[Newsseeker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'W')e are much more frugal than most people, but the cost of things is going up so fast that any amount of frugality can't cover it. The next things to go, garbabe pickup and the newspaper on weekends will hurt. I can take the garbage up to the dump, but the newspaper is nice. Oh, well, I suppose it could be a lot worse. 2007/8 seems to be the breaking point for us. We'll move into ultra frugal mode next winter.

[Revi]

We are already somewhat self-sufficient. We cut our own wood and eat from the garden, make maple syrup and harvest hot water whenever the sun shines on our solar panels. We have back up PV solar LED lighting if the electricity becomes too much to pay for. We are ready for a crash if it happens. We'll just hunker down. It won't be that different from how we live now. The thing that will really hurt is not having money for the movies on Friday nights. We won't have to cut that for a while I hope...

[I_Like_Plants]

See if you can scrounge day-old newspapers, I've noticed the news does not change THAT much. For up to date stuff, get a radio. If you're out in the boonies learn to build a loop antenna so you can get the AM stations better.

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'S')ee if you can scrounge day-old newspapers, I've noticed the news does not change THAT much. For up to date stuff, get a radio. If you're out in the boonies learn to build a loop antenna so you can get the AM stations better.

[Revi]

I just read an interesting thing by Thomas Paine, of Common Sense fame. He said that there are three ways of paying for a war. One is to pay outright. (yeah, right!) The second is to tax people, which is the best, because they are aware of what they are paying for it, and the third is to print money, and make inflation. This is a tax only on the working class. People who make money off their money live off the increased interest. Us working stiffs feel our wages shrink as the price of everything goes up. The government does okay, because they just keep printing money for whatever they need. It struck me that even though Paine's words were penned over 2 centuries ago, they are common sense today.

[Newsseeker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'I') just read an interesting thing by Thomas Paine, of Common Sense fame. He said that there are three ways of paying for a war. One is to pay outright. (yeah, right!) The second is to tax people, which is the best, because they are aware of what they are paying for it, and the third is to print money, and make inflation. This is a tax only on the working class. People who make money off their money live off the increased interest. Us working stiffs feel our wages shrink as the price of everything goes up. The government does okay, because they just keep printing money for whatever they need. It struck me that even though Paine's words were penned over 2 centuries ago, they are common sense today.

[Plantagenet]

The more the US borrows, the less our currency is worth.

Our currency reflects this by falling in value against other currencies.

The dollar has fallen against the Euro by almost 50% since the Euro was established in 2000.

[MrBill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'T')he more the US borrows, the less our currency is worth.

Our currency reflects this by falling in value against other currencies.

The dollar has fallen against the Euro by almost 50% since the Euro was established in 2000.

[Plantagenet]

The Euro was PROPOSED in 1999, but only traded on the currency market as a theoretical currency. It wasn't on the streets until a couple of years later.

It wasn't much of a launch in 1999 as you could see a picutre of one, but you couldn't get a Euro or spend a Euro anywhere in Europe in 1999....Only the banks had them....get it?

It was lira, marks, franks, zlotys, krona from the English Channel to the Aegean Sea.

I lived in Europe at that time and dealt with U.S. dollar to Euro conversions frequently. When I bought my local currencies, I'd get lira or whatever and the receipt would also show the exchange value of the theoretical Euro. The Euro hit a low of .84 then and is currently 1.3440.

Do the math Mr. Bill......1.344 is more than 50% higher then 0.84.

CHEERS!

[MrBill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'T')he Euro was PROPOSED in 1999, but only traded on the currency market as a theoretical currency. It wasn't on the streets until a couple of years later.

It wasn't much of a launch in 1999 as you could see a picutre of one, but you couldn't get a Euro or spend a Euro anywhere in Europe in 1999....Only the banks had them....get it?

It was lira, marks, franks, zlotys, krona from the English Channel to the Aegean Sea.

I lived in Europe at that time and dealt with U.S. dollar to Euro conversions frequently. When I bought my local currencies, I'd get lira or whatever and the receipt would also show the exchange value of the theoretical Euro. The Euro hit a low of .84 then and is currently 1.3440.

Do the math Mr. Bill......1.344 is more than 50% higher then 0.84.
CHEERS!

[Plantagenet]

Hi Mr. Bill:

Your post is very interesting and had a lot of interesting things in it.

1. The "Big Mac" index from the Economist is one of my favorite indices as well.

2. Measuring from the "trough" to the peak makes a great deal of sense. It shows the total grain in the value of the Euro since the trough is more than 50%.

3. You are wrong to suggest I claimed to be an expert in Europe. I simply pointed out that the Euro has gained over 50% in value against the dollar.

4. In terms of your theoretical question, you answered it yourself in your final paragraph. I agree the value of a currency is dependent on other factors then the portion of world trade conducted by that country. Things like the currency supply and the domestic inflation rate in the imaginary country are clearly going to play a major role.

[Newsseeker]

I agree that the dollar has slid a lot but the euro has pension plans that it is going to have to pay for making it not as great an alternative as it could be. Without PO I'd say that once China floats its currency it would become a reserve currency in 30 years or so....

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newsseeker', ' ')the euro has pension plans that it is going to have to pay for making it not as great an alternative as it could be.

[Newsseeker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newsseeker', ' ')the euro has pension plans that it is going to have to pay for making it not as great an alternative as it could be.

[Plantagenet]

The easiest way for a non-specialist to see the arrival of the initial effects of Peak Oil will be through ever-increasing prices for gas creating by tightening supply.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... OlUzd30YOo

Oil prices are predicted to hit new record highs this summer in the U.S., exceeding the old record highs established last summer.
_______

[hubbertspeak7777777]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'T')he easiest way for a non-specialist to see the arrival of the initial effects of Peak Oil will be through ever-increasing prices for gas creating by tightening supply.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... OlUzd30YOo

Oil prices are predicted to hit new record highs this summer in the U.S., exceeding the old record highs established last summer.
_______

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', '
')The funny thing is that most cornies don't even understand that the USA peaked in 1970. It's as if they believe that oil is an infinite resource. Morons.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

Fuck 'em. If the cornies want to live in a sugar-coated world, so be it... they're the ones who have to live with the consequences.

The cornies are the kind of people who follow the philosphy of, "who cares if others are starving and unemployed, I've got my mansion and suv, so that means the economy is doing fine." I'll laugh at them when they're eating the leather seats of their suvs to survive. Stupid fuckers.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', 'F')uck the cornies. If they want to live in a sugar-coated world, so be it. They're the kind of people who follow the philosphy of, "who cares if others are starving and unemployed, I've got my mansion and suv, so that means the economy is doing fine." I'll laugh at them when they're eating the leather seats of their suvs to survive. Stupid fuckers.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

Thank you. You Californians have San Francisco, we Michiganders have Bloomfield Hills. I've been to both and most citizens of both cities have the same "I'm doin' fine, so fuck you" attitude.