening of the Euro, FXE, began in late June 2008, as I documented in my article, June 22, 2008, article 'EUR/JPY Shows Bearish Dark Cloud Cover Candlestick'. I wrote that "the chart of EUR/JPY, FXE:FXY, the barometer of the yen carry trade, shows a bearish dark cover candlestick which is presenting also as a lollipop hanging man candlestick. It looks like a great unwinding of the yen carry trade is at hand, with disinvestment in stocks and currencies to take place".

Then in my August 7, 2008 article 'An Elliott Wave 3 Down Commences In The EUR/JPY, I document that the currency traders heavily sold the Euro, FXE, the Australian Dollar, FXA, and the Canadian Dollar, FXC, the British Pound, FXB, and the Swiss Krona, FXC.

Now, the US Dollar, $USD, will be joining the other currencies in falling lower together.

Gold could fall once again to its August 15, 2008, $790 value. Neverthelss, the result of today's trading is now clear, cogent and convincing: given that Peak Dollar and Peak Currencies have passed, that gold is now the defacto world currency and the means and measure to garner and accumulate wealth.

In a world of failing currencies, and falling stock value, international tensions will grow, small wars like in the Congo will become more frequent and global conflict expand to the point where World War III will happen, as the EU US Western World Government seeks to consolidate control over oil reserves in Iraq and Iran, with the pretext for war being a military strike on Iran, over its nuclear ambitions.

Christian W

@Buffalo Ken: Witting, my last name =)

Michael

Elaine,

You ARE a teacher of economics:

"Bankrupting our government in order to save bankers who gave out bad loans so they could collect fees is the height of stupidity."

I rest my case.

By the way,

As I watch all the new American gung-ho aggressive posturing against the "Russkies" (we used to emphasize that what made them so evil was their Communism, but now we're just going to straight ethnic hatred), the most disturbing part is not getting a lot of attention.

Back in the MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) Cold War days of the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's we landed on a bizarre kind of balance-of-power with a shared policy of "we better not start any actual fighting, because we'll kill each other completely". The only real destabilizers were the RAND Corp. theorizers and "father of the H-Bomb" Edward Teller, who kept insisting that the U.S. could "win" a nuclear war, by suddenly sending all our missles at the Societ Union in a surprise first strike.

Sure, there'd be a dozen or two nukes of the Soviets that would survive the attack or get launched in time, and a few million Americans would have be "sacrificed." But these clowns used that new magic toy the "computer" to run spreadsheets (based on their power-loving magical-thinking assumptions) that "proved" that America would "win" WWIII by having a higher "survivability" rate after all the glowing dust settled.

This insane approach was openly discussed, and the masses were even exposed to it in movies like "Dr. Strangelove" and "Fail Safe." The absurdity and suicidality of this "How to win a nuclear war against the Commies" mentality was so obvious that it didn't manage to become official U.S. policy.

MAD ultimately served its peace-keeping purpose by exhausting the finances of both the Soviet Union (which then came apart politically) and the U.S. (which underwnet massive budget and trade deficits that resulted from using endlessly expanding credit to replace real money in order to stay "prosperous").

The new Russian state and America started nuclear disarmament, and everybody stopped threatening WWIII. There was a "peace dividend" that led to budget surpluses in the U.S. and allowed Russia to eventuall get on its feet economically.

Now, here's the real scary part. In the ensuing 20 years, the U.S. has pushed the anti-Russian military organization NATO into every possible country on Russia's borders and is now highly-publicly putting anti-missle missles in them.

What's so bad about anti-missle missles? Isn't this just "missle defense?" Why are the Russians so paranoid?

Here's why: Once again the Strangeloves hired by the Pentagon are crawling out from under their rocks and whispering into the ears of Gates (formerly known as Rumsfelt), Bush, Rice, etc, the following message: "If we surround Russia with anti-missle missle systems, then we can launch a first strike! They'll be crushed, and any responding nukes they manage to launch will be stopped at their borders. HAHAHAHA!!"

Sound familiar? Too bad the media has become the captive of the government and our return to insane war planning is not getting public attention this time. This unbelievably dangerous thinking is why the ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missle) Treaty was signed with the Soviet Union in the first place - both countries knew the same thing.

It's also why Bush and the "New American Century" NeoCons unilaterally abrogated the ABM treaty and re-started the Space-Based Defense Initiative (Star Wars), in order to give the U.S. a free hand to prepare to destroy Russia. Of course, we'd never actually USE that power, or so we say.

This is what the whole Georgia thing is all about (we were creating an "Israel of the Caucasus" to be our regional attack dog and the Russians decided enough is enough).

While Iraq, the economic meltdown, "terrorism" and the elections hold our attention, both the U.S. and Russia are hurtling to Hot War brinkmanship that is much more dangerous and expensive than it ever was during the Cold War.

DrKrbyLuv

Fortunately, the Europeans put a stop to US plans to admit Georgia into NATO. Imagine how bad the situation would be had Russia attacked a NATO nation.

NATO should have been eliminated long ago as it is essentially on organization to confront Russia. The US neoconns have played a bad game here hoping to make money selling arms and by siphoning off oil revenues from the Caspian region.

The US mainstream media is totally silent about the fact that Israel was selling Georgia weapons and training. Now, the bear is looking to renew ties with Syria - Syria has offered to allow Russia to position their missiles on Syrian soil.

Israel will feel the blow back from Georgia's aggressive behavior more than Europe and the US.

The crazy notion by the US and Israel has been that they had to stop Iran from developing nukes. Guess what, it's much quicker and less expensive to simply buy nuclear warheads. Anyone think Pakistan, China or Russia will ALL continue denying these sales in the future?

And you can forget the pretend support of the US by NATO allies. Most depend on Russia for oil and natural gas. With winter coming, Europe will think twice about messing with Russia.

It will now be very difficult to get any NATO countries to extend NATO's liability to Georgia. This is the only good news.

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Hope you are right, Dr. KrbyLuv. By the way, glad to see you back [no hard feelings about things from my end, OK?].


About MAD: I knew about several incarnations of the stupid idea, all we have to do is a sneak attack on Russia....and....

See, when the L-5 Society was supposed to be about the Peaceful Uses of Space, inside the organization, at the very top, in the form of my sister's new fiancee, we had this grotesque idea which was the germination of Star Wars. Will Safire took it up while I was outraged by the suggestion that we have a super-missile shield that would then be a screen that would allow us to destroy all the humans in Russia.

Gah!

The L-5 Space colonies would be used to launch this war from space!!!! I said, 'Russia will nuke us before we can install any such system. The closer we get to activating this, the more likely the Russians will nuke us. They must do this!'

Well, here we are: the very same neocons I debated at that Princeton Club gathering are running our war planning and planning World War Fucking III.

Got bomb shelters?

whine and cheese

Watch Algeria fall... Europe will be very cold this winter.

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Gives the concept of Cold War a bit of realism, eh? Heh.

Ivendur

Are you all insane?This is not war with slings that you are talking about. If just ONE nuclear rocket take off from any place of the world with this stupied world is OVER. There wont be USA, Germany, Georgia, Russia, China, New Zealand or Chili.... It will be OVER.Mankind will extinct! PERIOD!

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Dear Ivendur: I grew up inside of the military/industrial/CIA complex. I have actually seen not only nuclear bombs blown up in tests but a lot of rockets and missiles. My dad was the one who brought out the Nazi rockets from Germany at the end of WWII.

I have devoted my entire life to stopping nuclear war. I fear it tremendously. We are always on the verge of tripping over into this hideous war. So the deliberate provocations leading us right back to where we were in 1955 when I was only 5 years old and read a headline in a newspaper in Chicago's train station saying, 'Cold War Heats Up.'

OK: nuclear disarmament has been totally perverted by the US and Israel into a hideous farce. Disarming smaller nations we want to invade! Not disarming the US, Russia, ISRAEL, France, England, China, India, Pakistan. Nope. Instead, most of these nuclear armed critters are in control of the Dead UN.

The UN was used to illegally disarm and then stomp on Iraq. An international crime! NO ONE will EVER disarm again. Ever.

This is just so terrible, it makes my head hurt to even talk about it. So we must talk about it.

Elaine Meinel Supkis

From a story last January about all this:

http://elainemeinelsupkis.typepad.com/diplomacy/2008/01/nuclear-war-kee.html

Nuclear War Keeps Intruding Into Our Troubled Waking World

Dear readers, I don't know how most people look at these images but just posting them here made me cry. I can't bear looking at videos of nuclear bombs. I grew up in the shadow of the Valley of Death and WWIII. My father, due to his high standing within the missile/nuclear/advisor to Eisenhower community, knew a tremendous amount of highly-classified material which I was partially privy to as a child because frankly, my very favorite game was The Ghost Spy. I spied on my dad. A lot.


Elaine Meinel Supkis

Hey, it works!

To post pictures, you just have to do the ----img src---code bracketed with the < and " at the beginning and a " and > at the end.

Paul S

Erecting tariffs and trade barriers should include ANY item manufactured outside the US. Including items made by corporations with US headquarters like GE, Nike, etc. If it's made outside the US it's a foreign import Let's see Jack Welch counter THAT. This country should also put US corporations on notice that if they run afoul of their host country, they are on their own. The US Embassy, the 7th Fleet...no longer available. The only thing we will do is to send Jim Cramer of MSNBC over to make stock market predictions/recommendations. Maybe the bad guys will die laughing.

Ivendur

Dear Elaine, thank you for your replay. I undestand you completely and i belive you. I'm pretty younger then you, and i grew up in family where i use to hear that there is nothing more terribly wrong in this world but the WAR!Now when i'm 30 yeard old, i can feel and understand what my parents meant back then.It is SAD!SAD and cruel!And if you think for a bit it is ALL about the MONEY! Nothing else!Is this world doomed?Really doomed!

klintock

I know you like to expose the two faced nature of the Japanese miracle economy so I thought you would like this -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/22/japan.socialexclusion

"All it takes is a short train ride to be transported from the affluent, neon-lit streets of central Osaka to the grinding poverty of Japan's biggest slum.

However, you won't find Kamagasaki on any official maps. Osaka's bureaucrats would rather the world knew as little as possible about the maze of dingy streets, tarpaulin-covered parks and high-rise dosshouses that symbolise growing social inequality in the world's second-biggest economy.

When jobs are plentiful, life in Kamagasaki continues largely unnoticed by the rest of Japan. But these are hard times for the thousands of casual labourers who descend on the local employment-welfare centre every morning at dawn, not knowing if they will spend the day earning hard cash on construction sites, or queuing for handouts at the local soup kitchen."

DrKrbyLuv

Ivendur, et al,

It is indeed frustrating to see the unchecked insanity proceed with little notice or care from our leaders and much of the population.

Thanks Elaine for sharing your keen understanding of international economics - your columns, and the insights by others here, have been a real eye opener.

I remain optimistic that eventually, the people will recognize what is happening. We still hold the power to restrain and reform our government.

Buffalo Ken

DrKrbyLuv - I agree with you.
The People will come thru.
"We" the People always DO!

Peace from me to you and from my family to your family. I extend Peace outwards in my own "insane" sort of way, but this is not an insane hope; rather, it is the only way I can hold onto hope because the "world" seems insane to me - but I know it is only a couple so-called elite few and all we need to do is move them out of the way. Simple. Lets cut the strings discriminately if you know what I mean.

The idea train has commenced. Can't you sense it?

OK today, I am going to finish that stinking laminate floor job. God, I will be happy when I am out of those old folks house - no offense to them, I just can't stand it hearing so much propaganda blurting out from the seemingly constantly turned on TV. Today, I will have my MP3 player. Today I finish the job. Hooray for me...ha...ha....ha.

No more posts today - do you believe? It don't matter anyhow and nor does money matter. Money sucks. Money is about to go down.

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Klintock, yes, I have the Telegraph article. This is the fate of all those excess males in Asia, by the way. The sociological force that binds mothers and daughters is VERY powerful. The natural form of human society is a matriarchy.

All societies that give women a choice gravitates towards a stronger mother/daughter bond. Mother in laws are pure hell from top to bottom. I say this as someone who has had to deal with mother in laws almost all my life.

So when women have some freedom of choice, if the man is in a culture that has him habituated to being served rather than him sharing and a culture of the Evil mother in law treating her son's wife as a servant, women gravitate towards mothers, not husbands.

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